WWF Backlash (April 2000)

From Washington, D.C.; Your Hosts are Jim Ross and Jerry Lawler.

Opening WWF Tag Team Title Match: Edge & Christian v X-Pac and Jesse James: Debra acts as the guest ring announcer here, in her first appearance in some six months. Edge starts with X-Pac, and they get right into a reversal sequence - which the challenger gets the best of. Criss cross goes Edge's way with a spinheel kick, and DAMN, the crowd is into E&C. That WrestleMania match really made them (along with the Hardy's and Dudley's, of course). And, on the other side of that coin, DX was unbelievably stale at this point. They had been steadily losing heat in 1999, and once Triple H broke off, they were really stuck in this weird limbo where the crowd was conditioned to get into their entrance shtick, but couldn't care less about the characters. Tag to Road Dogg, but he walks right into a headscissors, and Christian tags in for some double-team fun. A cheapshot allows DX to cut the ring in half on Christian, however - with Dogg and X-Pac showing some good chemistry. Better than James and Billy Gunn in many ways, honestly. Edge comes in with a flying headbutt on Jesse behind the referees back, but Christian gets cut off from making the tag, and has to fight off both challengers with a double-inverted DDT before getting the real tag. Edge is a house of arson to trigger a four-way brawl, but gets caught in the X-Factor - only for Christian to sneak in and wallop X-Pac with the ring bell for the pin at 9:23. Solid old-school formula tag match, with modern values. Good opener. * ¼

WWF Light Heavyweight Title Match: Dean Malenko v Scotty 2 Hotty: Dean tries a sneak attack, but Scotty is ready, and blasts him with a backelbow and a backdrop. Clothesline gets two, and he counters a powerbomb into an armdrag for two. Side suplex, but he wastes time moon walking, and gets clobbered. Malenko dumps him to the outside for some abuse, then back in, he dropkicks the knee to ground his challenger. He goes right after it with a leglock, but quickly gets sick of it, and take a shortcut by wrapping Scotty's leg around the post a couple of times. Grapevine, but Scotty won't quit, so Dean delivers a kneebreaker. Scotty fires back with an enzuigiri, but can't capitalize quickly enough, and Dean takes him down again for more knee work. Into the corner, Malenko drapes the knee over the middle rope for some shots, and sweeps him into a figure four, but Scotty counters into a cradle for two. That earns him a lariat, and Dean gets back to working the knee. Good booking here, with those well timed comeback attempts from Scotty throughout. Malenko with a superplex, but both guys suffer the effects, and Scotty is able to counter a clothesline into a backslide for two. That pisses Malenko off good, and he decides to Cloverleaf him, but Scotty cradles for two. Dean desperately tries to retain the momentum with a side suplex, but Scotty escapes it, and bulldogs the champion. That sets up the Worm, but he doesn't cover afterwards, and Malenko capitalizes on the mistake with a schoolboy - only to get caught with two feet on the ropes by the referee. Reversal sequence ends in Dean hitting a VICIOUS double-underhook powerbomb for two, and a powerslam gets two. To the top, so Scotty tries to counter with a superplex, but Dean manages to turn it into a DDT on the way down to retain at 12:56. Really good stuff, filled with fast, crisp, intricate counters, and psychologically sound. Malenko was just killing it with his 'robotic technical master' character, too. *** ½

The Acolytes v Big Bossman and Bull Buchanan: Bull and Bossman try attacking before the bell, but the Acolytes are ready, and it turns into a brawl. Bradshaw hits Buchanan with a flying clothesline for two as the dust settles, and follows with a spear and a swinging neckbreaker. The Acolytes continue with some power stuff, until Faarooq gets caught in a heat segment. He manages a spinebuster on Buchanan to allow the tag to Bradshaw, and he's a barn of fire! Four-way brawl, and Bradshaw hits Bull with the Clothesline from Hell, but Bossman breaks up the count. He bashes Bradshaw with his nightstick for good measure, and Bull hits a flying axekick for the pin at 7:41. A bit too long for what they were going for, but Buchanan was trying especially hard to make this work, and it was well placed on the card. ¼*

