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As the "Empty Arena Era" rolls on, WWE's next special event is a little over three weeks away. Backlash will make its return to the company's pay-per-view calendar on June 14th, with the card shaping up pretty nicely so far.
It might be slightly challenging for fans to get into WWE's in-ring product at the moment, but nobody can fault them for the tremendous effort and entertainment they have shown in the past couple of pay-per-views. With WrestleMania and Money in the Bank both being relative successes, Backlash looks to follow suit.
What has been announced for Backlash 2020 so far?
As things stand, three matches are confirmed to be taking place at Backlash. Drew McIntyre will defend the WWE Championship against Bobby Lashley in what promises to be a hard-hitting slugfest, while Edge and Randy Orton will continue their rivalry. The latter has been dubbed to be the "Greatest Wrestling Match Ever" by WWE. No pressure at all.
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Also, Braun Strowman faces his next Universal Championship challenge in the form The Miz and John Morrison whom he'll be facing in a Handicap match.
Several other matches have been teased for Backlash. There are some fresh matches set to be on display and the potential lineup for the show looks pretty great.
Here are five matches that could be added to WWE Backlash 2020.
#5 Asuka vs Nia Jax (RAW Women's Championship)
A Number One Contender's triple threat has been announced for Monday Night RAW between Natalya, Charlotte Flair, and Nia Jax. But after the events on this past week's episode of RAW, it seems like a foregone conclusion that Jax will win and go on to face Asuka at Backlash.
The Irresistible Force interrupted Asuka and Kairi Sane's glorious RAW Women's Championship celebration, laying down the marker for a future challenge. She is a great first opponent for the new champion, coming off as a major threat especially after taking out Sane backstage.
The likely match between the Empress of Tomorrow and Nia Jax at Backlash would be an intense battle, similar to the title bout they had back in NXT. And with the tremendous form Asuka has shown over the past couple of months, this could be the best match of Jax's WWE career.
#4 Street Profits vs Viking Raiders (RAW Tag Team Championship)
Over the past few weeks, the Street Profits and the Viking Raiders have been partaking in various competitive activities. It's the most entertaining thing that Erik & Ivar have done on the main roster who have finally managed to showcase their characters.
This looks to be leading to a RAW Tag Team Championship match at Backlash. Beyond the outrageous competition skits between the two tandems, there is an interesting story being told between the Viking Raiders and the Street Profits.
The current RAW tag champs have never been able to beat the Viking Raiders, dating back to their days in NXT. Montez Ford and Angelo Dawkins did win the NXT Tag Team Championship, but only after the former War Machine vacated them on the way to the Red brand.
Backlash could provide the payoff to this story, with the Street Profits retaining their belts with an impressive win against their athletically impressive opponents. These two teams are capable of having a better match than the one they had on RAW and hopefully, that is what will happen at Backlash.
#3 Sheamus vs Jeff Hardy
Jeff Hardy may have beaten Sheamus in the Intercontinental Championship tournament, but it doesn't look like their story is finished. It seemed like the two were holding back, with a bigger match to come in the near future. The finish saw Hardy roll Sheamus up for the victory, squeaking through to the semi-finals in the process.
The Charismatic Enigma will face Daniel Bryan next week, but he is unlikely to win. Sheamus could end up costing his rival the match, setting up a confrontation at Backlash. It would be pretty great, as both Superstars look rejuvenated this year.
This program looks to further Hardy's momentum on his comeback trail, along with preparing him for an exciting showdown with "The Fiend" Bray Wyatt. Sheamus is also a strong worker, who is more than capable of having some excellent matches.
Whether or not Backlash proves to be the final match of this story, Sheamus and Jeff Hardy will want to prove that they are still worthy of being considered top guys. With 7 WWE world titles between them, this might prove to be one of the higher-profile matches on the Backlash card.
#2 Seth Rollins vs Aleister Black
After the events that transpired over the past couple of weeks, it looks like Seth Rollins and Aleister Black are set to face off at Backlash. The Monday Night Messiah injured Rey Mysterio, sending him eye-first into the edge of the steel steps during a tag team match also involving Black.
The Dutch Destroyer was out to avenge his fallen partner's injury, taking on Murphy this past week. However, the numbers game caught up to him as Austin Theory joined the heels in beating Black down. Seth Rollins' faction could possibly expand further over the coming weeks and months.
However, Aleister Black won't go down easily. He has shown tremendous resilience and fighting spirit in the past, with him likely to do so again at Backlash. A match between him and Rollins could be an instant classic as long as there is little to no interference, like the Messiah's WWE title match against Drew McIntyre at Money in the Bank.
With the likely increase in disciples for Rollins, this might not turn out to be the purest wrestling match. Nevertheless, both Superstars are extremely talented performers. This could be one of the show-stealers at Backlash.
#1 Daniel Bryan vs AJ Styles (Intercontinental Championship)
Next week, we will witness the semi-finals of the Intercontinental Championship tournament. And despite there being two more episodes of SmackDown before Backlash, it seems like a good idea to have a gap before the big final. And the most likely pairing for the final does deserve a build-up. Daniel Bryan vs AJ Styles would be an excellent addition to Backlash.
The two have already had some classic matches with each other over the WWE Championship, including when Bryan shockingly turned heel. But now, the alignments have flipped and both Superstars are playing roles they are more comfortable with.
Styles seems much more interesting as a heel, while Bryan is the greatest WWE babyface of this generation. And while it seemed like The Phenomenal One might not win the Intercontinental Championship because he was visiting the Blue brand from RAW, that has changed because he has been officially traded to SmackDown.
So now that AJ Styles is back to the "house that he built", the IC title scene looks a lot more interesting. If Bryan and Styles are the ones who progress to the tournament final, the match could feasibly go either way. The unpredictability could improve this match further if that is even possible.
Hopefully, WWE books this match as the tournament final for Backlash. It would do wonders for the pay-per-view card, both Superstars, and the status of the Intercontinental Championship. A feud between Daniel Bryan and AJ Styles is just what this belt needs to become relevant once again.
If this match happens at Backlash, expect a modern-day IC title classic between these two.
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