Bloodline six-man tag always planned for WWE WrestleMania Backlash
Though a Tag Team title unification match was originally advertised, a six-man tag was always the plan for this Sunday’s WrestleMania Backlash pay-per-view.
It was originally announced that Raw Tag Team Champions RK-Bro would be facing SmackDown Tag Team Champions The Usos in a title unification match at WrestleMania Backlash. Last week, that was changed to The Bloodline (Roman Reigns & The Usos) vs. Drew McIntyre & RK-Bro. The six-man tag currently has no official stakes.
Dave Meltzer reported in the latest edition of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter that, despite the unification match being heavily promoted, Reigns & The Usos vs. McIntyre & RK-Bro was always the plan for WrestleMania Backlash:
The WWE WrestleMania Backlash show on 5/8 had a major change on the 4/29 Smackdown show.
The most heavily promoted match on the show was Randy Orton & Riddle vs. The Usos to unify the tag titles. On the show there was an angle where the two teams were in the ring brawling. Then Roman Reigns and Drew McIntyre joined in and the belief was that would lead to a Universal title match at the show.
However, in things that were not taped in front of the crowd in Albany on 4/22, the night the show was taped, they changed the tag title unification match with a six-man tag match. At press time, it was just a six-man tag match with no championships at stake. Some thought maybe there would be stipulations added to put Reigns titles or the tag titles at stake.
The little bit we do know is that the six-man tag match was always the planned match. There was never a plan to do the unification match. So while most feel this was the usual weekly plans changed, it was not. That also explains why last week nobody would confirm Reigns vs. McIntyre to me, only that Reigns would be in the main event.
What we were told is that the decision was made to save Reigns vs. McIntyre for the bigger summer shows. The idea is with the smaller building and coming four weeks after WrestleMania, the interest level wasn’t going to be that high, and they need big matches for the bigger shows.
Dunkin’ Donuts Center in Providence, Rhode Island is hosting WrestleMania Backlash this Sunday. Here’s the announced card for the show:
- Roman Reigns & The Usos (Jimmy & Jey Uso) vs. Drew McIntyre & RK-Bro (Randy Orton & Riddle)
- “I Quit” match: SmackDown Women’s Champion Charlotte Flair defends against Ronda Rousey
- Cody Rhodes vs. Seth Rollins
- AJ Styles vs. Edge (Damian Priest is barred from ringside)
- Bobby Lashley vs. Omos
- Happy Corbin vs. Madcap Moss