WWE Backlash, set for Sunday at the Richmond Coliseum in Richmond, Virginia, will be the first WWE pay-per-view event exclusive to the SmackDown Live brand since the WWE brand split on July 19. This will be the 12th edition of Backlash in WWE history, but the first since 2009; it was held on a yearly basis from 1999-2009. The return of Backlash marks just the fourth WWE pay-per-view event ever to be held in the state of Virginia, and the first since Armageddon in 2006 (which was also held at the Richmond Coliseum).
There are some fascinating numbers tied to both the competitors set to be in action Sunday and the history of the event itself, so without further ado, let's dig in.
WWE world championship: Dean Ambrose (c) vs. A.J. Styles
Backlash will be the second one-on-one meeting between Dean Ambrose and A.J. Styles. On the June 27 episode of Raw, Ambrose defeated Styles to prevent him from being added to the WWE world championship match at Battleground.
This will be Ambrose's fifth world title defense. By Sunday night, he will have been WWE world champion for 84 days, the longest reign of 2016 and longer than any of the previous six champions. That stretch includes three reigns by Roman Reigns, as well as one reign each for Sheamus, Triple H and Seth Rollins.
SummerSlam will be Ambrose's 12th pay-per-view match of 2016 (including the WWE Network special Roadblock) -- the most of anyone in the WWE. He has won each of his past six pay-per-view matches, with his last loss coming to Brock Lesnar at WrestleMania 32.
At age 39, Styles looks to become the oldest WWE superstar to win his first WWE world championship since Batista won the title for the first time at age 40 in 2009. Styles is the fourth superstar in WWE history to have four WWE World Championship pay-per-view matches within his first year in the company; Yokozuna, Lesnar and Sheamus are the others.
Styles looks to avoid becoming the fourth superstar in WWE history to lose each of his first four career WWE world championship pay-per-view matches, the most recent being Reigns.
If this match closes the show, it will be Styles' fourth main event match at a pay-per-view event this year, third most in the WWE. Styles lost each of his previous three main event matches.
The WWE world championship has been defended nine times at Backlash, and the title changed hands at four of those events.
Randy Orton vs. Bray Wyatt
Backlash will be the first televised one-on-one meeting between Randy Orton and Bray Wyatt. Orton and Wyatt have previously been in the ring together twice at WWE pay-per-view events. Both participated in the 2011 Royal Rumble Match, and both competed in an 8-Man Ladder Match for the WWE world championship at Money in the Bank in 2014.
With a win at Backlash, Orton would become the sixth superstar in WWE history to reach 60 career pay-per-view victories.
This will be Orton's fifth Backlash appearance, tying John Cena for second most among the current SmackDown Live roster (Kane leads all-time with seven). This will be only Orton's second one-on-one Backlash match. In 2004, Orton defeated Cactus Jack in a Hardcore match to retain the Intercontinental championship.
Orton has lost his past two one-on-one pay-per-view matches -- to Lesnar at SummerSlam in August, and to Sheamus at SummerSlam in 2015. Orton has not lost three straight pay-per-view matches since 2009.
Backlash will mark Wyatt's first one-on-one pay-per-view match in nearly a year. His last one came at Hell in a Cell in October 2015, when he lost to Reigns in a Hell in a Cell match.
Wyatt holds pay-per-view singles victories over the likes of Cena, Reigns and Ambrose. Seth Rollins is the only other WWE superstar who can make that claim.
A victory over Orton might position Wyatt for a WWE world championship match. Wyatt has never competed in a televised one-on-one match for a singles title of any kind.
WWE Intercontinental championship: The Miz (c) vs. Dolph Ziggler
The Miz and Dolph Ziggler are certainly familiar with competing for the Intercontinental title on a big stage; only Chris Jericho has competed in more Intercontinental championship pay-per-view matches than The Miz and Ziggler.
Backlash will be the third time that The Miz and Ziggler have met one-on-one at a pay-per-view event for the Intercontinental championship, and each of the previous two matches saw a new champion crowned. Ziggler defeated The Miz at SummerSlam in 2014 to win his second Intercontinental title. The Miz defeated Ziggler one month later at Night of Champions to win the title for a fourth time.
The Miz is a five-time Intercontinental champion, tied for fourth most in WWE history. Only Chris Jericho has held the title more times (nine) among active WWE superstars. By Sunday, The Miz will have held the Intercontinental championship for 160 days -- the longest reign since Big E held the title for 167 days in 2013-14.
Backlash will be the site of The Miz's seventh pay-per-view title match of 2016 -- tied with Ambrose and Charlotte for most in the WWE.
Ziggler is looking to win the Intercontinental championship for a fifth time. Two of Ziggler's previous four Intercontinental championship wins came against The Miz.
Ziggler has not performed well at pay-per-view events in 2016; he's 1-6 this year under the bright lights, the worst record in the WWE (minimum five matches).
The WWE Intercontinental championship has changed hands just twice at Backlash. Eddie Guerrero defeated Rob Van Dam to win his second Intercontinental championship in 2002, and Van Dam defeated Shelton Benjamin for the title in 2006.
