Backlash 2001

(All screen captures are the property of World Wrestling Entertainment)

Backlash

April 29, 2001

Allstate Arena

Chicago, Illinois (Rosemont)

News & Notes: Austin said his partnership with Vince McMahon was an insurance policy. He completed the biggest comeback ever when he won the title at WrestleMania, and he wouldn’t lose it. Then Austin and Rock had a return match in a cage. Triple H feigned anger over Vince choosing Austin instead of him, but it was a ruse. He and Austin attacked the Rock with the sledgehammer and formed the Two-Man Power Trip. Austin said he wanted someone as sadistic as Helmsley on his side, not against him. Afterward, Vince indefinitely suspended the Rock for his supposed protection. Meanwhile, Linda told Vince she wanted the divorce and she would take half his money. When Lita praised Linda for this, Vince booked the Hardys and Lita vs. The Power Trip and Stephanie. Lita pinned Steph, but the Power Trip destroyed the Hardys and Lita with chairs.

Unfortunately, the carnage didn’t stop there. JR interviewed Austin about his actions. He asked Austin why he would turn his back on his fans, but Austin said he never asked to be anyone’s hero. Austin didn’t say he cared about the fans. Furthermore, Austin wanted to know why JR didn’t want to be his friend anymore. This made JR uncomfortable, so he tried to end the interview, but Austin jumped him. Vince told Austin to open him up, and Austin beat JR bloody in front of JR’s hometown. Next, Vince and Austin cornered JR the following week and forced him to watch a tape of the segment while Austin sat uncomfortably close to him. They intimidated JR and sent him to do commentary for the rest of the show.

Now for a rundown of some extra storylines. Linda reclaimed her role as the CEO. Plus, Foley used another of his mysterious documents to book a main event for an episode of RAW. A frustrated Vince took out his anger on Trish. He put her in a Whipping Match against Steph, and he made her fight Ivory. If Trish lost, she had to join the RTC, but Trish succeeded. Speaking of the RTC, they started a campaign to destroy the Hardcore division, but this put them at odds with Kane and Taker. The failed effort ripped the RTC apart. They fought among themselves until the rest of the RTC walked away from Richards. In other news, the XFL season concluded with Los Angeles winning the million-dollar championship game over San Francisco. And finally, Jerry Lynn debuted on Heat. He won the Light Heavyweight title in his first contest!

The opening video focuses on the Two-Man Power Trip vs. the Brothers of Destruction. They say he who has the gold has the power, and he who has the power has the gold. There is no power without gold, but if you know power, you know gold. Who will take control and claim dominance in these power struggles? In the end, someone may have all the gold, but who will have all the power?

Then fireworks explode while JR welcomes everyone to the 18^th straight sell-out at the Allstate Arena. He says tonight is personal, but it’s also about every major title in the WWF. While JR and Heyman discuss the card, the Dudleys arrive for the opening contest. During the entrances, we see they added teeth to the swinging hooks on the set. It’s an interesting look.

X-Factor (X-Pac, Justin Credible, & Albert) vs. The Dudley Boyz (Bubba Ray, D-Von, & Spike)

Storyline: Spike Dudley faced Lita on an episode of Heat and he lost, so X-Factor interrupted Spike’s interview to mock him. This led to the Dudleys vs. X-Factor, which the Dudleys won, but X-Factor attacked them and put Bubba through a table. When the Dudleys demanded a rematch, Regal booked Albert vs. Spike instead. Albert won, and X-Factor dropped Spike on a table. However, D-Von earned revenge on X-Pac while fans wearing Dudley glasses terrorized Albert at WWF New York. Plus, Bubba defeated Justin in a match. Later, Spike helped the Holly Cousins beat X-Factor, so X-Factor cost Spike a chance to capture the Hardcore title. The Dudleys retaliated by hitting the 3D on Credible and X-Pac.

