Customer Reviews

WWE: Backlash 2009

5 star:		(2)
4 star:		(8)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

ECW Championship
Christian Vs. Jack Swagger - This was a solid back and forth match. Christian and Swagger makes a good pair in the ring and if Swagger was trying to prove something here that he can perform on a big stage well, he certainly did that. Lots of near falls with the crowd getting into it. Solid opening contest and a great match to start the show. 4/5

This segment of the show I recommend checking out. After the opening match, Christian runs into Edge backstage. Edge and Christian has words with each other which may lead to something in the future between them.

Chris Jericho Vs. Ricky "The Dragon" Steamboat - Another great back and forth match. This is the match we should've got at WrestleMania. Yes, Steamboat is up there in age so some of his moves were off but he performed a solid wrestling match with Chris Jericho. Again, the crowd was into it and they were behind Steamboat all the way. This match has some nice counters but in the end it was Chris Jericho with his Walls Of Jericho making Steamboat tap out. 3.5/5

C.M. Punk Vs. Kane - This wasn't a bad match either. Kane and C.M. Punk previously fought on Raw but this match was much better. A couple minutes into the match Kane starts to target the mid-section of C.M. Punk. Kane and Punk put on a good effort and they delivered a well paced match. After a series of consecutive kicks and punches from Punk, Kane counters with a big chokeslam on Punk for the win. Without question, Kane derseved this win. 3.5/5

"I Quit" Match
Matt Hardy Vs. Jeff Hardy - This was a good match. Possibably better then their match from WrestleMania because the psychology in this match was better played out. Not as brutal and violent as previous "I Quit" Matches but this was still a good match. Matt morely targets the leg of Jeff and at one point applying a figure four leg lock. Jeff put on a good performance and at one point delivering a Twist Of Fate to Matt on the floor. The ending was a bit too cheap but that doesn't take away from the good performance Matt and Jeff put on. 4/5

The Great Khali Kiss Cam - This was absolutely a big waste of PPV air time. Santino isn't entertaining and his persona as "Santina" is just ugly and horrendous. Just stupid. BATHROOM BREAK!

WWE Championship
Triple H, Batista, & Shane McMahon Vs. Randy Orton, Ted DiBiase, & Cody Rhodes - This was also a good match. Early in the match, HHH chases Orton up the ramp and Orton disappears for a little while leaving Rhodes and DiBiase by theirselves. However, Orton returns and from there the match picked up and became a fairly good and enjoyable match. I will not say this match is better then HHH's and Orton's WWE Title Match from WrestleMania but this match surely didn't disappoint. The suspense factor was there if HHH, Batista, and Shane were all on the same page. The finish was great and it was a good move to give Orton the WWE Title (something WWE should've done at WrestleMania). A very entertaining and good match. 4.25/5

Last Man Standing Match for the World Heavyweight Championship
Edge Vs. John Cena - Tremendous match and by far the best match of the night. This match could have ended so many times. All the 10 counts were extremely close. I give props to John Cena in this match. He isn't the best wrestler but when the rule book is thrown out, he certainly knows how to put on a grade A match and he did that here. The match was built very well that holds a lot of finishers and escapes (some we haven't seen before) that includes some new innovative spots. Edge and Cena both has fantastic showings. They both produced a great and exciting World Title Match. The ending was great to set up the BigShow/Cena feud and to give Smackdown a new World Champion in Edge. Outside of their TLC Match from Unforgiven, this was the best Cena/Edge match. Match of the night. 5/5

Overall, this was a great Backlash event and is surpassed WrestleMania 25. Edge and Cena gave a great performance and their match stole the show. I recommend this event. A very good follow up to WrestleMania.

This was a great show, one of the best WWE ppvs in a long while. With the exception of one match, and one abhorrently long and painful segment, I enjoyed this show tremendously. Everything they did on the show, including all three title changes, made perfect sense, and the booking overall was top notch. I would definitely recommend shelling out the $20-odd for this DVD, it is definately worth your money and you'll have a great time watching it. Matches are rated out of 5 stars (*****).

