WWE Backlash 2018: B/R Expert Match Picks, Predictions and Analysis

WrestleMania was as recent as April 8, but WWE is already moving forward with its first co-branded pay-per-view since 2016, Backlash.

The card is stacked from top to bottom, but the cruiserweight belt and both sets of tag titles have been ignored. Here is a rundown of the show, according to WWE.com:

• Nia Jax vs. Alexa Bliss (Raw Women's Championship)
• Carmella vs. Charlotte Flair (SmackDown Women's Championship)
• Sami Zayn and Kevin Owens vs. Braun Strowman and Bobby Lashley
• Roman Reigns vs. Samoa Joe
• Seth Rollins vs. The Miz (Intercontinental Championship)
• Jeff Hardy vs. Randy Orton (United States Championship)
• Daniel Bryan vs. Big Cass
• AJ Styles vs. Shinsuke Nakamura (WWE Championship, No Disqualification)

Bleacher Report's lineup of writers will analyze each feud and provide predictions for all of the matches. Our group is made up of the following:

• Anthony Mango (AM) (@ToeKneeManGo)
• Ryan Dilbert (RD) (@RyanDilbert)
• Kevin Berge (KB) (@TheBerge_)
• Erik Beaston (@ErikBeaston)
• Yours truly (CM) (@BR_Doctor)

Carmella vs. Charlotte Flair (SmackDown Women's Title)

Q: Carmella has never been booked as Charlotte’s equal in the ring, but she has demonstrated the ability to use other people to her advantage. Who could Carmella use as her pawn, and why would they make a good combination? Bringing back James Ellsworth is not an option.

EB: It is almost a shame Dana Brooke is over on Raw doing nothing of note because she would be perfect in this role, especially given her history with Charlotte. An associate Carmella could use, manipulate even, to help her retain her title is exactly what she needs if she is to be taken seriously as a long-term champion. If not Brooke, capitalizing on a frustrated and self-doubting Becky Lynch and turning her against Charlotte would be a compelling story for fans to follow.

Prediction: Carmella.

KB: The perfect situation has emerged for Carmella, with Paige disbanding Absolution on SmackDown Live, leaving Mandy Rose and Sonya Deville scrambling for a sense of purpose. She could try to recruit both or convince Rose to turn on Deville. The two blondes would make for an engaging overconfident pair, with Carmella using Rose as her first line of defense.

Prediction: Carmella escapes with her championship with the help of The IIconics.

AM: I think the continued alliance between Carmella and The IIconics is the best possible option. The Princess of Staten Island shouldn't have a particularly long reign, so that will suffice until either Flair takes the title back or Asuka wins it around SummerSlam or even earlier. Carmella doesn't need someone else.

Prediction: Carmella retains the championship.

RD: Judging by their recent interactions on SmackDown, Carmella and The IIconics seem to have natural chemistry. Like The Princess of Staten Island, Peyton Royce and Billie Kay are conceited rule-breakers. Forming a trio should prove a smart way to introduce The IIconics.

Prediction: Carmella hangs on to the title using underhanded means.

CM: A lot of struggling Superstars could use the exposure, but nobody will ever be as good of a pushover as Ellsworth. That being said, putting Carmella in a temporary alliance with The IIconics is a good idea because their personalities match up well.

Prediction: Carmella gets the win thanks to a little outside interference. 

Nia Jax vs. Alexa Bliss (Raw Women’s Title)

Q: Has WWE done enough to make Jax into a sympathetic babyface? If not, what can be done to fix the situation?

EB: WWE tried to make Nia Jax sympathetic by utilizing Alexa Bliss as a bully who makes fun of her size, but in reality, all fans want to see is Nia the ass-kicker. Like Goldberg or Brock Lesnar, they want a champion who tears through the competition, not one who fights back tears because she is dealing with WWE's resident mean girl. The company has not done enough to make her sympathetic. Nor should it have even tried.

Prediction: Jax.

KB: While Bliss has been exceptional playing the victim, not enough time has been spent on Jax herself. The champion needs her own segments, focusing on the effect she hopes to have for fans, showing how she wants to promote a body-positive image. However, this may require escaping the shadow of Bliss entirely.

Prediction: Jax once more dominates Bliss, even with Mickie by her side.

AM: For the most part, yes, as it's hard to have someone with a body-positive gimmick be booed without those people jeering looking like jerks. The test will be how WWE handles her character after this feud with Bliss—at that point, she's on her own.

Prediction: Jax retains the championship.

RD: The Moment of Bliss segments haven't worked. The whole approach to generating sympathy for the champ is off the mark. WWE needs to focus more on showing Jax overcoming injuries or multiple opponents and showing great heart in the process.

Prediction: Jax wins.

CM: As great as Bliss has been as the antagonist in this storyline, Jax has not been turned into the hero WWE wants her to be. People need more of a reason to cheer for someone than feeling sorry for them for being bullied. WWE needs to act fast or Jax's title reign will be a flop.

Prediction: Jax retains the title.

Seth Rollins vs. The Miz (IC Title)

Q: If he comes up short at Backlash, what should WWE do with The Miz going forward on SmackDown?

