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At the Granddaddy of Them All, Reigns showcased that he is hungry for glory, giving a glimpse of his OG Tribal Chief run. After competing in a thirty-minute-plus classic match, The OTC managed to overpower The Best in the World and pinned him, becoming the new World Heavyweight Champion.
On the post-Mania edition of Monday Night RAW, Jacob Fatu, who has been riding a massive wave of success and is also coming off a massive win over Drew McIntyre, issued a challenge to The OTC to face him at Backlash 2026 with the World Heavyweight Championship up for grabs.
Initially, Reigns refused, but Fatu crossed the line and caught him in a Tongan Death Grip, which infuriated the Tribal Chief to accept his challenge. Throughout their build, the Samoan Werewolf has gained a major upper hand and showcased why he is by far one of the toughest opponents The OTC has ever faced in his iconic career.
The other four matches on the card are as follows: Trick Williams will be facing Sami Zayn in a rematch for the United States Championship, Seth Rollins vs. Bron Breakker, IYO SKY vs. Asuka, and Danhause & mystery partner will lock horns with The Miz and Kit Wilson.
That being said, the card for this PLE is packed, and to add more fuel to the hype train for the 2026 WWE Backlash Premium Live Event, we will take a look at five last-minute predictions:
#5. Kairi Sane helps IYO SKY beat Asuka
Following WrestleMania 42, the Stamford-based promotion dropped bombshells by releasing 20-plus talents. Amongst all the releases, one of the most shocking budget cuts was of Damage CTRL’s The Pirate Princess, who was let go by the company on April 24.
The fans didn’t receive her release well and started a campaign on X/Twitter called “WeWantKairi,” and were also caught chanting the same on WWE RAW. Triple H and his creative team are known for listening to fans. Prime example was bringing back R-Truth after social media backlash after initially firing him.
A few days back, a report emerged stating that there is a belief within the company that Sane could at least make an appearance at Backlash. If that’s true, she might finally get her revenge on Asuka for constantly bullying her by turning a babyface and helping SKY to beat the Empress of Tomorrow, ending her stint with the promotion, and completing her storyline.
#4. Sami Zayn turns heel and wins the WWE United States Championship
WWE has been high on the Zayn-Williams saga. Them closing the go-home edition of Friday Night SmackDown WWE Backlash is just proof of it. Tonight, fans witnessed Gingerbread Man’s funeral on the show. Trick presented a tribute to Gingerbread Man with a song; the entire ring was decorated with background singers, and Gingerbread Man was inside the casket.
Zayn had had enough, and he came out and snapped at Williams and waved the WWE United States Champion above his head, signaling he would regain. In a shocking ending, the Gingerbreak Man woke up, removed his mask, and revealed himself as Lil Yachty, who attacked Sami with the stick, revealing it all as a trap for the Honorary Uce. The rapper stood tall with the US Champion.
It appears Zayn could end up winning the United States Title, as there has been a long-standing rule in the company that the star who gains the upper hand on the go-home episode ahead of PLE ends up losing. The Honorary Uce has been showing signs of a heel turn; his snapping at Williams also drew heat from the crowd, which is a major spoiler for his heel turn.
Zayn could finally turn heel this weekend and win the United States Championship.
#3. Bronson Reed returns to help Bron Breakker
The past few months have been tough for The Vision faction as two of its major members, Reed and Breakker, sustained injuries and were put on the shelf, landing the heel Paul Heyman-led stable into major trouble.
Bron made his massive return to the Stamford-based promotion at WrestleMania 42 and attacked Seth Rollins, costing him his match against Gunther. Now, WWE has booked Breakker and Rollins in a singles match. Bronson Reed has recently posted four watch emojis on his official Instagram story, hinting at his return at Backlash.
In a shocking turn of events, the Australian star may return in Tampa and help Breakker beat Rollins, turning their feud even more personal as their rivalry won’t end with just one match; it will be deeper and more personal. For the same reason, the company needs time.
#2. The Usos turn heel on Roman Reigns after the match
Jey and Jimmy Uso are at The Original Tribal Chief’s corner and have reformed the OG Bloodline with him following his World Heavyweight Championship win.
Even the go-home edition of Friday Night SmackDown saw The Usos sending the final warning to Jacob Fatu, telling him how Tribal Chief would destroy him this weekend. But in Tampa, fans could witness a big betrayal where Jey and Jimmy Uso may finally turn heel on The OTC. He manages to retain his title, kicking off the Bloodline saga yet again, adding an entirely new perspective to the PLE.
This heel turn could finally lead to The Rock vs. Roman Reigns saga, where he could be revealed as the true mastermind behind the Usos turning heel by WWE SummerSlam 2026.
#1. Jelly Roll sides with Danhausen
The rapper Jelly Roll has been trying to be in WWE as much as he can. He was seen on television more often during the Road to WrestleMania 42. Roll also took Pat McAfee at Mania Saturday, before Cody Rhodes and Randy Orton began.
For those unaware, Jelly also had a history with The Miz and Kit Wilson. He even captured his first singles match win over Kit on WWE SmackDown earlier this year.
Given the rapper’s history with The A-Lister and Wilson, Danhausen, who is actively looking for a tag partner, could bring Jelly Roll as his tag team partner for WWE Backlash, adding mainstream eyes to the PLE.
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