ST. LOUIS, May 12, 2025 — WWE Backlash 2025, held at the Enterprise Center, delivered a night of intense wrestling action, headlined by John Cena retaining the Undisputed WWE Championship against Randy Orton in a chaotic main event. The event, the first premium live event since WrestleMania 41, featured five matches with four title defenses, marked by dramatic finishes and a notable debut.
The opening match saw United States Champion Jacob Fatu defend his title against LA Knight, Drew McIntyre, and Damian Priest in a Fatal 4-Way Match. Fatu struck early with a pop-up Samoan drop on Priest onto the barricade. The match featured high-impact moves, including Fatu’s swanton bomb on McIntyre, Knight’s BFT on Fatu, Priest’s South of Heaven Chokeslam on Knight, and McIntyre’s Claymore on Priest. Priest disrupted McIntyre’s pin attempt, leading to a brawl that culminated in Priest chokeslamming McIntyre through tables from an elevated height. As Knight prepared an elbow drop on Fatu, Solo Sikoa intervened, and Jeff Cobb made a shocking WWE debut, attacking Knight. Fatu, appearing conflicted, capitalized with a moonsault to retain his title.
Women’s Intercontinental Champion Lyra Valkyria faced Becky Lynch in a heated contest. Lynch taunted Valkyria, targeting her fiancé at ringside, but Valkyria responded with a stalling superplex. Lynch landed a Manhandle Slam, but Valkyria kicked out. After Lynch exposed the top turnbuckle, Valkyria hit Nightwing, though a delayed referee count allowed Lynch to kick out. Valkyria secured a rollup victory, but Lynch attacked post-match, locking in the Dis-arm-her until officials intervened.
Intercontinental Champion Dominik Mysterio defended against Penta, delivering a backstabber and a diving tornado DDT. Penta countered with a top-rope crossbody. The Judgment Day attempted interference, but Finn Bálor’s delay led to their ejection. El Grande Americano (Chad Gable) then struck Penta with his steel-plated mask, enabling Mysterio to hit a Frog Splash and retain his title.
Gunther faced Pat McAfee, who sought retribution for attacks on himself and Michael Cole. Gunther dominated with a massive chop and taunted both McAfee and Cole. McAfee landed kicks, but Gunther applied a Boston crab. Cole’s interference briefly aided McAfee, but Gunther locked in a Sleeper, causing McAfee to pass out. Gunther nodded in respect to McAfee post-match.
In the main event, Cena faced Orton in their 24th singles match, billed as their final encounter. The match began with Cena poking Orton’s eye, prompting a retaliatory poke from Orton. A critical moment saw Cena attempt a Punt, but Orton dodged, leading to a referee bump. Cena hit an Attitude Adjustment and grabbed the title belt, only for Orton to counter with an RKO for a near fall. The action spilled outside, with Orton sending Cena through the announce table with an Attitude Adjustment, followed by another through a wooden table. With two referees down, SmackDown General Manager Nick Aldis and other officials intervened, but Orton unleashed RKOs on Aldis and others. R-Truth’s surprise appearance halted Orton’s momentum, allowing Cena to deliver a low blow and a title belt shot to retain the championship.
The event, streamed on Peacock and Netflix, drew 17,155 fans and set the stage for WWE’s upcoming Night of Champions in Saudi Arabia on June 28. The night highlighted Cena’s controversial heel run and introduced new storylines, including Cobb’s alignment with The Bloodline.
