WWF Backlash (April 2002)

From Kansas City, Missouri; Your Hosts are Jim Ross and Jerry Lawler

Opening WWF Cruiserweight Title Match: Billy Kidman v Tajiri: Lockup stalemate leads to a shovefest, but a reversal sequence ends in another stalemate. Another reversal sequence ends in Kidman hitting a 2^nd rope dropkick, and he puts Tajiri on the floor with a headscissors - only for Tajiri to sweep his legs, and drop him across the rail. Back in, Tajiri drops a pair of knees, and cracks him with a roundhouse kick, then snapmares him into a chinlock. Kidman escapes and hits a rana, but an attempt at another headscissors is blocked when Tajiri turns it until a tilt-a-whirl, then hangs him in a tree of woe to setup a baseball slide. Tajiri slides out to the floor and wraps Kidman's spine around the post, then slides back in with a backbreaker submission, but Kidman escapes, so Tajiri swats him down again, and hits a double stomp to the small of the back. Tarantula, but Kidman blocks the handspring elbow by swatting him out of the air with a dropkick for two. Side suplex, but Tajiri counters into an enzuigiri to cutoff the comeback, then wins another reversal sequence with a German suplex for two. Vicious superkick gets two, and he tries for a powerbomb, but Billy counters into a facebuster for two. He goes for the Shooting Star Press, but Tajiri is not near weak enough yet, and easily rolls out of the way, then takes his head off with a roundhouse kick for two. Tajiri goes for a rana off the top, but Kidman counters into a sitout-superbomb for two. Powerbomb, but as Kidman hoists him, Tajiri sprays some well timed mist into his eyes, and we have a new champion at 9:08. Good opener, with both guys working hard, and the crowd responding accordingly to the well built drama. ** ¾

Scott Hall v Bradshaw: Would it have killed them to just make him Razor Ramon again? I mean, clearly the crowd was into the whole nostalgia thing with Hogan, and then again a few years later when Kevin Nash showed up as Diesel. Nobody needed (or even wanted) the nWo again. Hall tosses his toothpick at Bradshaw, but that doesn't go well, and he gets killed. He tries bailing, but runs into Faarooq on the floor, and Bradshaw drops an elbow as he slides back in for two. Snap suplex gets two, as X-Pac dances around like an idiot on the floor to try and motivate Hall. Uh, yeah, I think we all know what used to motivate Hall back in the bad old days, and it wasn't effeminate dancing. Scott comes back with a whole bunch of punch-kick stuff, but Bradshaw comes back with a big boot, and hits a cross corner clothesline. Clothesline from Hell, but X-Pac puts Scott's foot on the ropes to break the count. That pisses Bradshaw off, naturally, but as he yells at X-Pac, Hall schoolboys him for the cheap pin at 5:47. Had no flow, heat, or chemistry, and neither guy seemed into it to boot. DUD

WWF Women's Title Match: Jazz v Trish Stratus: But first, Molly Holly shows up, and bitches that Trish doesn't deserve a title shot because she's not wholesome, or something. Trish disagrees, so Molly destroys her, and Jazz capitalizes with a sidewalk slam for two. Jazz works her over, but Trish manages a discus clothesline, and Stratus hits a roundhouse kick for two. Shades of Tajiri, King! Trish puts her on the top turnbuckle to setup a rana back down, and she follows with a neckbreaker for two. Jazz counters a backdrop with a sitout powerbomb for two, but misses a splash in the corner, and Trish schoolgirls her for two. Bulldog, but Jazz counters with a side suplex for two, so Trish gives a last ditch effort with a kick - only to get legwhipped into a Boston crab. She goes for the ropes, but Jazz sees it coming, and turns it into an STF instead to retain at 4:26. Better than I expected - fast paced, and didn't overstay its welcome. *

Jeff Hardy v Brock Lesnar: This is Lesnar's debut, and he came pretty much fully realized right from the start - even already managed by Paul Heyman here. Jeff attacks him as he steps through the ropes, but Brock casually no-sells, and dumps him. Brock chases, so Hardy dropkicks him off the apron, but Lesnar catches him as he tries a plancha follow-up. He goes to ram him into the post, but Jeff reverses, and hits a flying bodypress on the way back in for two. Brock ignores it, and railroads him into the corner for a series of shoulderblocks, then overhead suplexes him like he's a bag of garbage. No comment - that joke's too easy. Another one, and Brock follows with a three-alarm no-release backbreaker - Heyman hilariously counting along. Jeff desperately tries slugging back, but Lesnar corner whips him to stop that effort, then adds another for fun. Jeff blocks a third with a flying somersault bodyblock, and he manages a chincrusher to setup the Swanton, but Brock kicks out at two. Hardy is shocked, but really, given the size difference, is that really so surprising? It's like a toddler splashing a sumo wrestler. Jeff overreacts and grabs a chair, but Brock shrugs that off too, and hits an F5 on it. Interesting that Sable would marry two guys who used that as a finisher. Oh man, if only I could go back and reveal that trick to my middle school self. I guess they hadn't settled on that as his finisher yet, though, because he peels Jeff off the mat for a two-alarm no-release powerbomb. Then he gives him another powerbomb just for fun, until the referee stops it due to excessive violence at 5:31. Brock was getting the super-dooper-rocket-in-the-pooper push, and while he was still a little green, Jeff went out and made him look like a proper monster, and it was definitely a memorable debut. Too bad they didn't dig up Marty Jannetty for this, though, because I'd have loved to see him sell his ass off through Lesnar's offense. *

