WWE BACKLASH

Shelton Benjamin VS Ric Flair
Flair takes a big slap at the start of the match and that drops him like a rock? Benjamin outwrestles Flair with his amateur style and speed advantage. Crowd boos Benjamin when he mocks Flair. Flair takes a painful looking backdrop out on the floor but takes control back in the ring targeting Benjamin’s leg for the figure-four. Flair locks it on but Benjamin manages to reverse it. Both men trade chops and punches. Jerry Lawler sounds really annoying on commentary so far tonight. Flair gets sent out of the ring the hardway. He then tries to go for the brass knucks, but Benjamin splashes him in the corner and finishes him with a clothesline off the top rope for the three count.
Match Rating: **1/2
This was a lot shorter than I expected it would be. And they better give Benjamin a proper finisher soon if he’s gonna establish himself as a superstar.

Interview with Randy Orton and he claims to be the longest reigning IC Champion for the last seven years. Could it be cause you haven’t actually defended the title till tonight, Randy? He claims to have researched Foley’s hardcore background and guarantees victory tonight.

Jonathan Coachman VS Tajiri
Coach is actually in ring gear. Coach actually armdrags Tajiri at the start! Tajiri kicks out Coach’s leg and Coach ducks the knock out kick and escapes to the outside. Tajiri follows and misses a kick outside which hits the ring post. Coach then starts working on his leg and locks on a leg lock! When did Coach learn to wrestle? Tajiri face kicks Coach to escape a second leg lock. Coach slowly goes up top and loses his footing getting crotched! Tajiri delivers a sick sounding double kick to the back of the head unleashing the kicks! Tajiri locks on the Tarantula and signals for the knock out kick when Garrison Cade ran in and gives Tajiri ONE PUNCH which is enough for Coach to roll him up for the upset win!
Match Rating: *
Though he did a lot of basics, Coach actually showed some wrestling skill. Could he be a late bloomer in the business like Diamond Dallas Page? Nah…

Christian & Trish Stratus VS Chris Jericho
Lawler’s annoyance level peaks again and even JR can’t stand it. Jericho takes the early advantage on Christian till he gets distracted by Trish. Y2J takes CLB outside and smacks him with a springboard dropkick. Trish hits Y2J as he rebounds off the ropes but the Y2J’s momentum knocks her off the apron as Christian takes control. Trish tags in and throws some slaps and a kick before tagging out. Y2J tries for the Walls of Jericho but CLB kicks him off, but Y2J falls out of the corner and headbutts CLB ‘low’. Pace quickens and Y2J scores several near falls on CLB. Christian lands a sweet reverse DDT off the second rope. Trish breaks up another attempt at the Walls, but gets caught by Y2J and spanked! Christian nails the Unprettier and Trish covers but Jericho kicks out. Trish takes a hard clothesline from Y2J. Christian gets spiked by a bulldog, but gets the knees up to stop the Lionsault. Christian locks on a Texas Cloverleaf. Y2J escapes and tries for the Walls but is again foiled by Stratus. Y2J slingshots CLB into the Trish and hits his cool looking running enzuguiri on Christian to pick up the win.
Match Rating: ***
This was a really good match and I just love Jericho’s Shinning enzuguiri.

Fun backstage segment as Eugene Dinsmore walks into the Diva’s locker room as Gail Kim is changing and asks her to sign his copy of the Diva’s magazine. Gail starts screaming and so does Eugene! Molly runs in and forgets her wig which leads to more screaming! Regal appears in and escorts Eugene out. He tries to apologize but then notices Gail’s state of undress, which leads to more screaming!

Video package of Chris Benoit’s return to his hometown of Edmonton. We see Benoit’s family at ringside. Dang are his kids ugly.

Victoria VS Lita – WWE Women’s Championship
Victoria is all smiles and babyface now. Very mat oriented match. Both girls trade near falls. Victoria does a jiggle before the standing moonsault. She locks on a chin lock and then a surfboard. Head scissors takedown followed by a standing monkey-flip by Lita. Lita does another slow-mo head scissors and locks on a sleeper. Spinning backbreaker by Lita but she misses the moonsault. Lita nails the reverse Twist of Fate for a two. Lita tries for another Twist of Fate but Victoria manages to counter into a small package for the win. Post match, Molly and the newly ‘enhanced’ Gail Kim run in and attack both Victoria and Lita.
Match Rating: **
I was a bit disappointed that the pace of the match was really slow despite some of the big moves that were pulled out.

Randy Orton VS Mick Foley – IC Title, No DQ, Falls Count Anywhere
Orton brought a rather lame looking barb-wired 2X4. I was disappointed Foley didn’t use the Cactus Jack theme. Match starts with Foley chasing Orton around the ring with Barbie. Orton smacks Foley several times with a thrash can. Foley takes control back in the ring but gets backdropped on the rampway back on the outside. Orton tries to grind Barbie into Foley’s face but escapes with a low kick. He then goes for Socko, but decides to use Barbie instead and busts Orton open! Foley continues his assault and goes for Barbie again, grating it into Orton’s skull! Dynamite pain as Foley drops a leg on Barbie while its placed in Orton’s nether-region!!! Foley gets a can of gasoline out from out from under the ring and looks to set Barbie on fire! But Bisch comes out and warns hom that the fire-marshall will shut down Backlash if he does! Foley throws Barbie out of the ring as the crowd boos, but Foley gets out another old toy from Japan: A BED OF BARB WIRE!!! Foley whips Orton into the ropes, but Orton tosses powder in his eyes and slams him into the wire bed!!! Orton sets up the wire bed in the corner and whips Foley into it and dropkicks him back into it again! The wire looks stuck on Foley’s arm! Orton gets out a bag from a box and pours out THOUSANDS OF THUMBTACKS from it! Orton tries for the RKO, but Foley launches him on the thumbtacks!!! The tacks are stuck all over his hands and back! Orton tries to run for it but Foley catches him and launches him off the stage!!! The referee stops the match as EMTs check on Orton. Foley takes out the referees and dives off the stage landing an elbow on Orton!!! Foley makes the cover and ORTON PULLS A SHOULDER UP!!! Foley drags Orton back to the ring where the tacks are! Double arm DDT, but Orton kicks out again! Orton immediately exits the ring as Foley sets up the wire bed. Orton makes a comeback as he bats Foley several times with Barbie, but Foley gets Socko and locks on the Mandible Claw! Orton escapes but Foley locks it on again! Orton counters into the RKO! Foley kicks out at two! RKO on the barb-wire bat!!! Cover and a THREE COUNT! Super Orton wins!!!
Match Rating: ****
So Orton kicks out after a series of moves that would put out even then hardest of Japanese Death Match veterans, but only needs to hit TWO moves in concession to pin Cactus Jack?!?