The Match: The Dudleys win the opening brawl and press slam Spike onto X-Factor. Spike also scores a flying stomp and attempts the Dudley Dog, but Albert throws him across the ring. Now Justin takes over by pulling Spike out of the corner for a powerbomb, but he crotches himself on the post with a missed baseball slide. This leads to D-Von’s tag only for D-Von to fall victim to a cheap shot. With D-Von dazed, X-Factor takes control through frequent tags, X-Pac’s kicks, and Albert’s delayed butterfly suplex. Nevertheless, Bubba makes a hot tag when D-Von nails a double clothesline. He cleans house with a Bubba Bomb and a side slam before the Dudleys give Justin the Wassup Drop. Unfortunately, Albert stops D-Von from getting the tables with a bicycle kick. And X-Factor ends it with a corner splash and X Marks the Spot on Bubba.

Thoughts: This was your basic tag encounter. Outside of the flurry at the start, it wasn’t flashy, but it got the job done. They had a vocal crowd, and Bubba’s hot tag received its usual great reaction. The only problem was, the finish deflated the fans. No one wanted to see X-Factor succeed.

Winners: X-Factor (8:00)

Albert keeps stomping on Bubba after the bell while X-Pac and Justin grab the table. They want to put the Dudleys through it, but Spike thwarts their plans. This allows the Dudleys to give X-Pac a 3D on the plunder, so JR calls the Dudleys the Wizards of the Wicked Wood.

Next, William Regal greets the Duchess of Queensbury and her bodyguards when they arrive in her limo. She enjoyed the trip, but it will be better once she’s out of this horrible city. Regal agrees. He tells her guards to protect her from this barbaric place. Then the Duchess accuses everyone of standing around, so Regal tells the guards to lead her to her quarters. (Sue Aitchison played this role. She was the WWF’s manager of community relations and the coordinator of their Make-A-Wish partnership. The WWE inducted her into the Hall of Fame for her work.)

Meanwhile, Kurt Angle polishes his gold medals backstage. (No, this isn’t a euphemism.) While he does this, Lilian Garcia asks why he’s so calm ahead of his Ultimate Submission contest with Benoit. Kurt wonders why he shouldn’t be. What’s wrong with being confident? He noticed Benoit stopped calling himself the best technical wrestler in the WWF since he beat him at Mania. Benoit knows the claim is a crock, and it holds no merit. Kurt owns him! Later, the clock will read thirty minutes, but it will seem like a lifetime to Benoit. With that said, he dismisses Lilian so he can finish polishing his medals.

Hardcore Title Match: Rhyno (c) vs. Raven

Storyline: This is one of two matches they changed at the last second. Rhyno was feuding with the Holly Cousins while Raven had a planned European title shot against Eddie Guerrero, but they rebooked both because of Guerrero’s substance abuse issues. Rhyno won the Hardcore title when Regal punished Kane for interfering in the Two-Man Power Trip’s business. While Kane fought Rhyno, Austin and Triple H attacked Kane to make Rhyno the new Hardcore champion. Afterward, he defended against Spike Dudley and won with X-Factor’s help. Meanwhile, Raven’s old sidekick, Steven Richards, approached Raven about joining the RTC’s campaign against the Hardcore division. Raven rejected them, so the RTC helped Venis pin Raven in a match.

The Match: Raven uses a stop sign and a trash can to fend off Rhyno, but Rhyno sends him outside by kicking the can into Raven’s face. Now Rhyno rearranges the steps and places Raven on a chair. He dives off the steps, but Raven moves, and Rhyno crashes! This allows Raven to collect more weapons, including a kitchen sink. Undaunted, Rhyno fires back with a metal sign and throws Raven’s shopping cart into the ring. It smacks Raven in the head, but Raven gives Rhyno a drop toe hold onto the cart! Next, Raven keeps fighting with more sign attacks until Rhyno returns the favor. With Raven dazed, Rhyno attempts a Gore. He charges, but Raven moves, and Rhyno goes head-first into the shopping cart! Raven whacks the cart with the sink and covers for two, but Rhyno finishes Raven with a Gore when Raven tries another sink shot.

Thoughts: They kept this short, explosive, and impressive. The shopping cart spot was great, and it got an amazing reaction. Even though this bout had almost no build, the crowd loved it, so it did its job. Performances like this establish Rhyno as a monster.

