Backlash

Sunday, April 18th in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada

Lightning in a bottle. a great opening package for Backlash detailing the three competitors in tonight’s main event opens the show. The event’s seizure inducing flashing lights take over as the announcers hype the homecoming of Chris Benoit, Heavyweight Champion.

Shelton Benjamin versus Ric Flair

Shelton smiled brightly as he watched Flair enter, and he looked to really enjoy taking on the man on Pay-Per-View. No one has said it, but Flair is in much better shape lately. His pecks are still lacking, but his abdominal area is impressive for a man his age. The two men did some show-boating to start the match. Benjamin gave Ric a slap which caused him to flop down. Shelton went for an early splash, only for Flair to duck and Shelton to jump up on the ring ropes impressively. The match went outside, where a back body drop left Benjamin in charge. In the ring, Flair gained an advantage, but made a big mistake by going to the top rope. Suddenly, something amazing would happen. The screen would flash “SAP Difficulties.” Flair began working the leg, but was showing pain in his back. Ric locked in a figure four leg lock, which was escaped traditionally with a roll over. Still, Flair was in control. He went for a chair but the referee took it away, and Shelton had a come back. He hit an enziguri and both men were down. Shelton Irish whipped Flair outside the ring, and took him back in with a vertical suplex. Flair had a brief come back, but was still putting on brass knucks in the corner when the All-American hit the inverted Stinger Splash and a flying clothesline off the top rope for the victory. This match was technically well done, but had no energy. The dull crowd (rare for Canadian fans) didn’t help matters. **

Orton was interviewed backstage about Shelton’s victory over Flair being a bad omen for Evolution. He reminded everyone that he was also on a winning streak – the longest running Intercontinental Champion in seven years. He promised to retire Mick Foley, or Cactus Jack, permanently. Randy said he wasn’t scared of what Mick was going to do to him tonight because he was going to put him down like an old dog.

Jonathon Coachman versus Tajiri

Coach came out in a ridiculous looking basketball outfit. He surprised Tajiri with an arm drag, and then played the fox. What other recapper can make The Most Dangerous Game references? He dodged around the ring, avoiding Tajiri’s kicks, until the Japanese Buzz Saw accidentally kicked the ring post. He then began working over the leg of Tajiri, much to the surprise of the announcers. A “Coach sucks” chant briefly hit the arena, followed by boos. Coach had Tajiri in a submission leg lock and Tajiri used his good leg to kick out of it. Tajiri was still down though, so Coach tried going to the top rope. That was a mistake, knocked him off his feet and onto his crotch. Put in the “Tree of Woe” Tajiri used his good leg to dropkick the back of Jonathon’s head. From here it was all Tajiri. He handspring elbow and a few types of kicks. Coachman tried cheap pin with his feet on the ropes, but the referee saw. Tajiri locked on the Tarantula and was setting up his finisher roundhouse – when Garrison Cade ran in. He attacked Tajiri while the official was not looking, allowing for a roll up upset. *

Triple H was shown entering the arena. The long-running storyline of Christian, Jericho and Trish is detailed in a video package. It featured seizure inducing camera work, where the film was ran at a slow speed for a choppy look. This show is becoming painful to watch.

Christian and Trish Stratus versus Chris Jericho

The crowd woke up for Jericho and to chant “Slut.” Chris tried to get his hands on Trish but she ran. He had a few vertical suplexes for Christian. He went for Trish, so the CLB ran at him – and right out of the ring. A springboard drop kick knocked Christian out again. Jericho followed, and Trish ran again when he got close. A few near falls, and Jericho was running the ropes and knocked Ms. Stratus off the apron. This distracted him so Christian could take control. He worked Chris over a bit, and then tagged in Trish. While Jericho was held she slapped him around a bit. When Jericho started getting up she darted to tag her man back in. Jericho started a comeback, ready to slingshot Christian into the corner, but was kicked away. When he fell forward, however, he head butted Christian in the ground. Now Chris was firmly in control. Christian tried a Scorpion Death Drop (I think that is what it was called) and Jericho reversed it to a Northern Lights suplex. Back and forth action and Trish was trying to interject into it when Jericho was whipped into their corner. Still Jericho was on top of most of the offense, so she came in. Jericho threw Christian out of the ring and spanked the Diva. Christian came from behind to hit the unprettier, but when tagged in Trish couldn’t get the pin. Now Jericho was fighting both of the pair almost constantly – to good success. A missed lionsault left him in the Texas Clover Leaf, which Chris reversed into the Walls. Trish came in, so he put her in the Walls. Christian tried rolling her up for a pin fall, but Jericho escaped and set Christian up for yet another Walls. Instead of applying it, however, he sling shot him into Trish in the corner and rolled Christian up off the reversal. Great action that was a bit too hectic to tell a cohesive story. **

Backstage, Eugene read WWE Divas magazine, and wandered into the women’s locker room. He tried to get her to sign his magazine and she screamed. Molly came in, and Eugene screamed over her bald head. She grabbed her wig and also began scream. William Regal ran in, pulling the very special young man away. A very short advertisement for Smackdown! aired. A video package of Chris Benoit in his hometown and career is shown. He was shown at various places, greeting crowds of fans and talking about the honor it is for today to be Chris Benoit day. He arrived backstage to an ovation, and his family was shown in the crowd.

