WWE Backlash 2016: B/R Expert Match Picks, Predictions and Analysis
WWE Backlash 2016 is the first show-specific pay-per-view of the New Era, and with that comes some challenges.
First, the split roster has resulted in fewer matches than a typical WWE pay-per-view. With only six bouts on the card, Backlash may look more like Raw, with backstage segments and longer montages during the broadcast. This could drag down the quality of the event, especially if Superstars aren't given extended time in the ring.
Second, having matches focused squarely on the vacant women's and tag team titles on SmackDown has left little time to build meaningful feuds that could be showcased at a pay-per-view. For example, Carmella vs. Nikki Bella could be an interesting feud to explore, but both women are involved in the Six-Pack Challenge for the SmackDown Women's Championship.
What could have been an interesting match is at least one pay-per-view away if WWE decides to continue their rivalry past Backlash.
Fans will see on Sunday whether WWE Creative can overcome these obstacles and put on a good show. One positive is that most of the matches at Backlash have high stakes.
AJ Styles is looking to continue his hot streak and become the new WWE world champion against Dean Ambrose, the aforementioned tag team and women's belts are up for grabs and Randy Orton and Bray Wyatt are set to tangle in what could be a show-stealer.
As always, Bleacher Report's crack team of experts is here to make sense of it all and forecast who will win at Backlash.
B/R Expert Panel Lineup
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Bleacher Report's lineup answers the tough questions about the WWE landscape and provides predictions for each match on the WWE Backlash 2016 card.
This team features the following:
- Anthony Mango (@ToeKneeManGo), founder of SmarkOutMoment.com and host of the podcast Smack Talk.
- Aaron Bower (@AaronBower).
- Ryan Dilbert (@ryandilbert), lead writer for @BR_WWE.
- Kevin Berge (@TheBerge_).
- Yours truly, James Moffat (@jamesmoffat).
It's time to tie up those laces and get ready to rumble. The predictions start now.
Bonus Question No. 1
2 of 9Q: There are six matches scheduled for WWE Backlash. What do you feel is the right number of matches and run time for brand-specific pay-per-views?
Ryan Dilbert (RD): Six matches is too thin of a card. You need a few palate cleansers in between the lengthy, dramatic contests. Backlash is going to need two or three last-minute additions with that in mind. Three hours is just fine for PPV length. Anything shorter forces bouts to end too quickly. Anything beyond that becomes a WrestleMania-like, energy-draining marathon.
Anthony Mango (AM): With two events per month, all of the standard television shows and the supplemental material on the WWE Network, shorter pay-per-views would benefit not only the smaller rosters, but also the audience. An overabundance results in being worn out, and there's no reason six matches should be drawn out into a three-hour event plus a one-hour kickoff. Since there isn't a bulky enough roster for two or three more matches to be added, this should be a three-hour maximum event or else it would likely have too much filler.
Kevin Berge (KB): A three-hour main card with a thirty-minute kickoff seems perfect for brand-exclusive PPVs. The number of matches should be determined by how much time WWE wants to give to each bout. Backlash only has six matches, which works as long as each match gets an average of 20 minutes.
James Moffat (JM): WWE should experiment with shows that are the same length as its TV products—three-hour pay-per-views for Raw and two-hour pay-per-views for SmackDown, each with a 30-minute pre-show. Combined pay-per-views could go three or four hours with a full 60-minute pre-show. SummerSlam was a drag at times, and WWE needs to keep people's attention, not have them leave in droves—especially on Sunday nights in the fall, when WWE competes head-to-head with the NFL.
Aaron Bower (AB): With WWE’s roster depth, three-hour pay-per-views could easily still be executed. It gives wrestlers extra time to craft watchable matches and also allows for more backstage segments that can build storylines effectively. Six matches is a good fit, but a couple of more wouldn’t hurt in the future if WWE is serious about building all levels of the card properly.
The Miz vs. Dolph Ziggler (Intercontinental Championship)
3 of 9Q: Following The Miz’s epic rant against SmackDown general manager Daniel Bryan, is a feud against Dolph Ziggler the best use of SmackDown’s true No. 1 heel?
RD: There aren't a ton of other options on the roster. Apollo Crews isn't compelling enough at this stage to step into that spot, for example. Dolph Ziggler can and should be a part of a larger story of The Miz pushing back against SmackDown authority.
Match Prediction: The Miz retains. His eventual fall has to be a bigger deal—the climax of a longer, more high-profile story than this one.
