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Sam Roberts
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Jacob Fatu
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Sam Roberts
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Peter Rosenberg
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Sam Roberts
Go to your happy price.
Jacob Fatu
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Sam Roberts
John Cena continues to ruin wrestling. Becky lynch absolutely lost it. Pat McAfee gave all that one can give. Jacob Fatu is on the show and Dominik Mysterio is still your Intercontinental Champion. This is the WWE Backlash recap brought to you by Fanatics. Welcome to the Backlash recap here as part of the Raw recap feed. Megan Morant, Sam Roberts, we literally just tore ourselves away from the screen taking in all the Backlash had to offer and John Cena has once again ruined it. I thought Michael Cole's call was great because you know what really sucked about the fact that once again it's a low blow, it's a hit with the belt is that leading up to it, it was so great. To me, it really was kind of paying off on everything that a John Cena, Randy Orton match could be. I want because there were people, right? That especially after WrestleMania and how everybody felt about that finish, there were plenty of people that were like, oh well, if John Cena is ruining wrestling, what if they go back to a trick that Randy Orton once pulled and John Cena just knocks out the referee and then the matches over in dq and I'm like, look, I was worried you were.
Peter Rosenberg
Well, it's John Cena and Randy Orton in St. Louis, right?
Sam Roberts
Yeah.
Peter Rosenberg
I mean, I spent this week watching the John Cena, Randy Orton rivals catching up on all of the things I missed about the history between these two guys, and I'm like, this is going to be awesome.
Sam Roberts
Heard there are good people on that show, great people.
Peter Rosenberg
Peter Rosenberg is on that show.
Sam Roberts
Oh, is it? I didn't notice.
Peter Rosenberg
Yeah. Peter Rosenberg. Oh, I think.
Sam Roberts
Was it.
Peter Rosenberg
Was it Peter? Was it you?
Sam Roberts
I don't know, some bald guy with a beard.
Peter Rosenberg
Anyway, who could tell the difference? I was saying I was worried because as the anticipation started to build towards this match, I kept remembering, John Cena wants to ruin wrestling.
Sam Roberts
I know, I know. And it's like, how far is he gonna go with it? Like I said, there's no way that John Cena's gonna ruin wrestling at the expense, because it would be at the expense of the whole Backlash show. And it wasn't at the expense of the whole backlash show, but it was like we could have had this beautiful boat. And I think, like when we first found out that this was going to be John Cena's last year, the John Cena, Randy Orton match was a has to happen scenario.
Peter Rosenberg
Yeah.
Sam Roberts
But I think, at least in my world and generally, I think people kind of agreed with me. Maybe not everybody, but I said, what could be better for a last match and a poetic thing? And they just have this great match and, and, and the, the better man wins and they hug. And that wasn't, that wasn't what we got. Instead, we got an epic journey, which we'll talk about. But in the end, regardless of how many RKOs, regardless of. Of how many attempted punts there were, it was a nutshot and a hit with a championship belt. And once again, John Cena leaves with the WWE Championship.
Peter Rosenberg
It does leave a bit of a bitter taste in your mouth.
Sam Roberts
Oh yeah. Oh yeah. And it hurts. The. Wow. Nevermind. So I thought before we get into the match, like the, the closing moments of Backlash and going into the post show, I really enjoyed watching John Cena leave because as John Cena was leaving, he got out of the ring and it was almost like it's. For me watching it as somebody that, I mean, really clearly remembers John Cena and Randy Orton first arriving on main roster. WWWE coming from OVW and John Cena and Randy Orton having this rivalry that was kind of baked in to who they were. And it wasn't just Randy's the bad guy and John's the good guy. Cause it was that. But it was also two young guys that were both. I mean, at that point, WWE had been in this position where it had been just massive stars piled on top of each other. Rock Austin, Foley, Undertaker, Sean Hunter, they were all there and then all of a sudden it was up for the taking and you had John Cena and Randy Orton. Whether they were fighting each other or not both trying to be that guy that took it.
Peter Rosenberg
And I think you pointed this out in the episode of Rivals. It might have been Peter Rosenberg, but.
Sam Roberts
I think it was probably me.
Peter Rosenberg
I think it was you. You said that these guys pretty much had a similar path and they were on the rise together, and people didn't realize it until their paths crossed.
Sam Roberts
Right. Because it was so. The paths looked so different.
Peter Rosenberg
Yes.
Sam Roberts
But it was just two different ways to go to the exact same destination. And, I mean, I think John Cena is the one that hit the destination. Right. In terms of. He's kind of who the era is defined by. He's the one that hit. Has hit 17 championship wins. But for me, the match that we saw lived up to that. And like I said, I was kind of thinking about all of that as I was watching the match. But then when John Cena got down and was on the. On the floor of the arena outside of the ring and looking at the championship, his face, like, he looked. For a moment, it seemed like he shook it off, but he looked broken, he looked exhausted. He looked like he was questioning. It was almost this moment where he realized, like, not right now, because John Cena is this bad guy right now. And he would tell you, no, I'm not a bad guy. I'm just telling you my ears, he's a bad guy. But it was almost like for a second, he realized, like, this is it. I'm not going to be in St. Louis wrestling again. I'm not probably, I would imagine, unless it happens within the next, whatever, seven months, I'm not going to be wrestling Randy Orton again. And this is kind of how it ends. And you wonder if he's starting to have a little bit of that buyer's remorse, if he's starting to realize that we're not the only ones affected by that clock going down, that John is realizing that that clock is going down. And every day that he spends trying to make our lives, the fans lives miserable is almost like this. This other little tick that's being ticked off of his legacy.
Peter Rosenberg
Yeah. A little part of him.
Sam Roberts
Yeah.
Peter Rosenberg
I mean, look, I mean, maybe I'm.
Sam Roberts
Looking too much into it, but that's how I took it.
Peter Rosenberg
There was a moment on his face. It said to me, is this really the way that I'm saying goodbye to all these. For a moment?
Sam Roberts
No, I agree.
Peter Rosenberg
Just a moment. Is this really the way that I'm closing the chapter with Randy Orton? Is this really the way that I'm closing the book on St. Louis. I don't know.
Sam Roberts
Right. I, and I, and I agree with that.
Peter Rosenberg
All of his actions show us that he's not remorseful whatsoever.
Sam Roberts
Wow.
Peter Rosenberg
But the look on his face.
Sam Roberts
Right. And sometimes it's those moments. Otherwise it's easy to convince yourself that something's right. But sometimes the bigger picture hits you. I don't know. And it'll be very interesting to see, you know, because he was also talking about competition and needing. And you know, he got the mic after his match and needing competition and it, and it is a question, Right. If he's in a position where he's not one for rematches. It's like, you came back, you won the chamber, you beat Cody Rhodes, you beat Randy Orton. It's almost like, okay, you've decided to start at the top and you're taking out the best. And if it's not about how you do it, it's just about the W or the L. He's got W's over like the two top guys. Yeah, there's that list of who is realistic to be in there with him is getting smaller and smaller. So the match, I mean, from the beginning I thought Cena going for the handshake and it was almost like, okay, are we putting character work aside? Are we putting the immediate aside and just going like, yeah, it is Randy and John, one more time, they should shake hands.
Peter Rosenberg
I thought that's what was happening.
Sam Roberts
But who would have thought in their last match, Randy's the one who trusts John for the handshake and John's the one who shoves his thumb in Randy Orton's eye. I mean, talk about the roles being reversed. I don't think that that would have even, even come up in the, in the Magic 8 Ball when you were asking it questions. But we start with John Cena's thumb in Randy Orton's eye. I thought that. I don't know that I've ever seen a series of yaboo reverse chin locks, but just watching the two of them go. Reverse chin lock. Yeah, reverse chin lock. Yeah. I mean, that was amazing. Um, and we got this great back and forth. We got this great Randy Cena match.
Peter Rosenberg
And it was a match that really built.
Sam Roberts
It did. It did. And it.
Peter Rosenberg
And you feel throughout the anticipation continued to grow throughout.
Sam Roberts
It was like a good three act story.
Peter Rosenberg
Yeah.
Sam Roberts
And you can find like I was like watching a movie and going like, oh. I felt that that was the transition into Act 2.
Peter Rosenberg
Yes.
Sam Roberts
And when I watched this, to me, the transition into the next act was John Cena hitting the attitude adjustment, but Randy Orton bringing him down with the RKO at the same time. That was when it was like, okay, we've reached a different place in this match. Now both finishes hit at the exact same time. They're both laid out and where do we go from here?
Peter Rosenberg
And when you saw it, you said, I want more RKOs. And that's exactly what we got. In Act 2, the RKO's kept on coming, right?
Sam Roberts
So that's when chicanery is afoot because the ref goes down. John Patton, I mean, he can't stay on his feet to save his life. Poor guy.
Peter Rosenberg
I mean, Cody Rhodes would still be our champion if he could figure it out.
Sam Roberts
Was he the referee at WrestleMania? Oh, come on, come on.
Peter Rosenberg
I know.
Sam Roberts
Guy needs a break, right? Give him a break. Not just a break.
Peter Rosenberg
Is Cena paying him off? What's going on?
Sam Roberts
I hope not because he keeps getting hit in the head by John Cena. No money is worth that. So he goes down, gets back up, goes down again, this time hits his head on the stairs. Ouch. John Cena goes through part of the announced table. Look like half. Randy Orton finds an announce, a folding table under the ring.
Peter Rosenberg
Very happy with this. Because the great people of St. Louis did not chant, we want tables during, during this match. Thank God they did during the show, but not during this match.
