WWE Backlash is coming together in a way that’s different than what I expected. We all saw Roman Reigns vs. Jacob Fatu a mile away, but the other two matches made official weren’t super predictable. Here’s what we know.
Roman Reigns Vs. Jacob Fatu For The World Heavyweight Title
This match was the lock, but Fatu raised the level. He appears to have taken the heel role, and he’s using the Tongan Death Grip, which is awesome.
The booking on Monday’s Raw was strong. Fatu cut an emotional promo about being broke for 12 years while Roman, Jey and Jimmy never reached out, with only Solo Sikoa giving him a shot. Reigns fired back as the “Original Tribal Chief,” Fatu attacked him, and the match became official as Reigns’ first major defense of his new run since winning the title back from CM Punk at WrestleMania 42.
Seth Rollins Vs. Bron Breakker
The promo on Raw was epic, and it appears this is a feud that will likely run into SummerSlam.
Breakker revealed he only joined The Vision to get access to Paul Heyman, and Rollins fired back with a “Baby Steiner” line that questioned whether Breakker is even the second-best Steiner in his family.
The setup goes back to October 2025, when Breakker and Bronson Reed turned on Rollins and forced him to vacate the World Heavyweight Title, and got more personal after Breakker got busted open by Rollins on the Raw After Mania. This is Rollins’ first singles PLE match since WrestleMania 42.
Iyo Sky Vs. Asuka
I wondered if WWE was going to abandon this storyline with Kairi Sane cut, but they did a good job running it through Becky Lynch and her women’s IC title open challenge. The match needs a stake or perhaps a Kairi mention to be put over a little more.
The match was made official Monday after Asuka cost Sky her Women’s Intercontinental Championship match against Becky Lynch. POST Wrestling reported the bout had originally been targeted for WrestleMania 42 before getting pushed back. The history runs deep, going back to September 2025 when Asuka and Sane betrayed Sky and broke up Damage CTRL.
What’s Next On The WWE Backlash 2026 Card?
Look for the Street Profits to take on The Vision for the tag team titles. We could also see a six-woman tag match with Charlotte Flair, Rhea Ripley and Alexa Bliss against Fatal Influence.
The Trick Williams U.S. Title scene also needs a challenger, with Carmelo Hayes and Sami Zayn both circling. Backlash 2026 is set for Saturday, May 9 at the Benchmark International Arena in Tampa with a 6 p.m. ET start.
The show streams on ESPN Unlimited in the U.S. and Netflix internationally, marking the first Backlash to land on ESPN since WWE’s Peacock deal expired in August 2025.
