This Sunday (May 6), WWE hosts Backlash, the first official co-branded Pay-Per-View since WrestleMania. Now that the Superstar Shake-Up is in the books, we will see the first major night featuring the big roster moves as well as some matches tying up loose ends from the past month or so. Highlights include Daniel Bryan taking on Big Cass, Roman Reigns facing Samoa Joe, and Shinsuke Nakamura getting a third chance at AJ Styles and the WWE Championship.
Braun Strowman & Bobby Lashley vs. Kevin Owens & Sami Zayn
Bobby Lashley made his WWE return the night after WrestleMania and is positioned to be a dominant force a la his tag team partner and winner of the Greatest Royal Rumble, Braun Strowman. They have had a very minimal feud with Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn since they joined Raw, but nevertheless, it has led to a Pay-Per-View match.
Odds:
Braun Strowman & Bobby Lashley: -300
Kevin Owens & Sami Zayn – +275
Daniel Bryan vs. Big Cass
When Daniel Bryan returned as a full-time wrestler on SmackDown Live, fans expected him to be inserted into the WWE Championship picture alongside AJ Styles and Shinsuke Nakamura. Instead, Big Cass attacked him and robbed fans of their dream match.
Odds:
Daniel Bryan: -375
Big Cass: +350
Roman Reigns vs. Samoa Joe
Before Samoa Joe got injured, he was continuing his feud with Roman Reigns. When he returned, he immediately challenged Reigns to a match regardless of whether or not he captured the Universal Championship from Brock Lesnar. Reigns did not get the title (in a screwy finish) and Joe looks to pick up another win over the Big Dog before staying on SmackDown.
Odds:
Roman Reigns: -400
Samoa Joe: +350
Jeff Hardy (c) vs. Randy Orton – United States Championship
Thanks to all of the Superstar Shake-up excitement, Jeff Hardy captured the United States Championship from Jinder Mahal on Raw before moving to SmackDown. This all took place before Randy Orton could get his rematch for losing the title at WrestleMania. At Backlash, he finally gets his rematch.
Odds:
Jeff Hardy: -250
Randy Orton: +180
Seth Rollins (c) vs. The Miz – Intercontinental Championship
At WrestleMania, The Miz lost the Intercontinental Championship to Seth Rollins in a Triple Threat Match. This past Monday, Rollins successfully retained the title against Finn Balor before granting the Miz his guaranteed rematch this Sunday. If The Miz wins, SmackDown will have two midcard titles while Raw will have none.
Odds:
Seth Rollins: -500
The Miz: +400
Nia Jax (c) vs. Alexa Bliss – Raw Women’s Championship
Another WrestleMania title rematch being played out, Alexa Bliss finally returns to action to try and get her Raw Women’s Championship back from Nia Jax.
Odds:
Nia Jax: -600
Alexa Bliss: +500
Carmella (c) vs. Charlotte Flair – SmackDown Women’s Championship
With the debut of the IIconics (Billie Kay & Peyton Royce) on SmackDown Live, they made a statement by assaulting Charlotte Flair. Carmella used that opportunity to finally cash in her Money in the Bank briefcase to earn her first-ever championship. Flair, like everyone else on this card, gets her title rematch.
Odds:
Carmella: +110
Charlotte Flair: -130
AJ Styles (c) vs. Shinsuke Nakamura – WWE Championship (No Disqualification)
For some reason, Shinsuke Nakamura was granted a WWE Title match at the Greatest Royal Rumble. Luckily for him, it ended in a double count-out so he gets another opportunity in a No Disqualification match. This means that Nakamura can hit as many low blows as he wants on Styles without automatically losing.
Odds:
Shinsuke Nakamura: +130
AJ Styles: -150
