Newton’s third law states that for every action there is an equal and opposite reaction. Therefore, for every WrestleMania, there must be a Backlash. Long-term WWE fans will be more than familiar with the concept of Backlash. If ‘Mania is the unofficial end of one WWE season, then Backlash is the first major show of the next season. With WrestleMania being the pinnacle of the sports entertainment calendar, it’s natural for there to be a bit of a comedown in the aftermath, as it’s not possible to travel at full speed 100% of the time. Therefore, Backlash can be a bit of a calmer period of time. A chance for composure, to tie up any unfinished feuds and, perhaps, it’s also a time for new fans to come aboard. While this is a show that may have disappeared from the calendar on a couple of occasions, much like the Terminator, it always comes Back-lash.

There’s a lot to digest in the aftermath of WrestleMania. Roman Reigns unifying the WWE and Universal Championships, Damian Priest aligning himself with this shockingly sadistic version of Edge and, of course, the return of Cody Rhodes after six years away. But as we know, the wheels don’t stop turning for anything. Interestingly enough, with the exception of Survivor Series (where non-title matches have become the norm) – this will be the first Premium Live Event since Elimination Chamber 2018 where neither of the men’s World Championships was on the line. Currently, there are 6 matches announced for the show. While there is only one Championship on the line, there are three rematches from WrestleMania, so there is still much at stake. So buckle in as we hit you with our WrestleMania Backlash predictions.

Note: Predictions are simply that, predictions. None of us has heard anything ahead of time, we promise. The card may be incomplete but we chose not to make you wait too long…

Happy Corbin vs Madcap Moss

It seems these happy days aren’t yours or mine, at least, not anymore. While Madcap Moss may have emulated his mentor by winning the André the Giant Memorial Battle Royal over WrestleMania weekend, it was a period of time to forget for Happy Corbin, when he was defeated by Drew McIntyre. It seems only fitting that ahead of WrestleMania Backlash that there would be some Backlash between the Happy Folk. Never one to take accountability for his own shortcomings, Corbin blamed Moss for his loss at ‘Mania. What could have been solved with a simple, civil conversation quickly degenerated into fisticuffs at dawn.

Moss will get his chance at revenge, and the opportunity to prove that he isn’t just a sidekick when he faces off against Corbin at WrestleMania Backlash. Meanwhile, Corbin will be looking to prove that he never needed Madcap in the first place. All things considered, Corbin does have a lot to prove, considering he has fallen quite far since his time as United States Champion and Mr Money in the Bank.

Danny Cause’s Prediction: Madcap Moss – besides, whatever happens, Moss needs to change his gimmick after this feud. There is nothing redeeming about the ‘Madcap’ stuff.

Steph Franchomme’s Prediction: Let’s Happy Corbin be happy for a few minutes…

Bobby Lashley vs Omos

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. Because he left MVP out of the equation, however, 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 again?

Lashley won without MVP by his side at WrestleMania 38, and MVP’s bitterness gets poured into the rising prospect Omos. Omos still looks green, and hopefully, there’s room for growth and development for him as a wrestler. But for Backlash, the person who will be doing the most lifting will be a decided Montel Vontavious Porter to put Omos over for the win on Sunday.

Danny Cause’s Prediction: Omos – at WrestleMania, we saw the Colossos get cocky and look past Lashley. I don’t expect Omos to make the same mistake twice, especially now he has the wisdom of MVP in his corner.

Steph Franchomme’s Prediction: Lashley.

Damian Priest Banned From Ringside
AJ Styles vs Edge

AJ Styles will step back into the ring with his WrestleMania 38 opponent in the hopes of disbarring 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. Styles would score a key victory over Priest that secured the Judgment Day disciple’s banishment from ringside for the WrestleMania rematch and found a new ally in Finn Balor.

The one thing that’s intriguing is that Styles lost his match at WrestleMania 38 due to the presence of Priest, and it’s tough to see him lose to shenanigans twice in a row. Styles is one of the all-time greats, and a win feels like an option here, but the star of this match will be figuring out who stands next to Edge and Priest on Sunday night.

Danny Cause’s Prediction: AJ Styles – I said in my part of the predictions last month that I hoped the ‘Mania clash between these two would be the beginning of a feud. That means Styles needs to win this match in order to even the scorecard and take us into a rubber match.

Steph Franchomme’s Prediction: AJ Styles, I want a third match in the Cell…

Cody Rhodes vs Seth Rollins

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 Cody 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.

The spectre of Rollins losing twice on the big stage seems unfathomable, but the resources that are being poured into Rhodes’ return make it tough to perceive a different result. Like Flair vs. Rousey, the possibility of this going to a “Game 3” scenario exists with Rollins winning on Sunday and then a trilogy fight to settle the score at Hell in a Cell. Rousey’s credibility would take a huge hit with a loss, but Rollins’ star power can still shine bright, even in defeat.

