Could WWE Backlash 2020 see Asuka get some unlikely help from a future challenger in Charlotte Flair? Why? This is just one of many prediction’s for this Sunday’s card.
This Sunday, Jun. 14, the time has finally come for WWE to give us The Greatest Main Event … Ever on the Greatest Show … Ever. We are talking about the 2020 edition of Backlash, which may just be The Greatest Backlash … Ever.
Sound obnoxious yet? Try hearing that for a month straight on every episode of Raw and SmackDown whenever WWE mention Edge vs. Randy Orton. But I’m getting ahead of myself.
While the show is built, lives and dies off of the branding for its Orton vs. Edge contest, that is not the only match on the card. Even though it is the only match that WWE seems to want to promote and sell in its posters, adverts and promos.
There are currently seven matches booked for Backlash as of this writing. One of them being Asuka vs. Nia Jax for the Raw Women’s Championship, which could possibly showcase an appearance from a meddling Queen. Alas, again, I’m getting ahead of myself. Let’s start with Edge vs. Randy Orton first.
Edge vs. Orton – Greatest Wrestling Match … Ever Match
I am still standing firm and tall in my belief that this match will be ending within five seconds thanks to an RKO outta nowhere, so I’ll leave it at that. Moving on.
Bayley and Sasha Banks (c) vs. The IIconics vs. Alexa Bliss and Nikki Cross – WWE Women’s Tag Team Championship
It has been quite an eventful month in the history of the Women’s Tag Team Championships, which says a lot given there was once a time when WWE rarely even tried to book them on television. This one month actually might have been more eventful than the last year or so in the history of the belts.
In the span of a month, The IIconics returned to challenge Alexa Bliss and Nikki Cross for the Tag Titles, only to fail in doing so in their title match (albeit, thanks to a DQ finish). Shortly after, Bliss Cross Applesauce (no really, that’s their official name, I can’t make that up) found Bayley and Sasha Banks in their crosshairs, but got crossed up enough to lose their titles to the former.
Now, with all three teams wrangled together in the pursuit of gold, we are getting a triple threat title match at the PPV.
It seems way too soon for Bayley and Banks to lose their titles so it’s safe to say that they don’t. Not to mention, it’s already been announced that the winners of this match defend their titles this Wednesday against Shotzi Blackheart and Tegan Nox. Safe to think they face a pair of heel champions. By process of elimination, it’ll be the reigning heel champs.
Prediction: Banks and Bayley
Apollo Crews (c) vs. Andrade – United States Championship
After winning the title from Andrade just a couple of weeks back, Apollo Crews is the new United States Champion, but after winning a number one contender’s match (one including his “pal” Angel Garza), Andrade earned himself a rematch for Sunday.
A safe bet would be saying Crews retains because it’s too soon for him to lose his first title in WWE, but how this ends is the more interesting prediction. I can’t help but feel like either Garza or Zelina Vega play a part in the finish somehow. Either Vega inadvertently costs Andrade his victory, or Garza does so deliberately over sour grapes about losing on Raw.
Either way, expect seeds of dissession to be planted.
Prediction: Apollo
Jeff Hardy vs. Sheamus
To recap, this feud has been … a mess. Trife. A damn dirty shame. You name it. Between Sheamus staging a DUI for Jeff Hardy, to Hardy being called a “junkie,” it’s like WWE compiled their worst ideas into a blender and bottled it into what’s already the worst storyline of 2020. Which says a lot.
Is it wishful thinking for me to just say I want the babyface to win so these two can just go their separate ways already?
Prediction: Hardy
Drew McIntyre (c) vs. Bobby Lashley – WWE Championship
This one has gotten harder and harder to call as every week has passed. For a feud with only a few weeks worth of build and for a Lashley push that has lasted just as long, both McIntyre and Lashley look great, especially the latter who looks like a real threat to the champion despite not being given the proper build.
It wouldn’t surprise me if McIntyre retained, just as much as it would not surprise me if Lashley retains. It could really go either way and that level of unpredictability makes this one of the most interesting, exciting match-ups on the card.
In fact, it would not surprise me all that much if WWE held off on giving us a proper finish here, especially with Extreme Rules around the corner. Give us some kind of No Contest or DQ situation (potentially with Lana’s involvement) that demands a hardcore rematch at Extreme Rules.
Prediction: No Contest
Braun Strowman (c) vs. The Miz and John Morrison – Handicap Match for the Universal Championship.
This one, however? Completely predictable. Not much reason to spend too much time on this one, because it looks clear as day that The Monster Among Men will be retaining his big blue belt.
Prediction: Braun
Asuka (c) vs. Nia Jax – Raw Women’s Championship
If you made it this far in the slideshow, then you must have really wanted to figure out how I came up with the hairbrained hot take that capped off the title of this entire predictions slider. Here is where my head is at right now:
Asuka is defending her championship against Nia Jax this Sunday. Even if she wins, she still has Charlotte Flair in her rear view mirror to worry about, which The Queen made painfully clear at the close out of last Monday’s Raw. Asuka may not be worried about Flair or the outcome of her title match, but Flair herself might. Especially considering the off chance that Jax could win.
Character wise, Charlotte Flair knows she can beat Asuka; she’s done so multiple times in the past, including last Monday. She may not be so certain about beating a possible champion in Nia Jax. The last time Flair faced Jax was in a triple threat that Jax won, and the only time Jax and Flair faced off one on one, Jax won that round.
As an insurance policy, Flair may make sure Asuka gets a helping hand in beating Jax. Because A.) Flair doesn’t have a match/segment for Backlash and WWE aren’t going to keep her off the card; this is WWE we’re talking about. And B.) If WWE wanted to save an Asuka vs. Flair title match for, say, SummerSlam opposed to Extreme Rules in July, Flair can spend the month feuding with Jax while Asuka handles her next challenger.
Prediction: Asuka