Does a Lack of a World Championship Match Hurt Your Excitement for This Show?
Connor Casey: Between this and dropping the tag title unification match (don’t worry, we’ll get to it), WWE is giving off the impression that it’s taking the focus off standard WWE pay-per-views and placing it on the stadium shows, four of which we know will run consecutively from July to September. I don’t necessarily blame them for doing it — those stadium shows will clearly make more money than whatever happens in Rhode Island this weekend — but their weekly television programs are still acting like WrestleMania Backlash is the next must-see event. And when your main event feels like a house show headliner or the end to a pretty good SmackDown episode, it’s hard to get excited.
Matt Aguilar: I don’t necessarily care if the WWE Championship is being defended if there are other titles in the mix, but in this case, there is only the SmackDown Women’s Championship up for grabs, and only one Championship match on the card does feel a little light. So, to answer the question, the lack of title match-ups does hurt the excitement, but not simply because of not having the WWE Championship in the mix.
Evan Valentine: Not necessarily. I think the idea of Roman immediately defending the belt only to see him squash whoever he was facing would be the foregone conclusion of this one so I’m cool with the head of the table taking a break in order to build up another rivalry. As long as the other matches are able to pull their weight, I think it’s fine.
Nick Valdez: I’m fine with it! I think with the unified title being as big as it is, something that would make it feel even bigger would be having Reigns only truly defending it on the biggest shows possible. What really bums me out is that we don’t get to have that promised unifying Tag Team Championship match though.
Tim Adams: Yes! All six men in the six-way match will give their best efforts, but a six-man match can’t compare to a world championship being defended. Roman Reigns is the obvious star of the match, so fans are eager to find out who will be his next challenger, along with seeing Roman’s win streak finally come to an end. If he lost in a six-man match it’s not a big deal, especially if he isn’t the one being pinned.
How Badly Was This Show Hurt By Taking Away the Tag Title Match?
Connor: Severely. It was the biggest match on the show that both had stakes and wasn’t just a rematch from WrestleMania last month. It was also the closest the show was going to get to moving The Bloodline’s story, and for as much as I enjoy Roman his storyline has been jogging in place ever since he beat Lesnar.
Matt: Not having that match booked for Backlash would’ve been fine, but taking it away and not replacing it with another title match does hurt the card considerably. If you know you’re not having that big championship match in the mix, you’ve got to bring something else to fill that void, and they haven’t done that as of yet.
Evan: Unlike my stance on the WWE Championship sitting this one out, this is at least a slight blow to the show overall. It takes some of the teeth out of the event overall which already is seen as something of a weaker ‘Mania. Backlash feels cut out at the knees just a bit too much this year when you look at it overall.
Nick: Big time! The biggest story following WrestleMania wasn’t the fact that Reigns had won both titles, but that the Bloodline was planning to take it all. It was such a hype promo coming off of a great WrestleMania, and taking it away right before Backlash feels deflating. It’s a stall for seemingly no reason.
Tim: Not that much. The tag team titles aren’t on the same level as the WWE or Universal titles, plus RK-Bro isn’t at the level of a Brock Lesnar. What hurts the show is Roman Reigns isn’t defending either of his titles in a singles match.
Flair vs. Rousey at WrestleMania Was Pretty Awkward. Will The I Quit Match Be Better?
Connor: It’s pretty hard to get a screwy finish out of an I Quit Match, so Rousey will probably finally go over Flair here.
Matt: I’m actually not someone that disliked their WrestleMania match, but the ending took all the air out of the tire so to speak. It wasn’t the best match, don’t get me wrong, but I think having that one under their belts will make this one better, even if marginally.
Evan: Ultimately, I think this will be better than the first but not by much. If you can throw in some backstage shenanigans and some weapons thrown into the mix, you can try to sell this as a pretty decent tussle.
Nick: Nope. I’m thinking Drew Gulak will factor into the finish somehow, and we’ll likely see this continue until SummerSlam. Rousey’s return run has been missing the mark on several different factors, and honestly, the thought of this feud continuing further is what’s making this all the more awkward leading in.
Tim: Probably, only because they can make the “I Quit” match more of a spectacle with crazy, planned spots. Plus, the advantage of an “I Quit” match is it allows both competitors breaks throughout the match to catch their breath and transition into the next big spot. I imagine Rousey’s stamina isn’t to the point where she can have long matches, but a gimmick match hides that deficiency.
Rate Cody Rhodes’ First Month Back in WWE
Connor: I’d give it an A-. I love how well Rhodes is being positioned on the Raw roster since, without Reigns popping up each week, he’s effectively the show’s biggest star. The only downside is that he kicked off his return to WWE with a promise of winning the WWE Championship only to run right back into a rematch with Rollins. I get not wanting to do Rhodes vs. Reigns right away, but it feels like they’re spinning their wheels with him and will continue to do so for at least another month.
Matt: Would have to say as of right now 9 or 10 out of 10. WWE has continued to let Cody be Cody in everything from presentation to promos, and they’ve made him feel like the big deal he’s supposed to be. Rollins was a good choice for his next big match as well, but it will be interesting to see who he faces next.
Evan: It’s really been fantastic overall so I’m definitely on the same page as everyone else in rating it an A. Rhodes is a natural superstar that adds a lot to the WWE and he’s proved it in his short tenure so far. I sort of wish his match for Backlash wasn’t just a rematch with Rollins, but I’ll wait patiently for his title shot against Reigns.
