6 titles WWE may change following Backlash - Major championships to be properly unified, surprising belt rebranding
WWE Backlash is almost here, and the show will surely be a barn burner. Top stars will appear on the card, including Bad Bunny, Brock Lesnar, Bianca Belair, Rhea Ripley, Cody Rhodes, The Bloodline, Kevin Owens, and Sami Zayn, among others.
Still, as much as there's intrigue for the big premium live event from Puerto Rico, there may be even more interest in the landscape of World Wrestling Entertainment afterward. The company recently held its latest draft, and the rosters have been completely shaken up.
The new rosters don't officially take hold until after Backlash ends. Many fans are wondering what will come next. Who will battle who? What new feuds will arise? And perhaps most notably, what will happen with several championships?
The draft has landed several champions exclusively on one brand, many of which hold a title unsuitable for the brand. What will happen with these belts moving forward? This article will examine the potential future of six top titles in the company.
Below are six titles WWE may change following Backlash.
#6. WWE Championship and #5. Universal Championship, unified titles to be consolidated
The WWE Championship has been the most prestigious title in professional wrestling for quite some time. The belt was established in 1963, and 60 years later is currently held by Roman Reigns.
The Tribal Chief holds another title as well. He is the Universal Champion, a belt that has been around since 2016, when the second-ever brand split took hold. Reigns has held that belt for nearly 1,000 days.
Now that Triple H has announced the creation of the World Heavyweight Championship, the Undisputed WWE Universal Championship may be consolidated into one belt. They're already being held by one person, so it may as well become just one belt moving forward.
#4. The RAW Tag Team Titles could become the World Tag Team Titles
https://t.co/ISNHzIkIOS
The RAW Tag Team Titles were originally called the World Tag Team Titles. They were introduced in 2002 as the WWE Tag Team Titles during the first brand split. RAW had the traditional tag belts, so SmackDown needed tag gold of their own.
The first-ever champions were the team of Kurt Angle and Chris Benoit, but the current titleholders are Sami Zayn and Kevin Owens. They defeated The Usos for both the RAW and SmackDown Tag Team Titles at WrestleMania Saturday.
Given that the World Heavyweight Championship is set to be the dominant title on Monday Night RAW, WWE may choose to rebrand the RAW Tag Team Titles and rename them the World Tag Team Titles. This would eliminate any issues with future draft selections and potential title swaps.
#3. The RAW Women's Championship may become the WWE Universal Women's title
The RAW Women's Championship was first introduced in 2016. The Divas Championship was retired, and the WWE Women's Championship was created. Once the brand split occurred later that year, the belt was renamed.
Bianca Belair is the reigning Raw Women's Champion, but there's been a bit of a hiccup. The EST has been drafted to Friday Night SmackDown. This means one of two scenarios could happen.
Belair could end up swapping titles with Rhea Ripley, but in doing so, it would wipe the slate clean on her title win. An alternative choice is to rebrand her title. The RAW Women's Championship may become the WWE Women's Championship or even the Universal Championship to match the top men's title on the blue brand.
#2. The SmackDown Tag Team Titles could be vacated, and their name changed
The SmackDown Tag Team Titles were first created in 2016 during the second brand split. The oddball duo of Heath Slater and Rhyno were the first-ever champions. Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn are the reigning title holders.
The Canadian duo was drafted to Monday Night RAW, which certainly makes things difficult. While they could go to both shows, like the WWE Women's Tag Team Champions, an alternative could see the titleholders vacate the belts.
Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn don't want to be like Roman Reigns. They don't want to hold the company hostage. They may vacate the blue brand's belts and allow them to return. In doing so, they may be rebranded the WWE Tag Team Titles or the Universal Tag Team Titles to match the main belt.
#1. The SmackDown Women's Championship may become the World Women's title
Dominik's face when Rhea Ripley said "mommy is always on top" #WWERaw https://t.co/bPTRH1D5Mf
The SmackDown Women's Championship was first introduced to programming in 2016 during the second-ever brand split. Becky Lynch was the very first woman to hold the belt, although many greats have held it since.
The current titleholder is Rhea Ripley. She won the belt from Charlotte Flair at WrestleMania Night One, thus seemingly making her a SmackDown star. She was drafted number one on Monday Night RAW and will remain on the red brand.
Just like the RAW Women's Championship, the SmackDown Women's title may be renamed to avoid the champions needing to awkwardly swap the titles. The SmackDown Women's Title could become the World Tag Team Titles to match the new World Heavyweight Championship.