{"id":161280,"date":"2026-05-09T21:32:26","date_gmt":"2026-05-10T01:32:26","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/?p=161280"},"modified":"2026-05-10T23:42:44","modified_gmt":"2026-05-11T03:42:44","slug":"wwe-backlash-2026-ple-review-with-match-rating","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/2026\/05\/09\/wwe-backlash-2026-ple-review-with-match-rating\/","title":{"rendered":"WWE Backlash 2026 Review (With Match Rating)"},"content":{"rendered":"

The crowds have made their way to Tampa Bay<\/a>, the card is set, and the wrestling world is ready for WWE Backlash 2026<\/a>. It\u2019s a PLE that has followed WrestleMania for years, and has contained some fantastic return matches while establishing new feuds for WWE. Backlash 2026 features a stacked card with a couple of great title matches, compounded with an undercard that will entertain anyone who tunes in.<\/p>\n

WWE has promoted 5 matches for WWE Backlash 2026: two huge championship contests, two grudge matches, and a tag team match that will no doubt be a must-see. WWE has only had a few weeks to commit to the build for these contests, but that hasn\u2019t stopped them from creating a lot of excitement around Backlash.<\/p>\n

As we head into the show, a lot needs to be decided. Will Backlash 2026 continue a legacy of greatness<\/a>? Or will it fall to the wayside? The show is about to begin, so let\u2019s sit back and enjoy.<\/p>\n

Bron Breakker v Seth Rollins (4\/5)<\/strong><\/a><\/h2>\n

It\u2019s never a bad idea to have Seth Rollins start WWE Backlash 2026. His entrance is always a crowd favorite, and it starts the night by warming up the audience. Both men have their supporters, and we could see this with the crowd reaction throughout the match. WWE has the beginnings of a great program, and this match will be the start.<\/p>\n

This match made Bron Breakker look like a star. He had the clear advantage for the majority of the contest, and Rollins was only given a few short comebacks. Dominating a pro like Rollins will increase Bron Breakker’s credibility with the audience.<\/p>\n

\"WWE
WWE Backlash 2026 graphic featuring Bron Breakker and Seth Rollins. (Photo Credit: WWE)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Breakker and Rollins kept things interesting while they transitioned to the later stages of the match. Seth Rollins’ comeback was great and led to a stiff flurry of moves from both men. The Backlash 2026 opener just kept rising. When we thought the action was going to turn the corner, these two men just continued to turn up the heat.<\/p>\n

The finish involving Paul Heyman was the natural progression for this feud. Having Seth Rollins eat a couple of spears keeps the door open for this to continue. A huge win for Bron Breakker, and a great opening match for WWE Backlash 2026.<\/p>\n

Winner: Bron Breakker<\/strong><\/p>\n

United States Championship Match: Trick Williams v Sami Zayn (4\/5) <\/strong><\/h2>\n

There are always going to be a few WrestleMania rematches on a WWE Backlash 2026 card, and this is going to be 2026\u2019s inclusion into the show. Sami Zayn and Trick Williams WrestleMania match<\/a> was a passable contest. We can also safely say that the whole Gingerbread angle<\/a> in this build has been groan-inducing.<\/p>\n

This was a marked improvement over their WrestleMania match. Sami Zayn\u2019s character has progressed in his heel persona and has played it off so well with the crowd. Trick Williams was able to use this, and his natural charisma, to keep the crowd in his corner. Williams can wrestle with the best of them, but it’s this character-driven advantage that is going to keep him at the top of the company for a long time.<\/p>\n

Williams and Zayn turned in a fantastic showing of their wrestling talents. The back and forth helped sell the ambiguity of the match’s outcome. It\u2019s also shocking to see that Lil Yachty being involved in the match didn\u2019t take anything away from the overall product. The finish of Sami Zayn taking his eye off the ball will lead to a full-blown heel turn from Zayn, and should lead to at least one more match down the road.<\/p>\n

