WrestleMania Backlash predictions

WrestleMania Backlash is taking place tomorrow night (Sun., May 16, 2021) from the ThunderDome in the Yuengling Center in Tampa, Florida. It begins at 6:00 pm ET with the Kickoff show leading right on into the main course at 7 pm ET on Peacock in the U.S., WWE Network everywhere else, or your local cable pay-per-view provider.

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.

---

WrestleMania Backlash predictions

Bobby Lashley vs. Drew McIntyre vs. Braun Strowman

Geno Mrosko: There hasn’t really been much of anything to indicate WWE is even considering making a change here. If anything, Strowman being added makes that even more clear. Pick: Bobby Lashley

Sean Rueter: Really glad Bob’s still champ. Really hope his next feud is more interesting, but looking at the Raw landscape, not sure it will be. Pick: Bobby Lashley

Kyle Decker: I don’t see a reason to do any change here. Maybe if they want to put the belt back on McIntyre while protecting Bobby, but at this point, I don’t see any point in that. Pick: Bobby Lashley

Claire Elizabeth: Triple threats favor the champion and I believe in Bobby Lashley. Keep that title, Walking Armageddon! Pick: Bobby Lashley

Cain A. Knight: Strowman is here to take the fall, but it’s not clear if it will be a Claymore or the Hurt Lock that does him in. Either way, I think Drew will be dealing with Jinder Mahal soon enough. Pick: Bobby Lashley

Stella Cheeks: Strowman is a joke, let’s be real. I mean, he has a choochoo train sound effect for pete’s sake. He exists in the match so that he can be pinned, Drew can lose but not, like lose LOSE, and Bobby can stay champ. Pick: Bobby Lashley

---

Bianca Belair vs. Bayley

Geno Mrosko: Quite clearly a stopgap program for the SmackDown women’s champion before new — or perhaps old — challengers emerge. Pick: Bianca Belair

Sean Rueter: First Eva steals her nickname/gimmick, now Bayley has to do the obligatory “establish the new champ” job. No wonder she’s losing her mind. Pick: Bianca Belair

Kyle Decker: Bianca doesn’t get her big win at WrestleMania just to lose it a month later. It’ll be a win against another big name to keep her reign going. Pick: Bianca Belair

Claire Elizabeth: The EST train don’t stop here, no way, no how. Sorry Bayley, ding dong, back of the line. Pick: Bianca Belair

Cain A. Knight: Bayley hasn’t won a match since February. Pick: Bianca Belair

Stella Cheeks: DING DONG, Bayley’s losing for sure. Pick Bianca Belair

---

Rhea Ripley vs. Asuka vs. Charlotte Flair

Geno Mrosko: I can’t imagine they go back to Asuka here. Flair would be an interesting choice but it would cut the legs out from under Ripley way too early into her run on the main roster. She should win here and continue this with Asuka moving on. Pick: Rhea Ripley

Sean Rueter: My only real question is... which of these ladies gets fed to Lilly? Pick: Rhea Ripley

Kyle Decker: Who am I to bet against Charlotte Flair? Honestly, her winning makes the most sense. The story is she’s back and getting everything handed to her. Her winning will feed into that even more. Pick: Charlotte Flair

Claire Elizabeth: I have a rule, and that’s that I never bet against Charlotte Flair, unless I do, and when I do it usually bites me in the bottom and I regret it and go back to never betting against her. Anyway, there’s not a lot of juice to this whole program and she has all of it, so let’s go with the Queen. Pick: Charlotte Flair

Cain A. Knight: This is a tough choice between Ripley and Flair. Ripley’s matches on the main roster have been underwhelming so far. When in doubt, pick Charlotte Flair. Pick: Charlotte Flair

Stella Cheeks: Ain’t my first rodeo. Pick: Charlotte Flair

---

Roman Reigns vs. Cesaro

Geno Mrosko: It’s nice that Cesaro is getting this story and all, but how nice is it really when it’s this clear he doesn’t really have any chance of winning? Pick: Roman Reigns

Sean Rueter: I was wrong when I said this about his singles match at WrestleMania, but I’m not wrong about it now. That this match was booked at all is Cesaro’s victory. Pick: Roman Reigns

Kyle Decker: If they were doing this at say SummerSlam in front of fans after a long build, I’d strongly consider Cesaro. But instead, it’s a month after Roman’s big Mania win at a very B PPV. Pick: Roman Reigns

Claire Elizabeth: Oh I hope against hope this is finally Cesaro’s day, but it’s not going to be and it really shouldn’t be. The Head of the Table pinned Daniel Bryan and Edge at the same time at WrestleMania, it’s going to take a truly Herculean effort to unthrone him and that ain’t today. Pick: Roman Reigns

Cain A. Knight: They haven’t kept the title on Roman for this long just to drop it to a guy who they don’t think can cut a promo. Pick: Roman Reigns

Stella Cheeks: The Cesaro push was nice while it lasted. Pick: Roman Reigns

---

Robert Roode & Dolph Ziggler vs. Rey Mysterio & Dominik Mysterio

Geno Mrosko: If you’re making an argument against having the father and son duo win the tag team titles for the first time in company history, what is your argument? I can’t think of a single good one. Pick: Rey & Dominik Mysterio

Sean Rueter: At least after Dom & his Papi win, I’ll be able to remember who the champs are again. Pick: Los Mysterios

Kyle Decker: Rey & Dom are going to get their father son moment sooner or later. With a card that doesn’t feel like it’s going to have many big turns, may as well pull this string now. Pick: The Mysterios

Claire Elizabeth: Listen, I was emotional enough about wrestling before estradiol, you know I’m gonna roll a tear if father and son win here and that’s exactly what should happen against the tired Dirty Dawgz act. Pick: Dominik & Rey Mysterio

Cain A. Knight: I can’t think of a single reason to keep the belts on Roode and Ziggler. Pick: Rey & Dominik Mysterio

Stella Cheeks: We all need a feel good story and Father & Son tag champs fits the bill. Also, Dolph Ziggler has dumb hair. Pick: The Mysterios

---

Damian Priest vs. The Miz

Geno Mrosko: Heels like Miz exist to get beat up by babyfaces like Priest. Pick: Damian Priest

Sean Rueter: I miss Bad Bunny. Pick: Damian Priest

Kyle Decker: A Priest loss would pretty much kill his character. Pick: Damian Priest

Claire Elizabeth: Priest is on his way up (even if he did get his shins kicked in once or twice after his triumph alongside Bad Bunny) and Miz is ol’ reliable at this point, get the Archer of Infamy a little more shine and set him loose on the United States Championship. Pick: Damian Priest

Cain A. Knight: It’s about time that John Morrison recognizes Miz for the chump that he is. Pick: Damian Priest

Stella Cheeks: Priest wins due to some misplaced distractions from The Miz and Johnny Drip Drip finally drop drops The Miz. Pick: Damian Priest

---

That’s how we see the card playing out.

You?