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Slimmer’s WWE Backlash 2025 Review
Loading...Welcome to 411’s WWE Backlash 2025 Report. We are LIVE in beautiful St. Louis, Missouri. Jackie Redmond, Big E, and Peter Rosenberg welcome us to the Countdown Show with a discussion of John Cena vs. Randy Orton before moving on to break down the entire card. We head to highlights of Bad Bunny vs. Damian Priest from Backlash 2023 followed by a video package for Jacob Fatu vs. LA Knight vs. Damian Priest vs. Drew McIntyre. Next up is a video package for Dominik Mysterio vs. Penta followed by highlights of Cody Rhodes vs. AJ Styles from Backlash France. We head to a video package on the history of St. Louis sports and St. Louis wrestling before moving on to a discussion of Lyra Valkyria vs. Becky Lynch. The Countdown Show wraps up with one final discussion of John Cena vs. Randy Orton.
Fatal Four-Way Match for the United States Championship
Jacob Fatu (Champion) vs. LA Knight vs. Damian Priest vs. Drew McIntyre
The bell rings, and Knights squares off with Fatu as Priest goes after McIntyre. Priest and McIntyre spill to the outside as Fatu misses a splash in the corner. Knight connects with a slingshot shoulder block to Fatu and follows up with a DDT to Priest. Fatu gets back to his feet and works over Knight in the corner. Knight and Priest double team Fatu and post him in the corner. McIntyre delivers a belly-to-belly suplex to Knight and then a neck breaker to Priest. Priest connects with a roundhouse kick to Fatu from the apron and then levels him with a running clothesline. Priest hits McIntyre and Knight with running back elbow shots in the corners and then clotheslines McIntyre to the outside. Priest heads to the outside but gets leveled by Fatu. Fatu and McIntyre stare at each other and both climb back into the ring. Fatu and McIntyre slug it out in the middle of the ring, but Fatu drops McIntyre with a shoulder block and a pop-up Samoan Drop. Fatu heads up top, but McIntyre rakes the eyes and sets up for a superplex. Knight ties up McIntyre in the tree of woe and heads up top with Fatu. Fatu knocks Knight back down to the mat, but McIntyre pulls himself up and superplexes Fatu onto Knight. All four men trade finishers, and Priest ends up covering Knight, but McIntyre breaks up the pin. McIntyre hits Fatu with the Future Shock DDT and then hits Knight with a Future Shock DDT as well. McIntyre hits Knight with the Claymore, but Priest pulls the referee out of the ring to break the count. Priest pulls McIntyre out of the ring, and they tumble into the timekeeper’s area. Back in the ring, Fatu head butts Knight and heads up top. Fatu misses a moonsault, but Knight connects with an elbow drop from the top. Knight hits a second diving elbow drop but only gets a two count. McIntyre and Priest brawl into the crowd and end up in an equipment area. They brawl on top of a large equipment case, and Priest hits South of Heaven off the equipment case and through two tables. Fatu and Knight brawl at ringside, and Knight slams Fatu’s head into the announce table. Knight puts Fatu on the announce table and heads up top. Knight sets up for a diving elbow drop through the announce table, but Solo Sikoa arrives at ringside and pulls Fatu off the table. Knight goes after Sikoa, but JEFF COBB comes out of nowhere and beats Knight down to the arena floor. Fatu rolls Knight back into the ring and hits the moonsault for the three count.
Match Result: Jacob Fatu defeats LA Knight with a moonsault.