1. ECW Championship
Jack Swagger (c) vs. Christian

Very good opener. These two have great chemistry together and they put on one heck of an opening bout. Lots of near falls and the crowd got into it. It was also nice to see Christian get the title, and he put the belt over big by having a nice victory celebration afterwards as if he accomplished something historic. Good stuff. ***1/4

2. Chris Jericho vs. Ricky Steamboat

Another great match. This was Steamboat's best performance of the three matches he's had since returning to the ring, but the crowd was not as into him as they were at the previous two venues (both in Houston). That's not to say they didn't care, but it felt more like being nice than really being into him. Steamboat was also in better physical condition this time around. The two had a very well paced, smooth match, with no missed moves that I can recall. Lots of great near falls at the end before Jericho got the win clean with the Walls. I hope this isn't Steamboat's last match because he's still awesome. ***1/2

3. Kane vs. CM Punk

They worked hard but these two don't mesh well and the match was not smooth at all. It was far from being horrible but it was not what I would call a good match. It was pretty much exactly what you would expect from a mid card filler match with this spot on the card. Pretty surprising seeing Kane go over their money-in-the-bank winner as well, and the soon-to-be #1 face on the smackdown brand, but no one seemed to care. *1/2

4. "I Quit" Match
Jeff Hardy vs. Matt Hardy

This was a good match. In some ways this was better than their Wrestlemania match because the psychology was good, but like their previous match this was still a letdown, especially when taking into account the stipulations. This fued didn't work, which makes them 0-2 because they tried this about 8 years ago and it didn't work then either. None-the-less this was a good match, definitely worth checking out. Overall I'd say it was a notch or two superior to their 'mania bout, but still about the same quality overall. ***1/4

5. Khali Kiss Cam segment featuring "Santina"

A train wreck of epic proportions. The only part that made me laugh was when JR was double crossed again, and he and Michael Cole had a hilarious (and seemingly real) exchange. Other than the unintentional comedy, this was disastrous and I was offended that I was actually paying money for it (about $8.00). Beth then came out and challenged Santino, who pinned her in about .0001 seconds after she was chopped (the worst chop ever, by the by) by Khali. If you buy this dvd, which you should, skip this. Overall the rating for this was about - (minus) *****

6. WWE Championship
Triple H (c), Big Dave, & Shane McMahon vs. Randy Orton, Cody Rhodes, & Ted DiBiase

Also a good match. The beginning was strange, because orton got chased up the ramp and then dissappeared for the first quarter of the match, so it started out as a 3 on 2 handicap match favoring the faces. Naturally the crowd was comatose. However, Orton eventually returned and the match built quite well from that point on, and turned into a very enjoyable bout that the crowd got into. This was way better than Hunter vs. Orton at Wrestlemania, for the record. The finish to the match was great, and it made perfect sense to give Orton the belt. ***1/2

7. World Heavyweight Championship: Last Man Standing Match
John Cena (c) vs. Edge

Tremendous match, the best of the night bar none. Fantastic performances by both men. The match built incredibly well and there were tons of near finishes and escapes and the like, not to mention some awesome and innovative spots (I won't spoil them, but trust me on this). I did not want this match to end. Unfortunately, it did end, but I thought the finish was great (I won't spoil that either). Edge as champ makes perfect sense, and Smackdown now has a Heavyweight Champion. A great way to end a great show. ****1/2

This PPV is worth your money and then some. This was an exceptional outing from WWE and I plan on purchasing the dvd myself as soon as it comes out. With the exception of one filler match and one terrible segment, both of which can be skipped with great ease, there are 5 good to fantastic matches on here that are great to own for repeated viewing. Thumbs way up.

This, in my opinion, is one of the best wwe ppv's of the year. i was really impressed with the turnout of the matches. Thanks for reading and please rate!

