WWE is reportedly lining up a celebrity tag team match for WWE Backlash on May 9 in Tampa, with the bout expected to spin directly out of the WrestleMania 42 main event storyline.

According to the latest Wrestling Observer Newsletter, current plans call for Randy Orton to team with Pat McAfee against Cody Rhodes and Jelly Roll.

Meltzer noted that the match is part of WWE’s creative direction following WrestleMania, with the rivalry between Orton and Rhodes continuing beyond their Undisputed WWE Championship clash, which headlines night one of WrestleMania 42 on April 18.

“McAfee will team with Orton against Rhodes & Jelly Roll coming out of WrestleMania and be a key match at the Backlash PPV on 5/9, at least as of plans that were confirmed to us by multiple people and were still in play at press time.”

Jelly Roll’s involvement has been building for weeks on WWE programming, with Orton previously targeting the music star during the WrestleMania storyline. The angle is expected to escalate further, with Rhodes potentially aligning with Jelly Roll as the feud expands.

The storyline continues this Friday on WWE SmackDown from San Jose. WWE has already announced that Rhodes will respond to McAfee following last week’s attack, while McAfee himself teased a “massive surprise” for the show, adding further intrigue heading into WrestleMania weekend.

This episode of SmackDown serves as the second-to-last show before WrestleMania 42, making it a key stop in building both the championship match and the reported celebrity tag team bout.

WWE Backlash will take place on May 9 at the Amalie Arena, where the high-profile tag match is expected to be featured prominently if plans remain unchanged.

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