WWE Rumors: Buzz on Road to WWE Backlash 2017 for Week of May 8

SmackDown's first pay-per-view since the Superstar Shake-up is starting to shape up. The most anticipated match, as of now, has to be Dolph Ziggler vs. Shinsuke Nakamura. The two of them finally came to blows on SmackDown after weeks of slow-simmering buildup.

And then there's AJ Styles vs. Kevin Owens. Both men shone in their respective WrestleMania matches, and the two of them should be able to bring out the best in one another.

Even the WWE Championship match is starting to shape up. On SmackDown, Jinder Mahal pinned Randy Orton to clinch the biggest win of his career. WWE Creative is taking a chance by pushing Mahal into a spotlight, and although it's extremely unlikely that he will the title at Backlash, he's done his best to rise to the occasion.

Here are the latest rumors and buzz heading into Backlash on May 21.

Nakamura's Next Opponent

Shinsuke Nakamura's first main roster opponent is Dolph Ziggler, which seems like a tailor-made matchup for the King of Strong Style. Ziggler is one of the best sellers in WWE, and it's going to be a lot of fun to see him against the Kinshasa. A dominant Nakamura win will help Nakamura establish notoriety with casual fans, many of whom are watching him for the first time.

Jeremy Thomas of 411Mania reports that Nakamura and Kevin Owens will be fighting each other at the June 26 house show in Bakersfield, California. In the past, wrestlers have used house shows as tune-up sessions before debuting a big angle.

A Nakamura vs. Owens angle, especially for the United States title, would sell a lot of tickets. And it's encouraging that SmackDown is pushing Nakamura properly by having him vie for a midcard title rather than rocketing him to the top of the card.

"Big Match" John's Early Return

Notwithstanding Miz's funny impressions, fans haven't seen John Cena on WWE television since WrestleMania. He's off on another lengthy hiatus; according to Dave Meltzer of Wrestling Observer Radio (h/t Nick Paglino of Wrestle Zone), Cena will be filming scenes for upcoming film The Pact. He may not be back until June.

However, Randall Ortman of Cageside Seats is reporting that Cena may be back sooner than that and work a few SmackDown dates before returning full time in June. The reasoning? To help SmackDown's declining ratings, which are in the midst of a post-Mania dip.

If true, the logic is questionable. Cena guarantees a bump in ratings. But if the company is serious about building its newer stars, bringing back Cena would be a poor way to show it. The long-term solution to poor ratings is to script better angles and cultivate interesting characters. Stunt cameos are not.

Where's the Bulgarian Brute's Bride?

Rusev has confirmed that he will be at SmackDown next week. And in his latest promo videos, Rusev seems to be working a new gimmick. His accent is toned down. His hair is short. His beard is long. And most crucially, his longtime manager may not be by his side.

Mike Johnson of PWInsider is reporting that when Rusev arrives on SmackDown, Lana will not be accompanying him.

This could be an attempt to break Rusev away from his pro-Russia gimmick, an attempt to further establish as a singles star or both. But it's a good idea. As Rusev has demonstrated on Total Divas and UpUpDownDown, he has some natural charisma and charm. An eventual Rusev babyface run would be a great way to freshen things up for him.

Demon vs. Beast

Now that Braun Strowman is surgery-bound and will probably be on the shelf for at least the next four weeks (maybe eight), Brock Lesnar needs a new opponent for Great Balls of Fire on July 9. And one of the possible opponents, according to Randall Ortman of Cageside Seats, is Finn Balor.

Is this a good match? It depends how creative books it. On paper, it seems like Finn would stand zero chance. The size contrast is just too great. But if they tell a good story— maybe Finn can work a limb rather than taking him down outright—the two of them could make it work.

Roman's New Feud

Randall Ortman of Cageside Seats is reporting that Roman Reigns will soon be feuding with Bray Wyatt, at least in the short term. This makes sense; if Balor is fighting Lesnar, that means that Wyatt, who was formerly feuding with Balor, is left without a long-term opponent. Meanwhile, Reigns no longer has an opponent, because he was fighting Strowman prior to the elbow injury.

Will this pairing work out? The Wyatt Family and The Shield had a great feud in 2014, but that was a long time ago. And time has not done Wyatt well; he trash-talks a whole lot, but he can never back up his words.

Wyatt needs a feud he can win—and win decisively. An angle with the Big Dog would not afford him that chance.