Backlash Recap

On April 29th, WWE presented it's fifth pay-per-view of the year, Backlash. Would they be able to deliver a solid show or would this be a stinker like No Way Out? Let's take a look.

1. Hardys vs. Cade + Murdoch
I don't think anyone really bought Cade and Murdoch as serious contenders to the seemingly unstoppable Hardys, but they gave a great effort. Solid opener with the Hardys going over as expected.

Unofficial Rating: 2.75 (out of 5)

2. Mickie James vs. Melina
Mickie James is my favorite womens wrestler and it was nice to see her get a shot at the title on a pay-per-view. This was a very good match and this is what should have been the Women's Championship match at WrestleMania. Melina retained her title in a match that was allowed more time than I expected.

Unofficial Rating: 3 (out of 5)

3. MVP vs. Chris Benoit
This was the surprise of the night. I thought for sure that they would give the rising star, MVP the title here after he gave a great effort at WrestleMania. Benoit wins on a small package, so I would say he may get one more chance.

Unofficial Rating: 3.5 (out of 5)

4. Bobby Lashley vs. Umaga, Vince McMahon, + Shane McMahon
This was the worst match of the show, but was by no means horrible. Lashley probably got the best reception I can recall him getting. I am already dreading the Vince McMahon ECW Championship celebration.

Unofficial Rating: 1.75 (out of 5)

5. Batista vs. Undertaker
Never would I have guessed that two of Batista's best matches would be against the Undertaker. This wasn't as exciting as the WrestleMania matchup, but just as intense. The bad ending hurt it a little as well. I'm sure Judgment Day will be headlined by another stipulation match between these two.

Unofficial Rating: 3.5 (out of 5)

6. John Cena vs. Edge vs. Shawn Michaels vs. Randy Orton
As expected, this was my favorite match of the night. These matches can be messy, but all four men worked well together. Cena wins on a fluke after being superkicked onto Orton by Michaels, setting up hopefully another great matchup between the two.

Unofficial Rating: 4 (out of 5)

Overall: 3.75 (out of 5)
With 4 of the 6 matches at 3 or higher, this is a definite thumbs up. That makes the WWE 4 for 5 on the year delivering solid or better shows.

WrestleMania 23 Recap

Definitely a top ten day in my 24 years of existence. Here is a quick recap of the matches:

1. Money In The Bank
Jeff Hardy's spot with Edge could have been the craziest spot I've ever seen in pro wrestling. That was just insane. I can't wait to see that on the DVD. This was a fun match, even though I wish they would have taken two of the guys out of there to add another quality singles match. One of the best openers in WrestleMania history and the craziest match I've seen live.

Live Rating: 4.5 (out of 5)

2. Kane vs. Great Khali
This was the perfect length for this match. The crowd lost interest quickly, which is no shock. This looked even worse, since it followed the awesome opener.

Live Rating: .25

3. MVP vs. Chris Benoit
This match kind of ended abruptly but it was solid. I think it could have used another 5 minutes, but that's just me. I think this one will be better on the DVD.

Live Rating: 2.75

4. Batista vs. Undertaker
This was the most pleasant surprise of the night. Both guys brought the goods and Batista looked as intense as I've ever seen him. Maybe being bumped down the card this far was used as extra motivation. Surprisingly, this was the only title change for the night.

Live Rating: 3.5

5. ECW Originals vs. New Breed
This was the most disappointing match. There was no hardcore wrestling of any kind in this brief encounter. I really feel that if this was given 10 minutes and had lots of weapon spots, it could have been really fun. I'm surprised the New Breed didn't win as well.

Live Rating: 2

6. Lashley vs. Umaga
This was the type of match that comes across better live. This was not a classic wrestling match, but definitely an entertaining half hour. I am not a big fan of Lashley, but he did what he had to, and with all of the outside interference and Austin as guest ref, this was well booked.

Live Rating: 3.5

7. Ashley vs. Melina
I was literally pretty shocked that Melina won. This match was bad, but also only about 4 minutes long. No one cared about this match. Next.

Live Rating: .25

8. John Cena vs. Shawn Michaels
This was absolutely awesome. The crowd still wasn't as loud as I thought it would be, but I think it had more to do with the way the stadium is. Cena was made to look like the underdog, and both guys worked very well together. This was definitely one of the best WrestleMania main events and I can't wait to watch it again.

Live Rating: 4.75

Overall, a definite top 10 WrestleMania. The bad matches were short, the good matches were memorable, and the overall presentation was impressive. I can't believe it took me 16 years to finally go to a WrestleMania, but it was definitely worth the wait.

Overall: 4.5 (out of 5)