Review: WWF-WWE Backlash 2000 DVD (Tagged Classic)

Brett Mix’s- WWF Backlash 2000 Review:

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“The Parade must be over.. here comes Patterson running to the ring. And here is Stone Cold Steve Austin! Hits Brisco, Patterson…., McMahon, HHH….Austin! Austin! Auuuussstiiiiiiin!!!!!!” -Jim Ross

 

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-WWF Backlash 2000 took place on Sunday, April 30th 2000, at the MCI Center in Washington D.C in front of 17,867 fans presented by Castrol GTX.

-On Sunday Night Heat Vince McMahon said Stone Cold would not show up tonight due to the card being subject to change.

-This was the second annual Backlash PPV event.

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-This PPV event scored a HUGE buyrate of 1.65 largely due to the return of one Stone Cold Steve Austin and the strong HHH-Rock program, not too mention just a overall well-balanced card

-Many critics perfer this event over Wrestlemania 2000 the month before.

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-Jim Ross and Jerry the King Lawler called the event.

-Steve Austin made his first PPV appearance during this event since Survivor Series 1999.

-On Heat before the PPV three matches took place.

D-Lo Brown beat Al Snow by DQ.

Steve Blackman defeated Val Venis at 5:04.

The Godfather and Kai En Tai defeated The Headbangers and Steven Richards at 4:26.

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Now onto the PPV…..

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1) Opening Contest- Edge and Christian (c) vs DX (Road Dogg and X-Pac) (with Tori) for the WWF Tag Team Championship

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Well here is Debra. Austin made a return appearance on this night so why not his wife while were at it. Cue the puppies remarks. Fans and Lawler were very happy.

Here we are set now for one of the greatest events of all time. Great show on the way!

RUN DMC and their version of the D-X theme hits the pa sysetm and out comes DX with Tori. Road Dogg dances his way to the ring. I still have this song on my MP3 Player. Hey it has a good beat…

X-Pac sets off they pyro before his own brand of HEAT came.

Road Dogg says to cut the music. Road Dogg makes fun of Debra tongue in cheek with her mic work. Road Dogg rhymes, what an underrated mic performer. So confident and full of charisma.

Now Edge and Christian come out with the gold, back when there was a legit tag title division. Many people thought most of this show was what Wrestlemania should of been. Debra could not have sound less then excited when announcing Edge and Christian. It was almost laughable.

Kicking off Backlash with a tag title match, here we go.

The bell rings and wait, X-Pac has an X-Pac sucks chant going. Maybe the heat does live.

X-Pac begins with Edge. Edge ties up with Pac but he holds a side headlock into an arm-ringer. We Want Puppies does not take long to get chanted. X-Pac then with a swinging arm-ringer and flipped over Edge taking him down with an arm-drag take-over. Edge now with a side headlock and then a shoulder block. X-Pac with a leapfrog but still caught a spinning heel kick by Edge taking him to the outside.

Fans cheer this. Neither team was paticularly babyface.

Edge has X-Pac SPIT in his face and in comes the D O Double G.

Road Dogg the second generation star, his dad about to go in the 2011 Hall of Fame in a month as of this writing here in March of 2011. Edge sends Road Dogg to the buckle and as Christian got tagged in he used Edge as a stepping stone before sending his legs up high to Road Dogg in the corner of the ring. X-Pac back in and he takes it to Christian.

Christian though caught X-Pac off the ropes with a powerslam. Road Dogg then behind the official clotheslines Christian over the top rope and X-Pac slams him to the mat then pushed him to the outside. Outside the ring Road Dogg sent Christian into the steps. X-Pac takes over while Road Dogg distracts the official. A cover on Christian but he barely kicks out. Road Dogg capitalizing on the injured neck of Christian with a front facelock. Edge gets the tag but the ref did not see it as it was blind. Now DX double-teams Christian isolating him in their corner. Tori held Christian in the corner and Pac hits the Bronco Buster. Road Dogg with a snapmare and a heavy kick or two to the back of Christian. Road Dogg with a sleeper on Christian working over his neck even more on the canvas.

Road Dogg maintains the sleeper but Christian elbows out and then lets Road Dogg have a right-hand or two and then a boot, ducks a clothesline and Road Dogg then lets go with, a couple of shakes, punches and a rolling knee-drop. Edge interupted the three count. X-Pac stomps on Christian but the ref is absolutely oblivious to the double-teaming going on all match illegally.

