WWF Backlash - 04/29/01

By The Cubs Fan

• I went to last Sunday's WWF Backlash and I took a note pad along just so I'd remember the bits to do a live report for this site
  • I usually forget stuff that seems important at the time, and this work kinda better 
  • The notes that I could actually read later helped jogged my mind.
  • This is a more stream of consciousness on what happened and what I saw from my point of view, being in the arena.
  • It's not really a recap - if you want to know everything that happened, check elsewhere - this is something you might not be getting there. 

• Heat
  • When I stepped into the arena, I could hear Michael Cole and Tazz setting up the Big Show/Shane McMahon video package, so my notes really start from there. 

  • The fans popped for the Shane and The Beanstalk nursery story (the first time)
    • but then they were popping for everything right then - Molly doing push-ups, the Divas video, the exterior of the building.  
  • During the following break, we got the normal intros for the announcers. 
    • Paul Heyman got a loud but mixed reaction 
    • JR got a standing ovation, as usual.

• Jerry Lynn vs Crash Holly for the Light Heavyweight Title
  • I'm still not totally sure why Jerry Lynn got such a big pop when he came out. 
    • Some of it had to be the big surprise factor 
      • He'd been working house shows but that'd been kept low profile 
      • It was only leaked that he'd be on the show a couple hours before
    • Some of it because there was strong support for ECW while it was here
      • Shows here always sold out 
      • It seemed like we were one of the last to lose TV.
    • Some just because crowds always pop big for the first wrestle in the ring because that means the show's actually starting, 
      • That's the reason why crowds seem into matches on Jakked, I think - they're just happy to see someone they know.
    • But it still was abnormally big.
  • At any rate, Lynn's speech about bringing respect to the Light Heavyweight Title gives me hope for that title when I'd finally given up on it. 
    • On the other hand, the line about "showing what a great champion I am!" was the signal of his heel status, 
    • It kinda sets up for the belt being just a lever to get Lynn over now, not any long term push off the division. 
    • And it'll probably become insignificant once Lynn moves on, if not sooner. 
    • Oh well - I'll enjoy the stuff we get between now and then.
  • The crowd got into the near falls and into the title switch.
    • I don't think many noticed the tights being pulled until they pulled the tights. 
    • Crash was all distraught while he left

• The Fink was dutiful booed when he shilled merchandise, though Undertaker's name got a pop.
• People were quiet for the Marilyn Manson video package - perhaps any effect it could have had was dulled by how many times it's been shown. 

• Lita vs Molly Holly
  • Lita got a really loud pop. 
  • Molly got a loud face pop too, but not as long. 
  • People tried to answer the Lita chant with a Molly chant but it didn't last long. 
  • I thought Molly might have hurt her neck off Lita's flying headscissors -
    • She was slow leaving and held her neck for a while before going back into the Holly mannerisms. 
  • The Northern Lights Suplex Molly pulled out was quite good. 
  • Lita does indeed sing as part of her music, but they play it really low - probably a good reason about doing it that way.

• They did react to the summary recap that ended Heat in all the expected spots. 
  • The voices in the video packages (particularly Ross and Vince) sounded slightly weird over the PA. 
  • Higher pitched than normal, I guess, and it was kinda strange. 

• Dudleyz vs X-Factor
  • The start of the PPV was loud.
  • And you know, I read house show and RAW reports, and there's bits that are repeated over and over: 
    • RTC teases a break up but don't, 
    • Kane's fireworks are really hot, 
    • Cover your ears when fireworks come on, because they're really really loud. 
  • Yet, I saw the Dudley Boyz video, and I didn't quite remember that last part till about the second explosion. 
    • I had a strong headache by the time I got home.
  • There was a significant difference between X-Factor and the Dudleyz in their reactions -
    • People were loud the whole entrance for the Dudleyz
    • But they gave up booing X-Factor a few seconds in.
  • I think I counted four different strong X-Pac Sucks chants, but he barely even reacts to them anymore. 
  • Justin did a good job of interacting with people, having a running conversation with some people in the front row. 
  • Bubba could've been saying anything between the set up of the Wassup spot and when D-Von went for the table - people were so loud, you couldn't have heard a difference.
  • After the match and the 3D through the table, X-Pac was down for a while but seemed alright.

• Raven vs Rhyno
  • There were some cheers for Rhyno, which kinda surprised me, since he's never really been pushed that way. 
  • It's weird noticing he's the same height as Finkel.
  • Raven got a loud pop when he entered, but like X-Factor, it died down by the time he got to the ring. 
    • I think it's because he hasn't really been pushed that hard as a face (he never really had a moment where he turned face, he sort of just ended up there), so people aren't totally sure what to make off him. 
  • The shopping cart spots were quite cool, though I thought Rhyno wasn't gonna be able to get it in the ring for a bit. 
  • There were a lot of nearfalls that people got into, expecting a title change a couple times. 
  • Raven sold the Gore all the way out.