Sam Roberts
Don't chant we want tables. Like, we'll get the tables when it's appropriate time for tables. Everybody know it's a given that we want tables. We know, we know that there's never been a wrestling show where somebody pulls a table out and the audience goes, oh, we didn't want that. That's never happened. It never will happen. It's an exciting thing to say. It's the top piece of furniture as far as wrestling is concerned. Oh, I didn't want a table has never been set out of a wrestling fan's mouth. We got it. You want tables. Everybody knows they'll come when they come. And one arrived from out from under the ring table comes out and seeing not only Cena go through the table, but Randy hitting that attitude adjustment on John Cena going through the table. Thought was great. They get back in the ring. Randy, I think he hit an rko. And I love, you know, Charles Robinson has one of the all time referee runs. I think it was, I want to say wrestlemania24ish.
Peter Rosenberg
His hair still looks the same.
Sam Roberts
I mean, everything, his everything looks exactly the same. He doesn't age at all, but I mean, he Ran some of those. I always are long. He ran. Eddie Arango had one tonight where you just saw. And I love when you can see the aisle and Eddie is just hoofing it down. 1, 2. I thought his shoulder was going to throw out and didn't hit the three. Didn't hit the three. Randy's going, where were you? John gets the belt when he's not looking. He loves getting that championship. Randy ducks the shot, and Eddie gets hit in the head with the WWE Championship. Now, at this point, this is the second referee to get laid out. The third time a referee has gotten laid out. Nick Aldis says something has to stop. Here comes Nick Aldis and his whole band of merry men. He brought everybody out. He brought. I mean.
Peter Rosenberg
And there was a moment, I'm thinking, why are so many people coming out?
Sam Roberts
Is this necessary, really?
Peter Rosenberg
I mean, yes. Randy Orton and John Cena are two of the best that we've ever seen do it. But do we need this many people?
Sam Roberts
We don't need any people. I was annoyed. I would thank God for Randy Orton as soon as Nick Aldis showed up. I said, I love Nick Aldis, but what's he doing? This is a WWE Championship match. This. This is John Cena versus Randy Orton. Get your guys out of here. Send another referee in or hire new ones. This is what you should do. Get on one of those recruiter websites. Hire new referees.
Peter Rosenberg
Zip. Recruiter.
Sam Roberts
Yeah, just keep sending them out, sending them out, sending them out.
Peter Rosenberg
Go to the pen. Let's go.
Sam Roberts
I don't care. Get some more shirts made.
Peter Rosenberg
Southpaw, let's.
Sam Roberts
All right, let's get some special referees out there. Throw a cameraman in there. All you have to do is count at this point. Just keep sending referees out. This is John Cena versus Randy Orton in St. Louis. Don't come out. And obviously, Randy Orton was feeling the same way that I was, because then Randy's like, nick, what are you doing? What are you doing? This is my championship match. I'm fighting John Cena here. And by the way, I'm beating him. What are you doing? And Nick's like, oh, I got to take care of the referees. Boom. Nick eats an rko. I do not believe this. RKO was prepaid. No, the second RKO is prepaid.
Peter Rosenberg
This was a third, though, I think. Do you think he's gonna get fined for it?
Sam Roberts
He's got to.
Peter Rosenberg
Yeah.
Sam Roberts
But here's the thing. Randy's doing very well financially.
Peter Rosenberg
Good for him.
Sam Roberts
Yeah, he's fine for it. Are you kidding? Me, you know, main event backlash because you're strapped for cash. Okay. Randy's doing very well for himself.
Peter Rosenberg
So we see. We see Hurricane.
Sam Roberts
I mean. I mean that because now, once you've done it, you've done it. We're getting into six figures as far as fines go. Like, I don't even. It's like. It's almost like at this point, for the amount of fine Randy Orton would have to have, it's just. It's a mortgage.
Peter Rosenberg
I think all of St. Louis will just pay for it.
Sam Roberts
I think so, too. I think so, too. I think you go to City hall.
Peter Rosenberg
Pass the hat around, whatever.
Sam Roberts
Yeah, I think they'll do it.
Peter Rosenberg
17,000 strong there.
Sam Roberts
I mean, if everybody puts in a couple bucks, I think we'll be okay.
Peter Rosenberg
Yeah.
Sam Roberts
You know, because we got. I mean, everybody. Everybody was out there eating it. Nick Aldis, like you said, Hurricane. I saw Davari out there. I saw Jamie Noble out there. I saw all these guys coming out in their suits thinking their days of combat were long past them. All of them could get it. Every single one of them was eating an RKO. I thought it was stone cold in 98. I couldn't believe it. So once everybody's laid out, it's like, okay, are we good now? And by the way, by the way, message sent. Many more officials. Did you see come out after that?
Peter Rosenberg
Zero.
Sam Roberts
Donut.
Peter Rosenberg
Zero.
Sam Roberts
None.
Peter Rosenberg
The officials had to figure it out.
Sam Roberts
Yeah, bro. Send another referee or tell that one to wake up.
Peter Rosenberg
Not helping.
Sam Roberts
Because we're. Yeah, we're doing this match whether you like it or not. And then Randy. Randy realizes that John Cena is struggling. He's going to get up, and Randy goes for the punt, and who makes the save? You know, sometimes these people, they hide in plain sight. R Truth.
Peter Rosenberg
The best.
Sam Roberts
No, not the best. Not the best.
Peter Rosenberg
I love R Truth so much. I loved how last night on smackdown, he had a Cena sign. I mean, this is his childhood hero. He can't give it up.
Sam Roberts
It's not his childhood hero. He's the same age as John Cena. What are you talking about? He was wrestling before John Cena. I saw it.
Peter Rosenberg
It's.
Sam Roberts
He was gay quick. He was gay quick.
Peter Rosenberg
It is.
Sam Roberts
I saw him. He was wrestling before John Cena.
Peter Rosenberg
I've talked to Truth about this, and John Cena is his childhood hero.
Sam Roberts
It's not possible. He was a tna.
Peter Rosenberg
He looks very young to me.
Sam Roberts
Truth. Yeah, he looks fantastic. That's not for debate. But that doesn't mean anything.
Peter Rosenberg
His childhood hero.
Sam Roberts
It isn't it's not even my childhood hero.
Peter Rosenberg
Ask the truth. It's his childhood hero.
Sam Roberts
Okay, well.
Peter Rosenberg
And he was willing to eat an RKO for his childhood hero. Would you eat an RKO for your childhood hero? Who was your childhood hero?
Sam Roberts
Michelangelo from the Ninja Turtles.
Peter Rosenberg
And would you eat an RKO from Michelangelo?
Sam Roberts
Yeah. Mike's a part. All right.
Peter Rosenberg
That's what we saw our truth for tonight.
Sam Roberts
Yeah, but mine was actually true.
Peter Rosenberg
Our truth keeps questioning our truth.
Sam Roberts
I mean, who would have thought our truth. Who for weeks on smackdown has been sitting there going like, yeah, that's my guy. That's my guy. It's like we all thought. And that's the thing about Truth. We all think he's just messing around. We all think it's just a goof. We all. We don't take it seriously. And then, boom. This is what happens when you don't take things seriously. It blows up in your face. We go, oh, Truth is being truth. You know, Jimmy USO is there to take care of it and tell me he's a fool. Everything's fine.
Peter Rosenberg
Good. He doesn't know where he's at. He doesn't know how to get to St. Louis.
Sam Roberts
Are true. It's the one city he's actually gotten right in his whole career. Truth interfered in the main event of Backlash, and for my money, cost Randy Orton the WWE Championship. You can have fun with your little conspiracy theory about childhood heroes or whatever nonsense is coming out. Cool. Well, it's not going to be conspiracy theory either. We're When R. Truth is eating RKOs because he just cost the Viper the WWE Championship. Does that sound smart? Does that sound like a good plan?
Peter Rosenberg
I think if you ask Truth, I don't want to speak for him, but I think he would say it was worth it to defend John Cena's honor.
Sam Roberts
Yeah, because he says crazy stuff that doesn't make any sense.
Peter Rosenberg
Yeah, but sometimes he ends up in high places, like the Judgment Day. So maybe he does know what he's talking about.
Sam Roberts
He ends up with a main event of Backlash.
Peter Rosenberg
I don't know. Truth always has a plan. It's convoluted and confusing to all of us, including him, but I think there's a plan.
Sam Roberts
Well, he ate an RKO for his plan.
Peter Rosenberg
Good for him.
Sam Roberts
Good for him. I hope he enjoyed the taste. But while R. Truth acts as the distraction, eats the rko, that's when Cena gets the low blow. Cena nails Randy Orton with the WWE Championship. And then Chad Patton finally miraculously arises. Yeah, somebody Threw water on him. He wakes up, crawls his way into the ring like that girl from the ring getting out of the well. And Cena, which, by the way, it was a great cover by Cena, had both legs hooked, the arm over the shoulders. Cena is in this really interesting position where it's just like, it doesn't matter. I just need to leave with the title. And that's what he did in St. Louis at Backlash, as fans were like, what? And anybody, anybody, anybody wondering, oh, are fans really going to boo John Cena? Oh, yeah, yeah. Put him against Randy Orton in St. Louis and see. See what kind of sounds people make. Yeah, I mean, I'm. I'm. I'm interested to see what's next for Cena. I'm interested to see where his head's at. I'm interested to see how he feels about a cheap victory. I'm interested to see how he feels after that match. You know what I mean? Like, that was a.
