Welcome to another edition of WWE Heat Index, wherein we discuss the interest level for the various feuds heading into the pay-per-view events. This time around, we’re focusing on Backlash 2020 coming this Sunday night.
The way this works is a gauge range of Scorching, Hot, Lukewarm, Temperate, Chilly, Cold and Freezing. The hotter, the better, as that indicates your level of excitement, anticipation and faith that it will be good.
Be sure to leave your thoughts in the comments section to let everyone know what your thermometer reads for each feud as I tell you what my thoughts are below!
Without further ado, let’s get started!
Edge vs. Randy Orton = Hot
I laugh every time they use the phrase “the greatest wrestling match ever” when it comes to this. It’s so forced and unnatural sounding that it really hurts my anticipations for this.
I’m of the opinion that a feud almost never makes sense to do a gimmick match, then a regular match. It’s a downgrade. This is not an exception, no matter how much I’m a fan of Edge and Randy Orton. It still feels like it’s backpedaling and then trying to overcompensate.
With that being said, I’m still intrigued as all hell how they feel like they can pull this off. It could be a disaster, and even that is interesting. But it could be a great match even if it’s not the best ever. It does have two legends, after all.
Prediction: Randy Orton wins.
Universal Championship Handicap Match: Braun Strowman (c) vs. John Morrison and The Miz = Chilly
I’m a huge fan of The Miz and John Morrison, as I am with Braun Strowman. But yeesh, this screams “WWE doesn’t care about Backlash and is just throwing out filler stuff to waste some time.”
The match isn’t going to be great. Miz and Morrison will look weak or it’ll just be Strowman getting double-teamed until he mounts a random comeback. It’s not going to amount to anything but either (or both) of those options.
There’s not much to look forward to with this, which is a shame to admit given the talent.
Prediction: Braun Strowman wins.
WWE Championship Match: Drew McIntyre (c) vs. Bobby Lashley = Lukewarm
At least WWE has tried to set up Bobby Lashley as a threat. This is the best he’s looked since his return to the company a few years back.
Of course, that’s not saying too much in the grand scheme of things. This is still going to be a match that Drew McIntyre is walking in and walking out as champion. He’s undeniably going to retain the title, so it’s just a matter of some time until that Claymore lands.
Prediction: Drew McIntyre wins.
Raw Women’s Championship Match: Asuka (c) vs. Nia Jax = Cold
There’s no way this is great. I can’t remember any Nia Jax matches that I’ve thoroughly enjoyed over her entire career.
At least Asuka is going to retain the title and we’ll be able to move on to a new feud after this. That’s the part to look forward to.
Prediction: Asuka wins.
United States Championship Match: Apollo Crews (c) vs. Andrade = Temperate
The good thing about this is that the match should be fairly decent. Unfortunately, the bad thing about it is that it’s what, the third singles match they’ve had in a month, as well as some other encounters in tag team matches?
We’ve seen it before and it’s effectively just the rematch clause in action, even though Andrade won a No. 1 contender’s match to get this opportunity. It’s not any real different than that.
I expect Crews to retain the title. He’s just gotten new theme music, so it would be weird if he dropped the belt this fast after that, wouldn’t it? But hey…stranger things have happened.
Prediction: Apollo Crews wins.
Women’s Tag Team Championship Triple Threat Match: Bayley and Sasha Banks (c) vs. The IIconics vs. Alexa Bliss and Nikki Cross = Chilly
The titles just changed hands and it’s pretty clear WWE is just putting them on Banks and Bayley to drag out their feud even longer. That’s infuriating to me, as it shouldn’t take 2.5+ years to do something as simple as these two against each other, particularly when the efforts to stretch it out haven’t been interesting. They’ve just simply not done the match after all this time.
As such, I’m not into this. It’s a means to eat up more time and have them retain the titles. Big whoop.
Prediction: Bayley and Banks win.
Jeff Hardy vs. Sheamus = Temperate
Jeff Hardy really wants to get more into the story-based part of wrestling with this run, but it’s not doing it for me. He’s not a great actor, which takes away from this feud that I don’t even feel is properly suited for Sheamus to be the antagonist of, anyway. This seems more like a King Corbin type deal.
The match should be whatever. It won’t be amazing, nor will it (hopefully) be awful. It’ll just be a thing that happens to take them to the next stage, which will be a gimmick match at Extreme Rules. THAT is the one that to watch, as that’s Hardy’s strength.
Prediction: Sheamus wins.
Those are my thoughts, but how do you feel about these particular feuds? What’s hot and what’s cold in your mind? Fill us in on your point of view in the comments below!
