WWE Backlash Hits

John Cena vs. Edge: WWE definitely made the right call on which match belonged in the main event slot for this show. Both guys set the tone via their promos leading up to the match on television last week, and they delivered a great brawl that finished with the wild spotlight stunt. It's obvious that WWE wants to get Big Show over as a top heel on Raw. It's just a shame they didn't make the effort at this time last year when he was fresh off the hot match with Floyd Mayweather at WrestleMania 24. The post-match scene with the wrestlers coming out to check on Cena in their street clothes was a really nice touch. An excellent main event.

Randy Orton, Ted DiBiase, and Cody Rhodes vs. Triple H, Batista, and Shane McMahon: Honestly, I expected more from the match. It was tiresome watching Batista and then Shane McMahon take beatings from the heels before making their hot tags. However, the final hot tag to Hunter came off very well and the crowd popped big as he hit his signature spots. I liked the finish in that Hunter can be upset with Batista because he had to abandon the Pedigree attempt to stop him from getting disqualified. I still wish they had put Orton over at WrestleMania 25, and I'm not crazy about the title changing hands in a six-man tag, but at least it was Orton pinning Hunter for the title change.

Edge and Christian confrontation: Finally! Fans have been waiting for this since Christian rejoined the company earlier this year. It was a solid exchange that gave the fans what they wanted and gave Edge another chance to get over his hatred of Cena. Our Dot Net correspondent who attended the show also noted that they locked eyes after the main event when Christian and the other wrestlers came out onstage to check on Cena. I'm not sure how much they'll do with these two given that they're on different brands, but I hope we get more interaction from E&C.

Jack Swagger vs. Christian: This was a strong opening match that set the pace for the rest of the show. Swagger looked good in defeat and the exposed turnbuckle finish lets him to save face and gives him something to complain about in his next promo. This was a great opener in the sense that it was a strong match, yet they didn't go overboard and attempt to steal the show. This match belonged on the WrestleMania 25 card.

Ricky Steamboat vs. Chris Jericho: The live crowd wasn't as responsive to The Dragon as I hoped they would be, but there were definitely vocal fans who showed their appreciation. WWE could have made this match feel much more special had they given it a proper buildup, but kudos to the broadcast team for putting over Steamboat in a big way and giving the match a nostalgic feel. As I said last night, it was a real treat to see Steamboat work another singles match.

Jeff Hardy vs. Matt Hardy: A solid, yet unspectacular "I Quit" match. The feud felt rushed because the company opted to place the two brothers on different brands. That said, I enjoyed the way Matt sunk to new lows by bringing up his father and late mother while begging Jeff not to hit the big move off the ladder. I don't read too much into the finish of the match as far as Jeff's contractual status is concerned because I didn't expect him to lose the match regardless of his contractual issues. Here's hoping something happens on Raw tonight to give Matt his heat back immediately because they desperately need him to step up and become a player on a Raw brand that has a shortage of top heels.

Overall show: Three title changes and most matches exceeded expectations. How can anyone complain about that? The build for the show was weak because they were coming off WrestleMania 25 and crammed the draft in between the two pay-per-view events, but the wrestlers made the show with their good in-ring work and creative delivered more than enough title changes to make it a newsworthy show. It's a fun time to be a WWE fan as they shook things up dramatically on this show and there will be new feuds developing now that they're finally going to reenforce the brand separation rules.

WWE Backlash Misses

Santina Marella segment: Horrible. Here's hoping we've seen the last of Santina. The Jim Ross rib was bush league, but I loved his angry response to Michael Cole referring to him as the Bar-B-Q Man, as Ross rhetorically asked who fed Cole that line. I don't understand why Vince McMahon and Brian Gewirtz get off on needling the best play-by-play voice in the history of the business. Then again, I don't know why they feel the need to turn him into a hybrid play-by-play/color commentator. I also didn't care for the closing moments with Great Khali chopping Beth Phoenix and then pushing her over. I know Beth is portrayed as the tough woman of the Divas division, but I still didn't care for the horny giant roughing her up.

Kane vs. C.M. Punk: What was the point of having the Money in the Bank match winner loser to tired old Kane? Don't get me wrong, I dig the Kane character and he's a true WWE legend, but I thought they would build up Punk by having him beat the future WWE Hall of Famer to set up a potential title match at the Judgment Day pay-per-view that takes place in his hometown of Chicago next month. I'm praying they don't keep the feud alive by having Punk put his MITB contract on the line in a match, which would be a horrible move that would cheapen the MITB concept going forward.

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