Match Predictions and Heat Index Anticipation Levels
Temperature Scale = Scorching > Hot > Lukewarm > Temperate > Chilly > Cold > Freezing
Heat Index is my assessment of how interesting the segment is, including how excited I am for the match and how intriguing the feud has been. The hotter, the better. Scorching translates to not being able to wait to see it, while Freezing means I couldn’t possibly care less and think it will be awful.
SIX-MAN TAG TEAM MATCH MATCH:
Drew McIntyre and RK-Bro vs. Roman Reigns and The Usos
Heat Index = Cold
Prediction: Drew McIntyre and RK-Bro win.
Thoughts: Wow. Who cares? Six great talents going to waste in a completely pointless match. This is a “premium” live event and this would be something to skip even on SmackDown. WWE can’t act like going back to the way things were in the 80s where you could get away with just having big names show up and not do anything worthwhile isn’t a step backward. This is flat, uninteresting and just a means to stretch things out for another month and not do Reigns defending his title against McIntyre until Hell in a Cell. It wouldn’t shock me if they did another at Money in the Bank, too. Thumbs majorly down.
SMACKDOWN WOMEN’S CHAMPIONSHIP I QUIT MATCH:
Charlotte Flair (c) vs. Ronda Rousey
Heat Index = Cold
Prediction: Ronda Rousey wins.
Thoughts: You’ll probably think I’m just pissy for the sake of it, or that I “don’t like anything” and I “complain about everything”, but hey, I’m not going to feign excitement over something I couldn’t care less about. Rousey vs. Flair wasn’t even something I wanted to see a third time at WrestleMania. Why would I give a damn that they’re doing it again a few weeks later? It’s an I Quit Match. That’s at least better than doing it without a gimmick. But all that means is that we know specifically how it will end, as there’s no way Rousey isn’t making Flair tap out. Then, we get a new champion and Rousey does the same promo and character work she’s done in the past up until WrestleMania. Snooze for the next 11 months.
SINGLES MATCH:
AJ Styles vs. Edge
Heat Index = Temperate
Prediction: AJ Styles wins.
Thoughts: Now that Damian Priest has been banned from ringside, logic dictates AJ Styles will come out on top to even up the score, 1-1. That way, they can fight some more heading into Hell in a Cell. Since this is just a rematch, I’m less excited about it than I was for WrestleMania, as it’s become a “seen it already” type scenario. Sorry, guys. You’re fantastic A-tier legends, but I need a little more meat on the bone to really sink my teeth into this other than Edge saying “I’m a heel now” and Styles being the nearly wordless victim.
SINGLES MATCH:
Cody Rhodes vs. Seth Rollins
Heat Index = Temperate
Prediction: Cody Rhodes wins.
Thoughts: As already stated, this event is just a copy and paste of WrestleMania in many ways. WWE isn’t trying whatsoever. These two are fighting again just because it’s easier to say Rollins wants a rematch than to set up new feuds for both of them and move on. But since I’ve seen their likely best effort at Mania, what’s the hook? There isn’t a gimmick, no stakes are attached and it either ends with Rhodes winning or Rollins evening up the score to make a third match happen. Kind of a dud, if you’re asking me. The match should be fine, if not good, if you’re looking at it in a bubble. But if you’re looking at the overall scope of watching every TV show and pay-per-view for years on end, it’s just a rerun no different than anything else.
SINGLES MATCH:
Happy Corbin vs. Madcap Moss
Heat Index = Temperate
Prediction: Madcap Moss wins.
Thoughts: At least this isn’t something that just happened at WrestleMania. It’s not the best and biggest feud going on right now, nor the most exciting possible match on paper, but it’s got Moss turning on his teammate and becoming a babyface. This is the first time we’ll see them go one-on-one, and I’m more intrigued about that than most of the rest of the card. With that being said, it’s still not something I would be super jazzed about. This should be the baseline worst of the card, not one of the better options.
SINGLES MATCH:
Bobby Lashley vs. Omos
Heat Index = Freezing
Prediction: Omos wins.
Thoughts: How do I avoid becoming repetitive when the matches are all repetitive and the only thing to say is “I’ve seen this before, so I don’t care anymore” again and again? Omos wins because he lost the last match and now has MVP by his side to interfere. That will stretch this out even longer, too, and WWE will have gotten 2-3 months of boring television out of “Lashley knocks Omos down.”
OVERALL PPV:
How excited am I for the event as a whole?
Heat Index = Cold
Thoughts: Why should anyone care about an event that is essentially nothing but a rerun mixed with filler? What is the hook? Where is the intrigue? Yes, the men and women competing are talented, but if I wanted to see the same thing again, I could just go back and watch WrestleMania. You don’t eat the same exact meal every night for dinner no matter how much you like it, right?
What do you think is going to happen at WWE WrestleMania Backlash? Which matches are you most excited to see? Keep the discussion going in the comments below!