Mid-air collision as a crossbody by Road Dogg and Christian hit one another.

Very solid tag match we got going on here to open the show! Edge with a Chris Benoit like headbutt Ross said as he landed on the chest of Road Dogg. Then with a cheap shot on X-Pac to return the favor.

A double-move by DX turned into a counter and a double-reverse ddt by Edge.

X-Pac comes in and runs into a running powerbomb by Edge. Road Dogg caught the count. Pump-handle slam by Road Dogg, and an impaler by Christian broke it up. Spear by Edge to Road Dogg. Tori on the apron and X-Pac mis-fired and Edge rolled him up and only a two!

Wow, quick action!

Fans into this bad boy now. X-Pac with a tornado ddt to Edge, Christian used the belt to level X-Pac in the head. The count is made.

In the end Edge and Christian retained the gold at 9:23 after Debra announced them as the winners, thankfully she is done for the night.

This match was just a great opener. Nicely booked.

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*** 1/4

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2) Dean Malenko (c) vs Scotty 2 Hotty for the WWF Light Heavyweight Championship

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The Rock arrives into the Arena in a long black Limo.

Now we are in for a treat.

Here it is.

A true gem, one of my favourite matches ever.

Scotty 2 Hotty came out first dancing his way to the ring.

Malenko and his ice-cold stare, why they called him the ICE MAN brings himself to the ring with the gold. Scotty 2 Hotty looking to re-gain the gold.

Dean Malenko and Scotty 2 Hotty waste no time to get going at one another. Scotty 2 Hotty reverses Dean into the buckle then lets go of a right-hand. Scotty with a European uppercut and then a hard irishwhip, looking for a bulldog but Malenko counters with a magnificent clothesline.

Malenko and his dad Boris Malenko was an innovator so we could expect the same from his son. What an awesome counter move that clothesline was. Malenko was frustrated by the quick start from Scotty 2 Hotty.

Malenko roughs up Scotty 2 Hotty on the outside a bit then targets the leg. Malenko sends him in the corner and targets the leg, and whenever Dean Malenko focuses on a body-part look out. A mastered-technician. Malenko sweeps the leg of Scotty 2 Hotty working further on the knee.

Now a leg-lock by Malenko torking the ankle. Malenko who is the man of 1,000 holds then drops down on Scotty 2 Hotty and applies a leg-lock meanwhile using his legs to add additional leverage and pressure.

Now Malenko uses the ring-post as a tag partnet slamming the left leg of Scotty into the ring-post. Smart moves by a smart wrestler, to be expected.

Scotty 2 Hotty down and Malenko in full control. Malenko loves the Texas Cloverleaf so he could be softening him up for that. Malenko back to a leg lock, Scotty 2 Hotty with one leg tried to get up, Malenko ducks a kick and off the ropes he methodically continues to disect the leg of Scotty 2 Hotty. A nearfall but Scotty 2 Hotty barely is able to kick out.

Malenko lifts up a leg of Scotty, the bad one but Scotty 2 Hotty comes back with a desperation inziguri using his good leg.

Feels like I am watching one of those classic Malenko-Rey matches in the mid 90s from WCW where Malenko would target the legs of Rey due to his aerial offense. Such as Halloween Havoc 96 or the Great American Bash 96, even though in that paticular match he focused more on the arm.

Malenko with a back-heel kick, beautiful strategy slamming his leg to the mat. Spinning toe-hold and Scotty 2 Hotty had flashes of coming back but Malenko turns it around on him at the last second. Scotty 2 Hotty tries to get up and Malenko stays on the leg of Scotty. Malenko takes Scotty all the way out of the ring, both men fall to the floor.

Malenko hits a Superplex off the top rope, that should be all if he can get over to Scotty but that took some out of Dean Malenko as well.

Inside cradles out of no where, beautiful counter into the attempted Cloverleaf, sent into the buckle is Scotty but he lands rights on Malenko.

Dean Malenko back up trying for a powerbomb but Scotty flips over and hits a running bulldog and gets the crowd fired up for the Worm.

W———–O—————R————M…………..HUUU..HUUUU..HUUU, Scotty scores with his worm JR SAYS.

King hilariously answers WHAAAT! Gold, just gold Jerry…..

