[narrator] It was a night that changed history.
[Cole] 15-0 in WrestleMania.
[J.R.] Vince McMahon and his own creation has been totally humiliated.
[King] John Cena, still The Champ.
[narrator] But WrestleMania was only the beginning.
Now…
You wanna humiliate me?
[narrator] Backlash begins.
[King] Bobby Lashley versus Mr. McMahon, Shane McMahon, and Umaga.
-No matter what. -[King] Look at Bobby Lashley.
-[J.R.] No fear. No intimidation. -[Bobby] Nothing will stop me.
[Vince] ECW Title comes to the McMahons.
[Undertaker's theme music plays]
[Cole] It is The Undertaker and Batista, Last Man Standing.
It is the most brutal match the WWE has.
[JBL] There are no rules. Everything goes.
That title belongs to me. I'm taking it back.
[Cole] This is about history. This is about legacy.
And I plan on taking something that belongs to you.
Your soul.
[Shawn] This one is gonna be about who wants it more.
[Cena] Well, here, there are a lot of players…
There's one champ.
[King] John Cena is carrying what all of these superstars want.
[Edge] All of you will be forced to call me the next WWE Champion.
[Orton] Nobody is better than Randy Orton.
[Shawn] No matter what the odds, The Showstopper is back.
[Cena] Nothing will stop me from walking out
the WWE Champion.
[narrator] Three championships. One night. At Backlash.
-[Shawn] Backlash. -[Edge] Backlash.
-[Batista] Backlash. -Backlash.
Backlash.
[announcer] And now, RAW, SmackDown and ECW present…
WWE Backlash.
[crowd cheering]
[J.R.] From the sold-out Philips Arena in Atlanta, Georgia,
this is the ninth annual Backlash.
The first ever tri-branded Backlash
with stars from RAW, ECW, and SmackDown.
I'm Jim Ross, alongside Jerry "The King" Lawler.
Here at ringside with the King for the special night.
Oh, to me, the question is all about who wants it more in that Fatal 4-Way
for the WWE Title, J.R. Can't wait.
Ladies and gentlemen, we are joined by our ECW colleagues,
Joey Styles and Tazz.
Thanks, J.R. For the first time in history,
tonight, the ECW World Title will be defended at Backlash
and the odds do not favor the champion.
Shane McMahon, Umaga, and definitely Mr. McMahon
are hell-bent on taking Bobby Lashley's ECW Title.
Now, let's go down to our SmackDown colleagues,
Michael Cole and JBL.
And thanks, guys. For SmackDown, it's about the World Championship.
The Undertaker defending against Batista in a Last Man Standing Match.
Somebody, be it Undertaker or Batista is gonna beaten so badly,
they will not be able to answer a ten-count.
-[The Hardys' theme music plays] -[crowd cheers]
[bell rings]
[announcer] The following match is scheduled for one fall,
is for the World Tag Team Championship.
Introducing first, from Cameron, North Carolina,
at a combined weight of 461 pounds,
they are the current World Tag Team Champions,
Matt and Jeff, The Hardys.
[crowd cheering]
[J.R.] Matt and Jeff Hardy, proudly representing Tar Heelia,
getting amazing ovation here, tonight, in Atlanta, Georgia.
The Hardys, competing for the first time in six years on pay-per-view.
-The Tag Team Titles. -[King] Listen to this, J.R.
[King laughing] Amazing. That's an understatement.
You know, you said this last week and I never really had thought about it,
but I'm hearing it. I'm witnessing it, here, tonight.
The Hardys, they get, like, a rock star reception from our fans.
[Lance Cade and Trevor Murdoch's theme music plays]
[announcer] Introducing the challengers, at a combined weight of 532 pounds,
the tag-team of Lance Cade and Trevor Murdoch.
[King] Something tells me that
rock is not this tag-team's favorite type of music.
[J.R.] Cade and Murdoch, they are former Tag Team Champions.
Lance Cade, I read this on WWE.com, this week,
trained by the WWE Hall of Famer, Harley Race.
Oh, excuse me. Lance Cade is trained by Shawn Michaels,
and Trevor Murdoch was trained by Harley Race.
That's pretty good pedigree.
[King] I can see a lot of Harley Race in Trevor Murdoch.
[J.R.] Cade and Murdoch,
who have individual victories over Matt and Jeff Hardy
over the last couple of weeks.
True to believe that they have the momentum on their side
and will take the World Tag Team Titles from the Hardy brothers and Jeff, tonight.
World Tag Team Titles have been defended five times at Backlash events
and exchanged hands twice.
-As referee Jack Doan holds the prize. -[King] There it is.
That's what it's all about. Tag-team, go!
[bell dings]
[J.R.] Referee calls the bell, we are officially underway,
as soon as, uh, we get two men in the ring and two on the outside,
we are ready to go.
[crowd] Hardy!
[J.R.] Lance Cade, Matt Hardy…
will launch this Tag Team Championship match-up.
[crowd] You suck, Murdoch!
[King] Well, I wanna tell you something. You gotta see it here.
When these two young men lock up, it's easy to underestimate
just how big this Lance Cade is. This guy is huge.
-[J.R.] He's a, uh, lean 282. -[King] 282.
[J.R.] About six-five, he's overpowering Matt Hardy, back in the corner
and again, Lance Cade trained by Shawn Michaels down in San Antonio.
Collar-and-elbow tie-up, it is Matt Hardy with the advantage.
The Hardys have got to use their speed and quickness
to the best of their abilities in the contest.
Side headlock into a predicament.
and a counter by Lance Cade, showing his strength…
-[referee] One! -[J.R.] …from the early going.
[King] Well, I had the opportunity… Whoa, lookout.
I had the opportunity to talk to Lance Cade and Trevor Murdoch,
just for a few moments, earlier today,
and these guys feel like tonight is their night. Whoa!
[J.R.] Big time reverse elbow.
And that's where that 282 pounds of muscle comes into play.
A simple reverse elbow and a straight right hand,
illegal right hand, and Cade claiming it was an open hand.
But it didn't look like an open hand to me.
[King] Cade talking a little smack early on in this match.
Uh-oh. Blocked.
[J.R.] Matt Hardy fighting back with a clenched fist.
-[J.R.] Tackled by Matt Hardy. -[King] Look at…
[J.R.] And Murdoch in illegally.
-[King] And back out. -[J.R.] Thanks for dropping by.
Side headlock takeover.
And now, Hardy taking his bigger man off.
Cade's feet smart strategy for Matt Hardy.
[King] They're about the same height when they're down on the mat.
[J.R.] It's funny how it works that way.
[King] Now, watch the hair. Hair!
[J.R.] And Cade and Murdoch, very proficient with their tags.
They'll tag in and out frequently and try to isolate one man.
In this instance, Matt Hardy.
And Hardy may not leave, uh,
the Cade and Murdoch side of the ring for very long.
-[King] Wow, look at this. -[J.R.] Nice scoop slam.
Fist drop by Matt Hardy on the somewhat contorted face of Murdoch.
[King] Here comes the… somewhat unconventional!
-[J.R.] Jeff Hardy going for a cover. -[referee] One!
[J.R.] but a quick kick-out by Murdoch.
[King] I'm gonna tell you something. Matt and Jeff are absolutely…
You don't get any better tag-team wrestlers than these two young men.
[J.R.] That could be seamless. Certainly had time to cover.
The brothers Hardy, Matt and Jeff, growing up in rural North Carolina,
Cameron, North Carolina,
had their sight set on being WWE Superstars in their teens.
-Three! -[J.R.] Nice. Look at this teamwork.
Referee having a little trouble of maintaining some order.
The cover now, and again, Murdoch kicking out.
For Cade and Murdoch, this is an amazing opportunity.
And I will agree with him. They are coming into this match with some momentum.
[King] Oh, look at this. Jeff Hardy, man!
[J.R.] Whispers in the wind, loud enough for Murdoch to hear it
and for Cade to come in and interrupt.
Cade gets a right hand. And clothesline, tipping the big man over.
The challengers for the Tag Team Titles find themselves needing a--
[King] Oh, whoa, watch the Hardys here.
-[J.R.] Change to regroup. -[King] Springboard. Look out!
[King laughing] Man! Oh, ho, ho.
[J.R.] Jeff Hardy taking a huge risk.
And we may be saying that more often than not in this match-up.
Hardy fighting his mark, putting his own body on the line.
[King] Check this out one more time.
This is a type of move that defines Jeff Hardy.
A risk-taker extraordinaire. Oh, man!
[J.R.] A Rainbow-haired Jeff Hardy flying through the air,
and Murdoch now finds himself in a distinct disadvantage.
[King] Look at this. That's what's great about the Hardy brothers.
Neither of them wants to be outdone by the other.
Matt wants to top what Jeff just did. Oh! That could be it.
[J.R.] Matt Hardy driving a stiff elbow to--
[King] Murdoch, the cover.
[J.R.] And Murdoch rolls his left shoulder off the canvas
as the hand was coming down for three.
World Tag Team Titles on the line.
Oh. Hardy's defending the championship they won--
-[King] Hold up! -[J.R.] Not after WrestleMania.
A hard shot to the back of the head by Murdoch.
[King] He's being raw-boned.
Trevor Murdoch, he can hurt you in a lot of ways.
-[J.R.] And enjoys doing it. -[King] Yes, he does.
And a clubbing right hand by Lance Cade.
Cade and Murdoch, I think, have the ability to stop the Hardys,
being a very special tag-team.
And the Hardys, uh, certainly have the home-field advantage
here tonight in the great state of Georgia, neighboring North Carolina.
[King] Look at this. Now, look at it.
Almost caught. I think he was caught.
[J.R.] Tag made.
Let's get Murdoch outta there, well…
Murdoch and Cade utilizing that referee,
the five-count the referee's gotta work with.
but the damage is been done in the meantime.
Slamming Matt Hardy backwards into that turnbuckle.
And of course, their own turnbuckle.
Cade and Murdoch keeping Matt isolated over there.
-[King] Look out! -[all exclaiming]
[J.R.] Matt Hardy, that Russian leg sweep, tagged in
his younger brother, Jeff Hardy.
The pulse quickens in this arena when Jeff Hardy gets the tag, no doubt about it.
-[King] Look at that right kick. -[J.R.] Right kick right to the chest.
-Again Murdoch trying a cheap shot. -[King] Here we go again.
-[J.R.] That didn't work out. -[King] Oh, he missed.
-Look out! -[all exclaiming]
[J.R.] Well, sometimes the high risk pays off and sometimes it doesn't. Yeah.
[King] Sometimes you're the pigeon, sometimes you're the statue.
-[J.R.] Hardy put himself in jeopardy. -[King] Oh, miss, yeah.
[J.R.] A little bit of a…
[all exclaiming]
…precarious position.
[King] Look like that Jeff landed on his left shoulder there as well.
[J.R.] Left shoulder, the back of his head and a clubbing blow
that's not gonna do that head and shoulder any favors by Cade.
And Cade sensing… Going for the cover.
And Jeff Hardy pipes off his back.
The Hardys' Tag Team Championship will be sternly tested here tonight.
-Look at that powerful-- -[King] Oh!
[J.R.] Man, what a powerbomb by Cade, his leg is hooked in.
And Matt Hardy could feel the fact
that his brother was not gonna kick out of that.
[King] Well, you're right. If there's-- Oh, man!
[J.R.] Serious impact and then going right back to more high-impact offense,
focusing on the back of Jeff Hardy.
[King] Oh, watch this.
-Taking a page out of The Hardys. -[J.R.] Nice teamwork.
-Nice teamwork. Another cover. -[King] Murdoch with a cover.
[J.R.] And Murdoch, again, with a near fall.
So, Cade and Murdoch, on more than one occasion,
have been a second or less away from winning the Tag Titles here, tonight.
[King] You know, I told you J.R, I got a funny feeling about these guys.
Murdoch and Cade, if they keep this up, there's pressure on The Hardys,
and you can see the Tag Team Championship. Look at their fans.
They're way behind The Hardys.
Jeff fights back up, that vertical base.
-As long as you can maintain-- -[King] Watch it.
[J.R.] Tried the jawbreaker but…
Another neck-breaker by Murdoch.
Nice counter by Murdoch.
[King] Very nice, I was about to say. Look at this!
[J.R.] Another counter, Murdoch and Hardy.
[King] Hardy could've changed the momentum back in their favor
if he would've hit that jawbreaker but… Murdoch able to block it.
[J.R.] Lance Cade measured it. Jeff Hardy, Matt Hardy are thinking about it.
And another clubbing blow right to the mid back
and that back has been seemingly the focus of Cade and Murdoch.
Come on!
[J.R.] I see you were right
about Cade and Murdoch having great confidence
coming into this contest right now.
[King] They are certainly getting personal.
[J.R.] And a hard… A clothesline, and the cover.
And again, now Murdoch hooking the-- Cade hooking the leg.
[King] Check this clothesline out one more time. Listen to it.
Oh, boy, I mean….
Jeff Hardy's literally getting man-handled right now.
[J.R.] Cade and Murdoch making frequent tags.
Very timely tagging.
Jeff Hardy-- Jeff Hardy is blocking an attempt.
The Inside Cradle! The inside cradle on Jeff Hardy.
[King] Man, that was close. Oh, God.
[J.R.] Murdoch beats Jeff Hardy up. That back's gotta bother Jeff Hardy.
-The cover. And Murdoch… -[King] The back?
What about his face after that big Murdoch boot
into the mush?
[J.R.] Well, the back of Jeff Hardy was the second man off the canvas.
[King] See that kick one more time. Watch. Look at that.
Side of the head, I think.
[J.R.] Nothing fancy about that but very effective.
And again, look where Jeff Hardy's been positioned
in the corner of Cade and Murdoch.
And the excellent tag-team match-up here kicking off Backlash.
And we're seeing great teamwork from both teams.
[King] You're right. Nothing fancy about Cade and Murdoch
but they get the job done.
I was asking Trevor Murdoch if they become tag-team champions,
will he change his ring attire,
and he said he's not gonna let success go to his clothes.
[crowd cheering]
Still wear that cut-off denim shirt-- denim flannel shirt.
[J.R.] Murdoch with the leg drop.
Another tag, again Hardy being fully exposed here
in the corner of the challengers for the World Tag Team Titles.
Straight away, an unprotected kick by Lance Cade.
And right now, Cade and Murdoch are dominating Jeff Hardy.
Snapmare and takeover.
And now that 282 pounds really becoming a factor.
And in relation to this maneuver and Jeff Hardy.