WWF Hardcore Title Six-Man Match: Crash Holly v Hardcore Holly v Matt Hardy v Jeff Hardy v Tazz v Saturn: Given the participants, this could either be really fun in the classic Lucha sense, or it's going to be a complete train wreck. Saturn attacks Crash in the aisle to get things started, and inside, everyone hits various high impact maneuvers on him to try and score a fall. They all fight over to the entrance set, with Crash trying to evade his challengers by climbing up one of these giant swinging scythes, but Jeff follows him up, and knocks him down where the others are ready and waiting. Jeff uses the scythe to swing onto Saturn with a rana, and everyone brawls back to the ring to trade suplexes. No love from cousin Hardcore, either, who just gleefully joins in on beating little Crash as well. Considering what a dick Hardcore is usually described as by his fellow wrestlers, somehow that's not surprising. The Hardy's bring a ladder into things to up the ante, and Jeff hits a Swanton onto Crash, but the Boyz can't decide who gets to score the fall, and fight amongst themselves. Tazz capitalizes by taking them both out, and he slaps the Tazzmission on Crash, but Saturn breaks it up with a stop sign. The Hardy's take him (and Hardcore, for good measure) out with stereo dives, but while they busy themselves with that, Crash simply rolls over and drapes an arm over Tazz's chest for the pin at 12:20. Definitely fell on the fun side of things. My position on this match type is well documented, but this had enough guys in it willing to put their bodies on the line that is was good (for what it was), chaotic fun. *

Kurt Angle v Big Show: This is a pretty famous match, as Show was hot off of stealing the show during Rock's guest host appearance on SNL, and doing a lot of comedy bits to capitalize on the success. Tonight's bit? The Showster, as Show comes out dressed as Hulk Hogan (complete with bald cap), and does his old school red-and-yellow impression - with Real American playing on the sound system. Unfortunately, I don't think spray tanning was a thing yet in 2000 (or, if it was, certainly not as big of a thing), because Show isn't quite orange enough. Still an awesome, and rightfully well remembered bit. The impression doesn't stop before the bell, however, as Angle attacks, and Show HULKS UP!! Big Boot! Legdrop! Two Count! Angle clips the knee to end the Hulk Up, and briefly works it, but Show tears the bald cap off (looking more like Andre than ever in the big, yellow tights), and hits the Chokeslam at 2:38. Strictly a comedy match, but it was memorable, and short. Kinda wish someone lower on the card had to take the brunt of it, but Angle wasn't hurt in the long run, and this bit is still fondly remembered today, so all's well. DUD

The Dudley Boyz v T&A: The idea here is that Trish Stratus (manager of T&A, in her first WWF gig) has been cock-teasing Bubba Dudley, and he wants to put her through a table for it. The Dudley's destroy Albert at will in the early going (giving us all sorts of hot 'concerned Trish' camera angles), until D-Von runs into a big boot, and Test tags to start cutting the ring in half. Yay, now we get 'happy Trish' angles! We can't lose! Lawler sums up my thoughts on this match well, as he too isn't pro-Dudley's or pro-T&A - he's pro-Trish. The heat segment continues, until D-Von manages to superplex Albert, and Bubba gets the tag. He's a house of arson, and the Dudley's go for the Death Drop, but Trish distracts Bubba by taking off her jacket, and Test blasts him with a big boot for the pin at 11:10. Afterwards, Trish goes through a table, of course. Just a paint-by-numbers tag match, ahead of the payoff with the table spot that the fans were clamoring for. ¼*

