Backlash 2016: SmackDown's Reboot Lands With Three New Champions and AJ Styles on Top

The six-pack challenge has a difficult job because it must introduce a new championship while giving six women meaningful time. The opening stretch uses constant movement and quick pairings to establish relationships without turning into random chaos. Naomi's athletic bursts, Natalya's submissions, Nikki Bella's star presence, and Carmella's growing heel edge all create distinct beats around Becky Lynch's central pursuit. The eliminations accelerate rapidly in the second half, which slightly undercuts the drama, but the final exchange gets the important part right. Lynch survives Carmella's Superkick, chains together Exploder suplexes, and forces the submission with the Dis-arm-her. The crowd reaction makes the championship feel instantly significant, and Becky finally receives the singles accomplishment her popularity had been demanding.

The match is most useful as evidence that the Usos' heel turn has immediately changed how they work. Instead of relying on the same energetic babyface sequences, Jimmy and Jey isolate Zack Ryder, attack his knee, and use quick tags to make their control feel meaner and more deliberate. Mojo Rawley provides the expected hot tag and the Hype Bros generate enough offense to create a few believable near falls. The result is never especially mysterious because the Usos are clearly being positioned for the tournament final later in the night. Ryder eventually gets trapped in the Tequila Sunrise after another attack to the leg and submits. Technically sound and narratively useful, the bout remains a qualifier whose main purpose is preparing one team for a more important match.

Miz and Ziggler benefit from years of familiarity without making the match feel recycled. Miz slows the pace with targeted leg work and deliberately borrows Daniel Bryan's offense, turning the championship defense into an extension of his ongoing conflict with SmackDown management. Ziggler's comeback provides the athletic contrast, especially through the Fameasser, DDT, Superkick attempts, and repeated near falls. Nearly twenty minutes gives both wrestlers room to build rather than sprint through signature moves. The finish is appropriately cheap: Maryse sprays Ziggler in the eyes while the referee is distracted, allowing Miz to land the Skull Crushing Finale. It protects Ziggler while reinforcing Miz's increasingly effective heel identity. The interference prevents a cleaner conclusion, but the match itself is one of Miz's strongest pay-per-view performances of the year.

Kane and Wyatt are forced into an impossible position because the audience expected Randy Orton and the replacement match has almost no independent buildup. The No Holds Barred stipulation helps by allowing them to skip ordinary pacing and move quickly toward chairs, ringside brawling, and the night's biggest stunt. Wyatt's running senton from one announce table through Kane on another earns a huge reaction and temporarily gives the match a sense of danger. The problem is the finish. Orton limps to ringside, hits Wyatt with an RKO, and Kane follows with a Chokeslam for the pin. The interference keeps the original feud alive but requires Wyatt to lose immediately after receiving an official forfeit victory over Orton. The spectacle is passable; the booking leaves almost everyone in a stranger position.

The wrestling is straightforward, but the crowd turns the tournament final into one of the show's most memorable moments. The Usos work Slater over with the aggression established earlier, keeping Rhyno outside and forcing the supposed weak link to survive. That structure is perfect for the story because Slater's entire summer has been about proving he deserves a roster spot. Rhyno's hot tag changes the energy immediately, and the finish cleverly gives both partners credit. Jimmy superkicks Slater, Rhyno cuts him down with the Gore, and Slater makes the cover to win the championships and his SmackDown contract. The match is not technically ambitious, yet the emotional logic is nearly flawless. A comedy angle becomes a legitimate championship celebration without abandoning the personality that made the team popular.

Styles and Ambrose give the show the main event it needs, building patiently before turning the final ten minutes into a sequence of counters, dives, and increasingly dangerous near falls. Styles' precision controls much of the opening half, while Ambrose's comeback feels more explosive once he starts using the announce tables and barricade to create momentum. The Calf Crusher, Springboard 450 Splash, Lunatic Lariat, and Dirty Deeds attempts all receive enough space to feel significant. When Ambrose accidentally knocks down the referee, Styles immediately recognizes the opportunity, lands a low blow, and follows with the Styles Clash to win the championship. The cheating fits his heel character without overwhelming twenty-five minutes of excellent wrestling. More importantly, the finish feels historic: WWE has fully committed to AJ Styles as a world champion.