WWE's first SmackDown Live-branded pay-per-view after the 2017 Superstar Shake-Up is set for May 21st, at 8pm ET, 5pm PT on the WWE Network.
The show will emanate from the red hot wrestling bed that is Chicago, IL. With Randy Orton finally free from his WrestleMania feud with Bray Wyatt, SmackDown can focus on the one thing Raw can not - the brand's top Championship.
SmackDown's mantra of being the 'land of opportunity' will be on full display as an NXT star makes his main roster in-ring debut and three perennial jobbers will be given championship opportunities.
Chicago will be the perfect location for this new star experiment as the Windy City crowd loves to cheer for those who they perceive have not been hand picked by Vince McMahon to carry the WWE.
Here are all the matches that have been announced so far:
WWE Championship Match
Randy Orton vs Jinder Mahal
Jinder Mahal shocked the world when he won a Six Pack Challenge to become the number one contender to Randy Orton's WWE Championship. Mahal, who hadn't had a singles win in nearly 6 months has looked every bit like a star since being named the top contender and while a title change seems unlikely, it's getting less shocking to fathom each week. Look for the Chicago crowd to possibly rally around Jinder in opposition to the 13 time WWE Champ.
US Championship Match
Kevin Owens (c) vs AJ Styles
Owens has got his United States Championship and his swagger back after totally decimating his former BFF, Chris Jericho. While AJ and Kevin may not be the top of the card, they certainly will be expected to put on the match of the night. Regardless of who leaves with the championship, when these two square off, we all win.
Tag Team Championship Match
The Usos vs The Fashion Police
Tyler Breeze and Fandango won a Beat The Clock challenge to earn the shot at Jimmy and Jey Uso. While many didn't realize they wanted to see Breezango near the Championship but the hilarious backstage skit, The Fashion Files, may prove that WWE is ready to give these amazing performers a monster push.
Shinsuke Nakamura's in-ring debut.
Rumored Matches
Shinsuke Nakamura vs Dolph Ziggler
We know we're getting Nakamura's main roster debut and it seems pretty clear that Zigs is going to be the one to take the first loss from "The Artist Known As ..." WWE knew what they were doing putting these two together as Dolph --one of the best sellers of all time--will make Shinsuke look like a million bucks in the ring.
Baron Corbin vs Sami Zayn
Corbin was suspended for beating up Sami Zayn and a referee, but he'll be back in plenty of time to likely keep Sami Zayn out of the SmackDown win column. Many have suggested The Lone Wolf will be getting a slight makeover before a large push that is coming this year. We'll be interested to see if that stars upon his return to SD Live.
Naomi, Becky Lynch, Charlotte vs Carmella, Natalya, Tamina Snuka
WWE has done a great job of making the Blue Brand's women's division interesting by forming a faction between its lesser stars to take down it's big names. The new Welcoming Committee angle has also given Charlotte a reason to turn babyface and keep her out of the title picture long enough to give Naomi a little more credibility as champion. These could turn into several singles matches, but a six man tag seems to make the most sense at this point.
There's sure to be more than just 6 matches, so we'll keep you updated on all the WWE Backlash developments as they arise.
MORE WWE: Braun and Roman Hang Out In Rome / SmackDown Star Debuts Sweet New Finisher / Did Charlotte Turn Babyface On Smackdown Live?
prev