WWE returns to pay-per-view this Sunday with WrestleMania Backlash inside the WWE ThunderDome, and as of now all but one of the matches on the card are for a championship. World champions Bobby Lashley and Roman Reigns both successfully retained their titles at WrestleMania 37 last month, and according to BetOnline both are favorited to win their matches this Sunday. Lashley will take on both Drew McIntyre and Braun Strowman, while Reigns will face Cesaro for the Universal Championship.
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In fact, the only title that’s expected to change hands is the SmackDown Tag Team Championships. The Dirty Dawgs will take on challengers Rey Mysterio & Dominik Mysterio, who are looking to become the first-ever father & son tag team champions in the company’s history. Considering that both members of The Usos are finally healthy again and that they’re reportedly expected to win the gold soon, it would make sense for WWE to hand the titles over to a pair of underdog babyfaces in the meantime.
Check out the full card below, along with the latest betting odds for each match:
- WWE Championship: Bobby Lashley (-200) vs. Drew McIntyre (+175) vs. Braun Strowman (+500)
- WWE Universal Championship: Roman Reigns (-600) vs. Cesaro (+350)
- Raw Women’s Championship: Rhea Ripley (-200) vs. Charlotte Flair (+175) vs. Asuka (+500)
- SmackDown Women’s Championship: Bianca Belair (-950) vs. Bayley (+500)
- SmackDown Tag Team Championships: The Dirty Dawgs (+150) vs. Rey Mysterio & Dominik Mysterio (-200)
- Damian Priest (-700) vs. The Miz (+400) (Lumberjack Match)
McIntyre was a guest on the Sunday Night’s Main Event podcast earlier this week and talked about his surprising loss against Lashley last month was actually good for his onscreen character.
“I honestly think it’s important for my character,” McIntyre said. “Aside from making a main event performer that Brock [Lesnar] did for me the year prior, or cementing a main event performer in Lashley, which I think is very important for the future, I think [it was important] for my character. I overcame a lot this year, there’s been a lot of Drew content and it would have been an amazing moment. The fans were responding positively and I didn’t know how they were gonna respond. I think [losing] is important for me as a character and I think that’s part of my story that I have to keep overcoming all the time.
“I’m not Superman like [John] Cena was a Superman and he’d always overcome all the time but people struggle to relate to Superman, He’s from a different planet, he’s made of steel and he shoots laser from his eyes,” he continued. “I’m more like Batman, like I’m very flawed in many ways and I have to keep overcoming, especially as a larger-than-life good guy.”
