Adam Pearce to send 3 WWE stars packing, Backlash match canceled, Sheamus is back? 5 Things that can happen on RAW before Backlash
The upcoming episode of WWE RAW will serve as the go-home edition for Backlash 2025. As of now, Seth Rollins, Gunther, Dominik Mysterio, Rusev, and more are officially advertised to make their appearance.
Last week, the show concluded with Seth Rollins, Bron Breakker, and Paul Heyman establishing their dominance by destroying Sami Zayn. This happened after Zayn refused to join forces with The Visionary's heel alliance.
In this article, we will discuss five things that could happen on WWE RAW this week.
#5. Sheamus might return to confront Bron Breakker & Seth Rollins
Sheamus is currently absent from television and has not been part of any storylines. Meanwhile, The Celtic Warrior has a heated history with both Bron Breakker and Seth Rollins, which increases the chances of his return. It’s possible that on RAW this week, Sheamus could return and confront Breakker and Rollins.
The Visionary heel faction seems unstoppable as they have already destroyed Sami Zayn. Thus, the Irish star could make his return on the red brand with an attempt to stop the newly formed villainous group.
#4. Adam Pearce might ban The Judgment Day members
JD McDongah and Penta are set to clash in the upcoming RAW. McDongah made his return to the red brand and cost Penta the Intercontinental title match, which led to this showdown. However, to ensure a fair match, Adam Pearce might decide to ban The Judgment Day members from the ringside.
The RAW General Manager could announce that Dominik Mysterio, Finn Balor, and Carlito—all three male members of the faction - will be banned during JD’s match. This will allow him to get a clean win and eventually give Penta a complete chance at redemption.
#3. Rhea Ripley may turn on IYO SKY
Rhea Ripley clashed with Roxanne Perez on last week's RAW, where she defeated Perez by disqualification. In the post-match segment, IYO SKY arrived and rescued Mami. Even before this, The Eradicator had previously rescued SKY from a similar assault.
Regardless of this, as Rhea Ripley indeed wanted the Women’s World title, which is currently on the shoulders of the Damage CTRL member, there is a chance that Ripley may turn on SKY soon. This will serve as a seed for another title showdown in the near future.
#2. Jeff Cobb could debut as the face to save Alpha Academy from Rusev
Former NJPW star Jeff Cobb was recently reported to be joining WWE. This report emerged after he vacated the IWGP Tag Team title. Amid the rumors, he recently hinted at his retirement through a social media post.
However, if Triple H has any plans for the 42-year-old star to make his WWE debut, one potential scenario could involve him rescuing the Alpha Academy members. On WWE RAW before Backlash, Rusev is set to clash against Otis, but the former AEW star will likely continue his domination.
So, Jeff Cobb could make his debut as a babyface star and save the Alpha Academy. This will set up an interesting feud between Rusev and Jeff on the show.
#1. Pat McAfee might back out of his WWE Backlash match
Pat McAfee is set to face off against Gunther at Backlash 2025. This match was announced by Nick Aldis, who declared that McAfee will have the opportunity to take revenge for the actions of The Ring General. However, in a surprising twist, Pat may back out of his Backlash match in the upcoming episode of RAW.
The only reason WWE might decide to implement this twist is if they want to replace McAfee with a major name as a last-minute replacement. Also, it will generate major buzz for the WWE Backlash PLE as fans would anticipate who will clash with Gunther if the commentator withdraws.
