With WWE not exactly being painted in the best light as of late, did Backlash 2026 deliver from an in-ring standpoint?

With prices continuing to rise, releases and pay cuts, WWE has ironically been on the receiving end of a fan Backlash while also trying to promote a Premium Live Event of the same name. With WrestleMania 42 being remembered for all the wrong reasons, there was an expectation that Backlash had to deliver.

On paper, the card showed a lot of potential as Seth Rollins vs. Bron Breakker, IYO SKY vs. Asuka and Roman Reigns vs. Jacob Fatu all felt like big-time matches. There was also the intrigue of John Cena’s announcement and who would team with Danhausen?

WWE Backlash 2026 Review

At under 3 hours, this show was shorter than a standard episode of SmackDown. With just 5 matches on the card, which is now the standard for WWE B level shows, this was easier to sit through compared to the ad fest that was WrestleMania. There are still adverts and watching on demand helps to reduce the waiting times, but Backlash was nowhere near as insufferable as ad-Mania.

Kicking off the show was Seth Rollins vs. Bron Breakker, which also aired for free on ESPN 2. This match was exactly what was needed for Breakker. The star on the rise used his agility and power to gain the upper hand on the veteran, while Rollins was able to use his big match experience to turn the tide. Breakker had an answer for most of Rollins’ signature attacks and continually kicked out of the big Rollins moves. Predictably, The Vision factored into the finish. Rollins fought off Logan Paul and Austin Theory, leading to Breakker hitting multiple spears to win the match.

Hopefully a rematch between the 2 will take place down the road, and there will likely be a tag team match taking place on TV or a PLE soon. Breakker needed this win more than Rollins to reestablish himself as one of the future main event players in WWE. The only issue here is that while Breakker has been gone, the spot of dominant NXT call-up has been filled by Oba Femi. That being said, while an organic path to the title looks anything but straightforward for Breakker, the former Intercontinental Champion could now be a favourite for Money in the Bank in September.

Rounding out the free hour on ESPN, Trick Williams defended his US Title against Sami Zayn in a rematch from WrestleMania. While the match itself was fine, this didn’t feel like anything new compared to their last match and could have been a SmackDown main event instead. As expected, Lil Yachty got involved and the distraction allowed Williams to capitalise and win the match. Zayn allowed his rage to overcome him, taking out Yachty instead of focusing on Williams, which led to the finish.

There’s no denying Williams is over with the fans, and his call-up has been handled well by WWE. The company needs to go all in on Williams as a face, and here’s hoping that Zayn goes on an unhinged run similar to the Kevin Owens and Ezekiel storyline from a few years prior.

Up next was the biggest mystery of the night as Danhausen and a mystery partner faced The Miz and Kit Wilson. With rumours that CM Punk or Jelly Roll could be Danhausen’s partner, there were definitely mixed feelings from fans as to who would join forces with the very nice, very evil wrestler. A fun video based on something out of Frankenstein played beforehand, which was a reminder that no one does this kind of thing better than WWE when they want to put the effort in.

However, the reveal showed that Danhausen has mastered cloning, sort of, as his partner was revealed to be a mini wrestler dubbed Minihausen. With more minis getting involved, a fire extinguisher malfunction and Wade Barrett getting irate when Minihausen used his finisher, this is exactly what you would expect from the match. If you like comedy matches and Danhausen, this was WWE playing to their strengths. If you feel that Danhausen is too goofy, this won’t be one to change your mind. As someone who believes there is very much a place for comedy in wrestling, this hit all the right notes.

Contrasting the comedy was IYO SKY vs. Asuka, which was easily the match of the night. Billed as student vs. teacher, it’s no surprise that 2 wrestlers the calibre of Asuka and SKY put on a phenomenal technical match with a great story built in. SKY countered Asuka’s submission attempts and blocked a mist attempt with a notebook. Pinning Asuka with the Moonsault, SKY cemented herself further as the best women’s wrestler in WWE right now. The only fault was that Kairi Sane was not involved, as she was released earlier in the month. With Sane being a key part of the story heading into Mania, The Pirate Princess was dearly missed here. It was a shame that SKY was left off the Mania card, but this match and the time given somewhat made up for it.

After the match, an emotional Asuka embraced SKY and seemingly said goodbye to the fans. It is now known what is next for Asuka, but this was definitely ending on a high if this is the end. A wrestler with a legendary career and many accomplishments, but arguably should have been given even more.

Prior to the main event, John Cena appeared live to deliver the hyped announcement that was set to make WWE history. Not related to Club WWE and not announcing WrestleMania London [which is pretty much dead in the water at this point], Cena instead spoke about a new show and championship that will be coming soon. Dubbed The John Cena Classic, the 17-time World Champion stated that stars from the main roster and NXT would face off in the hopes of becoming the inaugural champion. However, unlike traditional tournaments, which sees the person who is victorious in every stage become the winner, this will be different. Announced as fan-voted, the first champion will be decided by the public as opposed to the number of wins. This is definitely a wait-and-see type situation, but it feels like it could be a one-and-done gimmick that is forgotten about by the end of the year.

Then it was time for the main event as Roman Reigns defended the World Heavyweight Championship against Jacob Fatu. Unlike Reigns’ Mania match with Punk, where The OTC was the more powerful force and younger, this time, Reigns’ back was against the wall. Fatu looked nearly unstoppable with big moves and high-impact offence throughout. Thankfully, The Usos did not get involved, and Reigns took advantage of an exposed turnbuckle, driving Fatu into the corner and hitting a spear for the win. Reigns did not fully win here, it was more that he survived out of desperation. After the match, Fatu became unglued and attacked everything in sight before holding the title in the air. A rematch looks inevitable, and here’s hoping that Fatu goes on a tear over the next few weeks.

WWE Backlash 2026 Review: Final Thoughts

While WWE is still being criticised for its actions behind the scenes, Backlash was a fun show for bell-to-bell action. With matches all being given time, IYO SKY and Asuka stealing the show and an intriguing end, the May 9 PLE made for much better viewing than WrestleMania. Traditionally, Mania has been the show stealer and Backlash has been the more skippable show when it comes to the rematches.

The Danhausen match will divide fans, but WWE can do comedy right, just not when Gingerbread Men are involved. While the outcomes were predictable, this is a show that is an easy watch at 2 hours and 47 minutes. With young stars on the rise and the potential for some hot rivalries going into the summer, here’s hoping that WWE doesn’t drop the ball.

Featured image: WWE