Backlash 2004

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

Backlash

April 18, 2004

Rexall Place

Edmonton, Alberta, Canada

News & Notes: Vince wanted to shake things up after WrestleMania, so he announced a draft lottery. Bischoff and Heyman would draw names from a tumbler to select members from each roster. Everyone was eligible, including champions. Cena interrupted the proceedings and drew one of Heyman’s picks. Triple H got drafted to Smackdown, but Bischoff traded Booker T and the Dudley Boyz to get him back on RAW. Then Bischoff selected Heyman from the batch! However, Heyman refused to perform on RAW and quit on the spot. Meanwhile, RAW exchanged Rico and Miss Jackie for A-Train and Palumbo, and Nidia moved to RAW to go after the Women’s Title. (I’ll discuss the other selections throughout the match notes.)

In other news, Johnny Spade settled on another name change. He chose Johnny Nitro. (They called him this as a nod to WCW Nitro. He even used the Nitro theme music.) Next, we have the World Tag Team Championships. Booker T and RVD lost them back to Flair and Batista after RVD screwed up. Rob apologized and vowed to regain them, but Heyman brought RVD to Smackdown. Thankfully, Booker joined him after the Triple H trade. Lastly, a rather strange and tasteless new character arrived in WWE. Bischoff told the returning William Regal to look after Eric’s nephew, Eugene (Nick Dinsmore). Regal promised to make him into a star, but reacted in horror when he discovered Eugene was a mentally handicapped man. Eugene’s gimmick is a wrestling savant. He likes to mimic legendary wrestlers.

The PPV: Previously on WWE pay-per-view, Chris Benoit defeated Triple H and Shawn Michaels to win the World Championship. They show clips of Mania’s ending while Benoit talks about capturing lightning in a bottle. He chased this moment for eighteen years and won’t let go. However, Hunter says no one steals his thunder. Hunter and Shawn think Benoit’s glory will be gone in a flash because lightning doesn’t strike twice. Triple H says he creates and destroys careers and will finish Benoit’s. The image of Benoit’s win fuels Benoit, but it has become burned in Hunter’s brain. Tonight is a thunderclap, a strike of intensity, and a flash of immortality. Everybody will strike as it begins again.

Now, fireworks explode while they play “Eyes Wired Shut” by Edgewater. JR welcomes everyone to Edmonton and Backlash. He calls this an electrifying environment. Then Lawler says success went to Benoit’s mouth. You can’t shut him up since he won the title. While JR and King discuss the card, Shelton Benjamin and Ric Flair arrive for their contest. Flair makes the ref hold the ropes for him and berates a crew member for taking too long to collect his robe.

Shelton Benjamin vs. Ric Flair

Storyline: Bischoff drew Shelton’s name in the draft lottery as his first pick. Then Benjamin was backstage while Evolution celebrated a victory. Evolution felt Shelton wasn’t showing the proper respect, so Batista yelled at him. When Shelton stood up for himself, Hunter attacked him. Bischoff warned Shelton not to retaliate, but Austin encouraged him to challenge Triple H to a match. Shelton took Austin’s advice and scored an upset pin on Hunter! Triple H called the win a fluke, so Benjamin goaded him into accepting a rematch. This time, Bischoff said he would fire anyone not involved in the contest who interfered. However, he appointed Evolution members as the timekeeper, ring announcer, and trainer. Nevertheless, Shelton won by count out, so Evolution beat him bloody until Foley, Michaels, and Benoit saved him. Later, Flair demanded a fight with Benjamin and got it, but Shelton choked Flair out.

The Match: They exchange takedowns, shoves, and slaps. Shelton flusters Flair with his athleticism until they scuffle outside. There, Benjamin scores a backdrop and rolls Ric back inside. Flair begs off and pokes Shelton’s eye. Shelton answers by throwing Flair off the top rope and counters a Figure Four with a cradle. Unfortunately, Flair targets his leg. He puts Shelton in a Figure Four, but Benjamin reverses it. Since that fails, Flair grabs a chair. The ref stops him, so Ric focuses on Shelton’s knee. Soon, Benjamin rallies with kicks and whips Ric into a Flair Flip. Shelton suplexes Flair back into the ring, but Flair begs off to lure him into a trap. Now, Flair climbs the ropes and changes his mind. He pulls brass knucks from his tights instead. Before he can use them, Shelton nails a corner splash and a flying clothesline for the three.

