WWE Backlash 2017: Predictions for Kevin Owens and Each Champion at PPV Event

Less than a week out, WWE Backlash 2017 is more a building block than heightened pay-per-view event for the SmackDown brand. 

WWE is laying the groundwork here for future shows and more interesting feuds. A quick glance at the card shows only one "headline" match that casual fans will sink their teeth into: the United States Championship match between Kevin Owens and AJ Styles. The rest of the matchups at Backlash are great character-building exercises, but nothing more. 

Owens-Styles is the main course for Backlash, whether they're fighting for the U.S. title, the world championship or a participation trophy. Two of the best in the business going head-to-head is always tantalizing. It's also a refreshing matchup, considering the two haven't gone head-to-head since May 2016, according to ProFightDB.com.

That's a common theme with Backlash, which does make the pay-per-view feel fresh. Aside from the women's tag team match, the Backlash card features intriguing matchups that haven't worn out their welcome. 

Developing characters such as Jinder Mahal, Breezango and even the trio of women who make up The Welcoming Committee—Natalya, Carmella and Tamina—will only help SmackDown moving forward, even in defeat. Building Superstars who are believable contenders and/or threats to the top-level talents in each division is key, and SmackDown's Creative team should be commended for attempting to move these characters forward, even if the results have been mixed. 

With four SmackDown champion in action Sunday in Chicago, and three titles on the line, let's look at what fate awaits each of these champs, starting with The New Face of America, Kevin Owens.  

Kevin Owens (vs. AJ Styles for the United States Championship)

Credit: WWE.com

Since coming over to the blue brand, Kevin Owens and his United States Championship have been the focal point of SmackDown. 

Want proof? The No. 1 contender's match for Owens' title featured three of SmackDown's biggest names: AJ Styles, Baron Corbin and the newly acquired Sami Zayn. The Six-Pack Challenge to find WWE world champion Randy Orton's next challenger was a who's who of SmackDown's midcard. 

Clearly WWE is putting its emphasis on the U.S. Championship at the forefront of SmackDown, likely resulting in a feud that will last all summer. As B/R's Graham GSM Matthews recently wrote:

"

Every year, there is at least one rivalry in June and July that takes WWE by storm, with John Cena vs. CM Punk from 2011 and Dean Ambrose vs. Seth Rollins from 2014 being prime examples. Styles vs. Owens has the potential to be every bit as exciting as those feuds as well, but it must be allowed to play out over the course of a few months.

"

There are multiple reasons Owens vs. Styles can work for an extended time. Both men are staking claim as the top draw not only on SmackDown but company-wide. That distinction seems to be the main driver of this feud, with Owens' title taking a back seat. 

Of course, having a championship on the line helps fuel that fire, and with Orton being promoted to the top guy on the blue brand only at WrestleMania 33, it seems too soon to remove that title from him. The United States Championship, however, can go back and forth between Owens and Styles throughout the summer, building a rivalry until someone eventually stakes a final claim. 

As for the immediate future at Backlash, it seems too soon to take the title off Owens, who just reclaimed it from former best friend Chris Jericho. It also wouldn't come as a surprise if Owens got the upper hand in this battle through some nefarious means, helping to extend the storyline and set up a rematch either on television or at the next pay-per-view, which is slated to be Money in the Bank in June. 

If WWE was smart, it would have both Owens and Styles in the Money in the Bank ladder match at the June event to build on their feud. Neither would win, of course, and we could see some finality the following month at the Battleground event. 

Prediction: Kevin Owens retains the United States Championship.

Randy Orton (vs. Jinder Mahal for the WWE World Championship)

Credit: WWE.com

Let's just get this out of the way: Randy Orton has been booked as a weak champion since his victory over Bray Wyatt at WrestleMania 33. 

While his win-loss record since WrestleMania 33 is a tidy 4-2, those losses have done more to harm his title reign than his wins have done to build up the champion. He was ambushed by his Backlash challenger, Jinder Mahal, at Payback, costing him the victory over Bray Wyatt in their House of Horrors match. 

