WWE Backlash 2016: Match Card, Potential Spoilers, Predictions and More

The drama of championship triumphs is WWE Backlash 2016's best bet to overcome its thin card.

SmackDown's first brand-exclusive pay-per-view of the New Era is light on marquee names and has a short list of bouts on tap. Sunday's event, though, will be bolstered by the guaranteed crowning of new champions.

The fiery Becky Lynch, the loudmouth Carmella and the former Divas titleholder Nikki Bella are among the Superstars set to battle for SmackDown's brand-new Women's Championship.

And SmackDown-exclusive Tag Team Championships will be born in Richmond, Virginia, as well. Heath Slater and Rhyno will be hoping to maintain their improbable run by knocking off the team that meets them in the tag team tournament final.

Those title bouts, the continued emergence of AJ Styles as a megastar and a battle between Randy Orton and Bray Wyatt have to be good enough to make up for the fact Backlash isn't flush with matches. And the show will also have to compel minus the leader of the Cenation.

News, Potential Spoilers

Forget about a surprise appearance from John Cena at Backlash. 

The SmackDown Superstar noted he will be elsewhere on Sunday. Cena tweeted that he is wrestling on WWE's tour of Asia instead of being a part of the PPV:

That explains why WWE has limited him to dark matches on SmackDown over the past few weeks. 

Chad Gable could pop up at the Richmond Coliseum, though.

The Usos attacked the newcomer from NXT during the tag team tourney semifinals. The beatdown left Gable unable to stand. 

During Talking Smack on Sept. 6, SmackDown Commissioner Shane McMahon announced that Gable had injured his MCL and would be out for several weeks. He's not legitimately hurt, however. Joseph Currier of Figure Four Online wrote: "The injury is part of the storyline."

Gable will likely stay out of the picture anyway, but he could walk in on crutches to sneak attack The Usos. The former Olympian has made it clear that vengeance is on his mind:

The tension between Daniel Bryan and The Miz from their recent intense confrontation won't lead anywhere. One might speculate that Bryan could get involved with The Miz's title defense, by way of run-in, but the SmackDown general manager will remain on the sidelines.

Mike Johnson wrote for PWInsider.com: "Internally, WWE considers any Daniel Bryan physical activity as part of their events off limits." We'll have to settle for staredowns between him and The Miz.

Match Card

• The Hype Bros vs. The Usos (Last-chance match)
• Heath Slater and Rhyno vs. TBD (Tag Team Championships tournament final)
• Alexa Bliss vs. Carmella vs. Becky Lynch vs. Naomi vs. Natalya vs. Nikki Bella (Women's Championship)
• Randy Orton vs. Bray Wyatt
• The Miz vs. Dolph Ziggler (Intercontinental Championship)
• Dean Ambrose vs. AJ Styles (WWE World Championship)

Quick Predictions

• The Usos over The Hype Bros.
• Slater and Rhyno win the final.
• Lynch wins Six-Pack Challenge.
• Wyatt over Orton.
• Miz over Ziggler.
• Ambrose over Styles.

Match Previews, Picks

Last Chance

The Usos are getting rewarded for their dastardly behavior. Their attack on American Alpha on the most recent edition SmackDown left the team unable to compete. 

Now the duos who lost in the semifinals, The Usos and The Hype Bros, will battle to replace Gable and Jason Jordan in the finals.

The obvious route to take is a win for Jimmy and Jey. WWE is sure to showcase them after their heel turn, having their shift in character generate momentum. It makes little sense to follow up that big moment with a loss right away.

Plus, Slater and Rhyno's popularity makes the villainous Usos the ideal foil. 

Tournament Final

WWE has to go the distance with the Slater Cinderella story. 

In order to nab a SmackDown roster spot, his team has to win the tournament on Sunday. To have him come this far and fail would be a gut punch to the audience. Fans have invested in his journey thanks to his underdog charm and all the insight WWE has offered into his life.

We've met his wife and kids, seen his single-wide trailer and heard his desperate pleas to land a job.

The next step has to be for him to pull off the seemingly impossible and win the SmackDown tag titles alongside Rhyno.

The action should be solid, but the bout will be more about a narrative that's been the blue brand's surprise hit. Slater and Rhyno celebrating at Backlash has the chance to be one of WWE's most memorable moments of the year. 

6-Pack Challenge

The entirety of the SmackDown's women division will collide for the right to become the brand's inaugural women's champion.

Carmella vs. Nikki Bella is the only feud WWE has developed during the buildup. Carmella recently attacked Nikki without explanation and has since been nastier and more cocky. The Princess of Staten Island later choked out her rival in six-woman tag team action on the go-home edition of SmackDown.

Those two are sure to claw at each other's flesh during the bout at Backlash. That will likely lead to them getting distracted and costing each other victory.

Lynch, the Superstar in this field with the most momentum, makes the most sense as the first titleholder out of the gate.

She's been a compelling babyface over the past year and looks ready to rule the division. Expect her to survive an elimination match that has show-stealing potential.

Monster vs. Predator

Wyatt has needled Orton recently, trying to psych him out with his usual unsettling rhetoric. It hasn't worked on The Viper. 

This has instead become a story of two predators meeting in the wild. Rather than championships, they are fighting over a high spot on the food chain.

Their first meeting promises to be intriguing thanks to that dynamic. 

Wyatt needs the win far more than his veteran opponent. Orton is guaranteed a spot in the Hall of Fame. The Eater of Worlds, meanwhile, is lacking signature wins on his resume.

Bet on him getting one here in addition to later in the feud as well.

Intercontinental Championship 

It's not yet time to dethrone The Miz. 

He has created substantial buzz with his promo work of late, most notably his much-talked about confrontation with Bryan. Count on WWE trying to harness that, keeping the heel as champion for the near future.

This installment of the rivalry between him and Ziggler has just begun. It would be odd to have a title change with the feud having such little juice.

A short build and the fact fans have seen these two Ohio natives collide so many times in the past will make this one of the least fulfilling matches on the card. Unfortunately, just like at SummerSlam, the IC title bout will be a disappointment.

World Championship Decided

Styles won't let you forget he beat Cena soundly at SummerSlam. In his mind, that makes him The Face Who Runs the Place, a nickname he has snatched from Cena.

Ambrose stands in his way, the last obstacle to his championship dreams. After trading low blows in recent weeks, champion and challenger are poised to fight for SmackDown's top prize.

This promises to be Backlash's best match.

Styles will look to continue his tremendous year. But The Phenomenal One won't walk away with the gold just yet.

The PPV is already guaranteed to crown new champions. Look for WWE to save Styles' moment for a show down the road. For now, he will have to settle for pushing The Lunatic Fringe to his limits and continuing his campaign as WWE's MVP for 2016.