10 Things You Didn't Know About WWE Backlash
8. The Best Montreal Retread
The wrestling industry at large will always be obsessed with the infamous events that took place inside Montreal's Molson Centre on November 9th 1997. Bret Hart's acrimonious exit remains a talking point amongst fans and insiders to this day, and has subsequently featured as an all-too-often creative device in matches that don't even have links to the legendary 'Screwjob'.
This was thankfully not the case during Backlash 2004's magnificent WrestleMania XX rematch between Shawn Michaels, Triple H and new World Heavyweight Champion Chris Benoit emanating from Edmonton, Alberta, Canada.
The middle section paid particular attention to the setting, with some glorious fan service ahead of the champion's victory capping off an emotional night for Benoit and his hometown faithful.
With the original referee inadvertently taken out during a scuffle between 'The Wolverine' and Shawn Michaels, Benoit looked to have the contest won with a Crippler Crossface on an 'HBK' still despised by Canadian audiences. Releasing Michaels to revive the downed referee, Benoit walked back into a Sharpshooter attempt from Shawn that drew nuclear heat from the partisan Canadian crowd.
Sporting the same coloured tights he wore on a fateful night, 'The Heartbreak Kid' wrenched back on the hold as Jim Ross drew the requisite allusions to 1997 and EARL HEBNER trotted to ringside to take over refereeing duties and potentially register the submission. Jerry Lawler comically quipped 'Ring the bell, ring the bell!' and 'Go on Earl, you've done it before!' to twist the knife on viewers at home. It was genuinely inspired.