SmackDown’s first brand-exclusive pay-per-view event of this new era will be Backlash, scheduled for September 11, 2016 at the Richmond Coliseum in Richmond, VA.
So far, a few matches have been announced for the card, but others have been hinted at and there’s more than enough room left to toss a couple of extra bouts into the mix.
Which matches have been confirmed, which ones are very likely to happen and what other fights could we see added to the lineup?
CONFIRMED MATCHES
WWE World Championship: Dean Ambrose (c) vs. AJ Styles
SmackDown Women’s Championship Six-Pack Challenge: Natalya vs. Naomi vs. Becky Lynch vs. Nikki Bella vs. Carmella vs. Alexa Bliss
SmackDown Tag Team Championship Tournament Finals
PRESUMABLE MATCHES
Bray Wyatt vs. Randy Orton
Duh. Bray Wyatt doesn’t come out to cut promos on people and say there’s more to come without them getting into a feud unless something weird happens like an injury or suspension. Obviously, Randy Orton isn’t going to go from wrestling Brock Lesnar in the main event to doing nothing, so this is being set up.
I don’t understand this move at all, as I think there were much better routes to take than this. Wyatt never wins any important matches and Orton just got humiliated, so what does it matter if either of them beats the other one? Also, where’s the follow up to Wyatt wanting to wrestle Ziggler and Ambrose in the title picture? We’re just skipping that?
Either way, this is the direction for Backlash. Hopefully we won’t have an injured Wyatt and an out of sorts Orton, but rather, these two trying to steal the show. I doubt that will be the case, but you never know.
Baron Corbin vs. Kalisto
This has to happen here. If it doesn’t, then I’ll be pissed, as it’s been far too long that these two have been feuding despite not actually doing a damn thing of value.
Neither man has had a good year despite having some accolades to their names. Kalisto won the United States Championship twice and never amounted to jack shit, while Corbin won the Andre the Giant Memorial Battle Royal and subsequently spent most of his time on the main roster being pushed aside rather than having an actual program with someone and wrestling in matches.
Corbin can’t afford to lose to Kalisto, but knowing WWE, that’s exactly what will happen.
Intercontinental Championship: The Miz (c) vs. Apollo Crews or Dolph Ziggler
There are two ways I could see WWE going for the Intercontinental Championship match. The first and easiest route is to just have Apollo Crews challenge The Miz again, but I don’t actually think that will happen. The Miz won and no indicators of Crews getting another shot were put out there. The likelihood that Crews will be granted another opportunity after losing and having no steam behind him is dwindling fast.
Instead, I think Dolph Ziggler will be thrown into the mix somehow. Perhaps the Talking Smack segment between Daniel Bryan and The Miz will factor in, with Ziggler standing up for Bryan as a wrestler’s wrestler. Maybe Ziggler will say he wants another shot at the WWE World Championship and The Miz will gloat, leading to Bryan saying Ziggler has earned a title shot, but for the Intercontinental instead.
Rumors floated by a few weeks ago that Kane and Alberto Del Rio would feud along with Ziggler and The Miz, and while we see no traction with the former (and I doubt we will, considering Kane’s relative absence and Del Rio’s suspension) the latter might still come true.
POTENTIAL OTHER MATCHES
Rhyno vs. Heath Slater
With regards to the Tag Team Championship tournament, Rhyno and Heath Slater must win the entire thing for Slater to get a contract. I’m inclined to believe this team isn’t going to make it to the finals, which will be The Usos against American Alpha (unless, of course, the bracket lines up differently and that becomes impossible). If that’s the case, Slater’s going to have a bone to pick with Rhyno, and this could be a squash match on the pre-show or it could be a buffer segment, but I do think Slater’s going to wrestle Rhyno here instead of still being in the tournament.
Curt Hawkins vs. ???
There’s a big caveat to this—it all depends on what’s happening with that eighth tag team in the tournament. At the moment, I think there’s a good chance Curt Hawkins is brought in as one half of a team to feud with The Hype Bros. Then again, maybe that’s not in the cards at all, and Curt Hawkins will make his debut against someone like Apollo Crews, getting him on the card instead of the losers of the tag team division.
One way or another, I think it would be odd if Hawkins doesn’t make his debut either at Backlash or beforehand, and unless they wait until the SmackDown following the event for him to make his first appearance back, he’s definitely not missing the show.
As far as the card goes, I think this will be it. There are only a few names not included (Alberto Del Rio, Kane, Erick Rowan, John Cena, The Vaudevillains, The Ascension, Breezango and The Hype Bros, possibly) while everyone else is accounted for. This is also not as long of a show as SummerSlam, so an average of about 8 matches is normal.
What matches do you think we’ll be seeing and what would you like to happen at Backlash? Leave your fantasy booking ideas in the comments below!
