Carlito def. Chris Masters
Backlash kicked off with a bang as Carlito faced off against former tag team partner Chris Masters in grudge match. Four weeks ago, fresh off a WrestleMania 22 loss to Kane & Big Show, Carlito turned on The Masterpiece and hit him with a devastating back cracker. Just two weeks ago, Masters gained a measure of revenge when he caught Carlito in the unbreakable Master Lock. But this time they were face-to-face, and the time for sneak attacks was over.
Masters utilized his size advantage and immense strength to take control of the match early on. He slowed down the pace and kept Carlito grounded, setting him up for the Master Lock. The Masterpiece thought he had Carlito right where he wanted him on a couple of occasions, but Carlito managed to avoid his dreaded submission maneuver twice. After negotiating the Master Lock a second time, Carlito hit a back cracker on Masters. The resourceful Carlito pinned Masters, but did so with his feet on the ropes for added leverage. It took some trickery, but Carlito walked away with the victory. But is it just a matter of time before The Masterpiece brings him down with the Master Lock?
Umaga def. Ric Flair
Four weeks ago, Armando Alejandro Estrada introduced RAW to the monster that is Umaga. The Samoan savage made an immediate impact, brutalizing the 16-time world champion, Ric Flair. He set him up in the corner and ran full speed across the ring, squashing the Nature Boy’s head in between the turnbuckles and his ample backside. Flair was out of commission for a couple of weeks, but he came roaring back one week prior to Backlash, sending Umaga into retreat-mode.
This time Flair couldn’t be attacked from behind, and he showed early on why he’s the Dirtiest Player in the Game. The Nature Boy connected with a low blow and a mule kick early on, but nothing was going to stop Umaga in his pay-per-view debut.
Umaga absorbed Flair’s early onslaught and came back with a vengeance. He set Flair up in the corner and first hit him with a vicious head butt, and then sent his head back into the turnbuckle with another massive charge, reminiscent of the attack four weeks ago. Umaga followed that up with a second-rope headbutt and a thumb spike to the carotid artery for the impressive victory. Can anyone stop the devastating force that is Umaga?
Trish Stratus def. Women’s Champion Mickie James (DQ)
Mickie James is the Women’s Champion, but she’s also a psycho. When Mickie debuted back in October, it appeared as though she was just a big fan of Trish Stratus. But as the weeks and months passed by, her admiration clearly turned into an obsession, and before long Mickie was hell bent on overcoming her former idol.
Mickie got the job done at WrestleMania 22 when she defeated Stratus for the Women’s Championship. In recent weeks, Stratus tried to play some mind games of her own, getting into Mickie’s head by dressing up as her. This is the same tactic that Mickie had done to get Trish off her game in the past, and now it was working in reverse.
Trish came out for her match looking like her normal self, though, and Mickie looked perplexed and frustrated from the outset. Trish dominated the early-goings of the match, hitting a scissors kick and a Thesz Press to the outside, but things took a turn for the worse when Mickie dumped Stratus to the outside. WWE.com later learned that Trish suffered a dislocated shoulder during the spill.
Mickie could tell Trish had hurt her arm, and she relentlessly attacked the injury. But Mickie let her emotions get the best of her. The Women’s Champion began to choke out Trish, and failed to break the illegal hold before the count of five. The referee had no choice but to disqualify her giving Trish the victory. At first glance it appeared as though Mickie had simply gone crazy again. But there was a method to her madness as the Championship cannot change hands on a disqualification. Therefore, Mickie James is still the Women’s Champion. Will Trish be able to persevere through her injury and continue her quest to regain the gold?
Rob Van Dam def. Shelton Benjamin to become Intercontinental Champion
Not only was this a showcase of arguably the two most athletic Superstars in WWE today, but Rob Van Dam’s Money in the Bank Championship opportunity and Shelton Benjamin’s Intercontinental Championship were both on the line. The stakes couldn’t be higher in this winner-takes-all matchup.
