WWE Backlash 2008 Live Recap

It's time for a BACKLASH~! WWE is live on pay-per-view tonight from the 1st Mariner Arena in Baltimore, Maryland. PPV coverage is live on AngryMarks.com tonight from DJ's Dugout in Omaha, Nebraska! Be sure to hit F5 or refresh often as we'll be bringing you constantly updated results during the show.

And we're underway! Backlash is live from Baltimore. I still say the theme song for this PPV sounds a hell of a lotlike "Sweet Home Alabama." We get the pyro and ballyhoo you would expect at the start of an event, and J.R.informs us we are sold out tonight for the 10th annual Backlash!He is of course sitting right next to Lawler, who nearly says the action is "erect" instead of "electric." The Adamle is with Tazz when Ross throws to the next announce table. Adamle throws to the final table and Michael Cole is joined by the legendary Mick Foley! Foley says the sound you just heard was millions of people simultaneously celebrating the fact he's not Coach!

* MVP {C} v. Matt Hardy (United States Title Match)

I can slap a tor-na-dohhhhhh! Hardy comes out first to a sizable pop. Foley runs down the history that MVP and Hardy had together as a tag team, and Cole tells us the injury from MVP when the team split cost Hardy a long period of time on the shelf. MVP gets an equal mixture of cheers and boos from the crowd at DJ's Dugout when his music hits. We get the big deal introductions before the match for both challenger and champion. HAR-DY, HAR-DY. Foley suggests that MVP formed a tag team with Hardy simply to keep him from challenging for the US title. Bell rings and we're underway! Collar and elbow tie up and the HAR-DY chants are much louder now. MVP tries to get a single leg takedown several times and Hardy jumps out of the way. MVP goes on offense for a bit with a kick to the gut and a club to the back, Hardy goes on offense and MVP rolls out to the floor, Hardy chases and throws him back in. Knockdown and an elbow to the chest for a quick two count. Takeover into a side headlock and MVP quickly gets back to his feet. MVP pushes him into the corner and gets a warning from the ref. To the other corner but it's Hardy with the advantage as he goes up to the second rope, yells and jumps off with a blow to MVP. Pretty back and forth so far.

Hardy hits MVP with a series of elbows, but MVP counters with a belly-to-belly throw. MVP continues to target Hardy's injured mid-section. MVP hits Hardy with a gorilla press drop, and then goes for another move, but Hardy counters with a desparation clothesline. Matt gets a clothesline in the corner, followed by a bulldog with a cover, but only gets 2. MVP goes for the Playmaker, but Hardy counters it and hits the Side Effect. He covers him, but again only gets 2. Hardy goes to the top rope, but MVP hits him with a dropkick. Matt hits a Side Effect from the second rope, but is too tired to go for a cover. The ref counts both men down in the ring. Schoolboy when they get back up by Hardy for 2. MVP knocks Hardy to the floor with a dropkick to the head. Ref starts the count and gets up to at least 8 before Matt gets back in. It's all MVP now as every time Hardy gets up he gets kicked again. MVP goes to the corner and waits to deliver the knockout yakuza kick but Hardy steps out of the way at the last second, hits the Twist of Fate and covers him for three! WINNER AND NEW UNITED STATES CHAMPION: MATT HARDY!!!~!!!

Woo-hoo! So good to have VEE-ONE-AH as the champ! So good to have Foley calling it! FUCK YEAH MATTITUDE FOREVER MATT HARDY WILL NOT DIE!! Ahem. Anyway, we go to Lawler and Ross shilling for the cell phone text voting on who will win the Elimination Match, and actually mentions it's for AT&T customers only. Random backstage interview girl is with Hardy. "You know I've been European Champion, Hardcore Champion, Cruiserweight Champion, 8 time tag champion, but this is the biggest win of my career so far. I had to work SO so hard to get here. The MVP attack, the injury, all this time until I got this shot, and this is the biggest win of my career and the best day of my life. MVP, I only have one thing to say to you....... I, AM BETTER, THAN YOU!!!!" We go to The Adamle and Tazz for our next match.