Peter Rosenberg
That was a terrific match with an ending that left a bad taste in your mouth.
Sam Roberts
Wow. The bad guy won. I like when the good guys win. What can I tell you? You know, that said, you can get your hands on all kinds of winners. Merch right now at WWE Shop, Fanatics is making it all possible. You saw the. The gear, the St. Louis gear.
Peter Rosenberg
Yeah.
Sam Roberts
That John Cena was rocking. He was rocking Dayton, Ohio gear the night before, saying goodbye to all these cities. You're able to get all that gear if you want to just be a part of this history. As John Cena says goodbye city to city, you can get it all right now at WWE Shop, as well as the various merchandise from the winners, the Jacob Fatu merchandise that's out there, the Tribal Wolf collection, autographed United States Championship replica title. I mean, who doesn't want that signed by Jacob Fatu?
Peter Rosenberg
I would wear it around my neck everywhere I go.
Sam Roberts
Who would have thought? Head to WWE Shop, get on Fanatics, get that merch from all of your favorite superstars, but specifically the winners tonight at Backlash, and there was one specific winner that I said, I predict he will win. I very much want. Well, there were a couple. I very much want him to win, but this is the person, and I don't know if we could get him, but this is the person who I would like to have on the Backlash recap podcast. And, Megan, I got good news.
Peter Rosenberg
What's that? Let's go.
Sam Roberts
Fresh off of a successful defense of the United States Championship and a surprising ending, ladies and gentlemen. He promised all gas no breaks with it, yada. I mean, Jacob, that too. What is going on, man? Welcome to the Raw recap, man.
Jacob Fatu
Come on with it. Come on with it.
Sam Roberts
I mean, I do, I do and I am. I tell you what makes me happy, man, is like, as somebody who has followed your career, as long as I followed your career, and throughout all this bloodline stuff that was going on and you being all over the place, wrestling everywhere except for WWE and building and building and building, to watch you walk into St. Louis and having the entire arena chanting Fatu, Fatou. After. After all the hours, days, weeks, months, years that you put in and realizing that not only have you made it to wwe, but you have done the thing that is so difficult, which is connect with the audience like that in a WWE ring. When you're experiencing that moment, what is that like for you?
Jacob Fatu
Mind blowing. It's mind blowing. But, you know, everything that I don't work for in the dark, you know, I ain't no social media person, so, I mean, I'm always in the. In the background. You know, this goes back to where Jimmy J. Roman says, you know, big dog, man, grind in the dark, you know, man, I'm a little old school, but, man, overall, to hear that, man, it's mind blowing. And that's my last name. That's our last name. That's our.
Sam Roberts
This.
Jacob Fatu
I don't know why he's in the Fatu. So, you know, to. To hear that, man, it's emotional, but, man, God damn, does it feel good, though? Yeah, yada.
Sam Roberts
I mean, I do, I do. I mean, it's got to. But at the same time, you can't crack a smile when you're out there. You can't let that hit you when you. Because, listen, if you're half smiling because you're appreciating the adulation, but you're licking the United States Championship, it's not going to have the same effect. For the ferociousness, the ferocity that you have has to. Has to maintain. How do you stay in that moment without going outside to realize what's really going on?
Jacob Fatu
Man, I say this all the time, you know, thank God for the talent that I have. I won't be here if it weren't for God and, you know, my family and my wife. But, man, man, it's go time. Like, I don't just wrestle just to wrestle, you know, I don't. There's a lot of us in the family. There's so many of us in the family. Not knocking none of my other family members. But when you see Jacob Fatu, you're not just gonna be like, oh, he's just one of the family members. When you see Jacob Fatu. Oh, no. Oh, no. He just got on because of Jimmy and Jay and Roman and Solo. No. Hell no, man. You're gonna feel my pain, man. You're gonna feel everything that I've been through, all right? You're gonna feel the struggle. You're gonna feel everything about this, you know? And it ain't just a. Oh, he cut good promos. Oh, he do this, man. Oh, hell no, man. Shut all that up, all right? Cause y' all gonna feel this. And. And. And. And I'm sorry for this, because it's so. It ain't just the work, man. This is. This is how my family been sacrificing for years for this. I know when I came up, man, I. Man, I had to push, carry my own weight, you know? It's different up here, man. I. I got thrown right, man, I got thrown right in the deep end, you know, man, And I'm so thankful for it. I'm so thankful. I ain't been here, man. I've been. And I'm so humble. I don't talk about myself, but thank you because, man, I've been waiting to get this off my chest about how they gonna feel Jacob Fatu, all right? And I appreciate the love. I appreciate all that. None of that stuff goes on, goes unnoticed. But, man, I. I want to be noted. I want to be known for, not just to be the cousin, man. When you bring up my name, you're going, okay, yeah, we know who says, you know, we know his story. And you know what? That ain't even just my story, man. There's a lot of young cats out there that hope that. That. That, you know, I could play a big part in their lives. Like, it doesn't matter. It don't matter how you start, man. It's how you finish. You know what I mean?
Sam Roberts
Yes, absolutely. And, Meghan, you remember the first time?
Peter Rosenberg
Exactly. I was just gonna bring this up. Bring it up, because when Solo was forming his version of the bloodline, there were r there on the Internet that Jacob Fatu is coming. Now, Sam here, he's followed your career for quite some time, but I was not as familiar with Jacob Fatu. So every time a Tongan or a new Samoan appeared on the TV screen, I would either look directly at Sam and say, is that Jacob Fatu? Or if we were not together, I would text him and say, is that Jacob Fatu. And he continuously told me, when you see Jacob Fatu, you will know. And the first time I saw you on my screen, I texted Sam, all caps, Fatu. But he was absolutely right, and I did know exactly who you are. No one had to say, that's Jacob Fatu. And I think the entire audience felt the exact same way, no matter how familiar they were with your career. What did that feel like for you to connect, man?
Jacob Fatu
Just, you know, this is something that I'm, you know, teaching my children as well, you know, I mean, just be yourself. I've always just been myself. And this is for anybody who's watching this, you know, man, you ain't got to be switch it up to try to fit in, you know, this is why I always say that word, man. Y' all better get in where you fit in, all right? Because just be yourself. You don't want to be nobody else, you know, But I feel like people gravitate me because just I'm myself, you know, I don't walk around here with my glasses on or, you know, hey, hey, what's going on? Being a man, none of that, you know, because, man, I feel like I ain't even started yet. I mean, very grateful. Don't. Don't get it twisted. Don't get it wrong. But, man, for me to connect with them, just with everybody, period. And you know, man, I'm not even just talking about the crowd. I'm talking about just everybody here when we come to work, you know, and shout out to the people who does the backstage. Shout out to the people who sets up the ring, Shout out to the Cady, you know, shout out to all the writers, shout out to all the whole team, you know, it's all a team thing over here. So when you talk about connect, man, it's really just me being myself, not only even out there, but also in the back as well, you know? So therefore, I'm not sure if I answer your question, but be yourself. Y' all know what I mean?
Peter Rosenberg
Yada. I mean, so when you walk out with the United States title around your neck and we see your entrance, which is just phenomenal, by the way. I was going to ask where you came up with that, but is that just you?
Jacob Fatu
Nah. I seen one of my uncles and them do it. I think it was not sure if it was three minute warning, but I seen one of my uncles do it. I think it was Rose. Okay. Rosie is Roman Reigns older brother. And matter of fact, I think you had my uncle Rosie's action figure. Somewhere in the back.
Sam Roberts
100.
Jacob Fatu
Okay. Okay.
Sam Roberts
Yeah.
Jacob Fatu
Okay. I told you I'd really be watching your show, man, back there.
Sam Roberts
I appreciate that.
Jacob Fatu
So, man, I definitely got it from one of my family members, this iconic picture with Umaga when he won the intercontinental belt with his mouth when he held it. But I can't do that, man. That damn belt too heavy. So, you know, but I took it from them back in the day, and I believe. You know what? I'm sorry. I see my cousin Jay USO do it as well. And, you know, once again, just my trainer, gangrel said this. What. What's new has been born, you know, or what's new has been forgotten, you know? So, man, I'm just doing everything you see me doing. I'm just taking a little bit something from my family and just adding it, you know, just giving my own self that own little flavor. But definitely seen Jay USO do it. Yeah, Jimmy and Jay, this one, they, I mean, have both of those smackdown and raw belts, but just taking a little, you know, I mean, how can I not follow the blueprint if it's working for them here, you know? I mean, then Jacob, take your little thing right here and switch it up a little bit. But definitely got it from my family members. Everything y' all see me do besides, like, you know, the other moves that I could do that my family members can't do, you know, I'm taking it really all from them.
Sam Roberts
Yeah, that's what I mean. To me, I felt like a big part of who you are, and that's why I think it all clicks so clearly, especially for people who've been watching wrestling for a very long time, is that it feels like Afan Sika are in there, Samu and Fatu are in there. Like, you've got that sort of historical, sort of Samoan beast thing, but it's contemporary. It doesn't feel like a cartoon character. It feels new. And then all of a sudden, you do a jumping moonsault, and everybody goes, all right, all right, I'm out. Have you had any. Any close calls at all with that jumping moonsault? Because everything that you do, it feels like it is so well, controlled, but it also feels like. I mean, it's utter chaos.
Megan Morant
Good.