Although Benjamin and RVD are known as fast-paced, high-impact, high-fliers, the match began with a feeling out process. With so much on the line, Benjamin and RVD couldn’t avoid to slip up, so they displayed some caution. Both Superstars clearly did their homework as well, as they seemed to know what was coming before it even happened.
But before long, their undeniable athleticism just took over. Benjamin was able to counter a Rolling Thunder attempt with a Samoan Drop. He followed it up with a jaw-dropping maneuver as he ran across the ring, leapt all the way up to the top rope, and executed a thunderous superplex.
But RVD did not want to be outdone. He endured he pain and came back with the Rolling Thunder and hit a split-legged moonsault, but he couldn’t get the pin. Frustrated, Shelton brought the Money in the Bank briefcase into the ring. Before it came into play, though, the referee was knocked down. RVD tossed the briefcase to Benjamin, and after he caught it, he connected with a vicious Van Daminator. Mr. Money in the Bank followed that up with a picturesque Five Star Frog Splash for the pin to not only retain his Money in the Bank Championship opportunity, but to also win his sixth Intercontinental Championship.
Kane vs. Big Show (No Contest)
Kane & Big Show were one of the most dominant tag team that the world of sports entertainment has ever seen. But all good things eventually come to an end. As of late, whenever Kane hears the date May 19, he snaps. The Big Red Monster has been hearing voices of late, and it sends him into a destructive trance. This led him to chokeslamming his former partner after a match against the Spirit Squad. Big Show tried to talk things out with Kane, but it just didn’t work. In fact, things just got worse. Just one week before Backlash, Big Show said that Kane crossed the line when he tried to gouge his eye out. Before the match, Big Show said, “Tonight, it’s an eye for an eye.”
Kane worked on Big Show’s right arm and shoulder early on in the match in this battle of the irresistible force vs. the immovable object. Kane’s strategy paid off, because when Big Show went for a chokeslam later in the match, he couldn’t connect due to his injured arm.
Big Show, staying true to his pre-match comments, went after Kane’s eye, but the Big Red Monster avoided the attack. But moments later Kane began hearing voices again. Kane snapped and started repeatedly banging his head against the turnbuckles. He was writhing around on the mat in an uncontrollable trance. Big Show grabbed a chair and reluctantly smashed Kane over the head. Big Show, not truly wanting to hurt his former friend, threw down the chair in disgust and left the ring. After enduring such a vicious blow, Kane inexplicable sat back up with a demonic look on his face and began laughing. How could the Big Red Monster enjoy such a vicious attack? And what is the source of Kane’s recent problems?
Mr. McMahon & Shane McMahon def. Shawn Michaels & “God”
Ever since the night after Christmas, Mr. McMahon has made it his mission to make Shawn Michaels’ life a living hell. But in recent weeks, Mr. McMahon’s obsession has reached new and disturbing heights. The ultimate proof of this came when Mr. McMahon had the audacity to bring “God” into the mix.
Shawn Michaels’ faith and strong Christian beliefs is well-documented, so Mr. McMahon found it only fitting that at Backlash, HBK should team up with “God” in a tag team match to face himself and his son Shane.
Prior to the match, Mr. McMahon told his son, “You leave ‘God’ to me. There’s nothing ‘God’ can do that I can’t do.” And throughout the evening, Mr. McMahon tried to prove just that. He showed the world that he can walk on water, make a bountiful supply of fish and bread appear from out of nowhere and even turn water into wine. Then he topped it all off by curiously healing Candice’s chest cold with his “miraculous touch”.
Mr. McMahon even announced “God” himself when it came time for the match. When “God” entered the ring, the Chairman ordered the referee to check him out for foreign objects. But then he changed his mind, and said “Bring it,” as it was now a No Holds Barred Match.
Despite Mr. McMahon’s insistence that this was really a tag team match, for all intents and purposes, this had turned into a Handicap, No Holds Barred Match, and the odds were stacked heavily against HBK. Michaels started out a house of fire, brutalizing Shane on the stage. He even sent himself and Mr. McMahon off the stage and through a platform with a flying bodypress. The action soon turned back to the ring area, though, and Shane sent HBK head-first into the ring post busting him wide open.
