WWE WrestleMania Backlash: Top 5 Matches of All Time

John Cena Versus Edge – 2009

Speaking of John Cena, he’d move on to do some incredible things in the WWE. One of his greatest feuds was against WWE Hall of Famer, Edge. Their 2009 Last Man Standing match at Backlash that year hits this list for several reasons. The two had a tremendous amount of animosity between them at this point, as Cena had always been a thorn in Edge’s side.

Ending the Rated R Superstar’s 4th World Championship reign at that year’s WrestleMania, the two had massive momentum and history coming into this Backlash match. Mix the “Last Man Standing” element, plus the chemistry between these two foes (not to mention the Big Show’s interference) and this bout hits this list. It had action, surprises, and incredible storytelling.

Dean Ambrose Versus AJ Styles – 2016

Fans would have to wait seven years for another Backlash PPV, as 2009 would be the last event until 2016 rolled around. The brand split returned, and the 2016 Backlash PPV was dedicated to Team Blue. The smackDown-exclusive show had a solid main event that saw WWE Champion Dean Ambrose versus AJ Styles. Styles had only eight months under his belt in the company, and no one really expected him to hit the main event by that time, not to mention WWE Champion.

With that said, the two had a great match, with top-notch storytelling, and awesome in-ring chemistry between them. As amazing as the bout was, the outcome was that much sweeter, with Style emerging the victor and new WWE Champion. After 15 years of wrestling in other promotions, AJ did something many thought he’d never do; climb to the highest level of the WWE ladder and capture the holy grail of sports entertainment.

Seth Rollins Versus The Miz – 2018

Fast-forward two years and the WWE moved away from brand-exclusive PPVs to dual-branded events where both SmackDown and Monday Night RAW could be highlighted. While the 2018 Backlash is infamous for some terrible matches (looking at you, Samoa Joe versus Roman Reigns, AJ Styles versus Shinsuke Nakamura, and Daniel Bryan versus Big Cass), there was one that stood out amongst the awful.

The Miz versus Seth Rollins for the Intercontinental Championship opened the PPV with a bang. It had action, left fans questioning who would come out on top, and had the live crowd pumped. Sadly, the PPV would go downhill from there, but it was nice to see Seth and Miz go toe-to-toe, where a babyface Rollins retained his IC title.