[King] All right, and as you can see,
Trevor Murdoch and Lance Cade keeping Jeff grounded
but keeping him grounded on their side of the ring.
Close to their corner. Keeping him away from a tag to his brother Matt.
And that's… Hey, that's good, sound, tag-team strategy.
[King] Here comes the jawbreaker. That worked.
[J.R.] This time, a jawbreaker connects and affected Jeff
almost as singly as much as it did Cade.
He makes a quick tag. Cade really was in trouble.
Made the tag quickly to Trevor Murdoch,
and Murdoch stops any opportunity that Jeff Hardy had,
to tag in his brother, Matt.
Uh-oh. Back suplex.
And again, another cover. This time…
Hardy didn't kick out but he contorted his body to get a shoulder off the canvas.
And look at these clubbing prospects.
These clubbing blows to the head and neck of Jeff Hardy by Murdoch.
[crowd] Hardy! Hardy!
Caught in that round of town in a smash-mouth style.
We're seeing that tonight
from the… this outstanding duo of Lance Cade and Trevor Murdoch.
This is exactly how you wanna compile your strategy.
[King] And as you can see, Cade and Murdoch,
not staying in long enough to… I mean, even, uh--
Barely break a sweat, these guys are staying fresh
while they wear Matt or Jeff Hardy down.
[Trevor grunts]
[J.R.] Hardy set up for the ride. Counters with a little kick,
and Murdoch got set a little early. But look at Hardys-- and a quick tag.
And…
-[all exclaiming] -[J.R.] Murdoch got the tag.
Hardy with that reverse mule kick from… create some distance.
Can Jeff Hardy make the tag to his brother, Matt?
Murdoch gets the tag.
And Murdoch goes straight away to Matt Hardy
to make doubly sure that there would be no tag.
[King] Once again, J.R, that is good, sound, tag-team wrestling strategy.
[J.R.] And certainly we're disappointed in the fact
that Jeff Hardy didn't get that tag made. Murdoch was thinking.
[King] Yeah, let me ask you this. How disappointed would our fans be
if Cade and Murdoch become the new tag-team champions.
Murdoch had that move a little scouted. Blocked the… Into the face.
-[all exclaiming] -[J.R.] There's the tag. There's the tag.
[King exclaims]
[J.R.] Matt Hardy and Murdoch, now the two legal men in this match-up.
Remember, it's one fall, the World Tag Team Titles.
[crowd cheering]
-[King] Nice! -[J.R.] Nice and evasive.
Great elevation in the back body drop. Jeff Hardy…
trying to heal on the outside.
-And Murdoch, bulldog headlock. -[King] Bulldog. They can do it.
[J.R.] How apropos on the man from Texas…
-A cover and a near call. -[King] Man!
[J.R.] A very effective bulldog headlock on Murdoch…
[King] Hey, here comes Jeff.
[J.R.] …who hails from Waxahachie, Texas.
And some more Hardy teamwork.
And some teamwork by Cade and Murdoch.
[King] And Jeff just crashed and burned.
[J.R.] And Matt Hardy-- Matt Hardy is still the legal man.
[crowd cheers]
[King] Oh, look at Matt.
Matt Hardy thinking Side Effect. Matt Hardy thinking…
[crowd exclaiming]
Oh, there's a Side Effect right there.
[referee] One!
-[J.R.] My god. Where did he…? -[King] Good grief!
[J.R.] Cade came out of nowhere.
[King] Well, he came out of somewhere.
He came halfway across the ring from the top rope.
Look at this. Watch this.
[referee] One!
[King] Oh, man!
[J.R.] Cade came out of his corner and great leaping ability.
[all] Four!
[J.R.] And the referee has a ten-count here where there's a cover.
-The cover. -[all exclaiming]
[J.R.] And again, Murdoch and Cade,
a count or less away from winning the Tag Titles,
now forcing the issue on a damaged Matt Hardy.
[King] Looks like a little frustration's starting to show
on the face of…
of Trevor Murdoch here.
Because of that face, you can't really tell…
Oh… man.
-[J.R.] Yes. -[referee] One! Two!
Blocking counter… no!
[King] Oh, I thought we had new tag-team champions right there.
[J.R.] I thought Matt Hardy was gonna counter that move.
-[King] Look. -[J.R.] But it was not to be--
[King] Murdoch's throwing a temper tantrum.
[J.R.] Murdoch showing a great deal of frustration,
and now's the time not to lose your focus.
[crowd] Hardy! Hardy!
[J.R.] Uh-oh.
Murdoch got a plan for Matt Hardy here.
Matt's got a hand on the rope. Regains his balance.
[all exclaiming]
-[King] Whoa! Oh wait, wait. -[J.R.] Oh, no, it's a Twist of Fate.
But wait. Jeff…
-[J.R.] Swanton! -[all exclaiming]
[J.R.] Oh. Referee didn't see the Swanton.
Murdoch felt it.
[audience] One! Two! Three!
-[bell rings] -[King] No way!
-[J.R.] And The Hardys win it. -[The Hardys' theme music plays]
[announcer] The winners of this match and still World Tag Team Champions,
Matt and Jeff, The Hardys.
[J.R.] I'll tell you what. The Hardys pulled a page
out of Cade and Murdoch's book
because Jeff Hardy was the illegal man coming off the top.
The referee didn't see it, but the Swanton was certainly the deciding factor
in putting Murdoch down for the three-count.
[King] Boy, and the smiles on the faces of our fans here.
And I think that's a smile on the face of Jeff Hardy or maybe still a grimace,
but nonetheless, Matt and Jeff, still champs.
[J.R.] Matt and Jeff Hardy
come to Backlash and earn a…
a very hard-earned victory here to retain the World Tag Titles.
[King] Check this out one more time. Matt Hardy hits the Twist of Fate.
But before he has the chance to cover,
Trevor Murdoch is pulled out of the ring by Lance Cade.
-But in the meantime, behind the referee-- -[all exclaiming]
Whoa. The Swanton Bomb by Jeff Hardy, delivered to perfection, J.R!
[J.R.] Jeff Hardy took one hell of a risk that paid off.
What a victory for Matt and Jeff Hardy.
They've come to Backlash,
and successfully defended the World Tag Team Titles.
This crowd responding with a great deal of respect and admiration
for Matt and Jeff Hardy,
and what a way to kick off Backlash here tonight in the Philips Arena.
[King] Look at them. Look at them, J.R. Like--
It's like being in a huge rock concert right now.
Listen to this.
[J.R.] Well, there may be another day for Cade and Murdoch,
but it won't be today.
Matt and Jeff Hardy, with a stimulating start to Backlash.
That's right. You're gonna eat 'em up. You're gonna eat Lashley up.
After what he did to Estrada,
you're gonna show Lashley tonight why you are The Samoan Bulldozer. Yeah!
You're gonna take him out. That's it. That's it.
All of you gotta do is listen to my father and I,
and everything's gonna go perfect. Perfect.
I'll catch you up with more in a bit. Awesome.
Yeah… yeah.
-Hmm… -[crowd cheers]
-He's ready. -Yeah.
[laughing] He's ready.
Oh, uh…
How do you like the look?
-Nice. -Well, yeah? I kinda like it too.
Yeah, cool.
But tonight, think about it.
Tonight, history will be made because tonight…
a McMahon becomes ECW World Heavyweight Champion.
Everybody's asking themselves which McMahon is it gonna be?
Shane McMahon…
or me?
And the answer to that is…
my boy, Shane McMahon.
What?
The king of extremes, Shane McMahon. World Heavyweight Champion.
That's it. It's on you.
-Really? -Yeah.
Well, that's… that's awesome.
Yeah. I think so too.
-ECW Champion. -Yeah.
[Shane laughs]
You know, I just…
-I was thinking about something. -Yeah.
It's a very generous offer…
but after what Bobby Lashley did to you, I mean, you shaved your head bald.
I humbly feel that you should be the ECW Champion.
It should be you. Imagine this, Vincent Kennedy McMahon.
The ECW Champion.
[crowd cheers]
-You sure about this? -Oh, yeah, absolutely.
-I like it. -I thought you would.
-I'll get ready. -All right.
-[Melina's theme music plays] -[King] Uh-oh. Wait, look.
Oh, my. Let me put my phone down…
and grab my binoculars!
[bell dings]
[announcer] The following contest scheduled for one fall
is for the WWE Women's Championship.
Introducing first, from Los Angeles, California,
she is the current WWE Women's Champion, Melina.
[King] Oh, Melina.
[J.R.] Something tells me that Melina, oh--
[all exclaiming]
[King laughs]
[King] Something tells me what, J.R?
[J.R.] I think I lost my train of thought momentarily.
[King] Train of thought getting you.
[J.R.] I was gonna say I think Melina is the kinda woman that would do anything
to retain the WWE Women's Title.
[King] That's the kinda woman I like.
A woman that'll do anything…
to retain the WWE Women's Title.
-[J.R.] Melina… certainly, uh-- -[King] Oh!
[J.R.] …has made it clear that…
well, she believes she is in a class by herself.
[Mickie James' theme music plays]
[announcer] The challenger from Richmond, Virginia,
Mickie James.
[J.R.] Well, I think Mickie James may have a different opinion.
It was Mickie James who lost the Women's Championship to Melina,
and Micky finally gets a well-deserved return match here
for the WWE Women's Title.
[King] Now, what kind of class is Mickie James in?
I'd like to give like a bigger stand for class.
-Oh, yes. -[crowd cheering]
[J.R.] Mickey and Melina have developed quite the rivalry.
[King] I know. I love this.
-[J.R.] Love rivalries? -[King] Between these two.
Mets, Red Sox, Yankees, what?
[King] Well, I love this rivalry, especially.
[bell dings]
All right, here we go. One-fall match-up. WWE Women's Title at stake here
…at Backlash.
And, uh, this match has the…
the makings of getting out of control in a hurry
with the tempers that these two ladies have. Nice.
Little fireman carry takeover.
Maintaining control of the arm is Mickie James.
[King] I don't know. I got a feeling we may see a…
a really good wrestling match between these two Divas.
I mean, that's one of the things that both of these…
young ladies pride themselves on.
I mean, each one of them think they're better wrestlers than the other.
Melina thinks that she's more beautiful than any of the other Divas.
-Whoa, look out! -[all exclaiming]
[J.R.] The monkey flip over and a--
-Well, a cover, but not for long. -[Mickie grunting]
[J.R.] And Mickie James is back in control with a side headlock.
Both these ladies in fighting form tonight,
no doubt about that. In great shape. Nice side headlock takeover again.
Very good fundamental wresting maneuver by Mickie James.
Leans back into a pinning predicament.
[King] I love a wrestling match, but don't get me wrong,
I have nothing against a good cat fight either, J.R.
-[J.R.] You've gotta be kidding me. -[King] No, really.
And I'm not against scantily-clad women either.
[J.R.] Oh, nice half putting move by Mickie James,
escaping the head scissors.
[King] Oh, look. Look at Mickie.
Look at Melina.
[J.R.] Those eyes are shooting daggers at each other.
Even though this is for the WWE Women's Title…
[King] I'm sure you've had women look at you like that a lot in your life.
Oh!
-[King] Watch out here. -[J.R.] What's that mean?
[King] Well, you know, if looks could kill.
-[J.R.] I'd be a dead man. -[King laughs]
Uh-oh. Nice move by Mickie.
[J.R.] Mickie James can use her legs really well. We've seen that before.
And, uh, Melina…
she's got strong legs.
Headscissors. Bodyscissors.
And again, back to Melina with a side headlock.
[King] I'm gonna let you talk about Mickie's legs all you want to, J.R.
Oh, wait a minute.
Hang on, Ref.
[J.R.] Think Melina lost an eyelash. They're only about eight inches long.
[King laughs]
[King] You get one of those in your eye, you're in trouble.
Or maybe it's a contact.
[J.R.] Why would she be wrestling with contacts, King?
[King] Well, you can--
-Oh… sucker punch. -[J.R.] I think a…
Yeah, sucker punch is right.
Nothing wrong with Melina. She's just trying to gain an advantage.
Melina sees she can't out-wrestle Mickie. Look, Mickie's gotta cover up here.
Melina in that mount position hammering down.
And Mickie James now driving Melina to the corner.
[King] I don't think I've ever seen a wrestling match
that stopped because someone had something in their eye before.
Maybe a thumb or something like that.
Oh, wow.
[J.R.] …out of the corner.
And, uh, no, Mickie's gonna return those shots to the face
that Mickie suffered now. Hooking the leg.
And the champion…
on her back for a two-count.
It's a thrust out there after the throat, I think.
I think Melina got Mickie in the throat.
[J.R.] And Mickie James sent to the corner.
[King] Uh-oh. Two feet to the face.
[J.R.] And Miss James with both feet right to the face of the champion.
[all exclaiming]
[J.R.] And Melina taking advantage of Mickie in a precarious spot.
Mickie James was climbing to the top turnbuckle.
[King] She's right here on the floor in front of us. Should I help her?
[J.R.] I think you should keep your hands on the table
and your fanny in the seat.
Three!
[J.R.] Maybe your mind on the match.
[King] Check this out one more time.
I don't know what Mickie James was going to the top to try,
but it didn't happen.
[J.R.] Think she may have bent her leg underneath her, too,
and Mickie fighting her way back in.
Referee's count up to about eight.
[King] Now, Melina with two handfuls of hair. Oh, look at this.
Melina just sailing. Hey, here's a cover.
[J.R.] A cover here. Referee making sure the shoulders are down.
Mickie James kicking out.
[J.R.] Referee did a lot of feeling around there
to make sure the shoulders were down.
[J.R.] Referee just doing his job and now--
[King] Oh, look at this, J.R.
[J.R.] Now, now, Melina…
illegally in a… getting tied up in the ropes.
Remember, Melina doesn't care if she gets disqualified
'cause she will retain the Championship.
And there's another cover.
A quick hook with a leg, and Mickie James able to kick out one more time.
[King] That was a nice spider-like move there in the ropes.
She's cutting off the oxygen to Mickie James.
-Look at this, now. -[J.R.] A kick to the face
and putting it to the submission maneuver here.
[crowd cheering]
And Melina showing great flexibility and leg strength.
[King] I need take a note here to try that.
What is--
[J.R.] And look at Mickie, Mickie's--
You got an upcoming match that you could use this move on?
Look at this. Reversal here. This could do it.
Very innovative by Mickie J-- by Melina.
We haven't seen Melina use this particular technique. At least, I haven't.
And now the ropes for an unfair advantage.
[King] A little leverage there.
