With WWE WrestleMania 42 only a few weeks away, there could be some discussion on what the company will do on the premium live event that immediately follows “The Show of Shows.”
WWE Backlash 2026 will take place from Tampa, Florida on Saturday, May 9 and will be directly influenced by what happens at Mania.
Coming off the heels of “The Showcase of the Immortals,” Backlash 2026 will set the path for how the rest of the year following Mania will look like moving forward.
Here are our predictions for the potential card for WWE Backlash 2026.
Undisputed WWE Championship: Randy Orton (c) vs. Jacob Fatu
At WrestleMania 42, Randy Orton will challenge Cody Rhodes for the Undisputed WWE Championship.
Meanwhile, Jacob Fatu will face Drew McIntyre in an Unsanctioned Match to settle the score between these two men.
While he has been embroiled in a feud with “The Scottish Warrior,” Fatu is still on the search for whoever attacked from behind just last year.
It could be revealed that Orton could have been the mystery assailant and face Fatu for the Undisputed WWE Championship at the WWE Backlash 2026 premium live event.
Intercontinental Championship: Penta (c) vs. Je’Von Evans
On the March 30 edition of Monday Night Raw, Penta defeated Kofi Kingston to retain the WWE Intercontinental Championship.
Post match, Penta announced that he will defend the IC Title in a Ladder Match at WrestleMania 42.
With the likes of Je’Von Evans, Rusev, JD McDonagh and Dragon Lee challenging, this has all the makings of a showstealer on the Mania card.
Coming out of “The Grandest Stage of Them All,” Penta could still be champion and defend against one of his Mania opponents in “The Young OG,” which could deliver a phenomenal contest on the WWE Backlash 2026 card.
Women’s Intercontinental Championship No DQ Match: Becky Lynch (c) vs. AJ Lee
At WWE Elimination Chamber 2026, AJ Lee defeated Becky Lynch to win the WWE Women’s Intercontinental Championship.
Coming out of the premium live event, Lynch took some time off before returning to attack Lee from behind following his win over Bayley on the March 16 episode of WWE Raw.
The rivalry between Becky and AJ could continue coming out of this year’s WrestleMania 42 event with a third singles match.
A No DQ bout with Lynch and Lee could be a wonderful addition to the WWE Backlash 2026 premium live event.
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WWE United States Championship: Trick Williams (c) vs. Carmelo Hayes
On the March 27 episode of Friday Night SmackDown, Sami Zayn defeated Carmelo Hayes to win the WWE United States Championship thanks to an inadvertent assist from Trick Williams.
Following this victory, Zayn bragged about his title win to SmackDown GM Nick Aldis, who informed him that he will defend the US Title against Williams at WrestleMania 42.
This feels like Trick will capture his first singles title since getting called up to the WWE main roster at the start of 2026.
Trick defending his newly captured US Championship against his former tag team partner and friend Carmelo Hayes at WWE Backlash 2026 could pay off their lingering history with one another from their NXT days in a major title bout.
Seth Rollins vs. Bron Breakker
Back in October 2025, Bron Breakker led the way for The Vision to turn on Seth Rollins, excommunicating him from the group.
Rollins was out of action with a serious shoulder injury that kept him sidelined for months until he returned to make The Vision’s lives a living hell.
However, Breakker has been out of action himself after undergoing emergency hernia surgery and may miss WrestleMania 42.
This should lead to Breakker making his return after Mania and facing Rollins in a singles match at the WWE Backlash 2026 premium live event.
World Heavyweight Championship: Roman Reigns (c) vs. GUNTHER
At WrestleMania 42, Roman Reigns will challenge CM Punk for the WWE World Heavyweight Championship.
While Punk has made for a formidable champion since winning the title in November 2025, “The OTC” feels ready to regain his spot at the mountaintop of WWE.
This could see Reigns winning the top prize on Monday Night Raw and potentially facing another former World Heavyweight Champion.
WWE delivering a first time ever meeting between Reigns and “The Ring General” GUNTHER would make for a high profile main event for the Backlash 2026 card that makes this event a must watch for all.
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