WWE have produced seventeen Backlash PPVs, making it one of the longest-running events on the entire PPV calendar - and that is with a seven-year hiatus in which the show didn’t take place too! This show has conventionally come straight after WrestleMania, with the “Backlash” name being in relation to it being the backlash of the biggest show of the year.
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Over the years, there have been some truly brilliant Backlash events, whereas others have been among the worst things the company has ever produced. It has certainly been a mixed bag with Backlash, especially since it has been going on for so long at this point.
17 Backlash 2018
This is one of WWE’s worst shows ever. After a good opener between Seth Rollins and The Miz, everything was bad. Nia Jax vs. Alexa Bliss was a mess, Carmella vs. Charlotte Flair was objectively poor, and AJ Styles vs. Shinsuke Nakamura had a ridiculously bad finish.
By the time Roman Reigns vs. Samoa Joe came in the main event, fans had seen enough and didn’t care.
16 Backlash 2002
Tajiri vs. Billy Kidman, Edge vs. Kurt Angle, and RVD vs. Eddie Guerrero were all very good undercard matches, but this event was let down by three awful closing matches to end the night.
The Undertaker vs. Steve Austin was hugely boring, Billy & Chuck vs. Al Snow & Maven was as uneventful as paint drying, and the main event between Triple H and Hulk Hogan was a notoriously sloppy and plodding match which saw the aging Hogan win the WWE Championship.
15 Backlash 2017
The most notable moment on this show was Jinder Mahal’s shocking WWE Title win. Aside from that, this was a glorified episode of SmackDown.
Shinsuke Nakamura’s main roster debut was fine, and the Tag Team Title match was silly in a good way, but apart from that this was nothing special at all.
14 Backlash 2020
WWE had a tough job throwing this event in a venue with zero fans, but some parts were okay. Edge and Randy Orton delivered a fantastic main event, and Drew McIntyre vs. Bobby Lashley was solid, but aside from that the show did suffer.
The Universal & Raw Women’s Title matches were particularly poor.
13 Backlash 2003
Backlash 2003 wasn’t a bad show by any means, but it didn’t have much to elevate it. Goldberg’s WWE debut was notable, but his match with The Rock was nothing special.
There was a lot of star power on this card, which can be seen in a trios match between Chris Jericho, Ric Flair, & Triple H and Booker T, Kevin Nash, and Shawn Michaels, but even that felt like a Raw main event.
12 Backlash 1999
The first ever Backlash was a middling show that was elevated a lot with a very fun main event between “Stone Cold” Steve Austin and The Rock. Sure, it was overbooked to the brim, but it was still a lot of Attitude Era-style fun.
Aside from the violent and unique Boiler Room Brawl between Mankind and Big Show, nothing on this show “wowed”, and it felt like a glorified episode of Raw.
11 Backlash 2001
The Two-Man Power Trip defeated The Brothers Of Destruction in a star-studded main event, though it was solid at best. The same could be said for the rest of the show as there was nothing inherently bad, but there was nothing special.
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The Ultimate Submission match was arguably the match of the night, but even that could have been better.
10 Backlash 2005
The main event between Batista and Triple H was good, the crowd was happy to see Hulk Hogan wrestle, and Shelton Benjamin vs. Chris Jericho was a great opener.
Things like Kane vs. Viscera could have been left off the card, but for the most part, there was nothing too poor on the night, making it a solid event.
9 Backlash 2006
This show got better as the night went on, with RVD vs. Shelton Benjamin, Vince & Shane McMahon vs. Shawn Michaels, and John Cena vs. Edge vs. Triple H all delivering matches that offered something unique to each other.
Some of the undercard was bland, but those three matches made for a fun night.
8 Backlash 2008
The fatal four-way WWE Title main event was unpredictable and fun, as was the rematch between The Undertaker and Edge. The undercard was all solid (even Big Show vs. Great Khali wasn’t too bad).
Shawn Michaels and Batista could have been slightly better, but the storytelling in it was top-notch.
7 Backlash 2000
This event bounced back from a disappointing WrestleMania with a more focused show in which The Rock got his crowning moment in the main event, defeating Triple H.
The Intercontinental, European, Light Heavyweight, Tag Team, and Hardcore Titles were all defended in an array of fun matches with good quality too. There were a couple of downsides here and there, but for the most part, it was a strong show.
6 Backlash 2021
Even with this taking place in the ThunderDome, WWE managed to produce a show full of great matches. Rhea Ripley vs. Asuka vs. Charlotte Flair was a stellar opener, Bobby Lashley vs. Braun Strowman vs. Drew McIntyre was a hard-hitting clash, and Roman Reigns vs. Cesaro was a class main event.
The biggest downside was the horrendous “Zombie Lumberjack” match between Damian Priest and The Miz.
5 Backlash 2022
In back-to-back years, the in-ring quality of Backlash was great. Cody Rhodes vs. Seth Rollins had a brilliant encounter, Charlotte Flair vs. Ronda Rousey was brutal and fun, Edge and AJ Styles had a better match than their one at WrestleMania, and the six-man main event was great.
There weren’t many bad sides to this event in truth.
4 Backlash 2004
This was a show which was headlined by a rematch of the WrestleMania 20 main event, and it delivered just as much as the first encounter. Randy Orton and Cactus Jack also tore the house down with a brutal Hardcore Match. Chris Jericho vs Christian & Trish Stratus, and Shelton Benjamin vs. Ric Flair were good too.
There were some dull parts of this show, but the two classics more than made up for them.
3 Backlash 2016
SmackDown’s first PPV of the brand split felt special. It had a unique atmosphere with new stars being featured, and a lot of huge moments with new Tag Team, Women’s, and WWE Champions.
The Miz vs. Dolph Ziggler also over-delivered, and the ball began rolling on Bray Wyatt and Randy Orton’s long-term feud.
2 Backlash 2009
Backlash 2009 had a lot of variety and fun. Jeff Hardy vs. Matt Hardy had a good “I Quit” match, Chris Jericho vs. Ricky Steamboat was a special showcase of a legend, and The Legacy vs. Shane McMahon, Batista, and Triple H was star-studded and chaotic.
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The main event Last Man Standing match between John Cena and Edge was notably strong, providing perhaps their best match together in a bout that had a huge big fight feel.
1 Backlash 2007
2007 was arguably the best Backlash show ever, headlined by a great main event between John Cena, Edge, Randy Orton, and Shawn Michaels.
There was simply nothing bad about this card, with a draw between The Undertaker and Batista not being much of an issue, and the McMahon’s vs. Bobby Lashley feeling chaotic in a good way.
