After a three year absents, Payback returns to the WWE Network on Sunday. This will be the sixth event in Payback chronology and it will take place inside the ThunderDome - at the Amway Center, in Orlando Florida. The pay-per-view was only announced two weeks ago and takes place a week after SummerSlam.
Despite the show being hastily announced the card looks good and features the in-ring return of Roman Reigns, The Big Dog's first match February 28th.
Payback will be the fifth event inside the ThunderDome, the virtual fan viewing experience, and the shows have become more of a spectacle since the WWE moved out of the Performance Centre - nine day ago. The pyro, fan screen and entrances have given the shows a freshness - the rating for Raw and SmackDown have increased since WWE switched venues.
The event is on the award winning WWE Network and the pre-show will begin at 23:00, British Summer Time, with the main card starting a hour later.
Apollo Crews (c) Vs. Bobby Lashley (United States Championship Match).
The issues between The Hurt Business and Apollo Crews have gone on since July - when the United States champion declined MVP's offer to join his faction.
Since then - Crews has beaten Shelton Benjamin and MVP, on several occasion, with his most recent win over the latter occurring on the SummerSlam pre-show. The one man who Crews hasn't beaten is Bobby Lashley and it seems The All Mighty has Crews' number, he's put him in the Full Lashley submission and left him laying on several occasions. Lashley once again got the better of the United States champion, on the August 17th edition of Raw, when he pinned Crews to end a Six Man Tag Team Elimination match.
Both of these men are powerhouses and on the last Raw before Payback - they wanted to see who the stronger of the two is. They met in an Arm Wrestling contest, hosted by WWE Hall of Famer Mark Henry, and Crews outsmarted his foe to win. After getting his hand raised, Lashley attempted a sneak attack on Crews but the United States Champion was alert and managed to fight him off. As the other members of The Hurt Business made their way to the ring, to ambush Crews, he took them out with a dive over the top rope.
At SummerSlam, The Hurt Business was banned from ringside, but that is not the case this Sunday and they will come into play at the finish of this match.
MVP has been trying to get Cedric Alexander to join his stable for weeks and he will finally be convinced at Payback - Alexander will turn heel and cost Crews the title.
Winner: Bobby Lashley.
Dominik & Rey Mysterio Vs. Seth Rollins & Murphy.
After having his first match, in the WWE at SummerSlam, Dominik Mysterio will have a third contest in a week this Sunday.
Dominik was brilliant on his debut and his match with his dad, against the same opponents on Raw last week, was interrupted by the group know as RETRIBUTION - hence this rematch.
This history between these four men is well documented - Seth Rollins removed Rey's eye, at The Horror Show at Extreme Rules, while The Monday Night Messiah and his Disciple brutally beat Dominik with a kendo stick on the August 10th episode of Raw. The Mysterio's got some revenge on Rollins and Murphy, seven days later, when they used a kendo stick to fend off their rivals.
Rollins and Murphy have had the better of this feud - Rollins has beaten father and son in singles matches and left them laying on occasions. The Mysterio's are due, excuse the pun, some 'Payback' and that should come at this event. I expect Murphy to be pinned by Dominik and maybe a blow off match between Rollins and Rey as this feud has been going on since May and all involved could do with fresh opponents.
Winners: Dominik & Rey Mysterio.
King Corbin Vs. Matt Riddle.
The issues between King Corbin and Matt Riddle began after Riddle was on of the WWE Superstars who attacked The King - after he made disparaging comments about The Undertaker on The Deadman's appreciation night, on the 26th June episode of SmackDown.
A week later - Corbin interrupted Riddle, while he was cutting a promo, and told The Original Bro that his actions were "disrespectful" and he should "bow down to the king". Corbin let Riddle know "he didn't like him" and "nobody wanted" on the blue brand. No one to be patronized, Riddle offered to fight Corbin there and then but the former United States champion wasn't fond of the idea and left the ring.
On the July 17th episode of SmackDown, Riddle lost to AJ Styles, and after the match - Corbin attacked him from behind and left him laying with a End of Days. This rivalry was heating up and Corbin had the upper hand.
After that beatdown, Riddle was irate, and called Corbin out a week after being blindsided. Corbin came out to the entrance way, while Riddle was in the ring, and told him "he doesn't know how things work in his kingdom" and he "needs to be sent back to NXT for more seasoning". Riddle said "he wasn't one of Corbin's subjects in his made up kingdom" and wanted to fight right now. Corbin was hesitant and offered a "king's ransom" to anyone who took Riddle out. Tony Nese, who had just lost to The Bro Who Runs The Show, tried to collect but was taken out with a roundhouse kick.
Shorty G was the next wrestler to try and get the King's Ransom, him and Corbin set a trap for the former NXT Tag Team Champion and Corbin assaulted Riddle from behind with his scepter.
On the last stop before Payback, Riddle beat Shorty G and fought off a sneak attack from Corbin to stand tall before their match this Sunday.
This feud has been booked well but I'm ready for this match to be a one and done. This is Riddle's main roster singles pay-per-view debut, he should go over.
Winner: Matt Riddle.
Big E Vs. Sheamus.
Both of these men consider themselves 'leaders' of the SmackDown lockeroom and have different ways of countering the threat of the group know as RETRIBUTION. Big E wants to go toe-to-toe with them while Sheamus wants to play the long game.
After the renegades attacked Big E and John Morrison, on the August 14th episode of SmackDown, the powerhouse of The New Day and Sheamus had words backstage with the latter telling the former Intercontinental Champion that he was "nothing" with Xavier Woods and Kofi Kingston and he was "vulnerable" without them. Big E said he "wasn't alone" as he had the backing of the SmackDown superstars.
The two went one-on-one, a week after their verbal confrontation, and Big E won a back and forth match after surprising his rival with a roll up.
WWE likes 50/50 booking but Big E is in the middle of a singles push - while Sheamus has no real direction at the moment. Big E should win here and go onto a new feud.