Danny Cause’s Prediction: Cody Rhodes – this is an instance where I think the storyline is best served by Rhodes getting another win.

Steph Franchomme’s Prediction: Cody Rhodes, because I want a third match…

Drew McIntyre & Raw Tag Team Champions RK-Bro vs. Undisputed WWE Universal Champion Roman Reigns & SmackDown Tag Team Champions The Usos 

The Head of the Table main-evented his sixth WrestleMania last month. Only Triple H and Hulk Hogan have more, with seven and eight respectively. What’s more, Reigns was able to vanquish his old foe, Brock Lesnar, and unify the Universal Championship with the WWE Championship. Roman has also stretched his current run as Universal Champion to over 610 days. In WWE history, only Bob Backlund, Pedro Morales, Bruno Sammartino and Hulk Hogan have held a World Championship for longer. As Reigns seems intent on chasing history, his next target is 1,027 days, that’s how long Morales held the WWE Championship. For those keeping track at home, that means Roman has to keep this reign going until at least June 23, 2023. So buckle in, as the ride may not be over yet.

Just in case breaking records himself wasn’t enough, The Tribal Chief also expects his cousins, the Usos to follow in his footsteps. While they’re currently the longest-reigning SmackDown Tag Team Champions of all time, Roman expects Jimmy and Jey to unify their titles with the RAW Tag Team Championships. While the Samoan twins may have the hunger, it’s easier said than done, when the reigning RAW Champs are the formidable RK-Bro. Riddle has been enjoying a tremendous time alongside Randy Orton, who recently celebrated twenty years working in WWE. Riddle and Orton aren’t afraid of anything, so they had no hesitation in accepting the challenge of the Usos.

Things erupted on a recent episode of SmackDown when the two teams were set to sign the contract that made their Winner Takes All match official. That’s because Roman Reigns took the opportunity to attack Riddle and Orton until Drew McIntyre made the save. McIntyre is looking for a new challenge after finally ridding himself of Happy Corbin, and would appear to have his sights set on the WWE Universal Championship. With plans hastily changed, we now have a six-man tag team match. There are no Championships at stake, only pride.

Danny Cause’s Prediction: Drew McIntyre & RK-Bro – with no titles on the line, this is an opportunity for the good guys to get a win, plus Roman Reigns doesn’t have to take the fall. This would undoubtedly lead to a big one-on-one match between Reigns and McIntyre, which may be the only real marquee match left for Reigns. That may go a long way to explaining why there’s no World title match on this show.

Steph Franchomme’s Prediction: The Bloodline.

I Quit Match for the SmackDown Women’s Championship
Charlotte Flair (c) vs Ronda Rousey

A feud that goes back a couple of years may finally culminate this Sunday. After initially butting heads at the 2018 Survivor Series – an instance where Flair was victorious – they were also part of the first-ever women’s match to main event WrestleMania, in 2019, a match where Becky Lynch was victorious. Rousey then took an extended period of absence from the squared circle, before making a shock return at this year’s Royal Rumble. The Rowdy one won that match and went on to challenge Flair for the SmackDown Women’s Championship last month. Charlotte won that match, but it wasn’t without controversy as Flair visibly tapped out to Rousey’s armbar, but as the referee was incapacitated, it wasn’t noticed and the match continued. Flair was then able to score a cheap victory – but a victory nonetheless. That essentially means the record between these two is 1-1-1.

Understandably, Ronda Rousey wants a decisive match, where the outcome can’t be disputed, and that’s where the “I quit!” stipulation comes into play. This is a match with no disqualifications, where anything goes. A match that isn’t decided by pinfalls, submissions or count-outs. This is a match that can’t be decided when the referee is incapacitated. The only way to end this match is to make life so unbearable for your opponent that you make them say the words “I Quit!” in front of the referee. The “I Quit” stipulation isn’t one that comes out to play all that often and is generally saved for big feuds. Flair and Rousey are about to become the latest members of a club that includes The Rock, Mankind, Triple H, Batista, Randy Orton and John Cena. There’ll be nowhere to hide after this match, as everybody will know that one of these women has quit. There’s more than just a Championship at stake here. Will pride prove to be more valuable?

Danny Cause’s Prediction: Ronda Rousey – surely the Baddest woman on the planet won’t be forced to say those two words. Right?

Steph Franchomme’s Prediction: Ronda Rousey.

WrestleMania Backlash comes your way this Sunday at 8 PM EST (1 AM BST), exclusively on Peacock in the U.S. and on WWE Network. A pre-show will air on WWE Network and WWE social media at 7 PM EST (midnight BST).

All pics and videos courtesy of WWE