WWE WrestleMania Backlash: Ranking the build-up to every match

Ordinarily named Backlash, this year's affair has been dubbed WrestleMania Backlash, seemingly in order to capitalize on the biggest event of the year. As the dust has settled on this year's WrestleMania season, Backlash will hopefully put to bed some of the biggest rivalries from the April event.

Unlike WrestleMania, Backlash will be taking place in WWE's ThunderDome, in front of a virtual crowd.

At the upcoming pay-per-view, multiple championships will be on the line, with two Triple Threat matches on the card. Some of these matches are rematches, and others are brand new match-ups.

The only tag title on the line this weekend will be the SmackDown Tag Team Championships, with the current champions the Dirty Dawgs defending against Rey and Dominik Mysterio.

Also on the night, The RAW Women's Championship will be defended in a Triple Threat between Rhea Ripley, Asuka and Charlotte Flair. Bobby Lashley will be defending the WWE Championship in a Triple Threat against Drew McIntyre and Braun Strowman.

Bianca Belair will defend the SmackDown Women's Championship at WrestleMania Backlash against Bayley, who she recently reignited a past rivalry with. Roman Reigns will also be putting the Universal title on the line against Ceasro.

Here is the build-up to every match on the card of WrestleMania Backlash, ranked.

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#6 WrestleMania Backlash: The Dirty Dawgs (Dolph Ziggler and Robert Roode) vs Rey and Dominik Mysterio

The SmackDown Tag Team Championships are on the line once again this weekend. The Dirty Dawgs (Dolph Ziggler and Robert Roode) have defended the belts recently, and managed to retain them in a multi-team match on the pre-WrestleMania edition of SmackDown against Rey and Dominick Mysterio, Otis and Chad Gable and former champions The Street Profits.

Since then, they have defended their championships against The Street Profits, managing to retain once again. The pair also became involved in the SmackDown Women's Championship feud between Bayley and Bianca Belair. The Dirty Dawgs teamed up with Bayley while The Street Profits partnered with Belair.

The SmackDown Tag Team Championship match was one of the last announced for WrestleMania Backlash. As the event has drawn closer, the pairs have clashed in the ring. On the go-home edition of SmackDown, one half of the challenging team, Rey Mysterio, managed to defeat Dolph Ziggler in singles action.

In the week prior, Ziggler faced both other member of the father/son duo in singles action - the match was initially pitched to be Rey Mysterio, but he was switched out for Dominick. Dominick Mysterio took home the win, making that two weeks in a row where Ziggler has lost to a member of the Mysterio family.

Having the Mysterios take home the gold this weekend seems to be the most obvious direction for the championship match, given the build-up over the past two weeks on SmackDown.

#5 WrestleMania Backlash: Damian Priest vs The Miz

Damian Priest and The Miz are set to clash once again at WrestleMania Backlash. The pair have been feuding since the aftermath of the Royal Rumble, where Priest teamed up with Bad Bunny against The Miz and John Morrison in a lengthy rivalry. Many thought it would come to an end in their tag team bout at WrestleMania.

Bad Bunny has since departed WWE to focus on his music career once more, but the rivalry between Damian Priest and The Miz has continued to WrestleMania Backlash.

Damian Priest has been able to hold his own against both The Miz and John Morrison on RAW. He defeated John Morrison on the go-home episode of RAW, enabling him to choose the stipulation for his match against The Miz this weekend. He chose a lumberjack match.

Despite being the last match announced for the card at WrestleMania Backlash, the build of this feud has been lengthy. It feels very played out at this point.

At this weekend's WrestleMania Backlash, it seems as though the rivalry between Damian Priest and The Miz will finally come to an end. With the stipulation being a lumberjack match, it feels like the perfect opportunity to start off a new feud for one, or both of the pair with one of the lumberjacks present.

#4 WrestleMania Backlash: Rhea Ripley vs Asuka vs Charlotte Flair

The RAW Women's Championship will be on the line once again at WrestleMania Backlash. Rhea Ripley took home the gold at WrestleMania back in April, but her rivalry with former champion Asuka has continued.

Following WrestleMania, Charlotte Flair has also weighed in on the action, and the proposed rematch was changed to a Triple Threat match between the three women.

The match was one of the first announced for WrestleMania Backlash, giving plenty of time to build this rivalry up.