Malenko though tried to pull a fast one with both his legs on the ropes but Scotty kicked out.

Malenko with a massive powerbomb and Scotty 2 Hotty kicks out. Fans clapping in this one because of how good it was. Malenko again with a powerslam but Scotty 2 Hotty kicked out!

Scotty then drops Malenko-head first on the apron. Malenko slowly climbs to the top and Scotty with a solid right, then another and joins Malenko up on top for a Superplex attempt.

It fails and in mid-air Scotty 2 Hotty is hit with a tornado ddt by Malenko and he gets the three.

WOW.

An unbelievable match,.

In the end at 12:59 Malenko retained the Light Heavyweight title after an amazing tornado ddt off the top turnbuckle to Scotty 2 Hotty.

This match is far and away the best match in the career of Scotty 2 Hotty.

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****

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3) Bull Buchanan and The Big Bossman vs The Acolytes
The Tag division much like the roster in the WWF-2000 was so deep there would be multiple tag matches a night, even if it was a PPV event, see the PPV before this, Wrestlemania 2000.

A lot of people would say this is the event Wrestlemania 2000 should of been in a lot of ways as previously mentioned.

Not many wrestling holds in this one. A big brawl between four brawlers, lets face it. Play by play is not exactly entertaining in matches like this.

Frequent tags, the veteran in the Big Bossman, the late Ray Traylor came in and dominated Farooq quite a bit. Bossman sucks chanted likely due to his hilarious and VERY HEEL-like 1999 year where he fed Al Snow is own dead dog, dragged Big Shows dead dads casket away during his funeral, kennel from hell, the worst hell in a cell of all time with Taker. Poor Bossman in 1999.

Still this showed that the WWF had a deep tag division in the year 2000.

Farooq and Bradshaw come back in the middle of the match and take Bossman to the outside and he is slammed against the barricade. Bull Buchanan comes in and takes it to Farooq. Fans are a bit dead for this match and that is certainly understandable.

But both teams wanted to get in line for a tag team title shot, we would see a ton of 2000 Raw shows full of tag team action with teams trying to gain momentum and jump higher in the tag-ranks.

Both Bossman and Bull Buchanan isolate Farooq. Referee Teddy Long asks Bull to help a brother out in Farooq. Well no he did not say it like that, but ya get the idea. Bull Buchanan with a reverse chinlock on Farooq and the fans boo.

Bull Buchanan had to be one of the most boring wrestlers I had ever seen. What is disturbing is when I read the Ross Report in 2000 (Remember those…) He was SCARY high on the guy as if he was going to carry the company one day. I still hope that was sarcasm but either way…

Bradshaw tried to leap off the top rope but Bossman restrained him and Bull Buchanan suplexed Bradshaw off the top but he still somehow kicks out and Bull Buchanan could not get the three count.

Farooq slams Bossman into the barricade. Bull Buchanan runs into the turnbuckle, clothesline from hell by Bradshaw but Bossman interupted the count. Farooq threw him out. Bradshaw then slammed Bull Buchanan into the buckle.

Outside the ring Bossman had a night stick and hit Farooq behind the official, then to Bradshaw. Bull Buchanan off the ropes with a leg-drop to Bradshaw and that is it.
In the end at 7:51 Bull Buchanan and Bossman cheat to win.

This match is definitely not as boring as it may read on paper.

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**

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4) Crash Holly (c) vs Jeff Hardy vs Matt Hardy vs Hardcore Holly vs Perry Saturn vs Tazz in a Six-Man WWF Hardcore Championship Match

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Due to the unique titan-tron for this event, this Hardcore titlte match was something extra special as the wrestlers utilized the steel hooks and went just about everywhere.

Crash defending against his cousin, two Hardyz, Saturn and Tazz.

Odds not stacked in his favor for sure but he has a tough task ahead.

Crash Holly and Hardcore had a good talk before this match where Bob slapped the late Crash.

Saturn begins the match by rolling Crash into the match. The match ends when Crash pins somebody, or somebody pins Crash. Hardcore Holly with a powerbomb and Matt interupted the count.

The human suplex machine Tazz to Saturn, both ECW originals.

Crash looking to escape and Jeff Hardy follows him. Hardcore Holly sees Crash is trying to climb the Backlash steel super structure. A neat concept. Both guys fighting on the top. Crash is booted in the face and hanging upside down from one of the Backlash claws.

