WWE Now - Roman Reigns' biggest threat? | Full Backlash 2026 preview

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1:24Oh, yes. Here we are. Backlash Week. And this is WWE Now's Backlash Preview, a WWE and Fanatic's original production. I am Sam Roberts. With us, the one and the only Megan Morant. And Megan, how are you feeling, first of all?

1:40Sam Roberts:Fantastic. Backlash Week, baby. Backlash Week is right. Backlash. Backlash. With us to celebrate Backlash. Ladies and gentlemen, the one and only, the highly esteemed Big E is here. Hey, guys. What's happening? Speaking of, isn't it crazy how quickly Dan Housen has just taken over? I have so many Dan Housen-isms just floating in my head at all times. I love it. There is a lot of Dan Housen discussion to have here today. Imagine being one of the people that was on Dan Housen from the very beginning. Whoever was on Dan Housen from the beginning, you'd have to categorize as a genius. I'm just surprised you haven't gotten tired from all the victory laps you've been taking.

2:21Well, my shoulders are a little thrown out from patting myself on the back. But that's neither here nor there. Listen, it's not about me, Megan. Come on. It's about Backlash. Backlash. And a loaded, a low-key loaded card. It came out of nowhere. You know, it seems like we were just at WrestleMania. And now here we are at Backlash. And one of the matches that we're getting at Backlash is a match that a lot of people speculated would happen at WrestleMania. It did not due to injury. And here we are. Braun Breaker versus Seth Rollins one-on-one in Tampa. First of all, E, I'll ask you this. This was a question that was brought up by Seth Rollins two weeks ago, maybe, on Monday Night Raw.

3:08Is Braun Breaker ready? He is. I think he is. You know, and it's so interesting thinking, too, about the first time we saw Braun Breaker on the main roster really, truly felt like, all right, we're going to build around this guy. He is going to be the face of the company. But, you know, he was out with injury. And in that very short time span, we got to see the rise of Oba, of Trick, of even Dan Howes. And we could see all these new stars in WWE. Easy for me to say, in WWE. you e but you know it's it's very i think we can very quickly move on to the next hot thing the next big thing but let's not forget who braun breaker is i think a lot of that sizzle has been placed on other talent on other superstars but braun is still that guy and i think he's going to enter this match now even more motivated now to demonstrate that he is indeed someone who belongs at the very top of the card so i'm excited to see what braun does i think this is of all his matches on the main roster so far i think this one has the most pressure because it's very easy for us in this industry to move on to the next great thing so braun really has to assert and demonstrate that not only can he go toe-to-toe with seth rollins but he can beat legends like seth and then hopefully ascend to the world title picture that's saying a lot too is is match with

4:29Sam Roberts:the most amount of pressure because i think back to that first raw of the year at madison square Garden, right? And for me, the build to that match against CM Punk for the World Heavyweight Championship was really the moment that, you know, we all saw the potential in Braun Breaker. We all saw he had it when he was down in NXT. But when he cut that promo leading into the match against Punk at Madison Square Garden, I said, this guy is the now. He's no longer the future. He is the now. And this is one of the reasons I'm looking forward so much to this match against Seth Rollins, because to your point, E, we do forget quickly.

5:03Sam Roberts:We have short-term memory loss here in WWE. We're distracted by the next shiny object, and I can't wait to see this match between Braun Breaker and Seth Rollins because Braun has proven that he's the now before, but he's got to remind everybody once again. It's a little gimmick infringement-y, though, because that's what they've been calling this podcast, the now. Everybody's been saying that's the now. I've listened to you guys on the now. The now? Yeah, yeah, yeah. That's just a thing. I'm not saying it, but I heard it. Maybe we could add Braun Breaker to the graphic. I wouldn't mind that. I wouldn't mind it at all.

5:33I think it would be really, really good. Do you think that the sprint down the WrestleMania ramp, when that was really Braun Breaker's return to the WWE, did that count as a long-distance run?

5:45Sam Roberts:I think that's more of a dash. Dash. Yeah. Okay. I mean, if it was 800 meters, we can call that a run. 400-meter dash. Look, you talk about pressure, and you talk about the now, here on the now, and where Braun Breaker is at, I think you also have to keep in mind where Seth Rollins is at. I think it's a tricky thing when you're leading a faction full of the future. Because, I mean, I would guess that if you're in Seth Rollins' position, you want the next big guys around you. But you don't want them to realize they're the current big guys. You want to keep your standing right. And let's be 100 % honest.

