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Future Hall of Famer Featured in Eery WWE Backlash Poster; What it Might Mean

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Xaiver Aguiar | Last updated Apr 15, 2025 7:24 PM ET

Remember when WWE event posters used to be artistic masterpieces? It seemed like the company put genuine time and effort into their presentation, using them as a visual representation to help garner buzz around the show. In 2008, I wanted nothing more than for my mom to buy No Way Out because the underwater Jeff Hardy chains graphic was one of the coolest things I'd ever seen.

Since Triple H and Nick Khan have taken over key parts of the company, the PLE illustrations are back to being top-of-the-line. The featured subjects in the pictures have often been prevalent features in that specific event, making the new Backlash art particularly fascinating.

This morning, WWE released the Backlash poster, which features Randy Orton front and center surrounded by snakes. The show is taking place in Orton's hometown of St.Louis, Missouri, so it makes sense that he would be plastered across the entire marketing. But does his inclusion as the focal point of the graphic indicate his participation in a potential high-profile match at the PLE?

For every #WrestleMania moment… there is a backlash. #WWEBacklash is live from Enterprise Center in St. Louis on May 10th. pic.twitter.com/z2i6y04I0r
— Triple H (@TripleH) April 15, 2025

It's still unclear what Orton will do at WrestleMania, but the current tea leaves suggest a bout with Nick Aldis or Solo Sikoa. As long as "The Viper" doesn't lose clean to whoever he faces, he can realistically enter a feud with anyone in the next few weeks of programming.

As of right now, it's hard not to envision Orton squaring off with the winner of the Night 2 main event. He has built-in stories with John Cena and Cody Rhodes ready to be heated up at a moment's notice. The turnaround is quick, but there's plenty of history to prepare a compelling angle to face either man at Backlash.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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