With WWE Backlash fast-approaching, we examined the event’s greatest matches. Out of all the historic matches, which will secure a spot in the coveted top ten list?
Since 1999, the WWE Backlash event has been a site for a plethora of important moments and contests. Before making its return last year, Backlash was usually the first pay-per-view event to take place following WrestleMania. The event served as a continuation of feuds that remained unsettled after the Show of Shows, and also featured the development of new rivalries.
As of this writing, there have been twelve separate installments of Backlash over the years. This Sunday, that number will increase to thirteen. If the previous events are any indication, Backlash once again has the opportunity to bolster a strong show. Whether or not the talent delivers is going to be open for discussion, but the potential is there.
Looking back, there were a number of important matches that took place at Backlash which impacted the company at large. Titles changed hands, stars were born, and a number of first-time encounters took place. For a good while, it could’ve been argued that outside of the “Big Four” pay-per-views, Backlash was an integral part of WWE programming.
Ahead of the SmackDown Live-exclusive event this Sunday, we compiled a list of the top 10 matches. There were many matches that had the credentials to join this list, especially when you examine those from the Attitude Era. Still, the purpose of this article isn’t to list the great matches from the event, but rather point out those that fall into an elite tier. It was a surprisingly tough task, however, we’re confident in the list that’s been created.
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So without further ado, here are the top ten matches that occurred at WWE Backlash.
10. WWE Championship Match – WWE Backlash 2016
Dean Ambrose (c) vs. AJ Styles
The first match on this list is actually from the most recent installment of Backlash. Heading into the event, AJ Styles was riding a great deal of momentum. He had just defeated John Cena at SummerSlam, gaining a huge edge in their feud by going 2-0 against the veteran. No challenge appeared to phase the Phenomenal One, and so a shot at the WWE Championship was next in line for him.
Meanwhile, Dean Ambrose was in the midst of an entertaining (but somewhat underwhelming) reign as WWE Champion. The Lunatic Fringe was also a victor in his SummerSlam contest, having retained the belt against Dolph Ziggler. Rapidly establishing himself as an equal when compared to former Shield members Roman Reigns and Seth Rollins, Ambrose was on top of the world.
When the time came for these two to meet inside the squared circle, they produced a rather strong contest. Both managed to appear credible and worthy of fighting for the company’s top prize. The result itself could’ve gone either way, but it was a controversial ending that allowed one man to emerge victoriously.
Following an accidental bump to the referee, Ambrose was left struggling to his feet. Sensing a chance to take advantage, Styles would score a low blow before hitting the Styles Clash. A few moments later, the Phenomenal One was standing tall with his first WWE Championship. That night would mark the beginning of a strong title reign for Styles, which ultimately ended at the 2017 Royal Rumble.
As for Ambrose, he unsuccessfully attempted to regain his championship on several occasions. By the end of 2016, he transitioned to the midcard scene and found success as Intercontinental Champion.
9. WWE Backlash 2002
Edge vs. Kurt Angle
Heading into the 2002 installment of Backlash, Edge was struggling to find ground as a singles competitor. While Edge was able to find success during the Invasion angle, Edge lost considerable momentum when William Regal defeated him for the Intercontinental Championship. He regained some traction when he emerged victorious against Booker T at WrestleMania X-8, but not enough to push him back up the card.
Similar to Edge, Kurt Angle was prominently featured during the Invasion angle. The Olympic Gold Medalist won his fair share of championships during that time, making a big match at WrestleMania a huge possibility. Originally, it was rumored that Sting was going to face Angle at the event. That idea never came into being, and so Angle wrestled a rather forgetful match against Kane.
By the time Backlash came around, Angle and Edge were determined to put on an entertaining contest. This was also the time where the birth of the infamous “You Suck” chants came about, courtesy of Edge. Angle was livid as a result, making his conquest to humiliate his foe that much greater.
