Old rivalries wage on, while new feuds are just getting started. Don’t miss all your favorite Superstars at WWE WrestleMania Backlash, Sunday, May 7 at 02:00 (CAT), live on WWE Channel 128.
BAD BUNNY AND DAMIAN PRIEST CLASH IN A STREET FIGHT MATCH
The Judgment Day's Damian Priest is set to collide with WWE Backlash host Bad Bunny in a highly-personal Street Fight when WWE descends on Puerto Rico on May 6. What a difference two years can make. At WrestleMania 37, Priest joined forces with Grammy Award-winning recording artist Bad Bunny, and the pair earned a win in a tag team match on The Grandest Stage of Them All.
Fast forward to WrestleMania 39 where a whole different story began to unfold. During Rey Mysterio's showdown against his son Dominik, Bad Bunny prevented Dominik from using a steel chain that Priest had left on the apron. This caused a distraction that allowed Rey to emerge victorious at The Showcase of the Immortals.
During the Raw after WrestleMania, an altercation broke out between Bad Bunny and Dominik at ringside, and when Dominik attempted to strike, the pop music sensation blocked the punch and laid him out. In response, Priest dragged Bad Bunny over the ringside barricade and smashed him through the announce table.
On the April 24 episode of Raw, Bad Bunny reemerged to attack the Judgment Day member with a Kendo stick before challenging him to a Street Fight at WWE Backlash. Don't miss when the host of WWE Backlash goes one-on-one with Priest in an all-out brawl.
BREAKING: @sanbenito has challenged @ArcherofInfamy to a STREET FIGHT at #WWEBacklash in Puerto Rico!#WWERaw pic.twitter.com/xmO1mwXzqd
— WWE (@WWE) April 25, 2023
CODY RHODES LOOKS TO TAME THE BEAST BROCK LESNAR
Cody Rhodes was flying high after winning the Royal Rumble Match, heading into his big fight with Undisputed WWE Universal Champion Roman Reigns at WrestleMania.
But between WrestleMania and the following night on Raw, the dream turned into a nightmare. Not only did Rhodes lose to Reigns in a controversial fashion in the WrestleMania main event, but he was suddenly ambushed by Brock Lesnar just before the two were set to battle Reigns and Solo Sikoa in tag team action on Raw.
The Beast brutalized Rhodes to a shocking and uncomfortable degree, obliterating him with steel chairs and the ring steps as the Raw After WrestleMania came to a stunning conclusion. Since then, Rhodes has been on a quest to challenge Lesnar to a match at WWE Backlash, and on the April 17 edition of Raw, Lesnar accepted Rhodes’ challenge.
Can Rhodes bounce back from his WrestleMania loss with a victory over The Beast, or will Lesnar obliterate The American Nightmare?
Did @CodyRhodes get his hands on @BrockLesnar?#WWERaw pic.twitter.com/c1I7bgIyfK
— WWE (@WWE) April 18, 2023
6-MAN TAG MATCH
At WWE Backlash, Undisputed WWE Tag Team Champions Kevin Owens & Sami Zayn will join forces with Matt Riddle against The Usos & Solo Sikoa.
The Bloodline have established themselves as the dominant faction of the modern era. With an epic title run just shy of 1,000 days and victories over every opponent who has gotten in his path, Undisputed WWE Universal Champion Roman Reigns is operating in God Mode. The latest Tag Team Title reign of Jimmy & Jey Uso lasted a history-making 622 days. Add "The Enforcer" Solo Sikoa and the devious mind of Special Council Paul Heyman, and you have a recipe for total superiority.
Zayn, Owens and Riddle all are firmly focused on destroying The Bloodline. Once the "Honorary Uce" of the dominant faction, Zayn reunited with his lifelong friend Owens in a war against the group after he refused to attack KO at Royal Rumble and instead blasted Undisputed WWE Universal Champion Roman Reigns in the back with a steal chair. Together again, Owens and Zayn overcame The Usos to capture the Undisputed WWE Tag Team Titles at WrestleMania 39.
After The Show of Shows, Riddle returned from an injury suffered at the hands of Solo Sikoa and aligned with Owens and Zayn against The Bloodline. Since then, Reigns and his family have focused on solving their Zayn, Owens and Riddle problem. Will The Bloodline finally put an end to their adversaries? Or will those standing in opposition finally destroy the faction?
