Bayley Added To WWE ‘Backlash’ Pre-Show, And She Responds To Criticism Of The Match On Twitter
Backlash airs live this Sunday on the WWE Network, and Bayley was just added to the kickoff pre-show. On Friday, WWE announced that Bayley will face Ruby Riott during the Backlash pre-show. Thus far, eight matches have been booked on the main card, and with at least one known pre-show match scheduled, it looks like the WWE universe could be in for another long night of action.
WWE tweeted the announcement on Friday, and apparently not everyone was thrilled with the booking. While many fans seemed excited about the Bayley and Riott match, one fan voiced his disdain. As Ringside News documented, a fan tweeted a reply about the Bayley announcement stating, “who asked for this?”
Bayley eventually replied to the fan’s tweet stating that she was the one who asked for the match. The WWE superstar wrote that while others may have forgotten that The Riott Squad had attacked her and Sasha Banks, she hasn’t. Many fans then showed endearing support for the Bayley bout, tweeting out words of encouragement.
Some critics simply don’t like the match. But other naysayers generally feel that WWE’s programming each week, along with their monthly pay-per-views, are way too long. This has been an ongoing grievance by some fans for quite some time.
THIS SUNDAY on #WWEBacklash Kickoff, @itsBayleyWWE will go one-on-one with @RubyRiottWWE! https://t.co/9P2He4195i pic.twitter.com/c5YKPiEtdo
— WWE (@WWE) May 4, 2018
Including the pre-shows, two of WWE’s last three pay-per-views were very lengthy: Greatest Royal Rumble ran six hours, WrestleMania went for seven hours, and with a runtime that is usually the company’s norm, Fastlane ran for just under four hours. Outside of special events, like WrestleMania, most pay-per-views run for about four hours (including the kickoffs).
WoW Who asked for this?!????
— Bobby Beale XX LM (@BobbyBealeInc) May 4, 2018
Me. I guess some have forgotten about Riott Squad jumping Sasha and me during our match. But I haven’t. https://t.co/nKKG3mBbB5
— Bayley (@itsBayleyWWE) May 4, 2018
In addition to the Bayley match, listed below are the eight other matches scheduled for Backlash.
- WWE Champion AJ Styles vs. Shinsuke Nakamura (No DQ Match)
- SmackDown Women’s Champion Carmella vs. Charlotte Flair
- Raw Women’s Champion Nia Jax vs. Alexa Bliss
- Intercontinental Champion Seth Rollins vs. The Miz
- United States Champion Jeff Hardy vs. Randy Orton
- Roman Reigns vs. Samoa Joe
- Daniel Bryan vs. Big Cass
- Braun Strowman and Bobby Lashley vs. Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn
Definitely! First kickoff show I’ll watch.
—???????? 2018 Champions (@supersaiyanandy) May 4, 2018
Though they could go longer than usual, it’s likely that Backlash will stay within a reasonable time frame. Though some may feel overwhelmed by WWE’s weekly content and pay-per-view schedule, Bayley and her fans are ready for her Backlash pre-show match with Ruby Riott.