Thoughts: This was good, but I hesitate to call this great. I liked most of the action. They told a fine story for 90% of this, but this had a clunky finish. It seemed like Flair forgot what he was going for. I don’t think he needed to climb the turnbuckles for that spot. Also, Shelton stopped selling the leg work for the ending.

Winner: Shelton Benjamin (9:29)

A new interviewer, Todd Grisham, interviews Randy Orton. He says Flair’s loss is a bad omen for Randy, but Orton disagrees. Everyone acts like Benjamin’s arrival on RAW is the second coming. They talk about Shelton’s winning streak, but Orton has one too. He is the longest reigning Intercontinental Champion in seven years and beat Foley at Mania. Tonight, Orton will earn his rightful respect by sending Foley back into retirement for good. Next, Todd asks Orton if Foley’s threats scare him. Orton says he has seen all the violent, bloody things Foley holds dear to his heart. So, Orton will show Foley a side of himself Mick has never seen and won’t forget. He calls Mick an old, sad, toothless dog. You put a dog like that out of his misery, and that’s what he will do to Foley.

Jonathan Coachman vs. Tajiri

Storyline: Bischoff selected Tajiri’s name with his fourth pick. La Resistance tried to initiate Tajiri into the RAW roster by daring him to spray his mist into the face of the first person who entered the room. That unfortunate soul was Coach, so the guys told Tajiri he was in trouble. Coach was Bischoff’s boy. Tajiri ran to apologize, but Coach ratted him out to Bischoff and exaggerated the story. Bischoff punished Tajiri with a match against Kane. Tajiri blinded Kane with the mist to win by count out, but took a chokeslam for his actions. Later, Coach did commentary during Tajiri vs. Christian. Coach distracted Tajiri to cost him the contest. Next, Coach brought a masked wrestler named Five Star Ninja to face Tajiri. Tajiri beat him and unmasked the guy to reveal Al Snow.

The Match: Coach surprises Tajiri with an arm drag, but he bails outside after avoiding a buzzsaw kick. There, Tajiri tries another kick and hits the post when Coach moves. Since Tajiri hurt his leg, Coach pounces on the injury. He targets the limb, fends off Tajiri’s pin attempts, and locks Tajiri in leglocks. Coach uses the ropes for leverage, but Tajiri escapes. Now, Coach climbs the turnbuckles and gets crotched. Tajiri pulls him into the tree of woe for a baseball slide, but Coach grabs the ropes during the cover.

Coach pokes his eye, but Tajiri answers with a handspring elbow and a low dropkick. Once Coach recovers, he desperately pins Tajiri with his feet on the ropes. Coach celebrates what he thinks is a three, but the ref corrects him. Afterward, Tajiri catches a charging Coach in the Tarantula. Garrison Cade comes to Coach’s aid when he sees this. Cade decks Tajiri behind the ref’s back, and Coach rolls Tajiri up for the victory.

Thoughts: The action was far better than expected, but Tajiri shouldn’t have given Coach so much. The fans agreed. They reacted poorly to Coach controlling most of the contest. I’m fine with Cade helping Coach, but they made odd choices in the match’s design.

Winner: Jonathan Coachman (6:25)

They show Triple H arriving at the arena during Heat. After the clip, they recap the feud between Jericho, Christian, and Trish. Christian says he will beat Jericho down and let Trish pin him.

Handicap Match: Chris Jericho vs. Christian & Trish Stratus

Storyline: Trish said she screwed Jericho over because he placed a bet to screw her. She sided with Christian after he came to her hotel room and said many things that made sense. Christian said Trish wanted a real man, not some lovesick puppy. So, Jericho invited Trish onto the Highlight Reel and did his trash bag ho routine. Christian went to Bischoff and got this handicap contest as a result. Later, Trish and Christian sat on the stage and tried to get in Jericho’s head while he wrestled Matt Hardy. It didn’t work. However, Jericho distracted Trish during a women’s number one contender battle royal. He cost her the victory. Worse yet, Eugene repeated some of Jericho’s insults to Trish, so Trish vowed to embarrass Jericho. Lastly, Jericho saved Lita from Trish and Christian, but they attacked Jericho. Trish slapped Jericho, and Christian gave him two Unprettiers.