Jacob Fatu
Okay, so let. Let me. Let me give you guys a little story where I came up. Knox Pro Academy. My uncle Rikishi, my father, the Tonga kid, the vampire warrior, Gangrel, I mean, and my uncle Reno Onawai, the Count of California, Black Pearl. I was trained at Knox Pro, the same school where Rusev went at. And Trick Williams also was there for a little bit. But, man, we came from over here. And I really. True. And I'm not saying this because this is my family. I really, honestly believe if I was to start training and I did not go there, you know, then I don't feel like Jacob Fatu would have been here. But I seen these guys turn to nobody into somebody. And, man, I'm one of those nobodies who they turned around in, you know? Man, they had to humble me. They really had to humble me. They had to break me down and build me up, because I thought I knew. I didn't know nothing about this business, but it was Gangrel, you know. Okay, okay, I understand. Everybody's training that need crash pack. There's nothing against it. I use crash pads too, when I first started, but when I hit the moonsault, Gangrel, he had me doing it with no crash pad. And I'm like, man, hold on, man. Like, you know, but shout out to Gang Grill, man, shout out to Knox Pro. They really. They really had me impact everything, you know, And. And honestly, I still don't even know I'm gonna keep it 100. I'm not gonna act like, oh, I do it anywhere. Nah. Until this day, I've been doing it so much to where I just look back and I. I don't know, I just. I just. I. I can measure it, you know, But I have. I have fell on a couple people before, you know, by accident, but, you know, by the grace of God, you know, everything's been going smooth, but it's just me more believing in my work, believing in my craft, believing in. Man, if I could picture it, we can do it, you know, so. But. But not only that. WWE had certain wrestling schools, you know, that they. What was the schools that they. You know, what was the thing called when they started all these? The couple schools ID the wwid. My uncle in them school. Knox Pro was one of them.
Sam Roberts
Right.
Jacob Fatu
Located in SoCal. So, man, shout out to Knox Pro.
Sam Roberts
I mean, yeah, I mean, listen, I've got a. I could keep you here for hours and hours talking about.
Jacob Fatu
Well, I told you, I watched your show, man. Hey, man, it's unlimited time over here.
Sam Roberts
Yeah, but you know what else I'm also thinking? I got to get you in the basement. I can't. I can't. I can't blow it all on the zoom. I gotta. I gotta get you in the basement at some point. But also, I want to talk about tonight because we also, you Know, at some point we have to have a deeper conversation about the fact that you came in as a non entity to WWE fans that just watched WWE as a part of the biggest storyline on television and have somehow not been gobbled up by that spotlight, which I don't think people appreciate that that was done. But. But with all that said, okay.
Jacob Fatu
Yeah.
Sam Roberts
So okay, bro, you definitely got to.
Jacob Fatu
Bring me in the basement now, man.
Sam Roberts
You got to. I mean. Yeah. Yes. That's. Yes, yes, yes. And we won't make promises that we don't keep, but love.
Jacob Fatu
Love.
Sam Roberts
So tonight, everybody's been watching you and Solo and. And the drama that's been unfolding and about Solo asking about the plan and. And you saying, don't worry, you've got the plan. And you. And I thought it was special, you walking into St. Louis alone and getting that reaction. Alone and fighting this match alone. Solo comes like he's done a million times and saves the match for a member of the family. And out comes Jeff Cobb. Jeff Cobb is somebody that. The same way Megan, you were just saying there were all these rumors about Jacob Fatu coming to wwe. Jeff Cobb shows up and all of a sudden, as a fan, I start picking up on this tension and go like, the, like the future of where this could go just got turned on its head for this first defense on a premium live event that it starts with you on your own, but it ends with Solo and this new entity again to the WWE universe that maybe you clearly weren't counting on. Where does that. Where does that leave you in the immediate.
Jacob Fatu
Man, Sam, I know we've been doing this interview and it's been great, but, man, I'm gonna keep it 100. I don't even want to speak on that. I don't want to speak on none of that. I don't want to speak on. I don't want to speak on the last couple seconds because honestly, I could tell you I don't know. And this ain't. I appreciate you having me, but I don't want to speak on none of that. I can't tell you. And I can't tell. I can't tell you if I don't know anything and if I don't know, I don't know, I can't speak on it. And that's just. That's just coming from me, man, out.
Sam Roberts
Of respect, though, but I appreciate it. And you strike. But you do strike me as the type that maybe doesn't love when something's involving. When something is involving you. You strike Me as the type that might not appreciate you not knowing what's happening as it concerns.
Jacob Fatu
I mean, man, the. The whole world seemed to look on my face. I mean, the whole world kind of. I ain't frustrated about it, but I just can't speak on. I. I can't tell you nothing about it. I mean, because it's kind of. It's just a little different. I mean, so obviously I feel like. I still feel like they better get in where they fit in at the end of the day, you know, I can't call it. I mean, everybody just gonna have to just stay tuned and see what's poppin' Cause, you know, for something like that just to pop up out of nowhere, kind of nowhere to me, to Jacob, who's been. Who's been nothing but loyal. I mean, slow upsetting, though. But overall, I. I can't. I don't want to speak about it, though. And I'm not knowing, you know, like I said, they better get in where they fit in at the end of the day. I mean. So that's it, man. I mean.
Sam Roberts
Yeah, well, we appreciate it, Jacob. You taking time out on a busy night, a night that you leave St. Louis still the United States champion. Is there anything right now, right? You've had your WrestleMania moment. You won that championship at WrestleMania. That sort of. Here it is. It's time for the rise. And I've been talking about it everywhere. That to me, everything post WrestleMania has felt like, okay, it's time. We've seen it, we've heard it. It's time to. It's time to move with the Jacob Fatu thing that everybody sees as a possibility? You walk out of St. Louis Champion, is there any sort of vision that you have for what's next and where this goes as far as you and your business is concerned?
Jacob Fatu
Man, like I said earlier, I'm just playing my position. You know, I never try to step out. I never try to do too much, man. I've been just playing my position my whole life. But overall, let's not forget who I was in the ring with, you know, man, these men had made a name for themselves. These men had been in WWE way longer than me. Crushing stuff, man. Just. I mean, so I feel like I stepped up my game. I feel like being in the ring with those men today, you know, with la, with Drew, with Priest, you know, really help elevate me, really helped me, you know, build my confidence, you know what I'm saying? So I'm not going to sit over here and act like, okay, I just dog walk them, I mean, and double back, you know, I mean, I got to give credit when credit's due, you know, and at the end of the day, man, that's probably one of the best bangers that I had so far, you know. So, man, everybody here, you know it. I never look at nobody like, oh, he's a mid Carter. Oh, he's a main eventer. Nah, obviously we all signed here at the same company, you know, I mean, so whoever want it, come on, come on and come get it. But what's for next for me, man, I just been playing my position. I didn't come here on my debut and say, oh, I'm coming for this, you know, it just happened organically. And, you know, my whole life has just been happening organically, you know, just going with the flow, but also just playing my position, never trying to overstep, never trying to override anything. So, man, if you gonna. If I'm gonna tell you straight up, man, I'm excited for what we got going on, and I can't wait. And I can't wait, you know, and it's more now, especially after tonight, you know, with that pop up, that surprise pop up. And, man, who knows where the hell we going, you know?
Sam Roberts
Yeah. Well, thank you, man. I appreciate it. Like I said, the next time it'll be in person for sure. And yeah, man, it's. It's a. It is awesome watching you. So thank you.
Jacob Fatu
Action figure back there, man.
Sam Roberts
You know? You know it. Absolutely.
Peter Rosenberg
Jacob, thank you so much.
Jacob Fatu
I love your jacket, too. Have a good one.
Sam Roberts
All right. Thank you, man.
Jacob Fatu
All right.
Sam Roberts
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Peter Rosenberg
So good.
Sam Roberts
Listen, that was a big. That was a big moment. First of all, I've got to say, and I would say this, I would ask Drew McIntyre and Damian Priest to their face in a fatal four way scenario where it is not elimination like it was spectacular. What we just saw a minute ago, that's still of, of of Drew McIntyre and Damian Priest in the audience, right? It is a fatal four way championship match. This is not elimination rules. You've got. You can't just be working on getting the COVID or hurting somebody. You also have to stop anybody else from getting covers. I get that. You know, you're mad at Drew McIntyre. You want to hit him with the south of Heaven. And I loved seeing it as a fan, I loved it.
Peter Rosenberg
Just strategically, maybe not the smartest move.
Sam Roberts
Get to ringside, stop people. Because now. Right, because at the beginning of the match, what's Wade Barrett pointing out that everybody in this match has a better chance of winning the United States Championship because they don't have to pin the Samoan werewolf. They could pin anybody else. But then we go back to ringside and I'm going, wow. You know, Damian priest and Drew McIntyre took themselves out of the match in an incredibly spectacular way. And now La Knight is stuck in a position where, oh, yeah, you do have to pin the Samoan werewolf if you want to get it, but if you want to get in where you fit in. But.
Peter Rosenberg
You'Re so excited.
Jacob Fatu
Wow.
Sam Roberts
Now, I want to talk of, like, Jacob, you know, but who doesn't? He's so cool when he. But for me, it's like when I try to do the penta walk. What does my kid say?
Peter Rosenberg
He said that, dad, that's so cringe.
Sam Roberts
When you do it. Specifically. I think it's the same when I try.
Peter Rosenberg
Well, because then he did the penta walk, and I was like, are you doing the penta walk? He said, it's only cringe when my dad does it.
Sam Roberts
And that's not. And you didn't argue.
Peter Rosenberg
No, I didn't.
