6 Match Star Ratings For WWE WrestleMania Backlash 2022

3. Charlotte Flair Vs. Ronda Rousey - SmackDown Women's Title I Quit Match

Edge AJ Styles
WWE.com

Pitched somewhere between their Survivor Series minor classic and the drawn-out WrestleMania 38 sequel, this, thankfully, was closer in quality to the former.

Ronda Rousey is back; she worked with an intensity, speed and viciousness that appeared to have deserted her throughout this subpar return. She impressed and generated an elusive, hot crowd reaction with her unique and thrillingly convincing judoka skill-set before a plunder brawl so intense unfolded that the boring and redundant kendo stick actually felt like a dangerous weapon again. In a great mini-sequence pitched as a martial arts movie fight, the weapon fight sprawled to the stage upon which Flair took a gnarly flat-back to sell Rousey's legitimacy. This was blocked very well - an inspired layout that allowed the match not to descend into WWE's redundant plunder match trope-fest.

Charlotte caught a wicked German straight on the head, and even if that probably wasn't executed as intended, it elevated what was already a furious tone.

The ac-ting at the end of the match was a bit on the nose, and this use of a risible modern trend was particularly jarring since the fight felt very unlike a performance elsewhere, but at least it was the finish.

Star Rating: ★★★¾

Contributor
Contributor

Michael Sidgwick is an editor, writer and podcaster for WhatCulture Wrestling. With over seven years of experience in wrestling analysis, Michael was published in the influential institution that was Power Slam magazine, and specialises in providing insights into All Elite Wrestling - so much so that he wrote a book about the subject. You can order Becoming All Elite: The Rise Of AEW on Amazon. Possessing a deep knowledge also of WWE, WCW, ECW and New Japan Pro Wrestling, Michael’s work has been publicly praised by former AEW World Champions Kenny Omega and MJF, and current Undisputed WWE Champion Cody Rhodes. When he isn’t putting your finger on why things are the way they are in the endlessly fascinating world of professional wrestling, Michael wraps his own around a hand grinder to explore the world of specialty coffee. Follow Michael on X (formerly known as Twitter) @MSidgwick for more!