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WWE: Backlash 2008

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I have been a wrestling fan since 1996 and have watched all kinds of wrestling. I have a wrestling DVD/VHS collection spanning over 50 all together. This is the most complete and accurate review of this DVD you will find. I hope you find this review helpful; remember to vote helpful or not helpful. (Note-Each DVD I review has a "Match of the DVD" award somewhere in it.)

WWE Backlash 2008
Backlash has always been a weak PPV. This is largely due to it being after the epic Wrestlemania. However, this year's Backlash was actually a solid show. It is nothing I would throw in your shopping cart right now and buy, but it is a show worth having. The extras are weak, consisting only of an interview with Triple H and the infamous Regal show shut down from the next night on Raw. This is a good show, but not memorable at all.

United States Championship
MVP(c) VS Matt Hardy
This is a perfect choice for opener. The crowd is 100% behind Hardy and his pursuit of the United States Championship. There is some good wrestling 101 tactics used by each. Hardy pulls some highflying action out of his arsenal as well. MVP shifts from the knee of Hardy to the stomach. I thought him shifting between the injuries was smart of him and showed why MVP is one of the top talents in WWE today. You can see the ending coming, but this is still a good match.
RATING- 7.5/10

ECW Championship
Kane(c) VS Chavo Guerrero
At WrestleMania 24, the ECW title was defended for the first time. The match was only eight seconds of Kane sneak attacking Chavo and picking up the victory. This match made up for it though, right? Nope. Chavo tries to attack Kane's damaged knee, but ultimately is dominated. The ending is a little off as well.
RATING- 5/10

Big Show VS Great Khali
What a huge surprise these two gave us. The line "they gave the best match you could expect from these two" is what many use to describe this match. I agree with that line completely. There is a nice power battle, with Khali getting the advantage eventually. Khali even pulls out some submission moves. This is not the best match you have ever seen, but it is better than what you usually get.
RATING- 6.5/10

Special Referee- Chris Jericho
Shawn Michaels VS Batista
Shawn defeated, and retired, Ric Flair at Wrestlemania. Batista misses his pal and wants to punish Shawn. Michaels works over Batista's arm with some extremely unique submissions. The match is almost perfect. Jericho works well as a ref because he does not get involved in the match much. The problem with this match is that it is a little on the short side.
RATING- 9/10

12- Diva Tag Team Match
Mickie James/Maria/Ashley/Michelle McCool/Cherry/Kelly Kelly VS Beth Phoenix/Melina/Jillian/Layla/Victoria/Natalya
With twelve people in one match, you cannot expect there to be much of anything here. The Divas have a nice little brawl near the end. They all hit their signature moves at one point or another. Still, this is just a cluster match.
RATING- 5/10

World Heavyweight Championship (Match of the DVD)
Undertaker(c) VS Edge
This is the second match in the epic series these two would go on to have. The match begins with some back and forth action. Undertaker controls the initial portion of the match. Edge eventually gains control by assaulting the lower back of Taker. There is some interference, but it actually benefits the match. This is the type of match that you have to sit down and tell yourself it is not going to get you off within the opening minutes. You have to start slow and enjoy the pacing until the wonderful climax.
RATING- 9/10

Fatal-Four Way Elimination Match
WWE Championship
Randy Orton(c) VS John Cena VS Triple H VS JBL
Elimination rules create some of the more interesting battles. I have always loved them, this match however worked better once that equation had been thrown out. The match begins with each man getting a few shots in before moving on to the next person. There are some double team tactics, but nothing too complex. Once the first two men are eliminated, which is simultaneously around the eleven-minute mark, the match picks up. The final go on to put on a good show.
RATING- 8/10

Following a successful Wrestlemania, WWE provides the epilogue with "Backlash". Many of the matches are extensions or rematches from the previous month's Wrestlemania pay-per-view. This DVD contains the show, in full, and has two small extras.