Winner: Big E
Sasha Banks and Bayley (c) Vs. Nia Jax and Shayna Baszler (WWE Women's Tag Team Championship).
The cracks in the partnership between The Golden Role Models have appeared more and more since Sasha Banks lost the Raw Women's Championship to Asuka - at SummerSlam. When Bayley faced The Empress of Tomorrow, on that show, she won due to Banks "taking a bullet" for her best friend however when it was time to return the favour - the SmackDown Women's Champion did not.
Banks and Bayley defending their titles, was the first match announced for Payback, but their opponents were revealed on the go-home Raw before the pay-per-view. On that show, Baszler went one on one with Bayley and Jax interfered to cost The Queen of Spades the match. When The Irresistible Force was about to put a beating on Baszler, Banks and Bayley egged her on, but the former Raw Women's Champion doesn't take directions from anyone and she turned her attentions to the tag team champions. Baszler joined her and they stared Banks and Bayley down - the champions did not want to get physical and retreated to the backstage area. Later in the night, Jax admitted she wanted the titles and told Baszler to "follow her lead" and pushed the former NXT Women's Champion. Baszler responded with a hard slap to the face.
If you look for the word 'random' in the dictionary, you would find a picture of Nia Jax and Shayna Baszler. The two women have been engaged in a physical feud lately and suddenly find themselves as the number one contenders for the Women's Tag Team Championships. Baszler tapped out Bayley, when she teamed with Asuka, two weeks ago but this match has come from left field.
Despite clear distention between Sasha Banks and Bayley - they will find a way to retain their titles at Payback as Jax and Baszler will imploded from within. The Golden Role Models will face off soon but the more immediate rivalry is between their opponents.
Winners: Sasha Banks and Bayley.
Keith Lee Vs. Randy Orton.
Less than seven days after making his Raw debut, Keith Lee will go one-on-one with Randy Orton - on his main roster pay-per-view debut.
These two paths first crossed when Lee confronted Orton on last week's Raw, due to the punt kick's The Viper hit on Lee's friend Drew McIntyre, earlier on that show. Lee stuck up for the WWE Champion and challenged the former 13-time world champion for a match - there and then. Orton did not respond immediately but they did face each other later that night, with Lee making a good impression until McIntyre interference caused a disqualification.
After the Lee Vs. Orton match, The Scottish Psychopathy was being interviewed backstage, and Orton struck again with a third punt kick. An incensed Lee vowed to get 'Payback' on his friends behalf and the rematch was made official.
This match is intriguing as The Limitless One has just been called up to the main roster and Orton is in the middle of a fierce rivalry with McIntyre - it's a contest that could go either way. Lee could lose and look strong in defeat, a defeat to a star like Orton won't be damaging in the long run. Other than his loss to McIntyre, at SummerSlam, Orton has been stacking up wins - another one will follow this Sunday, with an inevitable rematch with McIntyre on the horizon.
Winner: Randy Orton.
'The Fiend' Bray Wyatt (c) Vs. Roman Reigns Vs. Braun Strowman (No Holds Barred Triple Threat Match for the Universal Championship).
When Roman Reigns returned to the WWE, for the first time since March at SummerSlam, nobody saw it coming. Reigns destroyed 'The Fiend' and Braun Strowman, after the former had recaptured the Universal Championship and held the title above his head as the show went off the air. The Big Dog made his intentions clear - he wanted the title he was forced to relinquish, in October 2018, back.
On the go home SmackDown before Payback, Mr. McMahon told Adam Pearce his job for the night was to get all three men to sign the contract for this match.
'Postman Pearce' managed to locate Bray Wyatt's Firefly Funhouse and got his signature. After Strowman made quick work of Drew Gulak, he also signed on the dotted line. Pearce knocked on Reigns' lockeroom several times but he didn't answer until the last five minutes of the show. When he finally did - Reigns looked at the document and said he would sign it "after a few changes were fixed" and declared he would "be at Payback and wreck everyone and leave as the new Universal Champion". Reigns added "that is not a prediction, that's a spoiler" and the camera panned to Paul Heyman - The Big Dog is now a Paul Heyman guy.
These three man are no strangers to each other - Reigns and Wyatt had a long feud in 2015 ("anyone but you Roman"), Reigns and Strowman beat the hell out of each other throughout 2017 and Wyatt and Strowman have been embroiled in a bitter battle since May this year. This match will be brilliant, it will be non stop action from bell to bell, the No Holds Barred stipulation makes the contest exciting.
'The Fiend' Bray Wyatt won the Universal Championship, five days ago, I can't see him losing the title so soon after re-capturing it. Strowman was a good champion but it's clear Reigns and Wyatt is the long term plan, it was the scheduled feud before The Big Dog went on hiatus, so I expect Wyatt to pin The Monster Among men and him and Reigns face off for the title.
After a two year absents, Backlash returns to the WWE Network this Sunday. It will be fifteenth event in Backlash chronology and will emanate from the WWE Performance Center, in Orlando Florida.
The show will feature Randy Orton against Edge - a showdown the WWE are calling "The Greatest Wrestling Match Ever", Drew McIntyre defending his WWE Title against Bobby Lashley and The Miz & John Morrison challenging Braun Strowman for his Universal Title.
To ensure their match was the best it could be, The Viper and The Rated R Superstar filmed their contest earlier this week - the rest of the card will be broadcast live as it happens.
The WWE Network will show the event and it is also available on BT Sport Box Office for £14.95 - the pre-show begins at 23:00 (British Summer Time), 7pm Eastern and 4pm Pacific.
Not much is expected from the show, it feels like a filler event, hopefully the superstars pull out all the stops to make it a night to remember. Asuka (c) Vs. Nia Jax (Raw Women's Championship Match).
When Asuka won the Money In The Bank Ladder Match, everyone wondered when she would cash in her title shot on Becky Lynch - little did we know that The Man was about to become a mum and Asuka had won the Raw Women's Championship instead of the opportunity to challenge for the title.
