6 Surprises At WWE Backlash 2026

Published: 2 hours ago by SP3 | Last Updated: 2 hours ago by SP3

Born in Harlem, New York and now living in the Bronx, Sid Pullar III aka SP3 is a lifelong wrestling fan who has been covering the industry for over nine years as a podcaster and writer. His passion for the industry has been documented with over 3,000 videos on YouTube and 8,000 written pieces across multiple outlets, such as WrestleTalk, Sports Illustrated and more.

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Coming off the heels of the two-night WrestleMania 42 premium live event, WWE Backlash 2026 will look to keep the momentum for the company.

From Tampa, Florida, this PLE should have some compelling matchups that may shock the fans with the results and what goes down throughout the evening.

From title changes to character changes, there is a lot that may go down at Backlash on May 9.

Here are six potential surprises at WWE Backlash 2026.

6. Je’Von Evans Wins WWE Intercontinental Championship From Penta

At WrestleMania 42 Night Two, Penta defeated Je’Von Evans, Rusev, JD McDonagh, Dragon Lee and Rey Mysterio in a Ladder Match to retain the WWE Intercontinental Championship.

Coming out of the event, Evans made it clear to Penta that his sights were still firmly on the IC Title. However, Ethan Page made his main roster debut and defeated “The Young OG” on the April 20 WWE Raw After WrestleMania 42.

Meanwhile, Rusev made a statement that he was still coming after the gold by attacking both Evans and Penta.

This should lead to a potential four-way match where Je’Von could make history as the youngest Intercontinental Champion in history by winning the title from Penta at WWE Backlash 2026.

5. Tama Tonga Finally Set Free From Solo Sikoa & The MFTs

Over the past few months, fans have seen some dissension forming within The MFTs faction.

Despite being a loyal follower for two years, Tama Tonga has started to break out as a singles star and began to question the leadership of Solo Sikoa.

After recently giving the lantern back to The Wyatt Sicks and speaking up against Sikoa, it feels like only a matter of time before Tonga leaves the group.

Tama choosing WWE Backlash 2026 as the site for him to split from The MFTs would be a fitting moment that could see him become a rising star within the company moving forward.

4. Blake Monroe Makes Her Official Main Roster Debut

On the April 24 WWE SmackDown After WrestleMania 42, a vignette aired to tease the upcoming arrival to the main roster for NXT star Blake Monroe.

Since signing with WWE in June 2025, Monroe has felt like a ready made main roster act in every way.

With her experience in STARDOM and AEW as well as her unmatched charisma, the former Mariah May feels like someone who can become an instant hit on Friday Night SmackDown.

Waiting until the next PLE, Monroe could make her grand arrival and introduction to the blue brand on the WWE Backlash 2026 show where she might step up to one of the champions on Friday nights immediately.

3. Fatal Influence Capture WWE Women’s Tag Team Championships From Paige & Brie Bella

Speaking of main roster callups, no one made as big of an impact upon getting called up quite like Fatal Influence.

In one night, Jacy Jayne, Fallon Henley and Lainey Reid laid out WWE Women’s Champion Rhea Ripley, Charlotte Flair, Alexa Bliss and new WWE Women’s Tag Team Champions Paige and Brie Bella.

Getting nuclear heat along the way, Fatal Influence now feels like the top heel act on the SmackDown brand already.

To further solidify their spot on Fridays, Fatal Influence could win the WWE Women’s Tag Team Championships from Paige and Brie at the upcoming Backlash 2026 PLE and show the world just how they get the job done instantly.

2. CM Punk Turns Heel On Cody Rhodes

On the April 20 WWE Raw After WrestleMania 42, CM Punk stated that he would not be down in the dumps after losing the World Heavyweight Championship and would remain ready because you never know when a title opportunity can fall from the sky.

This led to Undisputed WWE Champion Cody Rhodes coming out to talk with his friend Punk. However, Punk then went on to tease that he could target Rhodes’ Undisputed WWE Championship next.

While many fans believe this will go down at a bigger event down the line, WWE could present a Punk vs. Rhodes matchup for Backlash 2026.

Punk turning heel to defeat “The American Nightmare” might be a necessary change that needs to happen to freshen up his character in a memorable fashion and create an even more personal rivalry with Rhodes moving forward.

1. The Usos Betray Roman Reigns To Join Forces With Jacob Fatu

At WWE WrestleMania 42 Night Two, Roman Reigns defeated CM Punk to win the World Heavyweight Championship.

Then on the April 20 WWE Raw After WrestleMania 42, Reigns’ cousin Jacob Fatu came down to confront “The OTC” and challenge him to a title match at WWE Backlash 2026.

While Reigns did not give him an answer at the time of this writing, it feels likely Reigns vs. Fatu will be the Backlash 2026 main event.

Turning everything on its head, this feud could see The Usos turn on Reigns and join forces with their other cousin in Fatu, helping him to capture the World Heavyweight Championship at Backlash.