WWE Backlash airs tonight
Smackdown Live presents Backlash tonight on the WWE Network, and the card is above average on paper.
While the main event match has not been officially announced, Randy Orton defends the WWE championship against Jinder Mahal.
I don鈥檛 think WWE is ready to pull the trigger on Mahal just yet, but nothing they do here would surprise me.
Orton should retain, but could WWE go with Mahal for the shock value?
In what might be the match of the night, Kevin Owens defends the U.S. title against A.J. Styles.
Shinsuke Nakamura makes his televised main roster in-ring debut as he takes on Dolph Ziggler. These two have done some house show matches, and I expect it to be decent. Speaking of expectations, look for the Chicago crowd to be behind Nakamura here.
The Uso蘑菇视频 defend the Smackdown tag titles against Breezango, and this match could be quite entertaining.
Smackdown women蘑菇视频 champion Naomi, Charlotte Flair and Becky Lynch take on Natalya, Tamina and Carmella in a six-person tag match.
I look for Natalya蘑菇视频 team to earn the win because the 鈥渂ad guys,鈥� or should I say 鈥渂ad girls,鈥� really need to pick up some momentum.
Sami Zayn faces Baron Corbin in a match that both characters could use a win, but I anticipate a Corbin victory.
Luke Harper takes on Erick Rowan in a battle of former Wyatt Family members, and this one is a toss-up.
This is Rowan蘑菇视频 first PPV match since losing to The Rock in a record setting six seconds at WrestleMania 32. In the Kickoff Match, Tye Dillinger faces Aiden English.
Numbers dip for Smackdown Live
Over the last two weeks, Raw蘑菇视频 declining viewers were covered in this column.
Not to be outdone, this week蘑菇视频 episode of Smackdown Live drew its third lowest number of viewers since the brand split almost a year ago.
Annually, viewers and ratings have dipped for WWE after WrestleMania and it can be contributed to a few reasons. Fans usually go all in heading into WrestleMania season and a lot take a break after the show.
Also, Raw and Smackdown Live go against NBA playoff games, so numbers take a hit because of that, as well.
Ryse back to Lemont Furnace
This coming Saturday, Ryse returns to The Stronghold Arena for another show.
The top two matches on the show include a Pinfalls Count Anywhere match between Justin Idol and Stryder, and a match between Vlad Balashov and Drake Braddock.
Question answered
This week蘑菇视频 question: When will John Cena return to WWE? Tommy, Perryopolis.
Cena is advertised to be at the August 4 Smackdown Live show, so I would say at some point this summer.
In memory
This week蘑菇视频 column is dedicated to the memory of Bob 鈥淩obertO鈥� Oberle.
An usher in the Clemente section at PNC Park, RobertO was truly one of a kind and a true gem.
Having season tickets in his section for over a decade, RobertO always greeted everyone with a warm smile, but for a few of us, it was much deeper as he was like another grandfather to us. We often shared stories about our respective families, and well, he became family.
When my niece, Abbey, was fighting Hodgkin蘑菇视频 Lymphoma, RobertO would start every conversation asking about her and would often give me home run balls to give to her or my nephews.
Going to the games has always been fun, but it became more about seeing him and talking than it was about supporting the Pirates.
Hearing RobertO, who was 80, tell stories about his family, who he cherished, his time in the military, and his job, and old Pirate teams never got old.
Always one to meet us with a handshake, at the game last game we saw each other last year, he pulled me in for a hug and maybe that was his way of saying goodbye.
They always say that people come into your life by chance and for a reason, and I am a better person for having had the opportunity to meet, and get to know, RobertO.
When his wife JoAnn emailed me Wednesday afternoon to tell me that RobertO had passed, it was a sad relief as he had recently suffered health issues.
Going to the games, and going to our section, will never be the same, but those of us lucky enough to get to know RobertO have gained a special angel over us.
My heartfelt condolences go out to Mrs. Oberle, their sons Larry, Jim, and Ken, and the entire Oberle family.