During the match, there were a number of times where Edge was just a moment away from victory. This infuriated Angle, who at one point brought a steel chair into the ring to gain the advantage. The plan backfired, with the chair bouncing off the ropes and straight his skull. A near count followed, which led to Edge going into the corner, signaling for the spear. Charging into his opponent, Edge was caught with a hard kick to the jaw before finally succumbing to a second Angle Slam.
Even though Angle was victorious on this night, a month later he was shaved bald by his rival. Talk about gaining revenge.
8. WWE Backlash 2003
Goldberg vs. The Rock
At WrestleMania 19, The Rock was able to lift his curse at the Show of Shows and defeat Stone Cold Steve Austin. The previous two times he had attempted to do so at the event, Austin had defeated the Great One and walked away with the WWE Championship. So this was a huge moment for Rock, and it proved to be even greater as Austin retired from in-ring competition.
Celebrating the accomplishment, Rock appeared on Monday Night Raw to gloat about his victory. Moments away from announcing his departure from the company, he was interrupted by a debuting Goldberg. Marching his way to the ring with a chorus of cheers, Goldberg entered the ring and had one goal in mind. Telling Rock that he was next, Da Man leveled the superstar with a devastating spear.
Throughout the following weeks, Goldberg challenged Rock to face him at WWE Backlash. While at first, he was having none of it, the People’s Champion eventually signed on to the contest. It promised to feature two of the most popular superstars from the Monday Night Wars, something which enticed fans everywhere.
In WCW, Goldberg was known for putting on short and dominating matches. The opposite would hold true during his WWE run, as the former WCW champion competed in rather long contests. This match was no exception, and it showed a sign of things to come for Goldberg. Still, this was a highly entertaining dream contest that allowed both competitors to appear strong and credible to fans. At the end of the night, Rock suffered a final defeat before making his way to Hollywood. For Goldberg, his win led to him winning the World Heavyweight Championship later that year.
7. WWE Championship Match – WWE Backlash 2007
John Cena (c) vs. Edge vs. Randy Orton vs. Shawn Michaels
During the early portion of 2007, the main event scene on Monday Night Raw revolved around John Cena and Shawn Michaels. This marked a huge time in Cena’s career, as this reign with the WWE Championship went down as his longest. Defeating any challenger who stepped up to the plate, the Champ was fresh off a big victory at WrestleMania 23. His opponent in that match; Shawn Michaels.
Although Cena was in the middle of a feud with Michaels, the two were actually the World Tag Team Champions at the time. They had won the titles in January of that year from a duo known as Rated-RKO. Comprised of two top stars in the form of Edge and Randy Orton, the two were arguably the most over heels on the roster. When they lost their tag titles to Cena and Michaels, their partnership began to crack from within. By the time Backlash rolled around, all four of these men were ready for war.
So, the powers that be decided the best way to resolve this conflict was to include all four men in a championship match. Throughout the contest, the action was wild and chaotic, with no clear winner in sight. Edge and Orton tried to reignite their alliance to gain an advantage, but the teamwork didn’t last long. Selfishness hindered the effort, and so the match quickly morphed into a free for all.
In the final few moments, the superstars began to exchange their finishing maneuvers. After hitting Edge with an AA, Cena turned around and received a superkick from Michaels. This caused Cena to fall on top of a prone Orton, allowing him to retain the title. It was a shocking ending, but an entertaining one at that.
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6. Ultimate Submission Match – WWE Backlash 2001
Chris Benoit vs. Kurt Angle
Throughout the first half of 2001, Chris Benoit and Kurt Angle were engaged in a bitter rivalry. Both were known as terrific submission wrestlers, and so a potential clash between the two was very appealing. In a battle to prove who was the superior athlete, their first in-ring interaction on pay-per-view was WrestleMania 17. Due to a controversial finish, Angle was able to secure the win, but the feud wasn’t over yet.
