Cody Rhodes Defeating Brock Lesnar And 5 Smart Booking Decisions

WWE Backlash 2023 will mark the company’s first pay-per-view in Puerto Rico since 2005, and despite the absence of Roman Reigns, the event is certainly a big one.

Backlash is reportedly netting WWE a $1.5 million payday from Puerto Rico for the blockbuster show, and that’s without even factoring in ticket sales. WWE is pulling out all the stops, too. The show, hosted by worldwide rap sensation Bad Bunny, will be headlined by a huge match between Brock Lesnar and Cody Rhodes as well as Bad Bunny vs. Damian Priest.

Throw in a six-man tag match pitting The Bloodline against Kevin Owens, Sami Zayn and Matt Riddle, and Backlash is shaping up to be one of the biggest non-Big Four pay-per-views in recent memory. In addition, Backlash will mark the final event before WWE’s post-Draft rosters go into effect, meaning that it should also serve as the blowoff show for a number of major feuds.

While WWE Backlash 2023 is already a rousing success, these five smart booking decisions could put it over the top.

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Seth Rollins Slays Omos

Talk about random, huh? WWE shocked the world when it announced this WWE Backlash 2023 match without any buildup whatsoever a couple of weeks ago.

Seth Rollins vs. Omos appears to be, more so than anything else, a way to get a marquee star like Seth Rollins on the card and have him pick up a big victory. Given his loss to Brock Lesnar at WrestleMania 39, Omos—now a “free agent”—doesn’t appear to be in line for any significant push anytime soon. In essence, he’s probably on Backlash purely to put over Rollins.

Well, this should be WWE’s goal here. Rollins, especially with Reigns on a part-time schedule, is one of the company’s biggest stars. So, the outcome should be easy: Rollins slaying Omos with a massive Stomp. Nothing more, nothing less.

Austin Theory Wins Cheaply

There really isn’t a bad choice to win a match that might steal the show at WWE Bacjklash. Austin Theory, Bobby Lashley and Bronson Reed would all make a formidable United States Champion. Lashley, however, appears to be above that level right now and shouldn’t really be getting pinned. After all, he continues to be one of WWE’s most dominant stars.

With none of these stars really in a good position to be defeated cleanly at Backlash, the best solution is for WWE simply to stay put. Theory is now the lone midcard champion on SmackDown, making him he’s a fine choice to retain the title. That way, Theory can continue to be pushed as a borderline main event star.

There is no reason to rush Theory’s push, and given the current construction of WWE’s roster, Theory should remain champ. After all, if Lashley or Reed wins, WWE would have three uber-dominant heel champions in Lashley or Reed, Gunther and Reigns. Coversely, Theory has a significantly different character that would make the men’s title pictures less repetitive. Meanwhile, Reed winning would be a problem in that it would give Raw two midcard titleholders.

Bad Bunny Gets A Big Win Over Damian Priest

Labeled the world’s “biggest pop star” by NPR, Bad Bunny is bringing eyeballs to WWE that wouldn’t be there otherwise. The kicker? He’s also really good in the ring. In other words, he is the perfect choice to represent WWE in its quest to expand its global reach.

When he battles Damian Priest at WWE Backlash 2023, Bad Bunny can generate even more interest in WWE by picking up the victory. The Rey vs. Dominik feud is far from over, and it’s likely that this feud will extend well past Backlash, giving WWE plenty of time to ensure that Dominik gets his win back.

But Bad Bunny is one of the most recognizable stars on the planet and could create headlines across the world with a victory over Priest. He should win at Backlash but in a way that keeps Priest looking strong.

Cody Rhodes Defeats Brock Lesnar

WWE fans have been scratching their heads since WrestleMania 39, when Cody Rhodes shockingly lost to Roman Reigns. The question still remains: Was that one of the worst booking decisions in WWE history or simply part of a bigger story?

The ideal scenario is that WWE didn’t just randomly decide to ruin what was potentially one of the biggest “feel good” moments ever. WWE, after all, reportedly has perhaps up to a year of post-WrestleMania creative plans in place. Thus, logic suggests that Rhodes eventually getting back at Reigns is the ultimate climax.

To get there, Rhodes will have to slay giants, and there is no harder Goliath to slay than “The Beast.” If Rhodes—who’s a merchandise powerhouse for WWE—loses to Lesnar after falling to Reigns, that would be back-to-back colossal gaffes on WWE’s part. And WWE has to avoid such a booking catastrophe.

Jey Uso Gets Pinned As The Bloodline Falls

The Bloodline’s rise and potential fall has dominated WWE storylines for nearly three years, and perhaps the most pivotal piece of the puzzle has been not Reigns—but Jey Uso.

Jey’s character development has been absolutely incredible, and he continues to be the centerpiece of all of the issues involving this tremendous faction. Remember, it was Jey—not Jimmy—who lost to Zayn at WrestleMania, and it’s been Jey who’s had the most beef with Reigns. Thus, it should once again be Jey who creates another crack in The Bloodline at WWE Backlash 2023.

That necessitates Jey being pinned, whether by Zayn, Owens or Riddle at Backlash. This should lead to further issues with Reigns, problems that will continue to make this storyline more entertaining than anything WWE has ever produced.