Payback time as WWE Superstars gear up for WrestleMania Backlash

DUBAI: With the events of the historic two-night WrestleMania 38 still fresh in the memory, focus now turns to WrestleMania Backlash as the WWE Superstars eye rematches with their rivals on May 8.

Already confirmed are bouts between Charlotte Flair and Ronda Rousey as well as Seth Rollins against Cody Rhodes.

On Monday Night Raw, Austin Theory continued his rise through the ranks as he took down Finn Balor to earn the United States Championship belt, Theory crowning his coronation with a customary selfie with wrestling promoter Vince McMahon.

Elsewhere, new Raw Women’s Champion Bianca Belair held off Sonya Deville to maintain her dominance atop the women’s roster, as the two exchanged strong words ahead of their Championship match in the coming weeks.

On SmackDown, an explosive evening of action saw the acrobatic Ricochet defeat Jinder Mahal to retain the Intercontinental Title in an epic title defense. Earlier, Sami Zayn made a dramatic escape from the ring, and his opponent Drew McIntyre, as the Scottish Warrior left a devastating statement before Zayn slipped away to fight another day.

With several title belts in dispute, the RKBro tag team left a timely reminder of their position at the top ahead of their upcoming Winner Takes All Title Unification Match against The Usos. The Raw Tag Team Champions took down The Usos in a high-flying match, with Riddle providing the final blow against the SmackDown Tag Team Champions.