Backlash 2026 will take place at the Benchmark International Arena in Tampa, Florida, on May 9. Backlash is the first PLE to air off the back of a newsworthy WrestleMania 42. This year’s Backlash will see Roman Reigns defend his World Heavyweight Championship for the first time, Seth Rollins getting his hands on Bron Breakker, Danhausen making his PLE in-ring debut, and more!
John Cena will also appear at the event to announce what he says is “history-making news.” What will he reveal to the WWE Universe? With a lot to talk about, let’s dig into what Backlash has in store, with my predictions and preview of the night!
Bron Breakker (with Paul Heyman) vs. Seth Rollins
WrestleMania 42 didn’t work out in the way WWE had hoped. They clearly wanted to have this match happen at that event, but Breakker’s injury unfortunately changed plans. Now we’re getting the match here, this is the first of many to come. I see this feud continuing until the King of the Ring tournament gets underway. Since Rollins is coming off a loss to Gunther at WrestleMania, I think he’ll manage to sneak out a win here to jumpstart things again.
Prediction: Seth Rollins wins.
WWE United States Championship Match: Trick Williams (c) (with Lil Yachty) vs. Sami Zayn
The “Gingerbread” funeral elements attached to this story aren’t what I would do. I get it’s in good fun, and even though I chuckle at its stupidity, I wish Trick and Zayn had more meat on the bone here so they both can be taken seriously. Outside of that, this whole heel-face dynamic between the two of them is really strange, and it’s made things confusing. I thought their WrestleMania match was solid, nothing spectacular, but nothing bad or anything to complain about. Since this match is going to be on the ESPN2 portion of Backlash, I’m hoping WWE gives them more time to go out there and have a high-intensity, fun, championship match. Williams just won the title, so I see no point in having him drop the belt right back to Zayn.
Prediction: Trick Williams retains.
Asuka vs. Iyo Sky
Obviously, this feud has been hindered by Kairi Sane’s assisane release from WWE. A story that has been built all year long doesn’t seem to be getting the proper payoff. If I try to remove that element, though, I can’t really complain about getting to see Asuka and Iyo go head-to-head. They’re both outstanding and two of my favorite wrestlers on the entire roster, not just for the women’s division. I have no doubt these two are going to deliver in the ring, as long as they get the proper and just time they deserve. I’m still crossing my fingers, Sane costs Asuka the match, she gets resigned, and all is right with the world.
Prediction: Iyo Sky wins.
Danhausen and TBA vs. The Miz and Kit Wilson
I know this whole storyline is silly and the type of thing I would be embarrassed about showing my friends what I watch, but the Danhausen character has done a complete 180 with the fans. He’s so over, and while I think WWE is starting to overexpose him, which in turn could lead to fans turning sour on him, I get why he may be factored into a B-level show like this. I just wish the rest of the card had more meat on the bone to justify this comedy match.
Obviously, the big question surrounding this match is who will be Danhausen’s partner? There are a few viable options here, such as Jelly Roll (please no), but I’m leaning toward Danhausen’s friend, CM Punk, being the mystery partner. However, regardless of who Danhausen’s partner is, it’s clear as day who’s winning this.
Prediction: Danhausen and Mystery Partner (CM Punk) win.
World Heavyweight Championship Match: Roman Reigns (c) vs. Jacob Fatu
When in doubt, just go with The Bloodline. Thankfully, I’ve enjoyed this story. I’m a big fan of Fatu, and when Reigns is actually motivated he can put on some great performances, such as his match with Punk at WrestleMania. For Backlash, there have been some questions as to whether Roman will actually walk out of Tampa with the title. He was pulled from the Raw promotional material for June. However, I still find it hard to believe WWE will have Reigns drop the title so soon after winning it, let alone to Fatu. Jacob’s great, but this doesn’t feel like the time for him to win the big one. I wholeheartedly expect Reigns to be victorious at Backlash and move on to a new program. Possibly, against a returning Bronson Reed, since that is the last man to beat him. Reigns-Fatu is what I’m most looking forward to seeing.
Prediction: Roman Reigns retains the championship.
Final Thoughts
Overall, I’m not super thrilled, on the edge of my seat, excited for Backlash. It should be a perfectly serviceable show. There’s a lot of potential for the matches to be good-to-great, but I’m skeptical, given that these recent WWE events have been heavily focused on advertisements and being commercial-heavy. I also am just so tired of the five-match card format. There is definitely room here for another match or two, preferably showcasing more of the women. Here’s hoping these superstars can go out there and put on a great show without any sort of…backlash!
