Backlash 2025, the first live premium event in WWE since Wrestlemania 41, took place on Saturday evening in St. Louis. Despite the map of five games which gave a large part of the action in the ring, none of the four championships which was online changed hands and there were several finishes which finally withdrew the brilliance of the competitions themselves.
The evening started importantly while Jacob Fatu put his American championship at stake in a four fatal lane against the Knight, Drew McIntyre and Damian Priest. In addition to being a competitor for the best full match of 2025 so far, the defense of the successful title of FAU has come thanks to the beginnings of Jeff Cobb, adding a new wrinkle to the history of the apparently endless line.
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Elsewhere, Dominik Mysterio and Lyra Valkyria kept their respective intercontinental championships in very solid matches but which had finishes which involved distracting referees. Lynch’s defeat against Valkyria continues the descent of the multiple female champion as a heel while the victory of Mysterio reduces any dissent on the day of judgment and advances the story of El Grande Americano.
In the sole night match of the night, Gunther demolished Pat McAfee in an entertaining program but which should be unique.
In the main event of the evening, John Cena renewed his rivalry with Randy Orton, the hero of the hometown. The almost 30 -minute match was entertaining, with many finish and a trio of referees. Like the matches of the intercontinental championship, part of the brilliance of this match was removed by the chaotic end, which somewhat inexplicably presented an R-Truth race. After winning the victory, Cena cut a promotion saying that he needed WWE competition.
Here are the complete results of Backlash:
John Cena beats Randy Orton in 27:49 to keep the undisputed WWE championship.
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Best place: Adjustment of the combined attitude and RKO
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Analysis: Even with the fact that it was relatively obvious that there was going to be a disorderly finish and Cena was going to keep, the champion 17 times and Orton managed to offer a very strong main event. There were completely unique places, excellent chemistry and a psychology of the rings on display, and we continue to see Cena working remarkably well as heel. Were three referee bumps a little too much? Of course, but that made us this fun segment with Orton delivering RKO to Nick Aldis as well as a series of other WWE officials, and the fans appreciated him. Cena’s buffoonery (low blows, using the title) become a little repetitive? Yes, but as I hinted in a summary “Smackdown” a few weeks ago, I think that it is part of the point that Cena is when he says that he wants to “ruin the struggle”. The greatest reason for which I have not given this main event a note “A” is due to the participation of R-TRUTH. I understand that there is history there and it is a funny and continues joke within WWE, but did it improve the match? In my opinion, no. You could have obtained the same specific result without the break -in of Truth, and segments like the one they did during the press conference after the show would have struck stronger without him. This match being presented as perhaps the last time we see Cena against Orton combined with the promo of Cena afterwards, saying that he “needs competition”, leaves the door a little much open for his next challenger. With money in the bank within a month, we will then know much more about the undisputed photo of the WWE championship.
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Gunther Bat Pat McAfee in 14:02.
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Best place: McAfee’s Moonsault Landing and inversion of the German Supplex
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Analysis: Nothing more or nothing less than what was needed, Gunther returns in the column of victories and McAfee was not pinned or submitted by the Austrian giant. Gunther probably throws his hat in the ring for money at the bank and McAfee returns to the announcement office next to Michael Cole.
Dominik Mysterio Bat Penta in 9:21 to keep the intercontinental championship.
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Best place: The suicide of Mysterio plunges into the DDT tornado
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Analysis: Since this match only shadowed over nine minutes, it was intense and Mysterio continues to impress each time it enters the ring. He is a future world champion and fully meets the high expectations that he faces due to his legendary father and his deep history in professional struggle. A bit like the Valkyria match against Lynch who continued with the referee’s shenanigans and the involvement of the Judgment Day and El Grande Americano abducted from the brilliance of Mysterio and Penta. He is sure to say that we will get Penta against El Grande Americano in the very close future and the day of judgment seems as strong as ever, even with the next Mysterio adversary being a little mystery.
Lyra Valkyria beats Becky Lynch in 18:43 to keep the women’s intercontinental championship.
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Best place: Valkyria Balling Superplex
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Analysis: I would like to be able to divide the note for work in the ring and the finish of this match. Valkyria and Lynch are two of the best artists in the ring that WWE has on its list today. This match had everything you could have wished after what looked like a hasty construction after the Wrestlemania. From a technical point of view, it was fantastic. From the point of view of the narration, it was remarkable. And even if I chose Lynch to win, there is no reproaches on this front with the ultimate result while Valkyria really embodies the spirit of the intercontinental championship in the sense that she is a real “worker” in the WWE female division. So why did it only get one B? Well, I did not like Lynch was surprised to deceive three distinct occasions but has never been disqualified – we have to suspend the disbelief in the professional fight, not completely throw it through the window – and the arrival seems to occur very suddenly, including the Lynch attack later. It is unlikely that we have finished here, which is a good thing, but I suspect that we can get a detour of Bayley for the Lynch more and more heel.
Jacob Fatstu beats the Knight, Damian Priest and Drew McIntyre in 17:54 to keep the United States championship.
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Best place: The priest in the south of the sky in McIntyre through the tables
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Analysis: Easily the best match of the night – and one of the best of any sole so far in 2025 – the opener delivered in all the aspects you could have imagined. The action was fast and impactful, the four men having the opportunity to appear strong during the match, and – especially – to move forward. McIntyre won the United States championship before Priest costs it once again, then had the place of the match by strangling the Scottish psychopath from the top of the road cases through tables below. We will see this quarrel continue, that no one should complain about considering the quality of the matches that Priest and McIntyre can put. Regarding the Knight, the involvement of Solo Sikoa and the beginnings of Jeff Cobb protect it even if it was pinned to two ples in a row. He probably heads for Bank Money’s scale match next month. The most interesting thing out of this match, however, is the confusion and the uncertainty of Fatu surrounding the participation of Sikoa and Cobb. This should be an accelerator by fully transforming fatu into a Babyface scenario to correspond to the love of the crowd for him.
