WWE Backlash 2017: 10 Huge Predictions You Need To Know

2. Don't Call It A Comeback

Shinsuke Nakamura Backlash
WWE

Since the 'Superstar Shake-up', SmackDown Live! has been teasing the reintroduction of Lana and The New Day.

The 'Ravishing Russian' and the longest reigning tag team champions in company history offer much to their respective divisions on Tuesday nights, but both acts are knocked into a cocked hat by the impending arrival of Rusev.

Surviving some disastrous booking during his final few months on Monday Night Raw, the 'Bulgarian Brute' was deliciously entertaining in spite of the limp content forced upon him.

Ironically, a team with Jinder Mahal represented the scale of his demotion, but their unique union as 'Handsome' and 'Hardbody' respectively became brief highlights between the bloated inaction on the flagship show.

His move to the blue brand has been handled rather differently to that of his Booty-O bunch and his real life wife. Instead of snazzy video packages and lurid vignettes, Rusev has posted videos presumably from his own mobile phone, demanding a WWE Title shot from Commissioner Shane McMahon before agreeing to even wrestle.

Intolerant of his place on the roster, he then reneged on his promise to appear on Tuesday's go-home broadcast, leading many to speculate that he may appear at Backlash and interject himself physically in his former partner's big shot.

Though unannounced, the show may provide the perfect stage for any of the three acts to make surprising returns, especially in front of a traditionally vociferous motley crew.

Contributor
Contributor

Michael is a writer, editor, podcaster and presenter for WhatCulture Wrestling, and has been with the organisation nearly 8 years. He primarily produces written, audio and video content on WWE and AEW, but also provides knowledge and insights on all aspects of the wrestling industry thanks to a passion for it dating back over 35 years. As one third of "The Dadley Boyz" Michael has contributed to the huge rise in popularity of the WhatCulture Wrestling Podcast and its accompanying YouTube channel, earning it top spot in the UK's wrestling podcast charts with well over 62,000,000 total downloads. He has been featured as a wrestling analyst for the Tampa Bay Times, GRAPPL, GCP, Poisonrana and Sports Guys Talking Wrestling, and has covered milestone events in New York, Dallas, Las Vegas, Philadelphia, London and Cardiff. Michael's background in media stretches beyond wrestling coverage, with a degree in Journalism from the University Of Sunderland (2:1) and a series of published articles in sports, music and culture magazines The Crack, A Love Supreme and Pilot. When not offering his voice up for daily wrestling podcasts, he can be found losing it singing far too loud watching his favourite bands play live. Follow him on X/Twitter - @MichaelHamflett