May 11, 2025 • 22 mins
Tonight's WWE Backlash largely lived up to the unfortunate reputation of many "B-level" premium live events: a card filled with solid in-ring action but hampered by predictable finishes and stagnant storylines. While the matches themselves offered moments of quality, the overall narrative landscape felt disappointingly bland.
The United States Championship remained with Jacob Fatu (c), who overcame LA Knight, Drew McIntyre, and Damian Priest in a chaotic Fatal Four-Way. The most significant talking point of this match, and perhaps the entire evening, was the debut of Jeff Cobb, the newest Samoan addition to the Bloodline lineage. Cobb made his presence felt by assisting Solo Sikoa in ensuring Fatu retained his title, adding another heavy to the dominant faction but doing little to swerve seasoned viewers.
In other championship encounters, predictability reigned. Lyra Valkyria (c) successfully defended her Women’s Intercontinental Championship against the veteran “The Man” Becky Lynch. Similarly, “Dirty” Dominik Mysterio (c) held onto his WWE Intercontinental Championship by defeating Penta with a predictable assist from the Judgement Day.
The highly anticipated clash between “The Ring General” Gunther and Pat McAfee ended via referee stoppage in Gunther's favor. While the match had its moments, McAfee ultimately felt like a stepping stone, an "insignificant buffer," as Gunther is seemingly being positioned for a major program, potentially against Goldberg for his rumored final match. This made McAfee's involvement feel more like a temporary placeholder than a significant challenge. John Cena (c) retained the undisputed WWE Championship over Randy Orton in the main event.
Ultimately, Backlash suffered from a distinct lack of surprises, particularly in the title picture, with no championships changing hands. The show mirrored the often-criticized format of an Impact Wrestling Plus pay-per-view, where the outcomes feel telegraphed, leaving fans with a sense of déjà vu rather than excitement for what's next. While the athleticism was there, the creative spark and storyline progression were unfortunately missing in action.
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The United States Championship remained with Jacob Fatu (c), who overcame LA Knight, Drew McIntyre, and Damian Priest in a chaotic Fatal Four-Way. The most significant talking point of this match, and perhaps the entire evening, was the debut of Jeff Cobb, the newest Samoan addition to the Bloodline lineage. Cobb made his presence felt by assisting Solo Sikoa in ensuring Fatu retained his title, adding another heavy to the dominant faction but doing little to swerve seasoned viewers.
In other championship encounters, predictability reigned. Lyra Valkyria (c) successfully defended her Women’s Intercontinental Championship against the veteran “The Man” Becky Lynch. Similarly, “Dirty” Dominik Mysterio (c) held onto his WWE Intercontinental Championship by defeating Penta with a predictable assist from the Judgement Day.
The highly anticipated clash between “The Ring General” Gunther and Pat McAfee ended via referee stoppage in Gunther's favor. While the match had its moments, McAfee ultimately felt like a stepping stone, an "insignificant buffer," as Gunther is seemingly being positioned for a major program, potentially against Goldberg for his rumored final match. This made McAfee's involvement feel more like a temporary placeholder than a significant challenge. John Cena (c) retained the undisputed WWE Championship over Randy Orton in the main event.
Ultimately, Backlash suffered from a distinct lack of surprises, particularly in the title picture, with no championships changing hands. The show mirrored the often-criticized format of an Impact Wrestling Plus pay-per-view, where the outcomes feel telegraphed, leaving fans with a sense of déjà vu rather than excitement for what's next. While the athleticism was there, the creative spark and storyline progression were unfortunately missing in action.
Contact KOP for professional podcast production, imaging, and web design services at http://www.kingofpodcasts.com
Support KOP by subscribing to his YouTube channel and search for King Of Podcasts
Follow KOP on X and TikTok @kingofpodcasts (F Meta!)
Listen to KOP’s other programs, Podcasters Row… and the Wrestling is Real Wrestling Podcast and The Broadcasters Podcast.
Buy KOP a Coffee https://buymeacoffee.com/kingofpodcasts
Drop KOP a PayPal https://www.paypal.com/donate?hosted_button_id=3TAB983ZQPNVL
Drop KOP a CashApp https://cash.app/$kingofallpodcasts
Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/wrestling-is-real-wrestling-podcast--1559158/support.
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