The B/R Wrestling Staff Predictions for WWE Backlash 2023 Match Card

It's been just over a month since WrestleMania 39 took place, which means it's time for the first post-'Mania PPV of the season.

This year's Backlash will take place in San Juan, Puerto Rico, so WWE made sure to bring in Bad Bunny as a special guest. At first, he was just the host, but now he will be working as a competitor.

As usual, we have predictions and questions related to every single match on the card. Before we get to the picks, here's our lineup of contributors:

• Chris Mueller (CM) (@BR_Doctor)
• Erik Beaston (EB) (@ErikBeaston)
• Graham Matthews (GM) (@WrestleRant)
• Jeff J (JJ) (@JeffJSays)
• Donald Wood (DW) (@RingRustRadio)   

The Card

Here is the full lineup for Saturday's show, according to WWE.com:

• Bad Bunny vs. Damian Priest
• Austin Theory vs. Bobby Lashley vs. Bronson Reed (United States Championship)
• Bianca Belair vs. Iyo Sky (Raw Women's Championships)
• Seth Rollins vs. Omos
• Cody Rhodes vs. Brock Lesnar
• Rhea Ripley vs. Zelina Vega (SmackDown Women's Championship)
• Matt Riddle, Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn vs. The Usos and Solo Sikoa 

Riddle, Owens and Zayn vs. the Usos and Sikoa

What is your opinion of champions having non-title matches at PPVs? Is it a waste since we just saw a version of this match on Raw recently?

GM: This match is reminiscent of last year's Backlash main event, which saw Roman Reigns and The Usos take on Drew McIntyre and RK-Bro.

Although it can be argued that the six-man tag team match at this year's installment could happen on any ordinary Raw, the feud between the two trios has been built up enough where it feels worthy of the bigger stage, provided this is the payoff (and it should be known that they're on separate shows post-Draft). I have no issue with no titles being at stake in this one.

Bianca Belair vs. Iyo Sky

Offer an argument for why Iyo Sky should win the title from Belair.

DW: It is not the time for Belair to lose the Raw Women's Championship, but if anyone must defeat her at Backlash, it should be Sky. After being marred in lackluster storylines as a member of Damage CTRL, Sky finally has the chance as a singles performer to show why she is considered one of the top wrestlers in the world. A stunning victory at Backlash would instantly rebuild faith in her character, and proper storytelling coming out of the event could salvage the credibility she lost since making her jump to the main roster.

Austin Theory vs. Bobby Lashley

What is your opinion of Theory's run as U.S. champion so far?

EB: WWE has done a fantastic job of elevating the United States Championship and establishing Theory as a credible champion by having him regularly compete against former world champions like Rollins, Lashley and Rey Mysterio.

They have taken a guy who was still fairly green and put him in a position to not only learn on the job, but also gain credibility with fans along the way. Case in point: the John Cena match. Theory has carried his end of the deal, and the result is a U.S. title reign that has been better than it has been given credit for.

Zelina Vega vs. Rhea Ripley

What would be the better option, having Belair and Ripley lose their belts on the same night to people who are on the brands represented by those titles, or having both women retain and then swap belts like Becky Lynch and Charlotte?

CM: As much as I hated the title swap segment and think that should never happen again, having both women lose the belts just because they changed brands feels misguided.

Unfortunately, having them do the handoff and trade belts is just slightly more desirable because it keeps two of WWE's top women in the spots they have earned. Belair's epic title run will come to an end eventually, but Ripley's is just getting started. Dropping the belt now would be illogical after she has become so popular.

Omos vs. Seth Rollins

WWE clearly has plans for Omos, but he has yet to win a major match. Is this the right time to give him a win over an established star?

CM: While the Nigerian Giant could certainly use a win, having him defeat Rollins for his first major PPV singles victory is not the way to go, especially if WWE is setting up Rollins to win the new World Heavyweight Championship.

Omos will have his time in the sun, but right now, The Visionary is simply too hot to have him put somebody else over.

Bad Bunny vs. Damian Priest

How can WWE book this so Bad Bunny can realistically beat Priest?

EB: Bad Bunny has already beaten a former world champion in The Miz and fearlessly went toe-to-toe with Lesnar in the Royal Rumble back in 2022. He has all of the credibility that he needs at this point, especially among a WWE Universe that has been critical of celebrity involvement in the past.

He can believably beat Priest right now, especially since WWE has not always done the most effective job of presenting the enforcer of The Judgment Day like the force he probably should be.

Cody Rhodes vs. Brock Lesnar

Simply put, if you were booking this show, who would win and why?

GM: WWE has to tread carefully with this one. Rhodes winning to rebound from his WrestleMania loss to Reigns would be ideal, but I could also see WWE stretching this out at least one more pay-per-view.

If that happens, I doubt Rhodes beats Lesnar decisively here. Some sort of a no-contest or non-finish would be the best way to keep the feud alive while protecting both guys to set up a stipulation rematch at Night of Champions, where Rhodes ultimately goes over.

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What is next for Rhodes if he wins? Alternatively, what's next if he loses?

DW: If Rhodes wins against Lesnar, he will prove that Reigns only won due to interference and he likely should be the company's top champion right now. That would clear the way for a SummerSlam rematch between Rhodes and Reigns, likely resulting in the challenger finally winning the title.

On the other hand, Lesnar beating Rhodes would set him back even further after the devastating loss to Reigns at WrestleMania. Most fans don't believe he should've lost in the first place, and compounding it with another marquee defeat only hurts his character's chances of getting as over as he was at the company's biggest show this year. Rhodes cannot afford another loss.

Predictions

Respondents' picks are represented by their initials:

• Bunny (EB, GM, CM, JJ, DW) vs. Priest
• Theory (EB, GM, CM, JJ, DW) vs. Lashley vs. Reed 
• Belair (EB, GM, CM, JJ, DW) vs. Sky 
• Rollins (EB, GM, CM, JJ, DW) vs. Omos
• Rhodes (CM, EB, DW) vs. Lesnar (JJ, GM)
• Rhea Ripley (EB, GM, CM, JJ, DW) vs. Zelina Vega
• Riddle, Owens and Zayn (GM, DW, CM) vs. The Usos and Sikoa (JJ, EB)