THE SHOW
* United States Championship: MVP (c) vs. Matt Hardy. These two have been building a feud for about 8 months. Ever since their first match at The Great American Bash in 2007, MVP and Matt have dominated the Smackdown mid-card. Their feud even won "Feud of the Year" in '07. Now, Matt has returned from his appendicitis and finally gets his US title match against MVP. The match is very enjoyable. Both wrestlers have improved a great deal in the past year. It helps that Mick Foley has replaced Jonathan Coachman as the new Smackdown color commentator. *SPOILER* One of the things that will be remembered about this show in the years to come, is that this is where Matt won his first major singles title. Matt's genuine joy with winning the US title is a wonderful moment. It is a long overdue and he greatly deserves it. *END SPOILER*

* Eve Torres interviews Matt Hardy. Following a long, solid match, Matt is interviewed. I know he's exhausted, but the pause Matt takes before answering feels way too awkward. Mic skills, Matt! Take an acting class or a public speaking class!

* ECW Championship: Kane (c) vs. Chavo Guerrero. Last month, Kane squashed Chavo at Wrestlemania to win the ECW title. After that, its a bit hard to accept Chavo as a threat to Kane's reign. Despite that, both men put on an enjoyable performance. Nothing in particular stands out from the match, but it doesn't feel slow and dragged out.

* Todd Grisham interviews Randy Orton. I know that Orton is certainly not the Rock or Cena when it comes to speaking, but he is better than most people give him credit for. He delivers a decent speech, building anticipation for the main event.

* Big Show vs. Great Khali. As a large athlete, Big Show is amazingly impressive. However, Khali remains completely void of talent. This match is booked as a freak show: two monsters fighting each other. It is not expected to be a technical masterpiece, and it doesn't try. It is a slow and rather, uneventful match. Show does what he can, but he's carrying Khali's dead weight.

* Randy Orton taunts John Cena. Orton begins going around to his opponents tonight and telling them about how great he is. Cena comes off much more relaxed and natural that Orton here.

* Shawn Michaels vs. Batista w/ guest referee Chris Jericho. These two built up a decent storyline, arguing over the retirement of Ric Flair at Wrestlemania. The last time Shawn & Batista wrestled each other on ppv, was at Armageddon in December 2003. Since then, Batista has learned a great deal. The two put on a much better performance that in the past, but it is not a show-stealer.

* Randy Orton taunts Triple H. This is an odd backstage segment. Orton talks to Triple H about how his reign won't end tonight. However, Orton never looks at Triple H during the confrontation. The odd directing takes away from what the two are saying.

* 12-Diva Tag Team Match: Mickie James, Maria, Ashley, Michelle McCool, Cherry, & Kelly Kelly vs. Beth Phoenix, Melina, Jillian, Victoria, Natalya, & Layla. This match feels too much like the WWE just wanted to get as many girls on the show as possible. Considering how successful TNA's womens division has been, its amazing that WWE continues to provide these fluff matches. This match marks the ppv debut of Natalya, the daughter of Jim Niedhart from the legendary Hart Foundation. Unfortunately, she doesn't have much to do here.

* World Championship: Undertaker (c) vs. Edge. In a rematch from Wrestlemania, Undertaker defends his newly won belt against the former champion. This match feels just as good as their Wrestlemania match, and has a much faster start. If you enjoyed their previous bouts, then you'll definitely enjoy this one.

* CM Punk wishes Randy Orton good luck. This seems like a waste of good talent. Punk has roughly 5 seconds to wish Orton luck while holding up the Money in the Bank briefcase he won at Wrestlemania.

* WWE Championship Fatal Four-Way Match: Randy Orton (c) vs. Triple H vs. John Cena vs. JBL. This match is fought under Elimination rules. This match is very similar to the Wrestlemania triple threat match, but with JBL added to the mix. The crowd cheers for Triple H, boos Orton, and gives a loud mixed response to Cena. *SPOILER* The match comes down to Orton and Triple H, with Triple H finally ending Orton's reign as champion. Now a 12-time champion, Triple H holds a world title for the first time in 3 years. *END SPOILER*

SPECIAL FEATURES
* Todd Grisham interviews Triple H. Following the main event, Triple H talks about what this victory means to him.

* Raw 4/28/08 - Aftermath of WWE Championship Match between Triple H and Randy Orton. This is the match where Regal ended the show in the middle of the match. Its a decent bout between Orton & Triple H, which is interrupted by Regal. Worth a watch.

Overall, Backlash is another good show by the WWE. Backlash feels a bit more important because of the two title changes, and provides some decent matches overall.

This was a very solid backlash coming off a great wrestlemania. Thanks for reading and please rate!