6:22Seth Rollins is 0-1 since returning to the WWE. Gunther beat him at WrestleMania. So, yeah, there's a lot of pressure on Braun Breaker. But if Seth Rollins does not beat Braun Breaker at Backlash, where does Seth Rollins' career go? Where does his revenge path against Paul Heyman go? I mean, this thing could completely be stopped at step one. I agree. And I think so often, like Seth's in this position where you kind of wait for guys like him who have done so many great things. Where is that tipping point? The point where his career is no longer ascending. It's no longer about going after world titles.

7:01And now he becomes a bit of a gatekeeper. And Seth is not there yet. But I think if we see him lose definitively to Braun, which there's no shame in that. And if he can't regain that momentum, you start to wonder if his best days are behind him. And I think we're going to see a really, really motivated Braun. But I also think we're going to see a very motivated Seth. He also is going to prove that he still is that guy. And look, Braun is also going to be in the ring with I think people are expecting Braun to have his best match ever. Seth is someone who forces you to elevate your game to levels you have never gone to before.

7:36And I expect that from Braun at Backlash.

7:39Sam Roberts:What I keep coming back to with Seth, though, is that when he built the vision, he betrayed a lot of people and actions have consequences and people don't forget. Seth Rollins is someone right now who has zero friends in the locker room. We saw the reaction that the Street Profits gave Seth Rollins last week on Monday Night Raw. If the Street Profits aren't willing to be friends with you, who is right now in WWE? I think Seth's back is against the wall. And also, Paul Heyman, he's looking for a meal ticket. I would say Paul Heyman's interest in Braun Breaker has definitely elevated. Do you want this guy to starve?

8:15Paul Heyman? Yeah. No, no, no. He needs to stay fed. That's Paul Heyman. He will always stay fed. In the wrestling industry, Paul Heyman is not going to starve, but that's a great point. Brock Lesnar leaves his boots in the ring at WrestleMania. Yeah, it's an emotional moment. Yeah, it's one for us all to talk about. But the reality is that now that Paul Heyman has left Roman Reigns, Seth Rollins has left Paul Heyman, and Brock Lesnar has conceivably retired, Paul Heyman for the first time this decade is without a top guy. Paul Heyman is I would imagine more invested than ever at making Braun Breaker a top guy right now no I think you're spot on and and I think Braun having that tutelage having someone like Paul Heyman in his ear I think it's gonna be really good for him but you talk about Seth not having friends I do think Seth in many ways we can go back to the shield days but besides that I think so much of Seth's best work is when he's just focused on himself when it's just Seth Rollins because I think too often when you're uh my case aside but when you're very used to having a lot of other people around you sometimes it can be a crutch sometimes you're always looking for that person who's going to help you out where is the interference coming your your eyes are on the outside of the ring waiting for that help I think Seth going into this match knowing there will be no help there will be no Paul Heyman to to slide him a foreign object there will be no one to save him i think seth will come in with that extra level of preparedness that extra level of head on a swivel and i think he's just going to be more focused than ever because of that i also think that we have another uh big match that to me i feel like it's just going to be a good old-fashioned one-on-one incredible wrestling match eo versus Asuka at Backlash.

10:11Io and Asuka, two of the best to ever do it in the division. And I think Io has gotten a lot of credit for that lately. And I think Asuka has not so much. I think people have kind of slept a little bit on what Asuka's capable of, on what Asuka's doing, on how incredibly good Asuka is. And I think at Backlash, being in the ring with Io Sky is going to give Asuka the opportunity to remind everybody why that catchphrase, nobody is ready for Asuka, is a thing. But people forgetting about who Asuka is has nothing to do with Asuka's performance or a dip in what she has brought to the table. It's simply because we have seen less of her in the ring.

