WWE isn’t slowing down after WrestleMania 42. Monday’s episode of Raw was eventful, and I’d expect similar things on SmackDown on Friday. The first bricks in the road for WWE Backlash have been laid and while it’s still early, I have some predictions for the card in Tampa.
What Do We Know About WWE Backlash 2026?
Over the years, we’ve seen some excellent and memorable matches at Backlash. In 2004, Randy Orton and Cactus Jack tore the house down in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada at Rexall Place. We can only hope to see a match half as good at this year’s show.
This year, Backlash returns to Tampa on Saturday, May 9 at Benchmark International Arena, with a 6:30 p.m. ET start. The show is the first Premium Live Event of the post-WrestleMania 42 cycle, and as a Mania fallout show, the card will lean on rematches, unfinished business and a few new challengers stepping up.
Roman Reigns vs. Jacob Fatu
This one seems the most like a lock. Reigns has already told us he’s not going to be working a part-time schedule this summer. That makes it seem as if he’s going to anchor the Backlash show. Jacob Fatu has already challenged him on Raw, in what was one of Fatu’s best promos in a year. Reigns didn’t officially accept the challenge, but I’d be shocked if this didn’t happen at Backlash.
The setup makes too much sense to delay. Reigns walked out of WrestleMania 42 as the new World Heavyweight Champion after pinning CM Punk in the Night 2 main event, and Fatu came off a star-making win over Drew McIntyre on Night 1. Reigns gave Fatu the rest of the week to think it over before they meet again on Monday’s Raw in Laredo, Texas.
Rhea Ripley vs. Jade Cargill
I’m a little shaky on this one. It feels like Cargill could take a break after losing her title to Ripley at WrestleMania, but it’s hard to imagine who else could challenge Ripley. Paige will ultimately be on track for a singles title push, but that’s probably not going to happen at Backlash.
A rematch is the cleanest path. Ripley took the WWE Women’s Championship from Cargill at Mania 42, and Cargill has the rematch standing to demand the spot. With Paige’s surprise return on Night 1 as a Women’s Tag Team Champion, her singles trajectory is something to watch — but Backlash feels too early to pull that trigger.
The Street Profits vs. The Vision
The Profits came back and attacked The Vision. Both men looked like they had been in the gym during their hiatus. It seems they could be after The Vision’s tag-team gold. There’s no reason that match shouldn’t happen at Backlash.
Montez Ford and Angelo Dawkins ran out on the Raw after WrestleMania to help Seth Rollins, taking out tag champions Logan Paul and Austin Theory in the process. It was their first main-roster TV appearance since October. With Rollins and Bron Breakker on a collision course of their own that’s already getting bloody, the Profits going after the tag belts is the cleanest tag-title program WWE could book for May 9.
Tiffany Stratton vs. Giulia
The women’s U.S. title has been the driest championship in the WWE. Stratton flopped as the WWE Women’s champion and everyone not named Chelsea Green has struggled as the women’s U.S. champion. Maybe having Stratton win U.S. gold could help to give both a boost.
It’d be great if Stratton won and began her own open challenge with the women’s U.S. title since Trick Williams has said he isn’t feeling the concept of continuing the tradition on SmackDown.
The match is closer to set than predicted. Stratton already won a No. 1 Contender’s match against Jordynne Grace on the April 17 SmackDown, putting her in line for current champion Giulia. Backlash hasn’t been confirmed as the landing spot, but with the work already done on TV, it’s the obvious next stage.
Trick Williams vs. Carmelo Hayes vs. Sami Zayn
The match we should have gotten at WrestleMania 42 is the one I believe we will get at Backlash. Carmelo Hayes is likely to be added here and I doubt WWE books him 1-on-1 with Trick right now.
That’s a match that needs more than three weeks to build. Sami Zayn isn’t completely out of the picture and having him in a triple threat to regain his title is a good look. However, Trick should retain.
The history is built in. Hayes and Williams started together as the Trick Melo Gang in NXT before Hayes turned on him, and Trick himself has said adding Hayes to the WrestleMania match would have been a “beautiful moment.” A triple threat lets WWE plant the seed for a singles Hayes vs. Williams program later in the year while giving the title reign a real first defense.
What’s Next For WWE Backlash 2026?
WWE has roughly 17 days of TV to fill in the rest of the Backlash card. Cody Rhodes will need a challenger, Seth Rollins and Bron Breakker need their next checkpoint, and the women’s tag titles should land somewhere on the show. Expect at least three more matches added before May 9.
