WWE Backlash 2026

After the partial disappointment of WrestleMania Vegas in April, we have already arrived at the next PLE: WWE Backlash.

Honestly, I didn't have high expectations for this event. WWE only had three weeks to put together storylines that could be interesting: definitely too little time. Unfortunately, with the rhythm of one PLE per month, it becomes difficult to develop deep narratives between one show and the next. However, I followed the event trying to enjoy these scant three hours of entertainment. Let’s see how it went.

WWE Backlash.

Seth Rollins vs. Bron Breakker

This match should have taken place at WrestleMania, but unfortunately, in the first three months of 2026, the Vision was hit by a series of injuries that crippled a storyline born with truly interesting premises. It was the "passing of the torch" challenge between Seth Rollins and Bron Breakker, designed to consecrate the latter as the next big superstar.

In the end, the match arrived a month later: better late than never.

The match itself entertained me, starting immediately with a great pace and a simple but effective narrative: the veteran (Rollins) fighting to maintain power against the rise of Bron Breakker, determined to dethrone him. Throughout the duration of the contest, Bron showcased evident physical superiority, which became increasingly overwhelming as the minutes passed.

In the second half, however, we moved into total "degeneration." Seth and Bron beat the holy hell out of each other, and Rollins showed incredible resilience, refusing to give up.

The finale was rather predictable: Paul Heyman tried to distract Seth, while the Vision (Logan Paul and Austin Theory) attempted to interfere, but Rollins didn't fall into the trap. In the end, Bron Breakker emerged as the winner, though it took him too long. Let’s be clear, the victory arrived, but it lacked that absolute dominance one expects from a true leader. In fact, the doubt remains: without the intervention of the Vision, would Bron have managed to win?

Sami Zayn vs. Trick Williams

This was the match for the United States title, but honestly, I didn't care much about the match itself. I find Sami Zayn absolutely boring for a few years now, while on the contrary, I find Trick Williams extremely interesting: I love his "swag." I swear to you, I can totally see him as a main title champion, maybe even dethroning Cody Rhodes.

How was the match? Well, as much as I hate Sami's character recently, you have to admit he is a guarantee of quality in the ring; therefore, technically, it was a good match. The interesting aspect was the fact that we didn't witness the usual challenge between "good" and "bad," but rather a contest of who could be more ruthless. Initially, Sami tried to fight more or less fairly, but then he started behaving like a real jerk: first he faked a knee injury, then he exploited a referee distraction to hit Trick Williams with a kendo stick.

In the finale, we practically witnessed a Triple Threat, with Lil Yachty becoming an integral part of the match. Fortunately, Trick Williams managed to win, keeping a firm grip on the belt.

Kit Wilson & The Miz vs. Danhausen and a mystery guy.

In this case, too, I wasn't the least bit interested in what was happening in the ring. Everything revolves around Danhausen wanting The Miz as a mentor; upon his refusal, Danhausen started tormenting poor Miz to the point of exhaustion, although in the end, the one who suffered the most was Maryse, The Miz's wife.

The SmackDown General Manager, given the strange situation, agreed to a Tag Team Match only on the condition that Danhausen found a partner, and he showed up to the match with a midget. Sincerely, I find that all of this is not worthy of a PLE, especially considering the cost of the subscription. Towards the end, we then witnessed an invasion of "mini Danhausens" and the "vampire" claimed the victory. In short: a useless match that I didn't care about at all.

Iyo Sky vs. Asuka.

This was another match I would have liked to see at WrestleMania, but as they say: better late than never. The storyline was quite simple, based on the mutual hatred between the two, finally erupting into this challenge. It was a good match, technically the best of the evening, but narratively it conveyed nothing to me.

In my opinion, we are now "beyond the time limit" and, in the end, neither emerged truly strengthened; all that remained was the satisfaction of being able to say: "I beat you." If they had included it in the WrestleMania card, they would have had much more breathing room for the build-up, whereas with only three weeks available, nothing deep could be staged. Iyo Sky wins and we move to the next chapter.

John Cena Classic.

John Cena enters the arena and announces a tournament in his name, complete with a title dedicated to him. It's essentially an evening where "the best of today will meet the best of tomorrow," complete with a public vote. What it will be exactly is unknown, but we will see what it turns into.

Roman Reigns vs. Jacob Fatu.

This is a match that, as far as I'm concerned, doesn't make much sense. Jacob has been in WWE for a couple of years now and has earned well, yet for all this time he never cared about the title scene, fighting for practically nothing. Then, as soon as Roman becomes World Heavyweight Champion, Jacob suddenly feels the need to "provide for the family" and the title becomes fundamental. But the family was there before too and he didn't care at all: it seems that only when a relative is involved (being cousins) does Jacob feel like a "poor wretch" without that belt. Furthermore, in the previous weeks, Jacob used the Tongan Death Grip, a move "forbidden" by the family that should only be used against external opponents. This element should give more depth to the feud, but in my eyes, Jacob remains an inconsistent character.

Despite these premises, the match was surprising. Jacob proved to be a tough nut to crack, giving life to a physical, rapid, and very intense clash that I didn't expect; he truly managed to carry the match. Roman, for his part, was great at selling the shock, the pain, and the disorientation throughout the contest.

In the finale, the two beat the holy hell out of each other, unleashing their entire available arsenal to bend the opponent, but every attempt seemed futile. Jacob trapped Roman in the Death Grip time and time again, trying to stifle his every reaction. In the end, Roman Reigns managed to keep the title, but with truly immense effort.

Immediately after, Jacob completely loses his mind: he brutally attacks Roman and knocks out the referee, attempting again to choke his cousin. The situation degenerates to the point that the entire body of WWE executives had to intervene to try to calm him: it took a full seven people to stem his fury.

A truly brutal assault. For a moment, it seemed as though Jacob had accepted the reality of the situation and was about to retreat; instead, he turned back, hurtling into the ring once more to finish the job. The final image—Jacob posing with the title held high over a battered and broken Roman—is, visually, a moment of immense impact. Then Jacob loses his head: he attacks Roman, then takes down the referee, and attempts to choke Roman out once again. Ultimately, every WWE official rushes in to restrain Jacob. It took seven people to bring him under control. A brutal assault. It appeared he had resigned himself to the outcome, only to storm back into the ring to complete his work. The scene of Jacob posing with the title over a suffering Roman makes for a striking visual.

Small Reflections.

Ultimately, I had no expectations for this show and I was right not to have any. It was a rather boring PLE, with the exception of the Main Event where Jacob showcased all his malice, brutality, and ruthlessness. For the rest, there was nothing memorable: no moment, besides the final match, that pushed me to say: "Wow, what a great show!".

Now all that remains is to turn the page and wait for May 31st for the first, historic PLE in Italy: "Clash in Italy."

M.