10 best WWE Backlash matches

WWE Backlash has always been a pretty solid event through the years, often acting as a pay-per-view to feature WrestleMania rematches from the previous month. It was eventually cancelled as an event in 2010, but has since returned and not only that but returned to form for some solid pay-per-view action.

With the new co-branded Backlash just a few weeks away, here we take a look at the best matches in Backlash history!

Honourable Mentions: Mankind vs. Big Show - 1999, Chris Jericho vs. Chris Benoit - 2000, Kurt Angle vs. Chris Benoit - 2001, Billy Kidman vs. Tajiri - 2002, The Rock vs. Goldberg - 2003, John Cena vs. Triple H vs. Edge - 2006

#10 Raven vs. Rhyno - Backlash 2001

Short but very sweet. Raven and Rhyno were given less than 10 minutes here, but wow did they make the most of it.

By this point, there were hardcore matches on WWE TV at least twice per show, so the whole idea was starting to wear thin, especially since a lot of them were short and quick Hardcore Championship changes. However, here Raven and Rhyno made the most of what they had and put together a minor classic that felt different than other hardcore matches. The action was wild, crazy and competitive, with one particularly rememberable scene where Rhy gored himself through a shopping cart.

Rhyno took the win and retained his Hardcore title in a blinder.

#9 John Cena vs. Shawn Michaels vs. Edge vs. Randy Orton - Backlash 2007

John Cena, Shawn Michaels, Randy Orton and Edge were four of the best performers in the entire wrestling world in 2007 and this match is a prime example as to why.

This Fatal Four Way was just action packed from start to finish, at no point did any man stop to take a breather. Finishing moves were coming in succession from out of nowhere and the live audience was with them every step of the way.

John Cena picked up the most well-earned win of his year-long WWE Championship reign, here.

#8 The Rock vs. Triple H - Backlash 2000

We had a lot of hype going into this match. Triple H had been the WWE Champion since the first RAW of the year and had surprisingly retained it over The Rock at WrestleMania 16, the previous month.

Then much like now, Rock wasn't facing just Champion Triple H but the entire McMahon family, they were going to make it impossible for Rock to come out on top. But today he had help, from someone who hadn't been seen in 5 months, Stone Cold Steve Austin. The match was as good as you could expect from these two, at this point The Rock was having terrific matches with anyone and Triple H had been the best wrestler of that entire year, so this was a solid encounter.

The live audience was into every minute of it, as well as eagerly anticipating the late arrival of Austin, whose entrance gave one of the loudest pops in WWE history. With help from Austin, Rock overcame his enemy to raise the WWE Championship.

#7 The Undertaker vs. Batista - Backlash 2007

The Undertaker and Batista had the most surprising feud of the year, particularly because it ended up being the best feud of 2007, despite both participants being babyfaces.

Batista and 'Taker arguably had the best match of the entire year 2007 at WrestleMania 23 the prior month, so they had a hard act to follow, but you know, they very nearly did. This Last Man Standing match between them needs to go down as one of the best WrestleMania sequel matches of all time.

Both men went all out to make this an epic collision, The action well all over, with several finishing moves, tables being broken and a spear from Batista, off of the stage to end the match at a draw.

This match along with the earlier Fatal Four Way entry shows how much of a great show Backlash 2007 was.

#6 The Rock vs. Stone Cold Steve Austin - Backlash 1999

The Rock and Stone Cold Steve Austin have had classic matches. Many were expecting an epic encounter when the two faced off in the main event of WrestleMania 15 for the WWE Championship, but something for both men just felt off that night and although the match was solid, it fell short of expectations.

A rematch was to be had at Backlash the following month and what different and excellent rematch it was. The action was back and forth for almost the entirety, they fought all over the arena, the most memorable spot of the match comes when The Rock gets a headset on and filmed Austin down, soon enough he would get a Stunner while he filmed it as Austin flipped him off.

Austin took home the win and retained his Championship.

#5 Kurt Angle vs. Edge - Backlash 2002

This match was expected to be good, but I don't know if everyone was expecting the match of the year contender that we got.

This match was entertaining, featured solid moves, was back and forth and had a nice climax, what more could you want? Kurt was a suplexing machine here, hitting Edge with around 10, while Edge hit all of his big moves, with little success. It looked to be over after an Angle Slam but Edge had more fight and the crowd was really behind him. Kurt soon reversed a spear to a second Angle Slam to secure the three-count.

#4 John Cena vs. Edge - Backlash 2009

John Cena and Edge had been feuding on and off for over 3 years at this point, it was time to end it, and boy did they go out in terrific fashion.

Another Last Man Standing match, and another fitting way to end this feud, Edge and Cena went all out here. I don't know if they knew it was to be the final televised match between them, but they sure fought like they did. The back and forth action went all over, they countered everything the other gave as well as dishing out a lot of punishment in between.

We got a highly entertaining spot when Cena actually gave Edge an Attitude Adjustment into the audience. Edge recovered in just enough time and fought Cena up to the entrance ramp, where the Big Show soon entered with a chokeslam to Cena off the stage through a spotlight, for Edge to take the 10 count.

#3 Dean Malenko vs. Scotty 2 Hotty - Backlash 2000

A classic that no one saw coming. When for WCW and ECW star Dean Malenko joined WWE in 2000, the match possibilities were endless, dozens of 5-star matches waiting to happen with all the biggest stars. So it is pretty crazy to think that Dean Malenko had all his best WWE matches with the dance-loving Scotty 2 Hotty.

Now Scotty 2 Hotty was nothing to joke around with, sure it was a hip-hop dancing gimmick, but no dancing gimmicks (and there has been a lot) will ever get over like Too Cool did, and Scotty was a pretty good and heavily underrated performer. And on this night, he had the best performance of his career.

Scotty and Dean had several matches over the previous few weeks, trading the Light Heavyweight Championship each time, and although the matches were generally strong, they were often short. Tonight they had just shy of 13 minutes to work with and put on the best match possible with it. The action was fast paced and had a particularly rough ending, as, in mid-air, Dean reversed a top rope superplex into a DDT for the 3.

#2 Triple H vs. Shawn Michaels vs. Chris Benoit - Backlash 2004

Triple H, Shawn Michaels and Chris Benoit had one of the great matches in WrestleMania history the month prior to this at WrestleMania 20. Could they pull it off again, and so soon?

As it turns out, yes! We had suplex after suplex, excellent one-on-one and then three-way exchanges, superkicks, headbutts, high flying moves, and technical offence. The match was pretty different to the first, especially in areas such as blood, where fans seemed to love the blood lost from all three men at Mania, we didn't get any of that here. This was pure skill.

Perhaps the best WrestleMania rematch of all time.

#1 Randy Orton vs. Cactus Jack - Backlash 2004

Yes, Backlash 2004 was a solid event. Not only the just mentioned Triple Threat, but one outstanding Hardcore match also, and as put by many, the match that made Randy Orton a star.

This was pretty wild. A bloody and violent warfare, Mick Foley could not have done any more to put Orton over. Foley tossed Orton off the stage through some tables, hit a vicious elbow drop and the involvement of barbwires ensured this match truly had it all.

Perhaps the most memorable spot came when Foley/Jack pulled out a bag that turned out to be thumbtacks. He poured them out all over the ring. Orton charged in, went for an RKO, but Jack countered, dropping Orton back first onto the tacks, with the tacks sticking onto his back.

The finish would see Orton hitting Foley onto "Barbie" for the three-count.

Outstanding match. Nothing else to say!

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