A week after becoming champion, Asuka held a title celebration but she was interrupted by Nia Jax - who claimed The Empress of Tomorrow "lucked her way into the greatest temp job ever", because of Lynch's pregnancy, and she "didn't deserve the title." Asuka is a woman of few words and hit Jax with a barrage of kicks that sent the Irresistible Force out of the ring. That wasn't the last time things got physical between the two as later that night, Asuka attacked Jax backstage in retaliation for Jax ambushing Kairi Sane earlier that evening.
Seven days later, Jax won a triple threat number one contenders match to become the first challenger for Asuka's title.
While cutting a promo on the June 1st edition of Raw, Jax reiterated her belief that Asuka "didn't earn" the Raw Women's Championship and claimed she was the "victim" of multiple attacks from Asuka and her tag team partner Kairi Sane. Jax beat Sane in a match later that night and looked like she was going to attack The Pirate Princess afterwards but Asuka made the save and Jax backed off however that wasn't the last time we would see her during the show. In the middle of Asuka's match with Charlotte Flair, Asuka's music was played and Jax came down to the ring in the Raw Women's Champion's mask and face paint. Jax, clearly angered by Asuka getting involved in her business earlier, left her laying after a vicious attack.
On the last Raw before their encounter at Backlash, Jax once again got the better of Asuka, when she hit her with a Samoan Drop - after costing her a match against Flair.
Since returning from injury, WWE have done a great job of building Jax up as a the dominate woman she is and she has got the better of Asuka the last two weeks however the two time women's champion has only been had the title for 32 days and has been one of the red brands most valuable players during the 'Empty Arena' era. After being without a singles title for a year, Asuka deserves a long reign and will retain her championship this Sunday.
Winner: Asuka. Sasha Banks & Bayley (c) Vs. The IIconics Vs. Alexa Bliss & Nikki Cross (Women's Tag Team Championship Match).
Four teams have captured the women's titles since they were introduced at Elimination Chamber last year and three of those team are in this match.
Alexa Bliss & Nikki Cross were in the middle of their second reign until the June 5th edition of Smackdown, where they lost the titles to Sasha Banks and Bayley in the main event of that show. They held the titles since WrestleMania and will want to become the first ever three time women's champions as soon as possible.
After being off television for six months, The IIconics made their long awaited return to the WWE on May 11th, and immediately positioned themselves in the title picture with a win over Bliss and Cross who were champions at the time. Peyton Royce and Billie Kay want to be taken seriously, now they have comeback, and there is no bigger way to make a statement than becoming women's tag champions again.
Despite Bayley's overzealous nature, that usually results in Sasha Banks being booked into matches she has no desire to be in, The Boss has had her partners back and has helped The Role Model retain the Smackdown Women's Championship on several occasions. Banks pinned Cross to win these title and will not want to lose them so soon after gaining her first piece of gold since last year's WrestleMania. The women's division needs long term tag champions, so it makes sense for Banks and Bayley to retain on Sunday.
Winners: Sasha Banks & Bayley.
Apollo Crews (c) Vs. Andrade w/Zelina Vega (United States Championship Match).
It seems like Apollo Crews and Andrade have been feuding forever, this will be their sixth match (including tags), in the last two months.
Crews defeated Andrade for the United States title, on the May 25th edition of Raw, and the Tranquilo one gained this opportunity after winning a triple threat match - that included Kevin Owens and Angel Garza.
Even before he won the US title, Crews was gaining momentum, he qualified for the Money in The Bank Ladder Match only to miss out due to a 'injury' caused by Andrade and he hasn't loss a match since returning. Crews has been on the main roster since 2015 and this is the first time he's been pushed like the tremendous athlete that he is.
Andrande has been in limbo recently, his issues with stable mates Garza and Zelina Vega seems to have distracted him from what really matters and that's the US Title.
These two have good chemistry together, this will be another fine match between them. Crews will keep hold of his title with a feud with Owens on the horizon. Winner: Apollo Crews.
Braun Strowman (c) Vs. The Miz & John Morrison (Universal Championship Match).
When Braun Strowman decided to team with Otis, against The Miz & John Morrison on the post Money In The Bank episode of Smackdown, he upset the duo - who vowed to make The Monster Among Men life "hell" for getting involved in their business.
The following week, The Miz & John Morrison "roasted" Strowman in a edition of 'The Dirt Sheet' and Strowman defeated The Miz in a one-on-one match later in the show. After that match, Morrison challenged the big man to a Handicap Match at Backlash, a challenge he promptly accepted.
Once and a while, WWE like to try their hand at comedy and this was evident on the 5th June edition of Smackdown.
Throughout the show, The Miz & John Morrison played several 'pranks' on the Universal Champion including tampering with his protein shake, attempting to slime him and destroying his car. However, as the saying goes, he who laughs last, last best, and Strowman got his revenge on the self-proclaimed "Greatest Tag Team of the 21st Century" by flipping over the van they were in.
All three men have made the best out of this situation but it's not ideal. Strowman shouldn't be feuding with a tag team when Smackdown have heels like Cesaro, Nakamura, King Corbin and Dolph Ziggler on the brand - but that goes to show WWE have done a poor job in building credible opponents for the champion.
Strowman will win this match and hopefully have a rematch with 'The Fiend' Bray Wyatt when the latter returns to television.
Winner: Braun Strowman. Jeff Hardy Vs. Sheamus.
While WWE were showing Jeff Hardy 'redemption' videos, ahead of his comeback, Sheamus was irate at the fact the company were showcasing a "junky" rather than the Irishman himself. When Hardy did return, on May 8th, he called Sheamus out and the two brawled - with Hardy getting the better of his foe by hitting him with a Twist of Fate and a Swanton Bomb.
More verbal back and forth occurred between the two until they finally met in the ring on 22nd May, where Hardy beat Sheamus in the first round of the Intercontinental Title tournament.
