WWE Backlash 2026 preview, predictions: Should Roman Reigns be dethroned already?

That's the internal conflict that makes viewing the current product uncomfortable. But on top of that, the releases make nothing feel cohesive or stable. WWE doesn't care about completely dropping integral pieces of a story at the drop of a hat, as seen with Kairi Sane. Kingston was even part of a teased angle with Je'Von Evans, all for him to get thrown out too. Sure, the circumstances were different (as far as we know), but how are viewers supposed to feel respected and invested when the talent isn't?

Dansby: Not really, because this is exactly what the TKO era has been trending toward from the beginning. The corporate “TKO-ification” of combat sports was always going to prioritize spreadsheets and profit margins over the athletes themselves.

WWE, UFC and eventually boxing are all being viewed through the same business lens now. The talent are performers putting their bodies on the line, but the company sees numbers first. The unfortunate reality is that nothing changes unless it starts affecting the bottom line, and that probably isn’t happening anytime soon, especially not in 2026.

Sulla-Heffinger: First, it’s fairly obvious that tag-team wrestling — at least on the men’s side — in WWE isn’t moving the needle in any way, shape or form. “SmackDown” did have some heat going when Motor City Machine Guns initially came over, but that whole division cooled off incredibly quickly after that and “Raw’s” tag division has been dominated by singles stars joined together under a stable. I think when you look at all of this, it’s hard not to change how you perceive certain teams and entire divisions and it really makes you appreciate just how incredible The New Day’s run really was.

Second, while some of these names were major surprises in the round of cuts, there’s clearly a disconnect in how fans perceive things and the reality of what is going on at WWE. There are always going to be issues when there are releases made and it’s always terrible that people lose their jobs, but this has come to be expected in WWE at this point. Like Kel said, WWE is operating more like a business than ever before — they’ll pivot when things aren’t working and sometimes that means pulling the plug. It’s brutal, but it’s not any different than what we’re used to seeing.

Jackman: Absolutely. We can do all the necessary throat clearing about "obviously WWE is not a charity" and the like, but there's no getting away from the fact that the releases contained a bunch of names who most long-term fans felt at least vaguely sentimental about. It also really sucks to see someone like Zoey Stark being cast aside after she endured that absolutely horrendous injury last year.

Having said all that, I do think one of the issues with the current product is the over-saturated and thinly-spread mid-card. We've written countless times about how there are fewer matches across the WWE product and one of the resulting problems that springs from that is the lack of opportunities for up-and-coming talent to get some momentum. Assuming they're not going to shake up the current format, it's probably better to have a slimmer roster of mid-card talents who actually get a consistent shot at putting their best foot forward from one week to the next, rather than a constant procession of random faces.

Danhausen has become a merch king for WWE. Who saw this coming?

(WWE via Getty Images)

2. Who should be Danhausen’s partner against The Miz and Kit Wilson? Are you at all surprised by how quickly the Danhausen phenomenon has so thoroughly gotten over in the WWE?

Dansby: It’s Danhausen, so the answer should absolutely be something weird.

If you really want to maximize the crowd reaction, have Finn Bálor bring back The Demon as his partner. Those two entrances alone would probably steal the segment before the bell even rings. Then let it be a short, chaotic squash match that leans fully into the absurdity.

As for Danhausen getting over so quickly, not really. Wrestling fans love characters, especially ones that fully commit to the bit. WWE has been missing more unique personalities for a while, and Danhausen stands out immediately.

Sulla-Heffinger: Danhausen’s sudden, meteoric rise definitely has surprised me. He’s always been a fun act, but the aspect that really stands out to me is the mainstream crossover appeal that he’s pulled off, particularly in the world of sports. That’s the power of the WWE machine being fully behind him. It’s been a true joy to watch.

As far as his partner, I would love to see Carmelo Hayes in this spot. There’s history with The Miz, and Hayes could use this as a springboard back into bigger things.

Jackman: I'd love to see Elton Prince appear, not least since he's spent much of the past year or so holed up recovering from neck surgery. It would be a genuine feel-good moment — and a welcome antidote to the gloom around all those releases — and would also play well with Kit Wilson's gimmick. I mean, who leaves their best friend and long-term tag partner to start teaming with The Miz instead? And he has the nerve to call other people toxic …

I confess to being a bit surprised by the Danhausen-mania, but I'm not complaining either. Back at the turn of the year, I wrote a wishlist on how to liven up the current WWE product, and one of the big requests was to bring back the fun and silly non-match segments. So if you didn't like that ridiculous segment with the booby-trapped briefcase on last week's “SmackDown,” I guess you have me to blame. (Just kidding, of course you laughed at that particular segment.)