EB: The Miz should be the WWE champion by year's end. He spent the past year on Raw proving he could be the centerpiece of the show. For all the talk of Roman Reigns and Brock Lesnar, The A-Lister was the Superstar around whom many a Monday night broadcast was built. With an impending red-hot rivalry with Daniel Bryan on the horizon and the desire to be the last great heel in wrestling, Miz should be the face of SmackDown Live and its champion.

Prediction: Rollins.

KB: Miz should float between feuds, trying to stir up controversy—as he did on the most recent edition of Miz TV—while representing SmackDown in the Money in the Bank ladder match and perhaps competing for the U.S. title. This would keep him relevant until Bryan is done with his feud with Big Cass, and the two could clash at SummerSlam.

Prediction: Rollins steals the show again before putting away Miz with The Stomp.

AM: Assuming Jeff Hardy retains the United States Championship and ends his feud with Randy Orton, The Miz could be the next in line to challenge for that title. But the endgame is a feud with Bryan somewhere down the line.

Prediction: Rollins retains the championship.

RD: A feud with Bryan is a no-brainer. That would be a marquee SummerSlam match teeming with bad blood. Everything The Miz does should lead in that direction.

Prediction: Rollins wins in a show-stealer.

CM: The only option is an extended feud with Bryan. They have been on a collision course for a long time, and not capitalizing on it when fans are talking about it would be a mistake. They could feud all the way until SummerSlam, and the WWE Universe would eat it up.

Prediction: Rollins retains his title.

Bobby Lashley and Braun Strowman vs. Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn

Q: If you were in charge, how would you book this match to get the most out of all four competitors?

EB: As it stands, this is set to be a one-sided ass-kicking, much like the recent match between these teams on Raw. The best way to make this even remotely competitive, and to get the best out of the Superstars involved, is to have Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn somehow take Braun Strowman out of the equation early, leaving them to double-team Bobby Lashley. The former ECW champion would fight back before succumbing to the numbers game. And just as Zayn and Owens are about to pick up the win, Strowman explodes from the backstage area, unleashes hell and earns the victory.

Prediction: Strowman and Lashley

KB: I would have KO and Zayn attack Strowman backstage and leave him injured so Lashley has to work the early part of this match solo. This would allow The Dominator to show off and make it look like the best friends have a chance before Strowman makes it to the ring and gets the unstoppable hot tag.

Prediction: Lashley and Strowman have to work a bit harder this time before putting away KO and Zayn.

AM: I wouldn't have booked this match at all. It has been done already on Raw, and it doesn't seem to be all that useful to anybody. I can't see any situation wherein this doesn't either come off laborious, pointless or one of the two sides has to look weak for no reason other than to eat up time. Lashley and Strowman shouldn't be teaming together. This should have been Bobby Roode vs. Elias for the No. 1 contender's spot instead.

Prediction: Lashley and Strowman are victorious unless Lashley randomly turns heel.

RD: I would make sure Lashley got a lot of ring time to show off his improved skills, give Strowman the opportunity to do more creative destruction and script a good amount of mid-match taunting from KO and Zayn.

Prediction: Lashley and Strowman take the win.

CM: Owens and Zayn will get heel heat no matter what they do, so the main focus needs to be on Strowman and Lashley. They would have a great rivalry, so some kind of miscommunication should lead to Owens and Zayn winning. This would give The Monster Among Men enough of a reason to target Lashley going forward.

Prediction: Owens and Zayn win after Lashley and Strowman get into a fight over something. 

Roman Reigns vs. Samoa Joe

Q: It's hard to care about a feud when one of the competitors is already on a different brand. Which specific stipulation could WWE add to this match to make it more exciting?

EB: The only stipulation WWE could add to this one to make it worthwhile is one that sees Roman Reigns lose out on any future Universal Championship opportunities if Samoa Joe beats him Sunday night. Otherwise, it is rendered meaningless by WWE Creative's decision to send Joe to SmackDown Live.

Prediction: Roman Reigns.

KB: This would have been exciting if Reigns had won at Greatest Royal Rumble, putting the Universal Championship on the line. While it will still be a great match, it would have been nice to see this contest get a stipulation that shows this is the last chapter of this rivalry, perhaps Falls Count Anywhere or Last Man Standing.

Prediction: Reigns catches Joe with 10 Superman Punches and two Spears to win.

AM: In a perfect world, WWE would have thought things out more before announcing this, but given the circumstances, it would be good to see the winner be guaranteed a title opportunity on his respective brand. That would at least put something on the line to get invested in.

Prediction: Reigns gets his win to offset his previous two pay-per-view losses.

RD: Perhaps this is a good spot to book a lumberjack match and surround the ring with Raw and SmackDown Superstars. That would open the door for leading into Reigns or Joe's next rivalry and play up the dual-brand nature of this show.

Prediction: Reigns wins as he works his way back toward another Universal Championship match.

CM: We just saw Reigns in a Steel Cage match against Brock Lesnar, so some kind of non-hardcore stipulation would be the right call. Something like a Submission or Iron Man match would force The Big Dog to fight outside of his comfort zone for once.