Women’s Championship Match: Victoria versus Lita

Lita was wearing a very nice lime green fishnet top. This match resembled a lot of ECW women’s matches, with more near falls and reversals than actual moves. Every move, from a standing moonsault and vertical suplex (Both by Victoria) led directly into a pinning combination. Lita was placed in one of my absolute favorite submissions, the surfboard. She ten had a comeback while put in place for a Samoan drop by hitting a head scissors. More pinning combinations, before a sleeper was applied. Victoria had a comeback, and went for a moonsault off the top on Lita. Lita rolled towards the ring, and the women’s Champion face landed on Litas back and legs mostly. I wasn’t sure who in psychology who should have been hurt, but Lita played like it didn’t affect her so I suppose Victoria. Out of no where (No build up, I blinked during whatever finisher was used) Victoria scored the pin fall. ½* After the match, Molly and Gail Kim ran down and attacked the pair.

A video package for Randy Orton and Mick Foley’s feud was shown. The highlight was, once again, Foley’s interview playing over the video clips.

Hardcore Rules Intercontinental Championship Match: Randy Orton versus Cactus Jack/Mick Foley

Randy Orton came down wearing a shirt (Smart man) with the golden pyrotechnics of Evolution and a trash can filled with weapons. He had his own 2X4 covered in barbed wire, which was badly wound. Cactus Jack ran down with Barbie, and immediately went to use her on Orton. Randy used the trashcan to block and ran to the outside. He used a drop toe hold into the ring steps to disarm Foley, and the two fought over the bat. Foley got the upper hand, but was only able to use the ruined trashcan on Orton. He through Orton into the ring, and used some more traditional offense on the Champion. He took Orton back outside and hit a swinging neck breaker. Foley went to the ring post, but Orton crawled away before he could do anything. Cactus followed, and ate a belly to back suplex on the steel ramp. Orton tried a few pinning combinations, and threw Foley’s head back into the ramp again. Back to the ring, Orton tried to gouge Foley’s face with Barbie, but he ate a leg in the crotch before he could. Cactus brought out Mr. Socko, but then grabbed Barbie. He asked the crowd which to use, and they wanted Barbie. He ran it into the champion’s face, and he was bleeding. Cactus Jack worked the face as the blood flowed, bang bang. He ground the bat over Randy’s face to the crowd’s delight. Then, he leg dropped it into Orton’s crotch. I hope that is gimmicked barbed wire. Jack went under the ring and grabbed a tank of gasoline and poured it over Barbie. Bishoff ran down, and announced that if he lit that bat the fire marshal would shut the show down. He relented, but went under the ring for something else: a plank of wood covered in razor wire. Orton (Who had lost his shirt by now) threw powder into Jack’s eyes before he could be propelled into it though, and Mick was the one who took the sick bump. That only got a two count, so Randy set it up in the corner. Mick fought the Irish whip, and eventually reversed it – only for it to be reversed again. Foley hung from the wire, with his arm bleeding. Orton went into a box he had brought into the ring, and produced a bag. What was in the? Thumb tacks. He poured them over the ring, but his RKO was ducked and he ended up with a back full of them. That was a very, very sick visual. Orton looked like a pin cushion, bleeding from a hundred tiny holes. He kicked out of a pin and ran to the back. Foley gave chase, and brought him back to the stage. Foley threw Randy off of the stage through a few tables. Bang bang. Jesus Christ. The EMTs began checking out the champion, and Jack posed atop the stage. The officials tried to keep Foley away, but he wouldn’t relent. He jumped off the stage and delivered a flying elbow drop. He covered Randy, and somehow the Champion got his shoulder up. So Cactus Jack took the bloody Orton back to the ring. Mind you, the ring was still covered in thumb tacks, so every move caused both men to at least land on a few of them. He nailed a double under hook DDT for yet another two-count. Foley set the razor-wire plank up in the corner again, but somehow Orton went off to at WWE Fanatic Series: The Stone Cold Truth. Well, that is ironic. The announcers talked about Orton’s impressive victory. Backstage, Evolution carried Orton away by his arm pits, and Triple H appeared to tell him he went from being Legend Killer to a Legend. Orton was barely conscious. Triple H was then interviewed, and it made it known he would win the Heavyweight Championship.

