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John Cena will appear at WWE Backlash on May 9 in Tampa, Florida, as part of contractual appearances included in his WWE deal, though he has stated he will not wrestle again. Cena confirmed on social media that he plans to "do something epic in Tampa" and promised "Club WWE something special," indicating his involvement will focus on fan experiences and special segments rather than in-ring competition.
WWE released multiple wrestlers across its main roster, NXT, and developmental divisions after WrestleMania 42, including Kofi Kingston, Xavier Woods, Aleister Black, Zelina Vega, Kairi Sane, Santos Escobar, Zoey Stark, and the Motor City Machine Guns. According to Dave Meltzer on Wrestling Observer Radio, WWE contracts typically do not provide real job security unless talent has a rare "no-cut" clause, which he says only one or two wrestlers in the company may have. Meltzer noted that even top wrestlers who have tried to negotiate no-cut contracts have been denied, despite being told verbally that they would never be released.
The May 4, 2026 episode of Monday Night Raw will feature a contract signing between Roman Reigns and Jacob Fatu ahead of their WWE World Heavyweight Title match at Backlash, following Fatu hitting the Tongan Death Grip on Reigns last week. The show will also include a sit-down discussion between Asuka and IYO SKY before their Backlash match, an open challenge by Oba Femi, and matches including JD McDonagh vs. Finn Balor and Rusev & Ethan Page vs. Je'Von Evans & Penta. The episode airs live from CHI Health Center Omaha at 8 PM ET and can be streamed on Netflix.
Former WWE Champion Jinder Mahal is teaching wrestlers about financial literacy as part of his mission to educate the current generation of wrestlers. Mahal stated that more than 90% of wrestlers don't really understand taxes.
A WWE contract update has emerged regarding John Cena ahead of his advertised appearance at the May 9 Backlash event. The update relates to Backlash 2026 plans involving Cena.
WWE Performance Center talent Drake Morreaux has moved to work in Mexico with AAA. Morreaux previously worked with WWE Evolve and LFG before his time at the Performance Center in Orlando.
On the May 3, 2026 episode of WWE LFG, Shawn Michaels called Drake Morreaux into his office and informed him that his time at the Performance Center was over, stating that WWE does not have a place for him in NXT. However, Michaels offered Morreaux an opportunity to work with AAA instead of cutting him completely, and Morreaux accepted the offer to go to AAA.
Bill Goldberg began trending on social media after a viral clip showed him speaking to a young fan in a synagogue, with the accompanying caption claiming fans were "shocked" to discover he is Jewish. The claim sparked widespread pushback from users who pointed out that Goldberg's Jewish heritage should be obvious given his surname and that he has never hidden his background throughout his wrestling career.
WWE EVOLVE Succession III has been scheduled for June 24, according to a report from Bodyslam.net. This will mark the third installment in the Succession TV special series, which has become a recurring feature since WWE EVOLVE returned to television last year. No matches or additional details have been announced yet for the upcoming special.
Roman Reigns has been removed from several upcoming WWE TV dates because he is not planned for Night of Champions 2026. WWE has made these scheduling changes based on his absence from the 2026 event plans.
Former WWE star BJ Ray called out AEW's MJF and other top wrestlers in a video posted on May 3, claiming he would "eat them alive" on the microphone and could "beat their ass" if they tried to take liberties with him in the ring. Ray positioned himself as "the biggest threat in the business" and said people in wrestling don't like him because of this perceived threat level.
Roman Reigns has been removed from all four June episodes of Monday Night Raw after originally being scheduled to appear on the shows. According to Dave Meltzer, Reigns was pulled from the June TV dates because he is no longer planned for the Night of Champions event in Saudi Arabia on June 27, and WWE saw no reason to include him in the television build for that show. The situation could change depending on the outcome of Reigns' championship defense at Backlash.