The Match: Christian and Trish try to lure Jericho into a trap with a slap, but it doesn’t work. Jericho takes Christian down and covers him with a cocky pin. Now Jericho sends Christian outside for a triangle dropkick. They try to ambush Jericho on the floor, which also fails. Furthermore, Jericho knocks Trish off the apron when she attempts a cheap shot. Unfortunately, Christian uses the opening to take control. He holds Jericho for Trish’s slap, and she nails a Chick Kick. Christian subdues Chris with a rear chinlock and avoids the Walls.

The problem is that Jericho lands on Christian’s crotch after Christian shoves him into the corner. Christian and Jericho exchange a DDT and a suplex, but Trish slaps Jericho. She even breaks up the Walls of Jericho, so Jericho spanks her. The momentary lapse in focus allows Christian to nail the Unprettier. He tags Trish to cover Jericho, but this only gets two! Since that fails, Christian returns, and we see a double down. They trade strikes, and Jericho rallies with a drop toe hold and a bulldog. The Lionsault follows, but Christian raises his knees and locks Jericho in a cloverleaf. When Jericho reverses him, Trish intervenes and finds herself in the Walls. Christian rolls Jericho up to break it, so Jericho counters and catapults Christian into Trish. A step-up enziguri earns Jericho the three.

Thoughts: This was quite good. They set up a story beforehand and stuck to it. The action was solid and contained some fun and amusing spots. Plus, this received one of the best reactions of the night. This did everything it needed to do.

Winner: Chris Jericho (11:12)

Elsewhere, Eugene looks at a copy of Divas magazine while he walks. He admires a centerfold but doesn’t notice where he is going. Eugene enters the women’s locker room, making Gail Kim scream. When Eugene sees Gail, he asks her to sign his magazine. Then Molly Holly comes to see what is causing the commotion. She screams and puts on her blonde wig while Regal arrives to fetch Eugene. William warns Eugene that the magazine will make him go blind. Once Regal gets Eugene to leave, he apologizes, only to lose his train of thought. The women tell him to get out.

Women’s Title Match: Victoria (c) vs. Lita

Storyline: Lita and Victoria teamed against Molly and Jazz after WrestleMania. Molly wore a blonde wig to cover her bald head. Lita ripped it off, so Molly ran away, leaving Jazz to get pinned by Lita. The outcome led to Lita vs. Jazz. They drafted Teddy Long to Smackdown, but Jazz implied she never liked him. Regardless, Lita defeated Jazz. Later, Lita won a number one contender’s battle royal by eliminating Trish. Jericho invited Lita onto the Highlight Reel the following week, but Trish jumped Lita. The attack resulted in Lita vs. Trish, which ended in DQ because of a fight between Jericho, Christian, and Trish.

The Match: They trade takedowns and tumble outside on a lockup. When they return, they slap their hands out of respect. An exchange of pin attempts and bridges follows before Victoria shakes her booty and nails a standing moonsault. Now, Victoria subdues Lita with a chinlock and surfboards. Lita answers with headscissors, a monkey flip, and a sleeper hold. Once Victoria escapes, she scores a spinning side slam but misses a moonsault. Lita’s jackknife cover and an inverted Twist of Fate only earn two, so she seeks a regular Twist of Fate. The move leads to a series of counters. The sequence ends with an inside cradle to give Victoria the three.

Thoughts: This was solid. They did some nice technical wrestling and reversals. Initially, the crowd wasn’t into it, but they won them over by the finish. That was a testament to their effort. Thankfully, they gave them more time than usual, but I still would have liked three to five more minutes. My only gripe was Lawler’s commentary. He was rambling about thongs instead of calling this fine action.

Winner: Victoria (7:22)

Gail Kim and Molly Holly, in a blonde wig, attack after the bell. They beat up Lita and Victoria and taunt them before leaving. Molly says the title is hers, but JR disagrees. He says her hair is gone, and so is her championship. If she wants to win it back, get a match. JR says the ambush was uncalled for.

