10 Best Split-Brand Pay-Per-Views In WWE History

1. Backlash 2004 (Raw)

Trish Stratus Chris Jericho Backlash 2004
WWE

WrestleMania XX is one of WWE's all-time most-beloved Pay-Per-View shows, with a classic triple threat main event between Chris Benoit, Triple H, and Shawn Michaels. As everyone knows, Benoit won that match to become the World Heavyweight Champion, but less well remembered is the rematch they had the following month.

At Backlash, the same three men met for the same title and recaptured the same magic. Michaels and Triple H pulled out all of the stops to try and become World Heavyweight Champion, but this time, it was HBK who would fall. Benoit caught him with a Sharpshooter and forced him to submit, retaining the belt.

The other classic match on the show was a hardcore contest pitting Intercontinental Champion Randy Orton against Cactus Jack. Given that Orton was seen as a star getting pushed on his look and Cactus Jack hadn't wrestled in four years, fans were skeptical. In the end, though, they delivered an insane, bloody match that proved Orton was every bit tough and talented enough to headline in WWE.

Factoring in those matches - as well as Shelton Benjamin versus Ric Flair and Chris Jericho versus Christian and Trish Stratus - Backlash is the very best of the brand-split PPVs.

Contributor
Contributor

Scott Fried is a Slammy Award-winning* writer living and working in New York City. He has been following/writing about professional wrestling for many years and is a graduate of Lance Storm's Storm Wrestling Academy. Follow him on Twitter at https://twitter.com/scottfried. *Best Crowd of the Year, 2013