Keep or Scrap: WWE Backlash 2025
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WWE Backlash 2025 was the company’s first major premium live event following WrestleMania 41. As expected, the show served to resolve lingering storylines, introduce new directions, and spotlight rising talent in a more compact format.
While the event featured a smaller card and a more intimate setting, the road to Backlash was far from smooth. Rematches, revenge, and unexpected twists defined the night within a loud and passionate post-WrestleMania atmosphere. The show also gave fans an early look at what to expect from John Cena’s final months in WWE.
Some feuds reached satisfying conclusions, while others ended in confusing or frustrating ways. A few matches even left viewers questioning the company’s creative direction moving forward. Here’s a full breakdown of WWE Backlash 2025 and what should be kept or scrapped as we move deeper into the post-Mania season.
Keep: The Bloodline Expands
Just when it seemed like The Bloodline’s momentum had stalled, WWE reignited interest with a major surprise at Backlash. During the chaotic United States Championship four-way match, Solo Sikoa returned to protect Jacob Fatu from LA Knight. The interference allowed Jeff Cobb to debut and blindside Knight at ringside, setting Fatu up for the win with a hip attack and moonsault.
Cobb’s alliance with The Bloodline introduces a new layer to the group. With Tama Tonga and Tonga Loa sidelined, Sikoa clearly needed new blood. Cobb fits that need and instantly boosts the group’s credibility. After months of uneven, aimless booking, the new trio of Fatu, Sikoa, and Cobb already feels like a major threat.
Cobb’s debut was strong and made an immediate impression. Pairing him with a rising star like Fatu gives him direction right out of the gate and positions him for success in the midcard. It was a standout debut and one of the night’s best-executed segments.
Keep: The Women Steal The Show
At some point, the wrestling world needs to stop and give Becky Lynch her due properly. Not just for her legacy, but for how often she’s helped shape the next generation of women coming into their own in the business.
Backlash was the latest example. Lynch stepped up to challenge Lyra Valkyria for the Women’s Intercontinental Championship, but instead of dominating, she was outclassed. From the opening bell, Lyra was sharper, quicker, and one step ahead of the veteran. She slipped out of the Bexploder, shut down the Disarm-Her, reversed the Manhandle Slam, even when Becky landed it, Lyra had the grit to kick out.
The finish was sloppy. There was a moment where it looked like Becky may have broken Lyra’s nose before the roll-up. But, the bigger picture was clear: Valkyria didn’t sneak away with a win; she earned it without controversy. The student surpassed the mentor, and Lynch made her look like a killer.
What makes this even more impressive is that Lyra’s rise hasn’t come from over-the-top promos or a flashy persona—it’s been built on hard work. Match after match, she’s won fans over with her skill. This feud gave fans a reason to care about her, and she delivered in the biggest match of her career. Props to both women as this was a statement performance and arguably match of the night.
Scrap: Penta Takes A Step Down
Less than six months after arriving in WWE, Penta’s initial momentum has hit an unfortunate roadblock. Once hailed as a game-changer, he’s now collecting losses and starting to blend into the background, while maintaining one of the highlight entrances on the roster.
At Backlash, he challenged Dominik Mysterio for the Intercontinental Championship, but the result was sadly not in doubt. With Judgment Day and El Grande Americano creating chaos, the match was more about stacking the odds than advancing a storyline that benefits one of the company’s big lucha stars. Even though the interference gave him an out, it doesn’t seem like a setup for redemption or a championship win down the line. Rather, a shift to a feud that feels a lot less compelling.
What’s next feels like more of a side quest. This could deliver technically excellent matches. But in terms of direction, it’s a step down from where he could and should be. What began as a compelling solo run is devolving into fans wondering when his brother will show up… Or when he’ll finally be put into a position to strap gold around his waist.
It’s unfortunate. Penta debuted with real heat, but by the time WrestleMania came and went, the spark faded. Now, he feels like someone whose ceiling in singles competition has already been hit. That doesn’t mean he’s finished—he and Fénix could still be a top-tier tag team—but there’s a distinct sense of wasted potential in how his solo journey has been handled.
Keep: Gunther Flattens McAfee
We can rant on about the booking of Gunther until we’re blue in the face. But one thing WWE nailed, though, was the presentation of this match.
Gunther has been stumbling ever since losing the championship gold at back-to-back WrestleManias. First to Sami Zayn, now to Jey Uso, who submitted him on wrestling’s grandest stage. The so-called “Ring General” hasn’t found luck in the past two years. He may dominate the rest of the year. But, when it comes to that crucial evening, he’s come up short twice in a row.
Rather than focusing his frustration on reclaiming the title, Gunther’s focus shifted to RAW’s play-by-play commentary team. After weeks of yeet-ing at the announce desk and condemning Gunther’s actions, the former champion finally vented his frustrations brutally.
The crowd chanting “You tapped out” clearly got under Gunther’s skin, and Michael Cole escalating things—standing at the commentary desk and later shouting encouragement from ringside—only fueled his rage. Critics may argue that McAfee lasted longer than he should have. But, Gunther’s refusal to confront his shortcomings has made him vulnerable. His pride continues to blind him, and the lessons from his defeats remain unlearned. The match served its purpose well… It gave Gunther a much-needed bounce-back win and, hopefully, put him back on the path toward the main event.
Keep: John Cena & Randy Orton Create Absolute Chaos
This felt like their Summerslam 2009 match on steroids. John Cena’s heel run continues to baffle, amuse, entertain, yet still underperform. His match with Randy Orton at Backlash was not technically sound. In fact, it was downright insanity from bell to bell. But, it was also one of the most unforgettable spectacles of the night. A spectacle that despite its glaring flaws, far surpassed Cena’s main event match against Cody Rhodes at WrestleMania just weeks ago.
The early moments were slow and drawn out. Long headlocks, staredowns, and basic strikes tested the crowd’s patience. But once the chaos began, it never stopped. The referee took a bump that could end a career. R-Truth randomly appeared. Orton started hitting RKOs on anything that moved. Cena used a low blow and a title belt to steal the win as the ref slowly crawled back into action.
Was it a five-star classic? Absolutely not. But if this is part of Cena’s meta plan to ruin wrestling by intentionally sabotaging matches, it’s starting to work. This match felt like a parody of everything wrong with overbooked main events. However, it was so ridiculous that it became entertaining.
Cena’s heel persona still doesn’t fully land in a traditional sense. But, if the goal is pure chaos and commentary on WWE’s excess, then this match delivered. It was messy, unhinged, and impossible to look away from.
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