WWE Backlash 2024 is right around the corner, as the WWE Draft has shaken up the rosters on Monday Night Raw and SmackDown. Triple H’s obsession with international shows is kicking off with the first of WWE’s European trio of summer PLEs in Lyon, France.
As we reach the first post-WrestleMania PLE of the year, let’s look back at some of the craziest moments from the previous iterations of WWE Backlash.
Zombies..?
In 2021, WWE had been working in the “Thunderdome” during the global Covid-19 pandemic. The era of an empty arena had allowed them to experiment with cinematic matches, with WWE Money in the Bank 2020 and WWE WrestleMania 36 coming to mind.
Some of the experimental match types worked brilliantly, but some fell flat. For example, the promotional crossover with Batista and his 2021 flick, “Army of the Dead”.
The match between The Miz and Damian Priest was contested as a Lumberjack Match. Typically, this would involve the ring being surrounded by other wrestlers, to keep the competitors from exiting the squared circle.
However, the crossover element of this match saw the “lumberjacks” replaced with… zombies. Yes, you read that right.
The undead surrounded Priest and Miz, and one shocking moment even saw John Morrison be “devoured” by the zombie horde. The match was a dull affair, with ‘The Archer of Infamy’ picking up the win, before Miz was also “devoured” by the zombies.
The decision has been widely regarded as a foolish mistake and, thankfully, WWE are yet to repeat something as bizarre as this match.
McMahon Airways
If there’s one thing that you could count on as a WWE fan in the early 2000s, it’s that Shane McMahon would be throwing himself off of something tall on a PPV. WWE Backlash 2001 was no exception, as ‘Shane-O-Mac’ faced Big Show in a Last Man Standing match.
During the bout, McMahon and Show took their brawl around the arena, battling up the ramp and across the stage. Both men stopped at nothing to try and gain an upper hand over the other.
As the match went on, it became clear that Big Show had a physical advantage over his smaller opponent. However, after an interference from Test, ‘Shane-O’ took control of the match and began to climb the staging.
He worked his way to the top of the Titantron, before launching himself from the scaffold and landing atop his opponent. This Leap of Faith kept Big Show down for the count, giving McMahon the win.
This moment will live on in history as one of the craziest moments in WWE Backlash history, even if Shane McMahon has since taken his daredevil dives to another level.
Jinder Mahal: WWE Champion
Well, this was just a crazy day to be a wrestling fan.
On May 21, 2017, Randy Orton was scheduled to defend his WWE Championship against Jinder Mahal. Without wishing to be unfair to Mahal, this match came from nowhere and he was not a credible opponent for Orton at the time.
There were rumours in the build-up that Mahal was looking likely to win the WWE Championship, with WWE’s desire to grow their popularity in India allegedly pushing this decision.
Until the night, however, it was still very much assumed that Orton would retain his title and move on to other challengers. In a shocking move, the opposite happened.
Jinder Mahal, after having been unfairly presented as an unimpressive performer for years, picked up an historic win over ‘The Viper’ and walked away from WWE Backlash 2017 as the WWE Champion.
This decision was widely received as an odd one, although many were split between hysterics and bemusement. The outrage mostly came from WWE fans who were frustrated with the decision to push Mahal to the top, without a genuine story.
Of course, ‘The Maharaja’ is nowhere near the worst WWE Champion in history, but this decision was undoubtedly one of the most random in WWE history.
Hardcore Orton
In 2004, Randy Orton was the reigning WWE Intercontinental Champion. When WWE Backlash rolled around, he was embroiled in a feud with Cactus Jack after months of battling one another. The challenge had been set: a Hardcore match for the title.
This match was brutal. Foley, the hardcore veteran, put Orton through his paces during this battle. The match itself is recognised as one of Orton’s first star-making performances, as he was involved in some of the most violent moments in WWE history.
Cactus Jack utilised various weapons throughout the match, including a barbed-wire baseball bat (which he also tried to light on fire) and, eventually, thumbtacks.
The thumbtacks provided one of the most memorable shots of Orton’s career, as he missed an RKO on Cactus Jack and landed – without a shirt – onto a pile of the thumbtacks. This was historic, as it was the first time that anyone had landed on tacks with their bare body.
Orton’s back resembled a pin-cushion and the spot itself highlighted the exceptional strength of ‘The Apex Predator’. Eventually, he vanquished Cactus Jack and retained his title after an incredibly brutal affair.
This match is oft-quoted as one of the most violent matches in WWE history and helped raise Orton’s stock among WWE fans in the early 2000s.
Shawn Michaels’ Holy Tag Partner
You knew this was coming, right?
At WWE WrestleMania 22, Shawn Michaels was the victor in a match against the WWE Chairman. However, it was alleged that his victory was “an act of God” and led to the most ridiculous match in WWE history.
Shane McMahon and his father had been feuding with ‘HBK’ for some time, along with The Spirit Squad, and a match was set for WWE Backlash 2006. The McMahons vs. Shawn Michaels and his tag team partner… “God”.
“God” was portrayed by the stage spotlight in this match, leaving Michaels to do the majority of the work throughout. Sadly for Michaels, his partner didn’t turn out to be much help, as it was declared during the bout that “God” had left the building and abandoned his teammate.
Michaels was left heavily outnumbered, as his opponents enlisted the help of The Spirit Squad yet again and used their numerical advantage to beat ‘HBK’ down.
Perhaps the most shocking moment of this match was that the McMahon duo took advantage of the fact that Michaels was left helpless to pick up a win. That’s right, the history books will forever remember that the McMahons beat “God” in a wrestling match.
It’s clear to see that WWE Backlash has been home to some of the most ridiculous, yet captivating moments in WWE history. Let’s see if any more of those moments can be created in Lyon, at WWE Backlash 2024.