ECW championship
Christian vs. Jack Swagger
This was a very impressive opener of two superstars from what used to be the land of extreme, but a little short. This had a lot of good action from both men with tons of tachnical wrestling. This had reversals, tons of highflying moves, and had a little dirty trick from christian exposing the turnbuckel, swagger missing a splash in the corner, and then christians biggest killswitch of his career, winning the ECW title. I hope all of his peeps were happy.
4/5

Chris Jericho vs. Ricky Steamboat
This was actually a better turnout than what i thought would be. This match was highflying, had some really good spots, and was just very enjoyable. This started out with steamboat dominating until it became fifty fifty, and i really enjoyed this match and thought that seeing a legend against a future legend, i thought these two would have a good battle. The wrong man won this match though.
3.5/5

Kane vs. CM Punk
This wasn't a very good match at all. Kane at this time was not haveing any good matches, and added on to his streak, this was a match with just almost nothing special at all, was not very enjoyable, and just didn't deserve to be on the card.
2/5

I quit match
Jeff Hardy vs. Matt Hardy
This was probably the second best match on the card. This match was unbelivably good and was made very highflying. This was nearly twenty minuets, and had almost everything from submissions, to swantons, to a ladder, to matt being tied down on a table, leading up to the apoligy and a leg drop through the table. I was very happy with the turnout when these two brothers had a good buildup for the match. Everyone was amazed with some of the things that happened. Great match here.
4.5/5

Miss.Wrestlemania title
"Santina" Marrella vs. Beth Phoenix
-2,345/5

Six man war for the WWE championship
Triple H, Batista, Shane McMahon vs. Randy Orton, Ted Dibiase, Cody Rhodes
This was a pretty good title match, but could have been better. The ending started off as a huge brawl from every man going after eachother. This match had its good spots like Batista practically killing all of legacy, the opening brawl, a chair being used, and the RKO and punt from orton to win the WWE title. I wasn't happy with the length of the match because of a lot of boring spots. But a good, solid match.
4/5

Last man standing for the World Heavyweight championship
John Cena vs. Edge
What a battle. This is edge and cena's best encounter yet. This match was just brutal, great, and just went about everywhere. This had tons of good moments like steel steps almost killing edge and cena, the attitude adjustment into the fans, a huge bulldog from the stairs to the stage, a conchairto to cena on the stage, cena being chokeslammed by big show through the stage light, and edge becoming the new world heavyweight champion. My favorite part of the match was the attitude adjustment right into the crowd, poor fan that edge fell on. But this match is match of the night and just down right awesome.
5/5

This is a very enjoyable dvd, and has some pretty good matches. This was also one of the better wwe ppvs of 2009, i recomend this to your wwe collection.

This backlash has been one of the better shows throughout the year, no questions asked. Edge and cena put on a great last man standing main event and the rest of the card was solid as well. Thanks for reading!

ECW Championship
Jack Swagger vs. Christian
I really liked this match. This was perfect for the opener. The crowd was defiently 100% on christian's side. Throughout the match, swagger dominated christian with lots of different takedowns and traditional wrestling counters. Christian had his spots of offense, where he eventually came back, but swagger seemed to stop him. The bout had a clever ending, with swagger and christian taking off the turnbuckles at the same time, and swagger ran at christian, but got droped face first into the exposed buckle and christian connected with the killswitch to become ecw champion. Fatastic opener. Match Rating:4.25/5

Chris Jericho vs. Ricky "The Dragon" Steamboat
Just like at wrestlemania, steamboat showed that he still has it and that he can still hang around with the best of them. Y2J and steamboat brought great things out of each other. Some good back and forth moves and nice counters really make this match special. Steamboat took jericho to the limit, but in the end, Y2J locked in the walls of jericho and the hall of hamer had no choice but to tap out. Match Rating:3.5/5

Kane vs. CM Punk
Really, the only below decent match on here in my opinion, well besides the whole kiss kam thing, which i'm not even going to get into that. Overall, nothing really special about this, some good wrestling from time to time and kane defeated mr. money in the bank punk with a chokeslam. Match Rating:3/5

I Quit Match
Jeff Hardy vs. Matt Hardy
Overall, this match was all about telling a storyline and that is exactly what it did. Lots of psycology in this one also. Matt spent most of the match working on jeff's legs. We see submissions applied like the figure four leg lock and the boston crab. Matt used the ringpost to his advantage in order to work on jeff's legs. The match didn't have any real weapon use until the end, but the bout was physical all the way through. The ending was clever and stupid at the same time. Jeff tied matt to a table and just as jeff was about to jump off the ladder, matt quickly apoligized and said i quit, but jeff still got his revenge after the match by connecting with a splash of the ladder through the table. Some people may like this better than wm, or vise versa, but either way, you won't be dissapointed. Match Rating:4/5