Again, on SmackDown's May 9 episode, Orton ate the pin in a six-man tag match following a Cobra Clutch Slam from Mahal. The end scene—Mahal standing over a defeated Orton—is more damaging than the few victories The Viper has logged during his title reign. 

All of this adds up to a vulnerable champion pitted against a white-hot contender in Mahal, who has morphed into a very credible challenger over the past few weeks. WWE and Mahal deserve credit for turning an also-ran program into a legitimate feud, a development no one could have seen coming when Mahal was crowned No. 1 contender last month.  

It's not out of the realm of possibility that WWE rolls with a short Jinder Mahal championship run, seeing how good The Maharaja has been over the last few weeks. It wouldn't be a long reign; Money in the Bank is in June, and it is being held in Orton's hometown of St. Louis. 

Prediction: Jinder Mahal wins the WWE World Championship.

The Usos (vs. Breezango for the SmackDown Tag Team Championship)

Credit: WWE.com

Much like the world title picture on SmackDown, WWE has taken the road less traveled in its tag team division, giving perennial comedy act Breezango the chance at headlining the division. 

Unlike the successful transformation WWE has pulled off with Jinder Mahal, it has missed the mark with its tag team feud. 

Neither tag team involved in Sunday's championship match has been highlighted in the ring, with only Breezango even competing over the last month. While fans have been treated to some fun vignettes from the fashionable duo, they've only faced off against also-rans The Ascension. The Usos, on the other hand, have not been featured in the ring on WWE television since defeating American Alpha on April 11. 

As mentioned earlier, WWE should be applauded for spotlighting the character work of guys like Tyler Breeze and Fandango. Unfortunately, there's little to no reason to believe they are capable of capturing the tag team titles. 

The Usos, meanwhile, were showcased as ruthless aggressors early in their championship reign, a welcome development in their continued heel turn. Unfortunately the duo has been MIA from matches for more than a month, considerably slowing any momentum they were building. 

Whereas the Randy Orton-Mahal feud feels fresh and unpredictable, the tag team match feels like filler, as if WWE Creative believes it needs to be part of Backlash if for no reason other than there are titles involved. 

It's a shame, too, as the Usos have shown real progress since shedding their good-guy personas. When (and if) WWE gives the Usos a real challenge (The New Day, anyone?), then the tag team division might get a notable feud that fans can sink their teeth into. 

Prediction: The Usos retain their Tag Team Championships.

Naomi (Six-Woman Tag Team Match; No Title Defense)

Credit: WWE.com

Finally, we get to the one champion who's not defending a title at Backlash. 

Naomi was a feel-good story after recapturing the SmackDown Women's Championship at WrestleMania 33, and make no mistake: She's a deserving champion and a Superstar who epitomizes the new era of women's wrestling in WWE. 

Unfortunately, she's also on a roster with Becky Lynch and Charlotte Flair, two women WWE is high on and will likely want to hold the championship in the very, very near future. 

It feels the decision to place these three women together in a six-woman tag match at Backlash is more to extend Naomi's title reign than to advance a storyline. It would seem callous to take the title from Naomi so close to her victory at WrestleMania 33 and place it on the SmackDown newcomer Charlotte. 

A tag match featuring the top three women on the SmackDown brand against the show's midcard talent is a good way to set a hierarchy, as well as keep Naomi relevant. Eventually WWE will move the title to Charlotte, a development that could come immediately after Backlash, seeing as Charlotte's title shot against Naomi was interrupted by The Welcoming Committee. 

The delay also leaves open the possibility for WWE to announce the first-ever women's Money in the Bank ladder match for next month's pay-per-view, giving every woman on the roster an equal claim to the belt. It would be an interesting twist and could give a non-headliner (Carmella? Lana?) a chance to insert themselves into the title scene immediately. 

Prediction: Naomi, Charlotte Flair and Becky Lynch are victorious at Backlash.