WWE Backlash: 10 showstopping, favorite matches from the show’s history

Here are 10 of the greatest WWE Backlash matches ever.

As has been the case in the 14 iterations of WWE’s Backlash Pay Per View, the fallout from WrestleMania season has historically been the overriding message heading into the event.

Whatever bad blood that has carried over or formed in the weeks following ‘Mania, it makes for some fun and sometimes underrated feuds. Though Extreme Rules in a sense replaced Backlash in 2010 for a handful of years, and essentially nothing was in its place in 2019 save for The last-minute Shield’s Last Stand event in Moline, Illinois in late April.

Backlash in 2020 will be slightly different in what it aims to accomplish, as several matches appear just to be placeholders (see Miz and Morrison vs. Strowman for example), while matches like the U.S. Championship match (Appolo Crews vs. Andrade) could serve to further build Crews’ profile.

As for the past, a healthy dose of Last Man Standing, Hardcore and other themed matches make up a large chunk of Backlash’s history, falling in line with the “SOMETHING’S GOT TO GIVE” billing of an event that is hyped as the way to find closure for or highlight new tensions following some of the biggest matches of some of these performers’ careers in the weeks prior.

There are a hefty amount of extremely fun matches from the event that did not make this list. Stellar matchups like Brock Lesnar and John Cena’s 2003 WWE Championship match, Chris Benoit and Edge’s 2005 Last Man Standing match, Shinsuke Nakamura’s 2017 PPV debut against Dolph Ziggler, Seth Rollins’ 2018 Intercontinental title defense against the Miz, and a goofy comedy match between Big Show and Kurt Angle in 2000 all come to mind for me personally.

With that said, WWE Backlash has an excellent history of some serious stars going head to head. I watched every single match from the history of the PPV over the last few weeks, and I’ve detailed my favorites.

Just missed

Tag Team Championship – Team Angle (Shelton Benjamin and Charlie Haas) vs. Los Guerreros (Eddie and Chavo Guerrero)  – Backlash 2003

A portrait on an easel of Kurt Angle watching Team Angle was enough, evidently to boost Charlie Haas and Shelton Benjamin to victory over Los Guerreros, in what was Team Angle’s first big tag title defense in the embryonic stages of both wrestler’s careers.

One of only two tag team matches on this list, I most appreciate the technical soundness demonstrated in this match, along with the Guerrero’s shenanigans.

Intercontinental Title Match – Chris Jericho vs. Shelton Benjamin – Backlash 2005

For two guys who could absolutely go and put on a good match darn near anyone, putting these two together with each other was destined to get the crowd going, and boy did they. The finish is particularly fun.

Inaugural SmackDown Women’s title match – 6-pack challenge – Becky Lynch, Natalya, Naomi, Alexa Bliss, Nikki Bella, Carmella  – 2016 Backlash

Fairly fresh off being the top woman drafted to SmackDown by then co-general managers Shane McMahon and Daniel Bryan, Becky Lynch entered Backlash with something of a chip on her shoulder to prove her worth. This version of Backlash, hosted Sept. 11, was the lone instance of the event to not be held before June 15.

This match is particularly meaningful to my fandom as a longtime fan of Lynch.

Mauro Ranallo on commentary in the minute following the finish of the match calls Lynch “the brightest star in the Smackdown Live constellation.”

Little did he know how correct he would be.

With all that said, what follows are 10 of my most memorable Backlash matches.