Winner: Rhyno (8:11)

Now they show a recap of Shane McMahon reading Shane and the Beanstalk on Smackdown. Shane promised his match against Big Show would end with a mighty crash landing. This leads to Michael Cole interviewing Shane. He asks Shane if it is wise to taunt the Big Show. Before Shane can answer, Stephanie interrupts them. She tries to convince Shane to apologize to their dad so he will call off the fight. Does Shane have any idea what Vince told the Big Show to do to him? Shane refuses the offer, so Stephanie accuses him of living in a fantasy world. At least their dad lives in the real world! Shane says after tonight, his fantasy will have a happy ending.

Elsewhere, Austin drags Debra around by the arm and tells her to let him do the thinking. As they walk, Kevin Kelly greets them. He asks Austin if losing the WWF title worries him. Austin asks Kevin if he knows who he is talking to. His name is Stone Cold Steve Austin, and he won’t lose a thing! As long as Triple H does his part, everything will be fine.

Next, the Duchess complains about the food in catering before Coach approaches her. He wants to ask her about the rules for the Duchess of Queensbury Match, but she doesn’t know who he is. After introducing himself, Coach asks again. This time, Regal intervenes. He tells the Duchess she doesn’t have to answer the question. Coachman reminds Regal he gave him permission to interview her, but Regal denies this. He tells Coach to bugger off. Then Regal warns the Duchess about looking the fans in their eyes. They are jealous of her good looks.

This brings us to the entrances. Regal introduces the Duchess, and she sits on a throne at ringside. Jericho can’t believe this is the Duchess of Queensbury. He thought she would look more like his photoshopped image of Regal in a dress. However, he doesn’t know which of them looks more like a man. Chicago might be the windy city, but Queensbury is clearly the ugly city!

Duchess of Queensbury Rules Match: William Regal vs. Chris Jericho

Storyline: Jericho saved Trish from Stephanie, so Regal and Angle teamed to teach Jericho a lesson. They beat him down afterward, but Benoit made the save. Did he do it to help Jericho or hurt Angle? Either way, Jericho returned the favor and rescued Benoit. Later, Jericho defended the Intercontinental title against Triple H, but Regal cost him the gold. Regal also tried to squash the newfound respect between Jericho and Benoit by forcing them to wrestle each other with himself as the ref, but Benoit and Jericho attacked Regal. As a result, Regal made Jericho and Benoit fight the Dudleys in a Table Match. They even faced Regal, Angle, Edge, and Christian. Plus, Benoit and Jericho met Regal and Angle twice. The first was a submission contest, and the second had the Duchess of Queensbury stipulation. This meant Regal changed the rules as he saw fit.

The Match: They exchange chain wrestling and strikes until Regal bails outside. Then Regal takes control when Jericho misses a missile dropkick. He subdues Jericho with uppercuts and a chinlock while waving to the crowd, but Jericho rallies. He hits a Frankensteiner, a bulldog, and a Lionsault, so the Duchess announces the end of round one before Chris can cover! Next, they scuffle back and forth, and Jericho makes Regal tap to the Walls. Unfortunately, the Duchess says there are no submissions! When Jericho confronts her, Regal decks him with her scepter while she declares there are no disqualifications! With Jericho dazed, Regal scores some suplexes, but Jericho retaliates with a low blow. Now Regal regroups, so Jericho nails a baseball slide that sends Regal face-first into the Duchess’ crotch! While Regal recoils, Jericho puts the Duchess in the Walls, but Regal whacks Jericho with a chair and pins him.

Thoughts: This had some amusing moments, and Regal’s performance and facial expressions were great as always. However, I couldn’t get into this. We’ve seen the making the rules up as they go gimmick recently. WCW used it toward the end. The only difference was they didn’t have the Duchess. This was mildly entertaining but still disappointing.

Winner: William Regal (12:34)

Backstage, Vince invites the Big Show into his locker room to discuss Big Show’s match with Shane. Vince says Shane is his son, but that doesn’t mean he wants Show to hold back. Big Show assures him he won’t. He will let it fly! When Vince hears this, he puts it in a different way. Vince says he doesn’t want Show to hold back because Shane is his son. Show agrees with him. He will destroy Shane for having the last name of McMahon. Vince likes the sound of this. He congratulates Big Show on his upcoming win and they share a vigorous handshake. While they laugh maniacally, JR wonders what kind of father would do such a thing.

