411’s WWE Backlash Report 04.18.04

WWE Backlash Report 04.18.04
Live from Edmonton
Announcers are The King and JR
Report by Widro

Shelton Benjamin vs. Ric Flair
Shelton acting cocky early on to get some pops and Flair flops. Flair rebounds and goes for a figure four, but Shelton rolls him up for a 2. Flair goes back to work on the knees. Another figure four, rolled over a couple times, and Flair needs to break. Chop and a cover by Flair gets 2. Flair gets a chair but the ref stops him. Flair grabs Shelton’s leg but he hits an enziguri to the face and stops Flair’s momentum. Flair flops over the corner to th efloor, and I think we see brass knucks fall out of his knee pad. Flair suplexes Benjamin back into the ring, then chops Benjamin to the mat. Flair goes up top, gets down, goes to get his brass knucks, but Benjamin hits the Stinger Splash to knock the knucks out of Flair’s hands, then Benjamin hits a top rope clothesline for the clean pin. Solid 12 minute match.
Winner: Benjamin

Matt Biscuiti filling in for Widro as he helps with the groceries…

Randy Orton interviews with Todd Grisham backstage. Todd asks Randy if Flair’s loss is a bad omen for Evolution tonight, and Randy isn’t impressed with Shelton Benjamin or his winning streak, since he’s the longest reigning Intercontinental Champion in the past seven years. Mick Foley can talk all he want about how gruesome the match will be, but Randy will show Mick a side of him he hasn’t seen yet. Mick’s an old, sad dog, and you know what you do with an old dog? You put him out of his misery, and that’s what Randy will do to Mick tonight.

Jonathan Coachman vs. Tajiri
Coach comes out and J.R. and the King recap his feud with Tajiri that goes back to getting sprayed in the locker room three weeks ago, and then Coach costing Tajiri a win vs. Christian two weeks ago. Tajiri comes out next, and J.R. goes through his past championships including the WWE Cruiserweithg and ECW Television titles, among others. They start off and Coah with an armdrag takedown. Then a series of reversals and coach ducks out of the way of a kick. Then Tajiri kicks coach in the ass and leg, and Coach ducks another and rolls out of the ring. Coach ducks a kick out of the ring, and Tajiri kicks the post. Coach takes advantage slamming Tajiri’s hamstring into the post, rolling into the ring, then out, and repeating. Coach actually looks pretty good, and works the knee with Tajiri on the mat, and taunts him with “I tried to tell ya!” Coach with a legbreaker submission hold (“I told ya, ya don’t mess with the Coach!”), reversed by Tajiri, but Coach grabs the ropes, then gets back on the offensive, working the left knee. Coach tries a kneebreaker, reversed by Tajiri, roll-up, two-count, and another knee lock on Tajiri with Coach using the ropes for leverage behind the ref’s back. A series of kicks from Tajiri on the mat, causing Coach to break the hold, then a kick to the face as J.R. says “Coach doesn’t like getting hit in the face”). Coach goes up top! And then gets tripped up by Tajiri and hurts the Coachman family jewels. Baseball slide kick to the back of the head as coach is hanging in a reverse tree of woe. Tajiri gets Coach in the corner, tries a monkeyflip blocked by Coach, who then tries a pin with his feet on the rope, which the ref breaks up. Tarantula for Tajiri. Garrison Cade run-in, punches Tajiri, Coach with a roll-up for the win!

…back to Widro

Jericho/Trish/Christian video package.

Chris Jericho vs. Christian and Trish Stratus
Jericho announced from Winnipeg, interestingly. Crowd chants slut at Trish as Jericho bashes on Christian repeatedly. Jericho tosses Christian to the floor. Christian back in after a tease of Trish coming in. Jericho whipped into Trish, knocking her to the floor. Christian takes control and tags in Trish. Christian tags back in at the slightest sign of a Jericho comeback. Into the corner and Christian falls back and Jericho’s head into Christian’s crotch. Both down. Jericho builds momentum. Jericho with a headlock/sleeper into a slam like a One and Only. Northern Lights suplex for 2. Jericho controls. Trish slaps Jeircho in the corner, and Christian does an inverse DDT from the second rope for a 2 count. Christian goes to work on Jericho. Jericho clears Christian to the floor. Jericho grabs Trish and puts her over his knee and spanks her. Christian in from behind and hits the Unprettier. He tags in Trish to get the pin, but he kicks out. Christian back in, he covers for 2. Back and forth for a bit, Jericho hits Christian as he is draped over the middle rope. Lionsault is blocked and Jericho’s injured. Texas Cloverleaf by Christian and Jericho is fighting. Jericho reverses into a possible walls, but Trish is in, Jericho goes for the Walls on her, but Christian rolls him up for 2. Jericho catapults Christian into Trish in the corner, then hits the standing enziguri for the pin on Christian. Really good match.
Winner: Jericho

Eugene walks into the girl’s locker room and asks Gail Kim for an autograph and she screams. He screams back. Molly comes over, Eugene rubs her peach fuzz head and he screams. Regal comes over to smooth things over, but gets caught staring at Kim’s boobs and they kick them out.

