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WrestleMania Backlash will be the first premium live event following WrestleMania 38. The event often ends feuds that have unfinished business after the Show of Shows. Brock Lesnar dropped the WWE Championship to Roman Reigns in the unification match, ending their most recent storyline. The Tribal Chief has pivoted to a feud against RK-Bro and Drew McIntyre for the time being.
The tag team titles were headed for unification, but the Unified Champion ripped up the contract for that match. Instead, he will team with The Usos to take on RK-Bro and the Scottish Warrior. Neither of the Reigns' titles will be on the line.
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AJ Styles and Edge will have the second match of their underrated rivalry. The Rated R Superstar defeated the Phenomenal One at WrestleMania after a distraction from Damien Priest. Finn Balor has joined the feud as an ally of Styles. Priest is banned from ringside.
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Charlotte Flair got one over on Ronda Rousey at the Show of Shows. The former UFC fighter did force The Queen to tap, but the referee was out of the picture. The two stars will have an "I Quit" match on the show.
Seth Rollins is unable to accept that he lost to the returning Cody Rhodes, so they'll have another match. Will WrestleMania Backlash be the next stop or the last stop during their ongoing rivalry?
Now that WWE is essentially in the second part of its year, some things should and shouldn't happen at the event. Here are five mistakes that WWE must avoid at WrestleMania Backlash.
#5 Time shouldn't be used on 24/7 Championship segments
The 24/7 title scene is specific to RAW. Fans either like it or they don't. One knock against it is that it takes some time away from stars that aren't on TV. Alexa Bliss hasn't been on television since February, but the 24/7 title saga is visible every week. Apollo Crews has also been sparingly used over the last few months.
WrestleMania Backlash is a PPV and should focus on actual matches. The only segments in between these bouts should involve Superstars competing on the card. If the 24/7 scene gets time and one of the mid-card titles does not, it devalues those championships.
#4 Madcap Moss needs to beat Happy Corbin at WrestleMania Backlash
Happy Corbin and Madcap Moss have been involved in a consistent angle on SmackDown. The two were allies for almost a year. Their partnership ended when the former US Champion blamed Moss for his loss to Drew McIntyre at WrestleMania 38.
The 2022 Andre the Giant Memorial Battle Royal winner stuck up for himself and the two have feuded ever since. This will be a big test for Moss as he embarks on a singles run as a babyface.
The outcome is even more important due to the injuries of Big E and Rick Boogs. SmackDown's roster is thin in terms of faces, so Moss needs to be kept somewhat strong. That could happen with a definitive win over Corbin at WrestleMania Backlash.
#3 Charlotte should not retain the SmackDown Women's Championship
Charlotte Flair and Ronda Rousey have been feuding since the Royal Rumble. Rousey won the annual free-for-all match and the two women have been circling each other for months.
They've fought in tag team matches and a singles contest, which was one of the marquee bouts at The Show of Shows. Flair could very well retain the title at WrestleMania Backlash, but the division severely needs to be refreshed. New faces like Aliyah, Shotzi, and Xia Li have been used sparingly. The Queen has been a champion since Money in the Bank last summer.
It'll be hard for anyone to beat either Flair or Rousey, but SmackDown just needs some change. If the former UFC Champion loses again, it will minimize her return to WWE. The match is also essentially "No DQ" so the second-generation star will still look strong even if she loses at WrestleMania Backlash.
#2 The mid-card titles shouldn't both be left off the show
Theory defeated Finn Balor for the US Championship following WrestleMania 38. Mustafa Ali has confronted him over the last two weeks. There's still time to add that match to the WrestleMania Backlash card.
As for Ricochet, he didn't appear on the go-home edition of SmackDown. He's defeated Shanky and Jinder Mahal over the last two weeks. The roster might still be depleted, but he could have been added to the New Day/Sheamus feud.
Big E's injury was unfortunate, but WWE has continued their feud with uneven numbers. Adding the IC Champ to the feud could have been a way to give Ridge Holland or Butch a title shot. Both mid-card Championships were left off the WrestleMania 38 card. This shouldn't be the case for the second consecutive premium live event.
#1 Drew McIntyre must not look weak in his match
Drew McIntyre is one of the few WWE stars left on the roster that could believably defeat Roman Reigns. He hasn't had a title shot in over a year, but rumors have suggested that he's going to face The Tribal Chief at some point.
Since he and Reigns aren't squaring off one-on-one, it opens things up for others to factor into the outcome. If RK-Bro and McIntyre are going to lose, Randy Orton or Riddle should be pinned.
If the faces are supposed to win, then the Scottish Warrior needs to have a strong showing. He could get the pin or neutralize Reigns to get the win. However it happens, McIntyre needs to come out of WrestleMania Backlash looking strong.
