Betting Odds Change For Backlash Title Match
Update (7:10 PM EST): In a strange turn of events, Becky Lynch has become the favorite to win the match again. This is interesting as betting odds almost never shift this drastically back and forth without news breaking, or a major discussion backstage on the day of the show.
Original Story: As we move closer to tonight’s WWE Backlash pay-per-view, there was a sharp change in the betting odds for tonight’s Smackdown Women’s Championship match. Becky Lynch was favored to win, but now former Divas Champion Nikki Bella has jumped ahead and is now the -150 odds-on favorite to walk away with the title.
Of course, these are betting odds and should be taken with a grain of salt. Nikki Bella and Becky Lynch join Alexa Bliss, Carmella, Naomi and Natalya in a six-way match to crown the first ever WWE Smackdown Women’s Champion, live tonight at WWE Backlash.
More Confirmation of Top Star Removed From Backlash
Dave Meltzer of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter is now backing up reports that Randy Orton has been removed from his scheduled match against Bray Wyatt tonight. As we already noted, WWE officials were hoping for Orton to be cleared from an undisclosed injury prior to WWE Backlash, but that didn’t happen.
PWInsider.com is reporting the injuries to be concussion related, coming off Orton’s loss to Brock Lesnar at WWE SummerSlam, where he sustained multiple, legitimate shots to the head from the former UFC Heavyweight Champion. There may be some credibility to that statement, as Orton has yet to wrestle a match on Smackdown or at any WWE Live events since the match with Lesnar, which may be a good indicator that he suffered a concussion in the match and has not yet been cleared to return.
We are still waiting for an official statement from WWE.