Benoit/Edmonton video package.

Benoit arrives.

WWE Woman’s Title
Lita vs. Victoria (c)
Some bridges and respect early on between these two lovely face ladies. More of that, then Victoria does this crazy shake and shimmy move and then does a standing moonsault. Victoria with a cool surfboard and Lita sells well. Victoria with a fireman’s carry, Lita swing around with a Litarana. Some dueling slams and flips. Lita with a head scissors takeover. Fireman’s carry into a sidewalk slam by Victoria only gets 2. Kind of out no where Victoria rolls up Lita for the pin. Energetic match.
Winner: Victoria

After the match, Molly and Gail Kim attack both faces and lay them both out before exiting.

WWE Intercontinental Championship
Cactus Jack vs. Randy Orton (c)
Both have their own barbed wire bat, with Orton’s being weakly put together. Cactus goes right to work with Barbie. Orton and Foley to the floor, and they grapple over Barbie. They brawl into the ring. Cactus controls and chokes Randy repeatedly with his boot. Randy falls to the floor. Cactus goes to the top rope and teases a fly to the floor, but gets down as Randy walks to the back. Foley runs after, Orton grabs him for a side slam on the ramp. Cover on the ramp for 2. Back into the ring, and Orton goes at Foley with the barbed wire bat. They tangle onto their feet and Foley hits a low blow. Foley brings out socko. The crowd is rabid. Foley seems to be listening to Socko and goes to get Barbie. Then takes off Socko and attacks Orton with Barbie. What’s amazing is the choice between a sock puppet and a baseball bat wrapped in barbed wire, and they are viewed as equally as vicious. Only in wrestling. Gotta love it. Foley going crazy beating on Orton in the corner and BANG BANG gets a huge pop before a huge running knee into Orton’s face in the corner. Orton is bloodied up and looks appalled as Foley approaches again with the bat. Foley keeps rubbing the barbed wire across Orton’s face. Foley puts Barbie on Orton’s crotch and then does a legdrop onto the bat into Orton’s crotch for a huge pop. Foley chant. Holy Shit chant. Foley laughs at Orton’s weak barbed wire bat. Foley goes to light Barbie on fire with kerosene. Out comes Bischoff and says if Foley does it, the match is over and the fire marshall will shut down this show. Foley relents, gets a cookie sheet, and smacks Orton in the head with the cookie sheet. Cactus goes under the ring and gets a huge piece of wood covered in tons of barbed wire. Cactus brings the huge barbed wire board into the ring and gets Orton. Foley goes at Orton who blinds him with powder and then Orton bodyslams Cactus Jack onto the bed of barbed wire. Holy Shit chant and Orton smiles at Foley’s body writhing in pain. Orton goes to work on Foley and stomps Foley into the corner. Orton puts the board on the corner, and tosses Foley into the corner. Foley’s arms and shirt are ripped up and bloody. Foley chant. Orton has a huge bag of thumbtacks and dumps them all over the ring. Orton pounds on Cactus and brings him over to the tacks. Orton goes for an RKO and Foley tosses Orton onto the tacks and there must be 40 tacks in Randy’s back and arms. Ouch. Ouch. Foley rolls up Orton onto his tack filled back but Randy kicks out at 2. Randy goes to the floor trying to regroup and Foley follows him up the ramp. Jerry “I just witnessed the passion of Randy Orton and it was awful”. Orton and Foley go to the back off camera for a moment, then come back out. Foley tosses Orton off the ramp and through the set onto a pile of wires and stuff on the floor. Crowd is hot. Bang Bang. Ref and trainers are checking on Randy Orton as we see a replay of the huge bump off the stage. Welcome to the big time Randy Orton. Foley knocks the refs out of the way and then runs off the stage and does an elbow drop onto Orton on the floor/pile of debris. Foley finally rolls onto Orton with an arm cover and Orton kicks out at the very last moment. Both men are bloody and they move back to the ringside area via the ramp. Back into the ring, and Foley hits a double arm DDT for a cover. Orton kicks out. Foley picks up the barbed wire board and sets it back up against the corner. Orton regrouping on the floor. Orton uses Barbie on Foley from the floor then comes back in. Barbie shot to the gut then across the bat by Orton on Foley. Foley grabs the sock and gets the Mandible Claw on Orton as he charged with Barbie. Orton is fading and on one knee. Both knees. Orton with a forearm to the face then a low blow. Foley’s face now bloody. Another Mandible Claw. Randy hits the RKO out of no where. Randy slow to cover and Foley kicks out. The ref got a tack in his hand as he counted that one. Randy hits an RKO on Barbie and gets the pin. Really a great brawl and kudos to Orton for his performance. And of course Foley but that goes without saying.
Winner and STILL champ: Orton

Flair and Batista help Orton to the back as we see recaps of the match.

Lawler and JR argue about how much kudos to give Orton. Lawler yelling at JR for not giving him more credit.

Triple H comes over to Orton and tells him he’s proud of him for his performance. Todd Grisham runs into Hunter and interviews him about the match tonight. Hunter wants to beat Chris Benoit on Chris Benoit day. Don’t be against Hunter. Lightning will not strike twice in the same place.