Sam Roberts
I think it's probably the same when I talk, like, Jacob fat, too. So Jacob's on the table, like, we were just talking to him about. And I mean. Yeah. And Solo comes out and saves him. But the surprise was somebody who, again, has been in the rumor mills. This guy, Jeff Cobb, who I know from. From wrestling in, like, pro wrestling Gorilla in New Japan. Like, he's been all over the place and became a free agent and he just shows up. I don't know what. I mean. I don't know if Solo Sikoa found himself a soldier.
Peter Rosenberg
Now. Is there a background, Is there a relationship that goes back?
Sam Roberts
No. No.
Peter Rosenberg
What do I need to know about Cobb?
Sam Roberts
You need to know. He's a beast.
Peter Rosenberg
Okay.
Sam Roberts
He's a beast.
Peter Rosenberg
I see him and I go, sam, he's, he's, he's. Solo has all of these guys and.
Sam Roberts
Yeah, I don't know. I mean, he must just be a very, very friendly guy, but he is an absolute beast. And not only is he this, like, this just wrecking ball of a human being, but he's also like one of the great amateur wrestlers as well. Like, he can. He can ruin your life in so many different Ways and has made an entire career out of doing it globally. But what I saw, right, if I went to you, right, And I was like, no, Megan, this is my podcast, my plan. You just follow me. Don't you worry about it. You get in where you fit in, because I'm going to do it on my own. And you were like, okay, Sam, no problem, no problem. And then you're like, hey, we just helped with your podcast. By the way, here's my other co host. I'd be like, what? You see what I'm saying? And that's what I felt from Jacob. He's like, wait a second.
Peter Rosenberg
Yeah. And you brought it up in our interview with Jacob that, you know, this was Jacob entering alone, which felt like a statement, Right. He's been with Solo Sikoa, and we saw that moment leading up to backlash, when they were talking in the ring and Solo was hyping Jacob up, right? And then all of a sudden, Solo said, well, I'm the reason that he's the United States Champion. And we saw Jacob's demeanor completely change.
Sam Roberts
He's like, nah, fam.
Peter Rosenberg
And this was Jacob's first opportunity to truly enter by himself as a champion. And all of a sudden, Solo's there and I help.
Sam Roberts
I think it was more than that. I think it was the appearance of Solo having somebody else by his side. It's almost one of those things of being like, I'm here to help you, dude. But by the way, you're not in charge.
Peter Rosenberg
I call the play.
Sam Roberts
I call the plays. And there's somebody who agrees with me now.
Peter Rosenberg
So if just Solo shows up, you don't think it's nearly as big?
Sam Roberts
I don't think it's as big a deal. I think he's like, yo, what are you doing? Because we're fam. We're family here.
Peter Rosenberg
Yeah.
Sam Roberts
You know what I mean? I can talk to you in a different way. What are you doing, bro? I told you, don't show up. Yeah, but it's like, oh, no, I'm here with him. It's like, whoa, what is this? And by the way, I don't know if there's, like, some weird history between them that I don't know about. Obviously, I know what I see on the Internet and watch on television. Yeah, Right. I don't know what going on. Going on. So who knows if there's more to the story, because it felt like. It felt like something for sure. You know what I'm saying?
Peter Rosenberg
Yeah.
Sam Roberts
But it shouldn't take away from the fact that we have a reigning United States Champion in Jacob Fat too. And I think the fact that he was on the post show press conference, the fact that he was on the Backlash recap podcast goes more into what I've been saying about this being that time that WWE is going to. Let's put the focus on this guy. And I, I was talking to some people who are like, who listen to not Sam wrestling. And one of them was in the audience and he said, I brought my brother to this wrestling show. He hasn't watched wrestling in seven years. And the minute Jacob Fatu walked out, he goes, that guy's for real, dude. Instant. And it was what you were saying, right, that, that, that you knew as soon as you saw that guy. Oh, that's different.
Peter Rosenberg
Well, and it's not just. It continues, right? You see him, it's the look, it's the demeanor, it's the way he makes you feel. And then the athleticism. You go, oh, that's my guy.
Sam Roberts
Yeah, yeah, absolutely. Speaking of athleticism, we got a knockdown. Drag out a humdinger. Humdinger from Becky lynch and get them wangs out. Lyra Valkyria.
Peter Rosenberg
Some people were tweeting it.
Sam Roberts
They were tweeting it. I saw it. I'm going to tell you this. I saw it on my Instagram stories, okay?
Peter Rosenberg
I had them wanna get them out.
Sam Roberts
Get them out like Napoleon Dynamite. Get them wa. Wings out. And Lyra got them wings out. And I wonder if she's been listening to the recap pod and she was like, I need some new wangs.
Peter Rosenberg
Is those popping? They were popping.
Sam Roberts
They were great. They were fantastic.
Peter Rosenberg
Were flying.
Sam Roberts
Yup, yup. And I, I thought that it was, it was the exact match that I wanted to see from Lyra Valkyria.
Peter Rosenberg
She's so great in the ring. I mean, we've seen these two tangle, if you will, before in nxt. It felt very weird saying tangle.
Sam Roberts
Yeah, yeah, it was. It was super weird, actually.
Peter Rosenberg
Yeah. All right, now I'm uncomfortable. We've seen these two go at it in NXT before. Lyra is outstanding in the ring.
Sam Roberts
Yeah.
Peter Rosenberg
I mean, I could think of so many different matches when she defeated Iyo sky to advance in the Intercontinental Championship Tournament. I mean, she's outstanding. But to see her in there with her hero, Becky lynch after one second. Oh.
Sam Roberts
John Cena, just interrupt. Okay, so we're doing the, you know, we're doing the podcast the same time the post show is on and, and I just saw John Cena whisper in Triple H is here. So I thought since we were talking about, yeah, you know, what's next for John Cena, maybe we. And I know by now a lot of you have seen it, but this is breaking news. I want to hear what he's got to say. I need to be better with you guys, huh? I need to begin to walk the talk. And if I am the last real champion and if I am the greatest of all time, in this little time I have left, I shouldn't patronize the people who help the reach of what we do. I should be more accepting and empathetic. In the past, somebody went to therapy chosen to field any questions because I couldn't get out of my own way. So I'm gonna try to take a step in the right direction.
Jacob Fatu
What is this?
Sam Roberts
I want to thank you all for being here. We have a pretty intimate group, so I want to make sure everyone gets the time that they have earned. I would now like to open the floor and field all questions. All. So please question. I don't believe it.
Peter Rosenberg
You want to know us at the 1. Mona, congratulations on retaining your belt.
Sam Roberts
It's a championship.
Peter Rosenberg
Tell us a little about your feelings about your match and if you guys shared any words just off screen behind the scenes after your match.
Sam Roberts
Okay, Getting juicy. You've got to be kidding me. It's true.
Jacob Fatu
Congratulations, man.
Sam Roberts
You got to be kidding me. This is our truth. Just interrupted John Cena, the post show.
Megan Morant
You know what I'm talking about?
Sam Roberts
You know what I'm saying?
Jacob Fatu
I'm so proud of you. Even if people say you suck and can't wrestle.
Sam Roberts
Oh, he didn't like that. Oh, okay, he's standing up.
Peter Rosenberg
Is he going to leave?
Sam Roberts
Ron, you call him by his over the line. You say one more thing and I promise there'll be repercussions.
Peter Rosenberg
No.
Jacob Fatu
Whoa.
Sam Roberts
See, I told you. I told you. He deserves this. Whoa. He's now attitude adjustment. Oh, he's our true. Through a table at the press conference. What a piece of garbage. What a bad guy. I told you he's a bad guy. This guy sucks. John Cena just put R Truth. R Truth just won the championship for John Cena.
Peter Rosenberg
Aiden rko.
Sam Roberts
Aiden RKO for John Cena. That's your guy. That's what you like tonight.
Peter Rosenberg
I don't like John Cena. I like our truth.
Sam Roberts
You seem pretty pro the whole relationship and that's what it got you. The toxic. You want to talk about toxic relationships? John Cena's out here talking about toxic relationship this, audience toxic relationship that. Our truth is over here going like, it's none of my business. I'm not even booked on the show. But I went all the way to St. Louis so I could ruin Randy Orton's night for you. And then I came out here to tell you that I like you. Even though they say. He said, they say you suck and you can't wrestle.
Peter Rosenberg
He didn't say it.
Sam Roberts
And now you got so in your feelings that at a media event. What is going on with the WWE and media Now? With. First, Michael Cole and Pat McAfee are getting involved in matches, and there are people going through tables at press conferences.
Peter Rosenberg
None of this was the media's fault. This was all John Cena's fault. John Zenoff, he wouldn't be saying that.
Sam Roberts
If you were here. He put you right through this table, and I only have the one.
Peter Rosenberg
I wouldn't say it if he was here.
Sam Roberts
No, you wouldn't.
Peter Rosenberg
No, I probably wouldn't. But he said he would answer all questions the media's kindly asked.
Sam Roberts
Truth ruined it.
Peter Rosenberg
This is not Truth's fault.
Sam Roberts
It is. Of course it's true. He interrupted again. He's got to stop interrupting. Cena's fault for being interrupted, for being a jerk. Every nose, he's a jerk. That's like saying it's a bee's fault for stinging you. But he was. They got a stinger. What else are they gonna do? Frog and the scorpion, baby. You think it's the scorpion's fault for stinging the frog and they both drowned? No, it's the stupid, idiot frog's fault. The scorpion passion.
Peter Rosenberg
No, no, you have none.
Sam Roberts
It's done. The scorpion's going, what did you think I was gonna do?