Going into WWE Backlash, the big question on everyone’s mind revolved around who was the better submission specialist. Because of this, WWE chose to go a different route and provide fans a unique contest called an “ultimate submission match”. The rules were simple; whoever scored the most submissions in thirty minutes walked away the victor. It offered a concrete answer to who was the superior athlete as it pertained to submissions, and so both Angle and Benoit were eager to win.
At the end of the 30-minute time limit, the two athletes had tied at three submissions a piece. This drove the match into overtime, where Benoit was able to win the contest by making use of his crossface submission. Confident as ever due to the victory, the Canadian Crippler continued to cross paths with Angle. Stealing his prized gold medals, he would keep them under his possession until Judgement Day the following month. On that night, Angle regained his medals and in turn, came out as the clear winner of the feud.
A year after this series of matches, Angle and Benoit were battling each other once again. Surprisingly, the dysfunction between the two would lead to them becoming the first ever WWE Tag Team Champions.
5. WWE Championship Match – WWE Backlash 2006
John Cena (c) vs. Edge vs. Triple H
Similar to the previous slide featuring John Cena, the Champ was in the middle of his second reign as the titleholder when this match came about. Having defeated Triple H by submission at WrestleMania 22, Cena predicted that a new challenger would step up. That belief held true when Edge, who had just defeated Mick Foley the night prior, arrived on Raw to address the champion.
Declaring that he was the rightful No. 1 contender, Edge was then interrupted by Triple H. The interaction between the three led to a triple threat match being announced for Backlash. Considering these were main event caliber talents, no one could guess who would emerge victoriously.
Once the match itself began, there were a number of cool and exciting instances that kept fans engaged in the action. Towards the closing moments, Edge’s girlfriend Lita sensed an opportunity to aid her significant other. Grabbing a chair at ringside, she attempted to blindside Triple H with a shot to the head. Unfortunately for her, The Game saw it coming and leveled her with a spinebuster.
With the outside interference taken care of, a battered and bloodied Triple H tried to end the contest. As Cena had Edge hoisted up for the AA, The Game delivered a vicious low blow. The move sent Edge over the top rope, and left Cena in prime position for the Pedigree. Surprisingly, the champion managed to counter and roll Triple H up for the upset victory. Angered over the result, Triple H took a sledgehammer and attacked every man in the ring to close out the event.
4. WWE Championship Match – WWE Backlash 1999
Stone Cold Steve Austin (c) vs. The Rock
In the main event of the very first Backlash event, Stone Cold Steve Austin battled The Rock in a rematch from WrestleMania 15. For those of you who don’t know, the fifteenth installment of WrestleMania marked the night where Austin won his third WWE Championship. It also marked the first time he defeated the Great One at the Show of Shows, so you can bet Rock wasn’t happy.
Eager to gain revenge over the humiliation he suffered in Philadelphia, Rock was keen on winning yet another world championship. He seemed poised to do just that, especially when it was announced that Shane McMahon was the guest referee. At the time, Rock was the crown jewel of the McMahon regime, and so it was of no surprise they wanted to aid him. That, and their utter hatred of Austin fueled the McMahon’s thirst for success in this regard.
Despite the odds being stacked against him, Austin entered the event and proceeded to lay waste to anything that stood in his path. Later on in the contest, he had the match won when things began to turn south for him. Refusing to finish the count during a pinfall attempt, Shane would flip Austin off before running for his life. This distraction, in turn, offered Rock a great chance to get back into the contest.
Even with the crooked referee in his corner, Rock was unable to stop Austin from retaining his championship. The win propelled the Rattlesnake even further in terms of popularity, but his feud with the McMahon family was far from over. As for Rock, by the end of the year, he was entertaining audiences throughout his partnership with Mick Foley.
3. World Heavyweight Championship Match – WWE Backlash 2007
The Undertaker (c) vs. Batista
After winning the World Heavyweight Championship at WrestleMania 23, The Undertaker was back on top of the mountain once again. This marked the first time he had been in possession of a world title since 2002. Having already been a fixture of WWE programming for well over a decade at that point, it was a reign he certainly deserved. However, a giant challenge threatened to end the Deadman’s run with the belt before it even got off the ground.
