Randy Orton vs. Edge for WWE Backlash 2020 is dubbed to be “The Greatest Wrestling Match … Ever,” but what if it inevitably and literally falls short?
WWE Backlash 2020, coming to a WWE Network near you on Jun. 14, is set to be the 15th semi-annual Backlash ever. In 15 years time, on and off, the show has given us some of the most shocking moments in WWE history.
Among them being Stone Cold Steve Austin marching down the ramp in 1999 returning from an injury that put him on the shelf for months, John Cena getting chokeslammed by Big Show atop a spotlight in 2009, Jinder Mahal becoming SmackDown’s Maharaja and reigning WWE Champion in 2018 … the list goes on.
But could the most shocking moment in Backlash’s entire 15 year history happen in this year’s main event? When we’re expecting “The Greatest Wrestling Match … Ever,” could we instead get the shortest PPV wrestling main event match … ever?
We’ll talk more in depth on how and why that may be a possibility, but first, we must run down the other matches currently confirmed for Backlash two Sundays from now.
More matches are expected to be added to the card with exactly two weeks to go until the PPV goes live, but looking at the card as it stands right now, let’s make some predictions.
Asuka (c) vs. Nia Jax – Raw Women’s Championship
In Becky Lynch’s absence, Asuka has stepped up as both Raw Women’s Champion and the new flag bearer of Monday Night Raw’s women’s division. After defeating both NXT Women’s Champion Charlotte Flair and Natalya in the same night, Nia Jax secured herself a number one contendership.
However, even before Jax became the number one contender, a beef between herself and The Empress was already stirring in the past few weeks, most notably culminating recently with Jax attacking and injuring Asuka’s fellow Kabuki Warrior, Kairi Sane, in a backstage attack.
So Asuka is not only itching to defend her newfound title in her first ever title defense, but she’ll be looking to knock Jax’s head off of her shoulders. As such, this is expect to be an extremely physical contest and if it’s anything like their match years prior from NXT TakeOver: The End, then we’ll be seeing another classic example of David vs. Goliath.
As with most modern examples of the lore, David wins. David is Asuka, if it wasn’t obvious. Or you just don’t know your Bible knowledge.
Prediction: Asuka wins
Drew McIntyre (c) vs. Bobby Lashley – WWE Championship
This one is a tricky one to call. On one hand, it feels way too soon for anyone to beat McIntyre for his title, but it’s also way too soon for anyone to beat Lashley period.
It’s been a successful rebrand for The Dominator, but it’s still a relatively new one; he only just aligned with MVP and started winning matches following his Mania loss to Aleister Black. In fact, sans his squash win over R-Truth at the last PPV, this is Lashley’s first competitive PPV match since he beat Rusev at TLC … in December.
To echo Paul Heyman’s words seconds before the main event of WrestleMania X-7, this is a case where both men need to win and neither can afford to lose. So let’s have no one win, for now at least. End the hard fought bout with a spot like, say, McIntyre getting speared through the crowd plexiglass.
Either both get counted out and unable to continued, or go a step further and have Lashley win by countout to justify his “win” over the World Champion meaning he should get a rematch. Then, have said rematch at the next PPV, Extreme Rules, with a No DQ stipulation.
Prediction: No Contest
Braun Strowman (c) vs. The Miz and John Morrison – Universal Championship
Somehow, after losing their SmackDown Tag Team Championship just a few weeks ago and failing to win them back at the last PPV, Money in the Bank, The Miz and John Morrison have managed to weasel their way into a Handicap title match against the Universal Champion, Braun Strowman, who’s fresh off the heels of laying out Bray Wyatt in his first title match at the same PPV.
Even stranger, the match came about after Morrison made the challenge once Strowman defeated Miz one on one. All things considered, we should be prepping the stretchers for Miz and Morrison after Strowman gets his hand raised, but not so fast.
On the surface, this should be light work for The Monster Among Men and it may very well still be exactly that, but don’t be so quick to assume an easy title defense. Let’s not forget that the last time that Braun Strowman defended his title in a Handicap Match, he lost the Intercontinental Championship to Sami Zayn.
That was only in March. Just under three months later, does this mean we’ll be seeing Miz or Morrison as the new Universal Champion? Or perhaps co-champs?
No, of course not. The mat’s going to be lathered in Miz and Morrison’s hair grease stains when Strowman gets done with them. Don’t bother timing this because it’ll be over as fast as it stars.
Prediction: Strowman wins
Edge vs. Randy Orton
In a rematch to their more violent Last Man Standing match a couple of months back at WrestleMania, Edge and Randy Orton are set to do battle in an actual wrestling match this time, but not just any wrestling match. This is being billed as The Greatest Wrestling Match … Ever. By the way, why is everyone pausing before they say … ever?
Anyway, to call a match the Greatest Wrestling Match … Ever before it even airs has been the source of ridicule ever since Charly Caruso was the first to utter the phrase on Raw. But surely, WWE must be self aware enough to realize just how ridiculous this brand of marketing comes off, right?
Then again, “self aware” isn’t a phrase we can always place on WWE’s shoulders – hence their latest SmackDown opening – but even this is bordering far into self-parody, even for them. Maybe that’s the point.
Maybe they’re itching to give us a surprise. While “Greatest Wrestling Match … Ever” implies a lengthy, physical masterclass of a bout, maybe this is all setting up just for “The Greatest Wrestling Match … Ever” to end in five seconds after Orton nails Edge with an RKO immediately.
Fans are already saying that a match with that billing can never live up to expectations, so rather than try to live up to the expectations, WWE could subvert them. Think Goldberg vs. Brock Lesnar ending in two minutes at Survivor Series.
Prediction: Orton wins