6 Man Tag Team Match for the WWE Championship
Triple H, Shane McMahon, and Batista vs. Randy Orton and The Legacy
This was a pretty decent title match and it was better than i expected it to be. At first, orton left legacy to defend for themeselves, so the team of hhh really gained alot of momentum. Orton eventually came back in and the match became a little more interesting. Lots of pretty good action and it was also interesting to see if the team of triple h could stay on the same page. In the end, the age of orton reigns again as the viper punted hhh to capture the wwe belt. Match Rating:4/5

Last Man Standing Match for the World Heavyweight Championship
John Cena vs. Edge
Outside of their tlc match from unforgiven 2006, this was their best encounter. This is crazy, nonstop, physical action right from the start. The two men used the steel steps in clever ways, throwing them at each other, irish wipping each other into them, and a cool spot with edge dropkicking cena with the steps. Each man tried everything to keep the other down for 10. Both edge and cena used their sharpshooter/stf submissions to try to keep the other down. In the mid part of the matchup, edge countered cena's top rope move into a huge spear. A few good moments to look for in this is cena giving edge two attitude ajustments, one of the top rope and the other onto the fans! The match was an out of control brawl and the ending was mid-blowing as big show helped edge prevail by chokeslaming cena into the searchlight! In the end, the rated r superstar became a 9 time champion and he and cena stole the show. Match Rating:5/5

ECW Champion Biff Tannen...oops, I mean Jack Swagger vs. Christian - Damn, they knew how to kick off this PPV as this was the best in-ring performance from both men in their current runs...with the sidenote that Swagger is still in his WWE rookie year. Christian showcased what anyone who's watched during his time in TNA knew in that he was a great performer while Swagger is really coming into his own by showcasing good wrestling in his own right along with some strenght like his pressing Christian over his head & tossing him out the ring at one point. Great opening card match & keep watching as you get a special "reunion" backstage afterwards.

Ricky Steamboat vs. Chris Jericho - After Steamboat's performance against Jericho being one of the top highlights of WrestleMania, he get an official singles match here between the two Chris Jericho. Just like WrestleMania, Steamboat looks like he didn't miss a step for being retired for 15 years. Solid match from beginning to end with both men playing off each other well. A great performance for any past fan of Steamboat & a great treat for those who are too young to see Steamboat in action during his time.

C.M. Punk vs. Kane - For those who remember Punk & Kane's encounters during last year on both the ECW & RAW brands, C.M. Punk is one of the rare smaller guys who can go out there & have a competitve match against Kane that doesn't depend on one guy being a complete spot monkey with Kane heavily overselling. Nothing really noteworthy here but it was good match and one of Kane's best matches in recent memory.

"I Quit" Match: Jeff Hardy vs. Matt Hardy - This is one of those matches that you'll like depending on what your looking for. Their WrestleMania match was a hardcore match filled with crazy spots while this one was more about telling a story throughout the match as it was both men breaking each other down & beating each other into saying "I Quit" with submission moves like a figure four or leg crab & impactful moves like a Twist Of Fate on the floor. Again, it was good match overall but as far as the best in the series...it really depends on what your looking for.

Right around here was the Great Khali's "Kiss Cam" segment with Santina Marella which your either going to love or hate...I hated it & pressed the skip after a few mins.

WWE Champion Triple H, Batista, Shane McMahon vs. Legacy (Randy Orton, Ted Dibiase, Cody Rhodes) - For those who didn't catch this same type of match at TNA's Final Resolution last Dec., the stipulation here is that Randy Orton will win the championship if any member of Legacy wins the match against any member of Triple H's team...with the stipulation that the belt can change hands on a DQ or countout. This was a pretty wild tag team match that was non-stop action to the point even what happened with Triple H & Randy Orton before the bell. The entire story behind the buildup to this match as far as all men being able to work together over their own personal issues with Orton & Legacy played out well here all the way to the end. Another good match on the card.

