WWE Backlash 2016: Feuds That Will Continue Through No Mercy

WWE Backlash 2016 was a good show for the blue brand. Even with a light six-match card, the show featured good pacing and enough match time for each feud to tell a story. 

From the beginning of the night, when Apollo Crews and Baron Corbin battled like a title was on the line in a meaningless pre-show match, to AJ Styles being crowned the new WWE world champion, there was little fat in the matches themselves. All of the Superstars who competed on Sunday should be commended for their performances.  

What Backlash did better than most pay-per-views was set the stage for No Mercy, the upcoming SmackDown-only event. While every WWE show sets the stage for the next, Backlash gave fans a reason to care about seeing the inevitable rematches. 

As B/R's Ryan Dilbert wrote in his No Mercy preview, Backlash "laid the foundation for what's ahead for Randy Orton, Nikki Bella, Dean Ambrose and others at the upcoming SmackDown-exclusive event on Oct. 9. Each of those wrestlers emerged from Backlash hungry for revenge. The return of No Mercy will allow them to satiate themselves."

Here's a look at the Backlash feuds that will continue through No Mercy.

AJ Styles vs. Dean Ambrose

If the fact that Styles and Ambrose tore the house down didn't necessitate putting them in the ring together again, the opportunistic ending to Backlash's main event did the trick.

Utilizing a low blow, Styles captured the WWE World Championship, thus capping a stellar Year 1 for The Phenomenal One in WWE. There isn't a Superstar in WWE today who's performing at a higher level than Styles. The man simply hasn't had a poor match since his debut at WWE Royal Rumble. 

The narrative moving forward, as SmackDown commentator Mauro Ranallo noted as Sunday's pay-per-view ended, will be whether Styles has tarnished his legacy in order to capture WWE gold. It's an interesting build considering Styles is playing the role of heel. 

If Ambrose or John Cena had used the low blow to win, this angle would make more sense. Using it with Styles doesn't seem to fit. 

In the grand scheme of things, it doesn't matter. Styles and Ambrose are locked on a collision course for No Mercy, an inevitable rematch that is likely to have fans giddy with excitement. 

Carmella vs. Nikki Bella

While Becky Lynch walked out of Backlash as the new SmackDown women's champion, there's only one surefire women's match that will make the card at No Mercy—Carmella vs. Nikki Bella. 

Among SmackDown's women, these two have been given the most to work with from the blue brand's creative team. The other four, including Lynch, seem stuck in a rut. Meanwhile, The Princess of Staten Island and the recently returned Bella have dived headfirst into their feud, which has created palpable tension and animosity. 

The storytelling has been the best thing on SmackDown in recent weeks, and it showed both during and after Backlash, as the feud spilled onto social media in the moments after. 

It will be interesting to see whether Carmella can gain any traction with her heel turn. When she debuted on SmackDown, she was met with silence. Even at Backlash, there was a muted reaction to her entrance. Her performance in the ring was good, but she's going to have to turn up the intensity to elicit more than a tepid response. 

The Miz vs. Dolph Ziggler

Much like Ambrose vs. Styles, both the finish and the performance necessitate a rematch. 

An 18-plus-minute masterpiece between The Miz and Dolph Ziggler ended with a spritz of "an unidentified substance," as noted by WWE.com, allowing The Miz to land a Skull-Crushing Finale to retain the WWE Intercontinental Championship. 

It will be tough for these two to top their battle at Backlash. If Styles wasn't doing Styles-like things, everyone would be talking about this match following the pay-per-view. Both men put everything on the line and delivered what might be their best performances in a long time. 

After a subpar SummerSlam match with Dean Ambrose, Ziggler found a ring mate with whom he could tango and tell a compelling story. Ziggler's at his best when playing the underdog, something he couldn't do with Ambrose, as both men play the same role. With The Miz, Ziggler was able to be a more natural performer, which highlights his strengths. 

And what more can anyone say about the recent run The Miz has been on? Cementing himself as the best true heel in the business, The Miz has consistently delivered good to great matches during his recent run with the IC title. 

The biggest question heading into No Mercy will be SmackDown General Manager Daniel Bryan's ongoing involvement. There's no chance Bryan returns to the ring, but does he insert himself in another way, maybe helping Ziggler win the title or making The Miz's title run a nightmare, pitting him against bigger and better foes to test the current champ?

It will be an interesting story to follow, and The Miz seems up for the challenge. Whatever that may be.