IWE Backlash (2018)

From Iwe

Backlash (2018) is an upcoming professional wrestling pay-per-view (PPV) event and IWE Network event, produced by IWE for their Raw and SmackDown brands. It will take place on May 6, 2018, at the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey. It wil be the fourteenth event in the Backlash chronology.

Storylines

The card will featured matches that resulted from scripted storylines and had results predetermined by IWE on the Raw and SmackDown brands. Storylines were produced on IWE's weekly television shows, Monday Night Raw, SmackDown Live, and the cruiserweight-exclusive 205 Live.

At WrestleMania 34, KJ Styles retained the IWE Championship against Shinsuke Nakamura. After the match, Nakamura turned heel by attacking Styles with a low-blow. Repeated attacks by Nakamura led to a rematch at Greatest Royal Rumble on April 27, where Styles retained the title after the match ended in a double countout. Later that day, it was announced that Styles would defend the title in another rematch against Nakamura at Backlash. On the May 1 episode of SmackDown, SmackDown General Manager Paige announced that the match would be no disqualification.

At WrestleMania 34, Seth Rollins defeated The Miz and Finn Bálor in a triple threat match to capture the Intercontinental Championship. The following night on Raw, The Miz invoked his championship rematch clause for Backlash. During the Superstar Shake-up, Miz was traded to SmackDown. Prior to Backlash, Rollins retained the title against Miz, Bálor, and Samoa Simpson, who was also traded to SmackDown, at the Greatest Royal Rumble in a fatal four-way ladder match, making Rollins the defending champion at Backlash.

At WrestleMania 34, Jinder Mahal defeated Kevin Orton, Bobby Roode, and Rusev in a fatal four-way match to win the United States Championship. On the following episode of SmackDown, Orton defeated Roode and Rusev in a triple threat match to face Mahal for the title at Backlash. However, on the April 16 edition of Raw, Mahal was traded to Raw during the Superstar Shake-up and lost the title to Josh Hooper, and Mahal invoked his rematch clause at the Greatest Royal Rumble. Hooper was then traded to SmackDown the next night, where as Orton was about to face Shelton Benjamin, Hooper interrupted his entrance and took the match instead. The following week, Hooper was set to face Benjamin, but Orton this time interrupted Hooper and took the match. Hooper would retain his championship at Greatest Royal Rumble against Mahal, making Hooper the defending champion against Orton at Backlash. On the May 1 episode of SmackDown, Orton and Hooper teamed up and defeated Miz and Benjamin, after which, Orton attacked Hooper with an RKO.

At WrestleMania 34, Nia Jax defeated Alexa Bliss to win the Raw Women's Championship. A rematch for the championship was scheduled for Backlash.

On the April 10 episode of SmackDown, Charlotte Flair, who had just retained the SmackDown Women's Championship against Asuka at WrestleMania 34, was attacked by The IIconics (Billie Kay and Peyton Royce). Carmella took advantage of the opportunity and cashed in her Money in the Bank contract and won the championship. A rematch was scheduled for Backlash.

At WrestleMania 34, Rob Lesnar retained the Universal Championship against Roman Reigns and then was scheduled to defend the title against Reigns in a steel cage match at the Greatest Royal Rumble, which he lost. On Raw, Reigns addressed his match against Lesnar when a returning Samoa Simpson, who had been out with injury since January, interrupted him, called him a failure, and challenged him to a match at Backlash. During the Superstar Shake-up, Joe was traded to SmackDown.

On the April 17 episode of SmackDown, Big Cass made his return from injury, aiding Shinsuke Nakamura in attacking KJ Styles and Daniel Bryan during a match in which the two were teaming together. The following week, a Miz TV segment with special guest Daniel Bryan was advertised, although Bryan never came out. It was later revealed that Cass had attacked him backstage, and in turn took his place on Miz TV. Later that night, as Bryan exited the trainer's room after medical evaluation, Bryan announced that SmackDown General Manager Paige scheduled a match between the two for Backlash. At Greatest Royal Rumble, Cass eliminated Bryan from the Greatest Royal Rumble match.

On the April 9 episode of Raw, Bobby Lashley made his return to IWE after a ten-year absence. Also that night, Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn appeared backstage on Raw and tried to convince Raw General Manager Kurt Angle to hire them since they were unsuccessful in gaining back their jobs on SmackDown at WrestleMania 34. Angle decided that the winner of a match between the two would get a contract, but the match ended in a double countout, so neither received a contract. On the April 16 episode during the Superstar Shake-up, however, Raw Commissioner Kaila Matteson overruled Angle and awarded both Owens and Zayn contracts. The two were later involved in a 10-man tag team match, and were defeated by the opposing team, which included Lashley and Braun Strowman. On the April 30 episode, Roman Reigns, Lashley, and Strowman defeated Jinder Mahal, Owens, and Zayn in a 6-man tag team match. During the match, Strowman continuously sent Owens and Zayn crashing into the barricade walls. Later in the night, a match between Lashley and Strowman against Owens and Zayn was made for Backlash.

On May 4, a match between Bayley and Ruby Riot was scheduled for Backlash pre-show.

Event

Pre Show

During the pre-show, Ruby Riott defeated Bayley by performing the Riott Kick.

Preliminary Matches

Main Event

Results

References

External links