Every WWE Backlash World Title Match Ranked From Worst To Best

12. Triple H Vs Hulk Hogan (2002)

Edge The Undertaker
WWE.com

Stripped of the red-and-yellow tinted glasses worn by a fanbase aching for a return to the excitement of the Attitude Era, the WWE Title match pitting Triple H against unlikely challenger Hulk Hogan is a laborious affair.

The two had both proven to be masters of particular elements of the craft at previous checkpoints in their career, but April 2002 was long past the peaks of both.

Triple H had returned from his damaging 2001 quadricep injury with a physique as hyper-inflated as his ego, and had struggled to regain form in middling encounters with Kurt Angle, Chris Jericho and others.

Meanwhile, despite drawing thunderous responses from crowds drunk on 'member berries, Hogan was nearing 50 and unable to energetically sell for lengthy portions as he had done so successfully in the 1980s and early 90s.

Despite a crowd pleasing victory for 'The Hulkster' (after interference against both parties from Chris Jericho and The Undertaker), it was a dreary match that foreshadowed the critical and commercial disaster his brief reunion with the title would be. Fittingly, he would wear the title during the company's wholesale change from WWF to WWE, becoming the final man to hold a championship he helped launch into the mainstream.

Contributor
Contributor

Michael is a writer, editor, podcaster and presenter for WhatCulture Wrestling, and has been with the organisation nearly 8 years. He primarily produces written, audio and video content on WWE and AEW, but 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 in the UK's wrestling podcast charts with well over 62,000,000 total downloads. He has been featured as a wrestling analyst for the Tampa Bay Times, GRAPPL, GCP, Poisonrana and Sports Guys Talking Wrestling, and has covered milestone events in New York, Dallas, Las Vegas, Philadelphia, London and Cardiff. 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 sports, music and culture magazines The Crack, A Love Supreme and Pilot. When not offering his voice up for daily wrestling podcasts, he can be found losing it singing far too loud watching his favourite bands play live. Follow him on X/Twitter - @MichaelHamflett