10 Things You Didn't Know About WWE Backlash

7. The Not-Quite-Right Return

WWE Backlash 2017 Tye Dillinger Aiden English
WWE.com

After a seven-year break for the traditional post-WrestleMania pay-per-view, Backlash returned in 2016 when pay-per-views were no longer a thing and the post-WrestleMania show wasn't necessarily required to run rematches.

Three hour Raws and the WWE Network's ushering in of the content super-service era completely transformed the organisation beyond recognition during Backlash's lengthy spell on the sidelines, and after all bar one of the 11 original incarnations taking place in April, the car never again returned to the same spot.

Since 2016, it's been deployed in May, June and September, with the latter taking the unique spot of being SmackDown's first brand-exclusive pay-per-view following that year's fondly-remembered roster split. As if to celebrate a changing-of-the-guard, AJ Styles became WWE Champion for the first time, defeating Dean Ambrose in a contest that showcased how the company had finally moved on from the John Cena full-timer era with wrestlers other than Roman Reigns in top spots.

'The Champ' passing through the promotion in hot matches with Styles at the time furthered the narrative, with Backlash as signpost that made it so.

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Michael is a writer, editor, podcaster and presenter for WhatCulture Wrestling, and has been with the organisation for 10 years. Alongside the production of daily written, audio and video content covering WWE and AEW, he also provides knowledge and insights on all aspects of the wrestling industry thanks to a passion for it dating back over 35 years. As one third of "The Dadley Boyz" Michael has contributed to the huge rise in popularity of the WhatCulture Wrestling Podcast and its accompanying YouTube channel, earning it top spot on the UK's wrestling podcast charts with over 10,000 episodes and 70,000,000 total downloads. He also co-hosts Benno & Hamflett, In Your House!, Podcast Horseman: The BoJack Horseman Podcast, and has guested on long-running Sunderland AFC podcast Wise Men Say. With WhatCulture, he has provided in-person coverage of some of the biggest pay-per-views and Premium Live Events in wrestling history, including WrestleMania, Survivor Series, All In & Double Or Nothing in destinations such as New York, New Jersey, Chicago, Dallas, Las Vegas, Philadelphia, London and Cardiff. He has also been featured as a wrestling analyst for the Tampa Bay Times, Fightful, POST Wrestling, GRAPPL, GCP, Poisonrana, 411Mania and Sports Guys Talking Wrestling. Michael's background in media stretches beyond wrestling coverage, with a degree in Journalism from the University Of Sunderland (2:1) and a series of published articles in music and culture magazines The Crack, Pilot as well as Sunderland AFC's premiere fanzine A Love Supreme. When not offering his voice up for daily wrestling podcasts, he can be found losing it every other Saturday at the Stadium Of Light, and at Cribs gigs nationwide.