WWE Backlash
WWE Backlash is an American professional wrestling pay-per-view event that is produced by WWE, a professional wrestling promotion based in Connecticut. The event was created in April 1999 as an annual PPV event for WWE and was held as the post-WrestleMania PPV until 2009. To coincide with the brand extension, the event was made exclusive to the Raw brand in 2004. In 2007, all PPV events became tri-branded following that year's WrestleMania. Extreme Rules then replaced Backlash in 2010.
After the newly reinstated WWE brand extension took effect in 2016, Backlash returned as a SmackDown-exclusive event and as a post-SummerSlam event on the same year, thus ending its previous tradition of being the post-WrestleMania PPV. The 2017 edition of the event remained SmackDown-exclusive but was moved up to May. Following WrestleMania 34 in 2018, all WWE PPVs ceased being brand exclusive. The scheduled 2019 event was canceled and replaced by Stomping Grounds, but Backlash was brought back in 2020.
Dates and venues
History
Backlash consists of a main event and undercard of championship matches and various other wrestling matches. The first Backlash was originally promoted under the World Wrestling Federation banner, the former name of WWE. It took place on April 25, 1999 and aired live on PPV. From 1995 through 1999, In Your House PPV events took place during the months in between WWE's big 5 PPV events. In February 1999, the final production of an In Your House event took place, though many of the former In Your House events, such as No Way Out, and Judgment Day among others, were rebranded as annual PPV events. Backlash in April 1999 was originally advertised as an In Your House event, but the In Your House name was dropped before the actual event took place.In 2002, WWF was court ordered to change their name, which resulted in the promotion changing its name to World Wrestling Entertainment. A couple of months before the name change, WWE held a draft that split its roster into two distinctive brands — Raw and SmackDown; a third brand, ECW, was added in 2006. After the draft, matches only consisted of wrestlers from their distinctive brands. The first Backlash event to be produced under the WWE banner and with roster limitations was the 2003 Backlash. Later on in 2003, WWE made PPV events, excluding WrestleMania, SummerSlam, Survivor Series, and the Royal Rumble, exclusive to each brand; Backlash was made exclusive to the Raw brand. Backlash 2006 was the final brand exclusive Backlash event of the original brand extension, as WWE opened all PPV events to all three brands. The 2009 event was then the final Backlash to be held until 2016. Following the second brand split in July 2016, Backlash returned as a SmackDown event on September 11. It was also a SmackDown-branded event in 2017. The 2018 event was originally to be a Raw-branded event, but following WrestleMania 34 that year, all WWE pay-per-views ceased being brand exclusive, and thus the event featured wrestlers from both Raw and SmackDown. A Backlash event was originally planned for 2019, but it was canceled and replaced by Stomping Grounds; however, Backlash returned in 2020.
Each Backlash event has been held in an indoor arena, with twelve events taking place in the United States and one event taking place in Canada.
1999
The inaugural event took place on April 25, 1999 at the Providence Civic Center in Providence, Rhode Island. Eight professional wrestling matches were scheduled on the card as well as four matches on Sunday Night Heat before the show aired live. The event had an attendance of 10,939. The event was praised by the Canadian Online Explorer's professional wrestling section giving the show 8 out of 10 and declaring, "the World Wrestling Federation had something to prove and prove it they did". The main event scheduled on the card was a No Disqualification Special Guest Referee match for the WWF Championship. The match saw Steve Austin defeating The Rock to retain his championship with Shane McMahon as guest referee.In addition to the main event, the undercard included Mankind defeating The Big Show in a Boiler Room Brawl and Al Snow defeating Hardcore Holly for the Hardcore Championship.
2000
The second Backlash event was held on April 30, 2000 at the MCI Center in Washington, D.C.. Nine professional wrestling matches were scheduled on the card. The event had an attendance of 19,101. The main event was a Special Guest Referee match for the WWF Championship. The match was between reigning champion, Triple H, and challenger The Rock with guest referee Shane McMahon. The Rock defeated Triple H to win the championship.Other matches on the event card included a singles match for the WWF Intercontinental Championship between Chris Benoit and Chris Jericho, which Benoit won by disqualification. As a result, Benoit retained the championship. Crash Holly defeated Matt Hardy, Jeff Hardy, Hardcore Holly, Perry Saturn, and Tazz to retain the Hardcore Championship. Eddie Guerrero also pinned Essa Rios for the WWF European Championship.
2001
Backlash 2001 was held on April 29, 2001 at the Allstate Arena in Rosemont, Illinois. Seven professional wrestling matches were scheduled on the card, with two matches scheduled on Sunday Night Heat. The event had an attendance of 17,154. The main event was a tag team match for the WWF Tag Team Championship, the WWF Championship and the WWF Intercontinental Championship between The Brothers of Destruction versus WWF Champion Stone Cold Steve Austin and Intercontinental Champion Triple H, The Two Man Power Trip in which the person to get the fall would win the Tag Team Championship as well as the championship of the wrestler who was pinned. Austin and Triple H won the match to win the Tag team championship.Other matches on the card included Chris Benoit defeating Kurt Angle four falls to three in sudden death overtime of an Ultimate Submission match, Shane McMahon defeating The Big Show in a Last Man Standing match and Matt Hardy retaining the European Championship by defeating Eddie Guerrero and Christian in a Triple Threat match.