[J.R.] A little extra leverage
-[King] Ref… -[J.R.] You handed me a break.
[referee] I saw you grabbing the rope. Now, come on.
[J.R.] Referee saw it, but the damage has been done to the challenger.
And let's see now, if Melina can finish off Mickie--
-[King] Hey, hey! -[J.R.] Mickie James, inside cradle.
But Mickie could not hold the champion.
Why? Why don't you just give up?
[J.R.] Oh, this is a classic,
great wrestling match between these young ladies.
Uh-oh.
Mickie James, uh--
[King] Is that legal? To use the ropes like that?
[J.R.] I don't think so, King.
You've only been in the business 30 years.
You know it's not legal to use it-- using the ropes.
Oh, at least it wasn't legal last week or the last decade.
[King] At least Melina is apologizing, but come on, ref.
[J.R.] Melina's using the counts is what she's doing.
[King] J.R said that's not legal.
[J.R.] Melina's taking advantage of the referee's count.
Uh-oh. And Mickie James now retaliates.
-[King] Whoa! -[J.R.] And those forearm shots are legal.
-And-- -[King] Oh, man!
-[J.R.] That is using all your assets. -[King] What?
[J.R.] Very adeptly.
And Mickie James' head slamming on the back of the canvas.
[King] Yeah, watch Mickie James' head bounce off that net.
[J.R.] Melina had a double handful of hair,
and Mickie's head counting off the canvas.
[King] Man, this Melina is so aggressive. She's--
-She's relentless here. -[J.R.] And a cover.
He says with a gleam in his eye.
-[King chuckles] -[J.R.] And, uh, now--
Her arm trying to hammerlock the arm of Melina.
[King] Come on, J.R. You know you like a spirited woman.
[J.R.] First elbow by Mickie James.
-And James- -[King] Oh. Oh, my.
-[J.R.] And Mickie-- -[all exclaiming]
-[J.R.] Well… -[King] This is really getting good, J.R.
Neither one of them may be able to get up.
[J.R.] Yup. Who's gonna survive this?
[J.R.] I must say, I don't think I have ever seen anything like this in my life.
-Whoa! -[all exclaiming]
[J.R.] Mickie James got the better of the situation.
Now, Miss James with a low drop kick.
Can Mickie do it here? The time is on the line and--
Mickie James got a long two-count out of the situation.
Another hard forearm shot. Those are legal.
[King] A reversal here. Whoa, missed the clothesline and--
[all exclaiming]
[J.R.] Mickie James connects with a clothesline.
And again, Mickie with another clothesline knocking down the champion.
Melina's Women's Title certainly in jeopardy here.
-[King] And… -[all exclaiming]
[J.R.] Mickie with a double handful of hair, which is not legal.
[King] Well, she's just returning the favor.
I think Melina's tried that about three times. Look at this!
[crowd cheering]
[J.R.] And the neck breaker should do it. That should do it.
[all] One, two…
[King] Oh, man.
[J.R.] And that was real close to three-count.
Oh!
[J.R.] Melina's gotta…
Melina's gotta hit something big here, or Mickie's gotta make a mistake
because right now this match belongs to Mickie James.
[King] I love it when Melina starts yelling in the match or screaming.
Surely got some well-developed lungs.
-Oh, my! Look at that-- -[J.R.] With a crossbody.
-[King] And that's gonna be it-- -[J.R.] Mickie with a crossbody.
And Mickie can't believe she didn't get the three-count.
Quite frankly, neither can I.
Surely shows the passion that Melina has to retain this championship.
It's more than about being the Women's Champion.
As far as what Melina's concerned, this is about status and--
[King] Whoa, these two are really going at each other.
The break of the eyes. That was uncalled for.
-The break of the eyes. -[King] No!
[J.R.] Reverse DDT!
And again, Mickie's head hitting off the canvas--
[King] No!
-[bell dings] -[Melina's theme music plays]
[announcer] The winner of the match
and still WWE Women's Champion,
Melina!
[J.R.] And Mickie James was in the lead for most of this contest.
But Melina, what a decisive, big-time maneuver, that reverse DDT.
And again, this is the second time that Mickie James' head
has bounced off the canvas in about the last couple of minutes.
[King] I wanna tell you something. I thought that--
I thought that, at this point right here, I thought Mickie James had this match.
I thought we were gonna have a new Women's Champion
when she came off the top rope.
But she lost a little momentum there and then--
Oh, Melina hit that move.
And the back of Mickie's head hit the mat hard. Whoa!
That was it.
[J.R.] Mickie James may have been concussed
from earlier in the contest.
Nonetheless, Melina wins this match-up. Melina still the WWE Women's Champion.
[King] She's our champ, J.R.
[J.R.] Yeah, she's your kind of woman, all right. That Jezebel.
Well, ladies and gentlemen, let's check in with our lovely young lady.
Our colleague, Maria, is standing by.
Ladies and gentlemen, please welcome my guest at this time,
the Rated-R Superstar, Edge.
[crowd cheering]
Edge, later tonight, you'll be in a Fatal 4-Way for the WWE Title,
and I was wondering if I could get your thoughts on the match.
[mocking in gibberish]
Actually, you know what? You can. I'd be glad to.
I'd be glad to tell you that I'm actually happy
that I didn't have to tear through Randy Orton last week on RAW
because I'm not quite as tired.
I'm very happy that John Cena and Shawn Michaels tore into each other
for almost an hour last week on RAW.
That makes Edge a very happy man. Wanna know why?
Because it makes my path to my third--
count 'em one, two, three, that's three-- third WWE Championship that much easier.
Um…
Oh, someone asked me to ask you this.
"How did you win your first WWE Title?"
Everybody knows that.
It was the most brilliant move ever in this industry.
I was Mr. Money in the Bank.
John Cena had just gone through the Elimination Chamber.
Five other opponents, he was beaten from pillar to post.
He was bloody. He was beaten.
I took a beaten John Cena, I walked down that ramp,
cashed in my Money in the Bank, spared him in one, two, three,
for my first ever WWE Championship.
[laughs]
That's what happened. By the way…
Who in the hell asked you to ask me that question.
Um… he did.
[crowd cheers]
[laughs] Mr. Kennedy.
-Hey. -Hey.
-How you doin'? -Doing good.
-That's good. -Yeah.
Hey. I just wanted to say good luck tonight…
'cause I'm sure that, you know, your match is gonna be grueling and hellacious.
And the winner, I'm sure, will be exhausted
from being beaten from pillar to post, coast to coast,
and bloodied and battered and all that good stuff.
So, uh… I just wanted to say…
I hope you win your match.
[sniffles]
I'm just sayin'…
[MVP's theme song plays]
♪ One, two, you hear the clock ticking? ♪
♪ Tick-tock You're about to stop living ♪
♪ Tick-tock, I want you to remember me ♪
♪ Tick-tock But the day don't have no memory ♪
♪ I'm coming! Nobody could stop me Nobody could hold me, nobody control me! ♪
♪ I'm coming! I'm here to do my thing I'm here to bring the pain ♪
♪ I'm never ever gon' change! ♪
♪ Like Tropicana, I got the juice ♪
♪ Off of the leash to let the dog lose ♪
[bell dings]
[announcer] The following contest is scheduled for one fall,
and it is for the WWE United States Championship.
Introducing the challenger from Miami, Florida, weighing in at 248 pounds,
Montel Vontavious Porter, MVP.
[Cole] He is the trash-talking, highly-paid superstar,
MVP from SmackDown,
looking to win the United States Championship here tonight.
Now, he likes to talk trash, but he's been able to back it up.
What better place for MVP to first become a champion than right here
in the home of Primetime, Deion Sanders.
And we've got our prime-time,
our main-eventer right here, the future of sports entertainment, MVP.
♪ Yeah, she want a bad boy ♪
♪ And I'm all about my cash boy ♪
♪ She be all up in the Jag boy ♪
♪ I know that make you mad boy ♪
♪ But don't make me beat your ass boy I'm coming! ♪
[Chris Benoit's theme music plays]
[announcer] And from Atlanta, Georgia,
weighing in at 234 pounds,
it's the United States Champion, Chris Benoit.
[Cole] Last October, Chris Benoit won the United States Title,
and he joined the many greats to have held that prestigious championship.
Names like Ric Flair and Harley Race, Dusty Rhodes, "Stone Cold" Steve Austin,
Ricky "The Dragon" Steamboat, Eddie Guerrero,
and my partner, JBL.
[JBL] Chris Benoit is surefire Hall of Famer,
one of the top ten wrestlers of all time.
But he is facing, Michael, the future tonight in MVP.
[Cole] And as you saw at WrestleMania,
in a magnificent match-up between both of these superstars,
MVP has seemed to… well, thrive in these big games, John,
in front of a sell-out crowd.
It was a magnificent match-up in which Benoit retained at WrestleMania
but a couple of weeks later, it was MVP who would defeat Benoit
in a non-title match-up.
[JBL] Sell-out? Isn't that a bit of an understatement
We got guys hanging from the rafters here, Michael.
For one thing, they know this…
you better call the Atlanta P.D.,
because these two guys are about to steal the show.
[Cole] Two contrasting styles. Chris Benoit, a consummate professional.
And the showboating, cocky MVP, who backs Benoit into the corner.
John, just two nights ago, in an impromptu non-title match-up,
Benoit went one-on-one with MVP in a match that MVP, well, he took off.
He left the ring. He got counted out. Then he did a little showboating.
Do you believe Benoit may be in the head of Montel Vontavious Porter?
[JBL] No, I believe it's the other way around.
I believe MVP had a brilliant move.
He knew that the goal was on the line today.
It wasn't on the line two days ago.
He lived to fight another day
because right now, Michael, this is the big dance.
[Cole] And MVP measuring his opponent, the United States Champion.
Looks like he's going to work on the lower body of Chris Benoit.
Strategy, John, in this match-up, first with the challenger, MVP.
[JBL] MVP has to keep doing what he has done.
Michael, we are on the verge
of one of the greatest trilogies we've seen in sports.
You talk about what they did in WrestleMania,
what they did on SmackDown, two weeks later,
when MVP won the match.
You're talking something similar here to Ali-Frazier.
These guys have put on two classic matches.
I have a feeling we're about to see a third.
[Cole] A feeling now passed. It seems to be over with.
Front face lock there by Montel Vontavious Porter.
WrestleMania really was a wrestling match in the purest sense of the word
between these two, John. And I think what surprised everybody
was the way that MVP was able to stay in toe-to-toe with Chris Benoit.
[JBL] MVP has shown the ability to rise the occasion,
night after night after night.
So many guys have lost the match
before they've ever gotten in the ring with Chris Benoit.
-[JBL] MVP relishes this opportunity. -[Cole] Hey, look at this.
Benoit quickly going for the Crossface.
And it's MVP who makes it to the bottom rope,
realizing he was in trouble with that submission--
[JBL] Smart. This is what I'm talking about--
the amelioration of MVP. He's getting better and better every week.
You go for that Crippler Crossface, he has enough ring presence to get to the rope,
take a breather, come back in, regroup himself, and start again.
[Cole] But if MVP takes a walk tonight like he did Friday, John,
he will not win the United States Championship.
[JBL] You're not gonna see that tonight, Michael. I guarantee you.
[Cole] Benoit must either submit or be pinned
by MVP to lose the United States Title.
[JBL] And don't forget fighting on, Michael, something you're forgetting.
You had… MVP already had a match against a great champion.
A champion from Scotland and Chris Benoit comes out to pick the pieces.
[Cole] Don't be ridiculous, John. Hamlet McBeth, a great champion?
Just like all these great champions MVP has faced over the past few weeks.
[JBL] MVP is a great champion. He was defending the United States.
He's defending his championship from North Africa.
He's defeated champions from Central America.
[Cole] Here, shoulders down. Benoit gets the shoulder off.
[JBL] I'm saying he's defending the United States.
[Cole] Man, MVP with those forearms right to the face of Benoit.
And look at Benoit. That's why they call him The Wolverine.
Those knees to the spine. So aggressive is Chris Benoit,
and quickly turns the tables in his favor.
[JBL] And what you've seen in that, Michael,
the fact that he's been able to defend America so vociferously
is the fact that MVP is going to be a great United States Champion
that we all can be proud of.
[Cole] But he's gotta defeat Benoit in order for that to happen, John.
He's even wearing the red, white, and blue tonight.
This guy is Mr. America.
[Cole] Well, we already have a champion we can all be proud of in Chris Benoit.
Look at MVP. Look at this. Shoulders down. Benoit in trouble.
Look at the strength of Benoit. Bridging out. Shoulders down, again.
And Benoit again turning the tables.
And going to the backslide. Shoulders down, lose two with a kick-out.
How impressive for Chris Benoit.
[JBL] You see that?
MVP going for the crossbar.
Once again, he's got Benoit scouted well.
[Cole] But, Benoit countered it.
And Benoit, perhaps, going for the Sharpshooter.
Trying to lock up MVP. Another submission maneuver in the center of the ring.
Can he roll MVP? And he does!
-[JBL] He's got him. -[Cole] Could be done quick.
Will MVP tap out to the Sharpshooter? As MVP grimaces and groans in pain,
he tries to crawl, desperately to the bottom rope. Can he get there?
A fingertip away, and he does.
Foreseeing the break by Benoit.
These men know each other so well.
MVP realizes what submission maneuvers are coming his way.
Trying to counter them the best he can at every turn.
But was the damage done to the lower back of MVP?
Chris Benoit with the stingy blow
and then a right hand follows it up to MVP.
Oh, and what a kick to the back of the head.
United States Championship on the line, Benoit may be out.
Will we crown a new champion? A two-count and a kick-out.
MVP, right in front of the referee, using those forearms.
Kick right to the back of the head.
And Benoit still maybe trying to shake the cobwebs out.
[JBL] You talk about the fact that Benoit can win a match at any point
with a Crippler Crossface, the Flying Headbutt,
the other submission hold he has, so can MVP.
These guys are so evenly matched-up, Michael.
This is a rivalry that has been a pleasure to watch.
[Cole] You meant the Sharpshooter?
[JBL] The Sharpshooter, that's exactly what I meant.
[Cole] Now, look at MVP, working on that neck.
The surgically repaired neck of Chris Benoit.
If there is any, uh… bullseye on Benoit's body,
it could be that surgically repaired neck.
Chris Benoit in a predicament here.
[JBL] And look at this.
Every time MVP's got him in that version of European headlock,
MVP is getting into Benoit's head.
[crowd] Let's go, Benoit!
[Cole] Our fans with the "Let's go, Benoit" chants.
