10 Things WWE Wants You To Forget About Backlash
From the ridiculous to the damaging.
This Sunday, WWE presents Backlash, a Smackdown-only PPV that will be the first single-brand show of the new era. Still, though, it's far from the first usage of the "Backlash" name. From 1999 to 2009, WWE promoted an annual show with the title, always following WrestleMania.
The timing of the show - and even the name - reflected what it was: a card where the lingering threads from WrestleMania would be tied up. Usually, that meant rematches from the show of shows, although that's changed now that the card is in September.
Over the years, the eleven Backlash events came to form a pretty good picture of post-WrestleMania WWE and where storylines were headed following what sort of amounted to a "season finale." Like any other part of WWE's calendar year, the Backlash season was characterized by some solid hits and some spectacular misses.
It's been more than seven years since the last Backlash show, and the history of the event prior to this Sunday is largely forgotten. Still, there's plenty left to point out - both good and bad - that had effects on the company for a long time to come. The bad, specifically, stands out as extremely damaging in some cases.
10. The Main-Event Result Is Telegraphed (2009)
The main event of the final Backlash show (until Sunday) pitted World Heavyweight Champion John Cena against Edge in a Last Man Standing match. Cena had won the title from Edge at WrestleMania in a three-way match also involving The Big Show, but now, the blow-off was coming.
The match was an excellent brawl that won universal acclaim. The finish was particularly memorable, as when Edge and Cena fought up to the stage, The Big Show came out from the back and threw Cena through a tremendous spotlight. The champion couldn't answer the referee's ten count, and so he lost his title.
Unfortunately, as good as the bout was, the outcome was never in any question. Prior to Backlash, the 2009 draft lottery took place, and WWE World Champion Triple H was sent from Smackdown to Raw. That meant that no matter who left Backlash as the champion (HHH or Randy Orton), that title would be exclusive to the red brand.
Given that John Cena was on Raw and Edge was on Smackdown, it was all too obvious that Edge would win the World Heavyweight Title, as the blue brand needed its own championship.