.@itsBayleyWWE looks to make sure @BiancaBelairWWE's #SmackDown #WomensTitle reign doesn't end in ??????? ???? ????? TONIGHT at #WMBacklash, streaming at 7/6c on @peacockTV in the U.S. and WWE Network elsewhere. pic.twitter.com/7Vq4oICzwJ
— WWE (@WWE) May 16, 2021
Much like the downsides of the pay-per-view match between Priest and The Miz, the women’s title matches face similar obstacles. Over on the SmackDown side of things, Bianca Belair will defend her gold against Bayley. In theory,”The Role Model” is the perfect foil for Belair. Coming off her historic triumph at WrestleMania, “The EST” needed a strong rival to follow her feud with Sasha Banks. Bayley very well might have been the best answer. Unfortunately, she hasn’t competed in a singles match since February.
Championships matter. By extension, contending for titles is just as important. By randomly giving someone a title shot, WWE is basically telling the fans that anyone can get an opportunity at the gold. It shouldn’t work like that. Just by having Bayley pick up some wins here or there in singles matches, WWE easily could have built her back up into a contender. Instead, the company has relied on Bayley’s past, including her record-breaking title reign that spanned most of 2020. That run cemented Bayley’s status as a power player on SmackDown. But without any recent victories for Bayley, there’s no reason to think that she’ll dethrone Belair on Sunday, especially considering the “changing of the guard” moment the champion enjoyed by defeating Banks
To a lesser extent, narrative challenges also surround the RAW Women’s Championship match. Like Belair, Rhea Ripley won the title by defeating an established star at WrestleMania. In this case, she picked up a major win over Asuka. Since then, “The Nightmare” has won two rematches with the former champion. When WWE announced yet another rematch between the two for this pay-per-view, fans collectively scratched their heads due to Ripley’s 3-0 record over the challenger.
But then Charlotte Flair entered the picture. Upon her return to WWE RAW, “The Queen” quickly reinserted herself into the mix. This direction made perfect sense, given her past encounters with both competitors. Flair defeated Ripley for the NXT Women’s Championship at WrestleMania 36, and she has a long history with Asuka. Plus, by having all three women in the same program, WWE is offering its fans the chance to see RAW’s very best battle it out in this title match.
A Ripley loss is unlikely, given her own crowning moment at WrestleMania. But you can never count out a title run for “The Queen,” and this uncertainty makes the RAW Women’s Championship match one of the more intriguing matches on the card.
Next Page: Predictable Main Events Hamstring WWE WrestleMania Backlash
