10 Last-Minute WWE Backlash 2017 Rumours You Need To Know

Is the champ here?

Jinder Wwe Champion
WWE.com

This Sunday, WWE presents Backlash, the first Smackdown-exclusive Pay-Per-View event since WrestleMania, and let's just say that the anticipation for the event isn't exactly on the same level as that of the show of shows. In fact, you could be forgiven for forgetting that there was a PPV event going on at all this weekend.

The big news is that Randy Orton will be defending the WWE Championship - which he won back in Orlando - against Jinder Mahal, who became a main-event player with the seeming snap of a pair of fingers. Like JBL more than a decade ago, fans have been slow to take to the brand-new presence in Smackdown's upper echelon, but it may not matter if he wins the WWE Title and becomes the focal point of the entire show.

Apart from that, the card is a mixed bag. Some matches - like Erick Rowan versus Luke Harper and Naomi, Charlotte, and Becky Lynch versus "The Welcoming Committee" of Tamina, Natalya, and Carmella - seem to have been thrown on just to pad out an otherwise shallow show, but others could really deliver the goods. What can we expect?

Here are 10 of most prevalent rumors heading into the Backlash show. As always, I've arranged them from least plausible to most plausible in order to give fans an idea of just what the Smackdown PPV offering might deliver.

10. Sister Abigail Debuts

Jinder Wwe Champion
Twitter, @ERICKROWAN

Since returning to Smackdown, Erick Rowan has been feuding with former tag team partner/Wyatt Family member Luke Harper. Never mind the fact that their onetime leader has been drafted to Raw - this issue is too personal to simply disappear.

Days ago, Rowan took to Twitter to share a photo of a woman wearing the Family's unmistakable sheep mask, leading many to speculate that he might have been teasing the debut of the oft-mentioned "Sister Abigail," a previous mentor of Bray Wyatt's. To be fair, Rowan could use a bit of a boost, as he's in danger of sinking as quickly as he did the last time he was on his own.

Still, it's very unlikely that after years of buildup, Abigail would just appear to help Rowan in a midcard match - especially when she's always been associated with Wyatt himself. The character's introduction would have to take place on Raw, where Wyatt currently competes. Plus, wasn't her grave just burned down by Randy Orton or something?

Contributor
Contributor

Scott Fried is a Slammy Award-winning* writer living and working in New York City. He has been following/writing about professional wrestling for many years and is a graduate of Lance Storm's Storm Wrestling Academy. Follow him on Twitter at https://twitter.com/scottfried. *Best Crowd of the Year, 2013