B/R Wrestling Staff Predictions for 2022 WWE WrestleMania Backlash Match Card

WWE Backlash has been in existence since 1999, which makes it one of the oldest events on the WWE calendar. Now, WWE has started referring to it as WrestleMania Backlash. 

This event is made up almost entirely of rematches from the 'Mania 38 card, with one exception. Here is the full rundown as of Friday morning, according to WWE.com:

• Roman Reigns and The Usos vs. Randy Orton, Riddle and Drew McIntyre
• Charlotte Flair vs. Ronda Rousey (SmackDown Women's Championship I Quit match)
• Bobby Lashley vs. Omos
• Happy Corbin vs. Madcap Moss
• Edge vs. AJ Styles (Damian Priest is banned from ringside)
• Cody Rhodes vs. Seth Rollins

Here's our lineup of contributors:

• Chris Mueller (CM) (@BR_Doctor)
• Kevin Berge (KB) (@KevinBerge)
• Erik Beaston (EB) (@ErikBeaston)
• Jeff J (JJ) (@JeffJSays)
• Donald Wood (DW) (@Donald_Wood)
• Graham Matthews (GM) (@WrestleRant)
• Anthony Mango (AM) (@ToeKneeMango)

Ronda Rousey vs. Charlotte Flair

Q: Based on the reaction she has gotten, should WWE have followed through with Rousey turning heel and started a different feud?

Forced wrestling angles rarely work in the modern landscape. Rousey was at her most natural as a heel before she left. She has looked uncomfortable and has been rejected by the audience since she returned. WWE should have pulled the trigger already, but it seems the company is stubbornly committed to a character for The Baddest Woman on the Planet that even she does not believe.

Bonus Question

Q: Does adding the word WrestleMania make Backlash any more important? Why or why not?

Adding WrestleMania to the event name may be a positive for marketing, but it does not bring anything to the show itself. Given how little WWE has put into this card, if anything, the name hurts the event. WWE promised this would be focused on the backlash from 'Mania. After a massive two-night card just a month prior, this show's build is more of a disappointment.

Cody Rhodes vs. Seth Rollins

Q: If Rhodes wins this match, what should WWE's next move with Seth Rollins? 

If Rhodes wins, Rollins' next move should be to feud with Lashley. Two former WWE champions who want to reclaim the top spot feels compelling to me. Seth can bring the best out of Lashley on the mic and in the ring. Plus, I can see the fans clamoring for Lashley to decimate Rollins for his incessant yet hilarious trolling during their program. Rollins vs. Lashley would be a fresh matchup for the top of the midcard with intriguing possibilities for where they go next

Bobby Lashley vs. Omos

Q: How is Lashley doing on his own so far? Was breaking up his alliance with MVP a mistake?

Lashley is doing well so far. I think MVP is a solid choice for his first babyface feud because their classic betrayal story is easy for the fans to get invested in. To take Lashley to another level, he should follow the Brock Lesnar blueprint where he's a badass who decimates his opponents and enjoys it along with us who cheer him. Being that brash, elite athlete with support from the WWE Universe will fit him well. Once he gets more reps with solo promos, he'll hit another gear.

AJ Styles vs. Edge

Q: If you were booking this show, how would you lay out this match? Who would win?

Since returning, Edge has been involved in some of the best angles in WWE. In Sunday's match, Styles should win with the help of Finn Balor, setting up a tag team match at Hell in a Cell with Edge and Damien Priest. Inside the cage, Balor could turn on Styles and join forces with Edge, building out his stable and creating a rivalry that could last until SummerSlam.

Madcap Moss vs. Happy Corbin

Q: What does WWE have to do to make Moss a successful singles star?

First, get him some new gear. Second, book the physical behemoth as an unstoppable monster, just as AEW has been booking Wardlow on Dynamite and Rampage. Moss showed glimpses of being an entertaining character during his run in NXT, but he has been a joke on the main roster. He needs a new look, a long winning streak and a devastating finisher to get the WWE Universe behind him.

Happy Corbin vs. Madcap Moss

Q: How would you wrap up this feud so everybody can move on after this PPV?