Every time Benoit tries to battle back, MVP has a counter.
And through the big boot, Benoit held on.
Elbow cut MVP right in the mouth. And what a throw!
Chris Benoit-like throw by MVP.
And Porter into the cover, hooks the leg and the neck.
And Benoit kicks out at two.
[JBL] And this is exactly what I'm talking about, Michael,
in the gentrification of MVP.
Your step move that he had used just right there that he used last week,
he didn't have in his arsenal two months ago.
Here's a guy who studies tape, here's a guy who studies his opponent,
here's a guy whose improving every single week.
[Cole] Not only does MVP study tape, but he's been through it all, John.
Inferno Matches, Steel Cage Matches, street fight.
But will all of that be enough for MVP to take the United States Championship
from Chris Benoit?
[crowd] Power Rangers!
[Cole] MVP continuing to work on the neck of Chris Benoit.
The United States Champion realizing he's in deep trouble.
[JBL] MVP has shown that when he establishes a game plan,
he sticks with that game plan. And that's what he's doing tonight.
No matter what he does. A boot to the head. A throw to Benoit.
He goes back to the thing that he has done well so far,
and that is go after Benoit's neck.
[Cole] Elbow right to the neck of Benoit. Listen to that.
And there's the resilient Chris Benoit.
And MVP, again, targeting that surgically-repaired neck of Chris Benoit.
Missed with the big clothesline. Benoit caught MVP.
German suplex.
Arms are wrapped around the waist, hand are clasped. There's a second.
Benoit going for the hat-trick.
This time he releases.
And Chris Benoit, suddenly, just like that, is in control.
[JBL] We're gonna have a replay of WrestleMania.
Benoit hits a big one. You better--
[Cole] And look at MVP. MVP knew what was coming.
He knew Benoit was going to the top rope. And MVP hanging on for dear life.
And Benoit, nice suplex. Shoulders down, MVP got his feet in the bottom ropes.
Just a matter of positioning that time for Chris Benoit.
His opponent too close to the ropes forcing referee, Jimmy Korderas, to break…
[Cole] Benoit caught up on the top rope.
Neck first into the top rope. Another great counter by MVP.
-[JBL] MVP has shown-- -[Cole] Here's the cover.
Hook to the leg, grabs the neck, and a kick-out at two.
A cover again. Look at the knee in the face.
Are the shoulders down, referee, Jimmy Korderas? Perfect position.
Now they are. There's two. And a kick-out again.
And perhaps, frustration
could be building with Montel Vontavious Porter.
Neck breaker. Back to work on the neck. Cover. Hooks the leg.
United States Championship is on the line, and the champion rolls out at two.
Will this young man MVP… has he shown any signs in the past, John,
of becoming frustrated in situations like this?
[JBL] Every time we've seen him, Michael, we've seen him--
Look at Benoit. Going for the Crossface. Going for the Crossface. Just like that.
Will he lock it…
-[JBL] He's got it in deep. -[Cole] MVP's in trouble.
The submission maneuver, the Crossface. Will MVP tap-out?
Trying to make it to the bottom rope. Will he tap before he gets there?
[JBL] Benoit has it.
[Cole] And he gets to the bottom rope again,
does the challenger, MVP.
How quickly can Chris Benoit turn the tables?
MVP right back.
[JBL] One thing you notice, Michael, in WrestleMania,
I really believe that MVP really surprised Chris Benoit
with some of the counters that he had.
Tonight, so far, he hasn't had the same success.
[Cole] Up the snap, there. MVP.
No… No…
[Cole] Working that neck again of Benoit.
And there's no doubt that the United States Champion
knows what he is up against, here, tonight.
He suffered a loss to MVP
in a non-title match-up a couple weeks ago.
MVP using a lot of different holes, John, that we've never seen him use.
And here's the illegal use of the ropes to gain some leverage.
Referee Jimmy Korderas will force the break.
[JBL] How embarrassing will it be for Chris Benoit
to lose the United States Championship
in his own hometown with his wife and his kids present?
[Cole] You know he's not gonna go down without a fight, that's for sure.
As MVP comes off the ropes with authority. Hooks the leg. Shoulders down.
And Benoit rolls the shoulder out at two again.
Watch the boot by Montel Vontavious Porter.
Benoit's neck and head snapping back.
Porter again has dominated much of this match-up
against the United States Champion. Went for the boot once too often!
Chris Benoit. German suplex. He caught MVP again.
There's a second. And just like that, Benoit's back in control.
A third German. And he shows no signs of releasing this time.
[JBL] He's not stopping.
Buckle your seat belt, MVP. You're going for a ride, buddy.
[Cole] Five German suplexes. MVP may be worn out.
It's WrestleMania all over. Chris Benoit hits Air Benoit…
You better find a fat lady, because she's about to sing.
All these people here. They've landed on their feet.
[Cole] Oh, man.
What a counter. What a counter by MVP.
To have the wherewithal to get his knees up.
And Benoit went gut-first into the knees of the challenger.
And MVP, rolling Benoit in his belly. Almost like a half Boston Crab here!
-A submission maneuver. -[JBL] He's got it cinched in deep.
All he's gotta do is find a way to sit down on Benoit.
He's got Benoit almost in the center of the ring.
-You know how they-- -[Cole] Benoit writhing in pain.
[JBL] How amazing is it gonna be, Michael, if Benoit ends up tapping out.
[Cole] Benoit, in trouble. Nowhere near to run.
[crowd] Benoit! Benoit!
[Cole] And Benoit chants behind the champion. Benoit is left on.
He's going up. Is he gonna tap out? He makes it to the ropes.
But the story here, ladies and gentlemen, is the fact that MVP--
And watch the counter first by MVP.
But MVP, John, used a submission maneuver
which is right out of Chris Benoit's repertoire.
[JBL] And how often did you think we would see MVP with Benoit
and Benoit having to climb to the ropes?
[Cole] Went for the vertical suplex. Chris Benoit trying to wear MVP down.
MVP rolls to a possible Crossface, catches Benoit again.
Benoit's small package. Shoulder's down. There's two. He got it!
-[bell dings] -[Chris Benoit's theme song plays]
[announcer] Here is your winner, and still the United States Champion,
Chris Benoit.
[Cole] The ever-resilient United States Champion, Chris Benoit.
Just like that, Benoit pulled the match-up.
What a match.
[JBL] What we've said about Chris Benoit is true-- at any point in any match,
Michael, he can beat you. He's shown that again tonight.
MVP has shown the greatest improvement
of any superstar in the shortest amount of time.
But Chris Benoit, has shown to us one more time,
why he is indeed The Rabid Wolverine, and a future Hall of Famer.
[Cole] Former World Champion. Current United States Champion.
Chris Benoit gave it his heart and soul, here tonight in Atlanta
to retain the United States Championship.
[JBL] Here in his hometown with his family here,
Chris Benoit pulls off another big victory.
[Cole] MVP…
thought he was gonna go into that submission maneuver again.
Chris Benoit, with a small package, picked up the victory,
and watch the face. Look at the face of MVP.
Could not believe that Benoit was able to counter.
[JBL] MVP has not been able to figure out the conundrum known as Chris Benoit.
He did it one time. But Chris Benoit rises to the occasion
like nobody I have ever seen.
And Chris Benoit, once again, has done it right here in his home town.
[Cole] MVP brought his A-game tonight,
but Benoit retain the United States Championship.
Ladies and Gentlemen, Todd Grisham
standing by in the locker room area with a very special guest.
Ladies and gentlemen, please welcome my guest at this time.
He is the WWE Champion, John Cena.
[crowd cheering]
-Hello. -Hey, man.
Uh, tonight, your title is in serious jeopardy.
A Fatal-4 Way which basically means you don't even have to be pinned
to lose your championship.
What's your strategy gonna be when you know you have to--
[Orton] Todd, excuse me.
[clears throat]
I come with peace, John. Back down, man.
Check it out. Listen, I know we're opponents tonight in that very ring.
-But check it out. Hear me out. -What?
We got a lot in common, man. We have a lot in common.
One, we're young.
Two, we're incredibly handsome.
Three, we're extremely talented. And it just seems to me,
that leaves us all more open for resentment from the critics.
Now, guys like Shawn Michaels-- guys like Michaels,
they get treated like royalty.
While you and I, guys like us get treated like dirt.
And I won't take that lying down.
Okay, now, here's what I propose-- tonight, you and I get together.
We take out HBK. We take out Edge.
And then it leaves you and I standing alone in that ring.
And then, John, we see who the better man is.
-What do you say? -See who the better man is?
That's right.
-You really feel this way? -Yes, I do.
So you really think that I'm handsome?
What… Wait a minute, man.
-That's not exactly what I meant. -No, no.
And you also said that later on tonight you wanna get together?
But no… I said that in the sense… like in a ring, man. You know what--
Man, you just said that you're not gonna take this lying down but…
-John. -Your eyes, they tell a different story.
Wait, wait, wait. Don't get mad. It's 2007. I'm not judging anybody.
But I mean you… it works for you. You go to the ring and…
[crowd cheering]
That's just not my thing.
You think you're funny? You think you're funny, Cena, huh?
The only pose you're gonna be doin' tonight
is laying on your back in that ring with me on top.
[crowd cheering]
-Damn! -[crowd cheering]
[laughs]
You know for once, I'm just gonna keep my mouth shut.
[laughing] It's funny. Damn!
-Well, listen. It's time, baby. -It's time.
It's time. It's Handicap Match time.
Bobby Lashley's in trouble in a big, big way. Jeopardy. Big time.
The ECW World Champion's back is to the proverbial wall.
Not one, not two, but three challengers are looking to dethrone Bobby Lashley
after the hair cut seen around the globe at WrestleMania.
[Vince] On April one, at WrestleMania,
I experienced the greatest humiliation of my life.
[commentator] Lashley wins. Lashley wins.
[King] We're gonna have ourselves a bald billionaire.
[Vince] Stone Cold, Donald Trump, and Bobby Lashley shaved my head bald.
[screams]
[Vince] I vowed later on that night, I would extract revenge.
I'm gonna make Lashley's life a living hell.
[Shane] You took my family's dignity at WrestleMania.
[screams]
[Shane] So tonight, I plan on taking yours.
See, I plan on taking the one thing that means the most to you,
and that is the ECW Championship.
I'm gonna take great pleasure giving you the beating of your life.
[J.R.] And now, what the hell?
Umaga, Estrada, and more importantly, Mr. McMahon.
[Vince] I'm gonna make Lashley's life a living hell.
[King] Look at Mr. McMahon. He's got that metal chair.
He's got that steel chair. Giving it to his son, Shane.
[J.R.] Lashley can't defend himself.
[King] Oh, God.
[J.R.] Oh, good Lord.
[Vince] You wanna humiliate me?
Look at me. Look at me, huh! You did this.
This wasn't about the title tonight. But it will be. Yeah. Backlash.
Bobby Lashley versus Umaga,
versus Shane McMahon,
versus Vincent Kennedy McMahon.
[crowd boos]
[Bobby] Vince McMahon…
No matter who or what you send against me.
[J.R.] Bobby Lashley, a man with no fear.
The reigning ECW Champion of the world.
Nothing will stop me.
[man 1] Oh, my God.
[J.R.] The brute, raw power, the unmitigated strength of Bobby Lashley.
[Vince] At Backlash, Umaga, myself, and my son, Shane,
will, in fact, destroy Bobby Lashley.
[J.R.] How in the hell is Bobby Lashley gonna survive
a three-on-one Handicap Match?
[Vince] I can hear the ring announcer right now.
Ladies and gentlemen, your new ECW World Champion,
Vincent Kennedy McMahon.
[bell dings]
[announcer] The following is a three-on-one Handicap Match
for the ECW World Title.
In this match, the first superstar to score a pinfall or submission
will be the ECW World Champion
[Shane McMahon's theme song plays]
♪ Here comes the money Money, money, money ♪
[Joey] Three weeks ago on RAW,
Shane McMahon said he personally was going to restore dignity
to the McMahon family name.
He suckered Bobby Lashley into a hair versus title match-up
which turned out to be a trap, and the three challengers
BC-ed, battered, and bloodied the ECW Champion.
[announcer] Introducing the challengers first.
From Greenwich, Connecticut, weighing 235 pounds,
Shane McMahon!
[Tazz] You heard Shane-O-Mac. You heard-- Shane McMahon
will get great pressure from-- pleasure, I should say--
beating Lashley within an inch of his life.
Not just Mr. McMahon, Shane McMahon, they despise Lashley.
[Umaga's theme music plays]
[Tazz] Oh, no, Joey. Oh, no.
[announcer] Introducing next, from the Island of Samoa,
weighing 350 pounds, Umaga!
[Joey] And of course, Umaga is without his handler, Armando Estrada,
who was blown to the floor this past week on ECW
like a bag of wet cement by Bobby Lashley.
[Tazz] Well, look. Ladies and gentlemen, you're looking at a 350-pound savage.
The Samoan Bulldozer. I'll tell you, Joe,
I've seen a lot of guys come and go in this great industry.
But Umaga, quite possibly, one of the most physically dominating individuals
I've ever seen.
Along with the McMahons,
how in the holy high hell is Bobby Lashley gonna leave Atlanta, GA,
with the ECW Championship?
[Joey] And after Bobby Lashley cost Umaga
the Intercontinental Championship in Italy,
the Samoan Bulldozer, Umaga, is one motivated man-eater.
[Tazz] But the eyes on Umaga-- it's just damn near scary.
Looks like Shane McMahon is a little nervous himself.
[Mr. McMahon's theme music plays]
[Joey] That's the boss.
[announcer] And introducing their partner,
he is the chairman of World Wrestling Entertainment,
Mr. McMahon.
[Joey] Mr. McMahon rocking the do-rag in the ATL.
[Tazz] Ha! Very impressive vernacular there, Joseph.
[laughing] Very hip-hopish.
[Joey] Mr. McMahon making it clear that he wants to be the ECW Champion
after he was, in his words, "humiliated." Suffered the worst humiliation of his life
at WrestleMania 23 at the hands of Bobby Lashley.
And the boss is bound to make Lashley's life a living hell.
[Tazz] It's known around these parts in the world of WWE
you do not, I repeat, you do not cross the boss.
That is career suicide.
And if Mr. McMahon says he's going to make Bobby Lashley's life a living hell…
Huh. Like I said at the top of this show, Mr. McMahon is hell-bent on doing it.
[Joey] And again--
[Tazz] Look at this, Mr. McMahon motivating Umaga like Shane did earlier.
