Backlash (2006) was the eighth annual Backlash professional wrestling pay-per-view event produced by World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE). It took place on April 30, 2006 at the Rupp Arena in Lexington, Kentucky and was a Raw brand-exclusive event.

The main event was a Triple Threat match for the WWE Championship between John Cena, Triple H, and Edge, which Cena won by pinning Triple H with a jackknife roll-up. One of the predominant matches on the card was Shawn Michaels and "God" versus Vince and Shane McMahon, which the McMahons won after pinning Michaels following interference from The Spirit Squad. Another primary match on the undercard was Rob Van Dam versus Shelton Benjamin in a Title vs. Briefcase match, Van Dam won the match to become the WWE Intercontinental Champion.

Many of the existing feuds concluded following the event. The feud between The McMahons and Shawn Michaels, however, carried on. After refusing to attack Michaels, Triple H turned face and re-united with Michaels to reform D-Generation X. The two would go on to defeat The Spirit Squad two months later at Vengeance. After losing the WWE Championship to Rob Van Dam at One Night Stand, Cena began an angle with the newly created ECW brand, which concluded in a match against Sabu at Vengeance. Following the conclusion of Backlash, Kane ended his feud with The Big Show and started feuding with an "Imposter Kane", which culminated two months later at Vengeance.

Background

The main feud heading into Backlash was between John Cena, Triple H, and Edge over the WWE Championship. The feud began when Triple H won a number one contender spot to face Cena at WrestleMania 22 for the WWE Championship. Weeks before their scheduled match, the two continuously feuded with one another. At WrestleMania, Cena defeated Triple H, after forcing him to submit to the STFU. The next night on Raw, Triple H demanded another shot at the WWE Championship, but Edge and Lita interrupted Triple H's segment. Edge became WWE Champion at New Year's Revolution when he cashed in his Money in the Bank title shot, defeating Cena at the event. He was WWE Champion for only three weeks, when Cena reclaimed the Championship at the 2006 Royal Rumble. Edge claimed that it was time for a new opponent for the WWE Championship, after proclaiming that at WrestleMania, Triple H lost his opportunity when he submitted to Cena's STFU. All three men had a series of Handicap matches leading up to Backlash with Triple H pinning Cena after a Pedigree, Cena forcing Edge to submit to the STFU, and Edge spearing Triple H and pinning him. Then it was announced that Cena would defend the WWE Championship in a Triple Threat match against Triple H and Edge at Backlash.

The other main event match was Vince McMahon and Shane McMahon versus Shawn Michaels and God. This feud started on December 26, 2005, when Mr. McMahon made note of Bret Hart's DVD, claiming that he "tricked" Hart in the hours of his match at Survivor Series 1997, where Hart lost the WWE Championship to Shawn Michaels. At the event, Michaels applied Hart's own finisher, the Sharpshooter, and McMahon called for the bell, in an event known as the "Montreal Screwjob". Michaels interrupted McMahon and told him to "let it go" and "move on" from the events of Survivor Series. In reply McMahon told Michaels that he indeed screwed Bret Hart and added, "Shawn, do not make me screw you. At the Royal Rumble, Shane McMahon made a surprising appearance when he eliminated Michaels from the Rumble match, though Shane was not a participant in the match. McMahon informed Michaels that he would face his son Shane at Saturday Night's Main Event in a No Holds Barred match. At the event, Vince interfered throughout the match on his son's behalf, by stopping the referee's count, after Michaels performed Sweet Chin Music on Shane, an enraged Michaels grabbed McMahon but before he could do anything, Shane hit Michaels with a low blow. McMahon ordered Shane to apply the Sharpshooter on Michaels, and, after he executed the submission move, McMahon called for the bell, similar to the 1997 Survivor Series match. Mr. McMahon booked himself and Michaels in a No Holds Barred match at WrestleMania 22. At WrestleMania, the Spirit Squad and Shane McMahon interfered on McMahon's behalf, but Michaels defeated Vince McMahon after he performed Sweet Chin Music and captured the pinfall victory. The next night on Raw, The McMahons confronted Michaels and informed him that his win at WrestleMania was "an act of God," therefore setting up the tag team match at Backlash that would have The McMahons facing Michaels and God.

Event

Before the event started, Goldust defeated Rob Conway in a match that aired on HEAT. Goldust won the match after a powerslam. The first match of the event was between Carlito and Chris Masters. In the beginning of the match, Carlito had the upper hand over Masters, and he executed a plancha and a Springboard Back elbow. Masters, however, gained the advantage and executed a powerbomb on Carlito into the turnbuckle. Carlito performed a Back Cracker and pinned Masters while using the ropes for leverage to win the bout.

Next was a match between Umaga and Ric Flair. Umaga had the advantage throughout the match, as he hit a knee to his head. He defeated Flair by pinning him after executing the Samoan Spike. The third match was between Trish Stratus and Mickie James for the WWE Women's Championship. The match had escalated when Stratus caught James with an Air Canada outside the ring. When Stratus delivered punches to James, who was on the second turnbuckle, James back body dropped her over the top rope, causing Stratus to land on her right arm. Afterwards, James choked Stratus with a wristband she was wearing that fell off during the match, therefore giving the win to Stratus, as James lost by disqualification and retained the Championship.

