WWE Backlash 2018: 8 Huge Predictions You Need To Know
Best Of The Rest
WWE pay-per-views are like buses - wait a month for one, and three will come along at once. For crowd reactions as hot as takes like that, it might be best turning to New Japan World for the latest meeting between Kazuchika Okada and Hiroshi Tanahashi rather than to the Network for yet another main roster supercard. NJPW should take back the talking points this weekend, if for no other reason than WWE finding their first post-WrestleMania saturation point in record time.
Other things that are like buses, are buses.
Buses like the one Steve Austin dragged out at the end of Backlash 2000 - one of the company's most successful ever pay-per-views not called WrestleMania. Now that was a hot crowd. After an absorbing night of matches far superior than the 'Show Of Show' sh*tfests a month earlier, the audience were spoiled with The Rock's long-awaited title victory over Triple H and the one-night return of a 'Rattlesnake' still otherwise confined to the injured list.
In 2000, WWE had angles to exploit for months on end, so tightly scripted were the tales told by prolific storyboarder Chris Kreski. It's unrecognisable today. Roman Reigns concluded his three-year chase of a Brock Lesnar WrestleMania victory with bloody defeat. Then he blew his rematch like another famous bus enthusiast and serial choker Lex Luger.
There's far too much going on to clear out a path for 'The Big Dog', and the rest of the roster could probably do with a breather too...
8. Big Night
A divisive storyline possibly due to unrealistic expectations of Daniel Bryan's return as a full-timer, the 'Yes! Man's rivarly with Big Cass actually contained an intriguing amount of continuity before WWE took a literal shortcut and took a creative cr*p on the entire thing.
Cass bringing out a miniature Daniel Bryan to bully in the absence of the man himself was a cheap go-home angle for an otherwise rich mini-feud. The p*ssed off seven-footer didn't care a jot for his opponent's return, instead more agrieved that his own clearance was completely overlooked in the wake of such big news.
Infuriated by his unexpected exit in 2017, the bitterness was perfect motivation for a brusk return at Bryan's expense until some sub-1999 comedy with a little person completely trivialised the issue.
It will fall predominantly to Bryan to work his magic against his limited rival but this is exactly the type of contest that will prove his renewed worth to the organisation. An instant main eventer if they need him, Bryan can also become the convincing midcard workhorse too. Even in defeat, which regrettably needs to happen here for the good of the Cass cause.