WWE Backlash April 27th, 2003
Worcester, MA
WWE Champion: Brock Lesnar (since 3/30/03)
WWE Tag Team Champions: Shelton Benjamin & Charlie Haas (since 2/6/03)
WWE Cruserweight Champion: Matt Hardy (since 2/23/03)
World Heavyweight Champion: Triple H (since 12/15/02)
World Tag Team Champions: Rob Van Dam & Kane (3/31/03)
WWE Women's Champion: Trish Stratus (since 3/30/03)
THEME SONG: "Remedy" by Cold
Little pre-show note. I' m having to GIF this shit off YouTube now because Peacock won't allow you too :/ fuckin dorks. Anyways ... LEGGO
1) Shelton Benjamin & Charlie Haas (c) vs. Los Guerreros (Eddie & Chavo Guerrero) - WWE Tag Team Title Match
What a fucking way to kick off this show, man. Wow. You always expect these guys to tear the house down, but it’s still honestly crazy how damn good they are. Benjamin & Haas cut off the ring and isolate Eddie and it fucking rules. The Chavo hot tag is.. so sick. I never thought I’d be hype on a Chavo hot tag, but there was no way you couldn’t be here. Shit breaks down and Eddie & Chavo hit a lot of big stuff for near falls. Benjamin & Haas always find a way out though and that turns into the story of this match as Benjamin trips Chavo under the ropes and holds his legs down, just out of the ref’s sight, as Haas gets the pin to retain the titles.
Match rating - ***1/4
After the match, the Guerreros leave with Benjamin & Haas’ titles and hop in the low rider and speed out of the garage hahahaha.
2) Sean O’Haire (w/ Roddy Piper) vs. Rikishi
Man, they really were trying to make Sean O’Haire weren’t they? He beats Rikishi here and it’s just meh. Piper gets some color off a coconut shot to the head from Rikishi when he tries to interfere. Let’s move along this sucked.
Match rating - *1/4
Backstage, Sable approaches Stacy Keibler and tells her she saw Torrie kiss Test earlier. This type of shit sucks, but Stacy almost had me with her facial expressions.
RVD & Kane are backstage getting ready for their tag title defense.
3) Rob Van Dam & Kane (c) vs. The Dudley Boyz - Raw World Tag Team Title Match - Special Ref: Chief Morley
Ok this ruled. I totally wasn’t expecting it because the tag title picture on Raw is so sloppy, but they got TIME here and they built to a hot ass finishing run. Lance Storm tried to interfere and Bubba took his ass out. The right kind of overbooking here. This was such a blast I forgot we even had a special referee involved. Van Dam & Kane retain when all is said and done.
Match rating - **3/4
Backstage, Stacy and Torrie have a CATFIGHT in the locker room over what Sable told Stacy. The other women separate them.
4) Trish Stratus (c) vs. Jazz (w/ Theodore Long) - Women’s Title Match
This had some lowwwww ratings on Grappl and I’m shocked because this was solid. I loved all the submission trades on the mat. These women worked hard and delivered a beyond suffice match. Long throwing his shoe in to break up a pin was fucking hilarious and it allows Jazz to steal the pin and become the new Women’s Champion. Lorda mercy. THE BITCH IS BACK.
Match rating - **1/2
5) The Big Show vs. Rey Mysterio
This pretty much RULED. Rey is amazing in this time period and Show is better than many give him credit for so this is basically an awesome big / little man match. This is remembered a lot for the post match where Show straps Rey to a stretcher and uses him like a bat and slams him against the ring post. BRUUUTAL stuff to garner even more sympathy for Rey.
Match rating - **1/2
6) Brock Lesnar (c) vs. John Cena - WWE Title Match
Oh man I loved this match. This has been building even since before WrestleMania, honestly almost since the beginning of the year. Brock is the new valiant beast of a champion. Cena is the cocky little wannabe thug who has snuck his way through Eddie Guerrero, Undertaker and Chris Benoit to get this title match. Cena gets manhandled early until things go to the outside where his strengths, in kayfabe, are. Cena drop toe holds Brock into the steps and proceeds to re-open the cut that he opened using his chain on Smackdown in the weeks prior. Lesnar gets a nice little gusher and Cena starts working rest holds and rear chokes for a couple minutes. Pretty awesome control segment. Lesnar begins his comeback and Cena is able to thwart it slightly, but ultimately succumbs to the beast and the F5. Lesnar retains. I’d say this test run for Cena as a main event title picture guy was a success.
Match rating - ***
7) Triple H, Ric Flair, & Chris Jericho vs. Booker T, Shawn Michaels, & Kevin Nash
These guys have all had some really fun matches in route to this so my hopes are high. This must have been the night they tried out new themes for everyone because Booker & Flair both had weird ass themes I’ve never heard before in my life and they SUCKED. So yeah this gets rollin. Some opening stuff from Jericho and HBK is fun before things settle into Shawn being the face in peril. He takes a beating and the selling is solid although we all know that will go out the window soon. Kevin Nash gets the ho—- I mean.. mild tag LOL. Crowd just doesn’t seem to care at all. Flair breaks up a near fall from Nash on H and we get an awesome stand off between the two with Flair ended up stuck between Book & Nash. Things kinda get nutty here and break down. There’s lots of good little things packed in here with Booker looking awesome as always and Jericho being a blast. H wins with off a sledgehammer to Nash behind the ref’s back.
Match rating - **3/4
8) The Rock vs. Goldberg
This was a dream match at the time.. for some. I can’t say I ever really cared because Goldberg does nothing for me, but to each their own. This wasn’t bad however it falls under your typical Goldberg formula except with some Rock stylings thrown into the mix. Rock makes this stand out a little more than it would if it was just another Goldberg match, not quite enough to bump this to a three boy like the Jericho match, but enough for this to not completely be a bore. Goldberg wins and stuff.
Match rating - **1/2
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