* Kane {C} v. Chavo Guerrero (ECW Title Match)

Chavo tries to run away at the start, putting the ref between him and Kane as much as possible. He shoots in to grab the leg that was worked over on ECW and gets punched right in the face. For the next few minutes it's all Kane, throwing him from one side of the ring to the other, giving him a military press and straight dropping him on his back. Chavo finally makes a comeback which at first goes badly when they go to the floor and Chavo tries a crossbody, only for Kane to catch him and spear him into the apron. Some well timed kicks to the knee though take him down, and then just for good measure Bam Neely sneaks in a shot of his own when and wherever he can. Kane finally kicks Chavo off with a right boot in the ring but Chavo hits him in the bad knee again. He goes up to the top rope and jumps onto Kane's head, possibly thinking DDT, but Kane just electric chairs him straight down. Chavo gets up first though. Chavo walks over to attack him, Kane sits up and Chavo is immediately goozled, he escapes but gets a boot to his face for the trouble. Side slam by Kane and Chavo kicks out at 2.9. Hiiiiigh back bodydrop by Kane. Top rope and Kane goes airborne and nails him. Chavo tries to do the same but can only get a two count. He signals for Kane to get up, kicks him in the gut, Kane tries to counter out but Chavo hits the knee from behind. To the top rope, possibly a frogsplash, Kane cuts him off, headbutt to knock Kane down, frogsplash connects... right into a chokeslam!! Kane covers for three. WINNER AND STILL ECW CHAMPION: KANE.

Nice to see Kane win clean and no post-match attack by Neely and Chavo afterwards, although he does limp a little bit on his way to the back to sell the knee attack. Orton promo backstage saying that no matter what the odds are against him he still seems to retain, the Age of Orton is a fact, and it will remain a fact tonight after he walks out of Backlash still the WWE Champion.

* Big Show v. The Great Khali

Khali comes out first, then Showkishi. Foley on commentary says he doesn't expect a lot of scientific wrestling or short arm scissors in this match! Khali clubbers Show and finally knocks him down with a clothesline. Foley describes Show's drubbing as being like Zeus running out of thunderbolts. Show tries to pick Khali up for a slam but Khali counters and clotheslines him out to the floor. Khali throws him back in and locks both hands around Show's neck in an attempt to choke him our or make him tap. Show survives but ends up eating a brain chop. Two count. Show finally gets Khali off his feet for a slam and makes the cover. Two count. Test of strength. Show finally gets the advantage and manages to chokeslam him for three! WINNER: THE BIG SHOW.

John Cena is having a little chat with Jimmy Wang Yang backstage, Orton comes up and interrupts him. Cena: "Win lose or draw, whatever does happen, tonight you're gonna go home a broken man." Ross reminds AT&T customers to vote on who will win tonight, and that standard text messaging rates apply. It looks like HBK v. Big Dave is next!

* Shawn Michaels v. Batista (Chris Jericho as the special referee)

Promo package of the feud between HBK and Batista airs which highlights all of their promos on each other over the last month, including Shawn saying he had "closure" with Flair, and Batista telling him he did the wrong thing instead of the right thing, even though HBK says he gave Flair exactly what he asked for. Jericho is out first wearing his ref shirt. Big Dave comes out next and someone actually manages to get a neon green sign with TNAWRESTLING.COM written on it during his entrance. I'm sure security tracked that guy down quick! Shawn Michaels comes out last to a very large reaction and signs like "PUT THE ANIMAL DOWN." Dave uses his strength and power early, then resorts to just socking Michaels in the face, and HBK bails out to the floor.Dave signals for a test of strength when HBK gets back in, Michaels tries to kick Dave'slegs out instead. Eventually this results in Dave whipping him to the corner for a big clothesline. Michaels opts for a chop block to the knee to go on offense, then when Dave charges him he tries to use his legs for an armbar. Dave escapes but Shawn goes for it again with his arms and Dave managers to counter it into HBK's shoulders being on the mat for two straight two counts. Dave finally picks him up even though HBK still has it on and they both end up toppling over the ropes, with Dave selling his arm being hurt from the dead weight of the short arm scissors coming down. HBK slams the left arm into the ringpost on the outside to do further damage.