United States Championship
MVP vs. Matt Hardy
I liked the story behind this match. Hardy uses some nice wrestling moves in this one and mvp tries to work on matt's knee. Matt wins the match to end mvp's long run as u.s. champion. Good opener. Match Rating:3.5/5

ECW Championship
Kane vs. Chavo Guerrero
At wm 24 kane beat chavo in 8 seconds to win the title. This match didn't really do any better than that, just longer. Chavo tries to work on Kane's injured knee, but kane still dominates and wins the matchup. Match Rating:2/5

Big Show vs. Great Khali
This match was better than i expected it to be. The match was slow at times, but mostly it was a good strenght battle and even some suprise moves by khali. Match Rating:3/5

Special Ref:Chris Jericho
Shawn Michaels vs. Batista
I liked how this match came together. Since hbk put ric flair out of the buisness by beating him at wm 24, batista wanted some revenge. The match was good and shawn michaels pulled off some nice submissions on batista to work on his arm. I am glad jericho didn't really get involved. The match ended where hbk faked an injury and then gave sweet chin music to batista for the win. Good match and nice length. Match Rating:4.75/5

12 Diva Tag Match
Mickie James, Maria, Ashley, Michelle McCool, Cherry, Kelly Kelly vs.
Beth Phoenix, Melina, Jillian, Layla, Victoria, Natalya
This match was really just a filler to me. Kind of short asweel. Match Rating:2/5

World Heavyweight Championship
Undertaker vs. Edge
The second match in thier great rivalry. A nice moment before the match with undertaker saying to edge i am going to kill you! The match was back and forth action all the way through and edge working on undertaker's back. Some really forgetable interference during the matchup. Undertaker wins with his awesome submission on edge and makes the rated r superstar bleed out of his mouth like crazy. In my opinion this could have been the main event. Undertaker retains in a great encounter. Match Rating:5/5

Fatal 4 Way Elimination Match for the WWE Championship
Randy Orton vs. John Cena vs. Triple H vs. JBL
I like the elimination rules added to this match because it always makes these 4 ways better and it shows here. Jbl and cena get eliminated back to back in the mid moments of the match which leaves orton and hhh. I thought that was a good idea. The two had a nice brawl against each other with the bout getting more intense and hardcore. Orton misses the punt at the end and hhh gives him the pedigree to win and become a 12 time world champion. Great 4 way elimination. Match Rating:5/5

Great backlash with two solid world title matches. I recommend this backlash to your collection. Great event!

United States Champion MVP vs. Matt Hardy - What many concider to be the most entertaining feud on SmackDown continues here as they go back & forth with MVP working on Hardy's previous injuries that kept him out for the longest time. However, Matt Hardy proved he was better than MVP by winning the U.S. Title in the end.

ECW Champion Kane vs. Chavo Guerrero - Well, if you blink during this match then you won't miss anything unlike WrestleMania. Another good match with Chavo trying to work over Kane's leg to take him down. Eventhough this looked like a mismatch, it was a good encounter.

Big Show vs. Great Khali - Well, normally a Khali match is a smaller wrestler being a complete spotmonkey & overselling Khali's chop/kick/repeat moveset but, with Big Show being able to look eye to eye with Khali, we got a better effort from Khali than we normally would as he even at one point tried to execute the crippler crossface (no, that wasn't a typo). But in the end, Show chokeslammed Khali for the win in what was Khali's best solo effort in his career.

Shawn Michaels vs. Batista with special referee Chris Jericho - Unlike WrestleMania, Batista brought his A game here against HBK. This was a power vs. scientific match which had HBK pulling out a suprize ending. There was a little tension with Jericho as the referee but he didn't play as huge a factor as expected.

Mickie James, Maria, Ashley, Michelle McCool, Cherry, Kelly vs. Beth Phoenix, Melina, Jillian Hall, Layla, Victoria, Natalya - In a nutshell, this was a very fast paced match that allowed everyone to get a spot in or two & have most of the divas look good in the ring. Nice match but nothing special.

World Champion Undertaker vs. Edge - This match (and feud) can be summerized by the phrase, "if it ain't broke, don't fix it" because the match was very similar to their previous WrestleMania (and future Judgment Day) match in that the match just got better as it went on with great wrestling between both men.

