10 Things WWE Regrets About Backlash

4. That Whole "God" Thing

John Cena Backlash
WWE

The God patter was top drawer to be fair.

It was only ever a psychological ruse designed to infuriate Shawn Michaels and entertain us all, and it did, because the notion of God actually performing in a WWE ring (and being cleared to do so by a referee!) was delightfully absurd. He'd have waited 14 years and gone to AEW if he was so omniscient, eh? Eh?

You 'avin that?

It didn't prove as controversial as time weirdly remembers it to be. This didn't cause a furore. There were no calls to ban the sick filth. Vince McMahon strutted in search of the shock value that had rescued his company - and strutted alongside God before defeating God - but nobody was really concerned.

But that in itself is a source of regret; WWE didn't generate much buzz, but rather solidified its reputation as the passé clown show that appealed to who, exactly? The casuals had left forever, and the lapsed wrestling fans resisted immediately after WrestleMania had faded to black most years.

To like WWE during this period, you had to really like WWE; this was schlock precision engineered to create the appetite for an alternative over time.

Contributor
Contributor

Michael Sidgwick is an editor, writer and podcaster for WhatCulture Wrestling. With over seven years of experience in wrestling analysis, Michael was published in the influential institution that was Power Slam magazine, and specialises in providing insights into All Elite Wrestling - so much so that he wrote a book about the subject. You can order Becoming All Elite: The Rise Of AEW on Amazon. Possessing a deep knowledge also of WWE, WCW, ECW and New Japan Pro Wrestling, Michael’s work has been publicly praised by former AEW World Champions Kenny Omega and MJF, and current Undisputed WWE Champion Cody Rhodes. When he isn’t putting your finger on why things are the way they are in the endlessly fascinating world of professional wrestling, Michael wraps his own around a hand grinder to explore the world of specialty coffee. Follow Michael on X (formerly known as Twitter) @MSidgwick for more!