WWE Backlash 2020 predictions

WWE returns to pay-per-view (PPV) — if your cable provider is carrying the event, of course — tomorrow night (Sun., June 14, 2020) from the Performance Center in Orlando, Florida, with its Backlash event starting at 6:00 pm ET with the Kickoff show leading right on into the main course at 7 pm ET on the WWE Network.

Set for the card: THE GREATEST WRESTLING MATCH EVER, and more!

Luckily for you Cagesiders, our staff of learned wrestling blowhards is here to help figure out just how the event is going to play out with predictions for each match on the card.

Let’s get to it.

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Backlash predictions

Edge vs. Randy Orton

Geno Mrosko: You know what? I’m going to predict they actually have the greatest wrestling match ever. I believe. Pick: Edge

Sean Rueter: Want THE GREATEST PREDICTION EVER? Brace yourselves. Here it comes. Ready? Pick: Randy Orton

Kyle Decker: Could you predict how the Mona Lisa would look before it was painted? Could you predict the statue of David before it was sculpted? Or Beethoven’s fifth symphony before it was composed? You cannot predict greatness and I refuse to even try.

Rev. Claire Elizabeth: Oh, this one’s easy. Timothy Thatcher over Matt Riddle in 16:46 by submission with a cross armbar while hanging off the apron. (...) We’re predicting the greatest wrestling match ever, right? Riddle vs. Thatcher III, Evolve 66. Duh. (...) Oh. (...) OH. I dunno, Edge? Edge. Pick: Edge

Cain A. Knight: Roman Reigns recently noticed that Randy Orton is well lubricated, and that’s why he’s picking Randy to win. I just can’t agree with that logic. As far as I can tell, Randy’s lubrication makes him extremely vulnerable to the spear. Pick: Edge

Stella Cheeks: What exactly is the end game here? Edge comes back. Beats the ever loving sh*t out of Randy Orton for 40 minutes and then we are just gonna have a super regular wrestling match? Like SO regular that it’s “great wrestling”? What? Is? The? Point? It’s WWE so I am going with the predisposition for 50/50 booking. Pick: Randy Orton

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Drew McIntyre vs. Bobby Lashley

Geno Mrosko: With recent news that Paul Heyman is no longer making the big decisions, this gets thrown into question in a different way than before. Having said that, they’re both burly big men who have muscles that have muscles. So, I mean, I don’t know. It’s probably a coin flip, unless it isn’t. Pick: Drew McIntyre

Sean Rueter: Aborting the well-executed Drew McIntyre push because he thinks Brock Lesnar vs. another guy who’s done MMA is the magic elixir that makes SummerSlam the most buzzed about event in recent history and turns the ratings around would be so very, very Vince. Pick: Bobby Lashley

Kyle Decker: Lashley could be the type of guy to take the strap off McIntyre, and we can start worry about shakeups now that Paul Heyman is gone, but I think it’s too soon in general to take the belt off Drew. Pick: Drew McIntyre

Rev. Claire Elizabeth: Drew’s reign isn’t over yet, and neither is this feud, and I’m glad for it because under the watchful eye of MVP, Bobby Lashley is finally starting to feel like his best self again. I’m thinking Drew retains by some kind of DQ/MVP-related shenanigans, and then we get a stipulation match at the next pay-per-view. Pick: Drew McIntyre

Cain A. Knight: McIntyre is a better wrestler than both Orton and Edge, in kayfabe, because he’s the WWE champion. So the fact that the Edge vs. Orton is billed as The Greatest Wresting Match Ever, instead of McIntyre vs. Lashley, implies that Bobby Lashley is a mediocre challenger. Pick: Drew McIntyre

Stella Cheeks: Lashley thrives with a manager that can talk for him and not, you know, a harpy with a ponytail. Now that he is paired with MVP he is in a position to not only take the championship from McIntyre, but to have a good run. That being said, it does feel like it’s too soon for McIntyre to drop the belt. And there’s that whole Lana thing still happening in the background. I think somehow Lana costs Lashley the match and once that drama plays out he’ll be back for the belt and round two with McIntyre. Pick: Drew McIntyre

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Braun Strowman vs. The Miz & John Morrison

Geno Mrosko: There’s no way they’re going to put the title on The Miz & John Morrison for a hey hey and especially not for a ho ho. I’m more concerned with whether or not Otis shows up to the party. Pick: Braun Strowman

Sean Rueter: ... I can’t be the only who keeps forgetting the Universal championship even exists, let alone who’s holding it, right? Pick: Whoever has it now, I guess

Kyle Decker: There’s no need to explain myself. Pick: Braun Strowman

Rev. Claire Elizabeth: Ordinarily I’d be like “no way, monster overcomes, easy pick”, but Braun *did* actually lose the Intercontinental Championship in a handicap match, so... feels like there’s a chance. And honestly, there are worse ways to split Miz and Morrison than “they win the title and have a subsequent difference of opinion”, so... Pick: The Miz & John Morrison

Cain A. Knight: This storyline is dumb; the Universal championship is a joke. Pick: Braun Strowman

Stella Cheeks: He flipped a van with Miz and Morrison still inside. He’s not going to lose. Pick: Braun Strowman

