Backlash (2008)

Infobox Wrestling event
name=Backlash (2008)


tagline=Every Action Deserves a Fierce and Aggressive Reactioncite web|title=Backlash poster|url=http://www.hoffco-inc.com/wwe/ppv/ppv/img/ad-bkl08.jpg|publisher=CompleteWWE.com|accessdate=2008-04-04]
theme="All Summer Long" by Kid Rock [cite web|url=http://www.wwe.com/content/media/video/vms/backlash/2008/april8-14/6867546|title=Source for "All Summer Long" by Kid Rock|accessdate=2008-04-15|publisher=WWE]
promotion=World Wrestling Entertainment
brand=Raw
SmackDown
ECW
date=April 27, 2008
venue=1st Mariner Arena
city=Baltimore, Maryland
attendance=9,000cite web|url=http://www.prowrestlinghistory.com/supercards/usa/wwf/backlash.html#2008|title=Backlash 2008 results|publisher=Pro Wrestling History|accessdate=2008-05-19]
lastevent=WrestleMania XXIV
nextevent=Judgment Day (2008)
event=Backlash
lastevent2=Backlash (2007)
nextevent2=Backlash (2009)cite web |url=http://www.411mania.com/wrestling/news/75384/WWE-News%3A-Backlash-2009-Location%2C-SD-Rating%2C-Press-Release.htm|title=WWE News: Backlash 2009 Location, SD Rating, Press Release]

Backlash (2008) was the tenth annual Backlash professional wrestling pay-per-view event produced by World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE). It took place on April 27, 2008 at the 1st Mariner Arena in Baltimore, Maryland and featured talent from the Raw, SmackDown, and ECW brands.cite journal|year=2007|month=Special|title=Greatest Moments in Pay-Per-View History|journal=WWE Magazine|pages=64–65|accessdate=2007-12-04] . The event had 200,000 buys, up on the Backlash (2007) figure of 194,000 buys.cite paper|title=World Wrestling Entertainment, Inc. Reports 2008 Second Quarter Results|publisher=World Wrestling Entertainment|date=2008-08-05|url= http://corporate.wwe.com/documents/PressRelease84toKateFINAL.pdf|format=PDF|accessdate=2008-08-06]

The main match on the Raw brand was a Fatal Four-Way Elimination match for the WWE Championship between champion Randy Orton, Triple H, John Cena, and John "Bradshaw" Layfield (JBL). Triple H won the match after last eliminating Orton. The predominant match on the SmackDown brand was The Undertaker versus Edge for the World Heavyweight Championship, which Undertaker won after forcing Edge to submit with the Gogoplata. The primary match on the ECW brand was Kane versus Chavo Guerrero for the ECW Championship, which Kane won by pinfall after a chokeslam. The featured matches on the undercard were Batista versus Shawn Michaels and Big Show versus The Great Khali.

Background

The main feud heading into Backlash on the SmackDown brand was between The Undertaker and Edge, over the World Heavyweight Championship. In February, at No Way Out, Undertaker won an Elimination Chamber match to become the number one contender to the World Heavyweight Championship at WrestleMania XXIV. [cite web|url=http://www.wwe.com/shows/nowayout/matches/6323422/results/|title=World Title's telltale hour|accessdate=2008-02-17|last=Tello|first=Craig|publisher=WWE|date=2008-02-17] At WrestleMania, Undertaker defeated Edge to win the World Heavyweight Championship and extend his WrestleMania undefeated streak to 16-0. [cite web|first=Craig|last=Tello|date=2008-03-30|url=http://www.wwe.com/shows/wrestlemania/matches/6208634/results/|title=Sweet Sixteen|publisher=WWE|accessdate=2008-04-05] On the April 4, 2008 edition of "SmackDown!", SmackDown! General Manager Vickie Guerrero booked a WrestleMania rematch between Undertaker and Edge for the World Heavyweight Championship at Backlash.cite web|first=Brad|last=Borchardt|date=2008-04-04|url=http://www.411mania.com/wrestling/tv_reports/72495/|title=411's WWE SmackDown Report 04.04.08|publisher=411mania.com|accessdate=2008-04-05]