Now it’s time for a 30-Minute Ultimate Submission contest between Kurt Angle and Chris Benoit. Angle cuts a promo before the bell. He mocks Chicago for being short on winners since Jordan retired. They only have fat sweaty pigs, and Kurt lists a few famous Chicago natives as examples. Benoit may not be a pig, but Angle vows to make him squeal like one. If the people can sit still long enough, they’ll know what he means.

30-Minute Ultimate Submission Match: Chris Benoit vs. Kurt Angle

Storyline: When Benoit saved Jericho, Regal booked Benoit against himself and Angle in a handicap fight. Benoit tapped to a combined Regal Stretch/anklelock, but Jericho rescued Benoit from a beating. This infuriated Angle, so he issued an open challenge to blow off some steam, but he got Kane as his opponent. To make things worse, Angle submitted to another Crossface after the four-on-two match I mentioned earlier. Next, Angle wrestled Jericho and attacked Chris in the aftermath. Benoit helped Jericho again and suplexed Angle onto Regal, so Regal demanded an immediate encounter with Benoit. Benoit countered a Regal Stretch into the Crossface for the victory. Then they created this Ultimate Submission stipulation, so Angle held a submission exhibition against some local talent. However, Benoit sneaked in and put Angle in the Crossface. Benoit also made Regal submit during the submissions tag contest.

The Match: Benoit flusters Kurt with multiple Crossface attempts. Then Chris makes Angle tap on the floor, but it doesn’t count outside the ring. Eventually, Kurt gets the first point with a kneebar. Now Angle blocks another Crossface, but Benoit evens the score with a cross armbreaker. Undeterred, Kurt uses a chair behind the ref’s back and goes up 2-1 with the anklelock. Kurt even uses the Crossface to make it 3-1. Afterward, they brawl outside and trade holds until Benoit gets a point with the Walls of Jericho! Sensing trouble, Angle tries to run out the clock by leading Chris on a chase. He stalls to eat up as much time as possible. An exchange of suplexes follows before Benoit makes Angle tap to the anklelock! This ties it up, so Angle desperately goes for the anklelock as the time expires.

Benoit tapped after the bell. So Kurt says they should declare him the winner. He doesn’t get his wish. Instead, the Fink announces a sudden death overtime! Angle doesn’t wait for Benoit to recover. He lands suplexes and puts Chris in a body guillotine with a chinlock. When the ref catches Kurt using the ropes for leverage, Benoit counters into the Crossface for the win.

Thoughts: This was really good. I liked the story they told, and the action was crisp. The only issue was the crowd was mild for most of it. Thankfully, they reacted well to the finish. Benoit and Angle brought the fans around by the end.

Winner: Chris Benoit (4-3) (31:33)

Triple H and Stephanie watch on a monitor while Taker and Kane argue about Kane’s injured arm. Stephanie wonders what they are saying, so Triple H suggests they are discussing excuses to make when he and Austin take their tag titles. Hunter says they will prove they are the dominant tag team in the WWF. Stephanie also thinks Shane will make excuses for his match against the Big Show. Triple H agrees with her. He says Shane lives in a fairy-tale world.

This leads to the entrances for Shane vs. Big Show. Shane debuts his new “Here Comes the Money” theme song. Plus, Shane brings the storybook with him. When Big Show chases him, Shane grabs a chair.

Last Man Standing Match: Shane McMahon vs. The Big Show

Storyline: After Mania, Shane promised big things concerning WCW, so Vince banned any mention of the company and punished anyone who spoke to Shane. Meanwhile, Show’s issues with Taker and Kane continued after a backstage altercation. This led to Show finding partners for a handicap fight against the brothers. He had to settle for Kaientai, but Show abandoned them. Next, Show fought Kaientai, and he told Shane to watch what he would do. This was a mistake. Vince forced Show to decide between WCW and the WWF. Shane denied trying to recruit him, but Vince manipulated Show into choosing the WWF. Show chokeslammed Shane and became a snitch for Vince. He ratted out Test for badmouthing Stephanie, so Show fought Test. He also cost Test a chance at the Hardcore title and slammed him on some pallets. Later, Shane mocked Show with a nursery rhyme called Shane and the Beanstalk.