Shawn keeps working over the arm when they get back in the ring, then goes up to the second rope and purposefully falls through the ropes with Dave's arm scissored, until he finally falls off to the floor. Shawn goes up top again and lands an elbow to Dave's back. Jericho is laying out and just letting the two of them scrap. Shawn tries to pull Dave up but he counters with one arm into a Samoan drop. Slobberknocker of a clothesline knocks Shawn down to a chorus of boos. Dave with the short spears to the gut, scoop slam on HBK, 2.5. Dave seems to be in control now. He pulls Shawn up by the hair and sets up for a Batista bomb but HBK counters it into a CROSSFACE! Dave wriggles inch by inch towards the ropes, so Shawn gets off and goes for a cover for two, then pulls him away and locks in the crossface even tighter. Dave finally crawls to the ropes and when HBK refuses to break Jericho throws him off by force. Shawn gets in his face for a second then goes back to pounding on the left arm of Dave, but he gets a side slam for 2. Both men are slow to get up. Dave misses a clothesline when Shawn ducks and he gets the knockdown and kip up, but his kip up is right into a spear!! One, two, no Shawn kicks out! Lawler says he popped up like a pimple on prom night.

Dave starts pounding on Shawn in the corner, Y2J warns him, Shawn knocks him down and hits the flying elbow! HBK backs up and starts tuning up the band for the superkick, but Dave counters it into a spinebuster! He pulls Shawn up, tucks the head, Shawn escapes from the Batista bomb but falls down on his knee. Dave tries to come over to get him and Jericho pushes him off, trying to check on the injured man. Dave comes over again and Shawn suddenly pops off the Sweet Chin Music for three! WINNER: SHAWN MICHAELS.

Shawn is still hobbling as Jericho holds up his arm in victory, then he rolls out of the ring and starts limping to the back. We get a replay of Shawn landing the kick before we go back to ringside, where Jericho is helping Shawn limp to the back. A second ref comes out to help. Even if it is a fake injury he's definitely selling the hell out of it, but given his well known knee problems it may not be entirely fake, although Ross certainly feels it's ambiguous. Dave stands in the ring looking frustrated as we go to a commercial for the WM24 DVD set.

* 12 Diva Tag Match (six-on-six heels v. faces)

I'll be perfectly honest here, I got up for a piss break before this one even started. Mickie hits a DDT on Beth, but Victoria hits the Widow's Peak on Mickie. Melina does a rocker dropper, Kelly Kelly gives some blond e abulldog, Cherry gets suplexed by Neidhart, Maria does something to her, it's a huge clusterfuck of women in the match. The Glamazon picks up Ashley for a lengthy fisherwoman suplex and finally drops her and makes the pin for three. Utter trainwreck of shit. WINNERS: THE DIVA HEELS. Thank Cthulhu that's over with. Promo for JUDGMENT DAY ON MAY 18TH IN OMAHA is on the screen next and J.R. says that'll be three weeks from tonight! We throw to Michael Cole and Mick Foley, who put over the fact that some of the Baltimore Ravens are sitting front row.

* Undertaker {C} v. Edge (World Heavyweight Title match)

As you would probably expect, Edge comes out first so Undertaker can have his long entrance last. Title match introductions for both men. I stood up and applauded when they said Edge was from Toronto. O SHOW BABY, THA O SHOW~! In fact given the cheers and boos in DJ's Dugout when both men are introduced you'd feel like you were at the venue itself and not just sitting in a bar sipping Diet Coke out of a plastic cup. Undertaker dominates early but Edge finally gets a boot up and follows with a clothesline. Foley says that Edge needs to get his mind right and remember that he's beaten Undertaker before and can do it again. It's simply amazing how much better the Smackdown announce team is as Foley and Cole. Speaking of which, Foley notes that Taker is "one of the best pure strikers in WWE" and that he "defies the laws of nature by getting stronger and faster as he gets older." VIVA MICK FOLEY! Edge takes a beating for a bit, then clotheslines Taker out and dropkicks him into the barricade. Edge goes out to follow up and Taker slams his spine into the ringpost. Headbutt by Taker, snake eyes onto the barricade, roll in to break the count and back out to beat up Edge some more. Edge is dropped face first on the apron as Lil' Naitch makes another ten count. Taker lays him across the apron, does a running kick, rolls in and out to break the count then does the running leg drop but I believe Edge may have avoided all of the blow as Taker sells his back a little bit. Cover for two.

