IYO SKY v Asuka (3.75/5)
There was a big shadow looming over this match. The Backlash 2026 audience wasn’t going to let WWE forget the release of Kairi Sane. Sane could have been the original plan for this match, but that doesn’t mean that SKY and Asuka didn’t have their own history to build off.
IYO SKY and Asuka are two of the best professional wrestlers in the world, and this match shows exactly why. Their chemistry, born from years of history, was evident in everything that occurred. Asuka played the vicious heel while SKY leaned into the fiery babyface role. Both are more than comfortable working within these characters, and they brought the crowd back. Kairi Sane’s name slowly retreated out of respect for the work that was put in.
It was a stroke of genius for this match to be booked the way it was. It was amazing in the ring, but it got even better when these two women took it to the outside. IYO SKY using Wade Barrett’s notebook to block the mist was perfect. It led to a finish with both women getting a few great false finishes in before IYO SKY took it home clean. Which is the right call as it gets SKY a big win over Asuka and gives her momentum heading into the summer.
Winner: IYO SKY
World Heavyweight Championship Match: Roman Reigns v Jacob Fatu (3.5/5)
The Bloodline continues to dominate WWE programming. This time, we are getting a fresher angle when cousins Roman Reigns and Jacob Fatu go to war. Jacob Fatu’s unpredictability has been sold very well in the lead-up to this championship match. The family issues have been highlighted very well, and the audience has been eating it up.
A championship match with Roman Reigns is always going to be a bit more methodical than most. Reigns is a deliberate worker, but Jacob Fatu matched that with his high-intensity offense. The targeting of Fatu’s hand was a great piece of storytelling, as was Jacob Fatu’s long advantage over Roman Reigns. Seeing Jacob Fatu take the fight to Reigns is a great way to show the star power of the Samoan Werewolf.
As with every match before it, this was a showcase of the talent of young star Jacob Fatu. He is a future world champion and was treated as such throughout the match. He traded huge blows with Reigns and appeared to have the OTC down for the count. Even turning back a few charges by the World Champion that shocked the crowd.
As the match moved into the finishing stage, the pace slowed. The character work was still great, but the action slowed too much to keep things interesting. The turnbuckle finish was excessive and could have been a clean finish that achieved the desired result.
Winner: Roman Reigns