It’s time for Randy Orton vs. Mick Foley in a Hardcore Match for the Intercontinental Title. Orton brings a trash can full of weapons with him. Then Foley’s music plays, but he wears his Cactus Jack gear. Foley carries a barbed wire baseball bat he calls Barbie.

Hardcore Match for the Intercontinental Title: Randy Orton (c) vs. Cactus Jack

Storyline: Orton bragged about pinning Foley at WrestleMania but said he hadn’t proved his point yet. Randy wanted a one-on-one encounter with Mick. Later, Orton, Batista, and Flair faced Michaels and Benoit, and Foley attacked Orton. They brawled into the crowd. After taking a week off to get his tonsils removed, Orton returned to complain about the lack of respect. Foley interrupted him and suggested they make their contest a Hardcore Match with the Intercontinental Title on the line. Plus, they wouldn’t allow Evolution to be at ringside. Orton agreed to the terms but freaked out when Foley promised to bring a barbed wire baseball bat. Bischoff told Johnny Nitro to confiscate the weapon. Then, Orton gave Foley an RKO on the floor. However, Foley retrieved the weapon the following week and told Orton he might not face Mick Foley. He could see Cactus Jack!

The Match: They battle with the trash can and Barbie until Orton retreats up the ramp. Orton scores a back suplex and slams Jack’s head against the metal. When they return, Cactus takes control. He asks the fans if they want Socko or Barbie. They choose Barbie, so Jack busts Orton open and leg drops the bat onto Randy’s crotch! Now, Jack wants to light Barbie on fire, but Bischoff intervenes. He says the Fire Marshall will shut them down, so he threatens to end the fight if Jack starts a fire. Cactus relents, but he selects a board full of barbed wire instead! Unfortunately, Orton hurls powder into Jack’s eyes and sends Cactus into the board. He even dropkicks Jack against it and drops the board across Jack’s body.

While Jack is down, Orton opens a box he brought with him. It contains a bag of thumbtacks! Orton seeks an RKO onto the pile, but Cactus tosses Randy into the tacks. Randy reacts in horror, and Jack rolls him up. Once Orton kicks out, he tries to run through the curtain. Jack brings him back and flings him off the stage onto a table. The officials say it’s over. They try to restore order, but Jack attacks them and performs a Cactus Elbow on Randy. He returns Orton to the ring for a double-arm DDT, which isn’t enough. So, Orton whacks Cactus with Barbie, leaving Jack bloody. Jack keeps responding with the Socko Claw, but Orton throws a low blow. An RKO only gains two, but a second one on Barbie earns the three.

Thoughts: This was amazing. They blended brutality and storytelling perfectly. Kudos to Randy Orton for doing those bumps. He went out there to prove himself, and it worked. The only thing is this turned him into a babyface. The people had to respect him.

Winner: Randy Orton (23:03)

Triple H meets Orton, Flair, and Batista backstage. He says that is what being a legend is all about. Orton went from being a legend killer to being a legend. Then Triple H walks away, but Todd Grisham stops him for a word. Todd asks Triple H about his chances in the triple threat. Hunter asks Todd if he’s a betting man. If he is, bet on Triple H. The fans can cheer Benoit and throw him a parade if they want. Triple H says beating Shawn Michaels would be nice, but defeating Benoit in his hometown on Benoit Day is where the money is. Next, Triple H tells Todd to do himself a favor. He better not bet against Hunter. Lightning won’t strike twice in the same place. One way or another, Triple H will walk out as the champion.

Meanwhile, La Resistance arrives for their contest. The team now comprises Sylvain Grenier and Rob Conway because they drafted Dupree to Smackdown. La Resistance will wrestle the Hurricane and Rosey. They made this match on Heat.

