Roman Reigns successfully defended his WWE World Heavyweight Championship at WWE Backlash 2026, but it was his challenger and cousin, Jacob Fatu, that ultimately stood tall at the end of the night. With that in mind, Reigns has since delivered a stern message to “The Samoan Werewolf.”

“This is why we should have never let Jacob into this company,” Reigns said on the Backlash post-show. “You don’t belong here, Jacob. There is no order with you. This is your last night here.”

For weeks, Fatu has dazed Reigns with the vicious Tongan Death Grip on “WWE Raw.” That trend continued at Backlash, where Reigns almost passed out to the hold during their title match. Still, he managed to escape it and nail Fatu with a trio of Superman Punches and a spear for a near fall. When Fatu attempted to cinch in the hold again, Reigns grabbed onto the referee, then pulled off the top turnbuckle pad. “The OTC” wasted little time to ram Fatu into the exposed steel afterward, and on the rebound, spear him for the victory.

Reigns’ post-match celebration didn’t last long as Fatu locked in the Tongan Death Grip once again, prompting WWE officials to run down to the ring. Fatu eventually released the hold and seemed to be heading toward the backstage area. Much to the dismay of officials, he instead reapplied it, then raised Reigns’ World Heavyweight Championship belt as Backlash went off the air.

Looking ahead, Reigns is expected for tomorrow’s edition of “Raw,” which emanates from Knoxville, Tennessee. Given Fatu’s actions at Backlash, it is possible that he appears on the show as well.