La Resistance versus Hurricane and Rosey

The crowd was dead for this one, which is why it was on of course. Seriously, you could have heard a pin drop in the arena. Mid way through the match I was not paying attention to, Eugene came down and began playing with La Resistance’s flag. Eugene ran into the ring and began running the ropes madly. Meanwhile, there was a match going on. Somewhere in Eugene’s antics Hurricane scored the pin fall. *

A quick run down of Edge’s “Feud” with Kane is shown.

Kane versus Edge

Johnny Nitro was not introduced as the special guest referee, which I was under the impression would be the case. JR pondered whether or not there was an athlete in the upcoming NFL draft that was comparable to Kane. I wonder what that was in reference to. Edge was on offense early on, taking the action to the Big Red Machine. Edge took Kane outside and removed the monitors from the Spanish announce table, but had his broken hand slammed into the ring steps before he could make any use of that. Back and forth the match went, with little to no psychology. Both men tried their finishers, with the official Earl Hebner getting thrown from the ring. Edge clocked Kane with his cast and scored the pin. *1/2

A video package set up the main event.

Heavyweight Championship Match: Triple H versus Shawn Michaels versus Chris Benoit Benoit got a big ovation, especially when he posed with his belt right in Hunter’s face. The match began, and both Michaels and Benoit teamed up initially to take Hunter out of the ring. Of course, that pairing quickly ended, and HBK and Chris were dueling with one another. The match hit a quick formula; two men would wrestle after one man was thrown to the outside. A “You screwed Bret” chant erupted when Shawn was squaring off with Hunter. Benoit came back in the ring, and cleared house with suplexes and chops for everyone. He threw Shawn to the outside of the ring Flair style and locked Hunter in the Crippler Cross face, but it didn’t last. Chris went outside to deal with a recovering Shawn, throwing him into the guard rail repeatedly. Hunter gained control and had set Benoit up for a Superplex, but Shawn ran in and tossed Benoit over the top to the outside. Hunter was given and electric chair off the ropes. Both challengers knocked one another down, and Benoit came off the top with a Dynamite head butt. Hunter broke up the pin, because HBK was out. Hunter was taken outside, and HBK was left with Benoit. Michaels tried a flying clothesline but hit the official instead of the Champion, and now the referee was unconscious outside the ring. Hunter wanted to pedigree Benoit, but it was reversed into the Sharpshooter for a huge pop. HBK tried to clothesline Benoit out of it, but that was reversed into the cross face. Still no referee, so Benoit went to try and revive the official. When he went back in, Shawn put Benoit into the Sharpshooter to a huge round of Boos. A new referee ran down, and it was Earl Hebner. Everyone in Canada was holding their breath for that one. Hunter blissfully broke up the hold. Another “You screwed Bret” chant, but I cannot tell who it was directed at this time. All three men fought in the ring now, and the crowd was 100% behind Benoit during it all. Benoit and Hunter was fighting each other in front of the Spanish announce table, and HBK went for a cross body off the top rope. Unfortunately for him, both men moved out of the way and he crashed through the table alone. How is that for SAP difficulties? Now, Triple H and Benoit were together in the ring and the Game was firmly in control. He threw Benoit into the ring post, and dragged the champion around to punish him slowly. He put the Champion in the camel clutch in the center of the ring. More punishment was inflicted upon Benoit by the Game, but it was all countered suddenly when the Champion hit the three German suplexes in a row. The Dynamite Head butt was signaled, by Triple H moved out of the way. Now all three men were down. HHH delivered the pedigree, but was slow to grab the pin. Too slow I guess, as Michaels had finally recovered to stop the pin. Michaels and Hunter squared off in the center, with stiff blows for one another. All three men were down on the ground, and HBK kipped up. He gave Hunter the flying elbow off the top onto HHH, and called for Sweet Chin Music. The crowd booed it. Instead of delivering the super kick to Hunter, however, he gave it to Benoit. Hunter delivered a low blow to stop Shawn’s momentum. He tried to pedigree HBK, but got back body dropped outside the ring for his troubles. What did Hunter find under that ring on the outside you ask? He found the sledge hammer, of course. He nailed Shawn Michaels right in the center of his back while he was trying to pulling Benoit in. Hunter readied another blow, but was pulled out by the Champion. Hunter attacked Benoit, and set up the ring steps to pedigree Benoit onto them. The Champion fought out, however, and used a slingshot to toss Hunter into the ring post and into the crowd. Back in the ring, Shawn was tuning up the band, but the kick was caught. Benoit tossed him down, and put the Heartbreak Kid into the Sharpshooter. He strained for the ropes to no avail, and the Game tried unsuccessfully to crawl in to break up the hold. With no chance of escape and in excruciating pain, Shawn Michaels tapped out to the Sharpshooter.

source: Lords of Pain