Things took a spectacular turn the following week when Smackdown began with the Performence Center car park resembling a scene from the television show Cops as The Charismatic Enigma was taken away in handcuffs after his rental car was involved in apparent hit and run. The officers accused Hardy of being "drunk" and he was arrested however while in custody - Hardy passed several sobriety tests and was released. He returned during the main event of the show - costing The Celtic Warrior his match against Daniel Bryan. A groggy Hardy briefly attacked Sheamus but he managed to escape before any severe damage was done.
When given the chance to explain what had happened the week prior, Hardy said he didn't "slip" into his "old ways" and claimed he was "framed". Hardy said eyewitness accounts stated that the person who caused the crash got out of his car and ran - the man had "red hair and a red beard". Sheamus interrupted and said Hardy was "doing what he always did", blaming others, and Hardy's wife and daughters were used to him "disappointing them". The two came blows and Sheamus hit Hardy with a Brogue Kick then proceeded to throw him into the plexiglass that surrounds ringside - Sheamus stood over his rival as the show went into the commercial break.
On the last stop before Backlash, Hardy and Sheamus were scheduled to sign the contract to make their match official. Sheamus, who still doesn't think his adversary has conquered his demons, claimed he would only face Hardy if he had "assurances" that the former three time world champion was "clean" of all substances and demanded he provide a urine sample immediately. Hardy obliged with Sheamus' request but threw the sample in his foes face. Later in the night, the two had a pull a part brawl backstage.
This has been a well drawn out feud, with WWE bringing Hardy's real life issues into it, to give the rivalry extra spark. Both men have recently returned to television and could do with a win, as Hardy beat Sheamus in their last encounter, it would be just like the WWE's 50/50 booking to have the latter win this time and end the feud at the next pay-per-view - which is Extreme Rules. Winner: Sheamus.
Randy Orton Vs. Edge.
After their brutal Falls Count Anywhere match at WrestleMania 36, you would think Edge and Randy Orton would be done with each other but that is not the case.
On May 11th episode of Raw, Edge made his first appearances since defeating Orton on the Grandest Stage of Them All, and was going to up date the WWE Universe on what his future plans were until he was interrupt by the master of the RKO. The Viper gave Edge credit for his win but questioned if had the "guts" to face him again and challenged the 11 time world champion to a "straight up wrestling match" at Backlash. Carly Courso, who was conducting the interview with Edge, asked him if he accepted the challenge but he did not respond. Courso than claimed if Edge did agree to the match, it could possibly "The Greatest Wrestling Match Ever" - a tag line we would hear constantly over the next four weeks.
A week later, Orton cut a promo saying that he didn't need weapons to defeat Edge because he is the "superior athlete" and his former tag team partner's "grit" and "passion" has faded away and been replaced with "doubt". Orton explained that "wrestling" in the essence of everything he does and he will "prove he is the better man" at Backlash. Edge made his way to the ring and responded to Orton's verbiage - saying Orton was "resting on his laurels" and "collecting a paycheck". After further baiting from Orton, Edge accepted the challenge and Orton left the ring with a smug look on his face - he got what he wanted.
As Backlash drew closer, the war of words continued between the two, with Orton vowing to "embarrass" Edge and send him home to his wife and children a "broken man". On Christian's 'Peep Show', Captain Charisma questioned if Edge was ready for this Sunday and claimed The Rated R-Superstar couldn't have The Greatest Wrestling Match Ever "in his prime". Edge reassured his best friend that he was ready and would defeat Orton at Backlash.
This will be a great match between two of the best ever but expectations are so high, due to "The Greatest Wrestling Match Ever" tagline, that Edge and Orton are in a no win situation. This match has been filmed already, so it should be a flawless encounter that everyone can sit back and enjoy. Edge will win and hopefully move on to feud with fresh opponents like Seth Rollins or AJ Styles (Brand to Brand Invitational).
Winner: Edge. Drew McIntyre (c) Vs Bobby Lashley (WWE Championship Match).
Since aligning himself with Montel Vontavious Porter, Bobby Lashley has been on a rampage on Raw. MVP has got inside the head of The Almighty and reminded him how dominate he could be with a little focus and let him know that it had been 13 years since he last competed for the WWE Championship.
While the current champion, Drew McIntyre defeated King Corbin, Lashley and MVP were scouting the Mayor of Claymore Country from the entrance way. While celebrating his win, McIntyre spotted Lashley and told him he's been waiting for him to become a "killer" and to "step up" if he wants a shot at the title.
On May 25th, MVP invited McIntyre into his VIP Lounge and promised the Scotsman that he would be personal responsible for him losing the WWE title. Sick of all the talking, McIntrye hit MVP with a Claymore Kick as Lashley made his way towards the ring. McIntrye begged Lashley to get inside the squared circle but the former Intercontinental Champion was more concerned with getting his advisor backstage. Later that night, after Lashley and MVP lost to The Street Profits, McIntyre and the number one contender for his title engaged in a wild brawl that was eventually halted by Performance Center trainees - who were acting as member of the WWE Universe.
The following week, McIntyre beat MVP in short order but was ambushed by Lashley after the match. Lashley applied a Full Nelson on the WWE Champion - who could not break the hold as Raw went off the air.
On the go home Raw before Backlash, McIntyre was once again a guest on MVP's VIP Lounge and put over the Full Nelson, saying he was "still feeling the effects" of the move seven days later. He told MVP that the only way Lashley was going to get his title was to "pry it from his cold dead hands".
Later that night, Lashley would use the aforementioned Full Nelson to gain victory for him and MVP against The Viking Raiders, but he refused to release the hold after the bell had rung. McIntyre, who was at ringside for that match, jumped into the ring and hit Lashley with a Claymore Kick - that sent him sprawling towards the entrance way but didn't not knock him off his feet.