All of the sudden Matt Hardy dove off the steel structure onto everyone down on the ground. Holy Sh*t chants. Jeff uses one to spring him into a hurricanrana on Saturn. Tazz hit by a 2 X 4. Saturn with an abdominal stretch to Crash, Tazz with a boot to the face as all guys are in the ring.

Hard to keep up says Ross as it is. A lot of Hardcore action going on all over the ring. Tazz runs over Crash with a clothesline. Matt tried to get the cover. Saturn hit with a sunset flip and Crash tried to get a pinning combination.

Pan shots from Tazz and then Hardcore Holly tried to pin Crash and Saturn broke it up.

Crash the most abused in this match to be certain. Tazz hit a suplex and an interuption. More head shots from a pan by the Hardyz and some innovative offense by Jeff with a unique leg-drop onto a pan onto Crash, Matt Hardy his brother interupts the count.

Springboard by Jeff but Hardcore Holly breaks up the count. An electrical cord being used to choke out the opposition. Hardcore Holly sends Crash up high on the top rope for a superplex. Tazz and Hardcore Holly both pinned Crash and then Saturn suplexed him as we need one winner, not two.

Hardcore Holly sets up Crash and slams him onto a steel chair. Jeff brings a ladder in the ring and the fans explode. Hardyz take down Hardcore Holly with the ladder then Saturn. Matt sets it up in the corner and Hardcore Holly is sent back-first into the ladder. Hardyz eliminating the opposition and now Jeff has the Ladder set up and now Jeff wants to jump off the top after a twist of fate by Matt. A Swantom Bomb from the top.

The Hardyz keep breaking up the other mans cover.

Tazz wants to set up Crash for the Tazzmission but Saturn hits him with a stop sign. Saturn is pulled out by Hardcore Holly and then Jeff and Matt eliminatred Hardcore Holly and Saturn on the floor.

Crash somehow covered Tazz for the victory.

In the end at 12:20 Crash Holly somehow retained the Hardcore title after he somehow got the win. They play the Hardyz music despite him winning. Hilarious.

Top notch hardcore material.

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*** 1/4

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5) The Showster vs Kurt Angle

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So Big Show is now a babyface because he wanted to go Hollywood. After his feud with The Rock Big Show now wants to be funny.

This was extremely hilarious at the time when he came out as Hogan.

Angle was extremely over and on a hot streak at the time to boot.

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The Showster took apart Angle to begin but then Kurt took apart his leg. Angle dropped down his weight on Show.

Angle in the corner is worked on.

A big Hogan chant after the clothesline.

The Showster sets up Angle for a chokeslam.

In the end at 2:57 Big Show got the win over Angle.

Comedy points.

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* 1/4

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6) T and A (Test and Albert) (with Trish Status) vs The Dudley Boyz

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So most people remember this match for the spot at the end. Basically the Dudleyz had been putting all the Divas through tables, even Seniors like Mae Young.

Trish tried to get to Bubba by taping some sexy, and seductive table promos.

I may still watch one or two, or all of them from time to time.

Trish cuts a seductive promo before the match, D-Von says it is time to testify.

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Bubba Ray Dudley begins by chasing around Bubba at ring-side and both teams do not take long to get this match going.

Bubba Ray Dudley runs into a clothesline by the late Test. It is still strange to think Test is dead, I just never would of thought..him.

D-Von off the ropes clotheslined Albert and much like the Acolytes and Bossman-Bull tag match this is a lot about power and brawling. Bubba Ray Dudley has some choice words for Trish on the outside and drops an elbow onto D-Von.

Nice tandem offense here by both teams. T and A slam D-Von to the mat and Bubba Ray wants a tag in now. Albert then threw Test onto D-Von. Bubba missed with a boot. T and A corner and isolate D-Von Dudley. Test with a big boot now to D-Von.

The crowd wants tables.

D-Von with a neck-breaker. Bubba Ray Dudley called Trish a little..Sl*t. Trish took offense. Bubba Ray Dudley tried to get in the ring and T and A just kept isolating D-Von and working him over in their corner.

Albert then drove D-Von into the middle rope with a catapolt. Test hits D-Von with a thunderous clothesline and Bubba Ray Dudley would not stop giving him some support outside the ring.

