WWE: The Four Greatest Post-WrestleMania Pay Per Views

#3 – Backlash 2009

Fresh off the heels of a disappointing WrestleMania XXV, Backlash 2009 featured a number of ‘Mania do-overs. And, in every instance, the re-match out-shined the initial bout.

Brothers Matt and Jeff Hardy battled at Backlash in an “I Quit” match–a rematch of their “Extreme Rules” bout from a month prior in Houston. The Extreme Rules match, though far from a bad match, certainly did not live up to the high expectations fans had for the bout. The I Quit match, however, not only exceeded the prior contest in terms of in-ring quality, it also featured a finish that many argue should have occurred in the WrestleMania bout.

Elsewhere on this card, Chris Jericho faced off with WWE Hall of Famer Ricky “The Dragon” Steamboat. Steamboat and Jericho, like the Hardy brothers, had faced each other the month before, when Steamboat was the final man left on his team in a 3-on-1 elimination match against Y2J. The closing moments of that handicap match seemed to show that the Steamboat was in far better in-ring shape than his partners Jimmy Snuka and Roddy Piper, and so at Backlash, the Dragon got to go one on one with the best in the world. Their match was straight out of 1989, with Steamboat fully able to convince the fans he could pull off the victory as he scored several near falls. Ultimately, Jericho would win the match, but Steamboat would win the respect of his adversary, and fans worldwide.

The main event of the show saw newly-crowned World Heavyweight Champion John Cena, who had won the title at WrestleMania, face long-time adversary Edge in a Last Man Standing match. Arguably, these two stars, whose rivalry dated back to 2006, should have had the opportunity to go one-on-one at the Show of Shows. This wasn’t the case, as The Big Show was added into the mix, making the ‘Mania match a triple threat affair, that, although good, lacked the intensity that almost always came with Cena/Edge bouts.

This intensity was again present when the two fought at Backlash. Cena and Edge brutalized each other in a multitude of different ways, and had one of the better Last Man Standing matches in WWE history. Big Show would once again involve himself in the affairs of these two men, interfering towards the end of the bout as Edge and Cena battled on the entrance stage. Show, in a spot that has to be seen to be appreciated, would grab Cena and deliver a vicious chokeslam through one of the set’s spotlights, laying Cena out for the standing-ten-count, and allowing Edge to once again win gold.