Nick: If we’re doing numbers, I’m giving it a full 10/10. I’m completely sold on Rhodes from top to bottom, and putting him against some of the best heels in the company in just his first month alone has made Raw so much more entertaining as a result. It helps that I’m still riding the high from his WrestleMania return, and honestly I’m just counting the days until he gets a shot at the top.
Tim: I’d give it an A+ so far. The live crowds seem to really be into him, and he’s had some great matches on Raw. I was somewhat surprised to see Cody’s feud with Seth Rollins continue, but that’s par for the course when it comes to WrestleMania Backlash the last couple of years. As long as Cody continues to put on stellar matches his first year back in WWE should go smoothly.
Who Challenges Roman Reigns Next?
Connor: Not having Reigns defend the title at Backlash in Providence is one thing, but Hell in a Cell is up next and it’s in Chicago so they’ll have to do something with him. I’d give him a one-month program with Shinsuke Nakamura similar to what he did with Cesaro last year, then move on to programs with Rhodes, Drew McIntyre or both.
Matt: All signs point towards Drew McIntyre being the next person to challenge Reigns’ dominance. McIntyre is still beloved and is the number 1 babyface internally on SmackDown, and this match at Backlash seems like a natural launching point for a full program between McIntyre and Reigns. I would love for Cody to be the next big challenge, but with him on Raw and Roman on SmackDown that doesn’t seem likely to happen in the immediate future.
Evan: It’s still a bit too early to throw Rhodes at him, as much as I’d love to see that, and certainly, McIntyre needs a kick in the pants with a title shot against Reigns bringing him some much-needed heat. However, I could also see Omos being a great follow-up to the Reigns/Lesnar rivalry.
Nick: As much as it bums me to say it, probably Drew McIntyre. I would’ve thought Nakamura after WrestleMania, but he straight up disappeared. McIntyre’s getting too big to keep in the upper midcard (he’s already in this six-man tag for some reason), and he’s been on such a winning streak that it makes me nervous. I really don’t want to see Reigns lose any time soon (I’m down for another year, I don’t care), but McIntyre as the main challenger heading into the upcoming UK shows makes it a little more unclear. But hopefully being first up means first to lose.
Tim: Seeing AJ Styles mix it up with Roman Reigns and the Bloodline would be interesting if they decide to move on from his feud with Edge’s Judgement Day faction. Alas, it appears we’re stuck with Drew McIntyre taking on Roman Reigns next. WWE should be able to get maybe 2-3 PPV matches out of the feud.
Name the Next Wrestler to Join Judgement Day
Connor: I’ll go with Finn Balor. The little Bullet Club “reunion” with Balor and AJ Styles was cool, but “The Prince” has been lost on the main roster ever since he came up short against Roman Reigns at Extreme Rules last year. A heel turn could finally give him back the edge he had during his second NXT run.
Matt: Hmmm, feel like this group needs a little muscle, and T-BAR isn’t doing anything really at the moment. Plus we’ve seen that Mace is getting repackaged, so why not repackage T-BAR too and bring back the powerhouse we all saw in NXT with a Judgement Day style redesign? Otherwise not really sure who else fits.
Evan: Finn Balor sure seems like a surefire bet, but I could also see Randy Orton leaving Riddle after a loss at Backlash and joining the much darker side of the WWE. Though I would imagine that the new faction does need a female team member so I could see Rhea hopping in as that seems inevitable.
Nick: Finn Balor’s looking a little more likely every week. The dude’s been taking so many clean losses that it’s become kind of ridiculous, and with the Demon always lingering there’s a chance that a story where Edge channels that into Balor could be fun. Balor could team with Styles a little more because that’s just the dream, but an endgame with a full Judgment Day turn would make for some fun TV.
Tim: I’ll throw a curveball and say Alexa Bliss. She’s constantly the topic of debate regarding when she’ll finally make a return to the active roster. Plus, Judgement Day kinda sorta fits in with the character she’s been working with since her days with The Fiend. It would definitely get a big pop out of the crowd.
Predictions
Connor
- Drew McIntyre & RK-Bro def. The Bloodline
- SmackDown Women’s Championship: Ronda Rousey def. Charlotte Flair (I Quit Match)
- Seth Rollins def. Cody Rhodes
- Edge def. AJ Styles
- Madcap Moss def. Happy Corbin
- Bobby Lashley def. Omos
Matt
- The Bloodline def. Drew McIntyre & RK-Bro
- SmackDown Women’s Championship: Ronda Rousey def. Charlotte Flair (I Quit Match)
- Cody Rhodes def. Seth Rollins
- Edge def. AJ Styles
- Madcap Moss def. Happy Corbin
- Omos def. Bobby Lashley
Evan
- The Bloodline def Drew McIntyre & RK-Bro
- SmackDown Women’s Championship: Ronda Rousey def. Charlotte Flair (I Quit Match)
- Cody Rhodes def. Seth Rollins
- Edge def. AJ Styles
- Happy Corbin def. Madcap Moss
- Omos def. Bobby Lashley
Nick
- Drew McIntyre & RK-Bro def. The Bloodline
- SmackDown Women’s Championship: Ronda Rousey def. Charlotte Flair (I Quit Match)
- Cody Rhodes def. Seth Rollins
- Edge def. AJ Styles (New Judgment Day member shenanigans!)
- Madcap Moss def. Happy Corbin
- Omos def. Bobby Lashley
Tim
- The Bloodline def. Drew McIntyre & RK-Bro
- SmackDown Women’s Championship: Charlotte Flair def. Ronda Rousey (I Quit Match)
- Cody Rhodes def. Seth Rollins
- Edge def. AJ Styles
- Madcap Moss def. Happy Corbin
- Bobby Lashley def. Omos
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