Rhea Ripley to defend her SmackDown Women's Title against former champion at Backlash

On the latest episode of SmackDown, it was announced that Rhea Ripley will defend her title against Zelina Vega at WWE Backlash.

During the show, the former Queen's Crown tournament winner confronted Adam Pearce backstage. The LWO member asked him for a match against The Eradicator at the upcoming Premium Live Event. The SmackDown superstar mentioned that she's the only Puerto Rican on the roster and wants to fight and represent her people.

Later on in the show, it was confirmed that Zelina Vega will challenge Rhea Ripley for the coveted SmackDown Women's Championship at WWE Backlash. The event is set to take place on May 6 in San Juan, Puerto Rico.

The two stars have crossed paths before on TV before, as they're currently in opposing factions. Zelina is a member of the LWO, which consists of Rey Mysterio, Santos Escobar, Cruz Del Toro and Joaquin Wilde. Meanwhile, the champion is associated with The Judgment Day, which includes Damian Priest, Finn Balor and Dominik Mysterio.

Other matches announced for Backlash include Cody Rhodes vs. Brock Lesnar, Seth Rollins vs. Omos and Bobby Lashley vs. Bronson Reed vs. Austin Theory for the United States Title.

---

Do you think Zelina Vega will dethrone Rhea Ripley? Sound off in the comments below!