With WrestleMania 39 now behind us, it’s time for WWE’s Backlash event. This year marks the 18th edition of the Premium Live Event.
Backlash will take place on 6th May 2023 at Coliseo de Puerto Rico José Miguel Agrelot in San Juan, Puerto Rico. This event will be hosted by none other than the Puerto Rican rapper, Bad Bunny.
Bad Bunny has made a few appearances in WWE as well and is rumored to face The Judgement Day alongside Rey Mysterio. Although the full match card is yet to be filled, here are all the matches that have been confirmed and rumored to happen so far:
Cody Rhodes vs Brock Lesnar
Officially announced to be the main event of Backlash 2023, the grudge match between The American Nightmare and The Beast is shaping up to be more and more interesting with each passing week.
On RAW after WrestleMania, Brock Lesnar was supposed to partner up with Cody to take on Roman Reigns and Solo Sikoa. However, in a twisted turn of events, Brock turned against Cody Rhodes, unleashing a brutal beatdown on him. The following week, Cody appeared on RAW while still suffering from the previous week’s injuries. He proposed a match against Brock while admitting that he was in fact, afraid of The Beast. Brock appeared the following week to accept the challenge while inviting Cody to face him right there and then.
Now storyline-wise, it would make sense for Brock to somehow put Cody over, to build him up for a rematch against Roman Reigns. Slaying The Beast before his rematch with the Tribal Chief would be a huge boost for Cody. But realistically, it would make little sense for Brock to lose to Cody. Brock Lesnar’s brutality would be far too much for Cody to handle. However, if WWE wants to make Cody the top babyface of the company, they would have to put Cody over in his match with The Beast.
Winner Prediction: Cody Rhodes
Sami Zayn, Matt Riddle & Kevin Owens vs The Bloodline(Solo Sikoa, Jimmy Uso & Jey Uso)
The 6-Man Tag Team Match was announced recently after Matt Riddle returned to Monday Night RAW and attacked Solo Sikoa to save Zayn and Owens.
Prior to an absence due to an injury, Matt Riddle was feuding with Solo Sikoa and The Bloodline. Riddle wasted no time in re-igniting the flames as he allied himself with Sami Zayn and Kevin Owens to face The Bloodline. It is also to be noted that The Usos defeated Riddle and his previous tag team partner, Randy Orton to become the Undisputed WWE Tag Team Champions.
The Usos’ historic reign as tag champs was brought to an end by Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn, who defeated them at The Grandest Stage of Them All. Now, it seems like the rivalry between the six men will continue as they are scheduled to face off at Backlash 2023 in a six-man tag team match. As it usually happens, the babyfaces prevail in their battle with the heels, so Zayn, Owens, and Riddle are more likely to emerge victorious.
Winner Prediction: Sami Zayn, Kevin Owens, and Matt Riddle
Seth Rollins vs Omos
A match that was announced out of nowhere on the 21st April episode of SmackDown, Seth Rollins is now booked to face The Nigerian Giant, Omos at Backlash.
The two superstars haven’t shared the screen once on either RAW or SmackDown. It made little sense for WWE to throw in a random match. But interestingly, the two superstars had opposite fates in their matches at WrestleMania 39. Seth Rollins emerged victorious in his singles match against Logan Paul, whereas Omos suffered a loss at the hands of Brock Lesnar. Their match would be pretty interesting, but the size difference between the two might be an indicator of the outcome.
Winner Prediction: Omos
SmackDown Women’s Championship: Rhea Ripley(c) vs Zelina Vega
Zelina Vega looks to make her hometown of Puerto Rico proud as she is facing Rhea Ripley for the SmackDown Women’s Championship.
The two have been feuding for some time as part of their respective stables. Zelina Vega from Legado Del Fantasma, now the LWO, and Rhea Ripley from The Judgement Day. Rhea Ripley has been The Eradicator of The Judgement Day ever since joining the faction. She defeated Charlotte Flair at The Showcase of The Immortals and is proving to be a pretty dominant champion. While Vega might have the hometown advantage, all that won’t be any help when she faces someone like Ripley.
Winner Prediction: Rhea Ripley retains the SmackDown Women’s Championship
United States Championship: Austin Theory(c) vs Bobby Lashley vs Bronson Reed
Austin Theory had his WrestleMania moment a few weeks ago when he pinned the 16-time World Champion, John Cena at The Show of Shows. Fresh off his victory, Theory is looking to defend his title against Bobby Lashley and Bronson Reed.
Unlike Theory, Bobby Lashley didn’t have a WrestleMania moment for himself, which fueled his anger toward Austin Theory. Lashley was surprisingly attacked by Bronson Reed, resulting in a Triple threat match between the three superstars.
Winner Prediction: Austin Theory retains the United States Championship
Rumoured Matches
- Bad Bunny & Rey Mysterio vs The Judgement Day(Dominik Mysterio & Damian Priest)
- Shinsuke Nakamura vs Karrion Kross
