With tensions still on a high following 'The Most Stupendous Two Night WrestleMania in History', WWE goes bigger with another Premium Live Event - WrestleMania Backlash - in the early hours of Monday, 9 May.
Rematches are the order of the night with grudge-matches between Charlotte Flair and Ronda Rousey, Seth Rollins and Cody Rhodes as well as an epic six-man tag team match where The Bloodline battle RK-Bro and Drew McIntyre. The action doesn't stop there with a matchcard jam-packed with headline battles and we will preview all the best bits here.
The Bloodline take on Drew McIntyre and RK-Bro
At the prompting of Undisputed WWE Universal Champion Roman Reigns, The Usos stormed Monday Night Raw to challenge RK-Bro in the hopes of uniting the SmackDown and Raw Tag Team Titles. After The Usos justified their claim by dispatching The Street Profits and sealing the challenge with a double superkick to Randy Orton, The Viper & The Original Bro crashed SmackDown to accept The Bloodline’s challenge and dish out some retribution in the form of an RKO.
RK-Bro would come to crash the party on the ensuing SmackDown, but the blue brand champions took exception with their presence. Orton & Riddle would proceed to lay down the challenge, and the longest-reigning SmackDown Tag Team Champions weren't going to run from the fight.
Things all changed big time, however, when order completely broke down in the contract signing between RK-Bro and The Usos on the April 29 edition of SmackDown. After a distraction by an emerging Reigns allowed Jimmy & Jey to take out Orton and Riddle, The Head of the Table ripped up the Backlash Tag Team Unification Match contract and stuffed it down the throat of The Original Bro. Before the dust cleared, though, McIntyre joined the party to take down The Usos and send the irate Reigns heading for the hills.
In response to the calamity, Special Counsel Paul Heyman lobbied with WWE Official Adam Pearce to add Reigns and McIntyre to the Tag Team Match and transform it into an all-new Six-Man Tag Team Match for WrestleMania Backlash. Will The Bloodline conquer the combined forces of Drew McIntyre and RK-Bro?
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SmackDown Women’s Champion Charlotte Flair v Ronda Rousey (“I Quit” Match)
At WrestleMania Backlash, Ronda Rousey will look to make Charlotte Flair scream “I Quit” when she challenges her for the SmackDown Women’s Title in a highly-anticipated rematch.
Despite the fact that Rousey made Flair tap out at WrestleMania, she did not win the title due to the referee being knocked out when it happened. Although Flair was able to squeak out a victory, Rousey returned to SmackDown the following Friday and wasted little time challenging The Opportunity to an “I Quit” Match.
In response to the bold challenge, Flair refused and told The Rowdy One to get to the back of the line. Not to be outdone, though, The Baddest Woman on the Planet insisted the rematch will happen and that Charlotte will scream "no" when she turns the titleholder's arm backward. She later petitioned to have the rematch, and WWE Management made it official on WWE Talking Smack.
Former friends Happy Corbin and Madcap Moss set to collide
Losing a friendship is no laughing matter and after WrestleMania Backlash there will only be one person left smiling when Happy Corbin and his former right-hand man Madcap Moss go toe-to-toe.
After his undefeated streak ended at the hands of Drew McIntyre at WrestleMania, Corbin blamed Moss for the loss on an episode of “Happy Talk” before suddenly attacking his supposed friend. The ensuing brawl marked a split in their partnership as Corbin claimed Moss was an anchor that was dragging him down, stating he would fall flat on his face without Corbin.
Despite those remarks, Moss went on an undefeated streak of his own which further enraged Corbin after Moss declined his offer to return as his lackey. Corbin retaliated with a surprise End of Days, stealing Moss’ Andre the Giant Battle Royal Trophy as his former partner could only watch on.
Who will be the last one laughing when these two former friends square off?
Seth Rollins v Cody Rhodes II
After making his earth-shattering return to WWE at WrestleMania, Cody Rhodes will once again go head-to-head with “The Visionary” Seth Rollins in a highly anticipated rematch at WrestleMania Backlash.
It was an (American) Dream Match we never knew was coming. At WrestleMania 38, WWE Chairman Mr. McMahon named Rollins’ surprise opponent for The Grandest Stage of Them All to be none other than the returning Rhodes! What followed was a classic showdown between two of the best in the business, with The American Nightmare emerging from the fray with the victory.
The mutual respect between the two Superstars was equal to their mutual skill inside the squared circle, so much so that Rhodes joined “Miz TV” on the April 11 edition of Raw and made it clear he would give The Architect a rematch any time he desired. Later that night, Rollins emerged to throw down the challenge for WrestleMania Backlash, and Rhodes wasted little time accepting.
BROADCAST DETAILS
LIVE
Monday, 9 May
Pre Show | 1:30am
WrestleMania Backlash | 2:00am
SS Variety 3 & WWE Channel
REPEAT
Monday, 9 May
WWE Channel | 14:00
Maximo 2 | 16:40
SS Variety 3 | 19:00
* Stream all the action on DStv *
AJ Styles v Edge
AJ Styles will step back into the ring with his WrestleMania 38 opponent to disbar the self-appointed judge Edge.
Ever since his initial run-in with Styles on The Road To WrestleMania, Edge has revealed a much more sinister side, judging the WWE Universe and Styles himself from high atop his “Mountain of Omnipotence.” The Rated-R Superstar’s message has already resonated with Damian Priest, as the former United States Champion made a surprise appearance on The Grandest Stage of Them All to cost Styles his match against Edge.
A livid Styles stormed onto the Raw after WrestleMania looking to get payback for his loss at The Show of Shows but could not overcome Edge and his newest disciple, nearly falling victim to another Con-Chair-To if not for WWE Officials coming out to separate the Superstars.
But Edge has not finished his judgement of The Phenomenal One and has vowed to make an example out of him at WrestleMania Backlash for disrupting his message.
acCan Styles survive his trial before “The Grand Jury”?
The All-Mighty takes on The Colossus
At WrestleMania Backlash, Bobby Lashley will once again go head-to-head with Omos.
At WrestleMania, Bobby Lashley overcame Omos in a hard-fought clash of the titans. However because he left MVP out of the equation, his scorned cohort soon aligned himself with The Colossus and took out The All-Mighty with a surprise sneak attack.
Since then, whether it be Lashley destroying the VIP Lounge or Omos delivering a vicious beatdown in the wake of their Arm Wrestling Matchup, every clash has moved them closer to their inevitable rematch.
Now that their return matchup has been made official at WWE Raw Talk, what will happen when Lashley locks horns with Omos in a return match up at WrestleMania Backlash?