The brand split was in place before SummerSlam itself, however, due to the importance of SummerSlam on the calendar, WWE had to incorporate both Raw and SmackDown onto the card. SummerSlam is in the past now and we are going to have our first brand specific pay-per-view of the new brand split era with Backlash.
SmackDown had been kicking the rear of Monday Night Raw for quite some time now, and they now have the chance to deliver another deadly blow with the upcoming pay-per-view. They have already lined up an interesting main event between Dean Ambrose and AJ Styles and in this list; we are going to look at how WWE can build the card around this.
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1- Kalisto vs. Baron Corbin
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Kalisto seems to be like a duck lost in the desert in SmackDown as the blue brand does not even give the hope of a cruiserweight division like Raw. But fortunately for Kalisto, he is getting some television time on SmackDown whenever he gets bullied by Baron Corbin. The segments involving Corbin and Kalisto started off before SummerSlam but WWE probably did not have the slot for these two on the pay-per-view card then.
At Backlash, it is going to be a different story. Kalisto and Corbin are likely to get a main card position for the pay-per-view and WWE will probably be looking to put over Corbin as a monster heel at the expense of Kalisto.
2- The Miz vs. Samoa Joe (WWE Intercontinental Championship)
As much as I would love to see Daniel Bryan get back in the ring, the chances of this happening are low. Instead, WWE could use the leverage that Miz has from his talking smack promo to let a new NXT superstar debut on the main roster. With the history that Samoa Joe and Daniel Bryan have, Bryan bringing in Joe to settle the score with Miz would make sense.
Joe recently lost the NXT Championship to Shinsuke Nakamura which lets him free to get called up to the main roster. Introducing Joe as a ‘Daniel Bryan’s chosen mystery opponent’ for Miz as Backlash will be one great way of making a debut.
3- American Alpha vs. Heath Slater and Rhyno (Tag Team championship match)
The Tag team tournament to determine SmackDown’s Tag team champions will conclude at Backlash. American Alpha has already progressed to the second round of the tournament and the team will be facing off against the Usos next. With Usos teasing a heel turn and American Alpha having so much momentum with them, it would be a surprise if they don’t find a place in the finals.
At the same time, the subplot of Heath Slater and Rhyno is probably the second best thing that the tournament has apart from the exciting wrestling action it delivers. Slater and Rhyno could give us the underdog story that we always love and even if they lose in the final, their presence on the pay-per-view will be an add-on.
4- Nikki Bella vs. Natalya vs. Alexa Bliss vs. Carmella vs. Naomi vs. Becky Lynch (Women’s six-pack challenge to determine Women’s champion)
This is one of the two matches that have already been booked for the pay-per-view. Shane McMahon and Daniel Bryan introduced the Women’s championship last week on SmackDown and also announced a six-pack challenge between Nikki Bella, Natalya, Becky Lynch, Carmella, Alexa Bliss and Naomi to determine the new champion.
It seems to be the right way to go with all the women wrestlers that SmackDown has, and it has to be said that Nikki Bella is the favorite here. She has enough experience in her to carry the division on her shoulders and also if she is having the Women’s championship with her, it allows her to have a comparatively lighter schedule to heal.
5- Randy Orton vs. Bray Wyatt
The star power and the momentum of Randy Orton took a big blow at SummerSlam after being manhandled by Brock Lesnar. In the short match that he had with Lesnar, it was the Beast that dominated, with Orton only getting a short span of offense. Orton is in desperate need of a reboot and last week’s SmackDown suggested that his next feud is against Bray Wyatt.
Bray, who had expressed his desire to pursue the WWE championship, had no luck whatsoever as the championship scene had Ziggler and Ambrose in it. Locking horns with Orton will be a fresh move for him as well, but from a booking standpoint, it would be a hard match to book.
6- Dean Ambrose vs. AJ Styles (WWE Championship match)
The WWE championship match between Dean Ambrose and AJ Styles is all set to headline Backlash. AJ Styles, after his huge win over John Cena at SummerSlam, deserved something good. Ambrose, on the other hand, won his match against Dolph Ziggler convincingly and needed a bigger challenge.
WWE took both these situations and fused it to give us the Ambrose vs. AJ Styles match. As things stand, AJ Styles is a heel on paper when Ambrose is a babyface with shades. Expect this to change as we head forward since SmackDown does not have a clean cut babyface and WWE might think about turning AJ full time.
Even if this does not happen, the match is going to be a stellar wrestling spectacle.