Lashley has been impressive recently but McIntyre has won his last 25 singles matches and that run will continue this Sunday. Lana may play a role in this match, her distraction could cost her husband and that could prompt him to finally get rid of her.
World Wrestling Entertainment will make history this weekend when their biggest show of the year takes place from the Performance Center, in Orlando Florida.
WrestleMania 36 will be unique for several reasons - it will be the first Show of Shows to be held in the aforementioned PC, no fans will be in attendance, a NXT Title will be on the line and it will be over two days (it's Too Big For Just One Night, if you haven't heard WWE's commentators relentlessly plug the tagline).
Many people have suggested the event should not take place, for obvious reasons, but Vince McMahon lives by the motto 'the show must go on' and it has. It will provide a good distraction and release from the doom and gloom surrounding the world at the moment.
Some wrestlers have been forced to miss the Pay-Per-View while some have chosen not to participate for health reasons. I wish those who are ill a speedy recovery and the ones who decided against performing, a pat on the back for standing up for what they believe in.
The show was taped last week and 16 matches are scheduled to take place.
For fans in the United Kingdom, the Kick-Off Show begins at 23:00, on the WWE Network.
Here's a preview of WrestleMania 36, with Rob Gronkowski hosting the show.
Sami Zayn (c) Vs. Daniel Bryan (Intercontinental Championship match).
These two have a storied history, battling in various independent promotions before they joining WWE, when Daniel Bryan was cleared to wrestle in 2018 - his first match back was teaming with Shane McMahon against Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn at WrestleMania 34.
The 2020 feud between them has been strange as it began with Zayn trying to recruit Bryan to his Artist Collective stable, that also includes Cesaro and Shinsuke Nakamura, however the leader of the Yes Movement rejected those advances and chose to team up with Drew Gulak instead.
In the build up to WrestleMania, Gulak and Bryan have gained the upper hand against their opponents.
They beat Nakamura and Cesaro, on the March 20th Smackdown and a week later, Gulak pinned the former to earn his partner this Intercontinental title shot.
This could be match of the night.These two are among the best wrestlers in the company and if given a considerable amount of time they will steal the show.
Zayn only won the IC Title a month ago, from Braun Strowmen in a 3-on-1 Handicap Match at Elimination Chamber, this will be his first title defense and will be desperate to keep hold of it.
Bryan has won the IC Title at WrestleMania before but was forced to relinquish it two months after, due to injury and will be hell bent on recapturing the gold.
However, with or without the Artist Collective, Zayn is a crafty as they come and will find a way to keep hold of his title - in his first singles WrestleMania match since joining the main roster in 2015.
Winner: Sami Zayn.
Bayley (c) Vs. Tamina Vs. Lacey Evans Vs. Naomi Vs. Sasha Banks (Smackdown Women's Championship Fatal Five-Way Elimination Match).
So far this year, Bayley has beaten 50% of the participants in this match, as she established her dominance over the Smackdown women's division.
Tamina, who recently returned to the blue brand, looked strong on her comeback - as she took out Naomi and Lacey Evans.
This week on Smackdown she pinned Naomi in a triple threat match, that also included Lacey Evans, and left Banks and Bayley laying in the middle of the ring after having her hand raised.
For the majority of her career, Tamina has been booked in a bodyguard role and has had too many injuries to be considered a serious contender in this match, she's more likely to be pinned than to win the title - despite WWE booking her well in the past fortnight.
Naomi lost to Bayley at WWE Super Showdown but pinned her in a tag team match, featuring Lacey Evens and Sasha Banks, the following night on Smackdown.
Naomi has a history of winning big matches at WrestleMania, she won this title in 2017 and the first ever WrestleMania Women's Battle Royal in 2018, but she will fall short in 2020.
Lacey Evans is doing okay since turning face last November but had her shot at Bayley, at the Royal Rumble, and lost. She will win the title this year, but not on this night.
That leaves the most interesting competitor in the match, Sasha Banks.
Banks and Bayley have ran Friday Night's with an iron first and everything was going well until Paige inserted The Boss into this match and the dynamics have changed.
When Paige made the announcement, the WWE Universe saw the glint in Banks eye and the smirk on her face, despite her partnership with Bayley she wants that title - especially considering she hasn't held a singles one since August 2017.
Banks has a history of stabbing people in the back and won't hesitate to do the same to Bayley but the champion could be one step ahead, as she isn't the naive 'Hugger' she once was and could be the one turn of Banks.
The former Women's Tag Team Champions may work together, eliminate the rest of the competitors until they are the last two left and see who the better woman is.
The way this plays out will be interesting, Bayley is the longest reigning Women's Champion in Smackdown history, she's held the title for over 173 days, and has been a revelation since winning it.
Smackdown's resident role model will do whatever it takes to keep racking up those numbers and will keep hold of her title.
Winner: Bayley.
Bobby Lashley w/Lana Vs. Aleister Black.
This match was randomly announced on March 23rd, via WWE's social media accounts and they haven't appeared on Raw together since.
Black is coming off a feud with AJ Styles, where he suffered from WWE's 50/50 booking and has gone back to beating jobbers.
While Lashley dominated his program with Rusev but has not been around for weeks.
This could go either way, both need a big win, but WWE seem to have more invested in Black than they do his opponent.
I can see this developing into a long term rivalry, WrestleMania will be the first of many matches between these two.
Winner: Aleister Black.
The Street Profits (c) Vs. Austin Theory and Angel Garza w/Zelina Vega (Raw Tag Team Championship Match).
This match was also hastily announced on March 23rd, but with United States champion Andrade, teaming with Angel Garza.
On the March 30th edition of Raw, Zelina Vega said Andrade had "suffered a serious injury to his ribs" and had been declared "medically unable to compete" but she introduced "the hottest young talent" in the WWE, Austin Theory, as his replacement.
Theory and Garza teamed with Seth Rollins on the same night, and lost to Kevin Owens and The Street Profits - Owens pinned Garza.