[Joey] The McMahons were both motioning that
either one of them would be the ECW World Champion.
[Joey] The odds don't look good.
[Tazz] Mr. McMahon, he's begging. He's begging for Bobby Lashley,
the ECW Champion, to come out.
-And look out. -[Bobby Lashley's theme music plays]
[Tazz] Where's the man?
Well, a massive ovation for the ECW World Heavyweight Champion,
Bobby Lashley.
Talk about intensity, Joey. Look at Lashley's face.
[Joey] Wow!
-[Tazz] Oh! -[crowd cheers]
[announcer] And the opponent from Colorado Springs, Colorado,
weighing 273 pounds,
he is the current ECW World Champion,
Bobby Lashley!
[Joey] After WrestleMania,
Mr. McMahon made it clear he was gunning for Bobby Lashley.
Lashley told the boss, "Bring it on!"
[Tazz] And to Vince McMahon's credit-- oh, whoa, he did.
And look at Lashley, talk about guts. He's getting right in the ring
while Umaga and the McMahons are in there.
No fear does Lashley have.
[Joey] Bobby Lashley, former U.S Army Sergeant,
certainly on the front line tonight,
facing not one, not two, but a trifecta of challengers.
And any one of them can defeat Lashley and become ECW World Champion.
[Tazz] And listen, it's no secret how much the ECW Title means to Bobby Lashley.
He's an extremely proud champion. Extremely proud.
And that right there is what it's all about.
It's not just the ECW Title,
it's more like saying Bobby Lashley's fabric, Joe.
That's what makes up Lashley.
What a grin on Mr. McMahon's face when he saw the title.
[Joey] And right now, nobody in this sold-out Philips Arena
knows how important this match-up any more than Bobby Lashley.
It's his ECW World Title that hangs in the balance.
[Umaga screams]
[Tazz] I mean, you know, Umaga's screaming, Mr. McMahon's excited,
Shane McMahon wants to start.
How is Lashley gonna survive this?
How?
-[bell dings] -[Joey] I don't know, Tazz.
[Tazz] Obviously, you don't know. We're about to see right--
[Joey] The McMahons are incredibly confident, as they should be.
[Tazz] Here we go now. Here we go.
[all exclaiming]
[Tazz] And talk of Bobby Lashley… hammering Shane McMahon.
Remember, it was Shane-O-Mac that suckered Bobby Lashley
into that match-up that led to Lashley getting bloodied
and now perhaps Lashley is gonna draw a little first blood of his own.
No warming up in the bullpen for the ECW Champion, Bobby Lashley.
Watch out. Heads up!
Shane McMahon is no small man, you know that.
Lashley's throwing him around like he's a boy. Look at this!
[Joey] One arm. Lashley man-handles the boy wonder like a rag doll.
And Shane McMahon's a former European-- a hardcore champion.
-[Tazz] Wait, wait. Look, look. -Don't make me come in there.
[Tazz] You heard Mr. McMahon?
[Joey] Yes. Mr. McMahon watching this match-up.
[Tazz] No, he said don't let me come in there.
[Joey] But the only way that Mr. McMahon can check in,
is that Shane McMahon officially tags Mr. McMahon in the three challengers.
While they do have a three-in-one advantage, must legally tag in and out.
-[Tazz] Now… -[Joey] That was a tag and in comes--
[Tazz] Shane wisely tagging in The Samoan Bulldozer, Umaga.
[Joey] You don't think Mr. McMahon wants to get in there?
[Tazz] I didn't say that. Mr. McMahon's a very intelligent individual.
[Joe] Yes, he is.
[Joey] It felt like a "hold me back" type of thing.
[Tazz] Uh-oh.
[Joey] And every time Lashley and Umaga get near each other,
it's an explosion of humanity.
[Tazz] And you can see, Lashley knows that he's more or less fighting…
fighting for his life here.
Just trying to get ahead of the game.
[Joey] Well, think about this, Tazz.
Umaga debuted in WWE one day after last year at WrestleMania.
And in over one year, has an unbelievable win-loss percentage.
Only two pinfall blemishes on Umaga's record--
one to Bobby Lashley
at the Battle of the Billionaires at WrestleMania,
and one because of Bobby Lashley in Italy.
[Tazz] Umaga wants some payback.
[Joey] And Umaga's getting that payback.
Umaga is an animal who also hasn't forgotten
that Lashley chucked his handler, Armando Estrada, to the concrete.
We haven't seen Estrada since.
[Tazz] I mean, anything that flew that high
as Armando should get a bag of pretzels
and a little apple juice, you know what I mean?
Sailing through the air. The power of Lashley is unparalleled.
[Joey] Now, can Lashley get outta the box here against Umaga?
Great agility by the 275 pounder.
And look at Lashley taking a fight to Umaga.
Remember, these two got near each other, and Lashley broke the wall and cage
-just to get to Umaga. -[Tazz] Whoa, whoa, whoa.
Well, Lashley went for a tight waist there.
Maybe a suplex. I don't know.
[Joey] Lashley does… Look at this!
The 350 pounds Samoan Bulldozer is outside.
[all exclaiming]
-[Joey] Thanks for coming. -[Tazz] Uh-oh.
[Joey] Well, Mr. McMahon is still on the apron.
[Joey] Bobby Lashley telling the boss, "Please get in this ring with me."
[Tazz] And listen, Joe, Mr. McMahon is not a coward.
He's coming in, baby. Whoa. Maybe not.
[Joey] And in comes Umaga for just a second.
Mr. McMahon says he wants in the ring. Back in comes Shane McMahon
and gets caught immediately.
[Tazz] Look at the power of this guy. Lashley's a freak, man.
How explosive is this guy?
[Joey] Watch out.
Hold the back and delayed vertical suplexes.
-[Tazz] What a… -[Joey] Watch out.
[all exclaiming]
[Joey] Shane McMahon takes that concrete-like head right to the ribs.
-[Joey] Two for the price of one. -[Tazz] Yeah, double whammy there.
I'm tellin' ya. I'm very impressed and surprised.
I did not think Lashley would be doing this well
against these three men.
[all exclaiming]
[Tazz] Smart by Shane McMahon, like it or not.
With the pull-that-rope-down,
and kill the momentum, possibly, of the ECW champion.
[Joey] Well, for a while,
it seemed that Lashley had things going his way.
Perhaps it can be overcome until the McMahons--
-[Tazz] That's smart right there. -[Joey] Absolutely.
-[Tazz] Smart ring presence. -[Joey] Now, look at this.
[Joey] The chairman on the outside, getting a little cheap shot.
[Tazz] Hey, there's nothing cheap about Mr. McMahon.
Anyway, now, Umaga… watch out.
[Joey] And I don't care how big, how bad, how strong you are.
When flesh meets steel, steel wins.
[Tazz] Especially, when a man with a moniker named Samoan Bulldozer
throwing you into those steel steps.
Good luck.
This is what--
Mr. McMahon is all fired up now. He's all happy now.
[Joey] Well, he should be,
as 350 pounds comes down across the sternum
of the ECW World Champion who's in trouble right now.
[Tazz] Well, let's face it, look.
Mr. McMahon wants to humiliate Bobby Lashley
the way he felt Lashley humiliated him, being Mr. McMahon
by getting his head shaved at WrestleMania.
By taking Lashley's, possibly, ECW Title from him,
that could tear Lashley apart.
Lashley loves being the champion, and he's proud of it, Joe.
[Joey] And Umaga, literally trying to tear Lashley apart
by breaking the back and the flesh with his fingernails.
This has not been a pretty attack by Umaga.
[Tazz] Nothing about Umaga is pretty.
It don't have to be pretty, but it's effective.
He's a beast. He's unpredictable is Umaga. Very powerful.
Surprisingly quick.
[Joey] Look at Mr. McMahon. I didn't do anything. Did he?
-[Tazz] He didn't. Not yet. -[Joey] Yet. Maybe.
Back in comes the fruit of Mr. McMahon's loins.
[Tazz] You call Shane McMahon a fruit?
[Joey] No, no. I meant he was--
-The genetic… Jackhammer! -[Tazz] Shane McMahon now
a textbook Fujiwara Armbar on Lashley.
Reaching that thing back. A very painful move on your shoulder.
And you know what? If you can take a limb out of Lashley…
-[all] Oh! -[Joey] Look at that hammerlock.
[Tazz] You can quite possibly take those explosive suplexes away
from Lashley.
[Joey] Well, as it is, Lashley's got a disadvantage-- six arms to two.
And the demon-seed, Shane McMahon, looking to make it six arms to one.
[Tazz] Beautiful armbar there with that headscissor by Shane McMahon.
Very impressive submission.
It's not often someone can gain a submission on Lashley but…
Umaga did the dirty work here.
[Joey] Absolutely. 350-pound Samoan Monster wearing down Lashley.
You know, and I can't read the minds of McMahons,
but earlier on back in the locker room, it seems that, Tazz,
despite what they said, both father and son
have aspirations to being ECW World Champion.
Far be it from me to want to stir anything up.
[Tazz] Yeah, I hear you.
Now, Shane McMahon, again, trying to keep Lashley down at bay.
Cutting that ring in half, even though there is no one for Lashley to tag.
He has no partner left,
you know, to reset this thing. It's a Handicap Match. Three on one.
[Joey] Mr. McMahon is literally dancing on the ring apron.
And Lashley now trying to stand up
and alleviate the leverage of Shane McMahon.
But Shane takes Lashley back down.
[Tazz] At least Mr. McMahon's holding a tag open, that's fair.
[Joey] And legal.
But despite the fact that Lashley has no tag-team partner,
Shane McMahon wisely trying to keep Lashley in their corner
in case Lashley breaks free, the quick tag can be made.
[Tazz] Well, if he could wear down Lashley,
and I think that's what Shane is trying to do--
Oh, wait a minute. Whoa, look at the power--
Holy smokes.
Inconceivable strength by Bobby Lashley.
-Lashley on top. Count of two. -[Joey] In comes Umaga.
[Tazz] Shane McMahon hit the canvas with a thud.
Watch the strength. The raw power of the ECW champion.
-[Tazz] Look at this. Good God! -[crowd cheering]
[Tazz] Man. That's so hard to do out of an armbar.
Oh, wait a minute. Watch Umaga here. Heads up.
[Joey] And again, the head used as a weapon, the tag has been made,
and, legally, in comes the Samoan Bulldozer, Umaga,
who, again, has not forgotten about WrestleMania,
has not forgotten about the Intercontinental Championship,
and has not forgotten about the fact that Armando and Estrada
had to be squeegeed off the concrete this past Tuesday at ECW.
[Tazz] Boy, this Umaga is barefoot on the throat of Lashley.
Barefoot's like a boot for most people.
[Joey] Once again, the three…
the three challengers have to tag in and out.
Bobby Lashley has no one to tag.
And again this time, The Samoan Bulldozer trying to squeeze the air
out of the body of the ECW World Champion.
[Tazz] That's the power you have to be careful of.
Umaga could squeeze the life out of you.
Even as strong as Lashley's body is, doesn't matter.
When the guy has you down and against the ropes
and it's three-on-one to boot, you're in trouble.
And Lashley is in trouble here.
[Joey] Lashley's fighting for each and every breath.
And as the sternum expands and contracts,
Umaga can simply tighten that hold around the midsection of Bobby Lashley.
[crowd] Bobby! Bobby!
-[Tazz] Here we go. -[Joey] Here we go.
Capacity crowd here in Atlanta rallying behind the ECW Champion.
[all exclaiming]
[Joey] Knee to the back by Shane McMahon,
followed up by the Samoan Drop.
Great teamwork being employed by all three challengers.
[Tazz] And it's smart what Umaga's pace is here.
While the McMahons are on the apron, take your time.
-[Joey] Absolutely. -[Tazz] Pick your spots. Frequent tags.
Mr. McMahon, yeah. You have to be in this match.
[Joey] Again comes Shane McMahon.
[Tazz] Talk about picking your spots. Perfectly measured elbow.
And now knees to the small of the back.
The challengers just picking apart Bobby Lashley.
[Tazz] You can hear the impact of Shane McMahon
on the back of that spine of Lashley.
[Joey] Shane McMahon now able to capitalize on the damage done by Umaga.
Mr. McMahon looks on and loves it.
[Tazz] It's a violent attack by Shane.
Bobby Lashley, he's in trouble now.
[Joey] Classic camel clutch being applied!
Again Shane McMahon attacking the lower back, looking for submission.
And if Shane McMahon gets the submission right here,
Shane McMahon, new ECW World Champion?
[Tazz] Mr. McMahon elated on the apron.
So proud of his son. And why wouldn't he? Not for nothing.
[Joey] Right now, Mr. McMahon should be proud of his son
who, again, wisely going back to that camel clutch. Why not?
There's been a relentless attack on the lower back of Bobby Lashley.
I don't care how big, how strong you are.
"Break him," says Mr. McMahon. No matter how strong you are…
[Tazz] Mr. McMahon wants Shane
to punish Lashley, and Shane is punishing Lashley.
[Joey] And once that back goes, there's really not much you can do.
Lashley then couldn't generate any power to pop those hips for the suplex.
[Tazz] That's what I was gonna say.
Earlier, Shane was working on his shoulder.
Now, going for the lower back of Lashley, which definitely could eliminate
any power moves, especially suplexes, by Lashley.
[Joey] Shane was working on the shoulder until Lashley, with one arm,
picked up Shane McMahon,
and now Shane McMahon looking worried with good reason.
[Tazz] Whoa. You gotta be careful here, Shane.
Shane's not in a-- he's in the air here.
[Joey] Bobby Lashley digging deep.
And the sheer power of Bobby Lashley drives Shane McMahon
backwards into the turnbuckle.
[Tazz] A little bit of a look of concern on the boss' face.
[all exclaiming]
[Joey] Nice T-Bone Suplex by the champ.
And a shoulder block, simple but effective. Trying a clothesline
Wait a minute. Shot for Umaga.
[Tazz] Lashley somehow trying to mount a comeback. Watch out!
Shane McMahon, up and over.
[Joey] And Lashley just waiting on Shane McMahon right now.
[Tazz] It's amazing that Lashley's actually being able to come back here.
Shane's in trouble now, Joe. Torture right back.
[Joey] Shane McMahon maybe broken in half, then a snap of spine.
[referee] One! Two!
Oh! Spear on Umaga.
Great peripheral vision by Lashley.
I mean, can we see the Dominator next, too?
[Joey] We may. Shane McMahon, Tazz. You may have called it.
-[Tazz] Here it is. -[all exclaiming]
[Joey] This is it. This is it. Lashley on top.
