John Cena says Backlash announcement will ‘shock the very foundation of WWE’
John Cena says that his announcement at Backlash will “shock the very foundation of WWE.”
Cena confirmed earlier this week that he would be at the PLE in Tampa on Saturday and teased that he had some “history-making news.”
He posted a video to social media on Thursday from outside Benchmark International Arena in Tampa, which will host the event, and promised that the announcement will impact every aspect of WWE.
Cena says in the video:
“WWE Universe, hey, John Cena here, standing in Thunder Alley, outside of Benchmark International Arena in Tampa Bay.
In just a few days, I have a major announcement inside this building that is gonna shock the very foundation of WWE, from its fans to its superstars, from its champions down to its rookies.
I’m so grateful that Tampa is allowing me a place to make this announcement.
Thank you, WWE. See you live on ESPN in the States and Netflix around the world, but don’t miss Backlash. I’m so excited, and I’ll see you there.”
Cena first teased that he had “something epic” for Backlash in a post on April 23, although at the time, WWE had not confirmed Cena’s involvement at the show.
The website for Benchmark International Arena advertised Cena for the show on May 3, and Cena officially confirmed he would be at the show the following day.
The updated lineup for Backlash is below.
WWE Backlash lineup for May 9, 2026:
- World Heavyweight Champion Roman Reigns defends against Jacob Fatu
- IYO SKY vs. Asuka
- The Miz & Kit Wilson vs. Danhausen and a tag team partner TBD
- John Cena promises “history-making news”
- Seth Rollins vs. Bron Breakker (airing on ESPN 2)
- United States Champion Trick Williams defends against Sami Zayn (airing on ESPN 2)
Cena’s full video is below:
Ian Carey is a writer from Toronto, Ontario, Canada, whose work has been featured in NOW Magazine, The Huffington Post, and more. A lifelong wrestling aficionado born in Calgary, Alberta, Canada, he has covered the industry for a decade and a half. He joined the f4wonline.com team in 2019.