The Street Profits have held the titles for a month, beating Rollins and Murphy on Raw, and have grown as a team since.
They are brilliant inside the ring and on the microphone, they will beat this make shift tag team in a high flying match.
Winners: The Street Profits.
Kevin Owens Vs. Seth Rollins.
One of the hottest feuds in the industry comes to a conclusion at WrestleMania, when these two finally go one on one.
The issues between Seth Rollins and Kevin Owens can be traced all the way back to November, when Rollins criticized the Raw brand after a poor showing at Survivor Series and questioned Owens' loyalty after he represented NXT at Takeover WarGames II.
Owens wasn't trilled with Rollins words and hit him with a Stunner, but this was a slow burn as the returning Authors of Pain randomly started attacking The Prizefighter, who questioned whether Rollins was behind the beat downs - a claim he vehemently denied.
On December 9th Raw, following a 2 on 1 assault in the backstage area, a hooded figure emerged from a van, it was Seth Rollins and he was revealed as the mastermind behind the whole thing.
Clearly outnumbered - Owens found allies in Samoa Joe, The Viking Raiders, The Street Profits and even The Big Show, for his ongoing war with Rollins, AOP and his new disciple Murphy.
Owens and Rollins have traded wins all year in numerous tag team encounters and interfered in each others matches, Rollins eliminated Owens from the Royal Rumble while Owens cost Rollins and Murphy the Raw Tag Team Titles.
Sick of all the back and forth, the Monday Night Messiah challenged Owens to a match "anytime, any place" and Owens chose WrestleMania.
This his where the issues between the men heated up, with both cutting brilliant promos on each other.
Rollins claimed the Performance Center was built on his "blood, sweat, tears and sacrifice" and "nothing would exist" without him - including NXT stars like Johnny Gargano, Tommaso Ciampa, The Undisputed Era, The Women's Evolution and most importantly Owens himself. "They owe everything to him", he stated.
Rollins questioned Owens sanity, for taking up his challenge, on The Grandest Stage of Them All - where he becomes a "God" and Owens is an abject "failure".
Owens retorted by saying Rollins "wasn't liked in NXT", was a "arrogant dip-shit" and was going to have his "WrestleMania moment" by beating him.
This will be a great match and the end of a tremendous rivalry, Owens needs the win here and will get it.
Winner: Kevin Owens.
The Kabuki Warriors (c) Vs. Alexa Bliss and Nikki Cross (Women's Tag Team Championship).
Asuka has done a great job of building this feud on her own, as Kairi Sane has not wrestled since March 9th.
In backstage interviews and on commentary, she has been entertaining despite the majority of the WWE Universe unable to understand a word she is saying - the ability to keep fans engaged cannot be underestimated and shows how good The Empress of Tomorrow is.
It's been a difficult year for the women's tag titles - they haven't been defended on PPV since Tables, Ladders and Chairs last December and haven't had much exposure on either brand due to Sane getting concussed at that event.
At the beginning of March, Bliss began to question if the Kabuki Warriors were "scared" of competition and accused them of "hiding" on Raw.
Asuka attacked Bliss, while she was teaming with Cross, against Sasha Banks and Bayley and cost them the match - on March 13th Smackdown.
Subsequently, Bliss challenged Asuka to a match and beat one half of the women's tag team champions, two weeks later.
The Kabuki Warriors defeated Bliss and Cross to win these titles, at Hell In a Cell last October, but they won't repeat the trick this weekend.
Winners: Alexa Bliss and Nikki Cross.
The Undertaker Vs. AJ Styles (Boneyard Match).
In the build up to the Gauntlet Match, at WWE Supershow Down, AJ Styles claimed he would win the Tuwaiq Mountain Trophy, and move onto whoever the WWE Champion was - "it doesn't matter if it's Brock Lesner, Drew McIntyre, Roman Reigns, Shawn Michaels, Razor Ramon or The Undertaker", he declared.
During the Gauntlet Match, Styles only had Rey Mysterio left to beat but instead of waiting for his opponent, he instructed Luke Gallows and Karl Anderson to attack the master of the 619 at Gorilla Position.
Things were going to plan and Styles instructed the referee to raise his hand in victory but a mysterious man attacked The Greatest Tag Team in the World, that man was The Undertaker.
The Deadman walked to the ring, hit Styles with a chokeslam and became the first person to win the Tuwaiq Mountain Trophy.
Four days later, on Raw, Styles pinned Aleister Black, using The Undertaker's signature rest-in-peace cover.
The Undertaker retaliated at Elimination Chamber, by helping Black beat Styles in a No Holds Barred match.
Tired of losing again, due to The Undertaker's interference, Styles verbally unloaded on Mark Calaway and his wife Michelle McCool, in one of the best promos of his career.
Styles made things personal, this was this first time McCool had been acknowledged as The Undertaker's wife on Raw or Smackdown.
It was only a matter of time before The Undertaker responded and he did a week later, during what was supposed to be his and Styles' contract signing.
The Death Valley native stormed down the entrance ramp but this was more Calaway than Undertaker. He hammered Gallows and Anderson, who brought the contract to the ring as Styles thought discretion was the better part of valour on this occasion, and signed the paperwork to make their match official.
The Phenomenal One continued to address The Undertaker as a "wash up legend" and put real life images of him and his wife, on the TitanTron, he then challenged the veteran to a 'Boneyard Match' at WrestleMania.
On the 'go home' edition of Raw, it was The Undertaker's turn to get personal with Styles. He questioned why it took him so long to make it to the WWE and suggested he was scared of real stars like Booker T, Stone Cold Steve Austin, The Rock and Mick Foley.
The Undertaker then stated his wife's Faithbreaker was more "over" than Styles' finisher, the Styles Clash.
Despite cutting several promos, during his 30 years in the company, this must rank as one of The Undertaker's best.
The build up to this match has been fantastic and is one of the most anticipated on the card.