In the middle of the match, Mr. McMahon, feeling awfully cocky, got on the microphone and explained that “God” had left the building. Then, trying to add even further insult to injury, the Chairman tuned up the band for his own rendition of Sweet Chin Music. But before he could connect, the Showstopper caught his leg and mounted a comeback.
HBK was a man possessed and it looked like nothing could stop him. He dominated Mr. McMahon and Shane and knocked them both out with Sweet Chin Music before setting them up on side-by-side tables. HBK then retrieved an enormous ladder and set it up. It looked as though he would attempt another flying elbow drop, just as he did at WrestleMania 22, but instead he leapt to the outside of the ring onto all five members of the Spirit Squad who had appeared seemingly from out of nowhere.
The Showstopper’s offense stopped there, as the numbers advantage was just too much. Not only was this a No Holds Barred Handicap Match, but it had degenerated into a 7-on-1 match. It was just too much for anyone to overcome – even the Heartbreak Kid. The Spirit Squad rolled HBK back into the ring and hoisted him high up into the air, and send him crashing down through a table. Mr. McMahon, with a maniacal grin on his face, covered Michaels for the win.
Following the match, the Spirit Squad lifted both Mr. McMahon and Shane up onto their shoulders for a victory pose. Mr. McMahon then gloated about his victory, saying, “I beat ‘God’.” Now that Mr. McMahon has beaten the “God”, will he finally leave Shawn Michaels alone? Or is this just the tip of the iceberg of HBK’s own personal hell?
WWE Champion John Cena def. Triple H and Edge (Triple Threat Match)
John Cena is widely considered as the most controversial Champion in WWE history. As of late, he has lost the support of some of his fans. He has been pinned by Triple H and Edge in the past. The odds were stacked against him again at Backlash, as he could lose the WWE Championship without even being involved in the decision. But through it all, The Champ is still here.
John Cena, Triple H and Edge battled in arguably the most hellacious Triple Threat Match in WWE history. From the second the bell rand, the intensity was at a fever pitch. Edge tried to use his intelligence in the early goings by standing by on the outside, allowing Triple H and Cena to battle it out. Eventually, The Champ and The Game stopped attacking each other and double teamed the Rated R Superstar, but the partnership would not last long.
Things broke down in a hurry, and Edge managed to sling shot Triple H into the ring post, busting him wide open. In mere moments, the King of Kings was wearing the proverbial crimson mask, but he battled through it.
Triple H has criticized Cena in the past for a limited arsenal when it comes to in-ring offense, but The Champ utilized his underestimated wrestling skills to keep both The Game and Edge at bay. In fact, he had them both locked into the STFU on multiple occasions. But in the end, both Edge and Triple H showed amazing perseverance and refused to give up.
Things got really chaotic when referee Mickey Hensen went down during the latter stages of the match. Lita entered the fracas and charged at Triple H with a chair. He sidestepped her, though, and leveled Edge’s “ho” with a Spinebuster. With everyone knocked out, Triple H went for his trusty sledgehammer. When he returned to the ring, Edge hit him from out of nowhere with the spear. By then Cena had recovered and went for an FU on the Rated R Superstar. Triple H rallied and stopped Cena dead in his tracks with a low blow. Edge fell to the outside, and The Game went for the Pedigree. The resourceful Cena, however, managed to reverse the maneuver into a bridged roll up for the 1-2-3 to retain the WWE Championship.
The King of Kings was beside himself, and was not going to just sit by and accept what had happened. Instead, he grabbed his weapon of choice and leveled Hensen, Edge and Cena. The Champ may have won the battle, but when it was all said and done, The Game looked to have won the war. The bloodied and battered King of Kings stood tall over all of the carnage and fallen bodies and left the ring after a series of defiant crotch chops.