WrestleMania 41 ended up leaving the audience with mixed emotions, to say the least. While it was exciting to see John Cena make history with his 17th world title, the match itself is not looked on favorably.
Now, WWE is moving on to Backlash, which features John Cena’s first title defense against Randy Orton and Becky Lynch in her first singles match since she went on hiatus.
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Here are our expert predictions for who we think will come out on top at Backlash St. Louis.
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Undisputed WWE Championship – John Cena (c) vs. Randy Orton
For the last time, John Cena and Randy Orton are going to face off in the ring. Hopefully, Cena won’t lean too much into his promise to “ruin wrestling” and will have an enjoyable match with his longtime adversary.
While their rivalry has had plenty of back-and-forth, this match may be the easiest to predict. Cena just won the title and is going to hold onto it for a very long time. Orton may be his greatest rival, but he’s not the one to take the belt off Cena.
Winner: John Cena
Intercontinental Championship – Dominik Mysterio (c) vs. Penta
This remains one of the hardest matches to predict of the night. Penta has been incredibly popular with fans and would make an excellent champion. However, Dominik Mysterio’s win was one of the most exciting moments of WrestleMania, turning him into a babyface almost immediately.
The ultimate factor in this is going to be Mysterio’s fellow Judgement Day member Finn Balor. While the seeds are being sown for Balor to turn on Mysterio to cost him the title, now probably isn’t the right time.
Winner: Dominik Mysterio
Women’s Intercontinental Championship – Lyra Valkyria (c) vs. Becky Lynch
While the feud between Lyra Valkyria and Becky Lynch started off feeling confusing and rushed, it has quickly become compelling after some excellent promos between the two competitors.
This match seems like the beginning of a passing of the torch to Valkyria. While Lynch will likely come out on top this time, expect Valkyria to come back in the future and get her title back, most likely at SummerSlam.
Winner: Becky Lynch
United States Championship – Jacob Fatu (c) vs. Damian Priest vs. Drew McIntyre vs. LA Knight
Jacob Fatu is about to face the biggest challenge of his career, defending his newly won United States Championship against two former world champions (Damian Priest and Drew McIntyre) and the person he won the title from (LA Knight).
Despite the chaos that will enter into a match like this, expect Fatu to come out on top. He is clearly a future main eventer, and WWE will be looking to build up his credibility, potentially with a record-breaking reign.
Winner: Jacob Fatu
Gunther vs. Pat McAfee
In what is probably the least anticipated match on the card, Gunther, who just finished his reign as World Heavyweight Champion, will face off against Pat McAfee, a commentator. Yes, this seems like a massive step down for The Ring General.
The only way McAfee wins this is if someone interferes and costs Gunther the match or Gunther beats him so violently that he gets disqualified. Either way, it’s unlikely McAfee comes out of this unscathed.
Winner: Gunther (hopefully)
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