After a solid episode of SmackDown, we are all set for WrestleMania Backlash. As of this writing, WWE has confirmed five title matches for the pay-per-view. The four titles that won’t feature on the show include the Intercontinental Championship, the United States Championship, the RAW Tag Team Championship, and the WWE Women’s tag team titles. Every other piece of gold will have top superstars going after each other’s throats on Sunday night.
In this article, we will predict the fate of five titles that will be on the line at WrestleMania Backlash.
#1 Won’t change hands at WrestleMania Backlash: Universal Championship
Roman Reigns will put his Universal Championship on the line against Cesaro at WrestleMania Backlash. The Tribal Chief has established himself as one of the best heels in WWE with the help of a dominant title reign. Although Cesaro’s recent push has made him look like a credible threat to Reigns’ title reign, he is expected to retain his championship at the pay-per-view.
The build-up to this Universal Championship match between Reigns and The Swiss Cyborg has been brilliant, but it doesn’t guarantee a title change. Reigns has not shied away from relying on external factors to win high-stakes matches, be it a helpful hand from Paul Heyman or a game-changing interference from Jey Uso. He will look to employ the same tricks to beat Cesaro at WrestleMania Backlash.
Reigns also has to look out for Jimmy Uso, who recently returned on SmackDown and refused to acknowledge the Universal Champion as the ‘Head of the Table’. He even predicted that Cesaro has a good chance of ending Reigns’ title reign. This, of course, didn’t sit well with The Tribal Chief, who wants Jimmy to pay his dues for being disrespectful. Unfortunately, that can hinder Reigns’ plans for WrestleMania Backlash.
On the last episode of SmackDown, Reigns remained a bystander while Cesaro brutalized Jey Uso inside the ring. Jimmy Uso could use this argument to expose Reigns as a selfish leader and stop his brother from helping him at WrestleMania Backlash. A possible distraction still won’t be enough for Reigns to lose his title at the pay-per-view.
It is worth noting that he recently picked up a clean victory over Daniel Bryan in a title match. He can do the same to defeat Cesaro at WrestleMania Backlash before turning his attention towards Jimmy Uso. While this result won’t be too bad, the creative should avoid booking Cesaro in a weak light. Instead, they should use this match to permanently establish The Swiss Cyborg as a big threat to the most coveted prizes in WWE.
#1 Can change hands at WrestleMania Backlash: SmackDown Tag Team Championships
Rey Mysterio will look to make history at WrestleMania Backlash alongside his son, Dominik. They are set to challenge Dolph Ziggler and Robert Roode for the SmackDown Tag Team Championships at the pay-per-view. A victory in this match would make them the first father-son duo to hold the tag team championships in WWE history.
Dominik Mysterio made an impressive debut in WWE. However, he had to spend a lot of time on the sideline. Thankfully, that didn’t affect his momentum too much, and he has delivered promising performances in all his in-ring encounters. Winning the title at WrestleMania Backlash could provide a huge boost to his current run on the Blue brand.
Rey Mysterio has also admitted that sharing the championship reign with Dominik would be a dream come true for him in WWE. They have had a great run in the tag team division recently, which has added to their momentum ahead of WrestleMania Backlash. Upon winning the title, Rey and Dominik Mysterio could be involved in an intense title feud with The Alpha Academy.
#2 Won’t change hands at WrestleMania Backlash: RAW Women’s Championship
At WrestleMania Backlash, Rhea Ripley will put her RAW Women’s Championship on the line in a triple-threat match against Asuka and Charlotte Flair. This would be a huge challenge for Ripley, who recently made her main roster debut. However, she is still expected to retain her championship at the upcoming pay-per-view.
Asuka was the RAW Women’s Champion until recently, and it hasn’t been long since Charlotte Flair’s return on the Red brand. Neither of these two superstars needs an immediate title run on WWE RAW. On the other hand, Ripley stands at risk of losing her momentum if she drops the title at WrestleMania Backlash.
It has barely been a month since she won the RAW Women’s Championship. Rhea Ripley has the potential to carry herself as a compelling heel champion, and she can deliver brutal feuds with other top names such as Alexa Bliss and Shayna Baszler in RAW Women’s division. A successful title defense at WrestleMania Backlash will help mark the beginning of a memorable championship reign on the Red brand.
#2 Can change hands at WrestleMania Backlash: WWE Championship
Another triple-threat title match at WrestleMania Backlash will witness the WWE Championship on the line. Bobby Lashley will put his world title on the line against Drew McIntyre and Braun Strowman. All three superstars have delivered entertaining matches on RAW in the weeks leading up to the pay-per-view. It would be fair to say that both McIntyre and Strowman pose a serious threat to Lashley’s title reign.
McIntyre wants his revenge against Lashley, who was the biggest reason why The Scottish Warrior lost his title in the first place. On the other hand, Braun Strowman ran a rampage through the RAW roster to get his title shot and is determined to make the most of this opportunity. He looks more dangerous inside the ring now, and it even prompted MVP to propose an alliance between Lashley and Strowman during the title match at WrestleMania Backlash.
However, The Monster Among Men made it clear that he will only fight for himself. The WWE Championship match at WrestleMania Backlash has the potential to be the best bout of the night, especially because it is difficult to predict an overall favorite. Although Lashley has a good chance of retaining his gold, this could easily be one of the title matches in which we will see the championship change hands.
#3 Won’t change hands at WrestleMania Backlash: SmackDown Women’s Championship
SmackDown Women’s Champion Bianca Belair is set to face Bayley at WrestleMania Backlash in a title match. Both superstars were involved in an engaging feud earlier this year and shared a mutual dislike for each other on television. Although Bayley has broken multiple records with the aforementioned title, she is not expected to regain the gold at the upcoming pay-per-view.
The writers have worked hard to establish Bianca Belair as the top babyface on SmackDown. She is expected to have a dominant run in her maiden title reign in WWE. Belair is prepared for a difficult challenge and looks determined to prove herself to be the toughest woman on SmackDown. She won’t let Bayley escape with her title at WrestleMania Backlash.
The latest backstage rumors also suggest that Becky Lynch could return at the pay-per-view on Sunday. The Man will reportedly kickstart a feud with Bayley after she loses the title match at WrestleMania Backlash. As for Bianca Belair, she could be involved in a championship feud with Sasha Banks as the latter never got her title rematch after WrestleMania 37.