This Sunday, WWE is bringing back Backlash as the first Smackdown Live exclusive event. It was announced when the WWE draft was announced that WWE would be bringing back several pay-per-views from years ago as each brand will be getting their event. The next joint pay-per-view event will be Survivor Series in November. Backlash will be coming from the Richmond Coliseum in Virginia.
Also, it should be noted that at Backlash on Sunday, WWE will be crowning Smackdown Live’s first tag champions and the first Smackdown Live’s Woman’s Champion.
Here are the matches and how I see them playing out:
Randy Orton vs. Bray Wyatt
This feud started after Randy Orton got beaten by Brock Lesnar at WWE Summerslam. Bray Wyatt is one wrestler who WWE has misused big time. These two are great mic workers and in-ring workers. You also have two legendary wrestling families going after each other as it is the Orton Family ( Bob Orton, “Cowboy” Bob Orton Jr, Barry Orton, and Randy Orton) and the Rotunda Family ( Barry Windham, Mike Rotunda, Bo Dallas, and Bray Wyatt). I don’t think this will be a one-time match, and I see this going past Backlash, and I see Bray Wyatt grabbing the win here. He is long overdue to getting a win on a pay-per-view event. I was looking back at Bray’s PPV history, and the last PPV he was on was Battleground back in July. It was here where Bray Wyatt, Eric Rowan, and Braun Strowman beat the New Day. Bray’s last singles victory on a PPV, you need to go back to TLC 2014 when he beat Dean Ambrose.
Winner: Bray Wyatt
The Miz (w/ Maryse) vs. Dolph Ziggler for the WWE Intercontinental title
A few weeks ago was when the WWE universe saw the Miz go off on Daniel Bryan during the show Talking Smack. The next week as the Miz was cutting an in-ring promo and was interrupted by Dolph Ziggler. On the show Talking Smack, Daniel Bryan would announce that the Miz would be defending his Intercontinental title against Dolph Ziggler. I am looking forward to this match because these can put on a good match. If Dolph Ziggler is giving the right opponent, he is a good in-ring worker. I don’t understand why people shit on him. I see the Miz grabbing the win here and retaining the belt. I have said it before, and I will say it again, I am not the biggest fan of the Miz. However, the run he has had since he won the title from Zack Ryder on the Raw after Wrestlemania has been done well and I see him continuing.
Winner: The Miz retaining
Hype Bros (Zack Ryder and Mojo Rawley) vs. the Usos
(Winner goes on to face the team of Slater/Rhino to see who will become the new Smackdown tag title holder)
On this week’s Talking Smack, Smackdown Live commissioner Shane McMahon announced that Chad Gable of American Alpha would be out with a leg injury after him and Jason Jordan were attacked after their match by the newly heel turned Usos. So Shane and Daniel decided to make it that the Usos would fight the Hype Bros, and the winner would face the team of Rhino and Health Slater. I see Jason Jordan coming out and causing some distraction for the Usos, thus allowing Zack Ryder and Mojo Rawley to grab the win. By distracting the Usos, this could be the start of the feud between American Alphas and the Usos.
Winner: Zack Ryder and Mojo Rawley advance to the finals
Natalya vs. Carmella vs. Naomi vs. Nikki Bella vs. Alexa Bliss vs. Becky Lynch in a six pack challenge to become the 1st Smackdown Woman’s Champion
On the Smackdown Live episode that was on after Summerslam, Shane McMahon and Daniel Bryan announced the finals of the tag team championship tournament and the woman’s match for Backlash. For this match I will give my top three, I would like to see winning this belt and why they should win it. The three I would consider are Becky Lynch, Nikki Bella, or Natalya. I feel the winner of this match is someone who is established and can be the “leader” of a division. This will be an unpopular pick cause of who she is dating, but I pick Nikki Bella to win the belt. She is an established wrestler who has had a title run already.
Winner: Nikki Bella
The Hype Bros vs. Heath Slater and Rhino for the Smackdown Tag Titles
This is an interesting match. You got two teams who had not been expected to be in this situation. However, I feel they can make it work. I see Rhino and Slater getting the win and becoming the tag team champions. It is not what people figured would happen, but American Alphas are out after Chad Gable got injured and I don’t feel that the Usos should have the title right now. I don’t think Slater and Rhino will have the belt that long and will end up dropping them by the next PPV to either American Alphas or the Usos. It is also at this PPV where I see Rhino turning on Slater and ending their partnership.
Winner: Slater and Rhino are new tag team champions
Dean Ambrose vs. AJ Styles for the WWE Championship
After AJ Styles had defeated John Cena at Summerslam, it was expected that he would be next in line for the title. It was announced on the Smackdown Live episode after Summerslam that AJ would be facing Dean Ambrose for the WWE Championship. However, there was a chance it could have been a triple threat match, but Ziggler was unsuccessful in beating AJ Styles. I see AJ Styles getting the win here. From a storyline view, it would make sense to give AJ a run with the title. He is a good in-ring worker and can be the top wrestler on the brand. I don’t any wrestling fans who could have thought that Kevin Owens and AJ Styles would have the two top titles in WWE.
Winner: AJ Styles wins the WWE Championship
I am curious to see how these brand exclusive events go going further. I also figure to see a returning Luke Harper at some point in the night. Let us know in the comments below, do you agree with the picks and do you figure to see any debuts or returns on Sunday night. Again, Backlash comes to you on Sunday, September 11th from the Richmond Coliseum and can be seen on the WWE Network with the start time at 7 pm est; the event gets started at 8 pm est. As of this writing, it is unknown if there will be any pre-show matches on the card.