La Resistance VS The Hurricane & Rosey
Nothing special here. Eugene comes out and messes with the Quebec flag as Helms dives out of the ring onto the La Resistance. Eugene gets in the ring and starts running the ropes which leads to Hurricane pinning Conway after the Eye of the Hurricane. Eugene celebrates with the super heroes as Regal comes out and escorts him to the back.
Match Rating: *
They really should have left this match off the PPV and put it in HEAT or something and make more time for one of the other matches, like Benjamin/Flair.

Kane VS Edge
Man, King is REALLY annoying on commentary tonight. The royal idiot actually accused JR of being the guy who told Edge to put on a cast to use as a weapon! Geez. Edge uses his speed to avoid Kane’s power throughout the match. Kane targets Edge’s busted hand. Kane misses the top rope clothesline and Edge hits the Edge-cution! Edge tries for a spear, but Kane dodges and the ref jumps the ring to avoid the spear. Kane tries for the chokeslam, but Edge low kicks him than pounds him with the cast! Edge nails the spear and the referee comes back in to make the three count.
Match Rating: *1/2
This match just plodded along and did nothing for me. So who’s next to get over on Kane? Shelton Benjamin? Eugene?

Triple H VS Shawn Michaels VS Chris Benoit – World Heavyweight Championship
Some big boos for HBK from the Canadian crowd and the biggest pop of the night for Benoit! HBK and Benoit work together at the beginning of the match taking out HHH with a double back body drop before going to work on each other. HHH back in and takes control of HBK & Benoit. Benoit comes back and gives a German suplex to each opponent. Benoit sends HBK out of the ring hard over the corner and manages to lock the Crossface on HHH, but has to release the hold as he sees HBK coming back in. HHH tries a superplex on Benoit, but HBK knocks Benoit off the top to the floor and drops HHH with an electric chair drop for a two count. HHH hits the face buster on HBK and Benoit flies in with the swandive headbutt! HBK accidently knocks the referee out of the ring. HHH takes out HBK and tries for the Pedigree, but Benoit reverses it into a Sharpshooter! HBK tries to break the hold, but Benoit locks him in the Crossface! But there’s no ref! HBK gets a second wind a locks a Sharpshooter on Benoit! Big time heel heat as referee Earl Hebner runs in! HHH breaks the hold. The ‘You Screwed Bret’ chant starts for both HBK & Hebner! HBK gets distracted by the chants and Benoit locks on a Crossface but HHH breaks the hold. HHH takes control on Benoit. Benoit sends HHH out of the ring and HBK takes over on Benoit as the crowd gets on his case again! HBK sends Benoit to the outside tries to dive out off the top on HHH & Benoit, but HBK MISSES and goes through the Spanish announce table!!! HHH takes control on Benoit and works his shoulder. HHH locks on a camel clutch. HHH & Benoit slug it out as Lawler hits the tip of the annoyance meter again for the record time tonight as he argues with JR. Benoit comes back and nails the triple-German on HHH! He goes up top but misses the swandive headbutt. Pedigree by HHH! HHH covers but HBK breaks the count! HBK & HHH slug it out. HBK slams HHH and nails the top rope elbow drop. Michaels signals for Sweet Chin Music as the crowd boos, and HBK nails Benoit with it as he comes back in! HHH nails a low blow on HBK and covers but only gets two. HHH tries for the Pedigree again, but gets back body dropped out of the ring. HHH then gets a sledge hammer out from under the ring! HHH nails HBK from behind with the hammer and theres no DQ! HHH tries to hammer HBK again, but Benoit makes the save only to get banged into the ring steps. HHH tries to Pedigree Benoit into the ring steps, but Benoit counters and slingshots him into the ring post! Benoit back in the ring and counters HBK’s Sweet Chin Music into the Sharpshooter!!! HBK fights to get to the ropes, but Benoit drags him away! HHH tries to get back in the ring but HBK TAPS OUT!!!! BENOIT RETAINS THE WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP!!!
Benoit celebrates and rubs it in HHH and HBK’s face that he’s still the champion and no fluke one hit wonder!!! Benoit waves the world title and the Canadian flag to end the show.
Match Rating: ****

Overall: As I expected, the two main events delivered the goods! And the handicap match also turned out surprisingly good. This was a good show overall, but damn was King annoying on commentary tonight. What will happen tomorrow when RAW airs live from Calgary, Alberta, Canada? Will Bret Hart make his long awaited return? And someone tell me when Coach learned to wrestle?!?
Overall PPV Rating: ***