Summary

AJ Styles says one of the toughest parts of his WWE Backlash France match with Cody Rhodes had nothing to do with taking bumps or surviving the crowd noise. It was keeping a straight face.

Looking back on the 2024 title match, Styles said the reaction he got in Lyon made it genuinely difficult not to break character. He entered the bout as Rhodes' challenger for the WWE Championship, but the French crowd gave him a hero's welcome anyway.

Why Lyon stood out for AJ Styles

The setting is what made the moment stick. Styles was working heel against Rhodes, yet the audience was loudly behind him from the start. In that environment, even a veteran performer had to fight the instinct to acknowledge it.

That match remains one of the more memorable stops in Rhodes' title run because the crowd energy shifted the feel of the presentation. It is the same kind of star-power dynamic WWE still leans on whenever Cody Rhodes stays at the center of SmackDown.

What the reaction says about Styles and Rhodes

Styles pointing back to that night says a lot about how strong the atmosphere was in Lyon, but it also underlines how much respect he still carries with WWE audiences. Even as Rhodes held the championship and occupied the top babyface role, fans were eager to show Styles that same level of appreciation.

For WWE, that is the kind of match response worth remembering. A crowd reacting that strongly to both men helped the title bout feel bigger, and it is part of why Backlash France is still brought up two years later.

Social media

Styles later summed up the challenge in a short social media post:

"I had to do one of the hardest things in my career. Not cracking a smile."

Sources

AJ Styles via X