Match Length: 18:14
Slimmer’s Rating: ****
Women’s Intercontinental Championship Match
Lyra Valkyria (Champion) vs. Becky Lynch
Lynch takes down Valkyria to start and goes to work with the ground and pound offense. Valkyria fights back and locks in a surfboard and then slides Lynch into a pinning predicament for a two count. Valkyria hits a Northern Lights suplex but only gets a two count. Valkyria heads up top, but Lynch flips her back down to the mat. Lynch grinds Valkyria’s face into the mat and then rolls her up for a one count. Lynch chokes Valkyria across the bottom rope and then tosses her to the outside. Lynch whips Valkyria into the barricade and then rolls her back into the ring. Valkyria fights back with a running fisherman suplex and a gut-wrench sit-out powerbomb. Lynch and Valkyria head up top, and Valkyria hits a delayed vertical superplex for a two count. Valkyria rolls up Lynch, but Lynch reverses and rolls up Valkyria. Lynch grabs the ropes for extra leverage on the pin, but the referee catches her and breaks the count. Lynch goes for the Manhandle Slam, but Valkyria blocks and hits Peripeteia for a looong two count. Lynch fights back and goes for an arm bar, but Valkyria reverses and locks in an arm bar of her own. Lynch locks in the Disarm-her, but Valkyria breaks free. Lynch hits the Manhandle Slam, but Valkyria kicks out a two. Lynch goes back to the ground and pound offense before heading to the outside. Lynch grabs a steel chair from ringside and slides it into the ring. The referee takes the chair from Lynch, but Lynch exposes a turnbuckle while the referee is getting rid of the chair. Valkyria fights back with a moonsault but only gets a two count. Lynch hits a second Manhandle Slam, but Valkyria again kicks out at two. Lynch repeatedly slams Valkyria’s face into the mat. Valkyria hits Nightwing, but the referee is late making the count because she was working on the exposed turnbuckle, so Lynch is able to kick out at two. Lynch and Valkyria trade rollups, but Valkyria is the one who finally gets the three count. After the match, Lynch locks in the Disarm-her, and it takes several WWE officials to get her to break the hold.
Match Result: Lyra Valkyria defeats Becky Lynch with a roll-up pin.
Match Length: 18:43
Slimmer’s Rating: ****
Intercontinental Championship Match
Dominik Mysterio (Champion) vs. Penta
Penta charges at Mysterio in the corner, but Mysterio dumps Penta’s nether regions onto the top rope. Penta tumbles to the outside, and Mysterio hits a gorgeous diving tornado DDT between the ropes to the outside. Mysterio whips Penta hip-first into the ring steps and then rolls him back into the ring. Mysterio connects with a slingshot senton and makes the cover for a two count. Mysterio cover Penta, but Penta grabs the bottom rope to break the count. Penta fights back with a Sling Blade and then connects with a crossbody to the outside. Penta rolls Mysterio back into the ring and heads up top. Penta dives at Mysterio, but Mysterio connects with a mid-air kick to Penta’s gut. Mysterio goes for the 619, but Penta ducks. Mysterio hits Oblivion and makes the cover, but Penta kicks out a two. Penta takes Mysterio up top, but Mysterio kicks him down to the apron. PENTA HITS A MEXICAN DESTROYER ON THE APRON!!! Carlito comes to ringside to distract the referee as Finn Balor and JD McDonagh double team Penta at ringside. McDonagh holds Penta, but instead of attacking him, Balor wastes time grabbing a steel chair from the timekeeper’s area. That gives the referee time to turn around, catch Balor, and eject Carlito, McDonagh, and Balor from ringside. Penta heads up top and sets his sights on Mysterio, but El Grande Americano comes out of nowhere and heads butts Penta with his loaded mask. That gives Mysterio the chance to head up top and hit the frog splash for the three count.
Match Result: Dominik Mysterio defeat Penta with a frog splash.
Match Length: 9:17
Slimmer’s Rating: ***¼
Pat McAfee vs. Gunther
McAfee and Gunther lock up in the middle of the ring, and Gunther easily shoves McAfee to the corner. McAfee and Gunther lock up for a second time, but Gunther transitions to a standing side head lock and then tosses McAfee across the ring. Gunther goes for a chop, but McAfee side steps him. McAfee catches Gunther in a front chancery, but Gunther lifts him to the apron. Gunther mockingly pats McAfee on the head, so McAfee slingshots back into the ring. Gunther finally connects with a chop and levels McAfee. Gunther traps McAfee in the corner and goes to work with a vicious volley of chops. McAfee fights back with a kick to the back and connects with a chop of his own. Gunther levels McAfee with a big boot and asks Michael Cole if he’d like to join them in the ring. McAfee slaps Gunther across the face but gets a German suplex in return. Gunther locks in a standing sleeper hold, but McAfee makes it to the ropes. Gunther hits a second German suplex and then takes McAfee up top. McAfee knocks Gunther back down to the mat and goes for a moonsault. Gunther moves out of the way, but McAfee lands on his feet. Gunther goes for another German suplex, but McAfee again lands on his feet and connects with several kicks to Gunther’s back and chest. McAfee peppers Gunther with jabs and lands a punt to the jaw. McAfee goes for another punt, but Gunther catches the leg and counters into a powerbomb. Gunther locks in a Boston Crab as Michael Cole goes to ringside to cheer on McAfee. Gunther releases the hold and pulls Cole into the ring. Cole begs Gunther to end the match. Gunther ties to powerbomb Cole, but McAfee makes the save. McAfee rolls up Gunther but only gets a two count. Gunther suplexes McAfee from the apron back into the ring, but McAfee lands on Gunther for a pinning predicament. Michael Cole grabs Gunther’s foot during the pin, but Gunther still manages to kick out at two. McAfee locks in a sleeper hold, but Gunther reverses into a sleeper hold of his own and drags McAfee down to the mat. McAfee refuses to give up and fights back to his feet, but Gunther drags him back down to the mat. The referee checks on McAfee and finally calls for the bell. After the match, Gunther tips his cap to McAfee in an unexpected show of respect.
