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Wed, 4 May 2005
by: The Gimmick
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One month after Wrestlemania 21, Raw presents Backlash & I have to admit, it was probably better than the aforementioned PPV for a couple of reasons, but we’ll get to that.
WWE INTERCONTINENTAL CHAMPIONSHIP MATCH
CHRIS JERICHO Vs SHELTON BENJAMIN
A good solid match is always a good start to any PPV and these two provided that in abundance. Lots of 2 counts and ground wrestling for fans like me, and also some good high flying spots for the younger generation of fan to enjoy in this match. I can’t get over how much Benjamin has improved over the last year or so. Actually improve probably isn’t the right word, cos he’s always had it. He definitely deserves to be an IC champ. This match ended in deserving fashion, when Jericho had Benjamin in the Walls of Jericho, but Benjamin was able to power out, and after 2 excellent reverse pin falls, pinned Y2J’s shoulders to the mat. Jericho looked rather incensed after the match. A heel turn looks rather inevitable.
WINNER: AND STILL IC CHAMPION – SHELTON BENJAMIN
TAG TEAM TURMOIL CHAMPIONSHIP MATCH
The rules for this are simple. 2 teams start the match and when 1 team is beaten the next one enters until all 5 have entered. Just another name for a gauntlet match really, trust me! First team to enter are the Heart Throbs, I know they’re supposed to be ladies men but c’mon. Since when did nancy boys get the ladies? Anyway they’re up against the tag team champions: Tajiri & William Regal. A quick match ensued with Regal rolling up Romeo for the 3 count. Next team to enter: Maven & Simon Dean. Again, not much to speak of with this match, Tajiri eventually covered Dean for the win. La Resistance entered quickly and got down to business with the champs. In the end Regal is rolled up and the champs are eliminated. Who will the next team be? “Stand Back! There’s A Hurricane Coming Through!” I almost vomited when I heard that. Yes you win the prize, the next team is Hurricane & Rosey. How can a 400 lb Samoan be dressed up in a super hero costume? It just seems like a WCW thing to me. Anyway Hurricane basically gets the crap beaten out of him early, including a nasty fall outside. Until Rosey gets the hot tag and kicks ass. Ultimately La Resistance falls victim to the old Andre The Giant & Jimmy Snuka finisher, as Hurricane climbs Rosey and comes flying of his shoulders with a big splash to a fallen Robert Conway. And just as quickly as the Macarena came and went, we have new tag team champions.
WINNERS: AND NEW TAG TEAM CHAMPIONS – HURRICANE & ROSEY
LAST MAN STANDING MATCH
EDGE Vs CHRIS BENOIT
I love the way they’re not wasting anytime here, basically right into the next match. This one just happens to be Edge Vs Benoit. Awesome match, but what do you expect with these two. With all of Edge’s heat backstage and also with all the smart marks out there, (You know who you are) he still works well and this match proves it. Although it doesn’t hurt having an opponent like Benoit! There were more hits in this one than The Beatles back catalogue. Including Benoit being suddenly stopped by a trash can lid, mid flight, during a suicide dive. After about 15 or more hard hitting minutes, the end came when, after two failed attempts to keep Benoit down for a 10 count, Edge pulls out a brick from his briefcase and clubs the crippler over the head with it. As Bobby Heenan once said “You never know when you’ll need a brick!” Edge obviously came prepared. Benoit was, of course, unable to make it to his feet before the 10 count so Edge was the last man standing. Oh, that’s where the name for this match came from. I didn’t think musical chairs had anything to do with it.
WINNER: EDGE
Backstage Lita is watching the TV monitor. I wonder who she was just watching in the last man standing match. Hmmmmm. Anyway she and Kane talk about his match with big Vis and then about Viscera and Trish getting it on. Kane is disgusted, then the two of them make out. I know thinking about big fat black dudes getting it on with small white chicks makes me wanna make out.