D-Von with a sunset flip off the top turnbuckle but he could not pin D-Von in time as he kicks out. Fans still chanting for tables.

Dudleyz score with the 3D and then T and A kicks out. A bomb by Albert slamming Bubba Ray Dudley and Test could not connect with the elbow, he hooks Test by the leg and he kicks out. D-Von throws Albert out of the ring. Dudleyz go to hit the 3D on Test but Trish distracts the Dudleyz and T and A gets the win.

Bubba slams Trish through a table, we get eye candy, everyone wins.

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In the end at 11:43 T and A got the victory.

We all go home happy.

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***

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7) Eddie Guerrero (c) (with Chyna) vs Essa Rios (With Lita) for the WWF European Championship

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Chyna had recently turned heel the night after Wrestlemania 2000 to join Eddie Guerrero and be his Mamacita to help him out, she would have to take care of the new Diva in the Federation in Lita on the outside in this match.

On the inside we should be in for a treat as Eddie and Essa Rios are super athletes with incredible ring skill. It is crazy to think this match is for the European title. It just goes to show how deep the WWF talent roster was in 2000.

Eddie Guerrero and Essa Rios set for an aerial match here in a European title match. A textbook back-breaker by Rios but Eddie Guerrero slammed his head into the turnbuckle. A nice side suplex by Eddie who is wearing a tie during this match.

Eddie Guerrero with an overhead wristlock and an arm-bar take-down. Essa Rios then botched a top rope move and then got a arm-drag take-down. Eddie Guerrero off the ropes hit with a hiplock. Eddie Guerrero side-stepped Essa Rios off the apron to the floor.

Eddie Guerrero scooped up Rios and slammed him to the mat, went outside the apron and came in with a summersault. Eddie Guerrero sent Rios into the buckle and Eddie then tossed him to the outside. Chyna with a big uppercut. Lita does not want any of Chyna just yet which is surprising because Lita wanted a piece of everyone back then or so I hear…

Eddie Guerrero down and Essa Rios with a missle dropkick to Eddie and scored a nearfall.

Essa Rios slaps on a headlock.

Out on the outside Eddie Guerrero was about to hit a powerbomb then Essa Rios hit a back-drop onto Eddie.

Essa Rios with a springboad moonsault onto Eddie on the King and JRs table for a change, not the Espanol. Essa must of done that on purpose.

Eddie Guerrero then taken down with Essa Rios springboarding himsellf over the top turnbuckle onto Eddie Guerrero in the corner by the barricade. That was un-real.

Awesome aerial sction there. The WWF just had it all in 2000.

Chyna stopped Essa Rios from the top and Eddie Guerrero hit a superplex onto Essa Rios.

Eddie Guerrero hit with an arm-drag takedown off the top, then Essa Rios got hit with Eddie Guerrero putting his knees up. Eddie Guerrero scoops up Essa Rios and turns into an earthquake spin into a neck-breaker.

Lita stripped Chyna after the match.

In the end at 8:43 Eddie retained the title after he put Essa Rios out with the 1, 2, and 3.

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This match had its problems but it was very impressive at the same time.

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*** 1/2

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8 ) Chris Benoit (c) vs Chris Jericho for the WWF Intercontinental Championship

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The challenger Chris Jericho came in with one mission, to win the title obviously.

A red-hot feud between these two men throughout all of 2000.

One of the several classics they had together.

These guys wrestled each other all over the world. They had careers very similar, they were both in Mexico, in Japan, in ECW, in WCW and the WWF-E. Jericho and Benoit with some good mic work before the match, Jericho calling Benoit Mr. Robotto…before the match.

Both men trained in the Dungeon in Calgary, Alberta and even lived with each other for a period of time.

Y2J chants fill the arena as the bell rings and both men adding back prestige to the IC title get ready to lock-up.

This is how it should be done, the IC title right before the Main Event. Love it.

Jericho cornering Benoit. Benoit with a side headlock take-over and then a head-scissors and then both men get up stand face to face. Benoit rolls Jericho down and both guys counter with brilliant roll-ups.

Benoit with an extremely hard chop.

Jericho hits with them back as the crowd Wooo.

Two young Canadians chopping some meat says Ross. Well they are not that young anyway. Jericho with a knee to the head of Benoit and a kick to the face of Chris Benoit.