Finally, in comes the chairman, Mr. McMahon.
[crowd cheering]
[Tazz] Oh, no. The boss is in trouble, Joe.
Look at this. We could see the Dominator again.
The chairman is up. The chairman is up.
Shane McMahon hooks the leg.
Oh, man. Lashley wide open for Umaga.
[Tazz] It's the numbers game, Joe.
The numbest game is so against Lashley's odds right now.
[Joey] I believe Shane McMahon is still the legal man at this point.
[Tazz] Regardless, Lashley's in trouble.
The referee's trying to maintain some kind of control here.
-[all exclaiming] -Wait a minute… what?
[Joey] You got the championship belt right to the skull.
[Tazz] The title. Shane McMahon with the title against Lashley's head.
-[Joey] This could be it. -[Tazz] Wait a minute.
-[Tazz] Mr. McMahon wants to be tagged in. -[Joey] Shocking.
Now the champion wants to come in and pick up the pieces.
[Joey] But Mr. McMahon said that he wanted Shane to be champion. Here we go.
[referee] One. Two.
[Tazz chuckling]
[Tazz] We were one count away.
[Joey] Yeah, they were arguing…
[Joey] Oh! Look at this. This could be it.
[Tazz] Shane McMahon saves his dad.
Oh, man. That was so close.
[Joey] Uh-oh.
[Tazz] Mr. McMahon was almost the champion.
And there's a surefire bet. Tag in Umaga.
-[Joey] Uh-oh. -[Tazz] Uh-oh.
Oh, no.
[all exclaiming]
[Tazz] 350-plus pounds crushes the sternum.
And now, the boss wants to tag. Oh, man.
-[Joey] He's got it. -[Tazz] The new ECW World--
[Joey] Oh, man. Lashley somehow gets that massive right shoulder up.
Get him. Get him!
[Tazz] Mr. McMahon is almost like the only one
going for the pin covers here for the most part.
[Tazz chuckles] Umaga's doing all the work.
[Joey] And once again, Umaga going all the way up top.
-[Tazz] Whoa. Whoa! -[all exclaiming]
[Tazz exclaims]
[Joey] Umaga comes crashing down on Bobby Lashley.
And again, Mr. McMahon telling Umaga, "Tag me". And he's in.
-Here we go. -[Tazz] This is it.
Mr. McMahon on top.
-[Joey] Oh, he got him. -[bell dings]
They got him. I can't believe this.
[Tazz] No.
[announcer] The winner of this match and new ECW World Champion,
the Chairman of World Wrestling Entertainment,
Mr. McMahon.
[Tazz] You gotta be kidding me.
[Joey] Tazz, I'm speechless.
[Tazz] What the hell just happened?
The new ECW World Champion?
Mr. McMahon?
[Joey] I never in my life thought I would see the day.
[Joey] Why did this just--
[Tazz] What the hell just happened?
[Joey] The ECW World Champion is Mr. McMahon?
[Tazz] I'm speechless.
[Joey] How did this happen?
We knew Lashley's back was against the wall, but…
It was a three-on-one match but…
but deep down, Tazz, I think we wanted to believe that…
Well, here, right here, see. Lashley had the victory.
Mr. McMahon saving his son, Shane.
And then, watch Shane McMahon here with the ECW Title to the head of Lashley.
[Tazz] Lashley facing all the odds against him here.
He got screwed a plethora of times.
[all exclaiming]
[Tazz] 350 pounds, not once, but twice. Here's the second one.
…on Lashley. Lashley got screwed, Joe. Big time.
And then Mr. McMahon tagging in.
[Joey] Lashley made comebacks time after time. But then…
take a championship belt to the face and two smashes.
[Tazz] Mr. McMahon said history would be made tonight.
It sure as hell was.
Good god. Vincent Kennedy McMahon is the new ECW World Champion.
I am shocked.
Bobby Lashley fought valiantly. But in the end,
just couldn't overcome insurmountable odds.
Tazz, think back to the origins of ECW in 1993.
[Tazz] Well, before you say that, Mr. McMahon-- the McMahons, I should say--
staying on the good side of Umaga.
[Joey] But think about all that ECW has meant to sports entertainment.
I mean--
including the rebirth of ECW.
[Tazz] This is amazing and this is-- I don't know what to say.
Let's take another look at this. We never thought we'd see this coming.
This is just unbelievable.
Again, Mr. McMahon is the legal man here.
Lashley got screwed left and right in this match.
[Joey] I still cannot believe this.
[Tazz] History right there.
Look at Shane McMahon's reaction. Like a little kid.
Joey, I never thought in all my years we'd see this.
[Joey] Tazz, I'm nauseous. Tazz, I'm nauseous.
Ladies and gentlemen, once again, you're new ECW World Champion,
Mr. McMahon.
[Tazz] Well, Mr. McMahon…
unfortunately did predict that that announcement would be made.
Who the hell thought it'd be true?
[Joey] I have to admit it. It actually hurt my ears
to hear that ring announcement.
[Tazz] I never in a million years thought I'd see this.
I never in a million years thought that I would see this.
This is unbelievable. Unbelievable.
Mr. McMahon running around the ring like, like…
Look at this.
[Joey] Fourteen years of ECW memories have now culminated
in Vincent Kennedy McMahon, WWE Chairman,
wearing the ECW World Heavyweight Title.
[Tazz] The McMahons are buzzed like little kids out here.
Shocking. Shocking.
-Oh, my gosh. -[Joey] Shocking. Sacrilegious. Offensive.
[Tazz] Mr. McMahon is dancing off the ramp.
[Joey] Oh, my God. Mr. McMahon…
ECW World Champion.
This may be the darkest day in the long historic history of ECW.
I said there was gonna be hell to pay for Bobby Lashley.
The new ECW Champion, Vincent Kennedy "Mr. McMahon."
What's going through the mind of Bobby Lashley?
You know how much the ECW Championship meant to him. He's got to be devastated.
The question is, will Mr. McMahon still be ECW World Champion
the next time the WWE comes your way on pay-per-view, May 20th.
The great wrestling town of St. Louis, Missouri for Judgment Day.
Well, ladies and gentlemen, already tonight,
one championship has changed hands. Will another? Perhaps.
Coming up next, it's the World Title Last Man Standing--
Undertaker versus Batista.
[JBL] One of these two huge men are gonna be beaten so bad,
they will not be able to get to their feet.
[Cole] And what a rivalry this has become.
It all gathered fuel last month at WrestleMania.
[commentator] Over 80,000 fans on their feet,
as The Phenom enters to do battle.
[Undertaker's theme music plays]
[commentator 1] We're about to watch one hell of a World Championship.
[commentator 2] Undertaker measuring the champion. Flying through the air.
Taking on the World Champion.
[commentator 3] The Undertaker wants his fifth title reign,
and he's willing to do anything to get it.
[commentator 4] Batista realizing that he can cement his legend at WrestleMania
if he can stop the streak.
The Animal.
A readied powerslam through the announce table.
[commentator 5] Can you believe the roller coaster ride in this match?
Last ride.
Can Batista get down?
[commentator 6] Batista going for the Batista Bomb.
The streak is over.
And Undertaker rolls the shoulder up.
Look at this! Tombstone Piledriver!
[crowd] One. Two. Three.
[bell dings]
[commentator 6] We have a new World Champion.
15-0 at WrestleMania.
[commentator 7] I said a dead man was coming to WrestleMania,
and he's walking out like he walked in-- undefeated.
[commentator 8] The sure-fire Hall of Famer
can call himself champion again.
[Batista] Congratulations.
I want my re-match.
[commentator] At Backlash, this won't be just any rematch,
this match is going to be a Last Man Standing Match
for the World Heavyweight Championship.
[commentator] Last Man Standing.
[commentator 1] One man will get beaten so badly,
he cannot even get on his own two feet.
[Batista] Nobody, and I mean nobody, keeps me down for a two-count.
[Undertaker] You of all people should know I'm no ordinary man.
[commentator 2] The Undertaker and Batista can hardly keep each other down
for a three-count at WrestleMania.
How are they gonna do it for a ten-count at Backlash?
[Batista] That title belongs to me.
Next Sunday at Backlash, I'm taking it back.
[Undertaker] I plan on taking something that belongs to you.
Your soul.
[commentator 3] Who will be the Last Man Standing
with the World Title on the line?
[bell dings]
[announcer] The following contest is the Last Man Standing Match,
and it is for the World Heavyweight Championship.
Now, ladies and gentlemen, the only way to win this match
is to incapacitate your opponent
to the point where he cannot get to his feet
by the referee's count of ten.
[Batista's theme music plays]
[crowd cheering]
[announcer] Making his way to ring, the challenger from Washington D.C.
Weighing in at 290 pounds…
Batista!
[Cole] The former two-time World Champion demanded this rematch.
And two nights ago, on SmackDown in the ring
face-to-face with the Undertaker,
John Batista said he is going to take back which is his, he believes,
the World Title.
[JBL] At WrestleMania, Michael, these two guys
beat the living hell out of each other.
Well, they better get ready because tonight
they are going to hell with each other.
[Cole] And the question is, you see that taped right hamstring of Batista.
The target of many attacks by Finlay over the past couple of weeks.
How will that hamstring hold up tonight?
And will it be a factor in a Last Man Standing Match
where you have to make the ten-count to stay in it?
[JBL] Let me tell you, Batista had the match of his career at WrestleMania
against the Undertaker. He better take that to a new level.
And if he's dinged it in anyway, it could be a long night for Batista.
[Cole] The Animal pacing, awaiting the arrival.
[JBL] But you know what, Michael, the hell with that.
This is a Last Man Standing Match.
All that really matters is a pair of fists and a bucket of guts
because all this is about is simple desire.
[Undertaker's theme music plays]
[announcer] And from Death Valley, weighing in at 305 pounds,
is the World Heavyweight Champion,
The Undertaker!
[all exclaiming]
[Cole] You cannot help but to get goosebumps
when the World Champion, The Undertaker, enters the arena.
And the mind games and the psychological warfare begins,
as the champion takes the slow walk down the ramp to the ring
rarely taking his eyes off the challenger.
[JBL] Michael, the one thing that gives me goosebumps--
and it's not about mind games anymore. It's the simple fact
that our current champion, The Phenom, The Undertaker,
or our past champion, Batista, The Animal--
one of 'em is gonna get beaten up so badly
they will not be able to get to their feet.
Who could ever believe
that either one of these gentlemen will have that happen to 'em tonight?
We are going to see it.
[Cole] How do you keep either one of these men down
for a full ten-count?
That is the question. Will it be answered tonight?
One of these men will not make the ten-count.
And when you don't make the ten-count…
your opponent wins and is the World Champion.
Now Batista looks ready to go.
[JBL] So do these fans, Michael, listen.
Look around you.
You have every person in this building standing on their feet.
They understand history is right in front of them.
[Cole] I get it. It does not get any bigger than this.
As Batista stares at the Championship gold that once…
was around his waist.
[JBL] It doesn't get any bigger and it won't get any more brutal.
Put the women and small children up. What we are about to see, Michael,
is an all-out war.
[Cole] We are sold-out at the Philips arena in Atlanta, Georgia.
The World Heavyweight Championship is on the line.
That man is the champion, The Undertaker.
Six-foot-ten, 305 pounds, a five-time world champion.
The challenger, Batista, goes six-foot-six, 290 pounds,
and he is a two-time World Champion.
And the Undertaker's record at Last Man Standing Match
is much like his record at WrestleMania, unblemished.
[bell dings]
[Cole] And on Friday, he told Batista he wanted his soul.
And Undertaker starts things off with that big boot, followed by the elbow.
And Undertaker, the aggressor tonight.
What we saw at WrestleMania, John,
was Batista, the aggressor in the early going.
And perhaps, The Phenom, not underestimating Batista tonight.
[JBL] But look at this. Michael, look at this.
I've heard rumors all week long that Undertaker's got a hurt elbow,
a hurt bicep, something to look at.
For years, for 15 years, he's wore that elbow pad on his left elbow.
Tonight, it's on his right.
[Cole] And if you look at underneath the pad, it seems to be, uh, bandaged.
That arm seems to be bandaged and wrapped beneath that pad.
And there's Undertaker, that right arm, going for the chokeslam early.
And it's Batista battling it out with the elbows.
Was that a factor?
We'll have to find out as this match-up rolls along.
Undertaker flying through the air and knocks Batista down.
Again, no pinfalls, no submissions in this match-up.
You win when your opponent cannot get to his feet by a count of ten.
[JBL] And you wondered Michael,
if that hamstring of Batista was gonna be a problem?
It may have just been equalized with the right arm of The Undertaker.
Remember, that's his chokeslam arm.
He's the best striker in the history of this game,
and that's the arm he throws the Haymaker with.
[Cole] Undertaker using the left arm here up to the top rope.
Undertaker gonna show Old School from the top rope
across the rotator cuff of Batista.
And the World Champion in control in the early going.
John, you have been in Last Man Standing Matches before.
Is there any strategy at all going into this?
[JBL] It's simply, Michael, the fact that you want to survive.
That's all it's about is survival.
It is the most brutal match that the WWE can do.
Because what happens, Michael, there is no fluke wins.
There is no quick submissions. Somebody gets beaten up so bad--
Oh, look at Batista! And the strength of The Animal!
One!
[Cole] This is the first count of the match-up.
Two!
[Cole] Undertaker's gotta get to his feet before the count of ten,
or he'll lose the championship.
Four!
[JBL] You see what might've been an ill effect to that leg, Michael.
Batista went to pick up the Undertaker. Almost dropped him.
He didn't get to execute the move like he wanted to do it,
and it could've been because of that right hamstring.
[Cole] And the match is already taking its toll on The Animal, Batista.
And Batista, again on the attack outside the ring.
[crowd cheering]
Basically anything goes in a Last Man Standing match-up.
[JBL] It's not basically anything goes, Michael.
Anything goes. There are no rules.
If you're creative enough to do it, Michael, it's legal.
[Cole] Batista.
Oh. Undertaker, locking…
Oh, look at Batista. The Animal bounced off the steel steps.
One!
-[Cole] Referee Mickie Henson-- -Two!
[Cole] …beginning to count. Batista, on his back again, must be up
-before the count of ten. -Three!
Four!
[JBL] And you sense almost a measured pace at this point, Michael.
These two guys know that they are at war, perhaps, of their lifetime.
[Cole] Is the measured pace…
A right hand by The Undertaker. Does it favor The Undertaker or Batista?
[JBL] I've gotta say The Undertaker.
