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Greg Wyshynski
Multiple Authors
As a service to wrestling fans who have a general interest in WWE but might not have watched a match in months, we’re happy to provide this FAQ as a guide to WWE Backlash Tampa on Saturday (ESPN Unlimited, at 6 p.m. ET).
Is Trick Williams vs. Sami Zayn the first wrestling grudge fueled by a violent assault on a gingerbread man?
Since no wrestler, to our knowledge, has adopted a Lord Farquaad from “Shrek” gimmick, we’re going to assume this is accurate.
The Gingerbread Man, perhaps the greatest food-related in-ring performer since Luigi Primo, made his debut on the “SmackDown” before WrestleMania 42. Williams was set to challenge Zayn at Mania for the U.S. Championship and invited him out to the ring for a discussion. Instead, out came someone dressed like the Gingerbread Man … because, you see, Zayn is a redhead. Whether or not it was due to this vicious trolling, Williams won the title.
.@SamiZayn has ginger-SNAPPED! pic.twitter.com/BHWCqt5SAn
— WWE (@WWE) May 2, 2026
Williams and his cohort, Lil Yachty, held a victory celebration on the next “SmackDown” with the Gingerbread Man, who arrived dancing and holding a candy cane. But oh no! It was actually Zayn in the gingerbread suit, and he then attacked Williams and Yachty. A week later, Zayn dressed a mannequin in the ring in the gingerbread suit and jumped the defenseless figure, ripping off its delicious arm while pulverizing the suit into crumbs.
Williams is scheduled to hold a funeral for “cookie boy” on Friday night before wrestling in its honor at Backlash.
But who was originally in the gingerbread suit? Perhaps “Jackass” star Johnny Knoxville, an old rival of Zayn’s? We can only dream of being sports-entertained like that again.
Can anything surpass an onslaught on a gingerbread man for sheer ridiculousness?
We’ve got one word for ya: Danhausen.
For the uninitiated: Danhausen is a goofy ghoul with a painted face, a voice inspired by Conan O’Brien and the supernatural ability to “curse” his opponents, who then have some calamity befall them.
Please note his abilities extend beyond the squared circle, having lifted a curse he placed on the New York Knicks before their history-making 140-89 blowout to eliminate the Atlanta Hawks in Game 6 of the NBA playoffs.
Danhausen did an alley-oophausen with @nyknicks last night! Check it out @stephenasmith @espn @WWE @FirstTake pic.twitter.com/cBJbXvbDnJ
— Danhausen (@DanhausenAD) May 1, 2026
He emerged from a giant coffin at Elimination Chamber in February to a tepid fan response but subsequently captured the hearts and minds of the WWE universe through his charisma, comedy — and significant merch sales.
Danhausen “cursed” The Miz and his tag team partner Kit Wilson after The Miz snubbed him backstage. At WrestleMania 42, Danhausen led the Littlehausens, a group of little people dressed just like him, to the ring to confront The Miz and Wilson, eventually landing a Five Knuckle Shuffle-esque move on The Miz, to the delight of WrestleMania host John Cena.
Later, The Miz tricked Danhausen into believing he was a mentor before attacking him, leading Danhausen to ask “SmackDown” general manager Nick Aldis for a match against The Miz and Wilson at Backlash. That request was granted … as long as Danhausen could find a partner.
Mystery partners are always a fun match gimmick. The true genius of Danhausen is that his partner could be anyone and it would still make for an entertaining storyline.
CM Punk? They did know each other from that other wrestling federation (All Elite Wrestling). Cena? He’ll be at Backlash to “break some history-making news.” Joe Hendry? Indie comedy wrestlers, unite. Oba Femi? He’s got nothing else to do at Backlash, so why not pancake two loathsome opponents while tagging with the other hottest talent in the company?
The possibilities are endless-hausen.
These are fun setups, but are there matches at Backlash that are born from true animosity?
2:08
Paul Heyman: Bron Breakker is the future of WWE
Paul Heyman joins “Get Up” hypes up Bron Breakker and previews the biggest storylines ahead of WWE Backlash.
Of course, and as one might assume, Paul Heyman is swimming in the bile.
Please recall that Heyman and Seth Rollins formed The Vision with Bron Breakker and Bronson Reed after Rollins shocked the wrestling world by betraying both CM Punk and Roman Reigns at WrestleMania 41. Months later, Breakker and Reed turned on Rollins and left him injured — an injury Rollins later said cost him a main-event spot at WrestleMania 42.