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Asuka vs. Nia Jax

Geno Mrosko: Jax was a total non-factor on Monday Night Raw this past week in favor of making clear that Charlotte Flair is the next big thing in the Raw women’s division. So, really, it hardly matters who wins here. Flair’s got a bigger bone to pick with Asuka, though, so we’ll go with that. Pick: Asuka

Sean Rueter: Since I’m not even going to entertain the possibility of a title change here, I’ll just say the thing I’m really hoping for most tomorrow night is that Kairi Sane gets to open a can of whoop ass on Nia. Pick: Asuka

Kyle Decker: It’s been made very clear who Asuka’s real feud is. Sorry, Nia. Pick: Asuka

Rev. Claire Elizabeth: Nia has been such an afterthought these last couple weeks I’m frankly shocked the match made it to PPV still as a one-on-one singles. Pick: Asuka

Cain A. Knight: I have this all figured out. Asuka beats Nia Jax at Backlash, defeats Shayna Baszler at the July PPV, and then loses her title to Charlotte Flair at SummerSlam. Those latter two outcomes are contingent upon Asuka not getting injured in this match against Jax, of course. Pick: Asuka

Stella Cheeks: Nia was never a threat. She was just a placeholder until The Queen became available. Pick: Asuka

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Bayley & Sasha Banks vs. Alexa Bliss & Nikki Cross vs. The IIconics

Geno Mrosko: Why not? Pick: The IIconics

Sean Rueter: They’re obviously just keeping them warm until Tegan Nox & Shotzi Blackheart win them next Wednesday, but... Pick: Bayley & Sasha Banks

Kyle Decker: The question is when do they want to run Bayley vs. Sasha? Is it SummerSlam? Then they maybe drop the gold here. But with SummerSlam likely to be in the Performance Center like everything else, I bet they wait on this feud yet again and therefore, they retain the gold. Pick: Bayley & Sasha

Rev. Claire Elizabeth: It’s going to be the Iconics just because they ate a loss on Monday and it’ll be the shocking choice, “ooh, how clever, we ran a near-version of this on the go-home and now we zigged when you thought we’d zag,” yay. Pick: Iconic Duo (Billie Kay & Peyton Royce)

Cain A. Knight: It’s possible that Banks and Bayley recently won the titles simply because WWE needed to add another match to Backlash, in which case the titles might go back to Cross and Bliss here. Either way, the IIconics are taking the fall. Pick: Bayley & Sasha Banks

Stella Cheeks: Selfishly I want Sasha & Bayley to win because I am dying to see them back in NXT. At this point I don’t trust them to handle a Bayley/Sasha feud with any of the finesse it deserves so I would rather have them as a duo. Pick: Sasha & Bayley

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Apollo Crews vs. Andrade

Geno Mrosko: Another instance of Paul Heyman losing power and it possibly having some rough repercussions for certain wrestlers. Pick: Andrade

Sean Rueter: Look, I’m on record as saying it doesn’t matter. Recent company news has only strengthened my opinion in that regard. Pick: Andrade

Kyle Decker: Andrade’s issues with Angel Garza seem to be the bigger focus here, so Apollo Crews can benefit from that and retain his gold. Pick: Apollo Crews

Rev. Claire Elizabeth: Apollo is so, so close to putting it all together. Let him keep the title until we have fans again, please, and let him sink or swim on his own merits. Pick: Apollo Crews

Cain A. Knight: I’m pretty sure that WWE has moved on from the idea of Andrade as United States Champion. Pick: Apollo Crews

Stella Cheeks: Apollo Crews deserves to have a lengthy run. He was a key background player at the beginning of quarantine putting on several great mid card matches. Every match he has he puts in 100% effort. Plus, we deserve a little open challenge action to break up the monotony of RAW. Pick: Apollo Crews

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Jeff Hardy vs. Sheamus

Geno Mrosko: This feud sucks, and I hate what they’re doing with it. Even if Hardy comes out on top, it doesn’t feel very good. I’m just going to hope he does anyway. Pick: Jeff Hardy

Sean Rueter: Circling back to “very, very Vince” things... I’m worried that having Jeff lose here might be another we see on Sunday. I’m preemptively tuning out the discourse about what that means. Pick: Sheamus

Kyle Decker: Jeff really needs to win here to make this story at all worth it. Now I wouldn’t put it completely past them to botch this, but I’m going to say they don’t at this specific occurrence. Pick: Jeff Hardy

Rev. Claire Elizabeth: Babyface hero gets his revenge, film at 11. Pick: Jeff Hardy

Cain A. Knight: I think there’s a decent chance that WWE is saving Strowman vs. The Fiend for SummerSlam, which means Strowman will need a different heel opponent for the July PPV. I’m hoping it’s Sheamus, because the alternative is to watch The Worst Wrestling Match Ever between Braun Strowman and Baron Corbin. Pick: Sheamus

Stella Cheeks: This story has crossed too many lines for me. I guess having Jeff win “justifies” their terrible writing, but to be quite honest I’ve already written this one off as my bathroom break. Pick: Jeff Hardy

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That’s how we see the card playing out.

You?