2002
The fourth event under the Backlash chronology was held on April 21, 2002 at Kemper Arena in Kansas City, Missouri. This was the last Backlash event under the WWF name before the name was changed to World Wrestling Entertainment. Nine professional wrestling matches were scheduled for the event and one dark match was scheduled before the event began airing live. The theme song was "Young Grow Old". The event had an attendance of 12,489. The main event on the card was a singles match for the Undisputed WWF Championship, which saw Hollywood Hulk Hogan defeat Triple H to win the championship.Other matches that were scheduled on the event card included a Special Referee match between The Undertaker and Steve Austin with Ric Flair as guest referee. The Undertaker won the match. Another match was Eddie Guerrero versus Rob Van Dam for the WWF Intercontinental Championship, which Guerrero won to become the new Intercontinental champion. Also Kurt Angle defeated Edge in a singles match.
2003
2003's Backlash was the first Backlash produced under the World Wrestling Entertainment name. It took place on April 27, 2003 at Worcester Centrum in Worcester, Massachusetts and starred talent from the promotion's Raw and SmackDown! brands. Eight professional wrestling matches were scheduled on the card with a dark match taking place before the event went live. The event had an attendance of 10,000 and grossed US$450,000 through ticket sales and pay-per-view buys. The theme song for the event was "Remedy". The main event was a singles match between Goldberg and The Rock, which Goldberg won. The main match from the Smackdown! brand was a WWE Championship match between John Cena and reigning champion, Brock Lesnar. Lesnar won the match and retained the championship.Other matches on the card included a six man tag team match between the team of Triple H, Ric Flair, and Chris Jericho against Shawn Michaels, Kevin Nash, and Booker T, which Triple H, Flair, and Jericho won and an encounter of The Big Show and Rey Mysterio, which The Big Show won.
2004
The sixth Backlash event was held on April 18, 2004 at Rexall Place in Edmonton, Alberta and was a Raw brand-exclusive event. This was the only Backlash that has been held in Canada. Eight professional wrestling matches were scheduled on the card. The event had an attendance of 13,000. The main event was a Triple Threat match for the World Heavyweight Championship between reigning champion Chris Benoit, Shawn Michaels, and Triple H. Benoit won and retained the championship.Other matches on the event card included a Hardcore match for the WWE Intercontinental Championship between Randy Orton and Cactus Jack. Orton won the match and retained the championship. Another primary match on the card was between Edge and Kane, which Edge won. The theme song used for this event is "Eyes Wired Shut" by Edgewater
2005
The 2005 event was held on May 1, 2005 at the Verizon Wireless Arena in Manchester, New Hampshire and had an attendance of 14,000. Backlash 2005 helped WWE increase its pay-per-view revenue by $4.7 million, through ticket sales and pay-per-view buys. The theme song for the event was "Stronger". Six professional wrestling matches were scheduled for the event. The main event was a singles match for the World Heavyweight Championship between Batista and Triple H. Batista won the match and retained his championship.In addition to the main event the undercard included a Last Man Standing match between Edge and Chris Benoit, which Edge won after Benoit was unable to get to his feet before the referee's count to ten and a Tag team match between the team of Shawn Michaels and Hulk Hogan facing Muhammad Hassan and Daivari, which Hogan and Michaels won.
2006
The 2006 event was held on April 30, 2006 at the Rupp Arena in Lexington, Kentucky. It had an attendance of 14,000 and earned $480,000 through ticket sales and pay-per-view buys. Seven professional wrestling matches were scheduled on the event card. The main event was a Triple Threat match for the WWE Championship between reigning champion John Cena, Triple H and Edge. Cena won the match and retained the championship.Other matches that were scheduled on the event card included a No Holds Barred match between the team of father and son, Vince McMahon and Shane McMahon facing Shawn Michaels and "God". Vince pinned Michaels to win the match after the Spirit Squad interfered. Also, reigning Intercontinental Champion Shelton Benjamin and Money in the Bank winner, Rob Van Dam faced each other in a title-for-conract match. Van Dam won the match and the championship and retained his contract. The theme for this event was "Baby Hates Me" by Danko Jones.
2007
The ninth Backlash event was held on April 29, 2007 at the Philips Arena in Atlanta, Georgia. This was the first WWE event that became tri-branded with talent from Raw, SmackDown!, and ECW. The event had an attendance of 14,500. The theme song for the event was "There and Back Again". Six professional wrestling matches were scheduled on the card with one dark match taking place before the event went live. The main event on the Raw brand was a Fatal Four-Way match for the WWE Championship between champion John Cena, Randy Orton, Edge, and Shawn Michaels. Cena won the match and retained his championship. The main match on the Smackdown! brand was a Last Man Standing match for the World Heavyweight Championship pitting The Undertaker against Batista. The match ended in a no-contest after both wrestlers were unable to get to their feet by the count of ten.Other matches on the card included Bobby Lashley versus Team McMahon in a Handicap match for the ECW World Championship. Vince won the title and the match for his team after pinning Lashley. The other primary match on the undercard was a singles match between Chris Benoit and Montel Vontavious Porter for the WWE United States Championship, which Benoit won to retain the championship.
2008
The tenth Backlash event took place on April 27, 2008 at the 1st Mariner Arena in Baltimore, Maryland in front of 11,277 fans. The event received 200,000 pay-per-view buys, more than the previous year's event, Backlash. The theme for this event was "All Summer Long by Kid Rock. The card consisted of seven professional wrestling matches. The main match from the Raw brand was a Fatal Four-Way Elimination match for the WWE Championship. The match involved reigning champion Randy Orton, Triple H, John Cena, and John "Bradshaw" Layfield. The match was won by Triple H who became the new WWE champion. The other main event involved wrestlers from the SmackDown brand, in which reigning World Heavyweight Champion The Undertaker defeated Edge in a regular Singles match to retain the championship.The main match from the ECW brand was a singles match for the ECW Championship, in which Kane retained his championship against Chavo Guerrero. The other primary match on the card was a Special Referee match between Shawn Michaels and Batista, in which Chris Jericho was the guest referee. Michaels won the match.