Peter Rosenberg
I'm a compassionate person and I like our truth.
Sam Roberts
You're gonna get runned over in this life. Happy Mother's Day, by the way. I meant to tell you that I forgot this is not the best time to bring it up, but it's your first Mother's Day, so. Happy Mother's Day.
Peter Rosenberg
Oh, thank you.
Sam Roberts
But that's totally unrelated. Yeah, yeah, yeah, Totally unrelated. I was just thinking about it, like, oh, that's really nice that she joined us on her first Mother's Day, but, I mean, I don't know what. Our truth. That was crazy. Our truth went through a table.
Peter Rosenberg
Is still his childhood hero.
Sam Roberts
He never was. Doesn't make any sense mathematically. Also, R. Truth wasn't even booked on the show and got an RKO and an attitude adjustment through a press conference table.
Peter Rosenberg
I don't know why you're Blaming truth.
Sam Roberts
He needs to mind his own business.
Peter Rosenberg
Cena needs to go to more therapy.
Sam Roberts
Cena's fragile scene is in a highly emotionally responsive state.
Peter Rosenberg
Clearly.
Sam Roberts
My word. Well, speaking of highly emotional, Lyra Valkyria was able to beat Becky Lynch. Fantastic match.
Peter Rosenberg
It really was.
Sam Roberts
Lyra got. Lyra called her spot, knew exactly where she was, actually, I thought, really nice to see her using some of that power that she's got.
Peter Rosenberg
Yeah.
Sam Roberts
I think people underestimate how powerful Lyra Valkyrie is. She's a strong lady.
Peter Rosenberg
And then we saw from the second rope, which you pointed out to both me and your son, the moon. The moonsault from the second rope.
Sam Roberts
I love a moonsault from the second rope because it's so much more difficult because you have to get so much.
Peter Rosenberg
Hair, which you don't think because you go, oh, they're going from the top rope. Everybody's excited about the top rope, but. But the second rope, you gotta jump higher.
Sam Roberts
You gotta get high enough, and you gotta rotate quicker.
Peter Rosenberg
Yes.
Sam Roberts
It's a. It's a lot more difficult to do from the second rope, but she pulled it off. She gets the victory, retains the intercontinental championship, prove Becky lynch wrong, who was not over the top polite on Raw recap on Monday. And, of course, Becky gets highly emotional and starts wrenching back on the arm of Lyra Valkyria after Maybe she just broke her nose.
Peter Rosenberg
Now, I kind of thought that if Lyra was able to beat Becky, that it may be this passing of the torch moment. Right. Because these two women both have similar backgrounds. And after we talked with Becky at.
Sam Roberts
WrestleMania, you're still stuck on that. You got to understand this. Becky lynch is a bad guy.
Peter Rosenberg
Well, that is why I realized it's not a passing of the torch.
Sam Roberts
No.
Peter Rosenberg
What we saw happen after the match.
Sam Roberts
She'S not interested in passing the torch. And she told us so much.
Peter Rosenberg
No, I mean, Becky still firmly believes her best days are ahead of her.
Sam Roberts
And maybe she's right, by the way.
Peter Rosenberg
Correct. But she's taking it out on Lyra.
Sam Roberts
She's. Yeah, she was very unhappy that Lyra won the match. She tried to break her arm after breaking her nose. Obviously, things are not. I mean, look, Becky lynch is just making enemies everywhere she's gone. Bailey garbage tries to break lose gracefully.
Peter Rosenberg
I get it, though. It's. It's not easy to lose.
Sam Roberts
You're a professional. Not you, her. You're not a professional. She's supposed to be a professional.
Peter Rosenberg
She hasn't been in this spot in a long time. Right.
Sam Roberts
She's not what are you talking about?
Peter Rosenberg
She's used to being on top.
Sam Roberts
What, so she goes and does Happy Gilmore forgets how to lose a match. Is that where Becky lynch is at right now?
Peter Rosenberg
She. I mean, when you come back and the fans are crying because they're so excited to see you return, Right? And then Lyra screws up. Okay? All of a sudden you're not a champion in WWE anymore and you're trying to get the championship back. And the woman who lost you a title to begin with, it wasn't your. Beats you.
Sam Roberts
She wasn't even in the match. It wasn't her match.
Peter Rosenberg
The tag title.
Sam Roberts
And Becky wasn't in that tag match. Bailey was. It wasn't Becky's match. It wasn't her title to begin with.
Peter Rosenberg
He had to come back to remind everybody that she's better than Bailey.
Sam Roberts
Forgot about that part. Thank you for reminding me. No, you're right. I forgot about that part. There was that one little. I knew there was one little piece that I was missing. Yeah, that was the bridge.
Peter Rosenberg
That's correct.
Sam Roberts
I got you. Okay, okay, okay. Well, look, there were a lot of moments. I wonder too, you know, Tops now does this tremendous job. I got a Pope card from Tops Now. I ordered one.
Peter Rosenberg
I need one. He's a White Sox.
Sam Roberts
Yeah, exactly.
Jacob Fatu
Right.
Sam Roberts
I saw him at the World Series.
Peter Rosenberg
So cool.
Sam Roberts
But so Tops now, of course, does amazing cards after all. All the ples. And they're available for only a few days. And you know, if you get them, you get them. If you don't, you don't. They always do special like super fractures. They do limited edition refractors that are numbered. They do one of one autographs. You know, they. We. We were talking at after Raw after Wrestlemania, there was a, I believe, a triple signed card of Heyman, Rollins, and Breaker from the night that they got together. So they're doing it again for backlash. Tops immortalizes some of tonight's moments via these unique Tops now card details are coming soon, and we hope to share images of these cards on the Raw recap podcast. That'll come right after Monday's Monday night.
Peter Rosenberg
I can't wait.
Sam Roberts
Yeah. Stay locked in at tops on social tops.com for the official drop and everything. I'll be looking. I'm hoping we get a card of our truth going through the table at the press conference. Ooh, I would love to see that. Could be. We gotta have a Jacob in there. You wonder if it'll be the debut card of Solo's new soldier.
Peter Rosenberg
You know what if it's a penta entrance.
Sam Roberts
Could be a penta entrance card, but more likely a Dominic.
Peter Rosenberg
Yeah.
Sam Roberts
He was the winner after all. And I know that there were a lot of moments in the next match that we have to discuss, but I think should we bring on another guest?
Peter Rosenberg
Let's do it.
Sam Roberts
Megan. We have so much to talk about with Pat McAfee and with Gunther in the whole situation, but we thought who better to talk about from the world of pro wrestling as well as pro wrestling broadcasting than our. Our best friend? I would say our best friend of the show. Best friend of the show. Biggie is back on the recap. E, how are you, man on the scene in St. Louis?
Peter Rosenberg
Looking fresh.
Megan Morant
I'm good. Well, you're too sweet. You're too kind. I am. Well, look, I'm a bit shocked by what I saw. Not shocked that Gunther won, but shocked seeing Pat go toe to toe. I don't know how you guys feel about this, but I was taken aback.
Peter Rosenberg
Well, you said you wanted Pat to get stretchered out, so I was gonna ask you, are you disappointed he was watching.
Sam Roberts
You said that. You did say that.
Megan Morant
I did not. You said that. I didn't say that.
Sam Roberts
You said that.
Megan Morant
I might have expected it. It's not what I thought. Look, Pat is obviously beloved here. He is a tremendous athlete. I'm just coming from the perspective of. Look, anyone who does this for a living talking. Pat I'm sure is in the gym, but even me, I'm a former world champion. I'm still in great shape. I'm in the gym, but it's been three years since I've been in the ring to expect that I could just get off the couch and wrestle Gunther. And wrestle him. Well, I would expect that I would also be stretchered out. So this is not an anti fat thing. I just have so much respect for Gunther and for his game. I think my perspective is I think Gunther kind of took Pat lightly. I think he toyed with him a little bit. I think he thought that he could kind of go through the motions, and I think he paid for it a bit.
Sam Roberts
Well, I don't. I think he also didn't realize he'd have to deal with the second half of the Raw broadcast team trying to cheat to make sure that Pat won. Weasel Michael Cole, holding people's legs down and whatnot. As if I'm just a broadcaster. Well, now you're involved in the match. You probably should have gotten powerbombed.
Megan Morant
Look, I have a lot of respect for Cole. Obviously, my broadcasting partner. On these ple. Countdowns, I don't know if I'd refer to him as a weasel, but he did take some tactics. I thought he was there. He's going to defend himself. I thought he was going to root on Pat, cheer for his friend. I can't say I expected him to hold Gutha's leg for an attempted three count.
Sam Roberts
No, no. Especially after everything. But you're right. You're right that Pat showed up and he showed that it's not all talk. There was so much talk going into this, and a lot of people were talking about how great the promos were that Pat was cutting going into this. But it's one thing to. To talk with that kind of. That. That. That verbose nature of building this thing up, and it's another thing for it to play out in action. And I think that what you saw was it playing out in action, this idea that Pat, as we discussed on the Raw recap right after WrestleMania, the. The night that we were talking about it, the night that Pac got choked out, and we talked about how prideful Pat McAfee is, I think we saw that in its most positive kind of form. And I think something very interesting, e. I think, to your point, almost, we saw a similar finish to WrestleMania. At WrestleMania, Jey Uso put that sleeper on Gunther, and Gunther tapped immediately because he realized there was no escape. Pat had to be put to sleep whether he thought there was an escape or not. And that's the difference between fighting tactically and fighting with emotion. Pat was fueled by emotion in a positive way, but he also was never gonna tap. He had to be put all the way to sleep by Gunther.