Last Man Standing Match: World Champion John Cena vs. Edge - Anyone who's seen their previous encounters knows that Edge is the one guy who can bring out the best in Cena while Cena gives his best performances in matches where there are "no rules brawls" & this match proved my point. They've fought countless times over the years but yet was able to still pull out a match that was different than their previous matches they told a great story about how they just beat each other into exaustion & knew each other so well that they were able to counter their signature moves right from the start, built up the pace over time, came up with some new creative spots throughout the match (boy, the front row got their money's worth didn't they?), used weapons, went all over the place, and had an ending that was quite the visual when it happened. Their best match IMO outside of their T.L.C. match at Unforgiven '06 & match of the night, no questions asked.

The only DVD extra was what happened backstage after the six man tag. In the end, this Backlash when compared to WrestleMania was almost the exact same as two years ago (WrestleMania 23) in that it was the better wrestling show overall & eventhough it wasn't a classic event, it's still a show that's worth going out of your way to see with the only flop being that Khali segment. I recommend.

Christian vs Jack Swagger (ECW World Title): In a match that was back and forth Christin won to be the new champ when Swagger took of a turnbuckle in front of the ref in one corner. While Christian took off one in the other corner, he then played possum and Swagger ran at him but Christian moved and Swagger hit the exposed turnbuckle. Christian then his the Kill Switch/Unprettier for the win.

Ricky Steamboat vs Chris Jericho: In another great back and forth match with many near falls Jericho won with the Walls of Jericho. But I hope there's another rematch where Steamboat actually wins. A 2 out of 3 Fall match would be great for Judgement Day. I'd also like to see Steamboat vs HBK happen at least once as well.

C.M Punk vs Kane: I don't remember much about this one, just that Kane won with a Choke Slam.

Jeff Hardy vs Matt Hardy in a "I Quit Match": They of course beat the crap out of each other but neither would say Quit. That is until Jeff beat up Matt enough where he couldn't defend himself, then he tired him to a table. Matt apologized and said I Quit before Jeff could Swanton him off a ladder. Jeff than leap frog leg dropped Matt through the table anyway.

Legacy vs Shane McMahon, Batista and HHH (WWE Title): I just remember that HHH got RKO'd, kicked out and then got kicked in the head by Orton but didn't kick out after that and that Orton is the new champ :). HHH then got taken away on a stretcher but a few fans just sang that goodbye song instead of booing Orton lol. But don't worry, HHH will be back probably by Vengeance, if not tonight on Raw. He'll be 14 to 30 time champ before you know it, so don't worry HHH fans.

Edge vs Cena in a Last Man Standing match: There were many times when both men were nearly counted out. The end came when they brawled outside the ring to the entrance ramp. Then the Big Show came out and choke slammed Cena through a big spotlight and Cena was counted out and also taken out on a stretcher "was Backlash the best ppv ever or what ? lol". So yeah, Edge is the new World champ.

This PPV is awesome. It has great matches,solid storylines & well-written endings. The "I Quit" match between Matt & Jeff Hardy had an ending that was truly something special & one of the best in ages. Rick Steamboat's bout against Y2J showed that he can still go. The Legacy-Team HHH six man tag team match was a great solid bout for a 6 man tag team match. The John Cena-Edge Last Man Standing match for the World's title was a great reminder of the 1990's ECW and especially the part where Big Show throw Cena into the spotlight. The only poor match was Santina Marella-Beth Phoenix bout mainly because it was short & bitter-sweet at best thus making it a "Big Lipped Alligator Moment" but the rest were still first rate and Backlash 2009 is still a great show. I give this PPV a 9 out of 10.

Backlash is usually the event that follows WrestleMania & continues the feuds that were left off at WrestleMania. However, this was one of those times where this event was actually able to surpass WrestleMania when it came to the in-ring quality.

ECW Champion Jack Swagger vs Christian. Christian was able to showcase exactly what we fans have been saying for so long in that he is a talented performer as he & Swagger put on quite the opening contest as Swagger was able to use his power & strength while Christian had to resort to his experience & quickness to out work the bigger man. Great opening contest that the crowd just ate up with a nice aftermath that added more to this already great match.