Fluff time! Jerry “The horniest 50 year old ever” Lawler is in the ring with a copy of the new Divas magazine. I’d hate to think what he was doing with it before this segment! Anyway he calls the Raw Divas, including Lillian, out to the ring and basically promotes the magazine showing off the ladies favorite pictures. How are the fans supposed to get excited about the magazine when Lawler is there being all sleazy and creepy. He’s just about to get all super creepy and sleazy with the Divas, when The Masterpiece hits the ring. Thank god, or whomever.
Reminisce of the old Sgt. Slaughter cobra clutch challenge from over 20 years ago come to mind with this segment. Damn that’s a long time ago! He calls into the ring a muscular chick who sounds a lot like Chyna, to try and break his master-lock full nelson. He viciously shakes her around till the refs tell him to stop. This kid has a good gimmick, a good finisher and should do alright.
GRUDGE MATCH
KANE w/Lita Vs VISCERA w/Trish Stratus
Before the match Viscera does his “horny for Trish” thing he’s been doing for the last few weeks on TV. Sassy! Eventually both men hit the ring and it’s on. It’s your typical big man match, well it’s your typical Viscera match. Not much to speak of during the match, Kane eventually picks up the win after a choke slam on big Vis.
WINNER: KANE
After the match, Trish publicly belittles Viscera and says she wouldn’t have done the deed with him even if he had’ve beaten Kane. Viscera grabs Trish and begins to shake her, much like Chris Masters earlier, in a ferocious bearhug. He then delivers a huge splash on poor Trish which brings the medics to the ring.
HASSAN & DAIVARI Vs SHAWN MICHAELS & HULK HOGAN
For some reason whenever Hulk Hogan wrestles now, I’m fixated to the TV. I know I was the biggest Hulkamaniac as a kid but it doesn’t add up. I mean I used to eat paste as a kid but I do that anymore…., well not as much. Anyway it’s the old good Vs evil style match American style. The match itself wasn’t much to crow about but it was great to see two legends teaming up for the first and probably, only time. Hogan did everything I remember from my childhood, including 10 minutes of classic Hogan hot-dogging to the crowd. I loved it! The only thing he didn’t do was his classic leg drop. I guess his knees, and everything else are more banged up than Fazz’s sigma. As I said earlier, the match itself wasn’t the best, with Hogan not being able to move too well but it served it’s purpose, and served it well. Ultimately, the end came when Hassan distracted Hogan and HBK hit Daivari with the Sweet Chin Music and Hogan made the cover, minus a leg drop, for the 3 count for the good ol’ USA. 3 cheers for the USA!....... Anyone?
WINNERS: SHAWN MICHAELS & HULK HOGAN
My favorite guy on Raw, Christian, hit the ring with the problem solver Tyson Tomko. He basically talked about the upcoming Draft Lottery and rapped about the main event guys on both shows. Funny stuff! This guy has more charisma than a karaoke bar has fat chicks.
WORLD HEAVYWEIGHT CHAMPIONSIP MATCH
TRIPLE H w/ Ric Flair Vs BATISTA
This match probably wasn’t as good as their Wrestlemania match but it was excellent. Triple H had been working the angle over the last few weeks, that if Triple H hit Batista with the Pedigree, the match would be over and that his Wrestlemania victory over The Game was a sheer fluke. I’m starting to warm slightly to Batista, but I still feel his title victory was too soon. As I said earlier this was a really good match, with Triple H trying to hit The Pedigree on The Animal at every opportunity. And with Ric Flair trying to interject himself as often as possible, the deck looked stack in The Games favor. But The Animal hit a huge Batista bomb on Triple H out of nowhere and covered the fallen Game for the victory.
WINNER: AND STILL, HEAVYWEIGHT CHAMPION – BATISTA
I thought this show was a great follow up to Wrestlemania and probably set the tone for Triple H / Batista III in the not too distant future. Seeing Hogan really added more to this show on top of the great Benjamin Vs Jericho, Edge Vs Benoit and Batista Vs Triple H matches.
by: The Gimmick
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