WWE Backlash 2018 Matches: Best Finish for Each Match on the Card
Although WWE held the Greatest Royal Rumble on April 27, Backlash 2018 will feature the full fallout from WrestleMania 34. The event will emanate from the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey, on Sunday.
Because of the 2018 Superstar Shake-up, a few of the matches on the card will be interpromotional contests, while others will have major championship implications. Either way, it should be a newsworthy night, officially wrapping up the WrestleMania postseason and bringing us fresh feuds.
To ensure the event goes off without a hitch, however, these are the best possible finishes that must be booked for the matches on the card.
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Carmella vs. Charlotte Flair: SmackDown Women's Championship Match
For someone who had flown under the radar for so long in SmackDown Live's loaded women's division, Carmella has been a revelation as SmackDown women's champion. She has knocked every promo out of the park and has done an excellent job of eliciting heat from crowds.
With that in mind, it would be a waste to take the title off of her this early. While Charlotte Flair is one of the best the blue brand has to offer, there should be no rush to get the belt back on her following her recent five month-long title reign.
This rivalry should span a few more pay-per-views with Charlotte in chase mode. Carmella won't—and shouldn't—win clean, but having her escape with her title reign intact via nefarious means would make the most sense.
Braun Strowman and Bobby Lashley vs. Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn
Despite being two of the most popular babyfaces on Raw, Braun Strowman and Bobby Lashley have been directionless since WrestleMania 34. Lashley's return to the company on April 9 received great fanfare, but he has done nothing but compete in meaningless tag team matches in the time he has been back.
The same can be said for Strowman, who is too over with the audience to be as marginalized as he is. He desperately needs something to sink his teeth into coming out of this event, and a feud with Lashley could be just that.
Of the two, Lashley would be the smarter choice to turn heel at Backlash considering how well he did in the role during his tenure in Impact Wrestling. This would also allow Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn to walk away with a win for a change, which they could use.
Jeff Hardy vs. Randy Orton: United States Championship Match
Randy Orton was originally was supposed to contend for the United States Championship against Jinder Mahal at Backlash 2018. Thankfully, Mahal dropped the strap to Jeff Hardy, changing those plans. As such, fans will be treated to a renewal of an old rivalry at Sunday's event.
However, this feud has no juice. They don't have any established issues with each other, and Orton has been painfully boring as a babyface for many months.
It would be wise of WWE to stretch this storyline out over the summer and turn Orton heel to add more fuel to the fire. For now, though, Hardy should hold on to the gold, starting with a successful title defense at Backlash.
Nia Jax vs. Alexa Bliss: Raw Women's Championship Match
It took time for Nia Jax to find her footing as a character, but her babyface turn earlier this year has proved to be the best thing for her. After all, it led to her winning the Raw Women's Championship at WrestleMania 34 and becoming the new face of Team Red's women's division by default.
Jax should maintain that spot at the helm of the division for the foreseeable future because, if nothing else, she is a breath of fresh air on top. Alexa Bliss has feuded with almost everyone of note on the Raw roster in the past year and should take a backseat in the title picture for at least a few months.
Their championship clash at WrestleMania was fairly competitive, but to conclude this program in decisive fashion, their rematch should be much more lopsided in Jax's favor. Having Jax essentially squash Bliss would ensure the self-proclaimed Goddess of WWE has no excuse for falling short Sunday.
Daniel Bryan vs. Big Cass
Big Cass was not leading the list of potential dream matches for Daniel Bryan when he was cleared to compete again in March, but this has turned out to be an interesting feud. It goes without saying that Bryan is superior to Cass in almost every way, but to his credit, Cass has shown he can hang with the multi-time world champion.
A victory versus Bryan could cement Cass as a star on the rise, whereas the opposite would accomplish nothing. While it would be an odd move to have Bryan lose so soon into his comeback, having Cass find a way to win would be a better way to keep the rivalry alive.
Bryan giving Cass his comeuppance should mean something, so Cass needs to have his hand raised in their first outing. He wouldn't necessarily need to win by pinfall but rather by referee stoppage, giving him major credibility in the process.
Seth Rollins vs. The Miz: Intercontinental Championship Match
Of the matches slated for Backlash, Seth Rollins vs. The Miz is the most predictable. There was a chance of someone from SmackDown taking the title at Greatest Royal Rumble (assuming Mahal regained the United States Championship), but Rollins maintained his grasp on the gold.
Miz has held that title more than anyone except for Chris Jericho, but it's time he moved on to SmackDown's main event scene, where he belongs. Meanwhile, Rollins has been a fantastic fighting champion and should continue to light up the midcard division on Raw.
Through his exceptional abilities on the mic, Miz can easily bounce back from a clean loss to Rollins. Thus, The Architect should have no trouble connecting with The Stomp on Sunday and pinning Miz for the three-count.
Roman Reigns vs. Samoa Joe
The 2018 Superstar Shake-up hurt the Roman Reigns vs. Samoa Joe program more than any other because it put the rivals on separate shows. There wasn't anything at stake in this story, so why should fans bother caring about the outcome?
Reigns unseating Brock Lesnar as Universal champion is inevitable, yet for some strange reason, officials apparently believe that having Reigns suffer defeat after defeat will endear him to the audience. That likely will not happen, but another high-profile loss at Backlash wouldn't hurt him.
It's possible Reigns won't get his hands on Lesnar again until at least SummerSlam. That said, Joe could have a shot at the WWE Championship lined up for him as soon as Tuesday's SmackDown if he can beat The Big Dog. Therefore, he should.
AJ Styles vs. Shinsuke Nakamura: No Disqualification WWE Championship Match
Shuinsuke Nakamura has come close to clinching the WWE Championship on countless occasions, but Backlash seems to be the proper place to pull the trigger on the title change. He has exceeded all expectations as a heel, so for WWE to squander that momentum by having him lose to AJ Styles would be a massive mistake.
As strong of a WWE title reign as Styles has had, Nakamura may never get this type of chance at superstardom again. A loss would damage his stock significantly within the company, but if WWE were willing to do the right thing, it would crown him the new champion Sunday.
With it being a No Disqualification match, expect shenanigans from both men, as well as interference from Rusev Day or even Luke Gallows and Karl Anderson. When the smoke clears, Nakamura must fulfill his destiny by capturing WWE's most prestigious prize to end the evening on a high note.
Graham Mirmina, aka Graham "GSM" Matthews, is an Endicott College alumnus and aspiring journalist. Visit his website, Next Era Wrestling, and "like" his official Facebook page to continue the conversation on all things wrestling.
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