Chris Jericho reverse irishwhipped into the buckle and Benoit with a belly to back suplex on Chris Jericho and then a german by holding onto the tights.

Chris Jericho counters a third suplex by holding onto the top rope but Benoit delivers a hard shot to the back of his neck.

Tim White tells him to back off but Benoit sends Jericho over the top rope to the floor.

Benoit then with a suicide dive (no pun intended) and hits head-first to the floor. Ross says it is a career-shortening move by Benoit. (Wow…the irony)

Very sad at the same time, what the guy did to entertain us.

Jericho with some clubbing forearm shots. Jericho brought the steps out but the resourcefulness of Benoit to dropkick Jericho as he kicked the steps into Chris Jericho and it came back to haunt him.

Despite early jump by Y2J Chris Jericho, you could argue Benoit has wrestled a smarter match thus far.

Very stiff work here.

Benoit irishwhips Jericho to the ropes and hits a knee to the gut of Jericho. Benoit said he would enjoy what he was going to do to Jericho out there and he breaks his ribs on his knee. Benoit sends Jericho sternum first into the buckle and Chris Jericho bumps like Bret Hart, as Benoit wrestled like Bret Hart having a purpose for each move as he followed up on the ribs, sternum region.

Jericho reversed an irishwhip and Benoit held onto the ropes, then Jericho catapolted into the turnbuckle, got a chop and then Benoit dropped Jericho as he was hung out to dry landing on the top rope clotheslining the mid-section of Jericho.

Benoit drags Jericho to mid-ring and hits him with a snap suplex, Jericho just kicks out.

Benoit with another knee to the gut of Jericho off the ropes with momentum. Jericho fights back slowly but Benoit has an answer each and every time. Now Benoit continues to follow up on the abdomen region of Y2J with a mid-ring abdominal stretch.

Jericho with a nice counter, he got a reverse elbow off the ropes then a Lionsault. Benoit lifted up his knees hitting the ribs of Jericho. Chris Benoit has targetted that area all match.

White the official counts to ten and at the nine count Jericho pins Benoit and he kicks out at a long two.

Both men get up at the same time and Benoit rakes the eyes.

A tremendous pace to this match as well. Benoit with another hard chop to Chris Jericho in the corner.

Benoit landing hard kicks to Jericho in the corner levelling him down to size and each time Jericho tries to counter he runs into a boot. Then a spinning heel kick finally works for Chris Jericho as he gained a little ground on Benoit.

Chris Jericho with a close nearfall on Benoit. Jericho with a superplex but Benoit countered in mid-air. Amazing.

Benoit has finally got the Crippler Crossface on Jericho torking the head of Jericho back.

Jericho with his boot on the ropes and got out of it.

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Chris Jericho with Benoit in the Walls as the crowd cheer on!

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Benoit able to get to the ropes in time.

Fans continue to chant Y2J.

An un-real match here.

Benoit sees that Jericho took out the official by accident. Benoit took the IC title and slammed it into the head of Jericho. Benoit got the official up and somehow Jericho kicked out.

Benoit was shocked.

A snap suplex like only Benoit can do it on the belt, Jericho and his vulnerable kidneys hit the belt on the canvas.

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Benoit with a diving headbutt.

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The official DQd Jericho for some reason.

Ross says this decision sucks, Lawler lets out a hilarious WHAAAAT!

Jericho with the Walls on Tim White. Funny stuff.

Awesome ride here.

In the end Benoit beat Jericho by DQ at 15:08 to retain the title.

Very stiff match here, tremendous as well.

These two can usually do no wrong together in the ring and this match was no exception. Another classic match to a stacked card. This was one of many four star matches between the two in 2000 alone.

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****

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9) Main Event- Triple H (c) (with Stephanie and Vince McMahon) vs The Rock for the WWF Championship with Shane McMahon as the Special Guest Referee

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Here it is. Many thought this match should of main evented Wrestlemania 2000, and to this day over a decade later I think there is still a valid point to be made about that.

However if they did that there, it would take this special moment away here.

Once Linda McMahon announced there would be a returning Rattlesnake at Backlash to even the odds everyone including myself marked out and this event scored an amazing 1.65 buyrate which is HUGE for something like Backlash. The WWF was at its peak in popularity for the year 2000 and would never go further.

Yes it was a good time to be a wrestling fan.

