{"id":124271,"date":"2024-05-04T06:00:51","date_gmt":"2024-05-04T10:00:51","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/?p=124271"},"modified":"2024-05-04T05:09:21","modified_gmt":"2024-05-04T09:09:21","slug":"craziest-wwe-backlash-moments-ever","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/2024\/05\/04\/craziest-wwe-backlash-moments-ever\/","title":{"rendered":"Craziest WWE Backlash Moments Ever"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><em><strong>WWE Backlash 2024<\/strong><\/em> is right around the corner, as the <strong><em>WWE Draft<\/em><\/strong> has shaken up the rosters on <em><strong>Monday Night Raw<\/strong><\/em> and <em><strong>SmackDown<\/strong><\/em>.<em> Triple H<\/em>\u2019s obsession with international shows is kicking off with the first of WWE\u2019s European trio of summer PLEs in Lyon, France.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">As we reach the first post-WrestleMania PLE of the year, let\u2019s look back at some of the craziest moments from the previous iterations of WWE Backlash.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><strong>Zombies..?<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/zqdMTSgBO3I\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\" frameborder=\"0\" allowfullscreen=\"allowfullscreen\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In 2021, WWE had been working in the &#8220;Thunderdome&#8221; during the global Covid-19 pandemic. The era of an empty arena had allowed them to experiment with cinematic matches, with <em><strong>WWE Money in the Bank 2020<\/strong><\/em> and <em><strong>WWE WrestleMania 36<\/strong><\/em> coming to mind.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Some of the experimental match types worked brilliantly, but some fell flat. For example, the promotional crossover with <strong>Batista<\/strong> and his 2021 flick, \u201cArmy of the Dead\u201d.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The match between <strong>The Miz<\/strong> and <strong>Damian Priest<\/strong> 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.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">However, the crossover element of this match saw the \u201clumberjacks\u201d replaced with\u2026 zombies. <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Yes, you read that right.<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The undead surrounded Priest and Miz, and one shocking moment even saw <strong>John Morrison<\/strong> be \u201cdevoured\u201d by the zombie horde. The match was a dull affair, with \u2018The Archer of Infamy\u2019 picking up the win, before Miz was also \u201cdevoured\u201d by the zombies.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The decision has been widely regarded as a foolish mistake and, thankfully, WWE are yet to repeat something as bizarre as this match.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><strong>McMahon Airways<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/hs8Jn9C3qM4\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\" frameborder=\"0\" allowfullscreen=\"allowfullscreen\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">If there\u2019s one thing that you could count on as a WWE fan in the early 2000s, it\u2019s that <strong>Shane McMahon<\/strong> would be throwing himself off of something tall on a PPV. <em><strong>WWE Backlash 2001<\/strong><\/em> was no exception, as &#8216;Shane-O-Mac&#8217; faced <strong>Big Show<\/strong> in a Last Man Standing match.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">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.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">As the match went on, it became clear that Big Show had a physical advantage over his smaller opponent. However, after an interference from <strong>Test<\/strong>, \u2018Shane-O\u2019 took control of the match and began to climb the staging.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">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.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">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.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><strong>Jinder Mahal: WWE Champion<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/04ncqmD6V98\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\" frameborder=\"0\" allowfullscreen=\"allowfullscreen\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Well, this was just a crazy day to be a wrestling fan.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">On May 21, 2017, <strong>Randy Orton<\/strong> was scheduled to defend his WWE Championship against <strong>Jinder Mahal<\/strong>. Without wishing to be unfair to Mahal, this match came from nowhere and he was not a credible opponent for Orton at the time.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">There were rumours in the build-up that Mahal was looking likely to win the WWE Championship, with WWE\u2019s desire to grow their popularity in India allegedly pushing this decision.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">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.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Jinder Mahal, after having been unfairly presented as an unimpressive performer for years, picked up an historic win over \u2018The Viper\u2019 and walked away from <em><strong>WWE Backlash 2017<\/strong><\/em> as the WWE Champion.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/TqJBUkFQqtY\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\" frameborder=\"0\" allowfullscreen=\"allowfullscreen\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">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.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Of course, \u2018The Maharaja\u2019 is nowhere near the worst WWE Champion in history, but this decision was undoubtedly one of the most random in WWE history.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><strong>Hardcore Orton<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/ibN2R9lYwNo\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\" frameborder=\"0\" allowfullscreen=\"allowfullscreen\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In 2004, Randy Orton was the reigning WWE Intercontinental Champion. When WWE Backlash rolled around, he was embroiled in a feud with <strong>Cactus Jack<\/strong> after months of battling one another. The challenge had been set: a Hardcore match for the title.