Reigns’ title not on the line at WrestleMania 38 Backlash
THE big talking point as WrestleMania 38 Backlash approaches on Sunday, (Monday 2am SA time), is that Roman Reigns won't be defending the Undisputed WWE Universal title in Providence, Rhode Island.
Reigns was expected to take on Scottish warrior Drew McIntyre.
And no, this is not because the over 600 day champion, would be intimidated by McIntyre’s stunning entrance in his walk to the ring with his two metre real sword Angela, named after his late mother.
My resident mole at the WWE’s headquarters in Stamfored, Connecticut, has revealed that the lucrative brand wants to save Reigns' title defences for stadium events.
This would include Money in the Bank 2022, SummerSlam 2022 and Clash at the Castle. Money in the Bank 2022 will be held inside the massive Allegiant Stadium (home of the NFL's Las Vegas Raiders) in Paradise, Nevada on July 2.
SummerSlam will take place four weeks later inside Nissan Stadium (home of the NFL’s Tennessee Titans) in Nashville, Tennessee on July 30.
The WWE has also confirmed that the September 3 pay-per-view at Principality Stadium in Cardiff, Wales will be named “Clash at the Castle”.
This will mark WWE’s first pay-perview event in the United Kingdom since SummerSlam 1992, which was held in London, England.
Logic suggests McIntyre will either fight for the title at the latter event or defend it. McIntyre after all was born in Ayr, Scotland.
This 11th hour decision means that Reigns and his bloodine, The Usos, will face McIntyre and RK-Bro in a six-man tag team match.
Two rematches from WrestleMania 38 are expected to steal the show.
WWE SmackDown women’s championship: Charlotte Flair (c) vs. Ronda Rousey in an “I Quit” match
Neither SmackDown women's champion Charlotte Flair nor Ronda Rousey nor WWE Creative has necessarily inspired much excitement for the “I Quit” match at WrestleMania Backlash.
Their showdown at WrestleMania 38 was a disappointment, and the buildup to the rematch has revolved more around the women beating up Drew Gulak than the escalation of their own animosity.
The result is an ice-cold feud entering a bout that has the potential to be very good and, possibly, the show’s main event.
Rousey is a submission specialist, while Flair has her own Figure Eight that has won her more matches and titles than one can count.
The Queen has carried the feud with her promos and has appropriately upped the intensity when the situation calls for it.
Rousey, on the other hand, has been the subject of criticism for what appears to be a lack of confidence and passion on the microphone.
Hopefully, Rousey can shake off a tough couple of months and deliver a performance up to the standard she set during her first run.
If she can do that and match Flair's intensity in the process, they should be able to deliver the quality of match that they failed to in Dallas.
Rousey needs to win to pay off her comeback and end the feud with Flair, at least for the time being.
Cody Rhodes vs Seth Rollins
The best match at WrestleMania 38 was Cody Rhodes vs. Seth Rollins, and those two will look to replicate that feat when they meet in a hotly anticipated rematch at Backlash.
Their styles mesh well, and to this point, so do their personalities. Rollins is the over-the-top villain seeking vengeance for a loss that he has come up with countless excuses for, while Rhodes sees The Visionary as an obstacle on his path to the WWE Championship.
Ideally, the top heel on a brand would not lose two major matches to the same wrestler in quick succession, especially as he fights to maintain his credibility, but that appears to be the position Rollins is about to find himself in.
Rhodes is red-hot, arguably the most popular wrestler on the roster and the favorite to relieve Roman Reigns of the WWE title. He is going to defeat Rollins and put an end to their feud.
Drew McIntyre & Raw Tag Team Champions RK-Bro vs Undisputed WWE Universal Champion Roman Reigns & SmackDown Tag Team Champions The Usos (Six-Man Tag Team Match)
It stands to reason that Reigns and McIntyre wouldn’t accept the above two mentioned bouts being the showstoppers.
The background to how Reigns and McIntyre ended up in the six man tag team match up At the prompting of Undisputed WWE Universal Champion Reigns, The Usos stormed into last week’s Night Raw show to challenge RK-Bro in the hopes of uniting the SmackDown and Raw Tag Team Titles.
After The Usos justified their claim by dispatching The Street Profits and
sealing the challenge with a double superkick to Randy Orton, The Viper & The Original Bro crashed SmackDown to accept The Bloodline’s challenge and dish out some retribution in the form of an RKO.
RK-Bro would come to crash the party on the ensuing SmackDown, but the blue brand champions took exception with their presence.
Orton & Riddle would proceed to lay down the challenge, and the longest-reigning SmackDown Tag Team Champions weren't going to run from the fight. Things all changed big time, however, when order completely broke down in the contract signing between RK-Bro and The Usos on the April 29 edition of SmackDown.
After a distraction by an emerging Reigns allowed Jimmy & Jey to take out Orton and Riddle, The Head of the Table ripped up the Backlash Tag Team Unification Match contract and stuffed it down the throat of The Original Bro.
Before the dust cleared, though, McIntyre joined the party to take down The Usos and send the irate Reigns heading for the hills.
In response to chaos, Special Counsel Paul Heyman lobbied with WWE Official Adam Pearce to add Reigns and McIntyre to the Tag Team Match and transform it into an all-new Six-Man Tag Team Match for Backlash
AJ Styles vs Edge
To say the match between Edge and AJ Styles at WrestleMania was a disappointment would be a massive understatement.
Considered by many to be the best match of the entire show on paper, it underwhelmed significantly, as it too often felt like the Superstars were aiming to create an epic match instead of letting it develop naturally.
The all-time-greats have the opportunity to make up for that disappointment. Might the possibility of interference hurt the quality of the match? Well this will not happen now that Damian Priest, who has linked up with Edge in a new faction, has been banned from the ring apron.
Expect two of the best wrestlers of the past 25 years to deliver on their potential for a Match of the Year candidate. The absence of the enormous pressure of the WrestleMania stage should help.
Edge won the previous encounter. That should indicate that Styles wins here, but the developing Judgment Day faction and the possible addition of new members suggests Edge will probably make it 2-0 against his rival.
Roman Reigns and Bloodline vs Drew McIntyre & RK-Bro
SmackDown Women’s Championship: Charlotte Flair vs Ronda Rousey (I Quit Match)
Cody Rhodes vs Seth Rollins
AJ Styles vs Edge
Bobby Lashley vs Omos
Happy Corbin vs Madcap Moss
WrestleMania Backlash streams live, Sunday, May 8 and will be shown live on DSTV (SA time in the early hours of Monday, 9 May
Pre Show | 1:30am
WrestleMania Backlash 2:00am; SS Variety 3 & WWE Channel
REPEAT: Monday WWE Channel 14:00; wMaximo 2 | 16:40 and SS Variety 3 | 19:00