The Hurricane & Rosey vs. La Resistance

Storyline: La Resistance added a new member. They bought a poodle named Fifi. Austin said the dog violated his law, so he wrote them a ticket. Dupree took this as disrespect and called Austin out, but he received a Stunner for his troubles. Then Heyman drafted Dupree to Smackdown. Dupree wanted one last match on RAW. He said Austin owed him that for stunning him. Unfortunately, Dupree lost to Jericho. He demanded respect, so Austin stunned him again and drank beers. Later, Sylvain faced Hurricane. Eugene appeared and offered La Resistance a stuffed bunny. They destroyed the toy, but the distraction allowed Hurricane to win. When La Resistance complained about the outcome, Bischoff gave them this encounter with Hurricane and Rosey.

The Match: Hurricane and Conway exchange takedowns and knockdowns until Rosey cuts off a sneak attack. With Conway down, Rosey hip tosses Hurricane onto him. Fighting on the top rope follows, and Conway scores a twisting neckbreaker and a powerslam. Sylvain adds a backbreaker and a bear hug while Eugene enters the arena. He gives the fans high-fives, but the wrestlers ignore him. Meanwhile, Rosey tags. He cleans house with shoulder blocks, clotheslines, a tilt-a-whirl side slam, and a Samoan Drop. Rosey adds a double clothesline as Eugene plays peek-a-boo behind the Quebec flag. Next, the fight spills outside, where Hurricane lands a flying crossbody. This inspires Eugene, so he gets in the ring and runs the ropes. Regal arrives to wrangle Eugene, but Grenier also deals with him. Rosey stops Sylvain, and Hurricane pins Conway with the Eye of the Hurricane.

Thoughts: This was a mess. The action was fine, but the Eugene stuff detracted from it. I don’t like Eugene’s character. This existed to be a cool down and a vehicle for the Eugene gimmick, so I didn’t care for it.

Winners: The Hurricane & Rosey (5:02)

Regal tries to bring Eugene backstage, but Eugene rolls down the ramp. Afterward, Regal finally convinces him to leave.

Edge vs. Kane

Storyline: Kane confronted Bischoff and Heyman when he heard about the draft lottery. He told them to draft him to the opposite show as the Undertaker. Heyman said Bischoff needed to get Kane under control. Meanwhile, Bischoff drew Edge’s name from the tumbler. Edge returned while Bischoff was gloating about Heyman, and Edge speared Bischoff. As a result, Bischoff booked Edge vs. Kane to punish Edge. So, Edge speared Kane after Kane had a match with Tajiri. Later, Edge injured his arm while training. He showed up in a cast, but he still speared Kane. Kane retaliated by trying to break Edge’s other arm. Edge whacked Kane with the cast, and Kane couldn’t sit up. Johnny Nitro accused Edge of faking his injury, so they threatened to disqualify and suspend Edge if the referee caught him using the cast as a weapon. Edge speared Nitro in response.

The Match: Edge sticks and moves and attacks Kane while Kane argues with the ref. Kane rolls outside to avoid a spear, so Edge hits a baseball slide and runs Kane into the post. Now, Edge clears the Spanish table, but it doesn’t amount to anything. Kane fights back and targets Edge’s bad arm with the post and the steps. He stomps the injury and drops knees on it before grabbing a top wristlock. Edge escapes with an eye rake, but Kane responds with a side slam.

Edge rallies again with a jumping forearm and a wheel kick, but Hebner stops him from using the cast. The distraction allows Kane to nail a big boot. Kane’s flying clothesline misses, so Edge plants him with an Impaler. A spear attempt follows. Kane sidesteps, and Edge has to stop short so he doesn’t hit Earl. Hebner ducks aside to evade it, giving Edge an opening to strike Kane with the cast. With Kane dazed, Edge finishes him with a spear.

Thoughts: This was okay. I liked the story they told with the finish, but the rest felt a little pedestrian. Plus, the crowd seemed disinterested despite Edge being a Canadian. They focused more on taunting Hebner because of the Montreal Screwjob. This was a problem that plagued Edge’s comeback in 2004. He lost some steam while being out with his neck injury. Edge’s heelish behavior also didn’t help his reactions.

Winner: Edge (6:25)

Afterward, they air a commercial for Judgment Day. The ad focuses on JBL vs. Eddie Guerrero.

Now, it’s time for the main event. Beforehand, they show Nancy and Daniel Benoit in the crowd. WWE edited out the family celebration at WrestleMania, but they left this intact. They didn’t even erase JR’s commentary about them. What was the point of removing the Mania footage?

