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This Sunday at WrestleMania Backlash, Bianca Belair meets Bayley for the WWE SmackDown Women's Championship. The bout marks Belair's first title defense, having won the gold from Sasha Banks at WrestleMania 37 last month.
Belair and Bayley are no strangers to one another. The pair feuded prior to this year's Royal Rumble pay-per-view, even squaring off in a memorable obstacle course challenge on SmackDown.
However, there are more than bragging rights on the line at WrestleMania Backlash. Belair wants to build on her historic victory in the main event of WrestleMania by retaining her gold, while Bayley craves a third run as champion of the Blue Brand.
One of these superstars will leave WrestleMania Backlash disappointed, but how might the clash between Belair and Bayley end? Here are five possible finishes for their match at the pay-per-view.
#5 Bayley becomes SmackDown Women's Champion at WrestleMania Backlash
She may be entering WrestleMania Backlash as a challenger, but Bayley is the most successful SmackDown Women's Champion of all time.
The Role Model has had two reigns with the title, lasting a combined 520 days. Her most recent run was a record-breaking one too - clocking in at a staggering 380 days. Based on this achievement alone, Bayley should never be counted out of the championship picture.
Belair is early in her first reign as champion. If Bayley was to cheat to screw her out of the gold then WWE could tell the story of a wronged Belair chasing Bayley for redemption.
It would be a controversial call, but Bayley is the perfect character to pull off an angle like this. As the new heel champion rubbing her victory in the face of Belair, Bayley would be in her element.
Bayley was so strong in this kind of role during her previous run as champion that it would be no surprise to see WWE put her in a similar position again. As long as Belair is properly protected - with it being clear Bayley has cheated her out of the title she worked so hard for - then a defeat doesn't need to harm the EST of WWE too badly.
#4 Bianca Belair pins Bayley at WrestleMania Backlash
Heading into WrestleMania Backlash, Bianca Belair's WWE SmackDown Women's Championship reign will be a little over 30 days old.
WWE gave Belair her crowning moment in the main event of WrestleMania 37 and hyped it accordingly. The company wouldn't have booked Belair in that spot if it didn't have big plans for her.
If the new champion was to lose in her first title defense at WrestleMania Backlash, though, much of her momentum from the Show of Shows would be gone. For this reason, WWE may choose to have Belair defeat Bayley cleanly at the pay-per-view.
By hitting the KOD in the middle of the ring and emphatically winning the match, Belair can underline her status as one of the top performers in the company.
The first-ever Women's Grand Slam Champion in WWE history, Bayley's past accomplishments mean she has enough credibility with the fans to withstand a failure against Belair. A loss at WrestleMania Backlash would do nothing to hurt Bayley's legacy.
The same cannot be said for Bianca Belair. A dominant showing for the 2021 Royal Rumble match winner makes a lot of sense.
#3 The Belair vs Bayley bout at WrestleMania Backlash has no clear finish, leading to a match at next month's Money in the Bank pay-per-view
The finish of the SmackDown Women's Championship match at WrestleMania Backlash might be booked with a view to the immediate future.
The women's roster on Friday nights is hardly overflowing with potential challengers at the moment. With this in mind, WWE may not want to have either Belair or Bayley lose decisively on Sunday.
A non-finish of some kind at WrestleMania Backlash would allow WWE to keep the Belair and Bayley feud going. With a number of female superstars from SmackDown likely to be involved in the Money in the Bank Ladder match at next month's pay-per-view, WWE might be best served to extend the Belair versus Bayley rivalry.
A cheap ending of any description is not ideal for a pay-per-view championship match. However, a disqualification or a no contest due to outside interference (maybe setting up a Triple Threat match for the Money in the Bank show) would be understandable here.
Belair and Bayley are great in the ring and will, no doubt, deliver a strong match at WrestleMania Backlash. An encore presentation next month is something few fans would mind.
#2 The Bella Twins could cost Bayley her match with Belair at WrestleMania Backlash
Her WrestleMania Backlash bout with Belair marks Bayley's first singles contest in WWE since early February.
Bayley hasn't spent much time in the ring at all of late. Controversially, she did not have a match at WrestleMania 37 either - something which did not sit well with fans on social media.
Instead of being involved between the ropes, Bayley gatecrashed the joint guest host role of Hulk Hogan and Titus O'Neil at Raymond James Stadium. Serving as an unofficial third host for the two-night event, Bayley interrupted Hogan and Titus during various segments across the weekend.
Her final involvement at WrestleMania saw Bayley shoved down the ramp and embarrassed by the returning Bella Twins. On this past week's edition of WWE's The Bump, Bayley did an interview to hype WrestleMania Backlash - where she vowed revenge on Brie and Nikki for their actions:
"You know how many videos that I had to see after WrestleMania of people adding music to that roll?" Bayley said. "You know how embarrassing that was? You hear those fans boo-ing in the crowd? That's right, that's because it's ridiculous."
Having been called out by Bayley, the recent WWE Hall of Fame inductees could make an appearance at WrestleMania Backlash to interfere in the SmackDown Women's Championship match.
If WWE is planning to move towards a future match involving Bayley and the Bellas, then the twins costing her a championship opportunity would be an ideal way of continuing the rivalry.
#1 Sasha Banks makes her presence felt at WrestleMania Backlash
One SmackDown superstar notable for her absence in the build to WrestleMania Backlash has been Sasha Banks.
The Boss lost her WWE SmackDown Women's Championship to Belair at WrestleMania, but has barely been heard from since. Aside from her recent rivalry with Bianca, though, Banks also has a long history with Bayley.
The Belair versus Bayley match at WrestleMania Backlash could provide Banks with an opportunity to make her comeback to SmackDown in dramatic fashion.
There are a number of directions Sasha could take if she returns this Sunday. Does she reunite with her former Boss 'n' Hug Connection partner Bayley to cost Belair her championship? Alternatively, might she get involved on behalf of Belair to stop Bayley cheating her way to the title?
Of course, there is the possibility of Banks' presence at the pay-per-view setting up a Triple Threat match between all three superstars at a later date.
No matter how she gets involved in the finish, a Sasha Banks return would surely be the biggest news to come out of the show.
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