WWF European Title Match: Eddie Guerrero v Essa Rios: Speaking of debut gigs, Rios is managed by fellow redhead Lita, in her debut gig. Eddie goes right to work with a dropkick, but a tilt-a-whirl backbreaker gets reversed, in a spot that looked too choreographed. Guerrero returns fire with a crisp side suplex, and he takes him down to work the arm for a bit. Criss cross puts Eddie on the floor off an armdrag, but Rios misses a plancha follow-up, and Guerrero tosses him into the ring steps. Back in, Eddie bodyslams him to set up a slingshot somersault senton, and Chyna adds in a few shots of her own for good measure. Rios manages to turn that into a dropkick anyway, and adds a missile version for two. He tries a dragon sleeper, but Guerrero stuns his way out - only for Rios to armdrag out of a powerbomb, and monkeyflip the champion. Rios ends up taking another shot from Chyna though, and Eddie leaps onto him with a tope suicida. He tries a powerbomb out there, so Lita tries diving at him from the top rope - only for Chyna to shove her down. The distraction allows Rios to backdrop Eddie on the outside, and he adds a springboard moonsault into the announce table. Looked botched there to a trained observer, but it came off fine. Rios with another missile dropkick on the way back in, but it knocks Eddie back to the floor, so Rios follows with a brutal cross corner plancha. Don't see that one too often. Another missile dropkick, but Chyna crotches him on the top to stop it, and Eddie superplexes him down for two. Brainbuster, and he goes for the Frogsplash to finish, but Rios brings him down with an armdrag off the top! Flying moonsault, but Eddie blocks with the knees, and spinning crucifix neckbreaker for the pin at 8:41. Rios looked sloppy at points, but Eddie helped him power through it onto their way to a nice little match. *** ¼

WWF Intercontinental Title Match: Chris Benoit v Chris Jericho: The initial lockup ends up being so hard fought that both men spill to the outside in it. Right back in, they briefly trade headlocks, then get into a pinfall reversal sequence that ends in both guys trading the most vicious chops imaginable - each daring the other to hit harder. Benoit 'wins' that, but misses a cross corner charge to allow Jericho a drop-toehold into some mounted punches. A cross corner whip gets reversed, however, and Benoit regroups with two-alarm rolling German suplexes - with Jericho grabbing the ropes to block the third alarm. Annoyed, Benoit decides to side suplex him out of the ring, but a tope follow-up misses, and Benoit smacks his head right into the floor. That couldn't have been good for him in the long run. Jericho decides to heap it on by whipping him into the steps, but Benoit reverses, then dropkicks them into his gut to punctuate the spot. Inside, that gets Benoit two, and he adds a kneelift as punishment for kicking out. Stomachbreaker for two, and a slingshot into the corner sets up a forward suplex across the top rope to keep the hurt on the midsection. Snap suplex gets two, and he whips Jericho into the ropes for another hard kneelift. Abdominal stretch (which is fine in the context of the match) follows, but Jericho escapes, and desperately rushes into a springboard moonsault - but it hurts him more than Benoit, since he lands on injured part. He gets a delayed two count out of it anyway, but the delay allows Benoit to recover, and toss Jericho into the corner for a beating. Jericho manages to snap off a spinheel kick to block a charging Benoit, and quickly adds a bulldog for two. Benoit tries another kneelift to retain control, but Jericho has it scouted, and counters into a cradle for two. They fight over a suplex, and Jericho returns the favor from earlier by dropping Benoit across the top rope with it, but he misses a springboard dropkick follow-up, and Benoit goes to the top, only to get dropkicked onto the turnbuckle for a side superplex - which he still counters into a bodyblock on the way down! That gets a dramatic two count, and he tries following with a gutwrench suplex, but Jericho counters into a two-alarm no-release powerbomb for two - Benoit not only kicking out, but shifting the kick out directly into the Crossface! He wrenches it on (and I mean WRENCHES!), but Jericho makes the ropes to escape. Benoit responds by dragging him back to the middle to reapply it, but Jericho is ready this time, and counters into the Walls before he can get it on. Benoit grabs the ropes to break, so Jericho throws a diving forearm - only for Benoit to duck, and the referee to get blasted. Benoit immediately takes advantage of the situation by grabbing the title belt, and walloping Jericho with it for a dramatic two count. Crowd thought that was it. Frustrated, Benoit adds a snap suplex onto the title belt, and heads up, but when Jericho blocks it by cracking him with the belt on the way down, the referee calls for the disqualification at 15:05. Boo! Boo! Fuck you, too! Could have done without that ending, but up until then this was on track to be an all-time classic. Even still, it's an excellent psychological thriller of a match, filled with brutal exchanges, and truly top notch ring work from both men - which, sadly, has been erased by history. ****

