WWE Backlash (April 2008)

Original Airdate: April 27, 2008

From Baltimore, Maryland; Your Hosts are Jim Ross and Jerry Lawler (RAW); Michael Cole and Mick Foley (Smackdown); Mike Adamle and Tazz (ECW)

Opening WWE United States Title Match: Montel Vontavious Porter v Matt Hardy: Hardy dominates the early going, but Porter manages to drive a forearm into the back to block a move, and he capitalizes with a side suplex for two. He takes Matt upstairs for a side superplex, but Hardy blocks, only to have his flying moonsault blocked when MVP lifts his knees to block. Porter delivers a kneedrop for two, and he works an abdominal stretch, but Matt escapes with a Samoan drop for two, so Porter armdrags him for two. Looked like he was going for an overhead belly-to-belly there, but they got their signals crossed. MVP with a series of elbowdrops for two, and a fireman's carry drop follows, but Hardy blocks the follow-up with a clothesline. Matt delivers a bulldog for two, but Porter blocks the Side Effect, and drops Hardy across the top rope. Playmaker looks to finish, but Matt counters with the Side Effect for two, only to get crotched on the top turnbuckle as he goes upstairs. Porter follows for a superplex, but Matt counters with a Side Effect off the top for two. Twist of Fate, but Porter counters with a backslide - only to get busted using the ropes for leverage. That allows Hardy a schoolboy for two, but Montel blocks the Twist again, and a shining wizard sends the challenger to the outside. Porter leaves him out there to take the count, but Matt beats it in, so Porter starts punting him. Corner big boot, but Matt dodges, and the Twist of Fate ends MVP's near year long reign at 11:25! Took some time to find its footing, but solid action once it did. * ½

ECW Title Match: Kane v Chavo Guerrero: Chavo tries to spar with the champion to start, but that ends badly for him, and Kane drills him with a seated dropkick. He follows with a vicious looking hangman, but Guerrero swipes at the leg to escape, so Kane chokes his ass in the corner. Kane with a press-slam, but a charge is countered with a drop-toehold into the middle turnbuckle, forcing Kane to fight him off by tossing Guerrero over the top rope. Kane tries a flying clothesline on the way back in, but Chavo manages to shove him down to the floor to block, and he starts working on the champion's leg as they head back inside. Kane fights him off with an electric chair, and uses a big boot to set up a pair of corner clotheslines. Sidewalk slam gets two, but Chavo blocks the Tombstone, so Kane backdrops him instead. The champ goes up with a flying clothesline, knocking Guerrero to the apron, where the challenger manages to snap Kane's throat across the top rope. That allows Guerrero a DDT for two, and a flying frogsplash follows - only for Kane to grab him in a choke upon landing, and shift up into a chokeslam at 8:49. A little dull at points, but generally all right. *

Great Khali v Big Show: Who booked this shit? The first minute is nothing but an extended stare down, before things get going with a slugfest. Khali controls that, so Show starts trading headbutts with him, then chops. Khali dominates all of those exchanges, and unloads in the corner, but Show fires back. He tries a bodyslam, but Khali blocks, and clotheslines Show over the top. Khali follows to send Show into the post, then back inside, he slaps on a (really poorly executed) crippler crossface. Show escapes and tries another bodyslam, but gets toppled for two, and Khali slaps on a nervehold. Show escapes, so Khali chops him for two, and he grabs a bow-and-arrow. Show escapes in the corner, and finally manages to hit the bodyslam, but it only gets two. Well, it is still just a basic bodyslam. I mean, I'm happy for him that he was finally able to do it, but it's hardly a murderkilldeath move. Khali tries a choke, but Show reverses into a Chokeslam at 8:06. Woof. This should have been done in five minutes max. -*