Now it's Edge's turn to go on offense with blows to the lower back. Edge wraps a body scissors around Taker and pulls on the back of his ring gear and even his hair for more leverage. Taker slowly spreads the legs apart so Edge rolls to his side to keep Taker from escaping. Taker powers up and does ground 'n pound GSP style! Edge is pulled back up by the hair but he ducks a clothesline and hits a dropkick to the small of Taker's back, then kicks him out to the floor with a baseball slide. When Taker is brought back into the ring Edge locks in a full choke from behind, but Taker almost manages to stand up out of it. Edge has a body scissors when he does but Taker gets to the ropes for the break. Edge goes right back to the modified camel clutch but Taker stands straight up this time and does a sitout to drop him straight down onto his back. Both men collide and Taker is the first to get up. Both men on their feet now throwing punches, and we get the dueling "BOO" and "YAY" spot with a huge "YAYYY" when Taker knocks him down.

Snake Eyes by Taker in the corner! Taker knocks him down and goes for a cover for two. Taker to the corner, Edge kicks him in the chin, then climbs up to the top rope. Edge nearly gets a Last Ride, blocks it, but still gets shoved off to the canvas. Taker to the top rope and MISSES with a huge senton, coming down right on his back! Edge crawls over and covers for 2.9. Chokeslam blocked, Russian leg sweep, another near fall for Edge! Edge to the top rope, Undertaker goozles him and throws Edge down hard on HIS back. Cover by Undertaker is broken up by Edge getting his left boot on the ropes. Taker signals that it's all over with the throat slash. Edge grabs the ropes when Taker picks him up, bullrushes Taker into the corner, rips the cover off the turnbuckle and while the ref is replacing itone ofthe Edgeheads cracks Taker in the back of the head. Edge makes the cover for one, two... NO! Taker kicks out. Taker blocks a spear into a DDT and covers for 2.9. What a match! The other Edgehead jumps to the apron to help him, Edge bonks into him, Taker attempts to finish Edge off, Edge counters being picked up nearly gets a roll up from full guard sunset flip style, but Taker smoothly transitions the near fall into a gogoplata and chokes Edge out. WINNER AND STILL WORLD HEAVYWEIGHT CHAMPION: THE UNDERTAKER.

Teddy Long immediately rolls Vickie down to the ring, where Edge is coughing up blood. She lays on top of him with a look of concern on her face as Lil' Naitch and a couple of WWE officials try to check on his condition. The stretcher team comes out to cart Edge away. Even though the fake blood is even faker than usual Vickie is selling it really well, screaming, crying, holding her head in her hands, the whole nine. The crowd is of course ecstatic over the whole thing, and Foley and Cole laid out to sell the severity of it all, not offering any comment. Blood continues to pour out of his nose as he's wheeled to the back. Foley and Cole discuss Taker saying "I'm going to hurt you" before the match and it's safe to say in storyline he lived up to that promise. Orton lingers outside JBL's door backstage with the title over his left shoulder, CM Punk walks up with the briefcase, puts it in Orton's fae with a smile and says "Good luck tonight!"

* Randy Orton {C} v. JBL v.HHH v. John Cena (The Contradictory Fatal Four-Way Elimination Match)

Let's get it straight people, this is an elimination match plain and simple. The results of the text vote are shown and Cena is the favorite to win, followed by Triple H. The order of entrants is Triple H, JBL, Cena and the champ Orton last. From the DJ's Dugout crowd Trips got the best pop, JBL got the most heat other than Orton, and Cena got the mixture of boos you'd expect. As Orton stands on the corner posing the bar spontaneously breaks out in a dueling chant of "LET'S GO CENA" and "CENA SUCKS!" Garcia introduces all four in the order they came to the ring. Orton is quickly knocked out to the floor, where he grabs a steel chair from the crowd. JBL starts punching the hell out of Cena but Triple H cuts him off for a suplex. It's not a save per se though as Hunter ends up whipping Cena into the corner hard. Cena goes down to the floor while JBL and Hunter duke it out. Cena charges Orton on the outside and gets the better of him, then throws him back in. While he's on the apron Orton knocks him off and he splashes into the announce desk, then JBL and Orton work together to give Hunter a beatdown. Cena sells his hard fall on the floor. I don't know what happened to the chair Orton had but he certainly doesn't need it at the moment.

Double clothesline by Trips stars his comeback. JBL gets knocked out to the floor and Hunter goes to work on Orton. He ducks a spear from Orton and shoulder hits ringpost. Hunter goes outside to brawl with JBL and throws him into the steel steps so hard they completely turn over. Bradshaw responds by sweeping his head into the steel entrance ramp. Meanwhile Orton and Cena are going at it in the ring. Bulldog, top rope attack, and the STFU is cinched in. JBL considers making the save but instead smirks at Randy Orton, getting down on his knees and into his face, yelling at him to tap. Triple H jumps on the back of Bradshaw and locks in an STFU of his own! Clusterfuck in the ring which finally results in Orton throwing Cena out to the floor and nobody tapping out. JBL gets a big boot and an elbow on Orton but he kicks out before 3.

