Dream and Nightmare Scenarios for Top WWE Backlash 2020 Matches

Every major show in WWE is important to the future of the business. It is vital for talent to step up while the booking gives them a chance to truly shine. WWE Backlash 2020 has some of the best examples of matches in recent memory where the best and worst scenarios are so divergent.

With the tagline of The Greatest Wrestling Match Ever, WWE has promoted itself into a corner. Can Edge and Randy Orton truly live up to the hype? It is possible, but the nightmare scenario of failing completely is quite apparent.

Both Drew McIntyre and Braun Strowman, the first-time world champions of Monday Night Raw and Friday Night SmackDown, respectively, have so much to prove in their title defenses. Can they rise to the occasion or will they fall short?

Asuka is also a new champion, holding the Raw Women's Championship. Her first challenger, Nia Jax, is dangerous in ways a top contender should not be, and it will be up to The Empress of Tomorrow to walk out in one piece.

These big matches have potential to change the landscape of WWE based on the result. In the perfect dream scenario, they all succeed, and WWE Backlash 2020 is remembered forever. In the nightmare scenario, many wrestlers never look the same after the event.

Raw Women's Champion Asuka vs. Nia Jax

Dream: Asuka gives Nia Jax the best match of her career.

The Empress of Tomorrow is arguably the best wrestler in WWE. It is less arguable to say she is the best women's wrestler. She has been on an incredible tear even at times where she was left in the background for months on end.

Her Raw Women's Championship reign will be successful based on what she can pull out of her competition. Jax is a major challenge. The heavyweight of the women's division can certainly have great matches, but her recent sloppy attitude in the ring has done more harm than good for her appearance.

If Asuka does bring out the best in Jax, this contest could steal the show. It should be fun to watch how The Empress attempts to take down the larger woman.

Nightmare: Jax injures Asuka, ruining her title reign quickly.

Kairi Sane was injured in back-to-back matches with Jax. Asuka knows that she is walking into a dangerous fight herself. While wrestling should feel dangerous, it should never be actively harmful. Jax has struggled to make her opponents feel safe.

If The Empress loses this match and her title because of injury, it would be the ultimate nightmare. Asuka should run with the title a while. She deserves it. Meanwhile, if Jax gets anywhere close to injuring The Empress, she needs to be taken off TV for a while.

WWE Universal Champion Braun Strowman vs. The Miz and John Morrison

Dream: Strowman gets some help to even the odds and defeats Miz and John Morrison in a competitive fight.

The problem with handicap matches is that they never serve the team with the advantage. Miz and Morrison were SmackDown tag team champions just a month ago. Now, they look poised to run into a boring fight where they are embarrassed by the end.

The WWE Universal Championship should certainly not change hands in a handicap match, but it would be terrible for two major heels to leave their biggest match in years without some recognition.

The best way to get this done is to have someone help The Monster Among Men. It could even be Bray Wyatt. As long as someone is evening the odds and the match turns into a solid title clash, everyone could benefit.

Nightmare: This match devolves into a 10-minute beatdown followed by a one-minute squash comeback.

The most likely scenario for this handicap match is the nightmare. This will likely run too long without any memorable moments. The A-Lister and The Shaman of Sexy will beat down the WWE universal champion, who will finally come back in a quick flurry to win.

This is so predictable that it would serve no purpose to put this match on television, let alone Backlash. If Strowman is just coming in to squash a top tag team, which is often his role, this will be the bathroom break of the night.

WWE Champion Drew McIntyre vs. Bobby Lashley

Dream: Bobby Lashley shows he has found his stride as a performer while Drew McIntyre still overcomes him.

MVP has revitalized The All Mighty's career. The before-and-after for Lashley has been night and day. The talented heavyweight is moving with passion. He is aggressive and motivated. It feels like he is poised for a true breakout.

If he can show he is worthy of his recent push, it would be huge for his future, as well as MVP. This can be the match that solidifies The All Mighty as a main event talent again. However, Lashley cannot win for the sake of the red brand.

McIntyre is still just getting started as champion. He has been a great WWE champion. He just needs more time to solidify himself as a household name. Lashley could certainly be world champion in 2020. This is not the right time.

Nightmare: Lana helps Lashley become WWE champion in embarrassing fashion.

The Ravishing Russian walked into The All Mighty's story at the worst time. Lashley came back from hiatus with no momentum from the outset. The big man looked silly and ridiculous trying to act dangerous while working off Lana.

WWE seems to be transitioning away from this story, but Lana is still involved in some ways. Nothing would ruin a great match between McIntyre and Lashley more than awkward interference. If she comes in to kiss McIntyre and hit him with a low blow, it will take away the mystique of this brawl.

Hopefully, Lashley and MVP can move on together while Lana finds a new client separate from all of this.

Edge vs. Randy Orton

Dream: Edge and Randy Orton put on one of the best efforts of their career.

No, Edge vs. Orton will not be The Greatest Wrestling Match Ever. They had a top notch if overlong battle together at WWE Vengeance 2004, but that was 16 years ago. Since that time, The Viper has repeatedly shown a lack of motivation, and The Rated-R Superstar retired.

It is certainly possible, especially with WWE editing the contest down for the pay-per-view, that it can be a very good match. Orton has the capacity to compete at the highest level with motivation. Edge still has a capacity to steal the show. He just needs to be careful.

Everything around this match is focused on selling its quality. If it succeeds (even while missing the label), The Rated-R Superstar will leave truly re-established.

Nightmare: This match devolves into callbacks and potential interference that ruins any chance of success.

Ric Flair, Shawn Michaels and Kurt Angle have all talked up this contest. WWE has promoted the history between Edge and Orton heavily. Everything points to a nostalgia trip. This is not a bad thing on the surface, but it does not take much for nostalgia to turn to boredom.

Much like a contest that was also heavily promoted between two legends not too long ago, the WrestleMania 31 clash of Sting and Triple H, all it would take is a few men and women interfering to ruin it. An indulgent run down from Christian or Lita or HHH himself would just break all sense of seriousness.

The best thing these two can do is keep this between them. Even a rundown from Beth Phoenix would be too much. Just let the men wrestle.