• Vignettes
  • There was a slight face pop for Stephanie when she interrupted Shane's interview, sigh.
  • Austin got a lot of boos when he was shown walking.
  • Jonathon Coachman said his contract is coming up soon on a recent Jakked, hence the reference to Kansas City, where he worked before joining the WWF.

• William Regal vs Chris Jericho
  • Though the sound wasn't good for the first Duchess of Queensbury vignette, people did figure out the joke. 
  • Regal was soundly booed, no surprise there. 
  • JR tipped his hat to her when she sat down on her throne, which I thought was hilarious. 
  • Jericho got a really big pop and really loud fireworks 
    • I never noticed that people scream along with "Break the Walls Down" but they did here. 
  • There was a USA chant during this, which made me laugh.
  • If Jericho ever realized that putting valets/outside people in the Walls of Jericho wouldn't win him matches, he'd probably go places. 
    • It's odd how many times he makes that same mistake.

• Vince got a mixed reaction in his vignette.
  • And what was with that evil laugh? Like a bad movie.

• Kurt Angle vs Chris Benoit
  • Strong big mixed reaction to Angle 
    • I think the fans wouldn't mind having him on their side. 
  • Benoit didn't get as loud a reaction as I expected. 
  • I think the problem with the match was that it was a Mixed Marital Arts/Ultimate Fighting-type match, and that really hadn't been built up to on the WWF TV. 
    • Even when Ken Shamrock did his Lion Dens match, they incorporated a lot more typical wrestling spots. 
    • Here, we got a lot of mat wrestling and working for submissions and not the usual spots. 
      • I was disappionted not to see the headbutt.
    • Also, while I enjoyed the kneebar and cross-arm breaker (CODE RED!) used as legit feared moves, I think a lot of people didn't get into them. 
    • They seemed to get into the moves after they already caused submissions, but the only non-finisher that they were into right away was the Sharpshooter, which isn't that surprising. 
    • Perhaps, instead of using unfamiliar holds, Benoit and Angle should've have used other high profile submission moves that are used as finishers 
      • I think fans might have been more into a near-submission if they were using the Walls of Jericho, Regal Stretch or whatever else what they could have taken. 
  • It probably would have helped if they announced the rules in the building 
    • The 30 minute clock was shown (the falls count wasn't shown on the big screen, but it was on the scoreboard), 
    • But there were obviously some rules about no submissions on the outside and breaks after submissions that we had to learn from the pantomime in the ring. 
  • I wondered if the finish off the match was supposed to be such a mirror of Wrestlemania XII's Iron Man match - sure seems like that was the idea they played off later.
  • There was a big pop for the last submission, and really every time Benoit went for the Crossface.

• Shane McMahon vs Big Show
  • Why did we have to see the Shane and the Beanstalk rhyme three times? It wasn't that good.
  • Nice that the finnaly got Shane his own music, and he got a coupe "Shane-O-Mac" chant. 
  • The chairs might a surprisingly quiet sound for the shots that were being used. 
  • Show killed Shane with those chokeslams. 
  • And then came the scariest part of the show - when Show used the Torture Rack, I saw the tall, blond muscled figure running to the ring and thought it was Lex Luger as the WCW representative. 
    • I've never ever been more happy to see Test in my life. 
  • Shane's dive (and we figured out it was heading that way as soon as he walked towards it) was 30 feet, easy, and incredible looking. 
    • Wow.
    • It was on the other side of the arena, so I didn't notice how little contact there was (or the pad that was landed on) until they showed the replay.

• Christian vs Eddie Guerrero vs Matt Hardy
  • With the three way, Christian was sort of in the middle. 
    • Like Angle, I think the fans wouldn't be opposed to him turning. 
  • Eddie, on the other hand, they truly disliked. 
  • Matt's shirt was really weird.
  • I thought they worked in a lot of nice triple spots - seemingly put thought into a match that was a booker's afterthought. 
  • Eddie had words with Edge and Christian after the match, blaming each other for the title not being with either of them.
    

• Undertaker/Kane vs Steve Austin/Triple H
  • I didn't take notes about the main event, just so I had everything ready when I was ready to take off, so I don't have as many notes. 
  • Triple H got more face response than Austin did. 
    • He did have some, but it was drowned out by some real hatred - lots of people personally offended that he turned his backs on them. 
  • Even up where I was, you could feel the heat of Kane's fireworks. 
  • Seemed like a lot of stalling, a long face in peril part for Kane (must've been four or five "clap your hands to get him out of the hold and to the tag" spots) 
  • The Kane/Taker both want to win stuff got started but never really resolved, which is annoying.
  • When Austin and Taker fought to the outside, you could tell Taker was waiting for when he was supposed to go back to the ring.
    • Mostly because he was sitting there choking Austin and looking right at the ring while Kane was taking everyone out.

• That's it. I took off after the bell rung, trying to beat the foot traffic out. 
• It was a good show - not the greatest show, but I'd go again if I had the chance.
  • Tickets are already sold out for the next Chicago WWF show, Raw on August 13th.
  • Maybe WCW will make a stop by?

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