AM: Unfortunately, the best option of having Daniel Bryan return to the ring to lock horns with The Miz is off the table, so Ziggler is the second-best thing. Both Bryan and Ziggler represent the internet-darling, fan-favorite, "wrestler's wrestler" type, and since he and The Miz have great chemistry, there aren't any better challengers to be in this spot.
Match Prediction: The Miz will retain, as he's just too hot after that promo.
KB: Both SmackDown and Raw have much shallower rosters than they did before the brand split, which means they only have so many choices for each feud. Without WWE moving someone major up from NXT, Ziggler was the highest-profile face who could feud with The Miz. Defeating Ziggler will continue to raise Miz’s credibility until a younger challenger comes along.
Match Prediction: The Miz retains.
JM: This was apparently in the cards before the verbal assault The Miz laid on Bryan. With the KFC tie-ins already shot, you knew these two would be going toe-to-toe eventually. It just so happens that The Miz turned in WWE's most epic rant since The Summer of Punk. SmackDown Creative needed to adjust course, especially with Ziggler coming off a loss to Dean Ambrose at SummerSlam, and let The Miz tear into someone—anyone but Ziggler. Unfortunately, it's not happening.
Match Prediction: The Miz retains.
AB: Not really, but with the SmackDown card still in its embryonic stages, who would be a good fit? WWE tried Apollo Crews, but that was dropped fairly quickly. Unless the company is serious about putting the strap in the upper echelons of the minds of WWE fans, feuds with Ziggler won’t push The Miz as any more of a heel than he is now.
Match Prediction: The Miz.
The Usos vs. the Hype Bros. (2nd Chance Match)
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Q: Aside from the stalwart Usos and the now-shelved American Alpha, name one tag team on SmackDown with the most potential to rise above its current placement.
RD: Breezango. Tyler Breeze and Fandango showed flashes of being an impressive heel team when asked to be more than easy-to-topple stooges. With the right mix of ridiculousness and ferocity, they could be key members of the tag division.
Match Prediction: The Usos win by dastardly means. They are too hot coming off the heel turn to lose here.
AM: My instinct is to say I can't, as the tag team division being split in half has hurt WWE. However, if I had to make a choice, with the right repackaging and the company actually giving it a consistent winning streak, The Ascension could turn things around. It's a daunting task, but stranger things have happened, and it could be taken much more seriously than The Vaudevillains, Breezango or The Hype Bros.
Match Prediction: The Usos make it to the finals.
KB: Since the brand split, the tag team that has impressed me the most is Breezango. Tyler Breeze and Fandango are both immensely talented guys who can put on a good match with anyone, which was proved by their recent performances with American Alpha and The Usos. I would be surprised if they aren’t feuding with American Alpha and the tag team champions at some point in 2017.
Match Prediction: The Usos advance.
JM: It was only four months ago when The Vaudevillains battled The New Day for the WWE Tag Team Championships at Extreme Rules. That seems like forever ago, but the team could change course. The two are throwback wrestlers, both in style and gimmick, and they could be a great heel team. I'm waiting for the eventual Breezango split and feud, while The Ascension just needs a complete reboot.
Match Prediction: The Usos advance.
AB: I thought Breezango had something good going on and could yet have a decent run in the tag division. There’s a lot of openings, and if we’re going to get an American Alpha-Usos feud, it means someone can step in and take on the new tag champions following Backlash.
Match Prediction: The Usos.
Randy Orton vs. Bray Wyatt
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Q: Fill in the blank: Bray Wyatt has a ___ percent chance of winning at Backlash on Sunday.
RD: Sixty. WWE hasn't booked any sustained streaks for Bray Wyatt, but Randy Orton hasn't been presented as a titan himself. In the last two years, he's lost PPV matches to Seth Rollins and Roman Reigns, two other emerging stars Orton helped elevate.
Match Prediction: Wyatt wins as part of a push toward SmackDown's top tier.
AM: Fifty. This match doesn't matter. Whoever wins this will lose at No Mercy and vice versa.
Match Prediction: Either Wyatt gets a cheap win or Orton scores a quick RKO but keeps feuding with Wyatt afterward.
KB: Fifty. I expect Orton and Wyatt to feud throughout the rest of 2016, which means they could fight at Backlash, No Mercy, Survivor Series and TLC. This first match is merely an opening bout that sets the tone for the feud. Either man could win without the result affecting the feud as a whole. We don’t know what story is being told in this rivalry, which makes the first outcome a toss-up.
Match Prediction: Bray Wyatt.
