10 New Directions For WWE After Backlash 2023

WWE's next move could make or break Raw's fortunes for the rest of 2023.

The company will crown a brand new World Heavyweight Champion in Saudi Arabia at Night Of Champions later this month, and it's absolutely crucial they get the right man. Both Cody Rhodes and Seth Rollins are obviously in the running for that spot, but who should get it? That's a million dollar question.

For now, WWE must be basking in the afterglow of a red hot Backlash pay-per-view. The rowdy Puerto Rican crowd helped, but they were rewarded for constant noise with a card of matches that exceeded expectations going in. Pretty much everything worked, which is amazing considering the show fell in an awkward spot post-Draft but before those rosters kick in.

WWE booked popular local returns, and one of them could lead to more. Elsewhere, The Bloodline continued teasing total implosion, and SmackDown's writers might bring the curtain down on another faction over in the women's division.

Here's where the product on both top brands is heading for the rest of May, and into the rest of summer.

Hands up who else can see Austin Theory becoming a focal point as United States Champ over on SmackDown? Top man Roman Reigns won't be around every week, so the show needs another full-timer to step up and keeps things ticking over. Mr. Theory is perfect for that role.

In many ways, he's a modern-day version of The Miz - Austin enjoys a sneaky, opportunistic win and never misses a chance to brag about his exploits, but he's also capable of working against everyone the writers throw at him. That'll come in handy towards the upper tier of SmackDown's TV going forwards.

Again, Reigns isn't going to be on telly every week.

It'd be smart of WWE to keep developing Theory on the undercard and ready him for a main event run when Roman eventually drops his gold and takes some time off. Theory is the future of SmackDown post-Draft, he has to be.