Chris Jericho vs Ricky Steamboat. Steamboat showcased that his performance at WrestleMania was no fluke as he was still able to hold his own & put on the best performance possible at this stage. He & Jericho put on a solid contest as it was the type of match that we should have had at WrestleMania instead of the handicap match that we got (sorry Piper & Snuka).

Kane vs CM Punk. The crowd didn't really react well to this match but I thought that this was the "sleeper" match of the night as both men worked well together with Punk resorting to his kicks & submission offense while Kane just used his power offense to ground Punk. It's not a classic but it was one of Kane's best matches that I have seen in quite some time.

I-Quit Match: Jeff Hardy vs Matt Hardy. After their WrestleMania match was full of hardcore spots, this match took a different approach as they actually told a great story of both men beating each other down & even resorted to using submission holds including a figure four around the ring post. The ending was something that we haven't seen before & pulled off very well.

WWE Champion Triple H, Batista & Shane McMahon vs Randy Orton, Ted Dibiase & Cody Rhodes. The stipulation to this match was that if Triple H's team loses, then Randy Orton will win the WWE Championship & unlike what Jerry Lawler said, this was not the first time that the WWE Championship had been defended in a six man tag (cough KOTR 2000 cough). This was a great six man tag as it was just wild from start to finish with moments like Orton disappearing in the early stages before returning back to gain control for his team, Triple H trying to control his team knowing that he can lose his title by disqualification & the ending that most fans wanted at WrestleMania.

Last Man Standing Match: World Champion John Cena vs Edge. This was hyped as their final (hopefully) encounter in this long "on again/off again" feud. Both men were able to put on a different match that actually stood out above most of their matches together as it wasn't a weaponsfest but they focused on just beating each other down while delivering a serious counters that we haven't seen to their usual moves in the past. They battled around the ringside area, the front row with the fans getting more than they bargained for (literally), backstage along with an ending involving the Big Show that was quite the visual site when it happened. Other than their TLC match at Unforgiven 2006, this was the best match of the Cena/Edge feud.

DVD extras are only footage of the aftermath of the WWE Championship match where Triple H is being carried away on a stretcher. Overall like I said at the beginning, this event was the better wrestling show when compared to the previous WrestleMania so I would highly recommend getting this event.

I'm a huge fan of WWE, so I'm sad to think that "Backlash 2009" was the last good event the company has put on since their hot streak in fall 2007. They found their footing, consistently put on strong PPVs, and kept my interest. But after this event, the WWE has yet to regain their PPV streak.

Let's get the worst match out of the way first:
CM Punk and Kane were rushed into this PPV skirmish, which is puzzling choice to begin with. Other than a nice birthday present for Kane, and a chance to remind fans who won the Money-In-The-Bank at "WrestleMania", there's not much purpose. But it's not a total writeoff. The strategy of both wrestlers is sound, with Punk working Kane's arm, while Kane beats Punk's ribs. It's a decent underdog-type contest, but that's about it. If you're gonna skip a mathc, make it this one.

Well...you might wanna skip the Khali Kiss Cam segment featuring "Santina" Marella. WWE must've hurt their PPV buyrates after this skit was advertised a week before the broadcast. I thought it was kinda funny, but I don't pay PPV dollars to see this kind of comedy.

Now, let's get to some good matches. Boy, Chris Jericho and Ricky Steamboat didn't disappoint. I was praying that Steamboat would get this one-on-one rematch after his impressive display at "WrestleMania 25", and I got my wish. Granted, he doesn't move quite as well as he could decades ago, but he has taken care of his body. Jericho is a superb performer, no question about it. The two talents engage in a slower-paced but intriguing matchup. You see, you sense that the two wrestlers are actually trying to win a straight-up match, as opposed to playing to the crowd for a few cheap pops. While not a classic, it's worthy sendoff for one of wrestling's greatest athletes, and it's always nice to see Y2J in action.