The Match: Shane breaks a Kendo stick over Big Show and fends him off with chair shots, but Big Show press slams Shane into the ring. When those ideas don’t work, Shane pulls out a bottle of ether and dons a face mask. He smothers Big Show until Vince interferes and attacks Shane. Mr. McMahon knocks Shane out with a chair and swipes the ether before leaving. This opens the door for Big Show to hit the Final Cut and a chokeslam, but Show keeps pulling Shane to his feet for more! Show even puts Shane in a torture rack, so Test intervenes and scuffles with the Big Show.

Shane recovers while Show and Test brawl into the crowd. He follows them and uses a metal sign, but Big Show answers with a pipe! Since Show keeps swinging the weapon, Shane climbs the set to get away from him. Show tries to join Shane, so Test grabs his foot and whacks Show with a sign. This only angers Big Show, who lifts Test for a chokeslam, but Test throws a low blow. With Show dazed, Test knocks him onto a wooden platform and holds him in place for Shane. Shane reaches the top of the set and does a flying elbow from the structure! This leaves both men broken, but Test props Shane up with the crane camera while the ref counts out Big Show.

Thoughts: These Shane stunts keep escalating, and this might be his most memorable one. The visual of his leap off the set was great. The match itself was fine, but the finish put it over the top. Of course, his encounter at King of the Ring will surpass it as far as brutality, but this was a fun spectacle.

Winner: Shane McMahon (11:55)

Triple H, Stephanie, and Vince watch the monitor backstage. Vince asks them to explain what the hell they just saw. Stephanie doesn’t know, but at least they still have the title match. Vince says Triple H and Austin will add the tag team championship to their WWF and Intercontinental belts. Hunter assures Vince this will happen, so Vince says he only has one son from this day forward. That son is Triple H!

Meanwhile, Steve Blackman is at WWF New York with a large plate of shrimp. He can’t hear JR’s question, so Ross has to ask him twice. He wants Blackman’s thoughts about what Shane McMahon did. Steve said he had his issues with Shane in the past, but Shane impressed the hell out of him tonight. He hopes Shane is alright. When Steve tries to say more, Grandmaster Sexay interrupts him. He talks about Shane’s stunt using some jive talk and he calls Blackman dog while asking him to give him some. Blackman ignores him.

Triple Threat Match for the European Title: Matt Hardy (c) vs. Christian vs. Eddie Guerrero

Storyline: This is the other contest they changed because of Eddie’s issues. Eddie and the Radicalz were feuding with Test, Billy Gunn, Raven, and Grandmaster Sexay. Test enlisted the APA’s help, but Eddie still cheated to win a rematch. Then Gunn ran afoul of the Radicalz when he attacked Malenko for interfering in his match with Guerrero. Meanwhile, Raven had received a European title shot before Mania, so he teamed with Test and Gunn against the Radicalz, and Raven pinned Eddie. Later, Sexay got on Eddie’s bad side for touching the European belt in the locker room, so he joined the fray. Eventually, they announced Raven would face Eddie, but this changed when Lita helped Matt Hardy become the new champion! Once Christian saw Matt capture the gold, he asked Regal to add him to the mix. Therefore, Regal switched Raven to a Hardcore championship opportunity and booked this instead.

The Match: Eddie and Christian work together at the start, but this doesn’t last. Soon they tussle on the turnbuckles, and Eddie lifts Matt onto his shoulders. Christian attempts a flying clothesline, but Matt avoids it by rolling Eddie up for two. Matt also breaks Guerrero’s surfboard on Christian with a sunset flip. Now they fight outside and on the apron. Matt gives Christian a rebound DDT, but Eddie pulls Matt back into the ring with a brainbuster. A second one only gains a two, and Matt answers with a backdrop.

This leads to everyone scuffling on the top rope before Matt scores a flying double clothesline. Afterward, Matt fends off Christian and nails Eddie with the Drop Shot, but Edge interferes. He spears Matt on the floor and rolls him inside, only for Eddie to steal the pin for two. As this happens, Jeff Hardy arrives to brawl with Edge while Christian drops Eddie with an Unprettier. As Christian covers, Jeff does the Swanton onto Christian. This allows Matt to pin Christian after a Twist of Fate.

