WWE is back to dual-branded pay-per-views, and its first -- unless you count the Greatest Royal Rumble in late April -- is Backlash, which is set to go down on Sunday, May 6 in Newark, New Jersey.
WWE Backlash matches
Roman Reigns vs. Samoa Joe: This match is not technically official, but it was made clear on Raw that it would go down. The question is whether it is contested for the universal championship as many believe Reigns will beat Lesnar for it in Saudi Arabia.
Intercontinental Championship -- Seth Rollins (c) vs. The Miz: Though Rollins is defending -- and Miz will get a shot at reclaiming -- the title at the GRR in a Fatal 4-Way ladder match, Miz decided to utilize his rematch clause for Backlash.
United States Championship -- Jinder Mahal (c) vs. Randy Orton: Seriously. This match is happening again. It is seemingly expected to go down on both the GRR and Backlash, so it will be interesting to see if it is held for this show. If that's the case, expect a multi-person match for Saudi Arabia.
WWE Backlash predictions
WWE Championship -- AJ Styles (c) vs. Shinsuke Nakamura: One would wish WWE save this match, but running it back makes a lot of sense after Nakamura turned on Styles at WrestleMania. The question is who Styles would face in Saudi Arabia if this is indeed held.
Raw Women's Championship -- Nia Jax (c) vs. Alexa Bliss: A WrestleMania 34 rematch makes sense here, though I could also see Charlotte Flair getting the opportunity following the Superstar Shake-Up.
SmackDown Women's Championship -- Carmella (c) vs. Charlotte Flair: If Flair remains on the blue brand, she will get her rematch here after Carmella cashed in the Money in the Bank briefcase. However, if she moves to Raw, this is completely open-ended.
SmackDown Tag Team Championship -- The Bludgeon Brothers (c) vs. The New Day: There's honestly no one else on SmackDown for the champions to face barring massive changes in the Superstar Shake-Up. I could also see this title not being defended on the show.
Raw Tag Team Championship -- The Bar vs. Matt Hardy & Bray Wyatt: This is assuming The Bar emerge victorious with the vacant titles and the Hardy-Wyatt team remains completely over. It would not be too surprising if the Authors of Pain also got this opportunity, though it seems like WWE should hold that off a couple months.
Cruiserweight Championship -- Cedric Alexander (c) vs. Buddy Murphy: Assuming Alexander defends against and defeats Mustafa Ali in Saudi Arabia, it would make sense for this to be next. There is also the opportunity to have Ali as the champion against either of these men or a triple threat match involving all three.
Sasha Banks vs. Bayley: Assuming these two remain on the same brand, it's not if but when they fight. This could be a bout setting the stage for a Money in the Bank match and then a SummerSlam blow-off in the rivalry.