Megan Morant
Absolutely. And look, I'll give Pat all the credit in the world for showing so much heart. Not only did he show up, not only, like, was he spirited. This man threw everything he had at Gunther, a man who I like I said I have the highest of respect for him. He's not done being a world champion. I think he'll have another title reign, I'm sure soon. I wouldn't be shocked me if it was by the end of this year. But, man, I think Pat showed his heart, and that's why he has such a rabid fan base. That's why so many people connect with him. I think you saw a version of him that people are used to seeing in their homes, but instead of getting it done on the mic, he did it in the ring. He gave his all, and unfortunately, it wasn't enough. But just the fact, honestly, that he's Able to walk out on his own, I think he can keep his head held high. He gave a great performance. It wasn't enough against Gunther, but that's 99.9% of the people in this world. It won't be enough. So, yeah, hats off to him for showing his heart.
Sam Roberts
Yeah. Well, look, Biggie, we don't want to keep you anymore. You are analyzing what happens at Backlash everywhere conceivable, be it the countdown, be it here on the recap, be it on the post show. And I truly hope, by the way, that people see you both here on the recap podcast as well as on the post show, because that will be direct evidence that indeed, contrary to popular belief, myself and Peter Rosenberg are two separate human beings.
Megan Morant
Yes.
Jacob Fatu
You.
Megan Morant
You are not Rosenberg. Both bald, both glorious, glorious heads. But you are two different people.
Peter Rosenberg
I was wondering where you were going.
Sam Roberts
Confirmed. There was two. There he is. Oh, what the devil? What is this? WrestleMania 9? Is this WrestleMania 9? Is this doink? Are we.
Megan Morant
He's asking if this is WrestleMania 9. Is this doink?
Peter Rosenberg
I love WrestleMania.
Sam Roberts
Oh, thank you, E. Everybody. I hope you. If you haven't already seen the Poacher, go see the post show. We appreciate you making some time for us, though, my friend.
Peter Rosenberg
Thank you.
Megan Morant
Of course. I appreciate you, too. Thank you, guys.
Sam Roberts
Always good to hear from Biggie when he can squeeze us in. I mean, he's got so much going on out there in St. Louis right now. But I was. I wasn't surprised that Pat put so much of an effort fourth. I mean, that's kind of what makes Pat Pat. Yeah. And I do think. I don't think Gunther took Pat lightly. I think Gunther kind of wanted to make it sporty. You know what I mean? He wanted to not. He didn't want to play the game on easy mode.
Peter Rosenberg
Yeah. I think he wanted to see what Pat brought to the table as well.
Sam Roberts
And that's a risky scenario this tough guy have, right? And that's a risky scenario because Pat very intelligently, by the way, in those. In those Jordan 11 cool grays, immediately, when he realized there was an opening form, started using those feet. And those feet, you can say whatever you want. You don't get to go to the super bowl and kick footballs without having lethal feet.
Peter Rosenberg
All pro punter.
Sam Roberts
All right, so this guy knows what he's doing, and he did. He kicked Gunther in the face a couple times. I think he shot Gunther. I think some of those chops that he threw Gunther's way, maybe Gunther wasn't expecting them. To be so, so heavy.
Peter Rosenberg
Yeah. I mean, I learned from watching Stephanie's places that Pat McAfee was supposed to be a professional soccer player, so.
Sam Roberts
Yeah, it's true. It's true. Those kicks, I mean, I don't know. First of all, I have so many problems with what Michael Cole did. First, Michael Cole saying, for the first time in my career, I'm going to be unbiased as. As if 2011 Michael Cole wasn't a thing that existed. Okay? We all remember the coal mine. Second of all, I fully appreciate Michael Cole fighting for his friend and fighting for his friend's honor and being knowledgeable of the fact that Pat was in this mess. He's somehow connected to Cole. Cole didn't actually do anything that deserved this, obviously. But. But, I mean, when Cole trips Gunther and pulls down his boot trying to help Pat get the win, it's like, bro, you do not want to start getting involved in matches again unless you want to end up in that orange singlet again.
Peter Rosenberg
And I was hoping we were going to see it. I was really hoping that Cole was going to eat a powerbomb.
Sam Roberts
Yeah, me too. I thought. And I thought he was going to. Both of us were like, oh, my God. So he didn't. Pat ends up getting choked out as we were just talking about, which wasn't a result. That surprised me. You know, it was like Gunther's reminder of, like, look, every now and then, I might lose a big one, but don't get it twisted. Do not get it twisted, even for a second. And I think we saw that.
Peter Rosenberg
That's why they spell my name in all caps.
Sam Roberts
Right. As Biggie pointed out. Because they do do that.
Peter Rosenberg
They do.
Sam Roberts
Do you think. Do you think the nod that he gave both McAfee and he threw one to Cole, too. Do you think it was a respect thing? Do you think?
Peter Rosenberg
I think it was this is now behind us thing.
Sam Roberts
Right.
Peter Rosenberg
And, like, this is over.
Sam Roberts
I'm not mad you fought. And I. And I think Gunther probably did respect on a level that he fought. I don't think he looks at Pat as, like, you know what? You really are a professional wrestler. But I do think he looks at Pat is like, I respect the fact that you fought me.
Peter Rosenberg
Yeah. And I think he gave them the nod saying, this is behind us. Let's move forward.
Sam Roberts
Yes.
Peter Rosenberg
You get the point.
Sam Roberts
Yes.
Peter Rosenberg
Don't mess with me nod.
Sam Roberts
Right. And. And. And to an extent, I would imagine that we won't see Pat and Cole taking any shots at gun 30.
Peter Rosenberg
I wouldn't. I Wouldn't think that very smart.
Sam Roberts
Probably over for them too.
Peter Rosenberg
Yeah.
Sam Roberts
Which is the right way to do it. However, I will tell you this while we got a second. I don't know. I. I know we talked to Jacob Fatu earlier on tonight's recap. Yes, Jacob Fatu has already been announced for Fanatics Fest. Ooh, have you heard about Fanatics Fest? I mean, I loved it last year. I got to do not Sam wrestling a couple shows at Fanatics Fest. Last year it was so much fun. This year it's even bigger. It's going to be in New York City this summer. Friday, June 20 to Sunday, June 22. It's at the Jacob Javits Center. You can grab your tickets now fanaticsfest.com and follow along on social for all the latest updates and surprises. I'm talking about epic meet and greets, photo ops, autograph sessions. There's immersive WWE activations that you've got to see to believe. Last year they had the big create your own entrance that you maybe have seen at WWE World as well.
Peter Rosenberg
WWE took over Fanatics fast last year and it's going to be even bigger this year.
Sam Roberts
Absolutely. We're talking about. They're going to have live podcasts, they're going to have panels, WWE Legends Rising stars, collectible zones. I mean, if you guys have been watching on Fanatics Live, the boxes I've been breaking, if you've been seeing Triple H and me ripping packs like the amount of collectibles and live box breaking that happens there, it's. It's really, really amazing. It's just so much fun. There's something for everybody. Make sure you have your eye on all of it. If you're a WWE fan, this is going to be the place to be. Fanatics Fest Javits Center New York City Friday, June 20 to Sunday, June 22 Fanatics Festival for tickets and yeah, I'm not 100% sure, but I know two people that would have big lines of Fanatics Fest penta and maybe even bigger, your Intercontinental champion, Dominic Mysterio, who got.
Peter Rosenberg
Cheered by over 17,000 in St. Louis tonight.
Sam Roberts
And what it like the haters like you that are surprised when Dominic gets cheered? Surprised?
Peter Rosenberg
I just liked it better when he couldn't even get a word out. He's got so much crowd booed him.
Sam Roberts
He rules.
Peter Rosenberg
It was great.
Sam Roberts
It's not great.
Peter Rosenberg
That's not ruled.
Sam Roberts
And by the way, by the way, that's not a funny thing. That's how people get their feelings hurt. That's not funny.
Peter Rosenberg
I don't think Dom had any feelings hurt Dom's feelings. He's a confident guy.
Sam Roberts
You could be as confident as you want, but when our truth shows up at a press conference and says you suck and can't wrestle, you get your.
Peter Rosenberg
Feelings hurt and then you just put someone through a table.
Sam Roberts
Mainly our truth. If you're John Cena.
Peter Rosenberg
Well, if you're Dominic Mysterio, you need help. And Liv Morgan is busy and he found help.
Sam Roberts
Well, I mean, I thought that was very, very interesting. First of all, great match. You're right about the gear, the cow and everything. I mean, and it's always.
Peter Rosenberg
But also Pentas gear we got to give. I mean, all blue Penta rules.
Sam Roberts
Don't get it wrong.
Peter Rosenberg
Coolest entrance in wwe. I'm saying it.
Sam Roberts
Whoa, that's a. That's big. It is big. And it's not, you know, it's. It's founded. It's a founded centered statement, but it's a big statement nonetheless. So like, yeah, you're right. Dom got cheered. But Finn Balor, the referee was distracted by Carlito. Finn Balor gets a chair. A chair. As was said on commentary by the non biased Michael Cole. Finn was farting around, which is something my dad says.
Peter Rosenberg
You're over there farting around.
Sam Roberts
He says it all the time. Finn was farting around with the chair too long. Referee saw him. You get it. Which is like, yeah, it's a little sloppy. Ends up getting the entire judgment day booted before. And on their way out, Penta flies over the ropes and attacks all of them just for good measure.