La Resistance vs. Hurricane and Rosey
Ah a nice break. Nice little match. Now Eugene stumbles down to ringside. Rosey doing some slams and such on both. Eugene starts feeling La Resistsiance’s flags. Rosey takes a hard shot into the corner. Eugene goes in the ring and just runs the ropes back and forth over and over for a while and everyone is confused. Regal is here. Hurricane gets the Eye of the Hurricane on Conway amidst the confusion for the pin.
Winners: Hurricane and Rosey

Michaels arrives earlier today.

Edge vs. Kane
Edge looks jacked. Edge back to his older music. You screwed Bret chant at Hebner. Edge pounds on Kane with his right hand to start. Edge with a ten punch count along in the corner getting to five before Kane knocks him off and hits a double choke. Edge with a baseball side dropkick on Kane from the ring to the floor. Edge clears off the Spanish Announce Table. Kane smacks the cast arm into the STEEEEEEEL steps. Back into the ring, and Kane stomps away on that injured arm. Kane flips Edge using the cast arm. More action. Jumping DDT by Edge on Kane. Edge goes for a spear, Kane dodges, Edge holds up, Kane goes for a chokeslam. Ref is on the floor. Edge hits Kane with the cast. Then Edge hits a spear on Kane with the cast arm, the ref comes back in and Edge gets the pin. Snooze.
Winner: Edge

Another promo for next month’s Smackdown PPV.

WWE World Championship
Chris Benoit (c) vs. Triple H vs. Shawn Michaels
Benoit introduced as “Edmonton Alberta’s Own”. Should be great. All three stare and then Benoit attacks Hunter to begin the match. Double team on Hunter sends him to the floor. Then immediately Michaels chops Benoit and Benoit chops back. Back and forth. Benoit with a stiff clothesline out of the corner. Hunter back in. Benoit to the floor and that leaves Hunter and Michaels in the ring. Benoit back in for a couple release German suplexes. On the third attempt, Michaels dodges out and Benoit now chops both HHH and HBK to the mat. Lets Go Benoit chant. HBK has HHH on his shoulders and falls back. They go back and forth with Benoit on the floor. Benoit up and goes to the top and does a swandive headbutt onto Michaels but Hunter breaks up the pinfall. Benoit works over Hunter. Michaels up and goes to work on Benoit. Goes for a flying burrito and hits the ref. Hunter goes for an early pedigree, Benoit reverses into a sharpshooter and he turns it in the middle of the ring. Michaels in, and Benoit releases Hunter and puts HBK in the crossface. Ref is still out on the floor. Benoit goes to check on him, still out. Michaels goes for a sharpshooter on Benoit to a massive negative reaction. Here comes Hebner as the new ref! Benoit wont give up. Hunter in the ring and Michaels releases Benoit to defend himself. HBK with a small package on Benoit for 2. You screwed Bret chant. Michaels looks disgusted. Huge chant as Michaels stands over Benoit. He doesn’t like it. Wow. Benoit grabs a distraught Michaels with the crossface, and from behind Hunter attacks to break it up. Hunter DDTs Benoit. Crowd chants You Tapped Out at Hunter. More You Screwed Bret chants for Michaels as he comes back in. Michaels flies at Hunter on the floor but misses and goes through the Spanish Announce Table (that Edge cleared off earlier). HHH rams Benoit into the STEEEEL steps and goes to work. Hunter and Benoit move into the ring. Hunter keeps working on the shoulder. Canadian accent Asshole chants are awesome. Hunter has a Camel Clutch on Benoit in the ring. Lets Go Benoit chant. Hunter works on Benoit in the corner. Benoit hits a German suplex. And a second one. And a third. Goes up top. Benoit goes for the headbutt, but Hunter moves. Back up and Hunter hits a pedigree on Benoit but is slow to cover. Crowd is quiet. Michaels breaks up the eventual pinfall. Benoit rolls to the side and HBK and HHH are going blow for blow. All three men are down. HBK nips up and the crowd boos. Michaels hits a top rope elbow on Hunter, but he cant cover. Tunes up sweet chin music and the crowd boos. Kicks Benoit on the apron and he falls onto the mat under the ropes. Hunter hits a low blow on HBK in front of the ref? Cover for 2. Michaels backdrops Hunter to the floor to counter a pedigree. Hunter has a sledgehammer from under the ring. Hunter uses the sledge on HBK and the ref admonishes him but no DQ. Is it no DQ? Benoit pulls Hunter to the floor when he goes for another sledgehammer shot. Hunter knocks down Benoit and does some moving around of the steel steps on the floor. HHH sets up for a pedigree on the steps, but Benoit turns it into a catapult into the steel ringpost. Both are down on the floor. Michaels sets up for sweet chin music in the ring, but Benoit blocks it and turns it around into a sharpshooter. Michaels fights and fights. Benoit sits down a bit and Michaels continues to fight. Michaels almost gets the ropes, but Benoit pulls him into the center of the ring. Hunter on the apron as HBK fights in the sharpshooter. Michaels finally taps! Benoit Wins!
Winner and STILL champ: Benoit

Benoit celebrates on each corner.