10:59We've seen a lot of backstage yelling. We've seen her in tags. We have really not seen Asuka in this position to have a big singles match in a PLE in quite some time. But look, if you love the craft of professional wrestling, if you love two great workers, this is your match. This is the one you're excited for because these two still got it. I'm sure Asuka could wrestle into her 60s and 70s and will still have it because the way this woman moves, her explosiveness, her technical ability, I feel like she is still, it's crazy to think all the legendary things she's done in Japan and in WWE still probably might be the most underrated superstar we have on this roster we don't talk enough about how incredible she is and i think in many ways eo because she has coming off of a really banner year a year prior and having that big match at wrestlemania she has kind of been in this role of being ria's friend being in tag matches with ria and and i'm so excited that we're getting this singles match again i think in many ways seeing uh ria and eo go to separate brands is bittersweet for a lot of fans who love seeing them together, but I think it will force the two of them to really elevate their game on the singles side because Io is truly, pound for pound, one of the best workers in the world.

12:20Same thing for Asuka. So I am truly excited. There's obviously a lot of history as well, and I know that's going to play into this match, but as far as just technical ability, this is the match that I think is going to steal the show.

12:31Sam Roberts:Be careful, Biggie. If you say too much about Io and Rhea, Sam will accuse you of being a hater. So just be careful. That's weird. That feels, what's that? Thou doth protest too much? Nobody brought up Megan being a hater until Megan just kind of, was that a confession? I don't know. He was talking about EO and Rhea, and I was like, I just want to warn my friend, Big E, to be careful. I don't think he. I know you well. I spend a lot of time with you. First of all, Big E just came from a very positive place. You just came from a very negative place. So I would feel like you just kind of spelled, well, you just, what did the children say?

13:03You snitched on yourself there. Is that what they would say? That was tough. But I mean, now that you bring it up, you are a hater, have been one for a long time. And you have been chomping at the bit. While everybody in the world was enjoying Rhea and Io together as best friends, uniting as this incredible tag team. Every week you would be like, when are they going to fight? When are they going to fight? They must hate each other. When are they going to fight? It was disgusting.

13:27Sam Roberts:Do you think it bothers Rhea that she's never pinned Io? I mean, yeah, it bothers her. she cries on her WWE Women's Championship title. Here's my question for you, Megan, from your perspective of haterdom. Do you feel like EO is going to be sending a message? This is EO's opportunity to be back in a big singles, PLE match against somebody like Asuka. Do you think that this is the moment that she, you know, going back to reminding people, we're talking about Asuka reminding people, is this where EO goes, hey, I hope that you guys haven't stopped putting me in contention for singles gold. Yes, and I would like to see a little bit of an edgier side of EO Sky.

14:10Sam Roberts:I'd like to see EO get a bit gritty here because we saw what happened between Asuka and EO and how it was very emotional for EO to be treated the way she was by Asuka. Here's Asuka who paved the way for someone like EO Sky to come along and have the career that she's had in WWE. so when Asuka treated Io the way that she did we saw an emotional side of Io now it's been some time this has been building for a while between Io and Asuka I think Io has an edge I think she's all business I think not having a match at Wrestlemania is something that she certainly hasn't forgotten and I think she's looking to send this message not only to Asuka but to the entire WWE universe that she is the best wrestler on the planet and she's going to show everyone at Backlash.

14:59Wow. I mean, listen, Asuka the same way, right? Asuka's probably heard that opinion too and doesn't love that everybody credits EO with all this stuff, especially in such a combative, negative way. But I will tell you that even the haters are going to be invited this July when Fanatics Fest.

15:17Sam Roberts:So I'll be there. Haters welcome. Yeah, you will. It's going to be the haters ball when Megan shows up. The number one sports fan festival, Fanatics Fest, returns to the Javits Center in New York City from July 16th through the 19th of 2026. It's a must-attend event for WWE fans. You'll be able to meet your favorite superstars, watch live WWE podcasts, and enjoy surprise appearances all weekend long. WWE Superstar autographs and photo opportunities at Fanatics Fest are on sale now. Confirm WWE Superstars for photo and autograph opportunities include braun breaker drew mcintyre tiffany stratton trish stratus and charlotte flair more wwe superstars will continue to be announced so fans should stay tuned to fanatics fest social channels for the latest updates fanatics fest tickets are on sale now at fanatics fest.com uh and you know we've been having a little fun i've been you know uh getting some shots in at you.