Riggs: I've always found Danhausen to be a very fun act, but no matter how perfect he fits WWE, I am still surprised. Perhaps that's mostly because of his questionable debut — which, what did people really expect? It was never going to be a "serious" wrestler arriving to make waves in the company.

Anyway, as for his teammate, there are several directions to take. Robert's pick is fun, but I think more people wouldn't care than would. I'll go with the unexpected option: CM Punk. Despite Punk disappearing after literally saying he wouldn't on the “Raw” after WrestleMania, he and Danhausen are very publicly friends. So why not? WWE, please give one of your biggest stars literally anything to do. That shouldn't be hard.

Iyo Sky and Asuka are finally settling their feud.

(WWE via Getty Images)

3. Looking at the length of matches at WrestleMania 42, are you glad Asuka vs. Iyo Sky is happening now instead of last month in Las Vegas?

Jackman: Nope, don't pull that one on me — of course it should have been at ‘Mania. It was a wishlist match for most long-term fans and has the rare accolade of having enjoyed a genuinely interesting build over the past few months. Remember all those times Michael Cole would call Iyo Sky "the best pound-for-pound wrestler on the planet today"? How on earth do you get from that to, "Sorry Iyo and Asuka, you'll have to wait, as we need to make time for some more Club WWE trailers"?

Dansby: Honestly, yes.

Based on the time most matches got at WrestleMania this year, Asuka vs. Iyo Sky would have probably been rushed. Those two are capable of putting together a legitimate classic, but to do that they need at least 15 to 20 minutes to really build the match properly.

Unfortunately, Kairi Sane being part of the recent cuts hurts the story here. The emotional hook was Iyo trying to free Kairi from Asuka’s influence. Without that layer, it loses some depth and becomes more about the in-ring quality than the actual feud itself.

Riggs: No. I don't think it matters regarding the time. Sure, they will seemingly have a better chance of getting time at Backlash over WrestleMania. The match has just been so soured for me without Kairi Sane. A triple-threat match was not only right in the palm of WWE's hands for WrestleMania, it was also the obvious conclusion. Then they just didn't do it. There's zero excuse.

This weekend’s match will be good, yes. But there's no reason for us to care about it at all anymore. None.

Sulla-Heffinger: Yes. Charlotte Flair said what we all were thinking earlier this week — this match has the chance to completely steal the show on Saturday night. Asuka and Iyo Sky are two of the best in the world, and while this match is WrestleMania-worthy, I think with more time to breathe on this card it should be a better experience overall.

Also, if there ever was a time for WWE to pull an R-Truth and bring back Kairi Sane, it’s here — even if pulling that tactic two years in a row could hurt it moving forward.

World Heavyweight Champion Roman Reigns defends his belt against Jacob Fatu on Saturday.

(WWE via Getty Images)

4. Should Jacob Fatu dethrone Roman Reigns? Would such a short run take away from the match Reigns had against CM Punk at WrestleMania?

Sulla-Heffinger: Future schedule speculation aside, Roman Reigns dropping the title to Jacob Fatu less than a month after WrestleMania feels right even after an instant classic against CM Punk*.* Whatever having “it” is in pro wrestling, Fatu has it in droves and he’s being built into being the most dangerous man on either roster. WWE is also doing a tremendous job in protecting the Tongan Death Grip, so you have to wonder what that means down the line (cough — Oba Femi at WrestleMania 43 — cough).

Reigns is always going to have a claim to be the top guy, and quite frankly doesn’t need the championship to be in that discussion. My hope is that we don’t see this lead to Fatu as the new Bloodline leader, he works best as a lone wolf.

Dansby: Roman disappearing with the title has never been my favorite part of his runs, but having the championship bounce around too quickly doesn’t help either.

Unless the long-term plan was always for Jacob Fatu to become champion and WWE simply didn’t think he was ready for that spot at WrestleMania, it doesn’t make much sense to rush it now. Fatu is already over, and there’s more value in the chase.

The better story is having The Bloodline slowly fall back under Roman’s control while Fatu fights through Solo Sikoa and the rest of the group on his own. Let Roman disappear for a bit, let Fatu stack up meaningful wins, and then circle back to the rematch at SummerSlam. At that point, it’ll feel like Fatu truly earned the right to become champion.

Jackman: You know what, I could definitely get behind it. Can I give a little hat tip here to Jason Solomon on our “Uncrowned Wrestling Show” who suggested the idea of having the match end with The Usos falling into line with Jacob Fatu, rather than Roman Reigns. He is suspicious of how smoothly Jimmy and Jey have accepted becoming Roman's lackeys and thinks there might be something more interesting at play. After all, we all saw how impressed they looked watching "The Samoan Werewolf" absolutely savage the MFTs a few weeks ago.

