WWE Backlash 2016: 3 Surprises We'd Like to See

Three surprises we’d like to see at the 2016 installment of WWE’s Backlash.

With the brand split officially off and running, the Smackdown brand will host the 2016 edition of Backlash. With only six matches scheduled but four being title matches, the action should not only be good but will play a pivotal role in what direction the brand will go to close out the year. 2 brand new championships will be awarded Sunday night as the Women’s and tag team’s divisions top prizes will be decided and of course, The WWE Championship will be defended.

AJ Styles will have a chance to make history. If he is successful in dethroning Dean Ambrose for the belt, he’ll be the first man to ever win the TNA, IWGP, and WWE championships. A massive accomplishment in the industry.

The Miz, fresh off his fiery back and forth with Smackdown GM, Daniel Bryan, will look to keep his recent momentum going. The five-time and reigning Intercontinental champion will put his belt on the line against Dolph Ziggler.

But these are the things we know. How about a few things that we want to see and hope to be surprised by. None of the following scenarios are things that won’t completely shake up the company but they will be for some, a welcome sight. Ahead are 3 surprises we’d like to see at Backlash 2016.

WWE.com

3. Alexa Bliss Shocks The World

From the time it was announced that Smackdown would be creating their own Women’s division complete with their very own championship, the two most obvious choices for inaugural champion were Becky Lynch and Natalya. For close to a decade, Natty has been one of the best and most consistent WWE performers on the roster. However, with only one championship reign under her belt, her accomplishments could be construed as underwhelming. A run as the brand new Smackdown Women’s champion would really bolster her resume.

Lynch, on the other hand, is undoubtedly the best female wrestler on the roster to never win a title, whether WWE of NXT. From her wars in NXT with her Four Horsewomen friends, to her show-stealing match with Charlotte and Sasha Banks at Wrestlemania 32, The Irish Lass Kicker has proven she’s championship material. A win at Backlash for Lynch makes perfect sense.

Now throw Nikki Bella back into the mix. Maybe not as gifted in the ring as her counterparts in the Six Pack challenge at Backlash, Bella still holds the record for the longest reign as Diva’s champion in WWE history. Since her return from a career-threatening neck injury, Nikki does not seem to have missed a beat and would be a deserving champion as well based on her past success.

But Alexa Bliss may be the most compelling wrestler in this match. She was really just starting to come into her own in NXT and seemed a perfect future foe for champion, Asuka. But when the WWE rosters split in July, Bliss was forced to the main roster after only being a pro wrestler for just over two years out of necessity. However, since coming up to the main roster, Bliss has been better than advertised and she already seems like a legitimate threat to the title.

Bliss has the makings of a future champion and has possibly the highest ceiling of anyone on the WWE roster, male or female. With her fitness and gymnastics background, she seems like a natural in the ring and she has suddenly developed mic skills that may be the best in the entire women’s division. A win at Backlash would not only be the biggest win of her career, but would also prove that the WWE brass believes the hype. This could be the night that Alexa breaks out in a big way?

Photo Courtesy of WWE.com

2. Heath Slater Gets His Contract

Since the rosters split in July, Heath Slater has been one of the most entertaining and compelling characters in the WWE and the company seems to be realizing it. After first unveiling his “Hottest Free Agent” gimmick, Slater was attacked on numerous occasions by the likes of Rhyno and Jinder Mahal. But just when it looked like he’d continue to toil around with the lower card talent, Slater showed up on the August 15th RAW and interrupted Paul Heyman and Brock Lesnar and even went as far as trying to take out The Beast Incarnate. The following night on Smackdown he took on Randy Orton. Segments with two multiple-time world champion on back to back nights prove that Slater was being taken very seriously.

After letting hard feelings go, Slater enlisted Rhyno for the Smackdown tag tournament and his chance at a contract. Since then, Slater has been red hot with the WWE Universe. He and Rhyno’s two wins in the tournament have been met with thunderous ovations from the crowds and he is as over as anyone on the roster right now.

The big obstacle here from Slater and his teammate will be their competition. It originally looked like it would be the young American Alpha but The Usos ended that dream when they injured Chad Gable on Smackdown after losing to them. Suddenly as heels, The Usos looked re-energized, and assuming they tear through The Hype Bros. earlier in the night, Slater and Rhyno will have their work cut out for them.

A win wouldn’t be an Earth-shattering shock, but definitely, a nice surprise for all of Slater’s fans which seem to have tripled in the last two months. Will the “Hottest Free Agent” not be that anymore? Not only would he get his contract, he’ll snatch up his fourth tag team championship. But most of all, Heath Slater will be on the big stage where he belongs.

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1. Bray Wyatt Wins a Big One, and He Does It Clean

For the past 3-plus years, Bray Wyatt has been one of the most fascinating characters on WWE TV. His consistent promos and dedication to the Eater Of World’s complex have been nothing short of brilliant. But through injuries, questionable booking, and feuds that didn’t quite hit the mark, Wyatt has never been able to break through that proverbial wall and have a world title program.

In his somewhat brief WWE career so far, he’s already had feuds with the majority of the company’s best. Kane, Daniel Bryan, John Cena, Dean Ambrose, Chris Jericho, Roman Reigns, The Undertaker, and now Randy Orton have all at some point been spun into Wyatt’s web. However, it seemed like that in the majority of these feuds, The New Face of Fear would finish second best.

When the roster’s split in July it seemed like a feud with Dean Ambrose would something that would happen in the very near future. With two world titles comes the opportunity for stars who have never made it to the top of the mountain to finally do so. However, it was Dolph Ziggler who got the first crack at Ambrose at SummerSlam while Wyatt was left with chasing Randy Orton around. After Orton’s destruction by Brock Lesnar at SummerSlam, he’s going to be looking to rebound as well. Therefore, this match will have major title implications as the winner could be a very real No. 1 Contender to whoever walks out of Backlash as champion.

Wyatt’s time is now and a clean pin over a 12-time WWE champion would be springboard he needs. With his lackeys no longer in the picture, it will be up to Wyatt to write his own story. The problem is that he’s stepping in the ring with a guy with a history of winning big matches. Simply put, a win for Wyatt could be his coming out party as a potential main event superstar and a nice surprise for the WWE Championship picture.