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WWE Backlash 2026 Results: Roman Reigns defeats cousin, Jacob Fatu, to retain World Heavyweight Championship

Danby: Daniel Hager05/10/26DanielHagerOn3

In a heated battle between blood relatives that took place Saturday night at Backlash in Tampa, Roman Reigns defeated Jacob Fatu to retain the WWE World Heavyweight Championship. Reigns’ win over Fatu marked his first defense of the title since defeating former champion CM Punk at WrestleMania 42 Night 2.

Fatu looked extremely strong in the loss, as it took three spears to down the Samoan Werewolf. Reigns had to resort to throwing Fatu headfirst into the exposed turnbuckle to secure the match-winning spear. Following the loss, an infuriated Fatu attacked Reigns and referee Dan Angler, signaling that this feud is nowhere close to concluding.

With the loss, Fatu becomes the latest member of the Anoaʻi family to fall to his cousin, Roman Reigns, in a championship match on a PLE. Reigns has previously defeated one of his other cousins, Jey Uso, at three different PLEs (Clash of Champions 2020, Hell in a Cell 2020, and SummerSlam 2023).

The feud between Fatu and Reigns began on the Raw After WrestleMania, as Fatu interrupted an in-ring promo involving Reigns and The Usos. Fatu claimed that he needed the World Heavyweight Championship, and challenged Reigns to a match at Backlash. That Friday on SmackDown, Fatu showed just how dominant he can be by disposing of the MFTs (Solo Sikoa, Tama Tonga, JC Mateo, and Tonga Loa) in front of The Usos.

The following week on Monday Night Raw, Reigns and Fatu met face-to-face in the ring. Once Reigns told Fatu that he hasn’t earned a World Heavyweight Championship match, however, Fatu hit Reigns with a Tongan Death Grip. This infuriated Reigns, leading him to accept Fatu’s challenge for a match at the PLE.

Feud between Roman Reigns, Jacob Fatu has been simmering for years

The history between Reigns and Fatu runs deep, although Fatu was not a member of WWE during the rise of The Bloodline in the early 2020s. Reigns and The Usos (later flanked by Solo Sikoa and Sami Zayn) rose to prominence in the company, representing the prestigious Anoaʻi family.

The group won multiple titles, including the Universal Championship, the WWE Championship, and the Undisputed Tag Team Championships. However, Fatu was not brought into the frey, as he was deemed ‘too dangerous’ at the time.

Fatu made his WWE debut on the June 21, 2024 edition of SmackDown, aligning with Solo Sikoa, Tama Tonga, and Tonga Loa. He eventually split from the group at the 2025 Money in the Bank PLE, which led to feuds against the likes of Cody Rhodes and Drew McIntyre. He, however, never forgot about his exclusion from the Bloodline, which led to Saturday night’s match.

Roman Reigns now improves to 1-0 since becoming the World Heavyweight Champion, while Jacob Fatu falls to 2-3 in singles matches on PLE’s. Saturday night marked Fatu’s first career WWE singles match for a world championship.