After McMahon (Shane that is) came out in a ref shirt. Vince, Steph came out with the Champion, the Game, Triple H.

Vince gets on the mic and says the card is subject to change so do not be dissapointed when Austin no-shows.

No one believed it but it did add extra drama.

Rock got an amazing pop, this was his peak of popularity.

Also the fact he had not been Champion for 13 months coming into this match and his epic feud with Triple H was reaching new highs, made it all that much better.

Rock and HHH get set to go for the title!

Bell rings.

Triple H and Rock, the two best wrestlers of the year 2000.

This could of and arguably SHOULD of been the Wrestlemania main event. Here we go! Getting excited just going back to watch this. Rocky chants and a We Want Stone Cold chant gets going.

Shane telling Rock he is the law.

Triple H and The Rock got in a slugfest in mid-ring as you may expect to begin things, HHH with a neck-breaker off the rope then Rock with a side suplex to HHH. The Game is still able to elevate Rock over the ropes onto the floor then into the steel steps.

HHH drops Rock face-first into the announce table.

Vince sends Rock into the ring-post on the outside of the ring, then back in the ring as Shane pretends he does not see anything. HHH slams Rock head-first into the turnbuckle.

HHH has a sleeper on Rock off the ropes.

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The Game and defending Champion held a sleeper on the vulnerable but durable challenger while Shane O Mac made sure Rocky was still in the match.

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The Rock is grounded with the hold as the Game tries to take a more methodical approach to this match.

Vince keeps interfering and the odds are stacked against The Rock with Shane as the ref but The Rock kept fighting back with solid rights to The Game and then Smackdown to Hunter sending him to the corner.

The Game is hurt holding his arm.

Rock clotheslined HHH then back in the ring he delivered a double armed ddt.

Shane would not count The Rock and Rock got up and punched Shane over the ropes and he fell to the floor. HHH just levelled The Rock.

HHH threw Rock into the steps. Hunter moved TV sets now.

Hunter set up The Rock for a Pedigree on the table but Rock hit a low-blow. Rock then was about to hit a Rock Bottom on HHH through the table and then Shane behind him stood there as they both got Rock Bottomed both through the table.

The face on Vince was PRICELESS.

Now with Rock back in the ring Vince makes sure HHH is going to take him down in the corner and he does. Vince calls out company and out come Patterson and Brisco and JR says the Parade is over here comes Patterson.

How do the kids call it…LMFAO.

Vince knocked Rock out with a chair.

Vince wants them to count to three as they had the shirt of the referee. Rock could not get up.

All of the sudden the music of Austins hit and he probably got the second biggest pop of his career, and when I say that I mean the second biggest pop ever considering he was the God of all Pro-Wrestling pops.

Second only to the January 4th 1999 pop where he helped Mick win the title.

Austin hit Patterson, Brisco, Shane, Vince, then trash-talked over him for old times-sake.

Austin blocked a shot from Hunter then hit him in the skull. Linda came out with fired ref Earl Hebner and Linda shoved down Steph.

The place has not stopped erupting, one of the best sequences in wrestling history here.

Rock hits the Peoples Elbow as Ross yells, Austin! Austin! Austin!!!!!

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In the end at 19:24 The Rock FINALLY won the WWF title after Austin helped him clear house to finally even the odds as he layed his finishers to the Game while the crowd in D.C. exploded.

I rank this just below the encounter they had a month later at Judgment Day but not too far below.

The ending to this match just might be my favourite ending to a match ever.

Just everything was perfect.

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After the show Austin and The Rock toasted each other and everyone went home happy.

An amazing ending to an amazing show. Quite possibly the third best event in WWE history, and perhaps the best show that is not a Wrestlemania.

An all time Classic Moment, one of the best the business has ever seen!

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**** 1/4

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Final Rating for WWF Backlash 2000 = 9/10

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Hands down the best Backlash PPV event ever. This is arguably a top 5-10 Wrestling show of all time. One of the best feel good endings to any show and I am not just talking about Wrestling. It was beautiful Story-Telling. What makes this show so fantastic is its depth. Whether it is Trish and the Dudleyz, Eddie and Rios, Benoit and Jericho, Malenko and Scotty, it is quality, quality, quality all night long capped off by one of the best endings in Wrestling history. This show simply put, had everything. A must own.