16:16Everybody's having a good time here. But if we could just take a moment to be a little bit more serious, a little bit more solemn, and realize that, you know, one of the big matches at Backlash on Saturday is unfortunately, there's a dark cloud over it, as on Friday night we did, unfortunately, lay to rest the gingerbread man. He passed on. May he rest in pieces. Gingerbread man, unfortunately, No longer with us as we look ahead at Trick Williams versus Sami Zayn. And E, for you, do you find that the loss of the gingerbread man, you know, the medical, they threw up the X, and then medical coming out right in the middle of Trick's promo of all times to tell us that, unfortunately, the gingerbread man did not pull through.

17:06Do you think that that heightens the emotionality of this match at Backlash? uh no i i do not i do not and the way you introduced that too i was like is there is there something really serious on this card that i was unaware and i was i was like did i miss out and then and then when i realized where this was going no look i this match as much as we all miss the ginger i love shenanigans too r.i.p the gingerbread man but let's get let's get to the meat of this matter. All right. I think Sammy Zane is at a real crossroads in his career. This man, not that long ago, truly one of the most beloved figures in all of WWE.

17:52He has given us so much to see this turn. And what I'm curious is I don't know if it's just because of tricks, magnetism and his star power that people are turning on Sammy. Is it the trick effect or is it just people tired of what sammy has to say and what he's doing right now but this is this is the most frazzled version of sammy zane that i've seen in quite some time like someone who is on the verge of snapping if he hasn't snapped already but i i think this is really an opportunity for trick to really solidify his stardom if he beats sammy zane again a first ballot hall of famer a a wrestlemania main eventer a man who has really done it all besides holding the world title in WWE if he's able to beat a living legend in Sami Zayn in Tampa tricks the rocket ship for trick just continues to take off uh because I I think him beating Sami once is something to be very proud of but him beating Sami twice to prove he is definitively the better man really is is making a statement that not only am I here as a young guy who has some promise but I'm the now.

19:00I'm not the future. I'm not someone who, oh yeah, in a couple years, three years, maybe we'll see him do some cool things at WrestleMania. No, I've arrived right now and I'm ready to take this company by the horns. We need to, I mean, do we have a trademark lawyer? We need to make sure we are known as the now. This show has got to be the now because it's been thrown around and bandied about irresponsibly, I feel like. And we really need to, we really need to stake a claim to this the now thing because obviously it's catching on obviously it's on the tip of everybody's tongue um do you think though for both of you guys that uh sammy zane being gaslit by the entire smackdown locker room i mean with joe tess taking his glasses off to solemnly make that really tough announcement that the gingerbread man hadn't made it nick aldis putting up a graphic that the gingerbread man was going to have a funeral on SmackDown.

19:56Do you think that this is going to motivate Sami to be a better Sami? Or do you think we're going to get back to, you know, Sami Zayn beating up water bottles like on his road to WrestleMania?

20:06Sam Roberts:I think Sami is very close to snapping. I think very close to snapping. But what I worry about with Sami Zayn was really at the beginning of the year, Sami Zayn cut that emotional promo where he talked about being at John Cena's retirement match. And he was sitting in the crowd with his son. And his son was asking him how many times he's been a world champion. And he had to look his son in the eye and tell him that he's never been a world champion in WWE. And Sammy stated his intentions to go after the world title. But if you can't beat Trick Williams and get the United States title back, where does Sammy go from here?

20:40Probably jail because homicide.

20:43Sam Roberts:That's a good point. I didn't think about that. I didn't think about that at all. Yeah, prison. Hey, prison did good things for Dom. So you never know. That's true. That's true. People come out of prison and change person. We could get a new Sammy Zane that we could. I think I think you're spot on, Megan. I think it was kind of troubling for me was seeing Sammy not whimsically attack the gingerbread man, but seeing seeing the way that all unfolded. I was like, he is too invested in this. He is taking this way too seriously. And my concern is that he is not as focused as he needs to be. I think he's too concerned with the crowd reception, with the mind games, with a little boat, you know, Yachty out there as well.