As good as Batista is, a two-time champion,
has held that title on and off for better part of two years,
he has not been in the big match that The Undertaker has been in.
[Cole] Two things to look at here, John.
The Undertaker threw a right hand,
and he clearly favored his right arm when he threw it.
Then, he went to use his legs
and went right to work on the injured leg of Batista.
So, The Undertaker perhaps changing strategy in his game plan
in the early going because of that arm.
[JBL] When you're in a Last Man Standing Match, Michael,
and let me tell you something,
-it is like going through hell. You find-- -[Cole] Look out!
Oh, right to the injured leg!
[JBL] Just like that, and you attack it and you stay on it,
because there's gonna be no quarter asked
and there damn sure will be no quarter given in this match.
[Cole] Batista with right hands. The Animal.
The former champion right to the gut of the current champion, The Undertaker.
And this is turning into one hell of a rivalry.
As Undertaker goes right back to the bandaged hamstring,
the bad leg of Batista.
And again, if you can't stand, John, you can't answer the count of ten.
Undertaker…
has Batista prone over the apron.
And how many times over the years
have we seen The Phenom, the legendary Undertaker do that?
[JBL] This is what Batista does not want The Undertaker to do,
and that is get into a groove.
Once he gets into his game, The Undertaker is in total control.
[Cole] Three-hundred pound leg drop…
across the throat and upper chest of Batista.
[Cole] The referee will begin the count.
One!
[Cole] Batista must answer the count of ten.
or Undertaker will retain the championship.
-[Cole] Watch this impact. -[all exclaiming]
[Cole] It looked like the heel of the boot caught Batista
right on the bridge of the nose, and the count's still happening.
But Mickie Henson waves it off as Batista makes it back to his feet.
And The Animal, reversal.
Undertaker, knees first into the steel steps.
and it stilt the champion up for a moment.
-Batista favoring that hamstring. -One!
[Cole] Just trying to get that blood flow--
Two!
Saw The Undertaker grimace in pain as he was stood up,
driven into those steel steps.
And Batista, where's he going?
You do not often see The Animal go into the top rope.
And Undertaker took advantage.
Perhaps that injured leg of Batista…
did not allow him to climb the rope quickly enough.
[JBL] You rarely see Batista try high-risk moves like this, Michael,
but you see the importance and the urgency of this match.
[Cole] Undertaker…
And Batista's in trouble.
With the right hands by Batista into the ribs of the champion.
[JBL] This, Michael, is gonna be an impact.
[Cole] Uh-oh. Undertaker… with Batista in trouble.
On the top rope. The Animal in all kinds of trouble.
-[Cole] A superplex! -[JBL] Wow!
[Cole] You could use a Richter scale to measure that as the ring shook.
-One! -[Cole] And the double count begins.
-Two! -[Cole] Both men are down.
-Who will make it to their feet first? -Three!
[Cole] Can someone beat the count of ten?
Four!
[Cole] Referee Mickie Hanson hit a count of four.
Five!
[Cole] Undertaker tries to make it to his feet.
They got to get to their feet before ten to break the count.
Undertaker's up. So is Batista. The match-up continues.
But Batista up for just a moment.
And that leg, you see it quivering and shaking.
Batista can barely put weight on it, dragging the leg around the ring.
An injured leg can take much of the power game out of Batista.
The Undertaker hopes to take advantage as these men are slugging,
beating the hell out of each other.
Batista explodes with a clothesline.
And referee Mickie Henson begins the count again.
Undertaker down.
Maybe seeing stars after the impact of that clothesline.
If Undertaker cannot make it to his feet by ten,
Batista regains the World Championship.
[JBL] And whether Batista is hurt or not…
Seven!
[Cole] A count of eight.
And Undertaker's up at eight. The match continues.
Another clothesline by Batista.
[JBL] Whether we got Batista hurt or not,
this is Batista's chance to reclaim what he said is his--
that World Championship. That is what is at stake.
To hell with your leg. To hell with your body.
Live like you're in someone else's body,
because these chances don't come along very often, Michael.
[Cole] Undertaker back to his feet. Batista with a slam on the Undertaker.
Despite the back leg, Batista drops the leg drop.
And you can almost feel, John, the momentum and a major shift here
-at the Philips Arena in Atlanta. -Two!
The challenger is taking it to the champion
as the count continues again.
[JBL] Challenger taking it to the… to the champion.
And Batista dropping that hurt leg.
This, Michael-- These guys are going to hell and back in this match.
[Cole] And the champion, perhaps out of desperation,
pulling the second rope down
and launching Batista through the second rope--
-[all exclaiming] -[Cole] What is Undertaker doing here?
Undertaker clearing out the announce table.
And you cannot believe that--
that The Phenom has good intentions.
-Michael] Anything goes. -[JBL] Anything goes, Michael.
It's all legal.
[JBL] The only reason Mickie Henson is here is to count to ten.
I have no idea what he's about to do
but I have a feeling it's not gonna be good.
[Cole] And Undertaker… driven into the barricade.
An important counter for Batista.
The barricade right behind us shook with the impact of a 300-pounder.
Three!
[Cole] And referee Mickie Henson…
-Four! -[Cole] And a count of four.
Keeping Batista at bay as The Undertaker makes it back to this feet.
And Batista goes on offense.
Oh no! Oh, my!
And Undertaker--
Oh! What a backbreaker!
Bad leg. Now, bad back. How can Batista get up from this?
[JBL] Don't have to remind you, Michael.
There is nothing out here that gives an inch.
[Cole] The champion…
[JBL] Their match at WrestleMania was a classic, Michael.
[Cole] Referee count of five now. Mickie Henson, back to six
as Batista tries to make it back to his feet,
hamstring quivering as Undertaker is ripping steel steps apart.
Now has 'em in hand.
On the skull of Batista!
And that could put the challenger down and out.
-Two. -[Cole] Will it be Dead Man Standing?
-[JBL] This could be it. -[referee] Three.
[Cole] Will it be Dead Man Standing after this?
Four!
-Five! -[Cole] A count of five.
[JBL] Batista's busted open.
-[Cole] The steel steps of the-- -[JBL] Batista's busted wide open.
[Cole] We can see Batista because he's right here in front of us,
ladies and gentlemen.
And there you see the blood trickling from the skull of Batista.
The Undertaker using the steps legally and effectively as a weapon.
And the best pure striker in the history of the game is unloading on The Animal.
And The Undertaker--
-Putting Batista on the announce table. -[JBL] Oh, good Lord.
Batista with blood pouring from his skull.
[JBL] Oh, good Lord.
What the hell has The Undertaker got in mind here?
[JBL] I don't know, Michael, but I'm getting outta the way.
[Cole] Batista barely moving.
Undertaker… setting Batista up.
[crowd cheering]
[JBL] Oh, my God!
[Cole] Undertaker on the barricade behind us.
No! Oh, my Lord!
[all exclaiming]
[Cole] Undertaker destroying the announce table with a leg drop,
as Batista, the former champion…
-lays down and out in front of us. -[referee] Three!
[referee] Four!
[Cole] Referee Mickie Henson at four and there is no way on this earth
that Batista is going to be able to make the ten-count.
[all] Seven!
[Cole] The referee at a count of seven.
The Undertaker, unless Batista can get to his feet…
A count of nine! The Animal's up. The Animal's up. The Animal's up.
Blood pouring from everywhere on his body. And Batista has made the ten-count.
The champion, The Undertaker,
wasting little time to go back on the assault.
[all exclaiming]
[Cole] And look at the champion, 300 pounds.
Like a freight train.
Undertaker in the ring. Batista in trouble.
The Undertaker rolling Snake Eyes.
And what a spear.
From out of nowhere, Batista, The Animal with an unbelievable spear.
Three!
-[Cole] And now it's the Undertaker… -Four!
…who has to make the ten-count. Can you believe this?
[JBL] I can't believe this. No, Michael, I have no idea where it came from.
[Cole] A count of seven! And the champion back to his feet.
And walks into a spinebuster!
Two!
[Cole] The intensity of The Animal.
And that leg drop seemed to wake Batista up.
-[referee] Three! -[Cole] And a count of three.
Will Batista regain the championship? Right here, right now. But no.
The resilient Undertaker back to his feet.
Another spinebuster.
[JBL] What in the hell has gotten into Batista?
[Cole] Another spinebuster.
The World Heavyweight Championship is what is gotten into Batista.
This is what turned the match around.
That spear by Batista.
As the referee begins the count again on the champion.
Five!
[Cole] A five-count from referee Mickie Henson.
-Six. -[Cole] Now, it's six count.
The Undertaker's gotta make it to his feet before ten.
-[JBL] This could be it. -Eight.
[JBL] This is it, Michael.
-Nine. -[Cole] Mickie Henson at nine.
He's at nine. But back to his feet--
[JBL] Turn of the battle, turn of events.
When Undertaker… Oh, my God! What is he doing?
[Cole] Batista driven into the corner by The Phenom, The Undertaker.
Went for the right hand and the champion…
Chokeslam!
Both men are down.
-One! -[Cole] Double count this time.
Two!
-[Cole] A count of two. -Three.
[JBL] It might be the first guy to get to his feet, Michael.
He's the World Champion.
[Cole] Undertaker using the ropes,
trying to pull himself to his feet, and he does.
But Batista is still down.
-[all] Seven! -[Cole] And a count of seven.
-[all] Eight. -[Cole] A count of eight.
Can Batista make it to his feet? -[all] Nine!
[Cole] A count of nine. And Batista's up.
So close again.
[JBL] What an unbelievable match. I told you, Michael.
There is nothing like this match.
It's not something you learn in wrestling school.
It's something you just have inside you. Or you don't.
[crowd cheering]
Batista!
[Cole] The powerbomb!
The Batista Bomb from the corner!
But can Batista capitalize?
Undertaker's down.
[referee] One!
-[Cole] Referee counting again. -[all] Two.
[all] Three.
[Cole] And over 17,000 here in Atlanta
-counting in unison. -[all] Four!
Will we crown a new World Champion?
Or will Undertaker--
-[JBL] This is it! -[all] Seven!
[Cole] We're at seven.
[JBL] I never would've believed that shield…
We're at eight. The Undertaker can make it to his feet.
And a count of nine. The Undertaker is just up for the count.
And this match will--
-[JBL] My God. Are you kidding me? -[Cole] And you can feel
the tension and the pressure mounting.
A fever pitch is going through the crowd here.
And now Batista with a steel chair, perfectly legal in Last Man Standing.
Thundering off the skull of The Undertaker.
You can see the look in the eyes. The intensity of Batista
is because he wants to regain
what he believes is his World Championship.
[JBL] But what in the world is he gonna have to do, Michael,
to get The Undertaker to stay down.
I think we may have just found out.
[Cole] He's gonna do it right now, John.
But Undertaker comes with a back slam on the steel chair.
Undertaker…
And Batista grabbing the hamstring.
Perhaps that leg bounced off the steel step.
Couldn't quite get a great look. But off the back body drop,
Batista hurt that leg again.
Five!
And Undertaker making a sign that this one is over.
And this is what defeated Batista at WrestleMania.
Going for the Tombstone Piledriver.
-Forget about it. -[JBL] Ball-game.
-What an unbelievable match. -One!
-Two! -[Cole] Both man are down--
[JBL] The Undertaker has done it again.
[Cole] Undertaker slowly taking his time, but then so is Batista.
A count of five.
The Animal stirring a bit off the Tombstone Piledriver.
At a count of seven, Batista back to his belly.
We're at a count event, ladies and gentlemen.
Can Batista… And he does of getting back to his feet.
[JBL] This is amazing.
[Cole] Did you see the look in eyes of The Undertaker?
I don't believe The Phenom could believe Batista made it back to his feet.
[JBL] I can't believe Batista made it to his feet.
You're talking about the desire to be a champion.
This isn't about entries anymore, Michael.
This is simply about the fact
that you're willing to stay there longer than your opponent is.
[Cole] Again, no pinfalls, no submission.
You have to make a ten-count or lose the match-up.
And that count of ten does not have to happen in the ring.
[JBL] And these two guys, Michael,
have hit each other with absolutely everything
in their arsenal, and both of them are still standing.
[Cole] And Undertaker and Batista, not only up to the steel steps,
now they're up on the stage.
Batista and Undertaker, up on the stage.
Probably a good ten feet or probably more.
Right hands by The Animal.
[JBL] This is not a good place to be.
[Cole] And now it's the challenger taking control.
The Undertaker's reeling. Batista, unloading on the champion.
[JBL] Oh, no.
[Cole] Can Batista hit the Batista Bomb on the steel stage.
-[JBL] Do you see that? -[Cole] Back to the bad leg.
That confident champion, the legendary Undertaker,
targeting the bad leg yet again.
All the battles The Undertaker
has been through the past decade and a half, Michael,
this could be the biggest.
[Cole] Undertaker surveying the area around the steel stage.
Batista…
-[Cole] Right hand. -[JBL] What a right hand.
[Cole] Batista barely able to stand.
Undertaker with Batista on his shoulder. What the heck is he gonna do here?
And Batista-- a spear!
-[JBL] Oh, my God! -[Cole] A spear!
[Cole] Holy smokes.
Oh, my Lord.
[JBL] You said that you saw two-- two guys destroy themselves, Michael.
I think we just did.
Send the other teams down here.
One!
[Cole] The referee beginning to count but he's calling for help.
Three!
[Cole] Have these gentlemen gone too far?
A spear off the stage to the electrical wiring
and some sort of explosion.
[JBL] This count doesn't even matter.
These two guys aren't moving, Michael.
Nine! Ten!
[bell dings]
[Cole] The match is apparently over but…
what is the condition of the two superstars,
The Undertaker and Batista? You see…
That's our WWE doctor and trainers down there checking on a--
[announcer] Ladies and gentlemen, uh,
both men could not answer the count of ten.
Therefore still, the World Heavyweight Champion,
The Undertaker.
[Cole] Well, the title doesn't change hands in case of a draw.
[Undertaker's theme music plays]
[Cole] The story here is the health and well-being
of The Undertaker and Batista.
[JBL] Michael, these guys have hardly moved.
[Cole] Undertaker…
Undertaker… almost like a phoenix rising from the ashes.
What an absolutely incredible match.
[JBL] Michael, I cannot believe the Undertaker…
is even moving.
Much less getting up after that.
[Cole] Undertaker and now, Batista.
Batista moving as well.
I mean, The Animal. How the hell is Batista even moving?
How's Batista pulling himself out of this pit?
[JBL] Talk about an unbelievable test of the human will and spirit.
