John Cena has escalated his teasing of whatever announcement he has planned for WWE Backlash this Saturday, now describing it as something that will shake WWE to its core. Cena posted on Twitter that his news at Backlash is going to shock the foundation of WWE, adding another layer to what has already become one of the more intriguing storylines heading into the May 9 show in Tampa, Florida.
“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 going to shock the very foundation of WWE, from its fans to its superstars, from its champions down to its rookies. I’m so grateful Tampa is allowing me to 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.”
The message represents a step up from Cena’s earlier tease, in which he described his planned announcement as history-making and said it would change the WWE experience for superstars and fans.
According to Bodyslam, WWE agreed to Cena’s Backlash appearance weeks before he made his announcement public, with his Tampa area residence making it a logistically straightforward booking. Dave Meltzer had previously reported that Cena is under contract for a number of WWE appearances following his WrestleMania 42 hosting duties, with Backlash being one of those dates.
The full announced card for Backlash from at Amalie Arena in Tampa, Florida, streaming on the ESPN app, is as follows:
- World Heavyweight Championship: Roman Reigns (c) vs. Jacob Fatu
- United States Championship: Trick Williams (c) vs. Sami Zayn
- Seth Rollins vs. Bron Breakker
- IYO SKY vs. Asuka
- Danhausen and mystery partner vs. The Miz and Kit Wilson
