On April 20, 2025, Rhodes' first reign with the Undisputed WWE Championship ended. He held it for 378 days after beating Roman Reigns at WrestleMania 40 for it. The loss was thanks in large part to rapper Travis Scott, who interfered in the match. He helped Cena win by distracting Rhodes. It furthered the growing feud between Rhodes and Scott.

An Undisputed WWE Championship match between John Cena and Randy Orton secures top billing. Ever since Cena captured the gold from Cody Rhodes at "WrestleMania 41," Orton has been haunting his longtime nemesis. Cena has been on the receiving end of three RKOs in the lead-up to "Backlash," and he'll look to avoid Orton's legendary move on Saturday.

On his Notsam Wrestling podcast, WWE analyst Sam Roberts discussed Cody Rhodes' WrestleMania loss and his future after dropping the championship. He expressed his desire to see The American Nightmare go away for a while before returning "triumphantly."