Rollins was expelled and The Vision added Logan Paul and Austin Theory, who was later revealed as the masked assailant targeting the group’s rivals. But at Royal Rumble, another masked assailant attacked Breakker to hasten his elimination, and then did the same to Paul at Elimination Chamber. And before anyone could say, “Hey, that masked guy really likes using The Stomp on his opponents,” the attacker was revealed to be a returning Rollins.
But two can play the “return from injury to attack your opponent in a high-profile match” game, as Breakker ran down and speared Rollins to set up Gunther for a WrestleMania 42 win. Frankly, Bron’s greatest crime was ruining a perfectly good match with a run-in.
OH NO! 😱@bronbreakkerwwe ambushes Seth Rollins from behind! pic.twitter.com/PIl4lDAF6W
— WWE (@WWE) May 5, 2026
Breakker was tired of having to fight battles when Rollins was running his mouth as leader of The Vision and playing the role of aggrieved former mentor. Rollins also called Breakker “Little Steiner” and said he wasn’t even the second-best wrestler in his own family. Holla if you hear me.
So, Breakker will enter Backlash with Heyman in his corner. And if Heyman’s involved in a match, we’re watching that match. That’s the rule.
But there’s another bout between a student and a teacher — one that promises to have a lot more poison mist than this one.
We’re finally getting Asuka vs. Iyo Sky at Backlash?
After inexplicably not making it to either night of WrestleMania 42, this grudge match between two former tag team partners is finally happening at Backlash, eight months after their feud started.
You know the drill: Sky claims Asuka has changed; Asuka claims Sky is her biggest disappointment and plans on cutting her out of her life for good at Backlash. It’s all spelled out in this really well-done sit-down interview between the two on “Raw” …
NOT THE MIST 😫 @WWEAsuka takes out @Iyo_SkyWWE before their match at #WWEBacklash! pic.twitter.com/XByT499qap
— WWE (@WWE) May 5, 2026
… that ended with Asuka speaking softly to draw Sky in before saturating her face with poison mist and cackling like the Joker.
This match could steal the show, but there’s a lingering question surrounding it: Will Kairi Sane be around to finish her story? The former Kabuki Warrior was stuck in the middle of these former allies … and then she was suddenly released from the WWE on April 23, which was confusing to everyone. Not having Sane play some part in this long-awaited showdown is still hard to fathom.
Finally, is there a world title on the line at Backlash?
Yes, and it belongs to Roman Reigns.
Please recall Reigns winning the WWE World Heavyweight Championship in a great no-frills WrestleMania 42 battle against CM Punk. It’s the first title the OTC has held in over two years, and he wanted to celebrate the victory with Jey and Jimmy Uso the next day on “Raw.” But as they were putting their “ones” in the air, Jacob Fatu interrupted.
Roman Reigns: “There could only be a couple reasons you would come out here. I must assume it’s to acknowledge me.”
Jacob Fatu: “NAHHHH THAT AIN’T IT.”
Fatu explained that although he doesn’t want to be Tribal Chief — thus sparing us another “Tribal Combat” match, thankfully — he wants all the things that the Tribal Chief has, from the Rolex to the private jets to the bigger house to that shiny championship belt.
Things really got spicy when Fatu used the Tongan Death Grip on Reigns, the move popularized by the great King Haku.
The following week, Reigns and Fatu met in the ring for an official contract signing, which, again, never seems to turn out well in the WWE.
Roman Reigns: “When you’re in the bar at 3 a.m., and you’re surrounded 8-to-1, that’s when you pull out the Tongan Death Grip. That’s when you snap somebody’s throat. You don’t do that to family. You don’t do that to your own. You don’t do that to your Tribal Chief.”
Jacob Fatu: “MAN, HOLD ON WHAT?”
Sure enough, Fatu again put Reigns in the dreaded Tongan Death Grip and threw him onto a table that unfortunately didn’t break, but, hey, it’s the thought that counts.
These two will be UNLEASHED at #WWEBacklash! 🤯@jacobfatu_wwe | @WWERomanReigns pic.twitter.com/5DH59DVcDk
— WWE (@WWE) May 5, 2026
It’s a Roman Reigns match against a blood relative, so by nature it’ll be epic. Jacob Fatu has been crushing it lately. And if we don’t get to see a Tongan Death Grip, well, let’s just say there’s going to be backlash at Backlash.
