Falls Count Anywhere

05-01-07

...too much of it nude.

Backlash
The WWE’s PPV concept is a strong one. Put a bunch of big name stars on the card, make a main event that people want to see and build to it the best you can. Sometimes it works really well and sometimes it works less so.

The idea of Backlash was fewer matches getting more time. That was a good idea, for the most part.

The opener was The Hardys vs. Trevor Murdoch and Lance Cade. There’s no way they’ll ever make Murdoch and Cade into a Dudleys-level tag team. They’re cast in the Mid-Card-For-Life mold and it’s likely that they’ll never break out of that unless they change promotions and get a real push. Still, they’re not bad wrestlers. The Hardys are pure talent, though Jeff is at time sreckless. Matt and Jeff are both over with the crowds and the match with Cade and Murdoch was a very good way to go.

The match got enough time to build to something special, but it didn’t break into that lofty category of ‘Great opener’. It was merely a strong opener. They did a great move where Matt gave a slingshot and Jeff met him with a Dropkick. Murdoch worked really well, especially when he just clotheslined the hell out of Matt. Matt got a Side Effect onto Murdoch and somehow Cade materialized and broke up the pin. That was nice. Murdoch does a sloppy Code Red, but after the near fall, Matt gets the Twist of Fate. Jeff goes up top, and gives the Swanton to Murdoch as Cade had pulled Matt out of the ring. Matt got back in and covered for the win. Good match that went about fifteen minutes.

Wait...wasn't this in Grindhouse?

While fifteen minutes isn’t that long for a tag match, ten minutes is a really long time for a WWE women’s match. Mickie James and Melina gave us a really strong match with some stuff we hadn’t seen before. Mickie was really good, especially considering the level of her recent matches. Melina is a really good heel and should be doing more than she is. She just does herself no favors out of the ring. Melina did a Full Nelson using her legs! Nice touch. Melina and Mickie both end up in splits and then slug it out! Excellent!

The finish was a bit sloppy, but you can’t fault them since neither of them have worked tem minute matches in a long while. Eye rake and Reverse DDT by Melina gives here the pin in the best woman’s match since Trish left.

Chris Benoit and MVP went fifteen minutes until Benoit got himself a pin using a Small Package. There’s a general story to the Benoit-MVP feud. MVP is the young guy trying to make his name and he can’t figure out Chris Benoit so he loses. It’s a much better gimmick for a face chasing a heel, but it’s working here when you think about it. The idea that MVP is a superior athlete trying to beat a master wrestler is a good story, I just don’t think it’s as powerful as they could have done it with Benoit as a real heel.

Benoit used suplexes and his normal moves while MVP did submissions and kicks. It was a kinda basic match, but with Benoit, even a basic match can be something special. Benoit remains US champion. The odds are the blow-off for this feud will be the next big match, maybe a cage match, though since it’s less about violence and more about wrestling, they might even do a 2-of-3 or some kind of Iron Man Match.

In a fit of bad booking and an even worse idea for the future, Vince McMahon pinned Bobby Lashley to win the ECW title in another fifteen minute match. It was Shane, Umaga and Vince against Bobby Lashley. The match was OK, but the booking was awful. Why take the title off of Lashley like this? There wasn’t nearly enough heat on this match. The problem is Lashley isn’t booked like he’s the next Goldberg, he’s booked like he’s the next Chris Benoit and that’s just not good enough because he’s not got the in-ring to make up for the kind of push he’s getting.

Now, if this was done to free him up to make a run at one of the big titles, then it’s almost OK, but it’s just not right. Vince tagged in and out a lot whenever he thought he might be able to get the pin after someone else had done the damage. Umaga gave Lashley a Top Rope Splash that he kicked out of and then he did another, Vince tagged in and that gave Vince the belt. Not the way I’d have done it.

I think I should note here that The Condemned flopped on its opening weekend. It’s interesting that the percentage down from expectations is nearly the same as The Rundown with the Rock a few years ago. I thought The Condemned was a decent film, certainly entertaining.

Last Man Standing matches can be a bit of a reach. Undertaker and Batista are both good at doing power matches. They pulled off a really solid match at WrestleMania that had a good amount of heat. Last Man Standing is a power wrestler kind of match and they used twenty minutes to tell the story.

The story was simple: big moves from both guys and they manage to make it up by the ten count. It was a big man’s match and the crowd was HOT for everything. These two work really well together. Taker busted Batista open ramming him with the stairs. Batista takes a leg drop through the table! Batista sold really well for the entire thing. If he worked this hard on a more regular basis, he’d be a bigger star. Batista gives Taker THREE SpinBusters! Batista got up at 9 after a Tombstone. That’s a big deal because the Tombstone is still thought of as an unbeatable move.

Now THAT'S dedication.

Batista escaped from another Tombstone attempt and then Spears the hell out of Undertaker that sends them off the set! Parts of the set fall off and everything! It was quite a sight to see. Both guys get counted out and it’s a draw. While you never wanna see matches like this end without a winner, it does work with the feud. Good match.

Randy Orton has been on the thinnest possible ice of late, and now he’s in the Main Event against Edge, Shawn Michaels and John Cena. Going in, I had no doubt that Orton was the one who was going to be doing the job, and my guess was for Cena. The match was fantastic with a great ending. There are folks saying that this might be the best Four Way match they’ve done in ages. Michaels did the Moonsault off the top onto the other three.

They told a good story and Shawn Michaels made himself again. He’s got to be considered the next Ric Flair. He might not be the focus, but he makes guys look like superstars even if their limited. Of late, he’s been giving so much and still managing to not get too hurt in the process. He was the glue for this match.

They did all the expected spots, especially the ones where a guy would be setting up his finisher but then someone would bust it up. The finishers came out at the end, including Edge Spearing Orton before taking an FU himself and then Michaels Superkicked Cena, who fell onto Orton and got the pin. Great ending and the crowd ate it up.

You’ll see a ton of praise on this show and it reminded me of the Canadian Stampede show from 1997. Just a great show that delivered in every spot. The matches were good, the flow was on and the finish was exceptional!

That’s all for Monday! More on Thursday.

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Chris Garcia