WWE Backlash Lesson Learned, AEW Needs On-Air Authority Figure, More Quick Takes

The incredible atmosphere in Lyon, France took WWE Backlash 2024 from an average event to one fans will not soon forget.

Despite it not being too eventful of an evening outside of the WWE Women's Tag Team Championship changing hands and the debut of Tanga Loa, Backlash was among the strongest shows so far in the Paul "Triple H" Levesque era of WWE, not only for its energy but for its efficient card as well.

The Elite continued their hostile takeover of AEW Dynamite on the May 1 edition, this time taking out a fellow EVP in the returning Kenny Omega. With it being revealed that AEW president Tony Khan will be out of commission indefinitely in storyline, rumors have run rampant regarding a new on-air authority figure being appointed in his place.

Although it's premature to give The Elite a foil in a position of power at this stage of the storyline, one notable name in particular stands out as being the perfect person for the role.

This installment of Quick Takes will discuss a potential GM in AEW, King and Queen of the Ring injecting new life into WWE programming, why it's wise to not rush the latest chapter of the Bloodline saga, and more.

One of the greatest strengths of NXT's TakeOver events under Triple H was that they never felt needlessly long and only ever featured five to six matches per installment.

He's applied that approach to many of WWE's pay-per-views since taking over in 2022, but it was especially evident at Backlash with the five-match card that went just short of three hours.

The infectious enthusiasm from the audience in attendance made the show infinitely more special, but even when the events don't emanate from as hot of a market, they can still be made better by condensing the card when it makes sense to do so.

If WWE is adamant about having monthly events, keeping them to a minimum is the way to go.

Every entrance and match are given more time to breathe and the crowd isn't as exhausted by the end of the night. It's the perfect formula akin to the In Your House series of shows in the '90s that also effectively enhances the Big Four—Royal Rumble, WrestleMania, SummerSlam and Survivor Series.

When fans get what they want and are left satisfied with the event's execution, less can be more.

Christian Cage has experienced a career resurgence since signing with AEW in March 2021 and has been on another level during his heel run.

His feuds with Darby Allin and Adam Copeland were recurring highlights on AEW TV and now he finds himself in yet another position to shine as the new number one contender to the AEW World Championship at Double or Nothing.

Christian vs. Swerve Strickland may not be a marquee match worthy of the Double or Nothing main event slot—in addition to going against AEW's recently-renewed rankings system—but it's a great first pay-per-view program for Strickland as champ.

The leader of The Patriarchy elicits heat from crowds with ease and will only make Strickland a bigger babyface in the end. The matchup itself is guaranteed to deliver and give Strickland a high-profile win on a grand stage.

From there, Strickland can continue working his way through the roster before eventually finding himself in the crosshairs of The Elite and defending the title against one of their members.

The post-WrestleMania lull is perhaps one of the toughest periods for WWE TV as storylines start from scratch, new names are introduced, the rosters are reset and several top talents disappear from programming.

The month since WrestleMania 40 has been no exception, but following a better-than-expected Backlash, WWE has found a way to regain the momentum from 'Mania season in the form of the returning King and Queen of the Ring tournaments.

Both brackets will begin on the May 6 edition of Raw and will play out on Raw and SmackDown through the eponymous event on May 25. All of the announced first-round matches for Raw include potential show-stealers such as Sheamus vs. Gunther, Ilja Dragunov vs. Ricochet, and Asuka vs. Lyra Valkyria.

It's been many years since WWE last got it right with King of the Ring, mostly because the wrestling was neglected in the other installments. If the matches are given an ample amount of time and the winners actually amount to something, they could be exactly what Raw and SmackDown need right now.

WWE should approach the concepts similar to how AEW did the Continental Classic by letting the action take center stage and making the finals feel as important as possible.

With The Bloodline being in desperate need of a significant shakeup post-SummerSlam 2023, Roman Reigns losing the Undisputed WWE Universal Championship at WrestleMania 40 jumpstarted this current chapter in emphatic fashion.

Solo Sikoa taking over as the interim Tribal Chief was the logical next step along with the introduction of Tama Tonga. Jacob Fatu was believed to be revealed as the newest addition at Backlash, but WWE shocked the world with the debut of Tonga's Guerrillas of Destiny tag team partner Tanga Loa instead.

Per Mike Johnson of PWInsider, WWE isn't looking to rush Fatu's arrival as everything Bloodline-related will be meticulously laid out in the coming months. If the endgame is a Bloodline civil war, then maximizing every development benefits both the group and SmackDown itself.

The former MLW World Heavyweight champion should be booked as a force to be reckoned with once he finally surfaces. It's possible he ultimately aligns with Reigns and The Usos over Sikoa's stable, so it's smart to keep fans guessing with every week that passes.

The absences of Reigns and The Rock are certainly felt on WWE TV, but The Bloodline is doing what it can to not make this period feel like filler as it becomes increasingly more difficult to predict what else they have in store.

As The Elite run roughshod on AEW, there must eventually come a point where they meet their match in the ring. Swerve Strickland, Will Ospreay and MJF are all obvious choices given their standing with the fans.

Outside the squared circle, their takeover of the company must be rivaled by an on-air authority figure not named Tony Khan, who has shown he is not cut out to be a compelling recurring character on television.

The three top choices include Kenny Omega, Bryan Danielson and the recently-retired Sting.

Before being laid out by his former stablemates on the May 1 Dynamite, Omega alluded to also having a measure of control given his EVP status, so appointing him the interim authority figure would keep him in the mix while he recovers from diverticulitis.

Danielson making infrequent appearances as a GM would be an excellent use of him once he wraps up his run as a full-time competitor, but that won't be until after August's All In event. Finally, Sting has excelled in positions of power in the past and can bring a certain spark to the role few others can.

An in-storyline GM would need to be kept in check to avoid coming off as overexposed, but such a character could provide Dynamite with that extra element it's been missing while simultaneously ensuring Khan's on-screen presence isn't permanent.

Graham Mirmina, aka Graham "GSM" Matthews, has specialized in sports and entertainment writing since 2010. Visit his website, WrestleRant, and subscribe to his YouTube channel for more wrestling-related content.