Elimination Match: WWE Champion Randy Orton vs. John Cena vs. Triple H vs. JBL - A great main event as I personally like the elimination rule in triple threat/fatal four way matches more than the "first one who gets the pin/submission wins" stipulation. This match started off wild with all four men facing off against each other but after the first two eliminations in Cena & JBL, Triple H & Orton delivered a match that rivals their No Mercy encounters as their best match against each other before the King Of Kings went back on his throne. Moments to look out for here was JBL & Orton trying to "out heel" each other from the opening with Orton & the World Title to when each guy was in a submission hold while the other taunted him.

In the end, I thought this was one of the best overall Backlash events in the 10 year history of the event & the great followup to WrestleMania. There wasn't a bad match on here & it's an event I do recommend.

To begin, this is only being given five stars because i have faith the pay per view will be great. Now on to the moron who decided to make fake predictions about matches that could never happen. You need to just shut your mouth. This goes out to you and all the idiots that like to make up events in a review section. Let people read something thats actually useful. Stop acting like a child and post your stupid fantasy crap somewhere else. By the way if they had gone with your dumb*** idea it would have been the worst pay per view in wwe history. I apologize for not putting an actual review on here but im tired of looking at a dvd and just seeing really bad ideas for pay per views. This is an attempt to end the era of idiocy thats plaguing amazon.

Backlash was a very good follow up to Wrestlemania. The rematch for the World title was just as great as the match from Mania and the Fatal Four Way was surperb as well. The undercard is very good also.

1. United States Title
Matt Hardy vs. MVP
Hardy made his suprise return at Mania after being out for 5 months due to MVP and this match was sweet revenge for Hardy. This match had some very great counters and reversals. Hardy took some vicious kicks to the head. Very solid good opener. 3.75/5

2. Ecw World Title
Chavo Guerrero vs. Kane
Way better match then what they had at Mania to say the least. Kane in the beginning just showing his strength and performing power moves on Chavo. Chavo pulled off some nice counters here and there by using the quickness he has. Chavo really works on the leg of Kane and the interference from Bam added more to the match I think. Very good end and way better title match than from Mania. 3.5/5

3. Big Show vs. Great Khali
This match really surprised me a great deal. These two just brawled the hell out of each other and performing impressive moves. Khali even utilizes a crossface on Show. Nice power moves used. Very surprisingly good big man match. 3.5/5

4. Shawn Michaels vs. Batista
Jericho being the referee in this one definitely couldn't have happened. Very good match though. It started with hbk trying to take down the bigger batista but batista just using his power to stop hbk and just taking him down. Michaels added some very good wrestling to the match. Hbk really does a number on batista's arm here in this match. Some very good power moves. A surprised and unexpecting end but it worked very good to continue the storyline with Jericho and hbk. 4/5

5. Twelve Diva Tag Team Match
Beth Phenix, Victoria, Natalya, Melina, Layla, & Jillian vs. Mickie James, Ashley, Maria, Michelle McCool, Kelly Kelly, & Cherry
Pretty average divas tag match. There was a little brawl between the divas outside the ring. All the divas got a chance to enter the match. Average divas contest. 2.5/5

6. World Heavyweight Title
Undertaker vs. Edge
These two did it again. The match started out very good with a few reversals and wrestling. It got taken to the outside where Taker worked on Edge's back and just dominating him out there. Edge pulled off some good counters to Taker's moves. Edge also uses submission holds to wear down Taker. Something you hardly never see is Taker going for an elbow drop from the top rope which Taker did. Good end & a great title match. 5/5

7. Fatal Four Way for the WWE Championship
Triple H vs. JBL vs. Randy Orton vs. John Cena
I'm so glad they changed this match to an elimination match. There was some great action everywhere and it never got boring. Jbl and Orton even uses some double teaming. JBL and Triple H put on a good showing on the outside. The first two eliminations came at good points and the final two put on a great match. Orton and Triple h got pretty intense and physical on the outside. Good back and forth action took place while back in the ring. Good counters and close pin falls. Very good reversals and counters for the end. Great title match main event. 5/5

Backlash is a good dvd to pick up. I recommend on getting this one.

Very good DVD, Triple H is the BEST Wrestler in the World, this is a must have, now that the Game is 12 times champion.

I have been a long time wrestling fan for a number of years; however I had never attended a WWE event until this one. It was fun to see the show live on Sunday, April 27th 2008 in the 1st Mariner Arena in Baltimore, Maryland. It was also enjoyable to be able to see the pyrotechnics special effects live, hear the wrestler's entrance music live, and the be a part of an energetic crowd. Plus I got to see some of my favorite WWE Superstars in the flesh, display my anti-John Cena signs and join in on the Cena sucks chants (now that's priceless).