Would that detract from the barnstormer last month between Punk and Reigns? I don't think so. The match was an absolutely perfect end to CM Punk's title reign, serving as a reminder that even "The Best In The World" is still mortal in the right circumstances.

Riggs: I've been convinced that yes, he should. Fatu has been booked as one of the strongest dudes on the roster, if not the strongest. It's been one of the best pushes for an unstoppable force-like character in a long time. Think about this: Fatu has only lost three singles matches in WWE, and nonewere clean. Twice to Solo Sikoa, thanks to MFT interference, then a DQ against Braun Strowman — because he beat him too badly.

At this point, Fatu really shouldn't even lose cleanly to Reigns, and I very rarely feel that way. Reigns doesn't need to be propped up in that position, though. There's a good way to integrate it into an expanding story, but I have no faith in WWE to do that. A clean loss, more likely than not, hurts Fatu more than it does anything else. And there could be more fun ways to follow up on with a dirty Reigns win — especially, as Robert mentioned, if The Usos fit in here somewhere.

As for the second part of the question, not at all. That match stands alone in its own bubble as a classic. Nothing that's happened afterward undermines it in any way.

Bron Breakker's involvement in The Vision's storyline is losing steam.

(WWE via Getty Images)

5. How should WWE navigate Bron Breakker’s involvement with The Vision? Is it time to scrap the faction altogether?

Riggs: Yes. It's been time to scrap the faction since Breakker went down with an injury ahead of WrestleMania. The group is entirely cursed. I already navigated this a bit during Monday's "Raw," so I'll direct you that way for my full thoughts. In summary: These dudes are officially full-on dorks. Breakker needs to disband because his involvement pulls him in two vastly different directions. WWE clearly wants him to come off as a serious threat, as he is and should be. His actions reflect as much, but he's impossible to take seriously when quacking like a duck to appease certified bozos, Austin Theory and Logan Paul.

Dansby: The Vision has felt cursed from the start.

Logan Paul doesn’t need a faction around him because he already stands out on his own. Bron Breakker and Paul Heyman would work perfectly fine as a two-man act, and Austin Theory somehow already feels like he needs another complete reset.

At this point, the best thing for everyone involved is probably to move on. Split the group up and let each person find their own direction before the entire act becomes even more watered down.

Sulla-Heffinger: Individually, Bron Breakker, Logan Paul and Austin Theory are all very good, but as a group, it has not clicked at all. Part of that is due to unfortunate injuries at seemingly every turn, but also Theory and Paul have veered a little bit into joke-y territory in a way that just feels a bit off for the current state of the faction.

I think Breakker can be the remedy here. A win over Rollins on Saturday immediately gives a whole lot of credibility back to the group which — contrary to how many feel — should probably grow. I look back at the Judgment Day and how lukewarm some of those early days were, but now everyone is a bigger star because they were involved with it. When Bronson Reed returns, there should be a big boost to the faction’s stock, and if they add a menacing female star to their ranks, I think there’s some saving The Vision.

Jackman: The Vision is cursed — not in a fun Danhausen way — and we all know why. WWE provoked the wrestling gods by running with that whole "let's pretend Seth Rollins has a potentially career-threatening injury" storyline, who then decided to lay down some actual banana peels. It's the old Yiddish saying in action: "Man plans, God laughs."

On a serious note, I'm definitely tempted by your suggestion of scrapping it altogether, but we all know how quickly we'd change direction if they suddenly brought back Bronson Reed on Saturday to tip the deck against Rollins. Sure, The Vision storyline has hit the buffers, but there's no way a faction combining Breakker and Reed doesn't deserve a second chance.

Predictions

• World Heavyweight Championship Match: Roman Reigns (Jackman, Dansby, Riggs) vs. Jacob Fatu (Sulla-Heffinger)
• United States Championship Match: Trick Williams (Dansby, Riggs, Sulla-Heffinger) vs. Sami Zayn (Jackman)
• Bron Breakker (Jackman, Dansby, Riggs, Sulla-Heffinger) vs. Seth Rollins
• Iyo Sky (Jackman, Dansby, Riggs, Sulla-Heffinger) vs. Asuka
• Kit Wilson and The Miz vs. Danhausen and TBD (Jackman, Dansby, Riggs, Sulla-Heffinger)

2026 standings

• Robert Jackman: 26-15
• Kel Dansby: 23-18
• Anthony Sulla-Heffinger: 23-18
• Drake Riggs: 21-20