The next title match was for the WWE Intercontinental Championship between Rob Van Dam and Shelton Benjamin. Both Van Dam and Banjamin started the match with highspots as Benjamin performed a Sunset flip powerbomb on Van Dam in the apron from the floor, and Benjamin leapt from the top rope, turning into a Suplex but Van Dam kicked out of it. A frustrated Benjamin grabbed Van Dam's Money in the Bank briefcase and hit Van Dam with it, but it backfired when Van Dam hit the Van Daminator and walked away with both the Intercontinental Championship and the Money in the Bank briefcase. The next match was The Big Show versus Kane, which ended in a no-contest after a red hue covered the ring and voices from the speakers in the arena began taunting Kane with "May 19", as it has throughout weeks on Raw. Big Show who seemed to have enough, hit Kane with a steel chair and walked away.

The sixth match was a No Holds Barred match between Vince and Shane McMahon versus Shawn Michaels and God. Before the match began, backstage Vince McMahon flaunted his own "miracles", such as laying hands on Candice Michelle and healing her chest cold. As soon as The McMahons made their way to the ring, Vince informed the referee to "check" God for any hidden objects, as God was being "portrayed" by the stage spotlight. The match started with Shawn Michaels crossbodying both Vince and Shane McMahon on the outside of the ring. Afterwards, Michaels crossbody-blocked Vince down through a part of the Backlash staging area. Shane then hit Michaels with a steel chair and caused him to bleed. After Vince and Shane took turns assaulting Michaels, Vince grabbed a microphone and informed Michaels that "God" had left the building and used Sweet Chin Music, Michaels' own finisher, against him. Michaels battled back and grabbed the upper hand as he was going to deliver the final blow, as he stood on top of a ladder. The Spirit Squad interfered and attacked Michaels. Vince McMahon pinned Michaels after the Spirit Squad maneuvered their finishing move, The High Spirits and sent Michaels crashing through a table.

The seventh and final match of the event was a Triple Threat match for the WWE Championship between John Cena, Edge, and Triple H. As the match began, Edge chose to stand outside the ring, hoping that Cena and Triple H would simply fight the match themselves. Cena and Triple H, however, teamed up and turned against Edge. One spot in the match saw Edge throw Triple H into the steel ringpost and Triple H bleed as a result. Afterwards, Edge executed a DDT on Triple H and focused on Cena. Cena locked Edge in the STFU, but was broken when Triple H hit Cena with a microphone. Triple H then went after Edge and hit him with a chair, sending him over the wall and into the audience. Lita, who accompanied Edge, entered the ring with a chair to hit Triple H, but quickly Triple H reversed in into a Spinebuster. Near the end of the match, Cena performed an FU on Edge and attempted to pin him. As Cena went for the cover, Triple H delivered a low blow to Cena and attempted to execute a Pedigree. Cena, however, countered into a jackknife roll-up and won the match to successfully retain the WWE Championship. After the match, Triple H hit Cena, Edge, and the referee with a sledgehammer.

Aftermath

On the May 15 edition of Raw, Rob Van Dam lost the Intercontinental Championship to Shelton Benjamin. On the May 22 edition of Raw, Van Dam informed WWE Champion John Cena that he would be cashing in his Money in the Bank contract at ECW One Night Stand for a WWE Championship match. On the May 29 edition of Raw, Van Dam was selected by ECW Representative Paul Heyman to be drafted from Raw to WWE's new ECW brand. At One Night Stand, Cena lost the WWE Championship to Van Dam in an Extreme Rules match.

Following the aftermath from Backlash, Kane was confronted by an Imposter Kane, who was wearing Kane's old mask and ring attire. The Impostor chokeslammed Kane during his match against Shelton Benjamin for the Intercontinental Championship. Throughout weeks on Raw, the Impostor interfered during Kane's matches. This feud lead to a match between the two at Vengeance, in which the real Kane lost to the Impostor.

The McMahons along with The Spirit Squad continued their feud with Shawn Michaels. In the weeks that followed, Michaels would get revenge on both the McMahons and the Spirit Squad. Until the May 22 edition of Raw, when Michaels was in a 5-on-1 handicap match, in which it saw the Spirit Squad members injure Michaels' left knee. Triple H, who was included during the feud, was ordered by Vince McMahon to "break Michaels' skull", with his signature sledgehammer. Triple H failed to do what Mr. McMahon ordered, and instead attacked the Spirit Squad, thus turning face. Weeks followed in which Triple H was supposed to become a member of Mr. McMahon's "Kiss My Ass Club". Triple H, however, backfired when trying to become a member, when he Pedigreed McMahon and laying him and Shane out in the ring. On the June 12 edition of Raw, McMahon booked Triple H in a Gauntlet match against the Spirit Squad. During the match, it saw Michaels return as part of the storyline. Triple H and Michaels would go on to reform their previous wrestling stable D-Generation X. At Vengeance, DX met the Spirit Squad in a 5-on-2 handicap match, in which it saw DX defeat them as part of their reformation.

Results

#	Results	Stipulations	Times
	Goldust defeated Rob Conway.	Singles match	03:38
1	Carlito defeated Chris Masters.	Singles match	09:53
2	Umaga (with Armando Alejandro Estrada) defeated Ric Flair.	Singles match	03:29
3	Trish Stratus defeated Mickie James (c) by disqualification.	Singles match for the WWE Women's Championship	04:03
4	Rob Van Dam defeated Shelton Benjamin (c).	Singles match for the WWE Intercontinental Championship and Money in the Bank contract.	18:42
5	The Big Show fought Kane to a no contest.	Singles match	09:30
6	Vince and Shane McMahon defeated Shawn Michaels and "God".	No Holds Barred match	19:57
7	John Cena (c) defeated Triple H and Edge (with Lita).	Triple Threat match for the WWE Championship	17:33

References

External links

• Official Backlash 2006 website