Gunther vs. Cody Rhodes For Undisputed WWE Title?, Backlash Updates, Danhausen’s Mystery Partner, Reigns/Fatu, Oba Femi

– The ongoing rivalry between Trick Williams and Sami Zayn took a surreal turn tied to the now-infamous “Gingy” character. Trick originally introduced the WWE Universe to Gingy ahead of WrestleMania 42 as a way to mock Zayn, but the bit quickly spiraled into something much bigger. On last week’s SmackDown, Zayn retaliated by dressing as Gingy himself and attacking both Trick and Lil Yachty. That chaos escalated even further on the May 1 episode, where Zayn brutally “murdered” the Gingerbread Man in the middle of the ring. Gingy attempted to escape, but as commentary pointed out, “he could not run as fast as he can,” leading to his in-ring demise. The segment leaned fully into the absurd, with Joe Tessitore officially announcing Gingy’s death moments later. Trick Williams stormed the ring and attacked Zayn, who managed to retreat before taking further damage. Williams then checked on the fallen Gingy and even threw up the X sign in a tongue-in-cheek nod to legitimate injury situations. Later in the show, WWE made it official that Trick Williams will defend his United States Championship against Sami Zayn at WWE Backlash 2026.

– Next week’s SmackDown on May 8 is already shaping up to be loaded. Gunther is scheduled to appear following his attack on Cody Rhodes, while the WWE Women’s United States Championship will be on the line as Tiffany Stratton defends against Kiana James. The fallout from Gingy’s “death” will continue with a scheduled Gingerbread Man Funeral segment, and a high-profile six-woman tag team match will see Rhea Ripley, Charlotte Flair, and Alexa Bliss take on Fatal Influence (Jacy Jayne, Fallon Henley, and Lainey Reid).

– As for Backlash, the card continues to take shape following Friday’s show. In addition to Trick Williams vs. Sami Zayn, a tag match pitting Danhausen and a mystery partner against The Miz and Kit Wilson has been added. Meanwhile, the Undisputed WWE Championship picture appears to be coming into focus, as Cody Rhodes vs. Gunther is heavily teased as the likely direction, though it has yet to be officially announced for Backlash, and might end up taking place elsewhere. Already confirmed for the event are Roman Reigns vs. Jacob Fatu for the WWE World Heavyweight Title, Bron Breakker vs. Seth Rollins, and Asuka vs. Iyo Sky.

– As far as fresh faces, Jacy Jayne and Fatal Influence were all over the blue brand show this week, Ricky Saints confronted and wrestled Cody Rhodes in his debut, and the tease for the debut of Blake Monroe continued with a new vignette promoting her arrival on SmackDown.

– Looking ahead, WWE Raw on Monday, May 4, will feature the Raw contract signing of newcomer to the main roster, Sol Ruca, a WWE Backlash contract signing between Roman Reigns and Jacob Fatu, as well as the Oba Femi Challenge.

For those interested, you can check out our complete WWE SmackDown Results 5/1/26 here at WrestlingHeadlines.com.