Backlash (2004)
Backlash 2004 | |||
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Promotion | World Wrestling Entertainment | ||
Brand(s) | RAW | ||
Date | April 18 2004 | ||
City | Edmonton, Alberta | ||
Venue | Rexall Place | ||
Attendance | 20,000
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Pay-per-view chronology | |||
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Backlash (2004) was the sixth annual Backlash professional wrestling pay-per-view (PPV) event produced by World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE). It took place on April 18 2004 from Rexall Place in Edmonton, Alberta and was the first Backlash held outside of the United States.[1] The official theme song was "Eyes Wired Shut" by Edgewater.[2] The tagline was "Escape the Rules".
The main event was a Triple Threat match for the World Heavyweight Championship involving reigning champion Chris Benoit, Triple H, and Shawn Michaels, which Benoit won after forcing Michaels to submit to the Sharpshooter.[3] The main matches on the undercard were Randy Orton versus Cactus Jack in a Hardcore match for the WWE Intercontinental Championship and Edge versus Kane.[4]
Report
Background
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/1/16/Chris_Benoit_in_the_Ring.jpg/150px-Chris_Benoit_in_the_Ring.jpg)
The main feud heading into Backlash was between Chris Benoit, Triple H, and Shawn Michaels, with the three feuding over the World Heavyweight Championship. Chris Benoit won the title one month prior at WrestleMania XX when he defeated Shawn Michaels and then-champion Triple H in a Triple Threat match. Benoit won the match by forcing Triple H to submit to the Crippler Crossface.[5][6][7] The following night on RAW, Benoit and Michaels defeated Evolution (Randy Orton, Ric Flair, and Batista) in a 3-on-2 Handicap tag team match. Benoit and Michaels won the match after Benoit forced Batista to submit to the Sharpshooter.[8][9] On the March 22 edition of RAW, Triple H was drafted over to the SmackDown! brand, and RAW General Manager Eric Bischoff announced that Michaels would receive a World title match against Benoit at Backlash.[10][11] Four days later on the March 25 edition of SmackDown!, SmackDown! General Manager Kurt Angle announced that Triple H had been traded back to RAW in exchange for The Dudley Boyz and Booker T.[12][13] The next week on RAW, Bischoff made the one-on-one World Heavyweight Championship match between champion Chris Benoit and Shawn Michaels, a Triple Threat match also involving Triple H.[14][15]
The other main match on the card was a Hardcore match for the WWE Intercontinental Championship between Randy Orton and Cactus Jack. Three months prior at the Royal Rumble, after Mick Foley eliminated Orton from the Royal Rumble match, Orton hit Foley with a steel chair and the two brawled up the ramp and into the back. In March at WrestleMania XX, Evolution (Orton, Batista, and Ric Flair) faced off against The Rock 'n' Sock Connection (Foley and The Rock) in a Handicap match. Evolution won the match when Orton pinned Foley after an RKO.[6] Two weeks later, on the March 22 edition of RAW, Foley challenged Orton to a Hardcore match for the WWE Intercontinental Championship at Backlash, which Orton accepted that same night.[16][17]
Event
Before the event went live on pay-per-view, Val Venis defeated Matt Hardy in a match taped for Sunday Night HEAT. The first match that aired was between Shelton Benjamin and Ric Flair. After back and forth action between the two, Flair attempted to use brack knuckles on Shelton, though Shelton splashed Flair from behind. Shelton managed to hit a clothesline on Flair off the top rope to get the pin on Flair.[18][19][20]
Next was a match between Jonathan Coachman and Tajiri. The match saw Garrison Cade interfered on behalf of Coachman, after he hit Tajiri in the face. It saw Coachman get a roll-up over Tajiri and get the win.[18][19][20]
The third match of the night was Chris Jericho versus Christian and Trish Stratus in a Handicap match, in which it saw Jericho defeat both Christian and Stratus. The match came a bout when Jericho gave Christian a catapult into Stratus in which Jericho connected with a big enziguiri kick soon after to get the win.[18][19][20]
The match that followed was for the WWE Women's Championship match between Victoria and Lita. The match was controlled by both Victoria and Lita. Though the match ended when Victoria pinned Lita after an Inside Cradle after Lita got a near fall on Victoria. After the match, Molly Holly and Gail Kim attacked both women in the ring.[18][19][20]
The fifth match of the night was a Hardcore match between Randy Orton and Cactus Jack for the Intercontinental Championship. One spot in the match saw Cactus lay a baseball bat between Orton's legs and manage to hit a big leg drop. Cactus continued, as he poured gasoline on the bat and tried to light it, though RAW General Manager Eric Bischoff interrupted the proceeding and informed Cactus that he would be disqualified if he went with the proceeding of his assault towards Orton. Assaults by both men took effect, until Orton managed to pin Cactus after an RKO on a barbed wire baseball bat. As Orton celebrated his win, Batista and Ric Flair came down to ringside to assist him.[18][19][20]
The sixth match was a tag team match in which The Hurricane and Rosey defeated La Résistance (Robért Conway and Sylvain Grenier). After a back and forth match, Hurricane pinned Conway after an Eye of the Hurricane.[18][19][20]
The match that followed was between Edge and Kane. The match was controlled by Kane, as he focused on Edge's injured left hand. Though, Edge was able to reverse assaults by Kane and attempting to spear Kane. Though, Kane dodged the spear, which resulted and in the referee taking it instead. Edge used his cast to knock Kane out and followed it with a spear to pin Kane.[18][19][20]