Winner: Trick Williams <\/strong><\/p>\n

The Miz & Kit Wilson v Danhausen & Mini-Hausen (3\/5) <\/strong><\/h2>\n

Everything that these men have done has been comedy gold. They aren\u2019t taking themselves seriously, leaning into the supernatural gimmick. It\u2019s tongue-in-cheek, and the perfect way for WWE to inject some comedy into their programming.<\/p>\n

This match was better than it had any business being. When we first saw Danhausen\u2019s partner<\/a>, there was a collective eye roll, but \u00a0Mini-Hausen can flat-out wrestle. He showed a maturity that only comes with experience and did most of the heavy lifting, with Danhausen only making his presence known later on. Both of the babyfaces were exactly what they needed to be. Silly, yes, but able to bring it in the ring when the situation calls for it.<\/p>\n

\"WWE
A WWE Backlash 2026 graphic advertising Danhausen and a Mystery Partner versus The Miz and Kit Wilson. (Photo Credit: WWE)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Hats off to The Miz and Kit Wilson for putting their egos aside and turning in a believable performance. For most wrestlers, this could be a death sentence, but Miz and Wilson made it hilarious and goaded the audience perfectly when they got the advantage. This was nothing but a fun night at WWE Backlash 2026.<\/p>\n

Winner: Danhausen & Mini-Hausen<\/strong><\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

IYO SKY v Asuka<\/a> (3.75\/5)<\/strong><\/h2>\n

There was a big shadow looming over this match. The Backlash 2026 audience wasn\u2019t going to let WWE forget the release of Kairi Sane. Sane could have been the original plan for this match, but that doesn\u2019t mean that SKY and Asuka didn\u2019t have their own history to build off.<\/p>\n

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\u2019s name slowly retreated out of respect for the work that was put in.<\/p>\n

\"WWE
An official WWE Backlash 2026 graphic featuring Asuka and IYO SKY. (Photo Credit: WWE)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

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\u2019s 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.<\/p>\n

Winner: IYO SKY<\/strong><\/p>\n

World Heavyweight Championship Match: Roman Reigns v Jacob Fatu<\/a> (3.5\/5)<\/strong><\/h2>\n

The Bloodline continues to dominate WWE programming. This time, we are getting a fresher angle when cousins Roman Reigns and Jacob\u00a0 Fatu go to war. Jacob Fatu\u2019s 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.<\/p>\n

\"WWE
Official WWE Backlash 2026 in Tampa, Florida poster featuring World Heavyweight Champion Roman Reigns and challenger Jacob Fatu. (Photo Credit: WWE)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

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\u2019s hand was a great piece of storytelling, as was Jacob Fatu\u2019s 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.<\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n

<\/smartframe-embed><\/p>\n

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. \u00a0The turnbuckle finish<\/a> was excessive and could have been a clean finish that achieved the desired result.<\/p>\n

Winner: Roman Reigns<\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The crowds have made their way to Tampa Bay, the card is set, and the wrestling world is ready for WWE Backlash 2026. It\u2019s a PLE that has followed WrestleMania for years, and has contained some fantastic return matches while establishing new feuds for WWE. Backlash 2026 features a stacked card with a couple of […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4518,"featured_media":160443,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_lmt_disableupdate":"no","_lmt_disable":"","sfio_featured_image":false,"sfio_embed_code":"","_ef_editorial_meta_date_first-draft-date":"","_ef_editorial_meta_paragraph_assignment":"","_ef_editorial_meta_checkbox_needs-photo":"","_ef_editorial_meta_number_word-count":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[4,2192,3],"tags":[229,7986,5842,3006,165,9738,9556,77,76,55,7988],"class_list":["post-161280","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-wwe","category-wrestling","category-wwe-universe","tag-asuka","tag-bron-breakker","tag-danhausen","tag-jacob-fatu","tag-john-cena","tag-john-cena-classic","tag-kit-wilson","tag-roman-reigns","tag-seth-rollins","tag-the-miz","tag-trick-williams"],"modified_by":"Michael Joseph Sugue, Manager","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/161280","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/4518"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=161280"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/161280\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":161285,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/161280\/revisions\/161285"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/160443"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=161280"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=161280"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=161280"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}