JM: Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me. Fool me for more then two years, shame on everyone. In my book, Wyatt will always have zero percent chance of winning a meaningful match, especially on a pay-per-view, until WWE shows me it knows what to do with The Eater of Worlds.
Match Prediction: Randy Orton.
AB: Fifty. I genuinely can’t call it, although that may be my heart ruling my head. I’m desperate for Wyatt to be in a compelling, unpredictable feud and maybe once just come out on top. Too many times Wyatt has suffered from losing decisive matches in feuds, and it’s harmed his standing in WWE. That should change with this Randy Orton rivalry.
Match Prediction: Bray Wyatt.
Health Slater and Rhyno vs. The Usos/Hype Bros (SmackDown Tag Team Championship)
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Q: With Chad Gable reportedly out two to four weeks with a sprained MCL, how should SmackDown Creative book the tag team division in the meantime?
RD: The Heath Slater storyline has to be a major focus. It's been so fun and compelling that it deserves to be a high priority. WWE also has to build up some of the downtrodden teams such as The Hype Bros and Breezango. Too many squads feel like pushovers right now.
Match Prediction: Slater and Rhyno go all the way. It's the best narrative on the table. Slater celebrating with all his kids and The Man Beast will be one hell of a moment.
AM: The Usos should take the titles and feud temporarily with Slater and Rhyno, as well as The Hype Bros, until American Alpha can return, build up enough momentum and take the belts away from Jimmy and Jey.
Match Prediction: I keep going back and forth with this, but I'm leaning toward Slater and Rhyno with the upset.
KB: Heath Slater and Rhyno should win the championships, thanks to timely support from Jason Jordan. This way, Slater gets his contract and continues his momentum, and The Usos vs. American Alpha develops toward a rematch at No Mercy. Slater and Rhyno could defend their titles against Breezango before being challenged by American Alpha at Survivor Series.
Match Prediction: Heath Slater and Rhyno win the championships.
JM: WWE should make The Usos a dominant heel faction on SmackDown and let American Alpha play the role of plucky babyfaces. Putting the belts on Health Slater and Rhyno is just inviting criticism and mockery. SmackDown Creative should let The Usos run with this heel turn and make them a formidable team once again.
Match Prediction: After saying all that, watch Slater and Rhyno win, thanks to outside interference from American Alpha.
AB: First of all, Jordan loses it in this match and costs The Usos the titles, which sets up American Alpha vs. Jimmy and Jey. That gives you a separate feud to focus on alongside the tag title rivalry, with Heath Slater and Rhyno taking on someone fresh. I’d have Slater and Rhyno keep the straps for quite some time, too, and elevate them properly. Having more than one tag feud going on at one time is the only way to make the division look like it has substance and depth.
Match Prediction: Heath Slater and Rhyno.
SmackDown Women’s Championship 6-Pack Challenge
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Q: Three-part question: 1) Which Superstar has impressed you the most since the brand split? 2) Which woman should be SmackDown’s first women’s champion? 3) In your match prediction, tell us who will win at Backlash on Sunday.
RD: I want to focus on Raw for a moment. Nia Jax isn't a finished product yet, but she has looked good at times so far. It's clear she has a high ceiling, and she's shown flashes of being a top-notch monster heel. As for SmackDown, Becky Lynch is the best overall performer in the group and should kick off the title's lineage. WWE would be smart to make her the centerpiece of the division and build around her.
Match Prediction: Lynch. Carmella and Nikki Bella's bad blood will cost them both a win, opening the door for The Lass Kicker.
AM: As far as the women's division goes, the biggest surprise for me is Naomi. She has a renewed vigor to her and seems to have found a nice groove, both metaphorically and literally. I'd love to see her win the belt so she could finally have that on her resume, but the first champion should be Becky Lynch. She was the first choice in the draft, and she's the most well-rounded, popular, capable star of the bunch.
Match Prediction: I'm not as confident in predicting Lynch as I probably should be, although I do think she has just a slight edge over Nikki Bella. It's one or the other.
KB: I’m going to just make this simple. Becky Lynch is the most impressive, most deserving and likeliest winner of the SmackDown Women’s Championship. While the other women on the blue brand have been a bit sloppy in their major matches, Lynch has impressed every time she has performed. She has been deserving of championship gold since the beginning of 2016 with her performances and improvement, and now is the time to pull the trigger.
Match Prediction: Becky Lynch.
JM: Carmella's heel turn has done wonders for her. When she came out on the first night of SmackDown Live, you could hear a pin drop in the audience. Since making her mark by beating up Nikki Bella, she is once again an interesting character. As for which Superstar should wear the white-and-blue belt, that has to be Becky Lynch. She's the best female on the roster. But as for who will win...