Both men have a good record at WrestleMania, Styles has won three out of four, while The Undertaker is 24-2.
This could go either way but The Undertaker will add Styles to his impressive list on souls at WrestleMania.
Winner: The Undertaker. John Cena Vs. 'The Fiend' Bray Wyatt (Firefly Fun House Match).
Just when it seemed John Cena was not going to participate at this years Show of Shows, The Fiend emerged on the ramp, pointed at the WrestleMania sign and the 16-time world champion tipped his hat in acceptance to the challenge.
Cena and Wyatt faced off at WrestleMania XXX and Cena won, that loss sent Wyatt into a downward spiral until HE saved him.
The Fiend is a totally different proposition for Cena to contend with, and this match is being held under rules that benefit him.
Cena is aiming to take out the most "over hyped, over valued, over privileged" WWE superstar in existence but The Fiend is looking to right the wrongs from six years ago.
Wyatt claimed Cena "broke" him then but The Fiend put him back together and as revenge, Cena will be "slaughtered".
After losing The Universal Championship to Goldberg, three months ago, The Fiend needs to rebound with a win and should do convincingly.
In the past, Cena has said nobody is ready to take his spot as the biggest star in the company but if he wins here - he will be denying The Fiend the chance to do just that.
Winner: 'The Fiend' Bray Wyatt.
Rhea Ripley (c) Vs. Charlotte Flair (NXT Women's Championship).
This match was one of first announced for WrestleMania 36 and is the result of Rhea Ripley throwing the gauntlet down to Charlotte Flair after The Queen won the Women's Royal Rumble.
After weeks of delaying her decision - Flair attacked Ripley at the conclusion her match against Bianca Belair at NXT Takeover: Portland and accepted the challenge.
Flair and Ripley have appeared on each other's brands and had wild brawls, the latest occurred on Wednesday, when the 10-time women's champion attacked The Nightmare in the PC parking lot.
Flair has been quick to remind Ripley of her legacy in NXT, she held the Women's Championship on the black and gold brand for 258 days however the current champion insists it's her time now and "to be the best, you have to beat the best".
Ripley has had a fantastic run lately, from leading her NXT team to victory at last year's Survivor Series to pinning Sasha Banks to dethroning Shayna Bazsler for the title however all good things come to an end and so do title reigns.
Flair has never lost a one-on-one match at WrestleMania, she became the inaugural Women's Champion at 32 and ended Asuka's undefeated streak two years later.
Flair will bring star power to NXT and prestige to the Women's Championship, this will be a brilliant match, and we will see a new champion.
Winner: Charlotte Flair.
Becky Lynch (c) Vs. Shayna Baszler (Raw Women's Championship).
Becky Lynch arrives at WrestleMania with a title she has held for a record 361 days and with no intention of giving it up but she may have no choice as Shayna Baszler plans to rip it out of her hands.
On February 9th, Baszler made her Raw debut, attacking Lynch from behind and savagely biting the back of her neck. With blood pouring from her mouth and Lynch riving in pain, Baszler made a statement from the get go.
Later that night, Lynch drove herself back to the arena in an ambulance and vowed to "break Baszler down little by little" and warned that she is coming for her.
During the contract signing for the women's Elimination Chamber Match, the winner would receive a title shot at WrestleMania, Lynch confronted Baszler and a pull apart brawl ensued.
At the Chamber, The Queen Of Spades set a record, by defeated all of the women in the match and her path to WrestleMania was clear.
The two women exchanged words the following week, Lynch admitted Baszler is her "biggest threat" but will "break her face" and The Submission Magician stated the champion could do "nothing to stop her from taking the title".
As WrestleMania drew closer the verbals between the two combatants stopped.
While Baszler was having a sit down interview, Lynch attacked her with a steel chair and beat her down.
Not to out done, Baszler ambushed Lynch and applied the Kirifuda Clutch, while The Man was cutting a promo on Monday's Raw. As Lynch faded, Baszler viciously swung her head into the announce table, it's clear the time for talking is over.
Both have had their moments in this intense rivalry and Baszler will have the biggest when she lifts the title at WrestleMania.
You can't keep a good woman down, Lynch will come back stronger, but it's Baszler time now.
Winner: Shayna Baszler.
Otis Vs. Dolph Ziggler w/Mandy Rose
The love triangle between Dolph Ziggler, Otis and Mandy Rose has been one of the most interesting parts of Smackdown lately.
It took Otis weeks to pluck up the courage to ask Rose out but when he eventually did, she said yes and they were set for a Valentine's Day date.
This is when things started to go wrong for Otis, who had captured the hearts of the WWE Universe with his romantic gestures towards Rose, as someone used her phone to text him 'I'm going to be late'. Once he arrived at the restaurant, Ziggler had swooped in and was having dinner with Rose - Otis was devastated, he dropped the flowers he had brought for his date and left without saying a word.
Ziggler began trash talk Otis and put Instagram images of him and Rose on the TitanTron, during Heavy Machinery's match against The Miz and John Morrison. Otis put the Smackdown Tag Team Champions through the ringside barrier as he finally exploded after weeks of being provoked.
Otis and The Showoff agreed to settle this at WrestleMania and it was revealed on last night's episode of Smackdown that the Valentine's Day plan concocted by Sonya Deville and Ziggler
Otis will finally get his hands on Ziggler at WrestleMania and will give fans a feel good moment when he beats Ziggler. Rose will leave Deville and begin to manage Heavy Machinery.
Winner: Otis.
Goldberg (c) Vs Braun Strowman (Universal Championship Match).
This match was announced on the last Smackdown before WrestleMania.
We know Goldberg was scheduled to face Roman Reigns but The Big Dog will not appear on the show for undisclosed reasons.
With no build up to discuss, I'm going straight to my prediction and that is Braun Strowman will finally win his first world title.
The Monster Among Men is not has over as he was in 2018 but a convincing win over Goldberg would be a good start to rebuilding him.
