WWE prepares for its first Premium Live Event following the spectacle of WrestleMania 41, as Backlash is set to emanate live from the Enterprise Center in St. Louis, Missouri, on Saturday, May 10, 2025. Billed as “Backlash St. Louis,” the event traditionally deals with the fallout from WrestleMania and begins to shape the major storylines for the coming months across the Raw and SmackDown brands. As of May 4th, four significant matches have been officially confirmed for the show.
John Cena vs. Randy Orton (Undisputed WWE Championship)
The main event features a clash between two icons as Undisputed WWE Champion John Cena defends his title against hometown hero Randy Orton. This marks Cena’s first PLE title defense since defeating Cody Rhodes at WrestleMania 41 to capture his record-breaking 17th World Championship, a win achieved following a controversial heel turn earlier in the year. Orton, revitalized since his return, attacked Cena on the Raw after WrestleMania, reigniting their decades-long rivalry and vowing to once again become the “Legend Killer.” Adding intrigue, WWE has noted this will be Cena’s first Backlash appearance since 2009 and likely his last, as he plans to retire at the end of 2025.
Lyra Valkyria vs. Becky Lynch (WWE Women’s Intercontinental Championship)
The newly introduced WWE Women’s Intercontinental Championship will be defended as Lyra Valkyria puts her title on the line against her former mentor and tag team partner, Becky Lynch. The feud ignited immediately after WrestleMania 41. Lynch made a surprise return as Valkyria’s mystery partner on Night 2 to win the WWE Women’s Tag Team Championship. However, they lost the titles the next night on Raw when Valkyria took the pinfall. A furious Lynch brutally attacked Valkyria post-match, cementing a heel turn. Lynch later admitted she orchestrated the attack on Bayley that necessitated Valkyria needing a partner at WrestleMania and targeted Lyra due to her friendship with Bayley, leading Valkyria to challenge Lynch for the IC title at Backlash.
Jacob Fatu vs. LA Knight vs. Damian Priest vs. Drew McIntyre (Fatal four-way match for the WWE United States Championship)
A chaotic situation surrounding the WWE United States Championship will culminate in a Fatal Four-Way match. Jacob Fatu, who won the title from LA Knight at WrestleMania 41 Night 1, defends against Knight, Damian Priest, and Drew McIntyre. The path to this match involved Knight and McIntyre seeking title opportunities, interference from Priest in a #1 contender’s match (giving McIntyre a DQ win over Knight), and subsequent interference from Solo Sikoa in a Knight vs. Priest match. SmackDown GM Nick Aldis initially booked a Triple Threat, but after Sikoa pointed out McIntyre’s DQ win technically earned him a shot, Aldis added him to create the volatile four-way encounter, intertwining multiple rivalries and Bloodline implications.
Pat McAfee vs. Gunther
Another intensely personal grudge match pits Raw commentator Pat McAfee against former World Heavyweight Champion Gunther. After losing his title to Jey Uso at WrestleMania 41, a frustrated Gunther attacked commentator Michael Cole on Raw. McAfee intervened to defend his broadcast partner but was subsequently choked out by “The Ring General.” Gunther was fined and suspended indefinitely, but McAfee passionately demanded on Raw that the suspension be lifted so he could face Gunther in a match at Backlash. SmackDown GM Nick Aldis eventually granted the request, setting the stage for McAfee’s first official match since WrestleMania 39 against a dangerous and vengeful opponent.
While WWE typically features around five matches on its standard PLE cards under the current creative regime, only the four aforementioned bouts are officially confirmed as of May 4th. However, based on recent television angles, a World Heavyweight Championship match between current champion Jey Uso and Logan Paul is heavily expected to be added. Paul confronted Uso on the April 28th episode of Raw, challenging for the title, and the two traded attacks throughout the show. Although not yet official, this matchup seems positioned for the Backlash card.
Other possibilities could include defenses of the WWE Women’s Championship (currently held by Tiffany Stratton, who has issues with Nia Jax) or the various Tag Team Championships, but these remain speculative. Backlash St. Louis will stream live on Peacock in the United States and the WWE Network internationally on May 10th.
