WWE Backlash 2025 Was an Entertaining Mess — And That’s Why I Loved It

Let’s make one thing very clear right off the bat: I love heel John Cena.

If you’ve watched any of my content, that won’t surprise you. The man is basically Thanos in jorts, and I’m eating up every smirk, eye-poke, and emotional breakdown like it's gourmet. So with WWE Backlash 2025 in the books, the reactions online have been all over the place — and I get it. It was chaotic, overbooked, and riddled with distractions. But guess what? I still thought it was a blast.

Backlash is what we’d call a “B-level” PLE (Premium Live Event). Not everything needs to be WrestleMania. And to appreciate the highs like WrestleMania 38 or 39, you need the ones that just zoom by and let you forget the world for a few hours. That’s what Backlash did. It entertained. It didn’t change wrestling. And that’s fine.

U.S. Title Fatal Four-Way: Cobb, Chaos, and Crowd-Pleasers

We kicked things off with LA Knight vs. Drew McIntyre vs. Damian Priest vs. Jacob Fatu for the U.S. Title, and it delivered. This wasn’t just a car crash; it was a well-choreographed demolition derby. McIntyre and Priest took a wild bump into the crowd, with a nasty-looking chokeslam off a platform through tables. Drew’s head looked like it hit concrete — turns out, it did — but thankfully, he’s reportedly okay.

Then, bam, Jeff Cobb debuts.

And if you’re wondering “Who’s Jeff Cobb?” — that’s okay! You’ll get to know. Cobb’s a powerhouse with catlike agility, a freak athlete who’s killed it in New Japan, Lucha Underground, ROH, and everywhere in between. He and Solo Sikoa stormed in, wrecked house, and left LA Knight laid out, letting Jacob Fatu walk away with his title. LA Knight got his edge back, the Bloodline 3.0 angle moves forward, and Cobb’s already making waves. That’s a win all around.

Also, WWE avoided the usual lazy four-way formula. This match had actual four-man action, overlapping sequences, and one of those finisher-splosion spots where everyone charges their special meter and lets loose. Loved it.

Becky Lynch vs. Lyra Valkyria: Surprise Win, Clean Finish, Real Growth

This was match of the night — no debate. Clean. Competitive. No distractions. Becky Lynch, who’s somehow underrated despite being Becky Lynch, put over Lyra Valkyria in a big way. Not only did Lyra win, but WWE leaned into their history: she also beat Becky in NXT. Now it’s canon.

And Becky didn’t just take the L and roll out — she tried to snap Lyra’s arm afterward. Classic heel move. Sets up a rematch for Salad’s Main Event (okay, Saturday's Main Event, but now I want salad). I think Becky wins that one by cheating. That’s the way to build stars — let the vet lose one, then get it back the dirty way.

Also, can we chill with the online hate for Lyra’s fiancé, LJ Cleary? He was ringside, and some folks started making gross, baseless accusations over a camera angle. Dude is a respected wrestler, a good guy, and let’s be honest — I’d date him. That hair? 10/10.

Dominic Mysterio vs. Penta: Judgment Day Chaos (Again)

Dominic Mysterio vs. Penta was a Judgment Day highlight reel — in both good and bad ways. The match itself had fire (Canadian Destroyers on the apron!), but it leaned heavily on interference. Finn Balor, JD McDonagh, Carlito, even El Grande Americano — the ring apron basically had a queue.

Dominic retains after shenanigans, and yes, it mirrors the Jacob Fatu match a little too closely. But Dom’s heel work is so strong that the crowd can’t decide how to feel about him — which is money. He’s on the road to a major babyface turn and probably a world title run. Just maybe dial back the interferences? Not every match needs a run-in.

Also: Dominic doing the Oblivion? Chef’s kiss, even if it wasn’t perfect.

Pat McAfee vs. Gunther: Sports Entertainment At Its Best

Pat McAfee vs. Gunther sparked way more debate than I expected — but come on, what did you expect? Pat got a sliver of offense, and Gunther steamrolled him like a freight train. Even Pat’s famous punt? Gunther no-sold it at one.

Michael Cole got involved. Gunther teased murdering him. Pat got a near-fall thanks to cheating. But in the end, Gunther choked him out and looked like a monster.

This was not about competition. It was about entertainment. It broke up the match-heavy flow, gave us some comedy, and let Gunther still look like the ring general. More of this, please. Give me some variety. Not every match has to be a clinic — sometimes I just want to watch Gunther throw people like they're bowling pins.

Main Event: Heel Cena vs. Orton — Overbooked Brilliance

John Cena vs. Randy Orton might’ve been the most divisive match of the night. Some people hated it. Some called it smoke and mirrors. I call it magic.

Cena as the heel is cartoonishly evil. Orton is riding the wave of fan love. And what we got was a table-crashing, referee-losing, low-blow-throwing mess that felt like a greatest hits montage of every wrestling trope ever — in a good way.

We even got the Nick Aldis Goon Squad (shoutout Jamie Noble), and the crowd lost it when R-Truth showed up begging Cena not to get punted. Of course Cena cheats to win, nails Truth with an AA through a table post-match, and proclaims himself the real champ. The CM Punk tease afterward? Yeah, that’s where we’re going next.

WWE is planting nostalgia breadcrumbs. Remember when Truth feuded with Cena in 2011, right before Punk’s pipe bomb? That’s where we’re heading. If Cena vs. R-Truth is the next Saturday Night’s Main Event headliner, I’m all in. We need more fun. More insanity. Wrestling is weird — embrace it.

Final Thoughts: Backlash Did Its Job

Backlash 2025 won’t go down in history. But it wasn’t supposed to.

It gave us clean, technical wrestling with Becky vs. Lyra. It gave us new blood with Jeff Cobb. It gave us a nonsense-fest with Pat McAfee. And it gave us cinematic overbooking with Cena vs. Orton. That’s variety. That’s value.

Could we cool it with the distractions and apron shenanigans? Yes. Please. But overall, this card moved stories forward, kept the crowd hot, and reminded me why I still love this wacky world of pro wrestling.

Two thumbs up — even if I’ll forget half of it by next week.