SmackDown tag team championships: Heath Slater & Rhyno vs. TBD
Following their loss to American Alpha in the semifinals, The Usos attacked Chad Gable. With Shane McMahon claiming that Gable suffered a sprained MCL in that attack, American Alpha will not compete in the finals at Backlash. As a result, The Usos meet The Hype Bros at Backlash, with the winners facing Rhyno & Heath Slater later in the night for the SmackDown tag team championships.
Slater has lost each of his past eight pay-per-view matches -- the longest active losing streak among current WWE superstars. His last win came at Survivor Series in 2012, when he and Jinder Mahal defeated Zack Ryder and Santino Marella in a tag team match.
Rhyno has never won a tag team championship in WWE; he is 0-3 all-time in tag team title matches.
Rhyno's first-ever WWE pay-per-view match came at Backlash in 2001, when he successfully retained the WWE hardcore championship against Raven.
In order for The Usos or The Hype Bros to become SmackDown tag team champions, they will have to accomplish a rare feat in winning two tag team matches at the same pay-per-view event. The only time that has happened in WWE history was at Survivor Series in 1990, when Hulk Hogan, Ultimate Warrior and Tito Santana won two Survivor Series matches.
The Usos are the only currently active team with two WWE tag team championship reigns among the SmackDown Live roster. With two victories at Backlash, they would become the first three-time tag team champions since Slater and Justin Gabriel won those titles for the third time in 2011.
The Usos are one of just four sets of brothers to win the tag team titles in the past 10 years (Dustin [Goldust] and Cody Rhodes; Carlito and Primo Colon; Matt and Jeff Hardy).
Backlash will be The Usos' first tag team championship match since the Royal Rumble on Jan. 24 (they lost to The New Day). Overall, it will be the 19th WWE pay-per-view event in which The Usos have competed for tag team titles since they debuted in 2010; Jimmy and Jey are tied for the second-most opportunities in the WWE in that category during that span (Kofi Kingston has 21).
If the Hype Bros win their first match, Ryder will have his second career opportunity to challenge for tag team titles at a pay-per-view event. At The Great American Bash in 2008, in Ryder's pay-per-view debut, he and Curt Hawkins won a Fatal 4-way match to claim the WWE tag team championships. Backlash will be Mojo Rawley's first career televised title match.
This will be the third different title Ryder has competed for at a pay-per-view event in 2016 (along with the Intercontinental title and United States title). He is the first WWE superstar to have pay-per-view title matches for both of those individual championships and a tag team championship in the same calendar year since both Jack Swagger and The Miz did so in 2014.
Tag team titles have changed hands twice at Backlash. Steve Austin and Triple H defeated The Undertaker and Kane to win the world tag team championships in 2001, and The Hurricane and Rosey won a Tag Team Turmoil match to win the titles in 2005.
Six-Pack challenge for the SmackDown women's championship
The SmackDown women's championship is the second new women's title that WWE has introduced in 2016. At WrestleMania 32 in April, the Divas championship was retired and Charlotte defeated Sasha Banks and Becky Lynch to win the new WWE women's championship.
This will be the sixth women's title match to take place at Backlash. Only one of the previous five such matches saw a title change hands; Jazz defeated Trish Stratus for the WWE women's championship at this event in 2003.
This will be the first Six-Pack Challenge match featured at a WWE pay-per-view event since Night of Champions in 2010. On that night, Orton won the WWE world championship against Jericho, Cena, Sheamus, Wade Barrett, and Edge.
Nikki Bella is the only two-time champion in this match. Bella's last Divas championship reign lasted 301 days, the longest reign in that title's history. Backlash will be Nikki Bella's first championship match since returning to the ring at SummerSlam on Aug. 21. Bella missed nearly 10 months of action after undergoing neck surgery.
Lynch is still seeking her first taste of gold in WWE. She is 0-3 in televised championship matches since making her main roster debut on July 13, 2015. Lynch has also lost each of her past four pay-per-view matches. Her last such win came at Fastlane on Feb. 21, when she and Banks defeated Naomi and Tamina in a tag team match.
Natalya is the only woman in this match who has previously wrestled at Backlash. In 2008, Natalya made her pay-per-view debut at Backlash as her team won a 12-woman tag team match. Natalya has lost each of her past seven pay-per-view title matches; her last such win came at Survivor Series in 2010, when she defeated Michelle McCool and Layla to win the Divas championship.
Naomi has been on the WWE main roster for more than four years, but she's still seeking her first championship. Naomi is 0-8 all-time in title matches and 0-6 when they happen at pay-per-view events. Her last such match was at Elimination Chamber on May 31, 2015, when Nikki Bella defeated Naomi and Paige in a triple threat match for the Divas championship.
Backlash will be Carmella's second WWE pay-per-event since getting called up to the main roster from NXT. Her team lost a six-woman tag team match at SummerSlam on Aug. 21. Carmella's only previous televised title match came in NXT, when she lost to Bayley on Jan. 22.
At 5-foot-1, Alexa Bliss is the shortest female superstar in the WWE. She'll be at a height disadvantage in this match, as each of her five opponents is at least 5-foot-5.