The next pay-per-view (PPV) event will be a SmackDown Live -exclusive event called Backlash, and it will feature great matches and the main roster debut match of Shinsuke Nakamura. Two huge bouts were added to the card on this week’s episode, and one will see the former NXT Champion take on Dolph Ziggler, and the other has six of Team Blue’s best women superstars face off in a single tag match.
Up until this week’s SmackDown Live , there were only three official matches on the card for Backlash , but more have been rumored. As expected, Shinsuke Nakamura will have his first official match on the main roster, and he will take on former World Heavyweight Champion Dolph Ziggler.
Ever since he made his debut after his NXT call-up, Nakamura has been interacting with Ziggler, and they have actually made for some really great segments. As reported by The Wrestling Observer , that match has now been made official , and it was added to the Backlash card.
Honestly, Nakamura’s debut has been the main focus of the promotion for Backlash, and it was odd that he didn’t have a match made official until now. Saving his first WWE main roster match for this PPV is a smart move by the company as NXT fans will love it, and those who have never seen him wrestle will be sure to tune in.
It makes things even better that he is paired with Dolph Ziggler, who is another great worker and a popular superstar. This should be a great match, which will likely be won by Nakamura, but they’re not going to make it obvious and let everyone know what is coming.
Another match that was added to the card for Backlash is one that will showcase the women’s division as a whole. Instead of having a single match for the SmackDown Women’s Championship, there will be six superstars facing off in teams of two.
SmackDown Women’s Champion Naomi will partner with Becky Lynch and the newly turned babyface, Charlotte Flair, to take on Natalya, Carmella, and Tamina. This has come from a rather interesting storyline in which Becky has played the mediator to have Naomi and Charlotte get along, so their partnership will come into question at Backlash .
The rest of the card has shaped up nicely with three title matches, and there will likely be a few more bouts added before next Sunday.
CBS Sports is reporting that a match between Baron Corbin and Sami Zayn is rumored to be added to Backlash . It is odd that both of these superstars had been in some kind of title picture for months, but right now, they are without any type of program at all.
On this week’s SmackDown Live , Corbin and Zayn were both involved in the opening segment and main event six-man tag which saw them face off against one another. It would not be shocking to see that added to the main card or even the Kickoff Show.
The current card for WWE Backlash is as follows:
- WWE Championship: Randy Orton (c) vs. Jinder Mahal
- United States Championship: Kevin Owens (c) vs. AJ Styles
- SmackDown Tag Team Championship: The Usos (c) vs. Breezango
- Shinsuke Nakamura vs. Dolph Ziggler
- Naomi, Charlotte Flair, & Becky Lynch vs. Natalya, Carmella, & Tamina
There is no surprise that WWE needs to really have a big pay-per-view event, which brings in a lot of attention from the fans. With ratings falling every single week for both SmackDown Live and Monday Night Raw , something big needs to happen, and a big spurt is necessary to bounce back. Shinsuke Nakamura’s debut match on the main roster should bring in some new viewers, and a few more matches are likely to be added before next Sunday.
[Featured Image by WWE]
