10 Best WWE Backlash Matches Ever
1. Randy Orton Vs. Cactus Jack - 2004
For me, this is the best match in WWE Backlash history.
If you're looking for the moment Randy Orton became a star in World Wrestling Entertainment, look no further than this brutal Hardcore rules Intercontinental Championship match against Mick Foley in 2004. Well, I say Mick Foley, I mean Cactus Jack, Foley's hardcore persona that existed in WWF/E purely to get other people over.
That job was more than done here, as Orton picked up his first major win. Of course, he'd had big wins to this point (defeating RVD for the IC title the biggest), but this was different; Randy Orton came out of this match as a legitimate star. He would be world champion within six months.
Foley has referred to this as his best match in WWE, and for good reason. Not only is it brutal but it also makes sense, the rivalry between the two incredibly intense at the time. The usual plunder is involved, with thumb tacks and barbed wire the main accompaniments of choice.
The finish is deservedly violent, with Orton hitting an RKO onto the barbed wire baseball bat for the win. Orton's facial expressions throughout are fantastic but none more so than at the end, as he displays shock that he'd survived.
Will SmackDown produce a match that betters this barbarous classic this coming September? If anything from the show breaks into this list next year, we're in for a treat.