Batista v Shawn Michaels: Chris Jericho acts as the special guest referee for this one, and actually looks like he'd fit in perfectly as a referee. Usually wrestlers are so jacked up, or have weird hair/facial hair, or whatever, that they look 'wrong' in the role, but Jericho actually looks just like most of the actual refs. Shawn sticks and moves, but nearly runs into the Batista Bomb early on, and is forced to bail. Shawn is able to ground him, and he starts working the arm with a short-armscissors. Batista manages to power to a vertical base, but Shawn holds on, and both men end up tumbling over the top rope as Batista tries to shake him loose. Shawn sends him arm-first into the post out there, but Batista beats the count back in, so Michaels starts stomping on the arm, and applies a hammerlock. Shawn rolls it into a pin attempt for two, then wrenches the arm around the middle rope for some more abuse. That triggers some punches from Batista, but Shawn keeps his cool, and takes him down with a drop-toehold into another hammerlock. Batista escapes in the corner, so Shawn grabs another armscissors, this time while hanging over the top rope for extra damage. Michaels with a flying axehandle, and he cranks on the arm again, but Batista is able to shoot to a vertical base with a Samoan drop to escape. That buys him some time, but Michaels is still up first, and unloads with chops in the corner - only to have a cross corner whip reversed, and Batista levels him with a lariat! Batista manages a front-powerslam for two, but the Batista Bomb is countered into a crippler crossface! Batista gets the ropes, but Shawn isn't too quick to release, forcing Jericho to physically intervene. That allows Batista to recover a bit, and he counters an armbar attempt with a sidewalk slam for two. Shawn fires back with a jumping forearm, but Batista is able to hit him with a spear for two when Michaels kips up. Batista tries a superplex, but Shawn shoves him off to block, and dives with a flying elbowdrop. Superkick, but Batista counters with a spinebuster. Batista Bomb, but Shawn manages to slip free - only to tweak his knee as he lands. He hides out in the ropes, with Jericho able to keep Batista at bay - only for the whole thing to be a ploy, with Michaels popping the Animal with a Superkick at 14:56. I really enjoyed this one, as it had a really interesting and unique dynamic, with the smaller Michaels dominating the bulk of the match. Jericho's presence also wasn't overwhelming, as he factored in, but didn't overshadow the match. *** ¼

Twelve-Woman Tag Team Match: Mickie James, Ashley, Kelly Kelly, Maria, Michelle McCool, and Cherry v Beth Phoenix, Melina, Layla, Victoria, Jillian Hall, and Natalya: McCool and Phoenix start, with Michelle able to stick and move her way against the larger opponent. That works for a while, but she runs into a front-powerslam to turn the tide, and Melina tags in to muta-lock McCool. Sunset slip, but McCool rolls through into a seated dropkick, and James gets the tag. She drops Melina with a headscissors takedown, but Natalya manages to tag in. She slugs it out with Mickie, but gets caught in a neckbreaker, so she passes over to Victoria. Victoria hits a bodyslam to set up a standing moonsault, but Mickie rolls out of the way, and deliver a leg-feed enzuigiri. Meanwhile, Cherry goes after Natalya on the outside, leading to everyone brawling on the outside. Dust settles on Ashley and Hall, with Ashley quickly ending up in the wrong corner, and getting pounded on. There was a time when Ashley was attractive, but she's so rail thin here that she looks unhealthy. Everyone decides to abandon the tag rules, and they start running in to trade signature moves (with multiple botches) until Beth catches Ashley in a muscle buster at 6:31. This was just filler. DUD

World Heavyweight Title Match: Undertaker v Edge: The WWE's version of the big gold belt looks like such a toy compared to the original. Undertaker kicks the crap out of him in the early going, until Edge goes to the eyes, and clotheslines the champion over the top. Undertaker lands on his feet, so Edge quickly follows up with a baseball slide, but a dive off of the apron backfires when Undertaker catches him for a ram into the post. Undertaker whips him into the barricade next, then drops him across it with a snake-eyes. Another snake-eyes across the apron for good measure, and a guillotine legdrop connects on the way back in. Undertaker with a bodyslam to set up a legdrop for two, but another snake-eyes is countered with the Edge-o-Matic for two. Edge with an inverted spear for two, and he grounds the champion in a bodyscissors. Undertaker manages to shift his weight and unload with mounted punches to escape, but Edge fights off the follow-up with a dropkick to the back. Baseball slide knocks Undertaker out of the ring, and Edge hustles him back in for an elbowdrop to the back, ahead of a camel clutch. Undertaker starts to power out, so Edge shifts to another bodyscissors, then into a reverse chinlock. Undertaker powers free of that as well though, and a criss cross results in a double knockout spot. Both guys stagger up, and throw simultaneous big boots for a second double knockout. That leads to a slugfest, won by Undertaker, and he whips his challenger into the corner for a clothesline. Snake-eyes sets up a big boot and an elbowdrop for two, but Edge manages to block the ropewalk forearm. That allows him to try a rana off the top, but Undertaker is able to shove him off to block, and he leaps with a flying elbowdrop - only for Edge to move, and hook the leg for two! Guess there's a reason he doesn't try that one very often. Undertaker tries the chokeslam, but Edge counters with a Russian legsweep for two, but a trip to the top gets the challenger slammed off for two. Tombstone, but Edge holds onto the top turnbuckle to block, ripping off the pad in the process. While the referee works to fix that, Curt Hawkins runs in to clobber Undertaker with the title belt, and Edge covers for a dramatic two count! Edge keeps coming with the spear, but Undertaker counters with a DDT for two. That brings Zack Ryder out, but his interference backfires, and 'Taker goes for the Last Ride - Edge countering with a sunset flip, but the champion countering back with Hell's Gate to retain at 18:24! Afterwards, 'Taker refuses to release the hold for a while, which would lead to him being stripped of the title on the following episode of Smackdown. Good match, with hard work all around, though they couldn't top the WrestleMania one. ***