Prediction: Samoa Joe wins by cheating. 

Daniel Bryan vs. Big Cass

Q: Both of these Superstars are fresh off being injured for extended periods of time. Who would suffer more from a loss in this match and why?

EB: Daniel Bryan would suffer most from a loss. Yes, he is back. Yes, fans are more than happy to have him back in the squared circle after two years away, but he does not have the momentum on his side that he once did. Big Cass can get his heat back after the match just by attacking Bryan. The babyface, though, suffers considerably if he is beaten by a guy not at all perceived to be on his level.

Prediction: Bryan.

KB: While I hate the argument that someone can easily lose because they will stay over, Bryan has much less to lose here than Cass, as fans will always buy The American Dragon near the top of the card. Cass cannot afford to leave this feud looking weak if he is going to be the monster heel of SmackDown.

Prediction: Bryan makes Cass tap out to the Yes Lock, with Cass beating him down afterward.

AM: The good news is both can lose and still continue this feud. If Bryan loses, he's simply the underdog even more and people won't stop cheering for him no matter what. If Cass loses, he can be even more infuriated and adamant to prove it was a fluke. Either scenario works.

Prediction: Cass manages to get the win, but it isn't an easy one. 

RD: Bryan doesn't need the win nearly as much as Big Cass. He's beloved. He's established. It's Cass who is in the midst of establishing himself as the real deal.

Prediction: Cass wins thanks to an assist from The Miz.

CM: Big Cass needs the push more than Daniel Bryan, but having Cass lose and then decimate Bryan after the match would get him a lot more heat than a simple win.

Prediction: Bryan wins and gets decimated by Big Cass afterward. 

Jeff Hardy vs. Randy Orton (U.S. Title)

Q: Should WWE have kept Jeff Hardy on Raw to team with Matt Hardy and Bray Wyatt, or is he better off being by himself on SmackDown? Why?

EB: Like it or not, the Woken gimmick has a definitive ceiling in WWE. It is a midcard act that will never be anything more than that. Jeff Hardy, on the other hand, is a legitimate main event Superstar. He is a former WWE champion who can greatly serve SmackDown from a star power perspective. Letting him do his thing away from that story is probably best. Besides, if there is no plan for him to be involved in that, keeping him around on the Raw brand would only keep fans anticipating something that isn't going to happen.

Prediction: Hardy.

KB: The Woken storyline works just fine without becoming a stable, and Jeff has serious value to SmackDown as a singles star. While he would likely have little to do as the third wheel for Matt Hardy and Bray Wyatt, he can put on quality matches on SmackDown as U.S. champion.

Prediction: Jeff retains clean with a Swanton Bomb.

AM: That's too hard to answer without seeing how much SmackDown has to rely on him. The blue brand doesn't have a ton of performers, and Hardy will likely be a bigger fish in a smaller pond than just another part of a trio in the Raw tag team division. That's probably a better fit for him, but it would have been an even better spot for someone like Finn Balor.

Prediction: Hardy retains the championship.

RD: A solo run with a midcard title was the right move. There is time to infuse more characters into the Woken act down the road. Jeff is better off providing SmackDown with star power and reaping the benefits of some fresh matchups.

Prediction: Hardy wins.

CM: I am conflicted here. I want to see Brother Nero again, but having Jeff there while Matt and Wyatt are trying to create something new might leave him as the odd man out. He is better off on SmackDown, but he eventually needs to join up with his brother again.

Prediction: Hardy retains.

AJ Styles vs. Shinsuke Nakamura (WWE Championship, No Disqualification)

Q: Do you prefer Nakamura as a babyface or a heel? Explain why.

EB: Nakamura as a babyface was too one-dimensional. As a heel, there is a ton of unexplored terrain. Why the sudden change in attitude? Is this the real Shinsuke Nakamura? The potential answers are far more interesting than, "oh, look! Shin is coming to save AJ Styles from a beatdown."

Prediction: Styles.

KB: There are few wrestlers who are better faces than heels, and this feels especially true for Nakamura, who looks far more invested as the villain. It also helps that he can play up his limited English for his character, avoiding the typical long-winded promos of a main event star, which are not his strong suit.

Prediction: Styles catches Nakamura with a low blow to set up a Phenomenal Forearm for the win.

AM: Long-term, a babyface Nakamura is easier to work with, as his entrance music is fun, his in-ring style is energetic and it's easier to cheer a wrestler who doesn't have much of a villainous character. For now, his heel persona is a welcome change of pace, but it won't have legs for too many months without being unsubstantial.

Prediction: Nakamura wins the championship by exploiting the No Disqualification rules.

RD: Nakamura's heel turn has awakened something inside him. He looks to be having more fun and is coursing with electricity. Let the low-blow king reign on.

Prediction: Styles wins a close one.

CM: Nakamura's gimmick is better suited to being a heel. It will take a lot to make everyone boo him, but having him consistently use dirty tactics is a good start. Once he finds his groove as a villain, Nakamura is going to be one of the biggest stars in the company.

Prediction: Nakamura wins the title with a low blow.