Kurt Angle v Edge: Kurt grabs a headlock out of the initial lockup, and smacks him down with a shoulderblock, but runs into a forearm after getting too cute for his own good with a head fake. Edge with a flapjack, and he clotheslines Kurt over the top, as Lawler makes fun of Edge for having a 'head full of nappy hair.' Hey, keep it above the belt, Lawler! Back in, Edge hits a spinheel kick, but walks into a German suplex moments later, and Kurt tosses him into the corner for a series of chops. Edge tries turning the tables, but gets overhead suplexed for two, and Angle adds a snap suplex for another two. Edge escapes a chinlock, so Kurt decides to punish him with the rolling Germans, but Edge blocks after the first, and hits a release overhead suplex of his own for a double-knockout. Slugfest goes Kurt's way, but Edge catches him with a diving forearm and a backdrop. Impaler gets two, and a half-nelson bulldog is worth two. To the top, but Kurt pops up with an overhead superplex for two - a cool spot that was still really fresh at the point. Three-alarm rolling German suplex gets two, but Edge counters the Olympic Slam into a release German of his own, then backdrops an angry charging Angle over the top. Edge follows with a visually impressive flying bodypress out to the floor, then a missile dropkick on the way back in for two. Impaler, but Kurt blocks, so Edge tries for the Edge-o-Matic instead, but Angle counters into an Olympic Slam - only worth two! Great sequence there. Kurt's good and pissed now, and he slaps on the Anklelock, but Edge counters into a victory cradle for two. Kurt cuts him off with a lariat, and decides to grab a chair to finish things, but much like it did for Jeff Hardy in the last match, it backfires - allowing Edge the Edge-o-Matic for two. Spear, but Kurt blocks with a knee to the face, and he grabs him in a quick Olympic Slam for the pin at 13:24. A little awkward early on, but once it got going it REALLY got going, with lots of fluid reversal sequences, and psychology. *** ¼

WWF Intercontinental Title Match: Rob Van Dam v Eddie Guerrero: Rob's posing earns him a fist to the face, but the champ manages to win a reversal sequence with a spinkick and a monkeyflip. Spinheel kick gets two, but Eddie blocks another kick with a legwhip, and unloads in the corner until Rob is a tie-dyed puddle. Van Dam reanimates with lightning kicks and a standing moonsault for two, and a roundhouse kick follows for two. Vertical suplex gets two, and a bodyslam sets up the Five Star Frogsplash, but Eddie crotches him on the top, then tries to superplex him down - only for Rob to drop to the floor, and snap Guerrero's neck across the top rope on the way! Van Dam hustles back in with a flying sidekick, and another standing moonsault gets two. Suplex, but Eddie cradles him for two, then blocks another suplex attempt with a rollup for two. Give it up, Rob! Eddie bails, but Rob is on him with a baseball slide, and he adds a moonsault off of the apron for good measure. Rob forward suplexes him across the rail to setup a corkscrew legdrop off of the apron, then rolls his challenger in to get two off of it. Rolling thunder is blocked with the knees, however, and Eddie adds a tilt-a-whirl backbreaker, followed by a crisp side suplex for two. Drop-toehold leads to a surfboard, and then the gory special as Eddie continues to punish the back. Rob escapes with a sunset cradle for two, but gets smacked back down before he can follow-up, and Eddie hits a leg lariat to setup a slingshot somersault senton for two. Springboard rana gets two, and he follows with a neat brainbuster into a side suplex combo for two. That was pretty fucking cool, and Eddie is just playing a dick heel wonderfully tonight. He goes up for the Frogsplash, but Rob returns the favor by crotching him, but his superplex is also blocked - Guerrero countering with a VICIOUS sunsetbomb for two. Holy shit. Eddie smirks as he tries another powerbomb, but Rob manages to counter into an enzuigiri, so Guerrero wisely bails. He finds the title belt out there, but Rob kicks it away - only to bump the referee in the process! Eddie immediately pounces with a neckbreaker onto the belt, and follows with the Frogsplash for the title at 11:43. Fun ECW-ish match, as both guys left it all out there, and Guerrero was a joy to watch in full dick heel glory mode. *** ½

