Predictions for John Cena, Becky Lynch, More After WWE Backlash 2025

Fan expectations were hardly at an all-time high heading into Backlash 2025, yet WWE ultimately delivered an excellent event with enjoyable action, correct outcomes and a memorable main-event.

John Cena and Randy Orton's final face-off had all the bells and whistles necessary to make it a must-see spectacle, including multiple ref bumps and other chicanery. Cena reigning supreme in nefarious fashion against the St. Louis native was never truly in question, but seeds were planted for Cena's next challenger both during and after the bout.

Becky Lynch walked into Backlash wanting to embarrass her former pupil Lyra Valkyria and make more history by becoming Women's Intercontinental champion but was instead surprisingly defeated. Of course, their feud and Lynch's chase for the championship are far from over.

The night also saw Jacob Fatu and Dominik Mysterio successfully retain their titles but only after interference from outside forces. Likewise, Gunther's decisive victory over Pat McAfee left viewers wondering where he goes from here as well.

Following a better-than-anticipated Backlash, let's look at what's next for the aforementioned Superstars and other notable names.

John Cena

Although John Cena's heel run has left a lot to be desired thus far, there was no opponent more perfect for him to conquer in his first title defense than longtime rival Randy Orton, especially with the event emanating from Orton's hometown of St. Louis.

Their match was a total train wreck in arguably the best way possible, but among the most interesting aspects of it was R-Truth's involvement toward the end. Truth preventing Orton from putting Cena away led almost immediately to Cena winning, followed by Cena hitting Truth with an Attitude Adjustment through a table during the post-show press conference.

Cena is currently advertised for the next installment of Saturday Night's Main Event on May 24, where it's virtually guaranteed he'll put his prestigious prize up for grabs against Truth.

With how beloved Truth is and the amount of history they have together, it's a suitable title defense for Cena on that show. They can spend the next few weeks building toward it and putting more heat on Cena by having him unleash his frustration on his self-proclaimed biggest fan.

There's plenty of potential challengers for Cena during this reign, but Truth is a wise choice to run with on such short notice.

Jacob Fatu

Jacob Fatu's stock continues to soar with every appearance he makes.

His above-average in-ring ability combined with his outstanding skills on the mic have organically turned him into a fan favorite, which won't bode well for his partnership with Solo Sikoa long-term.

Fatu overshadowed Sikoa from the moment he crashed onto the WWE scene and therefore it's inevitable before he breaks off on his own, ideally as a babyface. There was a real possibility of Sikoa's expected interference at Backlash backfiring, but he proved to have an ace of his sleeve in the form of the debuting Jeff Cobb.

The former Ring of Honor and New Japan Pro-Wrestling standout had been rumored to be WWE bound and his arrival was handled exceptionally well. Being established as an ally of Sikoa out of the gate puts him in quality company and sets him up for an eventual feud with Fatu over the star-spangled prize.

WWE may not want to pull the trigger on the Fatu and Sikoa split just yet now that Cobb has been added to the mix, but it's undoubtedly the direction they're headed in.

Becky Lynch

Becky Lynch's sole goal upon returning to WWE at WrestleMania 41 was to unseat Lyra Valkyria as Women's Intercontinental champion.

Following a pair of terrific talking segments between the two on Raw leading into Backlash, Lynch and Valkyria contested an absolute show-stealer. Much like when they last collided one-on-one in NXT two years ago, they clicked instantly as opponents and gave the Women's Intercontinental title some much-needed prestige.

Lynch losing was Backlash's biggest shocker, but it wasn't necessarily the wrong outcome depending on how WWE intends to execute the aftermath.

The endgame of their program should be Valkyria solidifying her superiority over Lynch, but WWE can easily the stretch the storyline for another few months by having Lynch take the title in their next rematch.

For as strong as their Backlash bout was, their upcoming encounters could be even better as the rivalry intensifies.

The Man is as credible as they come and loses nothing from eating defeat at Backlash, provided she bounces back soon and finds a way to win one of the only pieces of WWE gold that has alluded her up to this point.

Penta

Penta previously failed to win the Intercontinental Championship in a Fatal 4-Way at WrestleMania 41 and again on the next night's Raw, so it was questionable that he'd be afforded yet another opportunity at Backlash if the idea wasn't for him to finally win it.

Sure enough, Penta fell short of capturing the title for a third time when The Judgment Day made their presence felt at ringside followed by El Grande Americano, who defeated Penta's brother Rey Fenix at WrestleMania.

Penta vs. Dominik Mysterio was a fun outing that could have happened on any ordinary edition of Raw if that was going to be the finish. It would have been premature to dethrone Dirty Dom this quickly, but Penta's latest loss could be a cause of concern for fans if there's no clear path for him going forward.

Thankfully, it appears his unfinished business with Americano a.k.a. Chad Gable will be addressed imminently in the form of a tag team match pitting Americano and possibly The Creed Brothers against the reunited Lucha Brothers.

Penta and Fenix shouldn't be a permanent addition to WWE's growing tag team ranks until they accomplish more as singles stars, but it will be an exciting one-off and a great get for WWE's Worlds Collide joint show with AAA on June 6.

Gunther

WWE's decision to pair Gunther with Pat McAfee coming out of WrestleMania 41 was criticized by many and understandably so, but the two turned a throwaway match into a white-hot barn burner at Backlash and had the crowd invested in their story from start to finish.

For a commentator with minimal in-ring experience, McAfee may have scored a tad more offense than he should have with his opponent being a former World Heavyweight champion, but overall, their match was more entertaining than it had any right to be.

Gunther went so far as to show respect for McAfee afterward. However, there was zero indication of what he's gunning for next.

A rematch with Jey Uso over the World Heavyweight title is out of the question, and the rest of Raw's headliners are busy at the moment in other programs. He's also outgrown the Intercontinental Championship picture.

WWE insider WrestleVotes recently reported that Goldberg will be back in WWE sooner rather than later, and Gunther is believed to be his opponent for his retirement match following their heated interaction at Bad Blood last October.

The company can begin building toward that for either Night of Champions in Saudi Arabia on June 28 or either night of SummerSlam in early August. Getting his Imperium partner Ludwig Kaiser back in the mix and doing something of significance with him should be a priority, but not until after The Ring General settles his score with the two-time Universal champion.

Graham Mirmina, aka Graham "GSM" Matthews, has specialized in sports and entertainment writing since 2010. Visit his website, WrestleRant, and subscribe to his YouTube channel for more wrestling-related content.