New Champion Crowned At WWE WrestleMania Backlash 2022

"Rowdy" Ronda Rousey is your NEW SmackDown Women's Champion, defeating Charlotte Flair in an "I Quit" match at WrestleMania Backlash Sunday night.

The bout was one of four WrestleMania 38 rematches at the PLE, but the only title match on the card. Rousey of course returned as a surprise entrant in January's Royal Rumble, which she won and challenged Flair at Mania. During their match, Flair tapped out, but the referee was knocked down, allowing Charlotte to recover and pick up the tainted win.

There were no such shenanigans Sunday night, as Flair and Rousey brawled all over the arena: in the ring, at ringside, into the crowd, up the steps, back to ringside, up the ramp onto the entrance, and finally back to the ring, where Charlotte put Ronda in the Figure-8. Rousey still refused to quit, and she then managed to grab Flair's arm inside a steel chair and cinch in the assisted armbar for the submission.

.@RondaRousey forces @MsCharlotteWWE to scream "I QUIT!" at #WMBacklash! pic.twitter.com/tLwkU79knO

— WWE (@WWE) May 9, 2022

The victory gives Rousey her second championship in WWE, having held the Raw Women's Championship in 2018-19 before losing it at WrestleMania 35 to Becky Lynch.

Rousey's first challenger should be an interesting one. It won't be Flair, who sustained a storyline fractured arm. Lacey Evans made her first appearance on WWE TV in more than a year on Friday and has laid claim to the SmackDown Women's Championship. Any of the four women involved in the WWE Women's Tag Team Championship feud also could vie for the main prize. We'll find out soon enough.