#1 Contenders Match: Steve Austin v The Undertaker: Ah, fuck. This show was coming along so nicely, too. Reminds me of nWo-era WCW, when the main events illicit groans instead of cheers. And speaking of WCW, Ric Flair is the special guest referee for this. Slow start, as they go for Rock/Hogan I style epicness with dramatic staredowns and headlocks, but land closer to Warrior/Hogan II. Austin takes him down with a hammerlock, but Undertaker escapes and works an armbar, so Steve hits a Thesz press and a pointed elbowdrop for two. There, that about covers the first eight minutes. I'm toying with the idea of summing up this match with nothing but a haiku, but I think that might be pretentious even by my standards, so let's just stick to ignoring it outright, K? Out to the floor for a long brawl so boring that even the fans they get up close and personal with can't be bothered to care. That summed up about the next ten minutes... we're really breezing along now! Back in, Undertaker slaps on a chinlock, as the fans gets noticeably restless. Austin reversing to a sleeper doesn't even get a polite pop, and you can hear a pin drop as Flair counts two when Undertaker side suplexes out. Well, at least this match is giving me plenty of time to do some online holiday shopping. Austin hits a Stunner. Austin hits a spinebuster. Flair gets bumped. Undertaker uses a chair. Austin uses the chair, too, but it backfires, and Undertaker pins him off of it at 26:58. Ugh. You know, I think early 2000s Undertaker could have at least been tolerable had they limited him to ten minute matches, but why the fuck is he booked like NWA-era Ric Flair every month, when he had NWA-era Jimmy Valiant talent? And, really, Steve Austin in 2002 looked so burned out and unmotivated that he's the last guy that might pull something watchable out of him. –*

WWF Tag Team Title Match: Billy & Chuck v Al Snow and Maven: I get that this is booked here as a cool down between the two big matches, but really, the last thing this crowd needs is a cool down after that live abortion. The challengers clean house early, but Maven runs into a double-team, and the champs cut the ring in half. Maven manages to DDT Billy, but Snow is down on the floor, and there's no one to tag. The champs continue to cut the ring in half, but Chuck walks into an enzuigiri, and now Snow gets the tag. Crowd barely reacts, but I'm going to give them the benefit of the doubt after the last bout. Snow quickly runs into a cheapshot and worked over, but manages to get the tag to Maven after the champs have an unfortunate big head/little head collision. Four-way brawl, but Maven can't put Billy away, and runs into a superkick from Chuck to allow the champs to retain at 5:59. They tried, but the crowd was just not having it, and they bombed as a result. ¼*

Main Event: WWF Title Match: Triple H v Hulk Hogan: Big staredown to start, and Hunter wins the initial lockup by shoving his challenger into the corner. Same deal for round two, but Hulk turns it around on the third go, and flexes. HHH calls for a test-of-strength, and they build drama nicely as they trade control. Say what you will, this is nothing if not well booked thus far. HHH with an overhead wristlock, but Hulk powers into a side-headlock, and quickly shoulderblocks the champ down. Hulk flexes again, so Hunter railroads him into the corner, and hammers away, but Hulk manages a backdrop and a ten-punch count. Another backdrop puts HHH all the way on the outside, and Hulk follows to post him, then adds a vertical suplex out there. Back in, Hunter corner whips him to setup a Pedigree, but Hulk blocks with a slingshot, then schoolboys him for two. Pair of cross corner clotheslines setup a cutter for two, but Hunter slips out of a bodyslam, and clips the leg. Ross: 'thank goodness Ric Flair is not in this match.' You said it, JR! Hunter goes to work on the knee, and wraps it around the ring post a few times before clipping it again, then slapping on a leglock. Hulk blocks a figure four, so HHH pops up and clips the knee for, like, the sixth time, then slaps on a toehold. I appreciate the psychology and that they're trying to build drama while booking around Hogan's limitations, but this legwork is super tedious, and unnecessary. This whole match could have shaved ten minutes off, and been a lot better off for it. I mean, even in the glory days, Hogan matches didn't go near this long. Like, the main events of WrestleManias 2 and III combined were about the length of this match. Figure four, but Hogan won't quit, so Hunter tries a sleeper instead. Maybe incase the neck is connected to the knee in an ear-nose-throat kind of way? Hulk does the classic armdrop escape routine, and side suplexes the champion, then hits an axehandle. Big boot sets up the Legdrop, but Chris Jericho runs down and pulls the referee out. Hulk goes to deal with him, but gets clobbered with a chair as he does, but Hunter doesn't want it that way, and kicks Jericho's ass. Back to Hogan, but he's HULKING UP!! Fists of Fury! Big Boot! Legdrop! - but Hunter rolls out of the way. Pedigree, but now Undertaker shows up to break the count. He clobbers Hunter with a chair, then puts Hogan on top, but Hulk doesn't want it that way, and starts having a seizure. Oh no, wait, he's just HULKING UP!! again. He takes 'Taker out, and one Legdrop later we have a new WWF Champion at 22:05 - and fittingly, the last before it became 'WWE' the next month. I know that history has proven the Hogan title reign to be a flop, but damned if I wasn't really, really into it at the time, and frankly, it made complete sense from a booking perspective. They'd have been stupid not to try it, honestly. Also, while far from 'good' from a workrate perspective, it was well booked to disguise Hogan's limitations as a worker, and build drama - though it fell into overbooking by the finish. *

BUExperience: Actually quite a fun show (with one notable exception, of course), and a historically significant one to boot, with Brock Lesnar’s debut, Hulk Hogan’s final World Title win, and the distinction of being the last North American pay per view under the ‘WWF’ banner.

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