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">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\u2019s first star-making performances, as he was involved in some of the most violent moments in WWE history.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">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.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The thumbtacks provided one of the most memorable shots of Orton\u2019s career, as he missed an RKO on Cactus Jack and landed &#8211; without a shirt &#8211; 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.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Orton\u2019s back resembled a pin-cushion and the spot itself highlighted the exceptional strength of \u2018The Apex Predator\u2019. Eventually, he vanquished Cactus Jack and retained his title after an incredibly brutal affair.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">This match is oft-quoted as one of the most violent matches in WWE history and helped raise Orton\u2019s stock among WWE fans in the early 2000s.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><strong>Shawn Michaels&#8217; Holy Tag Partner<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/hMGWWpyFGFU\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\" frameborder=\"0\" allowfullscreen=\"allowfullscreen\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">You knew this was coming, right?<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">At <em><strong>WWE WrestleMania 22<\/strong><\/em>, <strong>Shawn Michaels<\/strong> was the victor in a match against the WWE Chairman. However, it was alleged that his victory was \u201can act of God\u201d and led to the most ridiculous match in WWE history.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Shane McMahon and his father had been feuding with \u2018HBK\u2019 for some time, along with <strong>The Spirit Squad<\/strong>, and a match was set for <em><strong>WWE Backlash 2006<\/strong><\/em>. The McMahons vs. Shawn Michaels and his tag team partner\u2026 \u201c<strong>God<\/strong>\u201d.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cGod\u201d 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\u2019t turn out to be much help, as it was declared during the bout that \u201cGod\u201d had left the building and abandoned his teammate.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Michaels was left heavily outnumbered, as his opponents enlisted the help of The Spirit Squad yet again and used their numerical advantage to beat \u2018HBK\u2019 down.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">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\u2019s right, the history books will forever remember that the McMahons <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">beat<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> \u201cGod\u201d in a wrestling match.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">It\u2019s clear to see that WWE Backlash has been home to some of the most ridiculous, yet captivating moments in WWE history. Let\u2019s see if any more of those moments can be created in Lyon, at <em>WWE Backlash 2024<\/em>.<\/span><\/p>\n<div class=\"entry-content\">\n<h3>More From LWOS Pro Wrestling<\/h3>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"entry-content\"><em><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Header photo \u2013 WWE \u2013 Stay tuned to the\u00a0<\/span><\/em><a class=\"editor-rtfLink\" href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_self\"><em><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Last Word on Pro Wrestling<\/span><\/em><\/a><em><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">\u00a0for more on WWE Backlash France and other stories from around the world of wrestling, as they develop. You can always count on LWOPW to be on top of the major news in the wrestling world, as well as to provide you with analysis, previews, videos, interviews, and editorials on the wrestling world. You can check out an almost unlimited array of WWE content on the\u00a0<\/span><\/em><a class=\"editor-rtfLink\" href=\"https:\/\/watch.wwe.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><em><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">WWE Network<\/span><\/em><\/a><em><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">\u00a0and\u00a0<\/span><\/em><a class=\"editor-rtfLink\" href=\"https:\/\/www.peacocktv.com\/watch\/home\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><em><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Peacock<\/span><\/em><\/a><em><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">.<\/span><\/em><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>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\u2019s obsession with international shows is kicking off with the first of WWE\u2019s European trio of summer PLEs in Lyon, France. As we reach the first post-WrestleMania PLE of the year, [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5065,"featured_media":124277,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_lmt_disableupdate":"no","_lmt_disable":"","sfio_featured_image":false,"sfio_embed_code":"","_ef_editorial_meta_date_first-draft-date":"","_ef_editorial_meta_paragraph_assignment":"","_ef_editorial_meta_checkbox_needs-photo":"","_ef_editorial_meta_number_word-count":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[2192,4,3],"tags":[6558,730,58,166,395,55,144,8873],"class_list":["post-124271","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-wrestling","category-wwe","category-wwe-universe","tag-damian-priest","tag-jinder-mahal","tag-randy-orton","tag-shane-mcmahon","tag-shawn-michaels","tag-the-miz","tag-wwe-backlash","tag-wwe-backlash-france-2024"],"modified_by":"Michael Joseph Sugue, Manager","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/124271","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/5065"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=124271"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/124271\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/124277"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=124271"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=124271"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=124271"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}