Thoughts: This was a solid contest. Much like the earlier one, they had to overcome a lack of build. The crowd didn’t care at first, but they pulled them into it. The Hardy Boyz being over with the fans helps. This contained good action, and it was short enough to be a quick breather between Shane vs. Big Show and the main event. As far as Eddie, this the last time he wrestles on PPV for a while, but he makes another appearance. Benoit and Malenko go to Jim Ross with their concerns about Eddie, so they send Eddie to rehab. However, they release Eddie after a DUI.

Winner: Matt Hardy (6:37)

Winner Take All Match for the WWF, Intercontinental, and Tag Team Titles: The Two-Man Power Trip (Stone Cold Steve Austin & Triple H) (w/ Stephanie McMahon-Helmsley) vs. The Brothers of Destruction (The Undertaker & Kane)

Storyline: After the Power Trip destroyed Team Xtreme, Triple H defended the IC belt against Jeff Hardy. Matt helped Jeff win, but Triple H regained the gold, and the Power Trip attacked the Hardys again. This time, Taker and Kane stopped them, so the Power Trip cost Kane his Hardcore title and injured his arm. Afterward, Taker and Kane stormed into Regal’s office. Kane set objects on fire until Regal gave them a tag title shot against Edge & Christian. If they won, they would get Austin and Hunter at Backlash. The Brothers beat E&C for the belts, so they had their match. Furthermore, Vince had to put all the titles on the line as a compromise with Linda. Later, Taker and Kane competed in handicap matches, and E&C gave Kane’s bad arm a conchairto. Finally, Taker retaliated by using Kaientai to lure Hunter and Austin into an ambush.

The Match: The Power Trip stalls, but a brawl erupts around the ringside area. This lasts until Hunter and Austin target Kane’s arm. However, Austin begs off once Taker tags. Austin uses it to draw Taker into a trap, and the Power Trip takes control. Taker rallies with Old School to both men, but Austin and Triple H use double-teaming and frequent tags to subdue him. Even when Taker can tag, he hesitates because of Kane’s injury. Eventually, Kane tags himself in. He scores big boots and clotheslines before attempting the chokeslam, but Hunter attacks the arm to stop him.

Now the Power Trip distracts the ref and whacks Kane’s arm with a chair. With Kane hurt, they take advantage of more ref distractions and cheap shots. Kane tries to rally, but they focus on his injury and put him in a sleeper hold. Hunter also nails the Pedigree, but he tags Austin instead of covering. This draws Taker into the ring for a chokeslam, so Stephanie complains. While Hebner argues with her, he misses Taker’s tag. Nevertheless, Taker cleans house and plants Hunter with a Last Ride, but Hebner won’t count. Since Taker won’t leave, chaos erupts. Taker and Austin head into the stands while Kane fends off belt shots and Stephanie’s interference. Unfortunately, Vince arrives with a sledgehammer, and Hunter decks Kane in the head and arm to win.

Thoughts: This was a mess. It started well, but this went downhill once the heat segment with Kane lasted too long. Then their timing became awkward, and they never recovered. The crowd seemed deflated by the end.

Winners: The Two-Man Power Trip (New Tag Team Champions) (25:02)

Vince drags Stephanie to safety while Austin and Triple H collect their belts. They celebrate in the aisle as Taker glares at them.

The Good:

• Rhyno vs. Raven

• Shane vs. Big Show

• Angle vs. Benoit

The Bad:

• The disappointing main event

Performer of the Night:

I have to give it to Shane McMahon for that insane leap off the set.

Final Thoughts:

This PPV let me down after the amazing Mania. It wasn’t bad, but this was a mediocre event. To make matters worse, this had a weak build. The WWF filled their TV time with recaps and replays. They showed the Austin/JR interview in its entirety the week after it happened, so it felt like they didn’t have enough content to fill the time. Nothing on this show was terrible, but it fell short of my expectations.

Thank you for reading. My next review is Judgment Day 2001. Look for it next Sunday!