Peter Rosenberg
Look, I know Finn's dressing the part. He's wearing a Latino heat short.
Sam Roberts
Daddy Dom. It says Daddy Dom on the back.
Peter Rosenberg
And he's supporting his friend Dominik Mysterio. But I don't know if that farting around was just him stumbling. I think he was maybe taking his time.
Sam Roberts
Why would he take his time?
Peter Rosenberg
I think because he wants to be.
Sam Roberts
The intercontinental champion instead of Dominic. Good luck. And he realizes there ain't no way he's beaten Dominic.
Peter Rosenberg
I don't know about that.
Sam Roberts
I hope you're wrong. I hope that he is in.
Peter Rosenberg
Look, these two have a little bit of a past, right? Hasn't always been. I know they're brothers, but brothers fight. Family's complicated.
Sam Roberts
No, I mean, it is. It is. I mean, somehow Finn Balor. Yeah, it is. It's very amazing how quickly he's decided to go like, no, no, no, we're cool. Don't even worry about it. He was not happy at WrestleMania.
Peter Rosenberg
There's no way. He was super bummed Dom pinned him.
Sam Roberts
Yeah, he was super bummed about it. Although I don't think Dom realized he pinned Finn Balor.
Peter Rosenberg
Yes, he did.
Sam Roberts
He told us on that. Rodri kept beat.
Peter Rosenberg
I mean, he was very emotional because he had been the intercontinental champion for, like, what, 11 minutes?
Sam Roberts
Yeah, they played in the package.
Peter Rosenberg
Yeah.
Sam Roberts
That was sick.
Peter Rosenberg
That was awesome.
Sam Roberts
Yeah, I know.
Peter Rosenberg
For us.
Sam Roberts
That was so great for us. But then, of course, Grande Americano comes out, interferes.
Peter Rosenberg
Who is that?
Sam Roberts
He's a luchador.
Peter Rosenberg
Okay.
Sam Roberts
Gulf of America now.
Peter Rosenberg
Chad Gable. America.
Sam Roberts
No, I don't think so. He interferes, but you know what? People have forgotten. People think that that's where he's from. People think that this is just Grande Americano having a problem with Penta. I feel like not enough people bring up the fact that when Chad Gable said he needed to learn the dark arts of lucha libre, who did he go to?
Peter Rosenberg
He went on a quest.
Sam Roberts
Who sent him on the quest? Do you remember?
Peter Rosenberg
Was it Dom?
Sam Roberts
Yes. Dominic said, I know a guy.
Peter Rosenberg
He did. And remember after Dom tried to recruit Penta right to the judgment day, And Penta said, no.
Sam Roberts
And then he said to Chad Gable, I know a guy. And they went, and it was never spoken of again. And the next thing you know, Chad Gable is on a quest, as you said, and he found El Grande Americano. I'm just saying that, clearly, Grande and Dom have a relationship that we have yet to discover.
Peter Rosenberg
I followed Grande on Twitter this week.
Sam Roberts
I didn't know he has his own account.
Peter Rosenberg
Of course he does.
Sam Roberts
Is it in English?
Peter Rosenberg
Sad. Gable retweeted him.
Sam Roberts
Oh, that's sick.
Peter Rosenberg
And then I said, I need to follow Grande Americano.
Sam Roberts
It's good enough for Chad Gable. Does he tweet in espanol or English?
Peter Rosenberg
I thought it was. I think it's espanol.
Sam Roberts
Good. Yeah, that's my favorite. He's a luchador.
Peter Rosenberg
I think he does.
Sam Roberts
That makes sense.
Peter Rosenberg
Let me double check it.
Sam Roberts
Yeah, please do. I want to know desperately what language Grande Americano tweets in, because I got to know if he's a good follower or not.
Peter Rosenberg
You're not just gonna. You're just. Don't throw those follows out.
Sam Roberts
No, no, no, no. This isn't serious stuff.
Peter Rosenberg
This is Twitter. It's.
Sam Roberts
It's an espanol. Good, authentic. Listen, great backlash. Great fun show. I am eager to see what happens next, and we will all find out together and react to it together and recap it together. We will be back here with the Raw recap on Tuesday morning, Monday night, if you're a night owl, right after Raw to catch all. All the. The. The backlash of backlash as we move forward to Saturday night's main event. The Money in the bank. It's all happening. Megan, this has been great. Awesome.
Jacob Fatu
Yes.
Sam Roberts
We'll see you guys on Monday night after Raw.
Raw Recap with Sam Roberts and Megan Morant
Episode: John Cena shows NO REMORSE in last match with Randy Orton: Backlash Recap
Release Date: May 11, 2025
Host/Author: WWE Podcasts
Sponsor: Fanatics
In this episode of Raw Recap with Sam Roberts and Megan Morant, the hosts dive deep into the recent WWE Backlash event, focusing primarily on the high-stakes match between John Cena and Randy Orton. The discussion also extends to other significant moments, including interviews with Superstar Jacob Fatu and analyses of secondary matches.
Match Dynamics and Build-Up Sam Roberts opens the discussion by reflecting on the intense rivalry between John Cena and Randy Orton, highlighting the historic significance of their clash. He references the anticipation surrounding their match, especially following WrestleMania, and how it lived up to expectations without Cena "ruining" wrestling as some critics feared.
Sam Roberts [02:17]: "I thought Michael Cole's call was great because you know what really sucked about the fact that once again it's a low blow, it's a hit with the belt is that leading up to it, it was so great."
Match Outcome and Legacy The hosts dissect the controversial ending where Cena retains the WWE Championship by delivering a low blow to Orton, leading to Cena leaving with the title amidst mixed reactions. Sam expresses concern over Cena's potential "buyer's remorse" and the impact on his legacy.
Sam Roberts [07:39]: "Is this really the way that I'm closing the chapter with Randy Orton? Is this really the way that I'm closing the book on St. Louis."
Emotional and Psychological Implications They explore Cena's emotional state post-match, noting a moment where Cena appears exhausted and possibly questioning his decisions, suggesting a deeper internal conflict.
Peter Rosenberg [07:41]: "A moment on his face. It said to me, is this really the way that I'm saying goodbye to all these."
Unexpected Interruption The hosts discuss R. Truth's unexpected role in the post-match press conference, where he disrupts Cena's address. This interference led to Cena retaliating by hitting Truth through a table, adding another layer of complexity to the event.
Peter Rosenberg [52:06]: "He's now attitude adjustment. Oh, he's our truth."
Impact on Storylines Sam and Peter debate the implications of R. Truth's actions, debating whether it was a mere distraction or part of a larger storyline, and its effect on Cena's portrayal as a "bad guy."
Sam Roberts [54:23]: "Truth ruined it."
Championship Success and Personal Journey Jacob Fatu joins the podcast, sharing his emotions about winning the United States Championship and the overwhelming support he received from the St. Louis crowd. He emphasizes the importance of authenticity and staying true to oneself in wrestling.
Jacob Fatu [23:23]: "Just be yourself. Y' all better get in where you fit in, all right?"
Future Aspirations and WWE Plans Fatu discusses his aspirations within WWE, acknowledging the legacy he inherits and his commitment to building his own path while respecting his family's wrestling heritage.
Jacob Fatu [38:08]: "I'm excited for what we got going on, and I can't wait. And I can't wait, you know, and it's more now, especially after tonight."
Connection with Hosts Sam praises Fatu's ability to connect with the audience and maintain his character's ferocity despite the adulation, highlighting his potential as a rising star in WWE.
Sam Roberts [30:21]: "You can have fun with your little conspiracy theory about childhood heroes or whatever nonsense is coming out. Cool. Well, it's not going to be conspiracy theory either."
Lyra Valkyria vs. Becky Lynch Megan and Peter analyze the match between Lyra Valkyria and Becky Lynch, noting Valkyria's impressive performance and her ability to retain the Intercontinental Championship through a challenging moonsault from the second rope.
Sam Roberts [56:16]: "I love a moonsault from the second rope because it's so much more difficult."
Becky Lynch’s Emotional Response The discussion shifts to Becky Lynch's emotional reaction post-match, where she aggressively retaliates against Valkyria, signaling ongoing tensions and character development.
Sam Roberts [57:32]: "She's not interested in passing the torch. And she told us so much."
Guest Appearance: Jeff Cobb The unexpected appearance of Jeff Cobb is touched upon, with Sam and Peter speculating about his role and potential alliances within WWE storylines, adding intrigue to future episodes.
Fanatic Fest Promotion Sam introduces the upcoming Fanatics Fest event, highlighting its attractions, including live podcasts, meet and greets, and exclusive merchandise, encouraging listeners to attend.
Sam Roberts [69:35]: "Fanatics Fest Javits Center New York City Friday, June 20 to Sunday, June 22."
The episode concludes with reflections on the night's events, expressing anticipation for future episodes and matches. The hosts reiterate their commitment to providing insightful recaps and engaging discussions for WWE fans.
Raw Recap with Sam Roberts and Megan Morant offers a comprehensive and engaging analysis of the WWE Backlash event, delving into the complexities of John Cena's final match with Randy Orton, the surprising interference by R. Truth, and the rise of Jacob Fatu as a significant new champion. The hosts provide insightful commentary, supported by notable quotes and timestamps, ensuring listeners receive a detailed overview even if they missed the live broadcast.
Stay tuned for more in-depth recaps and exclusive interviews on Raw Recap with Sam Roberts and Megan Morant, brought to you by Fanatics.