WWE Backlash 2025 Review

John Cena and Randy Orton meet for the final time in their legendary careers in the main event of WWE Backlash for the Undisputed WWE Championship. On the same night where Lyra Valkyria clashes with her idol Becky Lynch, Dominik Mysterio battles Penta, Gunther aims to destroy Pat McAfee and Jacob Fatu, LA Knight, Drew McIntyre and Damian Priest engage in an all out brawl as the Backlash from WrestleMania 41 ripples throughout WWE tonight.

Jacob Fatu (C) def. LA Knight & Drew McIntyre & Damian Priest - Fatal-4-Way Match for the WWE United States Championship

All action right from the start, big moves from all 4 guys, crowd into every minute of it. Drew & Priest's feud with each other took themselves out of the match with a massive chokeslam off the board to the floor in the crowd, Knight and Fatu delivered great action. The sequence of everyone doing their finishers was delicious to see, Jacob Fatu with insane crowd reactions, the man could become a mega babyface if done right in the future. The big surprise at the end was the debut of Jeff Cobb to WWE, seemingly as the newest member of the Bloodline, Fatu also didn't seem happy with the assist sewing the seeds of a possible split between Jacob and the Bloodline.

Match Rating - 4/5

Lyra Valkyria (C) def. Becky Lynch - WWE Women's Intercontinental Championship

Lyra was certainly made to look like a big star, Becky giving her a lot in this match, Becky played the wily veteran using experience against the younger faster star in her prime. Becky using every trick to keep Lyra down, Lyra kept making comebacks, brilliant false finish sequences near the end, Lyra kicking out of the Manhandle Slam, twice, which is virtually unheard of, Becky slowly losing her mind that nothing she tried to beat Lyra with was working and then Lyra reversing Becky into a roll-up to get the win, the addition of the immediate atatck of Becky at the end of the match, further emphasising her frustration that she couldn't beat Lyra. Absolutely brilliant match and definitely cemented Lyra tonight, nice to see the didn't immediately put Becky over and are using her star to help elevate a new potential star in Lyra.

Match Rating - 4.25/5

Dominik Mysterio (C) def. Penta - WWE Intercontinental Championship

Super quick and fast paced as not a breath was spared in this match. The transformation of Dom from the most hated superstar over the last 2 years to the crowd cheering for him is wild. Brilliant tornado DDT to the outside, even pulling out an Oblivion, an homage to Liv Morgan. Penta landed an insane destroyer to the apron. Judgement Day interference backfired as Finn Balor nearly cost 'Dirty' Dom the title before El Grande Americano head-butted Penta with his metal mask to help Mysterio retain. Like we saw earlier with Jacob Fatu, Dominik's eventual face turn will happen sooner rather than later.

Match Rating - 3.25/5

Gunther def. Pat McAfee

This was way better than most of us could've expected. Match was done as realistically as it could've been, Pat got a couple of lucky shots but it was a demolition job by Gunther. The toying by Gunther most of the way was played out well, the insane selling of Michael Cole on commentary and even interfering to help Pat got everybody into it. The crowd ate up every second of the action, thankfully the right result in the end with Gunther moving back to more important feuds and easily Pat's best straight wrestling match he's had.

Match Rating 3.75/5

John Cena (C) def. Randy Orton - Undisputed WWE Championship

Cena & Orton's last match and they went old school, nothing fancy or flashy, they played all the greatest hits together, hitting every finisher, table bumps, ref bumps, the whole 9 yards. It certainly went better than WrestleMania did, a combination of working a slower style helped, better crowd dynamic with Cena actually being booed, mostly and it just felt much better executed. Orton RKO'ing everyone, including Nick Aldis for the third time now, surely that's leading to something. Orton had the title won three different times with RKO's before , of all people, R-Truth came down to "save" his childhood hero, which allowed Cena to repeat the finish of WrestleMania, low blow, belt shot, 1-2-3. John Cena's quest to destroy wrestling at the last real champion continues.

Match Rating - 4/5

Show Review

A fun show from start to finish, nothng was needlessly complicated or overbooked. Given that expectations were fairly low coming into tonight's show, the often post-Mania slump that all of us fans experience, this was a very good pick me up show to get fans ready for hopefully a summer to remember for wrestling and for WWE. A good surprise debut, brilliant Women's match, good solid action throughout and a main event filed with fan service, after what was a divisive feeling after WrestleMania, this show certainly made fans feel good as we head into Money In The Bank in just 4 weeks time.

• Match Of The Night - Lyra Valkyria vs Becky Lynch

• Moment Of The Night - Jeff Cobb's debut

Show Rating - 4/5