21:25There are a lot of other things that Sammy, I think, is concerned with. And I think it's hard when you're someone who has done so many incredible things in this industry, watching a young superstar, not just on this rise, but really just kind of snatch the limelight from you. This doesn't feel like two stars with the same reception from fans. It feels like people are all in on Trick Williams, and I get it. The way this man, every time he cuts a promo, I'm putting my phone down. I'm not talking to anyone else. I'm locked in. His charisma is unparalleled. I don't think we've seen anything quite like him from a young talent in a long, long time.

22:06Someone with that kind of panache and command of who he is, the way he understands what he wants to get across. he there's i i haven't seen anything quite like trick williams maybe ever you know there's some parallels to to booker t who had some time mentoring him in nxt but a trick is really carving out a path of his own and his star power is truly undeniable and i think the fear is for sammy zane is your desire to get back to that world title if you lose to trick i think now you're in that position potentially of being that gatekeeper of being that guy who is now like okay hey, if the young stars can beat you, that's their ability to get to the next level.

22:46You become a stepping stone. Sami Zayn, I know him. He is still hungry for that world championship. He is not ready to be a stepping stone. He is not working to be someone that others can use to gain their momentum. And I think if he wants to stop that, if he wants to dead that, he needs to have an incredible performance in Tampa. He needs to be trick. He really does.

23:08Sam Roberts:And then I think about the backstage interactions between Sami and Cody Rhodes and that has to get in Sammy's head, right? I mean, Cody Rhodes saying, you and I don't have anything in common, Sammy. We are not similar. We are not the same. And Sammy making this comparison to the type of performer they are, the type of professional wrestler they are, and just being shot down by Cody Rhodes. Wasn't cool. It wasn't cool. But I do think, E, you're right about Trick Williams. Here's the thing about Trick. He's not just another cookie cutter superstar. Oh.

23:40Sam Roberts:All right. Should we talk about Tops? Rest in peace, by the way. Yeah, you talking about Fanatic Slam? Fanatic Slam by Topps? Yes, you can step into the fallout of WrestleMania with the WWE Slam Backlash box featuring a dynamic mix of base cards and premium hits. This release captures the intensity, rivalries, and momentum shifts that shape WWE's next chapter. Chase must have signatures and dual signature cards from top talent alongside visually striking tilt cards that bring the action to life. Look for exclusive inserts like Tampa Takeover and Aftershock, highlighting superstars that left a lasting impact in the wake of WrestleMania.

24:20And be sure to join the Slam Backlash Watch Party on Saturday, May 9th at 6.30 p.m. Eastern, where users can follow every moment of backlash while collecting free packs, coins, and profile avatars as one of WWE's most explosive rivalries unfolds. WWE Slam by Topps. Download now. And I think that we have brought up a moment ago, the man himself, who we found out will be in Tampa, has a history making an announcement to make something like that. John Cena. John Cena will be a part of Backlash. He'll be there. I think it's to, well, I would just say to make an impactful announcement. I just, the tweet that he put out there it is there it is because John Cena is one with his words okay he said he is uh so excited to break some that's what it was break some history making news he says I can't promise it'll be perfect but I can promise it will change the WWE experience for superstars and fans so we will see John Cena in Tampa at Backlash there will be something that would change that experience there's been wild speculation as to what it could be but i i do believe that any time uh the the never seen 17 goat steps into any wwe show it's exciting of

25:47Sam Roberts:course of course i mean this is just months removed from him retiring from being an in-ring performer which was very emotional for a lot of people it's tough the fact that we get to see john cena you know we saw him host wrestlemania the fact that he has this surprise announcement I can't wait to hear what the announcement is. And the fact that Cena is making this announcement tells me that I'm interested in whatever this announcement is. Anytime John Cena is on our TV screens, I'm locked in. So I can't wait. Yeah. And agreed. I also have a guest that I feel really good about. I think he has a secret son that he's been hiding from the world.

26:22And that son is also named John Cena. So we can continue to see John Cena on our screens. Yeah, you know, I think the sun is like, you know, early, mid-20s. So I think we're going to continue to see John Cena Jr. Actually, is Cena Jr.? John Cena III? Anyway, John Cena III. That's my guess. John Cena III. I think we have an illegitimate son who is now going to be introduced to the world. And he'll wear the jorts as well. That would be great. That would be great. Because I'm not ready to see the jorts go away. I would love to see that. I would love to see that. Although I am holding out hope. There is one thing that I would love to see, I think, more than anything else.