HIGHLIGHTS
- The short road from Las Vegas to the next premium live event is already taking shape.
- One championship match is the only one with a formal challenge on the books.
- A new U.S. broadcast home debuts for the WrestleMania fallout show.
WrestleMania 42 is in our rearview mirror and now we’re on the road to Backlash. The road is short as we’re less than three weeks away from the WWE’s annual other-shoe-to-drop show following WrestleMania.
The Raw after Mania was predictably stacked with happenings, arrivals and new beginnings. While there are several potential Backlash matches brewing after Monday’s show from T-Mobile Arena, one championship match was the only one with a formal challenge for Backlash. Here’s everything you need to know.
When and Where Is WWE Backlash 2026?
Backlash 2026 heads to Tampa on Saturday, May 9. The show runs from Benchmark International Arena, marking Tampa’s first major WWE premium live event since Hell in a Cell in 2021.
Main card bell time is scheduled for roughly 6:30 p.m. ET, with doors opening at 5:30 p.m. ET. The turnaround between WrestleMania and Backlash is tight at just three weeks, which puts pressure on Raw and SmackDown to get the card filled out quickly.
How Can You Watch WWE Backlash 2026?
ESPN is the new U.S. home for Backlash, with Netflix handling international. Domestic viewers can stream the show on ESPN Unlimited, marking the first Backlash under the ESPN deal after the Peacock contract expired at the end of Clash in Paris last August.
International fans get the show on Netflix, which has been the global home for WWE programming since January 2025. Both platforms will carry the event live on May 9.
What’s the Latest on the Backlash Card?
Jacob Fatu vs. Roman Reigns isn’t official, but it certainly looks like that’s just a matter of time. Fatu confronted Reigns, who has seemingly re-assembled the Bloodline with the Usos and challenged the OTC for the title at Backlash.
That challenge is the only formal one made so far for the show. Reigns walked out of WrestleMania 42 Night 2 as the new World Heavyweight Champion after defeating CM Punk in the main event, so the title is live and Fatu is the first challenger in line.
What Should Fans Expect Between Now and Backlash?
Expect Rollins-Breakker, The Street Profits vs. The Vision and perhaps Stephanie Vaquer getting a rematch against Liv Morgan. Keep in mind, Saturday Night’s Main Event is just two weeks after Backlash, so there will likely be four fairly large matches there too.
That means the next three Raws and SmackDowns are going to move fast. The Seth Rollins chair shot on Bron Breakker on Monday looked like a clear setup for a singles match, and the tag title picture and women’s title rematch are the kinds of stories WWE typically locks in with a week or two of buildup.
