Friday, April 27, 2007

WWE Backlash 2007 Predictions

Let's just get straight to the matches...

World Tag Team Championship
The Hardys (Matt and Jeff) (c) vs. Lance Cade and Trevor Murdoch
I Say:
For the last few months every couple of weeks I have been reading that the WWE wants to keep the Hardys as singles wrestlers and not as a tag team. Then they go and put the tag titles on them. Go figure, but I think that one of the only reasons that the Hardys got the straps are because they needed to get the titles off of Cena and Michaels. They certainly couldn't put them on a Smackdown team since SD already has tag champs and there aren't exactly a lot of teams on RAW that could have picked up the titles. Cryme Tyme and The Highlanders are nowhere close to being top contenders. I would have maybe put them on Flair and Carlito to help build them up before their upcoming breakup, but that would be copying the whole reason that Cena and Shawn got the titles. As for this match I see a really good chance that Cade and Murdoch will get the belts. Especially since they seem to be having good luck as of late in RAW. Add to that the recent WWE.com article that was posted featuring C & M ripping into the Internet Wrestling Community and I see them getting the belts away from the Hardys this weekend. There's very few things that the WWE higher-ups hate more than the I.W.C.
Dave Says: I'm going with my heart on this one and give the victory to Cade and Murdoch. They have been on the cusp of breaking out and the WWE may give them the opportunity to show that they can generate some fan reaction.

Fatal Four Way match for the WWE Championship
John Cena (c) vs. Edge vs. Randy Orton vs. Shawn Michaels
I Say:
First off, Orton is NOT getting the belt. Second, it looks like the 3+ month buildup to a Edge/Orton match will finally result in a match and the WWE Title will not be part of the match so I have to count Edge out of this match. That leaves Cena and Shawn. I picked HBK to get the title @ WM and think that they only reason that he didn't was because the WWE probably wanted to have Shawn pass the torch to Cena by putting him over on the 'granddest stage of them all'. Now that he did it I think that Shawn may very well get the title here. This is how I see it going down. Edge and Orton will cost each other the match leading to the 1-on-1 match between them. Shawn will then catch Cena with the Crescent Kick and get the pin and the title. Then...You guessed it. A couple of rematches over the next few months leading to a match between Triple H and whomever still has the title.
Dave Says: Randy Orton won't win because he's already in the dog house. I don't see Shawn Michaels winning so it's between Edge and Cena. Cena's rise to the top is inexplicable. He is a babyface who gets boo'd like crazy. In all my years of watching wrestling I've never seen such a thing. I always hope for Cena to lose but betting against Cena is generally not a good choice. I'll give Cena the win but I'd rather see any of the other three take the title.

Handicap match for the ECW World Championship
Bobby Lashley (c) vs. Umaga, Shane McMahon, and Vince McMahon (w/Armando Alejandro Estrada)
I Say:
I can't see Lashley losing. What will they do if he loses. Have Umaga and the McMahons as co-champs like the Spirit Squad was with the tag belts? During the time that the Sprit Squad and the McMahons were feuding with DX I was convinced that DX would lose, but they always seemed to win. If I recall there was a 7-on-2 match at one point that DX won. I see this being the same kind of situation. Lashley wins. They've got this whole invincibility tag on him.
Dave Says: Bobby Lashley's luck will finally run out at Backlash. So who gets the title? I assume Umaga but it would be funny to have it put on Shane or Vince.

Last Man Standing match for the World Heavyweight Championship
The Undertaker (c) vs. Batista
I Say:
I don't have much to say about this match other than the fact that Undertaker will win. As long as 'Taker is feuding with Batista I am rooting for Undertaker. I wouldn't call myself a fan though.
Dave Says: My prediction for WrestleMania was an Undertaker win with a short title reign. I'm sticking with that and going with Batista for the victory.

WWE Women's Championship
Melina (c) vs. Mickie James
I Say:
I said in my WM predictions that Melina could be on her way out. I really hope that doesn't happen. She is a halfway decent wrestler and she is the only legit female heel that the roster has. It's basically her, Victoria, and Jillian. That's it for the heels. As long as she has the title she's not going anywhere, but I don't see her having the title after this Sunday. I think that Mickie will win and these two will continue to feud so I don't see her leaving anytime soon. She'll be staying with the WWE and do you know who she has to thank for that? TNA. As long as TNA is around Vince is very hesitant about letting people go.
Dave Says: Melina will win because her boobs are bigger.

WWE United States Championship
Chris Benoit (c) vs. Montel Vontavious Porter
I Say:
I think the plan was to put some gold on MVP soomer than later. The only reason that it didn't happen at WM was because they didn't think that he was deserving of being put over and getting a title at the biggest show of they year. He gets the title here I think.
Dave Says: The logical conclusion for the WM match was an MVP win. I'm going to pick MVP this time but I'm willing to bet I'm wrong. Maybe Vince is correcting his earlier mistake. This is not because I think MVP is deserving or a great wrestler. I just can't figure out why you put MVP in a PPV without giving him a chance to hold some gold. And it makes even LESS sense to do it twice.

Summary:
Cade/Murdoch, Shawn Michaels, Lashley, Taker, James, & MVP. (Yeah, I know that I have 4 title changes)
Cade/Murdoch, Cena, Umaga/McMahons, Batista, Melina, & MVP.


wrestleblogger@yahoo.com