Triple Threat Match for the World Title: Chris Benoit (c) vs. Shawn Michaels vs. Triple H

Storyline: Hunter said it took two men to beat him at WrestleMania, so he wanted a rematch. However, Michaels also needed to face Benoit because Benoit hadn’t beaten him. Meanwhile, Michaels and Benoit faced Evolution, and Batista tapped out. Then Hunter battled Eddie Guerrero for the WWE Title when it looked like Hunter was going to Smackdown. The contest ended in a chaotic fight between the rosters. Once Hunter was back on RAW, Bischoff added him to the Backlash main event. Hunter said Benoit couldn’t defeat him and Shawn on back-to-back PPVs, and Shawn agreed. Next, Shawn and Benoit fought for the tag titles, but Johnny Nitro screwed them over. Worse yet, Hunter ambushed Michaels and Benoit with a sledgehammer and a chair. Lastly, Benoit, Michaels, and Foley wrestled Evolution. Shawn pinned Orton after a superkick, and Benoit, Michaels, and Triple H had a stare-down.

The Match: Benoit and Shawn double-team Hunter and have a chop battle. Soon, Shawn and Hunter tussle while fending off Benoit. Benoit comes back to hit German suplexes, and everybody trades chops. Now it’s Shawn’s turn to get knocked down while Hunter and Benoit scuffle. The cycle continues until Shawn prevents a superplex and floors Hunter with an electric chair drop. Undaunted, Benoit scores a flying headbutt on Shawn, but Hunter interrupts the pin. Unfortunately, Shawn wipes out the referee with a missed jumping forearm. Benoit puts Shawn in a Sharpshooter and a Crossface. He breaks the hold to wake the ref, so Shawn recovers. Shawn answers with a Sharpshooter, pissing off the Canadian fans. He lets go when Hunter returns. Fighting outside follows, and Shawn crashes onto the Spanish table when Benoit and Hunter avoid his flying crossbody.

Hunter posts Benoit, rams him into the steps, and locks him in a Camel Clutch as Hebner arrives. Helmsley threatens Earl while giving Benoit corner punches. Benoit responds with a hotshot, but Hunter hits a facebreaker. Triple H takes rolling Germans, yet he lands a Pedigree. As Hunter covers, Shawn returns to stop this. Hunter keeps knocking Shawn down, only for him to kip up. Shawn tunes up the band, but he superkicks Benoit instead of hitting Hunter. The decision allows Hunter to throw a low blow and try a Pedigree. Shawn backdrops Hunter over the ropes, so Hunter fetches the sledgehammer. He whacks Shawn in the back, but Benoit pulls Hunter to the floor. Hunter can’t Pedigree Benoit on the steps, and Benoit dumps him over the barricade. Inside, Benoit catches a superkick and places Shawn in a Sharpshooter. Shawn taps before Hunter can reach him.

Thoughts: This was great. It wasn’t as good as their Mania encounter, but I still liked it. The hot crowd helped. Plus, I enjoyed that finish. Benoit made Hunter tap at Mania and got Shawn during this bout.

Winner: Chris Benoit (30:12)

They show Nancy applauding the victory. Lawler can’t believe what he saw, but he admits Benoit is for real. Meanwhile, Benoit taunts Hunter and Shawn with the belt before celebrating on the turnbuckles.

The Good:

• The main event

• Orton vs. Cactus Jack

• Jericho vs. Christian & Trish

• Victoria vs. Lita

The Bad:

• La Resistance vs. Hurricane & Rosey

• Eugene

Observations & Extra Notes:

• What are everybody’s thoughts about Eugene? Was this an offensive gimmick, or did you like it?

• Why wasn’t Austin on this show?

Performer of the Night:

I’m giving it to Randy Orton. He went out of his way to prove himself on this show and deserves accolades.

Final Thoughts:

I found this to be an overall enjoyable program. Some midcard bouts felt flat, but they didn’t ruin this. Even Eugene couldn’t bring this down. Orton vs. Foley and the main event raised this PPV to a high standard. I recommend Orton vs. Foley if you haven’t seen it.