WWE Backlash 2020: Braun Strowman's Best Opponents After Universal Title Defense

For the most part, WWE Backlash offered little in the way of closure, but the universal title picture might have been an exception.

Asuka and Nia Jax wrestled to a double count-out in their Raw women's championship match, while Bobby Lashley probably isn't done with WWE titleholder Drew McIntyre. Edge is headed for a lengthy absence after suffering a torn triceps, but his rivalry with Randy Orton will likely resume when he's healthy again.

Braun Strowman, on the other hand, earned a definitive victory over The Miz and John Morrison. With Extreme Rules a little over a month away on July 19, The Monster Among Men might have a new opponent when he puts the Universal Championship on the line again.

Matt Riddle

What better way to introduce Matt Riddle to the SmackDown viewers than have him wrestle his way into the No. 1 contender slot?

WWE has spent the last few weeks hyping up The Original Bro's arrival on the blue brand.

While he never held a singles title in NXT, he was one of those wrestlers who didn't necessarily need to wear gold in order to look like a star in the making. From the moment he arrived in 2018, it was clear he had all of the tools necessary to thrive in WWE.

The obvious problem with pitting Riddle against Strowman right out of the gate is that the creative team could paint itself into a corner. Either the newcomer takes the Universal Championship—placing The Monster Among Men in a precarious position—or he loses his first big match as a member of SmackDown.

Having said that, Riddle would at least represent something fresh on a show with a dearth of wrestlers, several of whom have never been in the world title scene.

Sheamus

Based on how the storyline was unfolding, Backlash was lining up to be a redemptive moment for Jeff Hardy. His feud with Sheamus referenced his real-life issues away from ring, which trod the line of good taste.

Despite Hardy being the sympathetic babyface, he ate a pair of Brogue Kicks from The Celtic Warrior in a losing effort on Sunday.

Rather than elevating The Charismatic Enigma, Backlash may have been lined up to burnish Sheamus' bad-guy credentials while priming him for a run at Strowman. The Irishman is one of the few members of the active roster who can be credibly portrayed as a legitimate title challenger at a moment's notice.

A Strowman/Sheamus encounter would suit the champion as well because he's often at his best when he goes up against somebody who's similarly sized and can match his physicality.

WWE could leave a little something on the table between these two to set up another high-profile bout at SummerSlam on August 23.

Bray Wyatt

Perhaps it's a coincidence WWE teased the return of Bray Wyatt the night after Backlash.

While his bout against Strowman at Money in the Bank was largely forgettable, a rematch feels inevitable because Wyatt still has "The Fiend" to utilize in his arsenal. WWE can't close the book on this dynamic without having The Fiend get involved in a big match.

Wyatt hasn't stepped inside the ring since Money in the Bank, and that was his only traditional wrestling match since dropping the Universal Championship to Goldberg at Super ShowDown in February.

WWE has largely abandoned the idea that title shots are something you actually work toward and earn, so nobody would think twice if Wyatt gets another crack at Strowman with little to no explanation.

King Corbin

The absence of main event heels is another problem for Smackdown. Running it back with The Miz at Extreme Rules doesn't make much sense, and AJ Styles is the intercontinental titleholder after beating Daniel Bryan on Friday's SmackDown.

Say what you want about King Corbin. There's no question some of the reaction he generates is of the unproductive kind, yet he's an effective old-school heel at a time when generating a uniformly negative reaction toward a wrestler isn't easy.

It was the same thing with Jinder Mahal's WWE Championship reign. Nobody liked him during that run in 2017, and that was kinda the point.

This isn't to say Corbin should wrest the Universal Championship away from Strowman; he'd merely be a serviceable foil for a few weeks before The Monster Among Men starts his SummerSlam build.