Main Event: WWE Title Fatal Four-Way Elimination Match: Randy Orton v John Cena v Triple H v John Bradshaw Layfield: Entrances take forever here. Sometimes the modern product is too much like a videogame, but one thing those games have over the real thing is the ability to disable entrances. I like a good entrance sequence as much as the next fan, but four modern length standard entrance routines in a row is a lot. Orton grabs the title belt, and charges JBL right at the bell, but Bradshaw drills him with a big boot to block, and Randy is left licking his wounds on the outside. The other three trade off in the ring, with HHH hitting Layfield with a vertical suplex, then corner whipping Cena to put him down on the outside. Cena spears Randy out there, but gets knocked off the apron while trying to climb back inside, and Layfield works with Orton to beat on HHH. It spills to the outside, where HHH is able to whip Layfield into the steps, but a Pedigree on the floor is blocked. Inside, Cena hits Orton with the Throwback, and the flying rocker dropper sets up the STFU. Bradshaw looks to save, but remembers that it's elimination rules, and thinks better of it. Unfortunately for him, as he's taunting Orton, HHH sneaks up and puts him in a crippler crossface! Both escape, and Orton tosses Cena over the top, but walks right into a big boot from Bradshaw for two. Layfield tries to charge, but hits boot, allowing Orton to cream him with a lariat. Randy goes upstairs, but Bradshaw dives into the ropes to crotch him on the top turnbuckle to set up a superplex, but Cena and HHH head over to powerbomb them both off in the process. That gives Cena and HHH stereo two counts, and they slug it out between themselves from there - Cena controlling with a suplex for two. Cena goes for the Five Knuckle Shuffle, but HHH counters with a rotating spinebuster, only to have the Pedigree blocked when Bradshaw charges him with a clothesline. That allows Cena to go for the FU, but HHH blocks, so John backdrops him over the top. That allows him to tackle Bradshaw in the STFU, and Layfield is the first man eliminated at 10:31. Unfortunately for Cena, Orton punts him in the noggin before he even releases the hold, and Cena is done at 10:42. The two remaining men slug it out, won by Hunter with a vertical suplex to set up a kneedrop for two. To the outside, Orton reverses a whip into the steps, and sends Hunter into the first row with a catapult! Hunter really smacked into that barricade on the way over too, ouch. Orton vertical suplexes him back over to ringside, then muscles him back inside to cover for two. Orton goes to work on the midsection that HHH smacked into the barricade with, but Hunter starts slugging back, so Randy deliver an inverted headlock backbreaker for two. Chinlock/bodyscissors combo wears HHH down, and Randy hits a snap powerslam for two. RKO looks to finish, but Hunter is able to block, and he throws a high knee to buy recovery time. Orton tries a backdrop, but HHH counters with a kneeling facebuster for two, and he clotheslines the champion over the top. Hunter follows to toss Orton into an announce table, but the follow-up is countered when Randy drops him into the barricade. That allows Orton time to grab the steps, and he sets up a piledriver onto them, but HHH sweeps the legs to block, dropping the champion onto the steel with a smack! Ouch! Back in, Hunter keeps coming with a rotating spinebuster, but Orton counters the Pedigree with a backdrop. RKO, but Hunter blocks, only to bump the referee in the process - allowing Orton to hit it on the next try for two! He goes for the kill with the punt, but HHH dodges, and a reversal sequence ends in Hunter delivering the Pedigree at 28:12. Felt a little bulky, but segmenting it into what were basically two separate matches helped it go down easier. ** ¾

BUExperience: Hardly a classic, but a solid, focused show that’s an easy watch.

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