RHEA RIPLEY PUTS HER SMACKDOWN WOMEN'S CHAMPIONSHIP ON THE LINE AGAINST ZELINA VEGA
Zelina Vega is determined to honor her Puerto Rican heritage when she challenges Rhea Ripley for the SmackDown Women's Championship in Puerto Rico at WWE Backlash.
Since joining The Judgment Day, Rhea Ripley has brought her game to a whole new level. After outlasting 29 other Superstars to conquer the 2023 Royal Rumble Match, she defeated Charlotte Flair at WrestleMania to capture the SmackDown Women's Championship in an already legendary title fight. The Eradicator now stands at the top of the mountain, daring someone to try and pick her off.
Enter the tenacious Zelina Vega. During the dangerous rivalry between Rey Mysterio and his son Dominik, the WWE Hall of Famer recruited Legado del Fantasma to form a new version of The LWO to watch his back. Surely fueled in part by the confidence generated from the faith that Mysterio had in her and her compatriots, the high-flying Vega went to WWE Official Adam Pearce and laid down her intention to challenge the new SmackDown Women's Champion to a title match at WWE Backlash.
BIANCA BELAIR DEFENDS HER GOLD AGAINST IYO SKY
At WWE Backlash, Raw Women's Champion Bianca Belair will put her title on the line against IYO SKY.
The EST of WWE has brought the Raw Women's Championship to historic heights as a true fighting champion. This includes huge rivalries against the likes of Becky Lynch and Bayley as well as, most recently, an explosive WrestleMania matchup against Asuka. No matter what heights she has reached, however, it remains to be seen if Belair is ready for The Genius of the Sky.
#WWERaw Women's Champion @BiancaBelairWWE will put her title on the line against @Iyo_SkyWWE at #WWEBacklash, live from Puerto Rico! pic.twitter.com/Jy5cJAiEqg
— WWE (@WWE) April 24, 2023
Since emerging at SummerSlam alongside The Role Model and Dakota Kai as Damage CTRL, SKY has taken WWE by storm. Together with Kai, she enjoyed a successful reign as WWE Women's Tag Team Champion. When Bayley told her that Bayley had been given a Triple Threat Match for a possible Raw Women's Title opportunity in the future, though, SKY was not happy. This prompted Bayley to inform WWE Official Adam Pearce that IYO was taking her place in the match against Piper Niven and Michin. After SKY emerged victorious in that free-for-all, an opportunity against Belair seemed inevitable.
TRIPLE THREAT MATCH FOR THE UNITED STATES CHAMPIONSHIP
Bobby Lashley and Bronson Reed are set to challenge Austin Theory in an absolute free-for-all for the United States Championship at WWE Backlash.
On The Grandest Stage of Them All, Theory picked up a career-defining WrestleMania victory when he retained the star-spangled title against "The Greatest of All Time" John Cena. In contract, although Lashley won the Andre the Giant Memorial Battle Royal on WrestleMania SmackDown, he was denied a moment of his own at The Showcase of The Immortals, which seemed to fuel his fury when he took on Theory on the April 17 edition of Raw.
Before the matchup could be decided, however, the massive Bronson Reed suddenly reared his head, clobbering Lashley and ending the contest with no winner.
United States Champion Austin Theory is truly on the top of his game. But can he withstand the intense challenge of both The All Mighty and the massive Reed with no champion's advantage?
SETH 'FREAKIN' ROLLINS TAKES ON OMOS
Live in Puerto Rico, two of Raw’s biggest Superstars will collide in what will surely be a spectacle. Seth “Freakin” Rollins has never faced a challenge like Omos. Rollins will need the full support of his choir in Puerto Rico if he looks to quell the rise of the unstoppable Nigerian Giant.
The Architect has been on a roll, beating Logan Paul at WrestleMania and dispatching The Miz on Monday Night Raw this past week in a barnburner. Omos, however, is still reeling from his loss to Brock Lesnar at WrestleMania and will look to use Rollins to vent his frustrations.
Who will prevail when Rollins and Omos face each other for the very first time in Puerto Rico?
Which match are you most excited for?#WWEBacklash, live from Puerto Rico, takes place on May 6! pic.twitter.com/SEi0Yib18o
— WWE (@WWE) April 25, 2023
Source: WWE