The build to WWE Backlash 2026 cranks up in a big way on Monday night. During Friday’s SmackDown, WWE confirmed that Roman Reigns and Jacob Fatu will sign their contract for the May 9 World Heavyweight Championship match on the May 4 episode of Monday Night Raw in Omaha, Nebraska.
Contract signings have a long history of going off the rails in WWE, and the heat between these two cousins suggests Monday’s segment will be no different. Fatu has been physically dominant in his recent encounters with Reigns and challenged the OTC for the title coming out of WrestleMania 42. The Samoan Werewolf made another statement on Friday’s SmackDown when he flew off the barricade during a tag match, took out Talla Tonga with a Samoan Drop through the commentary desk, and warned both the MFT and the Head of the Table that they had only seen the beginning of his run.
The contract signing isn’t the only major item on Monday’s lineup. Sol Ruca, who was drafted to Raw out of NXT, will sign her official Raw contract on the show. Ruca has been one of NXT’s most over performers and is widely viewed as a future centerpiece of the women’s division. Her main roster arrival has been telegraphed for weeks.
The Oba Femi era on Raw also continues. Femi announced the Oba Femi Open Challenge on this week’s episode of Raw, and the company has confirmed he’ll once again be part of the show on Monday. The open challenge format gives WWE flexibility to spotlight returning stars or surprise debuts, and given how aggressive the post-WrestleMania reset has been, anyone could answer the call.
WWE Raw lineup for Monday, May 4 (Omaha, Nebraska):
- Sol Ruca signs her Raw contract
- Roman Reigns and Jacob Fatu sign their Backlash contract
- Oba Femi’s open challenge
Raw airs live at 8 p.m. ET on Netflix in the United States and on most international markets. With Backlash less than a week away after Monday, expect more matches and segments to be added as the go-home build intensifies.
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