Matches: Rating (A-F)

WWE United States Championship Match
Matt Hardy vs. MVP
...Winner Matt Hardy
Rating: C
This was a pretty weak opener especially being that we've seen far better from these two.

ECW Championship Match
Kane vs. Chavo Guerrero
...Winner Kane
Rating: D-
This match was pretty bad. Kane was lamer than ever and Chavo didn't showcase any of his talent.

The Big Show vs. The Great Khali
....Winner Big Show
F
This was the worst match of the night. It was boring and lasted way too long. I don't understand why anyone would book these two slow guys in a match together.

Batisa vs. Shawn Michaels with special guest referee Chris Jericho
...Winner Shawn Michaels
Rating: B
It wasn't as good as I expected it to be, but it wasn't horrible either.

12-Diva Tag Match
Beth Phoenix Team vs. Mickie James team
...Winner Beth's Team
Rating: B
A suprisingly good diva match.

World Heavy Weight Championship Match
Edge vs. the Undertaker
......Winner Undertaker
Rating: C
This match wasn't a very good match at all. It began with the Undertaker dominating the match and had the usual stuff you'd expect: cheating by Hawkins, and an appearance by Vickie Guerrero. The match ended with the Undertaker forcing a Bloody Edge to submit to the gogoplata.

Fatal 4 Way Elimination Match for the WWE Championship
JBL vs. John Cena vs. Randy Orton vs. Triple H
....Winner Triple H
Rating: A
This was the best match of the evening.

Overall, a pretty good event that was made even better by Cena not winning.

2008 Backlash
April 27, 2008
1st Mariner Arena
Baltimore, Maryland

WWE United States Championship:
MVP (Champion) V. Matt Hardy
Good opener and storyline here with a predictible ending. Hardy has been chasing the US title for about a year and he finally wins it. ***1/4

ECW Championship:
Kane (Champion) V. Chavo Guerrero
decent little match here with really nothing to write home about. Kane retains. **

Big Show V. Great Khali
probably what you can expect from those two, but there was actually some wrestling in it (i'm not saying that it was any good). Khali destroys Show for the whole match and Show gets two minutes of offense in and wins. WWE has been doing that alot lately. 1/2*

Shawn Michaels V. Batista
Great match with great wrestling. Michaels wins after faking an injury. ***3/4

12 Diva Tag Team Match:
Mickie James, Maria, Ashley, Cherry, Kelly Kelly, & Michelle McCool
V.
Beth Phoenix, Melina, Jillian Hall, Victoria, Layla, & Natalya
decent women's action here with Phoenix' team picking up the win. **

World Heavyweight Championship:
Undertaker (Champion) V. Edge
awesome match, I like it better than their WrestleMania match. Counters all over the place in this one and Undie retains with the Triangle Choke. ****1/4

Fatal Four Way Elimination Match for the WWE Championship:
Randy Orton (Champion) V. John Cena V. Triple H V. JBL
another awesome championship match. They eliminated Cena and JBL at just about the same time to make it one-on-one between Orton and Triple H. Then they have a great match within the match and Triple H ends Orton's third title reign. **** I don't know what Triple H has against Orton, but Triple H has ended all three of Orton's title reigns and has only lost to him once in one-on-one encounters on PPV. It just doesn't seem right.

Overall a very good show. Good opener with decent matches thrown in here and there with Michaels/Batista being great and the WWE and World titles matches being just awesome to watch.

Here are the official matches so far:

WWE CHAMPIONSHIP
Randy Orton(c) v JBL v Triple H v John Cena

WORLDWEIGHT CHAMPIONSHIP
The Undertaker(c) v Edge

Big Show v The Great Khali

HBK vs Batista w/ Y2J(referee)

ECW Title
Kane(c) v Chavo Guerrerro

US Championship
MVP(c) v Matt Hardy


This years Backlash on "paper" looks to be way better than last years. I'm a big fan of Y2J, MVP, EDGE, AND ORTON so I can't wait. I wonder what the main event will be though since everyone knows that smackdown can deliver(Wrestlemania 24 main event was freaking awesome!). Anyway I'm not going to make predictions I just wanted to post the "official" match ups for anyone who wanted to know instead of putting a fantasy draft on here like so many others.