Match Prediction: The team at SmackDown throws a curveball and crowns Natalya as its new SmackDown women's champion.
AB: 1) I’ve been impressed with Carmella since she turned heel. She looks like she has a real mean streak about her. 2) Becky Lynch should be the first champion, as she has all the attributes to dominate the division for years to come. 3) Thankfully, I think WWE will reward Lynch and pin the belt on her.
Match Prediction: Becky Lynch.
AJ Styles vs. Dean Ambrose (WWE World Championship)
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Q: Since the brand split, Dean Ambrose has sported a new attitude, and he seems to carry a large chip on his shoulder. How do you feel about the current iteration of Dean Ambrose’s character?
RD: He has balanced his shtick much better than in the past. Too much goofiness has previously held him back. Angry, out-to-prove-everyone-wrong Ambrose is a huge improvement.
Match Prediction: Ambrose retains. With two guaranteed new champs on the PPV, WWE is likely to hold off on Styles' big moment.
AM: This is fantastic. Ambrose understands there's a large portion of the audience that doesn't digest the type of babyface that John Cena is, which is why WWE failed when it tried to groom Roman Reigns to be that same type of character instead of just letting him be himself. That's what Ambrose is doing, and it's working. He's consistently entertaining by skirting the line of almost being an unlikable heel. He just happens to be a good guy because he's causing problems for worse people.
Match Prediction: Dean Ambrose needs to retain, if only until No Mercy.
KB: I am not sure I have seen much evolution in Dean Ambrose’s character. In the most recent edition of SmackDown, much of his camera time included random antics. When Ambrose is carrying that chip on his shoulder and taking his opponents seriously, he’s at his best. I am not sure we will see that Ambrose fully until he is chasing the WWE World Championship again rather than holding it.
Match Prediction: AJ Styles wins.
JM: I'm all for a more serious Ambrose with a touch of comedy. When he's rolling on a promo, he's intense and focused. The times when he's aloof for the entirety of his mic time is when he gets boring. A perfect example was his appearance on Stone Cold Podcast. He seemed disinterested most of the time, almost phoning it in. That's not the Ambrose fans fell in love with.
Match Prediction: Dean Ambrose retains.
AB: I think it fits him much better than the clean, babyface Dean Ambrose gimmick did. Ambrose just isn’t that kind of guy; he’s not a John Cena who will try to endear himself to the fans. He’s a rebel. He was long touted as the "Stone Cold" Steve Austin of his era when The Shield split in 2014, and that’s how he should be booked. He should be a rebel, an antihero and someone who does whatever he wants.
Match Prediction: Dean Ambrose.
Bonus Question No. 2
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Q: Which Superstar are you most disappointed is not currently on the card for WWE Backlash?
RD: Baron Corbin. He has been one of the more impressive NXT call-ups, thriving as an indignant heel. WWE hasn't given him a feud to work with, though, since his poorly booked Dolph Ziggler rivalry.
AM: Baron Corbin and Apollo Crews. Both have been relative failures since coming to the main roster. For some reason, WWE just cannot seem to push them for more than a two- or three-week span. Why is that? Both are more than capable of handling in-ring work, yet Crews is without a feud and Corbin is still complaining about Kalisto after what feels like half a year. There's no excuse for their absence when there's still room on the card. Corbin should be paired with Kane, and Crews should start a feud with Curt Hawkins, who should be wrestling here as well.
KB: SmackDown seems to be leaving much of its young blood on the outside looking in for Backlash, even with John Cena taking time off. I was looking forward to the potential for Baron Corbin vs. Kalisto, a feud that died off after its slow development in the early weeks of SmackDown. I am particularly disappointed Corbin isn’t getting a chance to compete on the main card to keep up his momentum, and the lack of Apollo Crews and Kalisto is also disconcerting.
JM: Is there any other choice? Baron Corbin has "star" written all over him. Since his promotion following WrestleMania 32, he's carried himself well. He's improved on the microphone and has put together great matches. He should be battling top-level stars, as he did against Ambrose on SmackDown recently, instead of picking fights with Kalisto.
AB: I know it’s planned, but American Alpha has carried over its momentum from NXT onto the main roster. It’ll be great to see the two get into their first proper feud, probably against The Usos.
Want more previews and predictions for WWE Backlash 2016? Watch Matt Camp and Stephen Nelson give their preview and predictions for this Sunday’s Backlash pay-per-view on B/R's WWE Facebook page.
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