Match Result: Gunther defeats Pat McAfee with a sleeper hold.
Match Length: 14:07
Slimmer’s Rating: ***
Undisputed WWE Championship Match
John Cena (c) vs. Randy Orton
Cena and Orton lock up to start. Cena offers to shake Orton’s hand and then pokes the eyes. Orton drops Cena with a shoulder block and then pokes Cena’s eye. Cena rolls to the outside as Orton maintains the high ground. Cena charges back into the ring, but Orton muscles him to the corner. Orton grabs a standing side head lock and takes Orton down to the mat. Cena fights back to his feet, but Orton once again drops him with a shoulder tackle. Cena rolls to the outside and begins to head up the ramp, so Orton chases him down and beats him back to the ring. Cena levels Orton with a clothesline and then goes to work with mounted punches in the corner. Orton reverses and goes to work with mounted punches of her own. Orton lands an uppercut and makes the cover for a two count. Orton hits the Garvin stomps, but Cena regains control with a sleeper hold. Orton breaks the hold and locks in a chin lock of his own. Orton and Cena trade chin locks, but Orton regains control with a back suplex. Cena hits the Protoplex and the Five Knuckle Shuffle. Cena goes for the Attitude Adjustment, but Orton sneaks out the back. Orton catches Cena with a power slam and goes for his patented rope-assisted DDT, but Cena counters into a roll-up pin for a two count. Cena locks in the STFU, but Orton breaks the hold and successfully hits his patented rope-assisted DDT. Orton sets up for the RKO, but Cena ties to counter into the Attitude Adjustment, but Orton counters into an RKO in mid-air. Cena and Orton fight back to their feet and slug it out in the middle of the ring. Cena hits the Attitude Adjustment, but Orton kicks out at two. Cena goes for another Attitude Adjustment, but Orton grabs the top rope to block. Orton hits the RKO out of nowhere but can’t make the cover. Orton sets up for the Skull Punt, but Cena slides out of the way and hits another Attitude Adjustment for a looong two count. Cena goes for a Skull Punt, but Orton tries to counter into an Attitude Adjustment, but Cena shoves Orton into the referee. Cena hits the Attitude Adjustment but realizes that the referee is down. Cena heads out of the ring and grabs the title. Cena heads back into the ring with the title, but Orton hits the RKO out of nowhere. Orton makes the cover as the referee comes back to life but only gets a two count. Cena rolls to the outside, and Orton follows him. Orton preps the announce table for carnage, but Cena slams Orton’s head into the ring post. Cena goes for an Attitude Adjustment onto the announce table, but Orton counters into an Attitude Adjustment of his own onto the announce table. Orton retrieves a table from under the ring and sets it up at ringside. Cena goes for an Attitude Adjustment through the table, but Orton once again counters into an Attitude Adjustment of his own through the table. Orton rolls Cena back into the ring, but the referee is still down on the outside. Orton hits the RKO in the middle of the ring and makes the cover as a new referee runs down the ramp. The referee makes the count, but Cena kicks out at two. Cena charges at Orton with the title, but Orton ducks, and Cena takes out the second referee. Orton hits the RKO and makes the cover, but there’s no referee to make the count. Nick Aldis and several WWE officials rush down to the ring to check on the referee, but Orton takes them all out with a furious volley of RKOs. Orton sets up for the Skull Punt, but R-Truth slides into the ring to stop him. Orton takes out Truth with an RKO, but Cena catches Orton with a low blow. Cena drives the title into Orton’s face and makes the cover. The referee slowly crawls back into the ring and finally makes the three count.
Match Result: John Cena defeats Randy Orton with a title shot the face.
Match Length: 27:49
Slimmer’s Rating: ***¾
