WWE Backlash 2016 Results: Twitter Reacts to Top Stars, Moments and More

WWE SmackDown Live presented its first pay-per-view event Sunday night with Backlash, a show lacking star power and featuring only six matches, but one that had fans on Twitter genuinely curious about how the blue brand would fare. 

New championships were introduced, the status of Randy Orton had everyone buzzing and AJ Styles challenged Dean Ambrose for the top prize in sports entertainment to round out the card.

With so many question marks about the roster's ability to deliver a show deserving of three hours, let alone pay-per-view, there was plenty of reason to pay attention to SmackDown's first major offering. 

Which were the hottest topics on the social media platform, though?

A Blissful Performance and a New Champion is Crowned

The pay-per-view kicked off with the Six-Pack Challenge Elimination match to crown the SmackDown Women's Championship. Alexa Bliss almost instantly caught the eye of the Twitterverse, courtesy of a homage to a comic book favorite.

"

Not one person can do #HarleyQuinn justice better than @AlexaBliss_WWE  NO ONE !!! pic.twitter.com/MH5gL2g8mz

— HavokDeathMachine (@FearHavok) September 12, 2016"

From there, attention turned to her in-ring performance, which earned raves from WWE tag team champion Xavier Woods, WrestleZone.com and Bleacher Report MMA analyst Steven Rondina.

Total Wrestling Magazine highlighted one aspect of her work that helped the heel garner heat mid-match.

Her elimination was met with jeers by analysts David Bixenspan and Kris Zellner.

With Bliss out of the equation, the eliminations came rapidly until only Becky Lynch and Carmella were left to wage war for the title. Lynch trapped the Fabulous competitor in the Disarmer and collected the title.

The Lass Kicker was celebrated and applauded by her peers.

"

Congrats!! @BeckyLynchWWE

— MariaKanellisBennett (@MariaLKanellis) September 12, 2016"

"

It's a new chapter for the women of #SDLive #WWEBacklash @WWE #WomensWrestling congrats @BeckyLynchWWE pic.twitter.com/vd2fs3eSbX

— Amy Dumas (@AmyDumas) September 12, 2016"

The win capped off a journey to championship gold that began in NXT, continued into WrestleMania earlier this year and ended Sunday night in grand fashion.

Despite the loss, Natalya expressed her pride in the women's division while Raw's Big Cass congratulated his real life significant other, Carmella, on her performance.

Given the quality of the opener, the congratulations and pride were well-earned. 

Stealing the Show

Dolph Ziggler had his second consecutive opportunity to win championship gold Sunday night. Though he may not have left with his arm raised in victory, the match he and The Miz delivered earned rave reviews on Twitter.

B/R's official account hilariously captured what one could presume was Daniel Bryan's reaction to seeing Miz replicate his move set.

The match was a perfect example of two guys with strong chemistry working a smartly laid out match. The story was simple to follow, yet complex enough to keep the viewer engaged. It was a joy to watch after lackluster showings from both at SummerSlam.

Replacing Randy Orton Is...

To say Twitter was unimpressed by the replacement of Randy Orton by Kane would be an understatement.

The match between Wyatt and Kane was dubbed a No Holds Barred match despite the two not crossing paths in nearly a year. It even turned out to be a solid bout, but the lack of logic hurt and Kane's lethargic response did not make matters any better.

New Tag Team Champions

Heath Slater and Rhyno became new SmackDown tag team champions with their victory over The Usos in the finals of the title tournament.

Long one of the more underrated performers on the roster, The One Man Rock Band's win was greeted with great enthusiasm from former JBL & Cole Show costar Renee Young, former Superstar Virgil and comedian Kyle Lewis.

"

Congratulations @HeathSlaterOMRB and @Rhyno313 .... Get you a double wide trailer!! #smackdowntagteamchamps #signheathslater

— Renee Young (@ReneeYoungWWE) September 12, 2016"

B/R's Mike Chiari, though, admitted surprise that the unlikely duo captured the gold.

Analyst Chad Matthews expressed his dislike for the booking decision.

Still, NXT Superstar Buddy Murphy played along with the "Slater's Kids" element and Total Wrestling gave props to the unselfish new champion.

Regardless of whether one believes Rhyno and Slater is the team deserving of the opportunity to introduce a new set of titles remains to be seen. What is not up for debate is Slater's entertainment value and how much he deserves the run he is in the middle of.

The Rise of The Phenomenal One

AJ Styles defeated Dean Ambrose to capture the WWE Championship in the main event of Backlash.

B/R's Donald Wood was quick to praise the match, all the while comparing it to the series Styles worked with Roman Reigns earlier in the year.

Cageside Seats brought the funny, taking a shot at TNA while recapping a wicked bump taken by Styles midway through the bout.

The Fan's Podcast documented the difficulty fans had choosing their favorite in the bout.

Respected wrestling journalist Scott Fishman put Styles' win into historical perspective.

Finally, Ring of Honor congratulated the new titleholder.

Styles' victory caps off one of the truly great years in wrestling history. After arriving to WWE in January with questions surrounding his ability to adapt to the style and overcome the politics of the company, Styles has been on a meteoric rise.

A virtuoso performer, he is now the face of a SmackDown brand that delivered a fantastic show despite all odds Sunday night.