Fuming over his loss to The Undertaker, Batista was ready to strike back against his rival. His first appearance post-WrestleMania, the Animal confronted the new champion and declared he was intent on cashing in his rematch clause. The site of their rematch became Backlash, and it was announced leading up to the event that their encounter was going to be a Last Man Standing match.
On the night of the big match, both men entered the venue ready to go to hell and back for the gold. Batista would deliver spinebuster after spinebuster, took advantage of a steel chair, and even nailed his patented powerbomb. Despite all of this, the champion kept struggling to his feet. Undertaker dished out a great deal of punishment as well, but the challenger wasn’t willing to lose either.
As the action made it’s way up the ramp, the two came dangerously close to the technical area. The champion attempted to throw his opponent off the stage, however, Batista countered and speared Undertaker instead. Both men went crashing through the technical area, with sparks of electricity and pillars tumbling down as a result. Because of this, the men ended up being declared a draw.
2. WWE Intercontinental Championship – WWE Backlash 2004
Randy Orton (c) vs. Cactus Jack
From the moment Randy Orton arrived on the scene back in 2002, it was evident that WWE had big plans for him. That belief was only quantified when he was chosen to join a new stable known as Evolution. Alongside Batista, Ric Flair, and Triple H, Orton gained a great deal of experience and worked with some of the best in the business. However, people began to wonder if Orton could fine that level of success on his own.
To the surprise of many, that answer was provided through the stellar work he gave during his time feuding with Mick Foley. By this point in time, Foley had been retired from in-ring competition for roughly four years. His animosity with the Legend Killer led to him returning to the squared circle. Although he lost to Orton at WrestleMania 20, Foley was committed to getting one final shot against his rival. He managed to receive just that, and it ended up being in a Hardcore match; an environment which Foley made famous.
When Orton entered the match at WWE Backlash, he was viewed as an arrogant kid who needed aid to win matches. Fans simply didn’t expect him to possess the durability and tenacity that helps one succeed in the business. Boy were they wrong.
Throughout the contest, the Legend Killer was taken apart by barbed wire, tables, and worst of all; thumbtacks. The amount of punishment he received left him bloodied and damaged, but not beaten. An RKO on a barbed wire bat secured him the victory, establishing him as a talent destined for greatness. From that point on, Orton could boast that while fans hated him, they ultimately respected him due to that performance.
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1. WWE/Intercontinental Championships vs. The World Tag Team Championship -WWE Backlash 2001
Sixteen years ago, WWE presented a match which can quite possibly go down as the match with the highest stakes in history. It all started the night after WrestleMania 17, when Triple H and Stone Cold Steve Austin decided to work together. Destroying The Rock alongside Vince McMahon, they would label themselves the Two Man Power Trip.
As WWE Champion, Austin used his new heel status to wreak havoc on the company’s programming. Triple H followed suit, quickly winning the Intercontinental Championship from Chris Jericho. The duo would continue to lay waste to teams such as the Hardy Boyz unchallenged, until two men decided they had seen enough.
On an episode of Raw, Kane and The Undertaker interrupted an attack orchestrated by Austin and Triple H. Forcing the two to retreat, the Brothers of Destruction stood tall and were eager for a showdown. McMahon would make the match official shortly thereafter, but the stakes were raised considerably a short time later.
When the Brothers of Destruction won the World Tag Team titles, McMahon wanted to acquire the belts. To do so, he had to make a deal with his wife Linda. So at Backlash, it was decided that not only were the tag titles on the line, but also the WWE and IC Championships.
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Because the pressure was higher than ever before, all four men put a great deal of effort into securing the victory. Ultimately, an arm injury which plagued Kane throughout the contest came to haunt him, as Triple H made use of a sledgehammer to end the big Red Machine’s night. The pinfall was all but certain due to this, allowing Austin and Triple H to make history on that night.