In the past, WWE have sacrificed their full time wrestlers for short term booking, but I don't see that happening this time.
Winner: Braun Strowman.
Elias Vs. King Corbin.
This match was made official by the host of WrestleMania, Rob Gronkowski after King Corbin attempted to intimidate The Gronk and his friend Mojo Rawley.
Elias has been a thorn in Corbin's side for weeks, singing insulting songs about the 2019 King of The Ring at every opportunity.
Corbin got some payback on Smackdown, last week, when he launched Elias off a podium onto the concrete floor and it is unknown if Elias will be able to compete at WrestleMania.
If he is fit enough, Elias will have his hand raised, with an assist from The Gronk.
Winner: Elias.
The Miz & John Morrison Vs. The New Day Vs. The Usos (Smackdown Tag Team Championship Triple Threat Ladder Match).
The champions have looked strong since winning the Smackdown Tag Team Titles from The New Day at WWE Supershow Down, in February.
They survived the Elimination Chamber and have the momentum going into what promises to be a brilliant match.
All six men have been in Ladder matches before and there is no telling what moves they will pull off to gain or retain the titles.
It has been 20 years since a triple threat Ladder Match took place at WrestleMania, if this is a good as that one, we are in for a treat.
The Usos are one of the best teams in history and don't need the titles to prove that and The New Day lost the gold to The Miz & John Morrison only two months ago.
If it's not broke, don't fix it, The Miz & Morrison will keep hold of their titles.
Winners: The Miz & John Morrison.
Edge Vs. Randy Orton (Last Man Standing Match).
Edge’s return to WWE went from euphoric to catastrophic in 24 hours thanks to Randy Orton, however a chance for retribution will come when they go one-on-one on The Grandest Stage of Them All - in what will be a brutal Last Man Standing Match.
The Rated R Superstar shocked the world when he came out at number 21, during the Royal Rumble, and looked like he never been away - eliminating three men and lasting 23 minutes before being tossed out by Roman Reigns. It was his first in-ring appearance in nine years, after being forced to retire due to a neck injury.
The next night on Raw, Edge received a huge pop as he made his way to the ring and was about to announce his future plans, until he was interrupted by Orton.
The Viper, who was one of the men Edge discarded from the Royal Rumble, looked happy to see his former Rated-RKO partner and proposed a possible reunion, then he suddenly struck with a RKO.
Not content with that, Orton took a page out of Edge's play book and hit him with a one man con-chair-to as booed rang around the area - in what was a reprehensible act even by Orton's standards.
After such a heinous attack, the WWE Universe demanded answers from Orton but he refused to comment, and let his actions do the talking by giving Matt Hardy the same vicious treatment he gave Edge.
When Edge’s wife, fellow Hall of Famer Beth Phoenix came to Raw to provide a medical update on his condition, she was interrupted by Orton - who looked like the voices in his head were turned up to 100.
The Viper finally explained his actions towards Edge, claiming he was trying to prevent him from sustaining further injuries and that "Edge was a junkie for the roar of the crowd" and Phoenix was his "enabler".
Orton mentioned Lyric and Ruby, the couple's children, and was slapped by Phoenix as a result - he responded with an RKO.
The following week Edge came down to the ring, during an MVP Lounge segment, and called Orton out.
Miffed about being cut off, MVP asked Edge how his wife was, and was Speared as a result, but that distraction was enough for Orton to attack Edge but he was greeted with a stunning RKO.
As Edge looked to return the con-chair-to favor, Orton ran away like a scolded dog but MVP wasn't so lucky and received a wicked con-chair-to.
On March 16th Raw, Edge challenged Orton to a Last Man Standing Match at WrestleMania, he accepted a week later.
This is the most personal match on this card and the history between these two men make it a very special contest.
As it is Edge's first singles match back, his last was against Alberto Del Rio at WrestleMania XXVII, he should go over here.
He has so many other wrestlers to compete with and what is left to do after this match with Orton - they have pulled out all the stop leading up to WrestleMania and the brawl itself will be unforgettable.
Winner: Edge.
Brock Lesnar (c) Vs. Drew McIntrye (WWE Championship Match).
For the first time ever, Drew McIntrye will go one-on-one with Brock Lesnar, in a match fitting for WrestleMania.
McIntrye earned this opportunity by winning the Royal Rumble, eliminating Lesner in the process, and he hasn't looked back since.
It usually takes the winner of the Rumble a few weeks to decide what brand's champion they want to face, but McIntrye had no such issue, he chose Lesnar the Raw after the Rumble - without hesitation. Once he made his intentions clear, McIntrye had a target on his back and Lesnar punished him with an F-5, on the same night.
Things between Lesnar and McIntrye cooled off after that, as The Beast Incarnate successfully defended his WWE Championship against Ricochet at WWE Supershow Down, while McIntrye was stacking up wins against MVP and Rowan.
The March 3rd Raw saw the issues between the two go up a level after McIntrye destroyed Lesner with several Claymore Kicks. The WWE Universe was stunned, as it is rear to see Lesnar in that type to predicament, but McIntrye was not scared of Lesnar and had problem showing it.
That was the last physical interaction between the two, however Lesnar's advocate Paul Heyman has been quick to remind everybody how dangerous his client is and what he has accomplished during his career.
McIntyre wasn't bothered by Heyman's verbiage and vowed to "pin Lesnar and become the new WWE Champion" at WrestleMania.
On the go-home Raw before WrestleMania, Heyman reaffirmed his belief that Lesnar would retain his title and McIntyre would be another victim for his client.
McIntrye has not responded to Heyman's latest comments but is training hard in the Scottish Highlands so that he is ready for the biggest challenge of his 19 year career.
When he was fired, from the WWE in 2014, The Scottish Psychopath worked his ass off so he could get in this position and won't let this opportunity slip threw his hands.
In 2009, Vince McMahon called McIntrye "the chosen one" and said he would become "a world champion", that prediction is about to come true.
