10 WWE Backlash Matches That Should Have Happened At WrestleMania
3. Randy Orton Vs. Cactus Jack - 2004
The Rock is about to be bumped from the WrestleMania XX card, so brace yourself...
In the 2000s, working with Mick Foley was a blessing. Triple H cemented his place as WWE's top heel after a violent Street Fight and Hell in a Cell match in 2000. By the time 2004 arrived, it was The Game's protege Randy Orton who was causing problems for the Hardcore Legend.
Orton was deep in his "Legend Killer" gimmick, with Foley in his sights as WrestleMania XX got closer. Unfortunately, the story turned into a nostalgia run when the Rock 'n' Sock Connection reunited to take on Evolution. The contest was just fine. The Rock got a huge pop, but Foley has said that he was disappointed in the match; it ended with an RKO that Mick decided not to sell, sitting up as soon as the bout was over. Bizarre.
Scrub it from the record books and replace it with their Backlash match. You've got to let Foley be Foley; he does it best when he's put in a Hardcore match with an up-and-coming star. Walking out as Cactus Jack, the challenger for the Intercontinental Championship even brought his signature baseball bat wrapped in barbed wire with him. This match showed the world that Randy Orton was here to stay; the sight of tacks sticking out of his back after a missed RKO still makes fans wince.
Plain and simple: they should've done this at WrestleMania. It would have meant so much more for Foley to finally have a good match at the Granddaddy and for the Legend Killer to show a far bigger audience what he was made of.
If they really needed that pop for The Rock, why not have him come and save Foley from Evolution at the end? It's so easy.