Final Picks for Cody Rhodes, Bad Bunny and WWE Backlash 2023 Match Card

WWE Backlash 2023 will mark the end of an era and the beginning of a new one following an eventful WWE draft that saw the landscape of both Raw and SmackDown shift significantly.

Everyone on the card will be looking to make a major impact heading into their new home on either Monday or Friday nights. Although the Undisputed WWE Universal Championship will not be defended, the rest of the card has an incredible amount of promise, especially with the event emanating from the electric San Juan, Puerto Rico.

In the biggest bout of the night, Cody Rhodes will collide with Brock Lesnar for the first time ever one-on-one. The American Nightmare has revenge on his mind, while Lesnar already has his sights set on the new World Heavyweight Championship.

Additionally, The Bloodline will finally settle their score with Sami Zayn, Kevin Owens and Matt Riddle in six-man tag team action, assuming they can overcome their own dissension first.

Ahead of tonight's stacked show, these are the last-minute picks that matter most.

Seth Rollins vs. Omos

The build, or lack thereof, for this contest on the card has been baffling, to say the least.

Seth Rollins has been directionless following his feud with Logan Paul, which culminated in a win for him at WrestleMania 39. Instead of kicking off another notable storyline for The Visionary, WWE has instead left him to spin his wheels in random segments and matches weekly on Raw.

That includes being announced for an encounter with Omos at Backlash despite the two never previously crossing paths.

MVP explained on the April 24 edition of Raw that he had the matchup made official so Omos could make a name at Rollins' expense. It was a lazy explanation, but there can be no doubt that Rollins will do everything imaginable to carry Omos to something somewhat memorable.

With the World Heavyweight Championship now in play, Rollins makes as much sense as anyone to hold that title. His road to the gold kicks off at Backlash with a win over Omos.

Prediction: Seth Rollins wins

Rhea Ripley vs. Zelina Vega (SmackDown Women's Championship)

Zelina Vega never technically did anything to earn herself a shot at the SmackDown Women's Championship, but this Backlash bout does serve as an extension of the ongoing rivalry between the LWO and The Judgment Day.

Given her ties to Puerto Rico, Vega should be a massive fan favorite when she shares the ring with Rhea Ripley. She has the home-field advantage in that respect, but she still doesn't pose a serious threat to the title.

With Ripley reporting to Raw post-draft, it will be interesting to see what becomes of her belt and whether it's exchanged with the Raw Women's Championship or not. There's a small possibility of Vega upsetting Ripley and bringing the gold with her to the blue brand, but Ripley's reign shouldn't be interrupted so soon after 'Mania.

Expect Vega to put up quite the fight against The Eradicator before falling short, keeping the championship within the confines of Judgment Day.

Prediction: Rhea Ripley retains the SmackDown Women's Championship

Austin Theory vs. Bobby Lashley vs. Bronson Reed (United States Championship)

Despite having been the reigning United States champion for nearly six months, Austin Theory comes off as the ultimate afterthought at the moment and desperately needs a high-profile win to get his momentum back on track.

Beating John Cena, a modern-day legend, should have accomplished that for him, but he has hardly benefited since WrestleMania. If anything, he has been booked as the third wheel in the heated feud between Bobby Lashley and Bronson Reed.

Reed would have been the perfect person to take the title at Backlash, but his status as a Raw Superstar post-draft all but guarantees that won't be the case. Lashley joining Theory on SmackDown makes him a likelier choice, but all signs point to Theory resuming his reign.

Lashley has been relegated to the United States Championship picture for the better part of the past year and is ready to return to the main-event level. Getting the belt back here would do him no favors, whereas Theory still has more to prove as champ.

Prediction: Austin Theory retains the United States Championship

Bianca Belair vs. Iyo Sky (Raw Women's Championship)

Iyo Sky getting the singles spotlight has been long overdue. She's been impressive as a member of Damage CTRL since debuting back at SummerSlam, but the time has come for her to start branching out on her own.

Tension has been teased within the ranks of Damage CTRL for a few weeks, and with how little success they've had as a group, this would be an ideal time to cement their split.

That can be accomplished by Bayley costing Sky the Raw Women's Championship against Bianca Belair. Not only would it protect Sky in defeat, but it would also make her face turn official.

Regardless of how it happens, Sky will unfortunately not be walking out of Backlash with the title in tow. They've had a forgettable feud so far, and WWE has given viewers zero incentive to believe that Belair's reign will end at the hands of Sky.

If nothing else, they should have a quality contest as only they're capable of.

Prediction: Bianca Belair retains the Raw Women's Championship

Bad Bunny vs. Damian Priest (San Juan Street Fight)

Bad Bunny will be stepping back into the ring at the event to exact revenge on former friend Damian Priest for attacking on him on the post-WrestleMania Raw.

WWE has done an excellent job of rebuilding Priest in recent weeks to make this match as meaningful as possible. Adding the San Juan Street Fight stipulation will ensure it's a spectacle.

Priest will feel like a bigger star simply by facing Bad Bunny, and thus it isn't imperative that he wins. The crowd will be ready to eat up everything they do and give Bad Bunny a raucous hometown reception.

With there being no world title match on this show, this would be a fitting main event for Backlash despite the obvious outcome. These two would send the crowd home happy with an entertaining outing that is guaranteed to deliver.

Priest loses absolutely nothing in defeat if his opponent is a world-renowned star the caliber of Bad Bunny.

Prediction: Bad Bunny wins

The Bloodline vs. Sami Zayn, Kevin Owens and Matt Riddle

The Bloodline have been running rampant on the WWE roster for years now, but this would be the ultimate opportunity for them to get their comeuppance in the absence of Roman Reigns.

Sami Zayn and Kevin Owens defeated The Usos to capture the Undisputed WWE Tag Team Championships at WrestleMania and beat them in a rematch to hold on to the gold a few weeks later. By losing to The Usos and Solo Sikoa at Backlash, it would only extend the program further.

The focal point of this match will be whether Sikoa and The Usos are able to coexist. Sikoa taking out The Usos has been heavily hinted as of late and should be considered a strong possibility as a post-match angle here.

That only happens if The Bloodline lose to the trio of Zayn, Owens and Riddle. Now that the babyfaces find themselves on separate shows from The Bloodline, they can score the victory and move on to something new while The Bloodline deal with the consequences of their shortcomings on SmackDown.

Prediction: Sami Zayn, Kevin Owens and Matt Riddle win

Cody Rhodes vs. Brock Lesnar

Cody Rhodes remains WWE's biggest babyface in spite of his shocking loss to Roman Reigns in the main event of WrestleMania, but a loss to Brock Lesnar at Backlash could be another big blow to his credibility.

Lesnar's logic for attacking Rhodes after 'Mania and kicking off a feud with him was never explained, but this has felt like WWE's way of keeping Rhodes busy before he inevitably rekindles his rivalry with Reigns. Lesnar is the next biggest star in the company, and Rhodes working with him can't be viewed as anything but a positive.

The booking of the finish to this match will be crucial. If WWE intends to prolong the program at least until Night of Champions, some sort of a no-contest would effectively keep both guys from suffering an unnecessary defeat.

The endgame must be Rhodes conquering Lesnar, but if that isn't in the cards for Backlash, Lesnar would need to win in fluky fashion. A straightforward win for Lesnar could do damage to Rhodes' standing with the fans even if the idea is for Rhodes to avenge it on the next show.

Prediction: Brock Lesnar wins