WWE Backlash 2020: Early match card predictions

#7 SmackDown Women's Championship: Bayley (c.) vs. Carmella

Bayley is the longest-reigning SmackDown Women's Champion.

Bayley has been a dominant champion, and with victories over women like Lacey Evans, Dana Brooke, Alexa Bliss, Nikki Cross, Naomi, Carmella, and now Tamina, it is hard to predict who will be her next challenger. While a match with her and Sasha Banks is certainly in her future, it seems likely that the trigger for that feud will be pulled shortly before SummerSlam.

Therefore, Bayley will likely have to face one of the superstars that she has already beaten in a rematch. The best choice for that would, without a doubt, would be Carmella. Carmella had previously earned a title shot by defeating Alexa Bliss, Naomi, and Dana Brooke in a fatal four-way match. The two had a really good match the next week on SmackDown that Bayley won after illegally using the ropes to pin Carmella.

It was a shame that their rivalry only lasted for a week because it had the potential to be one of the defining rivalries of Bayley's title reign. Besides Sasha Banks, Carmella was probably Bayley's closest friend before her heel turn due to their time together as Baymella on NXT. They could tell a great story together about how Carmella does not recognize what has happened to her old friend and try to appeal to the old Bayley before realizing that she is gone and try to fight against her.

Carmella is one of the only viable options to face Bayley as she has had numerous matches with both Lacey Evans and Naomi, Dana Brooke was portrayed like an idiot at Money in the Bank and wouldn't be taken seriously as a challenger, Tamina just lost to Bayley at Money in the Bank, Alexa Bliss & Nikki Cross hold the WWE Women's Tag Team Championships, and Sonya Deville and Mandy Rose are both involved in a rivalry with each other.

Therefore, it will be the Princess of Staten Island that is Bayley's next challenger.