Even better was the PPV opener: Jack Swagger defended the ECW Championship against Christian is my favorite match on this card. I never got into the "storyline", but when the physical action is as creative and believable as this, I don't care. These two superstars worked so well together that I don't think I saw a single mistake in their choreography. Swagger dominates the match, but thanks to the color commentary, we're aware when his rookie impulses create mistakes for Christian to exploit. Considering that Christian is 40 pounds lighter, it's amazing that we believe that Christian could actually keep up with the champion. All in all, this is a great way to start a show, and it definitely is among WWE's best matches from 2009.

The last three matches on the card are "WrestleMania" rematches:

Jeff Hardy and Matt Hardy continued their rivalry with an "I Quit" Match that is pleasantly different than their Extreme Rules Match from the month prior. "WrestleMania" was a crazy weapons-filled spotfest. This contest is more about storytelling and strategy. It's not any better or worse than their first outing, because instead of violent carnage, we get submission holds and "acting". I think most will prefer the Extreme Rules Match, but I say that Matt and Jeff made each other look good once again, and made me forget all about their failed 2001 grudge.

Triple H puts his WWE Championship on the line, as he partners with Shane McMahon & Batista against Randy Orton and his Legacy. The 6-Man Tag Team Match starts a little strange, because Orton disappears for the first quarter of the match, yet the cameras missed the action and HHH & Orton's weak slugfest didn't help. Cody Rhodes & Ted DiBiase get dominated for a while, but once Orton makes his surprising return, it all makes sense. We watch Legacy dissect and methodically take apart Shane McMahon and Batista while HHH's title is on the line. It's a patient turn-of-events, and a nice slow build for HHH desperately trying to get into the match. The match might move a bit slow for some people, but this is a rare match that will improve on a second viewing. The puzzling first few minutes now reveal Orton sending Rhodes & DiBiase to take the punishment so "The Viper" could strike at the perfect moment. Watch it again...you'll see. Oh, and the finish is wrestling poetry!

Our main event (hopefully) concludes John Cena and Edge's rivalry. The Last Man Standing Match pits these two in a final battle for the World Heavyweight Championship. While this is a solid match, I was somewhat disappointed too. There are moments of genius, mostly involving Cena & Edge countering each other's signature moves. But this match wasn't particularly brutal either. I understand WWE's family-friendly direction, but some of weapons spots didn't look like they hurt at all. You can see Edge & Cena protecting their faces from being bashed with the steel steps, for example. Last Man Standing Matches shouldn't end just because the wrestlers have been competing in a standard match for 20 minutes. There's not enough to justify the anything-goes scenario. I give credit to Edge & Cena for putting on a good match, but this match wasn't grueling enough, in my opinion.

"Backlash 2009" is a good show, the best so far from WWE's 2009 PPV catalog.
* Christian and Jack Swagger delivered on of the best ECW matches in a long time. ("8.0 / 10")
* Chris Jericho and Ricky Steamboat delivered an old-school contest that solidified both men's legendary careers. ("7.0 / 10")
* CM Punk and Kane didn't do too bad, but in the end, it served no purpose, and isn't anything to go out of your way to see. ("6.0 / 10")
* The "I Quit" Match was uniquely different from the Extreme Rules Match that we saw from Jeff Hardy and Matt Hardy. I welcome the change, and believe the slower-paced storytelling was a good way to stand apart from their previous weapons match. ("7.5 / 10")
* The 6-Man Tag Team Match for the WWE Championship started a bit rough, but eventually became a compelling contest when Randy Orton ended the 3-on-2 Handicap scenario. The storyline was also very well-done, making the finish just about perfect. ("7.5 / 10")
* John Cena and Edge haven't put on a lot of matches that entertained me, but their Last Man Standing Match is a good one. I don't believe it was as brutal or hard-edged as it deserved to be, considering this was hyped as the final showdown. But all in all, it has some neat moments, and the crowd was way more into it than I was. ("7.0 / 10")

Don't pass this DVD up. If you're looking for six solid wrestling matches (or a forgettable comedy sketch thrown in the middle), then "Backlash 2009" is one of WWE's best PPVs in recent memory.

I'm mixed about this. On one hand there were three good matches-Cena & Edge, The Hardys, and the Six-man Tag.

On the other, from a collector's view, it's barely any different from WrestleMania 25. There's not much you're going to miss if you don't have this one.