In the rematch between Rhea Ripley and Asuka on the RAW after WrestleMania, Flair returned and interfered with an attack on Asuka. The next week, a match was made between Flair and Asuka, but Rhea Ripley cost Flair the match with a distraction. This caused Flair to go off the rails and attack the referee, leading Adam Pearce to suspend the former champion.

However, Sonya Deville has since become involved and reinsistated Flair a week later, before adding her to the rematch between Rhea Ripley and Asuka at WrestleMania Backlash the following week.

Despite the lack of airtime for women in WWE that some fans and stars have been vocal about, the RAW Women's Championship match at WrestleMania Backlash has had a fairly good build. The match feels like one that could go any way this weekend, and the involvement of Sonya Deville has been a great way to showcase her character.

#3 WrestleMania Backlash: Bobby Lashley vs Braun Strowman vs Drew McIntyre, WWE Championship

The WWE Championship is on the line at WrestleMania Backlash in another Triple Threat Match. Current Champion Bobby Lashley will defend against both Braun Strowman and Drew McIntyre on the night.

This match was the first announced for WrestleMania Backlash, giving plenty of opportunity for it to be built up on RAW. On the RAW after WrestleMania, Drew McIntyre claimed that he only lost the WWE Championship match at WrestleMania 37 due to MVP distracting him from hitting Lashley with a Claymore kick.

Both Randy Orton and Braun Strowman staked a claim for a title match against Lashley. This prompted Adam Pearce to set up a Triple Threat match between the potential challengers.

Drew McIntyre won, sending him to a title match at WrestleMania Backlash. Braun Strowman was later added to the match when he defeated Drew McIntyre on RAW a few weeks later.

On the go-home episode of RAW, Bobby Lashley and Drew McIntyre faced off once more, which ended in a disqualification when Strowman attacked McIntyre.

The WWE Championship feud has felt somewhat repetitive, in a similar way to the RAW Women's Championship rivalry on the same show. Hopefully, the match at WrestleMania Backlash will put this rivalry to bed once and for all, and bring forward a new challenger for the WWE Championship.

#2 WrestleMania Backlash: Bianca Belair vs Bayley, SmackDown Women's Championship

The SmackDown Women's Championship will be up for grabs at WrestleMania Backlash. Following WrestleMania 37, the rivalry between Bianca Belair and Bayley was reignited.

The pair were rivals in the build-up towards the Royal Rumble at the start of the year. The feud cooled off in light of Belair's Rumble win, especially after she chose to challenge Sasha Banks for the SmackDown Women's Championship.

Shortly after WrestleMania 37, Bayley decided to challenge Bianca Belair for the SmackDown Women's Championship, which she accepted. Since then, the pair have been engaging in a great rivalry on SmackDown.

Bayley also delivered a vicious beatdown to Belair, when she interrupted the Role Model's segment on women's champions in wrestling. On the go-home show, the pair put on a great last promo before this weekend's WrestleMania Backlash.

#1 WrestleMania Backlash: Roman Reigns vs Cesaro, WWE Universal Championship

Once again, Roman Reigns will be putting the WWE Universal Championship on the line this weekend at WrestleMania Backlash. The Head of the Table has been dominating as WWE Universal Champion since he won the belt back in summer 2020.

Following WrestleMania 37, Cesaro requested a match with Reigns, which was granted by Adam Pearce. However, it was Jey Uso who ended up facing Cesaro in the main event of the post-WrestleMania edition of SmackDown, only for Seth Rollins to interrupt and attack him.

On the throwback edition of SmackDown, Rollins and Ceasro faced off for the opportunity to face Reigns at WrestleMania Backlash. Cesaro won and earned a shot at the WWE Universal Championship.

As well as fan favorite Ceasro finally getting a title shot at WretleMania Backlash, the story on the side of Roman Reigns got another layer when Jimmy Uso made his return to SmackDown.

The family drama between the Tribal Chief and his cousins became even more intense on the go-home edition of SmackDown. Jimmy appeared to refuse to acknowledge Reigns as the Head of the Table, which led to Reigns telling Jimmy Uso to face Cesaro.

In the match, Roman Reigns interfered, and attacked his WrestleMania Backlash opponent. This led to an argument between Jimmy Uso and Reigns, which Jey later became involved in.

Despite being announced later than some of the other matches on the card, the Universal Title match at WrestleMania Backlash is possibly the most anticipated on the card.