WWE Backlash 2018 is going down tonight, May 6th, live on the WWE Network. We’ve got the announced match card, show predictions, and our overall thoughts for you to check out below. Let us know what you think is going to happen during tonight’s show by tweeting us, @TheRumbleRamble.
Kickoff Match: Bayley vs. Ruby Riott
The odds of this match being used to further the Sasha Banks//Bayley storyline are extremely high, which bodes well for Ruby Riott, who has all of the talent in the world and should be a huge star on the Raw brand going forward. She’ll get the win via shenanigans, which will be a common theme that we’ll see throughout the night.
Winner: Ruby Riott
Bobby Lashley and Braun Strowman vs. Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn
Braun Strowman won the Raw Tag Team Championship titles with a child at WrestleMania last month, so it’s safe to assume that he should absolutely destroy Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn with Bobby Lashley in his corner. Anything is possible, but an Owens and Zayn victory seems highly unlikely at this point.
Winner: Bobby Lashley and Braun Strowman
Jeff Hardy (c) vs. Randy Orton
United States Championship Match
Jeff Hardy’s run as United States Champion is still fresh, so it doesn’t seem like the right time for him to lose the title yet. Orton and Hardy have done some good things with each other before, but that was ten years ago, so we’re not quite sure what to expect. This may end up being the first of many meetings between the two in the not-so-distant future.
Winner: Jeff Hardy
Daniel Bryan vs. Big Cass
Big Cass is going to defeat Daniel Bryan (via shenanigans) and the internet is going to lose its mind. In all seriousness, this is probably the right move, as Cass needs something to help get him on the right track, and Bryan will still be just as popular as he was last week despite the loss.
Winner: Big Cass
Seth Rollins (c) vs. The Miz
WWE Intercontinental Championship Match
First of all, can we talk about how awesome the mid-card championship scene is in WWE right now? Jeff Hardy and Seth Rollins are two fantastic champions, both of whom are elevating their respective championship titles greatly at the moment.
Anyway, as great as The Miz has been lately, Seth Rollins probably needs to carry the Intercontinental Championship into SummerSlam. Hopefully, that’s what WWE has planned because Rollins and the IC Title look fantastic together.
Winner: Seth Rollins
Nia Jax (c) vs. Alexa Bliss
Raw Women’s Championship Match
Nia Jax’s title reign, much like Jeff Hardy’s, is too new and fresh to end right now. As we said before, however, anything can happen in WWE, so it wouldn’t be a huge shocker to see Alexa Bliss recapture the gold. That being said, Jax makes the most sense, so we’ll go with her.
Winner: Nia Jax
Carmella (c) vs. Charlotte Flair
SmackDown Live Women’s Championship Match
We can’t wait to see how Carmella looks in the ring tonight, because apparently she’s been working hard at becoming a better in-ring performer. Character-wise, Carmella is already fantastic, so if she can become solid in the ring, she has the chance to be a huge star for years to come.
Charlotte is the perfect opponent, because she should be able to fill in any of the gaps that Carmella can’t, and their size difference should allow for some creative moments during the match. Carmella will retain, but not without some sort of controversy allowing her to do so.
Winner: Carmella
Roman Reigns vs. Samoa Joe
One thing is for sure, this is going to be one hell of a match. These two Samoan ass kickers are going to tear each other apart, which is going to make for great television. Joe, who is now on SmackDown Live, is probably next in line for a shot at the WWE Championship (more on that later), but Reigns needs a win to get back on the right path going forward. WWE could go either way on this one and it would make sense, but Reigns seems like the safest pick, so we’re going to lean his way with the prediction.
Winner: Roman Reigns
AJ Styles (c) vs. Shinsuke Nakamura
No Disqualification Match for the WWE Championship
Not-so-bold prediction: Shinsuke Nakamura will attempt to low blow AJ Styles for the 69th time, but Styles will be wearing a cup, rendering the attack a failure. This will allow for Styles to get the victory, retain his title, and head toward a program with Samoa Joe, which is no doubt going to be the best main roster feud of 2018.
Winner: AJ Styles
