WWE heads to Lyon for Backlash: France this weekend, with the post-WrestleMania series providing some iconic moments in the past.
The traditional follow-up to WWE’s biggest show of the year, Backlash always throws up thrills, spills and the odd classic match-up, with Saturday’s show also likely to impress.
Cody Rhodes puts his newly-wonWWE Undisputed title on the line against AJ Styles, while fellow new champ, Damian Priest, defends his World Heavyweight Championship against Jey Uso.
With Bayley, The Bloodline and Randy Orton all also in action this weekend, talkSPORT.com is turning back the clock to run the rule over some standout battles from the near 20-year history of the event.
Here are five matches well worth checking out ahead of WWE Backlash: France.
Randy Orton and Mick Foley in savage fight
In all honesty, we could include this match in our compilation of top Backlash matches purely for the sight of Randy Orton being thrown on to a pile of thumb tacks – drawing pins – alone.
It’s an image that has been etched into the memory of many WWE fans in the 20 years since, as Orton writhed in what would’ve undoubtedly been genuine agony.
As you’d expect from these two bitter rivals, it was a real war; a baseball bat, barbed wire, (almost) fire were all in play before Orton eventually downed legend Mick Foley, in his iconic Cactus Jack guise, with what became a trademark RKO – on a barbed wire covered bat, of course.
Bad Bunny shines in WWE classic
Thanks to the likes of Pat McAfee and especially Logan Paul, celebs transitioning into wrestling have been afforded a new-found respect in recent years. Another name in that mix is Bad Bunny, the rap star whose lifelong dream was to wrestle in WWE.
In front of a partisan hometown crowd in San Juan, Puerto Rico last year, he got his wish as he tangled with Damian Priest in a superb street fight.
Yes, there were weapons aplenty and there was interference galore – including the surprise arrival of Carlito – but this bout did a great job of showing how seriously Bad Bunny took his cameo in professional wrestling, and how expertly Priest guided him through it.
The Rock vs Austin in WrestleMania rematch
Not one to take his loss to arch rival Stone Cold Steve Austin at WrestleMania the prior month laying down, Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson did his level best to snare back the WWE title at Backlash in 1999.
While it lacked the blockbuster feel of their Mania epic, this was every bit as enjoyable for being a downright fight. They brawled on the outside, used a fire extinguisher, demolished commentary tables, while having both Vince and Shane McMahon involved in the fray.
The Rattlesnake triumphed, eventually, but it settled little between these two feuding icons.
The Greatest Wrestling Match Ever
WWE not only enjoys hyperbole, but takes it to an entirely different stratosphere. Look no further than the 2020 Backlash which saw Edge and Randy Orton collide in what was billed – in advance, by the way – as The Greatest Wrestling Match Ever.
Did it prove to be that good? Well, naturally, no, but for 45 minutes these two veterans did put on a superb show of storytelling and wrestling – not least to an empty arena during the COVID Pandemic that forced WWE to close its doors to fans.
Rather than being hamstrung by its absurdly-high billing, the match did just fine – even with a hugely ironic ending – and its definitely worth a watch.
Cena beats three WWE legends at once
If you can spare just 20 minutes before Backlash: France this weekend, use it to seek out this gem of a fatal four-way match from 2007 that saw John Cena defend his WWE Championship against Edge, Shawn Michaels and Randy Orton in Atlanta.
This bout took place during one of Cena’s many superhero runs at the top of WWE, during which he’d triumph over all comers. Having him see off all four major names in the same clash does, in retrospect, take that a little too far, but a creative enough ending did protect his opponents.
Michaels, too, was in the peak of his return years in WWE while Orton and Edge were at the top of their game. Rather than being an overbooked mishmash of melee, this main event delivered.
WWE Backlash: France takes place in Lyon on Saturday, 4 May with fans in the UK able to watch on WWE Network or TNT Sports Box Office.