WWE Rumors: Roman Reigns Isn't Scheduled for Backlash Hosted by Bad Bunny
Undisputed WWE universal champion Roman Reigns is reportedly not scheduled to be part of the Backlash premium live event card on May 6.
According to Dave Meltzer of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter (h/t Felix Upton of Ringside News), Reigns was not planned for Backlash as of Monday, although there are plans in place for him to wrestle at other premium live events in the coming months.
In the main event of WrestleMania 39 last weekend, Reigns surprisingly defeated Cody Rhodes thanks to interference from Solo Sikoa, keeping his run of over 900 days as world champion intact.
On Monday's Raw, Rhodes challenged Reigns to a rematch, but he declined. Instead, Reigns agreed to team with Sikoa against Rhodes and a partner of his choosing.
Brock Lesnar stepped up and volunteered to be Rhodes' partner, but before the main event of Raw could get started, Lesnar brutally attacked Rhodes, meaning he will have a significant roadblock to go through before getting back to Reigns.
Given that WWE seems to be building toward Rhodes vs. Lesnar, potentially in the main event of Backlash, the company can afford to keep Reigns off the card.
Over the past couple of years, Reigns has worked a semi-part-time schedule, meaning he wrestles at most premium live events, but not all of them, and isn't always on WWE programming weekly.
When Reigns takes a week or two off, it allows other Superstars to enter the spotlight, and that will apparently be the case at Backlash.
This year's Backlash will be an extra special show since it marks the first premium live event to be held in Puerto Rico since New Year's Revolution 2005.
Grammy-winning musician Bad Bunny will be the host of the show, and he may wrestle as well, with WWE teasing a potential tag team match of Bad Bunny and Rey Mysterio against Damian Priest and Dominik Mysterio.
After Backlash, WWE will hold King and Queen of the Ring in Saudi Arabia on May 27, Money in the Bank in London on July 1 and SummerSlam in Detroit on Aug. 5.
All of them promise to be huge events that would benefit from having a Reigns title defense on the card.
There is enough intrigue coming out of WrestleMania to keep Reigns off the Backlash card, though, which isn't necessarily a bad thing since it will give Reigns some time away and the ability to be available throughout the rest of the spring and into summer.
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