The predominant feud on the Raw brand was between Randy Orton, Triple H, John Cena, and John "Bradshaw" Layfield, over the WWE Championship. On the April 7, 2008 edition of "Raw", after General Manager William Regal announced that Randy Orton would be defending the WWE Championship against John "Bradshaw" Layfield (JBL) at Backlash, Triple H said that he deserved another title match.cite web|url=http://www.onlineworldofwrestling.com/results/raw/080407.html|accessdate=2008-04-28|title=WWE Raw (April 7, 2008) Results|publisher=Online World of Wrestling] Regal then booked a Handicap match between Triple H and Orton & JBL later that night. The stipulation of the match being if Triple H won, he would become a part of the WWE Championship at Backlash. Triple H won, and made the one-on-onetitle match between Orton and JBL, a Triple Threat match. After the match, however, John Cena stated that he also deserved another title match, which led to Regal booking Cena in a Handicap match against Triple H and Layfield. Cena won the match, and the match became a Fatal Four-Way match. On the April 21, 2008 edition of "Raw", Raw commentator Jim Ross announced that the match was going to be an elimination match, instead of a standard one-fall match. [cite web|url=http://www.onlineworldofwrestling.com/results/raw/080421.html|accessdate=2008-04-28|title=WWE Raw (April 21, 2008) Results|publisher=Online World of Wrestling]

The primary feud on the ECW brand was between Chavo Guerrero and Kane, with the two battling over the ECW Championship. Before WrestleMania XXIV aired live on pay-per-view, Kane won a 24-Man Battle Royal to earn an ECW Championship match against Chavo Guerrero later that night.cite web|date=2008-03-30|url=http://www.onlineworldofwrestling.com/results/wweppv/wrestlemania24.html|title=WrestleMania 24 results|publisher=Online World of Wrestling|accessdate=2008-03-31] Kane would go on to defeat Guerrero and become the new ECW Champion. On the April 4, 2008 edition of "SmackDown!", SmackDown! General Manager Vickie Guerrero booked Kane to defend the ECW Championship against Chavo Guerrero at Backlash. The feud intensified on the April 8, 2008 edition of "ECW",where during a contract signing for Backlash, Guerrero, with assistance from Bam Neeley, Curt Hawkins, and Zack Ryder, delivered a Frog splash on Kane through a table. [cite web|url=http://www.onlineworldofwrestling.com/results/ecw-wwe/080408.html|accessdate=2008-04-28|title=ECW on Sci-Fi (April 8, 2008) Results|publisher=Online World of Wrestling] Two weeks later on April 22, 2008, the feud again intensified during an edition of the "Cutting Edge", in which Edge, Hawkins, Ryder, and Neeley ganged up against Kane. The gang-up allowed Guerrero to attack Kane with a steel chair. [cite web|url=http://www.onlineworldofwrestling.com/results/ecw-wwe/080422.html|accessdate=2008-04-28|title=ECW on Sci-Fi (April 22, 2008) Results|publisher=Online World of Wrestling]

Another feud leading up to Backlash was between Shawn Michaels and Batista. Upset over the retirement of Ric Flair at the hands of Michaels at WrestleMania XXIV, Batista interrupted Michaels' address on the April 4, 2008 edition of SmackDown! and called him a "selfish" person for what he did at WrestleMania. Batista blamed Michaels for not laying down for Flair and thus protecting his career instead of retiring him. Michaels defended his actions by saying Flair had called upon him to bring his best to WrestleMania, which he did. The conflict continued on an edition of Chris Jericho's "Highlight Reel" interview segment that featured both men on the April 7, 2008 edition of Raw. Following another tense verbal standoff, Batista left the ring saying he had something in store for Michaels. Moments later, Raw General Manager William Regal said he had confirmed a match with SmackDown! General Manager Vickie Guerrero between Michaels andBatista at Backlash. In addition, the following week Jericho had a confrontation with Shawn Michaels who ended up kicking Jericho in the face. Frustrated, Jericho went to Regal in an effort to possibly add himself to the match. Regal did indeed add Jericho to the match, but not as a competitor. Instead he announced Jericho as a Special Guest Referee for the match.

Event

References

External links

* [http://www.wwe.com/shows/backlash/ Official Backlash website]