The eight and final match of the event was a Triple Threat match for the World Heavyweight Championship between Chris Benoit, Shawn Michaels and Triple H. One spot in the match saw Michaels miss a flying bodypress and saw him crash into the Spanish Announcing team's table. Another included, Triple H assaulting Michaels with a sledgehammer. The last moments in the match saw Michaels submit to the Sharpshooter which was applied by Benoit. As a result of the win, Benoit retained the World title.[18][19][20]
Aftermath
On the April 19 edition of RAW, RAW General Manager Eric Bischoff scheduled a World Heavyweight Championship match between Chris Benoit and Shawn Michaels for the May 3 edition of RAW.[21][22] On the same night, an impromptu team of Benoit and Edge defeated Evolution (Ric Flair and Batista) for the World Tag Team Championship, making Benoit a double champion.[21][22] Two weeks later on RAW, Benoit retained the World Heavyweight title in a scheduled match against Shawn Michaels, after interference by Triple H.[23][24] On the May 10 edition of RAW, an encounter match between Shelton Benjamin and Triple H, resulted in Michaels attacking Triple H.[25][26] Michaels actions resulted in a suspension from Eric Bischoff.[25][26] Prior that RAW night, Bischoff informed Triple H that the following week on RAW, he would have a title match against Benoit.[25][26] The following week, a Number One contender's Battle Royal match took place, in which the winner would go on to face Benoit at Bad Blood for the World title.[27][28] During the Battle royal, it saw Triple H, one of the participants in the match, get eliminated by Michaels, who was not a participant in the battle, clothesline Triple H and eliminating him from the match.[27][28] The eventual winner of the Battle royal was Kane.[27][28] On the May 24 edition of RAW, Bischoff lifted Michaels suspension, after Triple H pleaded that Michaels be reinstated.[29][30] On the same night, Michaels confronted Bischoff if he is scheduled in a match with Triple H at Bad Blood. Bischoff assures Michaels of the match that will take place, but is jumped from behind by Triple H, after Michaels attacked Triple H outside the arena's parking lot.[29][30] Bischoff gave orders to RAW Superstars to attack Triple H and Michaels, if seen fighting.[29][30] The roster tried breaking the fight up, but were unsuccessful in doing so.[29][30] The result of the fight gave Bischoff the authority to schedule a Hell in a Cell match between Triple H and Michaels at Bad Blood.[29][30] At Bad Blood, it saw Triple H defeat Michaels, after he was able to pin Michaels after two Pedigrees.[31]
Following Backlash, Lita and Kane were put in angle, which involved Matt Hardy. It saw Hardy attack Kane to an attempt to prevent Kane from harming Lita.[21][22] In the following weeks on RAW, Kane began repeatedly assaulting Hardy and attempting to seduce Lita.[32] One particular incident saw Kane kidnap Lita and held her tied up backstage where he supposedly asked her a 'question'.[23][24] Later that night, Kane won a Number One contender's Battle Royal match, in which he received a title shot at Bad Blood.[23][24] At Bad Blood, Benoit was successful in defending the World Heavyweight title, after he pinned Kane with a roll-up.[33]
During a match between Christian and Chris Jericho, it saw Christian defeat Jericho, after interference by Tyson Tomko; Tomko was revealed to be the "problem solver" for Christian and Trish Stratus.[21][22] The following weeks on RAW, it saw Tomko assault Jericho, until the May 10 edition of RAW, when Jericho defeated Christian in a Steel Cage match, as he made Christian submit to the Walls of Jericho.[25][26] As a result of the Steel Cage match, Christian suffered a legit back injury.[29][30] During a tag team match between Jericho and Shelton Benjamin it saw them defeat Batista and Randy Orton, after Benjamin scored the pinfall. After the match, Tomko attacked Jericho, in which it saw him powerbomb Jericho through the announcers table.[29][30] On the June 7 edition of RAW, Bischoff booked a match at Bad Blood between Tomko and Jericho.[34] At Bad Blood, Jericho pinned Tomko, after a Running Enzuigiri.[33]
==Results== Numbers in parentheses indicate the length of the match.
- Sunday Night HEAT match: Val Venis defeated Matt Hardy (7:56)[18][19][35]
- Venis pinned Hardy after a Money Shot.
- Shelton Benjamin defeated Ric Flair (9:29)[18][4][36]
- Benjamin pinned Flair after a clothesline from the top rope.
- Jonathan Coachman defeated Tajiri (6:25)[18][4][36]
- Coachman pinned Tajiri with a roll-up after Garrison Cade hit Tajiri in the face
- Chris Jericho defeated Christian and Trish Stratus in a Handicap match (11:12)[18][4][36]
- Jericho pinned Christian after a running enzuigiri.
- Victoria defeated Lita to retain the WWE Women's Championship (7:22)[18][4][36]
- Victoria pinned Lita after an Inside Cradle.
- After the match, Gail Kim and Molly Holly came out and attacked both women.
- Randy Orton defeated Cactus Jack in a Hardcore match to retain the WWE Intercontinental Championship (23:03)[18][4][36]
- Orton pinned Cactus after an RKO on a barbed wire baseball bat.
- The Hurricane and Rosey defeated La Résistance (Robért Conway and Sylvain Grenier) (5:02)[18][4][36]
- Hurricane pinned Conway after an Eye of the Hurricane.
- Edge defeated Kane (6:25)[18][4][36]
- Edge pinned Kane after a Spear.
- Chris Benoit defeated Shawn Michaels and Triple H in a Triple Threat match to retain the World Heavyweight Championship (30:08)[18][3][36]
- Benoit forced Michaels to submit with the Sharpshooter.
References
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