Moss wins clean and, hopefully, gets a new name out of it. Riddick Moss is more becoming of an upper-midcard guy than Madcap, which just serves as a constant reminder that he was Corbin's lackey.

Edge vs. AJ Styles

Q: What outcome makes the most sense from a storytelling perspective? Why?

Edge is still firmly in the infancy of his Judgment Day faction. That group needs credibility and momentum more than Styles needs a win. The Phenomenal One is essentially bulletproof at this point, and losing because of chicanery, likely involving a new member of Edge's stable, is hardly going to hurt him. Edge wins, further strengthening Judgment Day and giving Styles and the rest of the Raw roster a big bad to battle in the coming months.

Bobby Lashley vs. Omos

Q: On a scale of 1-10, how invested are you in this storyline and match? 

2. Their previous match at WrestleMania was not only a bigger deal for being an original matchup, but because it was on a grander stage. Even then, it was mostly built on Lashley knocking Omos down. This is just a rematch for the sake of dragging out the story. They'll kill time until MVP costs Lashley the match, just to make it 1-1 so a third rubber match can happen. It's not exactly a riveting tale of betrayal worth investing two months into.

Cody Rhodes vs. Seth Rollins

Q: Is there an argument Seth Rollins should win this match?

If WWE wants to drag this out like everything else, Rhodes winning again proves he's definitively the better man, meaning there's no hook for why Rollins deserves a third match. If Rollins wins by cheating, it prevents him from losing too much steam and bypasses criticism that Rhodes is becoming boring by never losing. Fans are quick to turn on anyone the company is getting behind, so it might be a smart play to put him more in an underdog spot.

The Bloodline vs. RK-Bro and Drew McIntyre

Q: In your opinion, should WWE have kept this as a tag title unification match or is it better that the titles remain separate? 

The Raw and SmackDown tag team divisions are so depleted that a tag title unification is imperative. Viewers can tolerate only so many Street Profits vs. Alpha Academy and Usos vs. New Day matches. Tag team wrestling won't become a priority to WWE overnight, but the division would be better with one set of floating champions.

Ronda Rousey vs. Charlotte Flair

Q: What is the best way for this match to play out so it satisfies as many fans as possible?

Rousey finally winning the title is the only outcome that makes sense for this match. The rivalry has been extremely underwhelming on the whole, and fans will find it difficult to care either way, but stretching this storyline out any further with Rousey in chase mode would be a mistake. It's time for Rousey to take the title in decisive fashion so we can move on from this feud and incorporate other faces into the mix.

The Bloodline vs. RK-Bro and Drew McIntyre

Q: A six-man tag is the kind of match we might see on Raw to build up these feuds, not a pay-per-view main event. Why do you think WWE booked this bout for the PPV?

I honestly believe WWE was planning to end the brand split and then something changed Vince McMahon's mind, so they decided not to unify the tag titles. While adding Reigns and McIntyre will lead to a fun match, it still feels unworthy of a PPV main event. 

Bonus Question

Q: Does adding the word WrestleMania make Backlash any more important?

Not one bit. The Backlash event has existed since 1999. It was the first PPV that did not include the In Your House branding that wasn't a Royal Rumble, WrestleMania, SummerSlam, Survivor Series or King of the Ring, so it's one of WWE's longest-running events.

Adding "WrestleMania" does nothing because there are no fans who are going to see it as being more important than it would have been without that branding attached. 

All respondents' predictions are represented by their initials next to their choices.

• The Bloodline (KB, EB, CM) vs. RK-Bro and McIntyre (AM, GM, JJ, DW)
• Flair vs. Rousey (DW, AM, EB, GM, CM, JJ, KB)
• Lashley vs. Omos (DW, AM, EB, GM, CM, JJ, KB)
• Corbin vs. Moss (DW, AM, EB, GM, CM, JJ, KB)
• Edge (AM, EB, KB, CM) vs. Styles (DW, AM, JJ)
• Rhodes (EB, KB, AM) vs. Rollins (JJ, GM, DW, CM)