FINAL CARD & PREDICTIONS: WWE Backlash

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FINAL CARD & PREDICTIONS:

5/26/2018
WWE Backlash
Newark, NJ

WWE United States Champion Jeff Hardy vs Randy Orton
Hardy was recently crowned United States Champion with a RAW Superstar Shakeup victory over Jinder Mahal. The WWE is hoping to push Jeff Hardy, a huge star and future Hall of Famer, in a similar way to the push Matt Hardy is receiving on RAW. With that fact in mind, don't look for his championship reign to end just yet. Randy Orton has been stuck in neutral for awhile now and despite several RKOs to WWE's most popular babyfaces (including Hardy) the fans just haven't turned on Orton the way the WWE had hoped. Look for that to change tonight. Hardy will achieve victory and will meet the wrath of an incensed Orton post-match. The violence will instantaneously transform the Viper into Smackdown's top heel.

WINNER: Jeff Hardy via pinfall

RAW Women's Champion Nia Jax vs Alexa Bliss
Alexa Bliss finally gets her WrestleMania rematch. With the Greatest Royal Rumble pay-per-view in between WrestleMania and Backlash, it seems like ions ago when Jax fulfilled her dreams by defeating her former best friend on wrestling's biggest stage. Since then, the two have been separated by the Superstar Shakeup and Bliss, once a RAW staple, is now a Smackdown regular. Smackdown already has a Title. It won't get two and Jax has been teasing a match against Ronda Rousey, which is more likely to happen than not. Look for the overpowering Jax to solidify dominance and continue her hot streak with a pinfall victory.
WINNER: Nia Jax via pinfall

WWE Intercontinental Champion Seth Rollins vs The Miz
Seth Rollins is arguably the most over Superstar on either roster. The Miz, one of the greatest Intercontinental Champions in history, has moved over to Smackdown where the comparable prize is the United States Championship. Despite Miz' historicity with this particular championship, Rollins is simply too good and too dominant to see his hot streak come to an end. Try he will; but, The Miz runs into a buzz saw here and will fail in his efforts to bring the Intercontinental Championship to the Smackdown brand. Instead, the proverbial torch will be passed and Seth Rollins will be the next great Intercontinental Champion.
WINNER: Seth Rollins via pinfall

Braun Strowman & Bobby Lashley vs Kevin Owens & Sami Zayn
Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn are brothers, sharing a bond forged by two decades in professional wrestling. Ring blood, sweat, and tears run even deeper than DNA and the two Canadian Superstars have shared it all together. Their chemistry is unparalleled; but, tonight at Backlash they run into two of the most dominant Superstars in wrestling history. Not since Hulk Hogan and The Ultimate Warrior teamed have two powerhouses of this dominance engaged in a partnership. The Rock & John Cena were Superstars on the grandest scale; but, were dwarfed in both size & power by Strowman & Lashley who mirror the superheroes of comics more than any other duo in wrestling history. The two have never teamed together; but, hope what they lack in chemistry will be made up for in sheer dominance. In the end the ring may not be big enough for these two. Look for friction to develop between Lashley and Strowman, neither of which is a tag specialist. Even at the slightest hint of friction, the savvy Owens and Zayn will exploit it, utilize it, and cause it to intensify. The two behemoths will slip up and when they do their attention will be turned toward one another. Owens & Zayn will capitalize for the victory and wrestling's next big feud will be Bobby Lashley vs Braun Strowman.
WINNERS: Kevin Owens & Sami Zayn via pinfall

Daniel Bryan vs Big Cass
Daniel Bryan didn't return to wrestling after a long hiatus, just to lose. Neither did Big Cass, who the WWE hopes will be one of wrestling's most dominant Superstars for the next decade. After setting a Royal Rumble time record that will likely never be broken, Daniel Bryan was eliminated by none other than Big Cass. Bryan hopes to avenge that elimination, as well as the blatant disrespect Cass has shown over the last several weeks on Smackdown LIVE. Cass is still young in his career and while he is obviously much larger than Bryan, finds himself overmatched against a superior in-ring talent. Bryan will use his veteran savvy and technical prowess to frustrate Cass, who will lash out in anger. Look for Cass to brutalize Bryan outside of the rules, giving Bryan the DQ victory; but, look for this feud to continue.
WINNER: Daniel Bryan via DQ

WWE Smackdown Women's Champion Carmella vs Charlotte
After a brutal beat down by the IIconics, Carmella capitalized, utilizing her Money in the Bank briefcase to cash in and pin a maimed Charlotte to become the new Smackdown Women's Champion. This is a great way to get over as a heel; but, hardly a proving ground to becoming the next great women's champion. Will Carmella cheat in this match? Probably and the IIconics will likely be utilized. She will; however, shock fans with a dominant wrestling performance over Charlotte. She will show the WWE Universe that in the ring she is no slouch, a capable opponent capable of beating any competitor on any given night.
WINNER: Carmella via pinfall

Roman Reigns vs Samoa Joe
Two Samoan power houses clash in what is set up to be a memorably brutal affair. We just hope the ring can hold the mayhem. Roman Reigns is incensed after coming off two straight losses to Universal Champion Brock Lesnar, including a questionable loss that came in controversial fashion at the Greatest Royal Rumble. Samoa Joe has been spewing utter violence since returning from a long injury layoff and is itching to take wrestling's top baby face out for good. Samoa Joe is a monster; but, he may be underestimating the fact that Roman Reigns is as well. While still the company's top baby face, Joe has forgotten that Reigns was the most dominant force in wrestling's most dominant faction, The SHIELD. Such forgetfulness will likely be Joe's fatal error as he is stepping into a monster's den of epic proportions. This will be a brutal affair; but, look for Reigns to establish sheer dominance over the WWE with a huge victory over Joe.
WINNER: Roman Reigns via pinfall

No DQ Match: WWE Champion A.J. Styles vs Shinsuke Nakamura
Shinsuke Nakamura came up short in his effort to unseat A.J. Styles as WWE Champion at WrestleMania. The failure caused something inside Nakamura to snap and since coming up short, a new heel Nakamura was born. This adds to Nakamura's strength and at the Greatest Royal Rumble, proved an even more difficult opponent to defeat, as the two wrestled to the tune of a disappointing double count out. In a No DQ Match, the advantage always goes to the heel who will cross borders the baby face A.J. Styles won't. Nakamura will do anything to achieve victory and "anything" is exactly what it will take to unseat A.J. Styles as WWE Champion. This is the moment where the guard changes and Nakamura wins his very first WWE Championship.
WINNER and NEW WWE Champion: Shinsuke Nakamura

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