There is a difference in what should happen and what could happen at Backlash this weekend. Leave it to WWE to make things a bit interesting heading into the final quarter of 2016.
For everything Smackdown Live is trying to become – stepping out of the shadow of its big brother, Monday Night Raw – there are still plenty of loose ends that have to be tied up for me to jump on the bandwagon and root for the new brand.
A few twists and turns on Sunday night could go a long way toward making that happen.
I see the McMahons working this to be a large production with hopefully a large return. That can only happen if there are a few surprises and a fan base that watch with approval, not the way they were left wondering as to what happened in the main event of SummerSlam.
There are six matches announced for the night – each with major implications as the company moves toward the holiday months and the end of the year. There is always a “bang” that leaves us wondering what just happened. Hopefully, that occurs here. Nonetheless, I am optimistic of Sunday night’s event, but I won’t be surprised if it is more of the status quo.
These five twists would certainly make things a bit more interesting.
#1 Maryse Helps The Miz Lose
At some point, there will be a conflict between the darlings of WWE. There is so much syrup in the sweetness of these two love birds. The gimmick is priceless and Maryse is the perfect complement to The Miz’s title run. But what if the two miscommunicate in the title match with Dolph Ziggler and it costs the current champion the Intercontinental Title?
A move like this would make Daniel Bryan smile, that’s for sure. To add to that, Bryan may get involved to set up a future match between the general manager and wrestler. Fans would love to see Bryan in one more match. This might be the onus to make that happen.
#2 The Beast Incarnate
Is it possible that Brock Lesnar and Paul Heyman have a part to play at Backlash? Could the man who took down The Viper at SummerSlam show up and interfere in the match between Randy Orton and Bray Wyatt? It’s an interesting concept, one which I would love to see explored on another level.
All three men are title contenders once they get in the ring, but they actually need each other now to remain relevant in the company. While Lesnar is on the Raw roster, it does not preclude him from making a trip to Suplex City and hurting both Wyatt and Orton in the process.
#3 Heath Slater, Champion
We have all witnessed the wonder storytelling WWE has done with this angle. For once, they have a build of something great. Slater is the ultimate underdog in this role and his relationship with Rhyno as tag team champions is a great by-product of the brand split.
Slater and Rhyno are in the tag team finals and would face the Usos, WWE’s newest heel tag team. While Jimmy and Jey should prevail, wouldn’t it be the McMahons to turn the tables and give the belts to the team most unlikely to win? It’s Mulkey-Mania all over again.
#4 Surprise Entrant in Women’s Six Pack match
I know the odds of either Nikki Bella or Becky Lynch winning the Smackdown Live Women’s Title are huge, but don’t think it is a foregone conclusion that could happen. There might be a way to help shake up the division and make things a bit normal at the same time.
The women’s roster on Smackdown Live is cloudy at best, but a surprise entrant in the match or a surprise opponent at the end of the match would be a solid way to get fans involved in this revolution.
What if Brie Bella came out of retirement or better yet, Velvet Sky came to the ring. How about Lita making her way to the ring to challenge Nikki? Things just got a bit hot in here.
#5 All Heel Champions
If AJ Styles beats Dean Ambrose, followed by wins from The Usos, The Miz, and Bella, that would be four heels holding the major titles in the company. It would be maddening, but it might be necessary. Styles winning on Sunday night is a possibility, but I think it hurts him in the long run. The Miz should retain while The Usos are destined to be champions.
This could be a historic night for Smackdown Live with four villains running the show. Even more interesting will be how Shane McMahon and Bryan deal with this on the Tuesday following Backlash and how the company books the champions moving forward.