Main Event: WWF Title Match: Triple H v The Rock: Shane McMahon is the special guest referee for this one. They do a drawn out staredown to get the crowd into it, then rush each other for a big-time slugfest - won by Rock. The challengers knocks HHH into the corner, but misses a clothesline to set up a Pedigree - then quickly backdrops out of it. He stomps a mud hole in the corner, but referee Shane breaks it up, and Hunter charges out with a neckbreaker. Rock is so pissed that he shrugs it off and side suplexes the champion, but a charge ends with Rocky flying over the top. HHH follows for a shot into the steps and announce table, and Vince McMahon grabs him to add a shot into the post. Meanwhile, referee Shane is 'misses' it all while hugging his brother-in-law in the ring. Inside, that gets HHH two, and a high knee gets two. Vertical suplex and a kneedrop get two - with HHH forcing him to kick out of multiple pinfall attempts for good measure. Love that spot! Another slugfest goes Rock's way, but Hunter cuts him off with a sleeper. With Shane's biased officiating, HHH openly puts him feet on the ropes to stop escape attempts, and when Rock finally does muscle out, Hunter is ready with a clothesline for two. Ten-punch count, but Rock stunguns his way out, so Vince wallops him with the title belt to prevent a full comeback. That gets HHH two (with Shane making perhaps the fastest count in history), but Rock decides to stick it to them by making a comeback anyway! He tosses HHH out of the ring (in a great bump by the champ), and follows for a clothesline on the floor. Mindful of the biased officiating, Rock quickly brings him back in, and hits a DDT, but Shane refuses to count. Rock responds by knocking his ass out, but that allows HHH to toss him as well, and he adds a whip into the steps out there. Pedigree onto the Spanish announce table, but Rock blows him low to block, and sets up a Rock Bottom - grabbing a protesting Shane in the move on the way! Wow, talk about two-for-one deals! Just crazy, and totally unique. Inside, Vince tries to derail the comeback by sneak attacking again, and succeeds when HHH blows Rock low, and hits the Pedigree! No referee though, as Shane is still in the rubble of the announce table. Vince calls for a new referee, and out run Pat Patterson and Gerald Brisco is striped shirts. Rock kicks out at two, so the Stooges beat him down, and Vince adds a chairshot (at Stephanie's request) for good measure. HHH wants one more Pedigree before getting the academic pin, when suddenly Steve Austin's music hits, and Stone Cold makes his way down with a chair in hand! He starts taking guys out at will, and Rock catches HHH with a spinebuster to set up the People's Elbow - Linda McMahon leading a real referee out to count the fall at 19:22. Excellent, satisfying main event, with both guys finally (FINALLY!) having a match that doesn't require them to brawl all around the arena for fifteen minutes, and where the babyface overcomes the odds in a totally believable way. I mean, yeah, it was overbooked as hell, but the Austin save nearly blew the roof off of the place, and it was emotionally satisfying. It wasn't just overbooking for the sake of overbooking, it was overbooking for the sake of blowing off the storyline. And that's fine. ***

BUExperience: This show was very, very well received at the time, and understandably so. A lot of what was wrong with that years WrestleMania (most notably, the ending) was rectified here, and though the show is far from perfect, it features a satisfying main event, a near-classic Intercontinental Title bout, two very good European and Light Heavyweight Title bouts, and even a memorable comedy match with Showster. A winner.

***