Backlash is quickly here. The latest WWE pay-per-view has five matches, which should still result in some darn good wrestling over the weekend. Let’s quickly get started with the first match.
Undisputed WWE Championship Match: John Cena vs. Randy Orton
Does anyone expect John Cena to lose? Though Randy Orton is a top challenger for the Undisputed WWE Champion, it’s just too early for him to drop the belt. I do see Orton getting one last run in his career, but not now. The only question about this match is the quality of it. Cena/Rhodes was a bad main event. There’s simply no dancing around it. People have been coming to conclusions that John made it bad on purpose and we’ll see if that’s true at Backlash.
I lived through the Orton/Cena rivalry and they had some good matches, but WWE got carried away with the constant rematches.
This needs to be a good match. If WWE and John Cena want to tell a story about the Undisputed Champion trying to ruin wrestling then they need to find an entertaining way to do so. If this is a case that Cena is not the quality wrestler that he used to be then I’m concerned about the next couple of months for Smackdown.
Winner: John Cena
WWE Women’s Intercontinental Championship Match: Lyra Valkyria vs. Becky Lynch
This is the hardest match to predict. On the surface, this seems like an easy Becky Lynch win. To be honest, they haven’t done much with Lyra Valkyria as the company didn’t seem all that interested in developing stories for the I.C. Champion.
Becky Lynch IS walking out of this feud as the I.C. Champion. Realistically speaking, if Lyra beats Becky, who’s her next challenger? I guess Charlotte Flair and Rhea Ripley are possible, but I don’t see either women challenging for those mid-card belts anytime soon.
Then again, WWE does have a stacked women’s division in NXT and you can put a Jaida Parker or Giulia in this position. The latter because Sky isn’t dropping that belt anytime soon. Though Becky is winning this feud, I can see Lyra winning this match. Giving her a clean win will do wonders for her.
I know she beat Becky for the NXT Women’s Championship, but not many people saw that match. Beating Bayley and Becky will firmly establish her as an upper card talent. Then their next match will likely see Becky win due to heel shenanigans. I wouldn’t be surprised if Becky won at Backlash though.
Winner: Lyra Valkyria
WWE United States Championship Match: Jacob Fatu vs. LA Knight vs. Drew McIntyre vs. Damian Priest
Damian Priest and Drew McIntyre don’t need the belt, though it would be fun to see Fatu feud with either one of those men. Knight is here because he needs something to do. This should be a great match. Heck, it wouldn’t be a surprise if this was the match of the night. The only way that Fatu is dropping the belt here is if Solo Sokia screws him over. But I suspect that their feud will be for the U.S. title, so…
Winner: Jacob Fatu
Gunther vs. Pat McAfee
I’m praying that this match is nothing more than a dominant showcase for Gunther. This match should replicate what Brock Lesnar and John Cena did at Summerslam 2014. I like Pat McAfee and I know that this match can be good. I highly enjoyed his match with Adam Cole and was very impressed with his athleticism.
However, Gunther’s image needs to be repaired. He shouldn’t be having a back-and-forth match with an announcer. Gunther is winning. That much is obvious, but hopefully, WWE understands the importance of how Gunther is presented here. If he has a back-and-forth with McAfee, the aurora that he had during his I.C. title reign will be gone.
I don’t know where Gunther goes from here. The match with Goldberg is definitely a given, but will he get the world title again? Could he go after the I.C. title once again? It should be fun to see where he goes next.
Winner: Gunther
WWE Intercontinental Championship Match: Dominik Mysterio vs. Penta
Dominick isn’t particularly the long reign type and WWE is wisely playing off of that. I just don’t see Penta winning a singles title anytime soon. Both the upper card and mid card belts have stories attached to them. Penta doesn’t. There’s been teases that he’ll reunite with his brother Rey Fenix, which is likely the direction he’ll go in. Otherwise, it’s silly that he has to take a second loss to Dominick Mysterio.
Winner: Dominick Mysterio