WWE Backlash 2004
WWE Backlash 2004 (4/18/2004)- Edmonton, AB
RIC FLAIR vs. SHELTON BENJAMIN- 6.25/10
TAJIRI vs. COACH- 4.25/10
HANDICAP MATCH: Chris Jericho vs. Trish Stratus & Christian- 6.5/10
Great storytelling, but finishing the match with a running enzugiri seemed very awkward. It really didn't feel like something that could end the match.
EUGENE WALKS INTO THE WOMEN'S LOCKER ROOM- moronic segment, but at least it was short.
WWE WOMEN'S TITLE MATCH: Victoria(c) vs. Lita- 4.5/10
Solid wrestling (although a bit more slow-paced than you would expect from these two), but not much of a story to tie it together. The aftermath was eh.
HARDCORE MATCH FOR THE WWE INTERCONTINENTAL TITLE: Randy Orton(c) vs. Mick Foley- 9.5/10
INSANE! This is one of the most violent, brutal, sick matches I have ever seen. This reminded me a lot of Foley's match with Triple H at the 2000 Royal Rumble in that both matches were just on an entire different level of violence above anything else WWE was doing at the time. The one spot in this match that I didn't like was the tease with the fire. Why should Cactus Jack (not Mick Foley, but Cactus Jack) care if the show gets shut down, as long as he gets to hurt his opponent? For him to stop just wasn't in character, and to tease fire, then not use it (even if there is a kayfabe reason for not using it) won't do anything but disappoint people. It would have been better to not have it at all.
EVOLUTION BACKSTAGE & TODD GRISHAM INTERVIEWS TRIPLE H- Hunter put Orton over huge, then cut a great promo.
WINNER BECOMES #1 CONTENDER TO THE WORLD TAG TEAM TITLES: The Hurricane & Rosey vs. La Resistance (Rob Conway & Sylvain Grenier)- 3.5/10
A short match which really felt like nothing more than an excuse for Eugene to walk out to the ring and do nothing that had any bearing on the match at all.
EDGE vs. KANE- 4.75/10.
Way too short, and Edge shouldn't have needed to use a low blow to win his first match back. Just using the cast would have sufficed.
TRIPLE THREAT MATCH FOR THE WORLD HEAVYWEIGHT TITLE: Chris Benoit(c) vs. Shawn Michaels vs. Triple H- 9.5/10
AMAZING match. I hated Triple H's low blow on HBK right in front of the ref. I never understood why the ref couldn't just DQ Triple H and restart the match with just Shawn and Benoit. Same goes for the sledgehammer shot. Despite this, though, the match was still amazing.
Bonus Match From Heat:
MATT HARDY vs. VAL VENIS- 4.75/10
Overall, this was a very up and down show. The good stuff was amazing, but the stuff that wasn't good was definitely not PPV quality. Also, the matches on the back of the jewel case are out of order, which always drives me nuts. Still definitely recommended, though as Foley vs. Orton and the main event are worth the price of the DVD alone.
RIC FLAIR vs. SHELTON BENJAMIN- 6.25/10
TAJIRI vs. COACH- 4.25/10
HANDICAP MATCH: Chris Jericho vs. Trish Stratus & Christian- 6.5/10
Great storytelling, but finishing the match with a running enzugiri seemed very awkward. It really didn't feel like something that could end the match.
EUGENE WALKS INTO THE WOMEN'S LOCKER ROOM- moronic segment, but at least it was short.
WWE WOMEN'S TITLE MATCH: Victoria(c) vs. Lita- 4.5/10
Solid wrestling (although a bit more slow-paced than you would expect from these two), but not much of a story to tie it together. The aftermath was eh.
HARDCORE MATCH FOR THE WWE INTERCONTINENTAL TITLE: Randy Orton(c) vs. Mick Foley- 9.5/10
INSANE! This is one of the most violent, brutal, sick matches I have ever seen. This reminded me a lot of Foley's match with Triple H at the 2000 Royal Rumble in that both matches were just on an entire different level of violence above anything else WWE was doing at the time. The one spot in this match that I didn't like was the tease with the fire. Why should Cactus Jack (not Mick Foley, but Cactus Jack) care if the show gets shut down, as long as he gets to hurt his opponent? For him to stop just wasn't in character, and to tease fire, then not use it (even if there is a kayfabe reason for not using it) won't do anything but disappoint people. It would have been better to not have it at all.
EVOLUTION BACKSTAGE & TODD GRISHAM INTERVIEWS TRIPLE H- Hunter put Orton over huge, then cut a great promo.
WINNER BECOMES #1 CONTENDER TO THE WORLD TAG TEAM TITLES: The Hurricane & Rosey vs. La Resistance (Rob Conway & Sylvain Grenier)- 3.5/10
A short match which really felt like nothing more than an excuse for Eugene to walk out to the ring and do nothing that had any bearing on the match at all.
EDGE vs. KANE- 4.75/10.
Way too short, and Edge shouldn't have needed to use a low blow to win his first match back. Just using the cast would have sufficed.
TRIPLE THREAT MATCH FOR THE WORLD HEAVYWEIGHT TITLE: Chris Benoit(c) vs. Shawn Michaels vs. Triple H- 9.5/10
AMAZING match. I hated Triple H's low blow on HBK right in front of the ref. I never understood why the ref couldn't just DQ Triple H and restart the match with just Shawn and Benoit. Same goes for the sledgehammer shot. Despite this, though, the match was still amazing.
Bonus Match From Heat:
MATT HARDY vs. VAL VENIS- 4.75/10
Overall, this was a very up and down show. The good stuff was amazing, but the stuff that wasn't good was definitely not PPV quality. Also, the matches on the back of the jewel case are out of order, which always drives me nuts. Still definitely recommended, though as Foley vs. Orton and the main event are worth the price of the DVD alone.