Orton tries to go top rope, JBL jumps out and throws his weight into the ropes to force Orton to crotch himself. Bradshaw follows up with a punch as Orton hangs there, climbs up, but both Hunter and Cena come over and turn it into a human pyramid superplex. Cena and Hunter both make covers, on Orton and Bradshaw respectively, and both men kick out. BOO YAY punch spot between Cena and Hunter and it's WrestleMania 22 in Chicago all over again. Suplex by Cena on Hunter for two. Cena powers him down again and holds out a hand for the YOU CAN'T SEE ME but before he can hit the five knuckle shuffle Trips jumps up and hits a BIG SPINEBUSTER. Pedigree time, but JBL tries to stop it with a clothesline, both men duck, JBL gets an FU, Hunter gets tossed over the ropes by Cena, JBL is locked into the STFU... and taps out! BRADSHAW IS ELIMINATED FIRST. An opportunistic Orton jumps on top of Cena with a head stomp as he holds onto the STFU then makes the cover for three. CENA ELIMINATED TOO.

Garcia confirms they were both eliminated so it's down to Orton and Hunter, who after a little stalling start punching the hell out of each other. Hunter hits a suplex and a knee drop then makes the lateral press for two. Orton is dumped out to the floor and Hunter slams his head into the Raw announce table. He tries to whip Orton into the steps but Orton reverses it and it's Triple H who up ends the steel steps a la JBL. The brawl continues in front of Foley and Cole. Orton catapults Hunter over the barricade right into the crowd! Loud crowd chant in Baltimore for Triple H, but Orton strikes a triumphant pose. Orton gets him back in the ring and covers for two, then continues the assault. Orton stomps on his midsection and grinds in a heel for good measure, and Hunter sounds like he's coughing up a lung. Orton with a knee to the small of his back and more stomps in the corner. He stands on his chest using the ropes to balance and tells Hunter to give it up! Hunter won't quit. Orton waits for him to crawl to his feet then knocks him down with ease. It's one near fall after another for the champ.

Hunter starts a comeback with punches, but Orton hits an inverted backbreaker to knock Hunter down and covers for 2.5. Orton scissors the body of Triple H and locks in a chin lock, then gives up the scissor to apply the choke even tighter. Hunter gets back to his knees as Orton has it locked in, and keeps cinching it up tighter. Hunter sells like he's going out. Hunter manages to get free with his last gasp of air but Orton snaps off a hard suplex and Trips is down face first on the ground. Orton slithers around like a snake looking to hit the RKO the minute Hunter stands up. He's swaying back and forth in anticipation but as he goes to hit it Orton throws him off in mid-air! Both men are down and the referee starts a double count.

Orton ducks a clothesline when they get up but can't avoid a knee right to the throat. Facebuster for a near fall! Orton goes out to the floor and Hunter follows. Trips throws Orton right over the announce table as Lawler and Ross look on. Trips drags him over to the Smackdown announce table, yanks him off of it, and Orton trips him into the barricade right next to it. Randy pulls apart the steel steps and sets up for something big, which J.R. says is totally legal since there are no countouts or DQ's in an elimination match. Orton sets up for a piledriver on the steel steps but Hunter counters it and Orton's spine smacks the steel hard! Orton rolls back into the ring with his hands wrapped around his head and neck, selling like he's in great pain. Spinebuster, Pedigree blocked into a high back bodydrop, RKO! Orton is writhing in pain, slow to make the cover on the RKO, Hunter kicks out. Orton goes for a soccer kick or possible another RKO, counter, re-counter, counter into a Pedigree for three! WINNER AND NEW WWE CHAMPION: TRIPLE H.

Good show, very solid opening and closing matches, both of which had a result I can't complain about, and other than the 12-woman diva match nothing was an epic fail - even Khali v. Big Show was good as a spectacle. I recommend buying or renting this one when it comes out on DVD. Thanks for reading our live results and stay tuned for a new episode of Kayfabe 4 Dummies to be posted later on tonight!