We have seen two guys take each other
as absolutely far as they can go.
[Cole] And these pictures tell the story
of what these two men went through.
-[JBL] What? -[Cole] The amazing ending.
Watch the spear.
Off that stage and ten feet below, electrical equipment exploding,
those trusses coming down.
And what is amazing about this…
is that these two men walked away from it.
[JBL] We said they'd take each other to the extreme.
We saw these two guys beat the living hell out of each other.
What a performance… we just witnessed.
We said we had history in front of us, Michael.
You have seen an epic battle.
[Cole] Again, I've never seen anything like this before.
There is no Last Man Standing tonight.
[JBL] Wow.
Absolutely amazing. One of the most amazing Last Man Standing matches
I think I've ever seen. Two men putting their heart and souls on the line.
Just when you thought you'd seen everything,
then you see something like that.
I thought those guys were gonna completely destroy each other. And they have.
And ladies and gentlemen, we have four more men
that I guarantee are gonna lay it on the line
for the WWE Title.
Earlier tonight, we asked you subscribers of AT&T
to tell us who you thought would win
the WWE Championship Fatal-4 Way Match coming up.
[King] And a lot of texting is going on. Let's see who you think…
is gonna be the winner of the Fatal 4-Way.
[J.R.] Here are the results…
[King] There you go!
John Cena got 50% of all the votes.
[J.R.] Very interesting voting to say the least.
But ladies and gentlemen, I really believe it's…
it's anybody's ball game.
Only one man will leave Backlash the WWE Champion.
The question is who will it be?
[J.R.] Four men. One title.
[Orton] My desire to win this match is stronger than you'll ever understand.
[Shawn] This one is gonna be about who wants it more.
[Cena] And all of you will be forced to call me the champion.
[King] John Cena versus Shawn Michaels versus Edge versus Randy Orton.
Four men, one title at Backlash.
[bell dings]
[announcer] The following is a Fatal 4-Way Match
for the WWE Championship.
The first participant to score a pinfall or submission
will be the WWE champion.
[Shawn Michaels' theme song plays]
♪ I think I'm cute ♪
♪ I know I'm sexy ♪
♪ I got the looks ♪
♪ That drives the girls wild ♪
♪ I got the moves ♪
♪ That really move them ♪
♪ I send chills ♪
♪ Up and down their spine ♪
♪ I'm just a sexy boy Sexy boy ♪
♪ I'm not your boy toy Boy toy ♪
♪ I'm just a sexy boy Sexy boy ♪
[announcer] Introducing the challenger first,
from San Antonio, Texas, is The Heartbreak Kid, Shawn Michaels.
[J.R.] The incomparable Shawn Michaels.
Perhaps the best big match wrestler in the history of the WWE.
Just six days ago, Michaels and John Cena destroyed one another
at wrestling time, and Michaels won that match.
Suddenly, out of nowhere, was Sweet Chin Music.
[King] Well, and Shawn Michaels
has to be feeling good about his chances tonight.
I mean, that has to put HBK on a huge roll coming into this match.
He knows he proved that he can beat John Cena.
[J.R.] The question we have to ask is what kind of condition
is Shawn Michaels and John Cena… are they in tonight
as result of that competition six days ago in London, England?
The match, the travel-- questions to be answered.
[Edge's theme song plays]
[announcer] From Toronto, Ontario, Canada, weighing 250 pounds, Edge.
[J.R.] Edge is a two-time WWE Champion.
Certainly an opulent opportunist.
Amazingly talented.
Seems to be extremely focused in this Fatal 4-Way Match
where it's every man is for himself.
Where there can be no disqualifications, there can be no count-outs.
[King] And of course, Edge,
very concerned about the condition of John Cena and Shawn Michaels.
We heard him say last week
he was just gonna grab a chair, sit back,
and watch those two superstars beat the hell out of each other.
And that's exactly what happened.
Edge was scheduled to wrestle Randy Orton last week,
but Michaels and Cena used all of the television time.
[Randy Orton's theme song plays]
[announcer] From St. Louis, Missouri, weighing 245 pounds, Randy Orton.
[J.R.] Certainly controversy seems to follow this young man around,
since becoming the youngest champion in the history of the WWE in 2004.
And at one time,
Randy Orton and Edge were closer than 19 is to 20.
Team Rated-RKO is no more.
[King] Well, we heard earlier on
Randy Orton trying to get close to John Cena, apparently.
Cena said enough of that.
The Legend Killer, Randy Orton.
[J.R.] Randy Orton trying to team up with John Cena,
in a… in a collaborative effort
to eliminate Shawn Michaels and Edge.
[John Cena's theme song plays]
[announcer] And from West Newbury, Massachusetts,
weighing 238 pounds,
he is the current WWE Champion,
John Cena.
[King] The roof is literally coming off this arena here in Atlanta, Georgia.
The Champ is here.
[J.R.] John Cena will have no championship advantage in this match.
And what I mean by that is Cena cannot retain the WWE Title
in a disqualification or because of count-out
because there are no disqualifications, there are no count-outs.
The first man to score a pin or a submission
will be the WWE Champion.
[King] That's right.
And you know, John Cena doesn't even have to be involved
in the pinning situation.
I mean, Edge could pin Shawn Michaels, John Cena loses the title.
Shawn Michaels can pin Randy Orton, John Cena loses the title.
What an interesting match.
[crowd cheering]
[J.R.] Referee Mike Chioda, showing what it's all about--
the coveted WWE Championship.
[King] You know we heard John Cena saying, we heard Shawn Michaels say,
this match is about who wants it. Well, it's no question.
Every one of these men want to be the champion,
but who wants it more?
That's what we're about to find out.
[J.R.] The first Fatal 4-Way WWE Title Match
in Backlash history.
-This is ninth annual Backlash. -[bell dings]
Referee Mike Chioda has called for the bell.
And this should be one of the most unpredictable…
affairs, King, that maybe we have seen in…
in many, many years. A lot of agendas from these four men.
The most coveted prize in the WWE at stake.
It's sudden death.
[King] Boy this atmosphere. Can you feel it? It's electric, J.R.
These four superstars are feeling it right now.
We gotta wonder. You think lady luck…
may play a little role in this outcome of this Fatal-4 Way, J.R?
[J.R.] Oh, absolutely. I'll tell you what.
[Cena] Yeah, yeah.
[J.R.] The goosebumps are going up my arms,
the hairs on the back of neck are standing up.
[King] Wait, wait. Is this, uh…
Is this collusion or what, J.R?
[J.R.] Well, I don't think it's collusion at all.
I think Michaels is telling Cena
Michaels is gonna be the WWE Champion. That's what I'm assuming.
Now we're having a caucus.
[indistinct conversation]
Look me in the eyes. Come on. Come on.
-You hear me? -I hear you.
[King] What's going on here?
Are each of these guys trying to align themselves to someone else?
-[J.R.] Here we go. -[King] A reversal. Oh, Edge and Randy.
[J.R.] Now, there's your answer. And the match is underway.
It's Shawn Michaels and John Cena left in the ring.
Michaels has an agenda all right, and that's to become the WWE Champion.
for the fifth time.
[J.R.] Well, that was a short-lived alliance,
and it looks like Michaels and Cena wanna pick up
where they left off last Monday.
[J.R.] I would be shocked to see any long-lasting alliances
in this Fatal 4-Way Match with the stakes as high as they are.
And Michaels with a Ric Flair-like knife-edge chop
binds its mark on the massive chest of the WWE Champion.
[King] HBK lighting up The Champ early on here.
Oh, look out here.
[J.R.] Cena with a power perpetuate suplex.
-And the cover. Cena, got the cover. -[King] Oh, John.
[J.R.] And John Cena close to ending this match quickly and suddenly.
[King] Well, these two guys went at it for,
what, 56 solid minutes last week?
I'd be mighty surprised to see this match end that early.
[J.R.] Cena's head bouncing off the canvas--
And Michaels almost beheaded by Randy Orton.
And Edge taking down John Cena. Again, every man for himself here.
[King] I think I saw Shawn Michaels' teeth fly out of his mouth.
[J.R.] Cena thrown out of the ring right in front of us,
leaving Edge and Orton in the ring.
-[King] Hey. Hey. Here it is. -[J.R.] I remember.
Cena does not have to be involved in the equation.
[King] They're the former tag-team partners, J.R., in a stare-down.
If you ask me, it'd behoove these guys to be on the same page but--
[J.R.] But behooving they ain't.
-Or are they? -[King] No, they ain't.
[J.R.] Right hands. Orton and Edge with the right hands.
And the R-rated Superstar getting the brunt of the blow.
Textbook standing dropkick
from the young man from St. Louis, Randy Orton.
[King] And John Cena waiting on the outside like a…
well, like a lumberjack in a Lumberjack Match.
Threw Edge right back into Orton.
[J.R.] And Michaels…
jerks Orton out of the ring,
throws on a right hand, and Orton retaliates.
Orton and Michaels on the outside.
John Cena takes both men down with a…
John Cena taken down by Edge.
[J.R.] Oh, man. In a Fatal-4 Way, you gotta watch your back.
You need eyes in the back of your head, J.R.
You gotta watch every direction.
[J.R.] No one can be counted out.
And now Edge can take the pick of the litter,
toss 'em back in the ring, and go for the cover.
Gotta pin your man on the inside.
And Orton gets introduced to those steel ring steps.
And not a sweet introduction.
[King] Although, one thing, Edge--
[J.R.] And look at that back slam. Cena's spine bouncing off the floor.
Edge in firm control.
[King] But I'm sure Edge realizes he can't win this match
out on the floor,
but he's just trying to do some damage right now.
[J.R.] And Shawn Michaels retaliates with a scoop slam of his own.
And Michaels up on the apron.
Now, Shawn Michaels…
But what's Michaels doing here?
Shawn Michaels…
-My God, Shawn Michaels -[King] Oh, no, no. Look at it.
-[all exclaiming] -[J.R.] Michaels. Good Lord.
My God, Michaels.
Putting his career on the line for the WWE Title.
[King] And his knee came right--
down right across the eye, the right eye of Edge.
And looks like the right eye of…
the other knee hit the right eye of Randy Orton. Watch. Watch this.
Watch where Shawn's knees hit.
Bam!
[J.R.] An amazing moonsault by Michaels.
Putting his caution to the wind. His heart and soul in this and…
and Michaels sensing that Edge is glassy-eyed.
Michaels may try to capitalize, and yes he is.
Edge is back in the ring.
If Michaels can pin Edge, Shawn Michaels is the WWE Champion
in this Fatal-4 Way match-up.
[King] You're right there. Shawn Michaels…
That little maneuver did some damage to all three of his opponents,
but I think he figures Edge is the worst for wear.
Uh-oh. Maybe not.
[J.R.] Man, Edge's eyes told one story and his form told another.
[King] He had that Krispy Kreme look.
His eyes were glazed over. But now he's…
He seems to be back.
[J.R.] Michaels reverses the Irish Whip.
[King] Rolling out. Nobody home.
[all exclaiming]
[J.R.] Both Edge and Michaels had the same idea, clotheslines.
Both connected and again…
their heads bouncing off the canvas, an unforgiving canvas here tonight.
[King] If one of these guys could pin the other,
they could be the next champion right now. Oh, there's The Champ.
[J.R.] And there's The Champ, all right. John Cena climbing to the top.
[all exclaiming]
-[J.R.] Good Lord. -[King] Oh, my gosh. Ha-ha!
[J.R.] John Cena with a double leg drop from the top.
That's scored a big--
[King] Think he could pin either of 'em right now.
[J.R.] He's got it. Michaels is down and Michaels kicks out.
-[King] Wow, what a… Lookout! -[J.R.] And Orton.
Opportunistically, Randy Orton
beheading John Cena after Cena did the damage to Edge and HBK.
Can Randy Orton capitalize?
[King] Boy, and Orton right now, an equal opportunist. I mean, he's a…
[J.R.] Michaels… Michaels thrown out, it looks like.
-[King] Whoa. -[J.R.] And so is Edge.
Orton wants to beat John Cena apparently.
[King] Oh.
[J.R.] And Cena's standing, his heart's beating.
So John Cena finally
has scored those big right handed bombs of Randy Orton.
[King] I bet now, Randy Orton would like to rethink his choice
on who he threw outta the ring. Well, wait a minute.
-[J.R.] Inverted backbreaker. -[King] Cover! Cover!
[J.R.] Orton's got the cover. Orton's got the leg.
Oh! Orton's got a two-count.
Man, oh, man.
Randy Orton, so impressive.
And now stopping the appendages of John Cena.
[King] Check this out, one more time. This huge punch.
Almost put Orton on dream street
when John Cena landed that big right hand but…
Orton once again with the upper hand. Oh!
-Knee to the head. -[J.R.] And the knee…
Another cover. Collateral press.
Orton couldn't reach in a leg. Cena used the legs to kick-out.
But Orton got another near fall.
With Michaels and Edge on the outside of the ring…
trying to regather themselves, it's Cena and Orton inside the ring.
And look at Cena battle back.
Cena, with the right hands, dancing with what brung him.
Big right hands. Nothing fancy about the WWE Champion.
[King] And every one of those lefts and rights have landed,
find their marking.
John Cena's shoulder finds the steel ring post.
[J.R.] The ring post shows no respect to the WWE Champion.
Cena may have separated his shoulder.
On that exchange, the ring post won.
And now it's Michaels and Orton back in the ring.
Again, the first man to score a pin or submission
leaves the WWE Champion.
[crowd exclaiming]
[J.R.] Michaels' little chops had Orton reeling. Orton reverses.
And Michaels exploding into the face of Randy Orton.
[King] And now Shawn Michaels pops up like a pimple on prom night.
-Right back down again. -[J.R.] Heel kick by Edge on Michaels.
[King] This is it. Look at this!
[J.R.] And Orton pulling Edge out the pile.
And now Orton. Every man for himself.
What the hell, man?
Every man for himself here.
[King] Wait a minute, Edge… trying to let a cooler head prevail here.
[J.R.] Now, Edge, uh…
[King] He's negotiating.
He's trying to talk sense into the head of Randy Orton. Is it gonna work?
[J.R.] There might be a collusion right there.
[King] I don't think it's a bad idea.
[J.R.] And now the double team apparently.
Team Rated-RKO reuniting, at least for a moment here.
And man, look at the impact of a double whip by Michaels.
And Michaels who has had a history of back problems,
took him out of the WWE for over four years.
And that was the object of that double whip.
[King] Well, these guys are wasting precious time.
If Orton and Edge collectively were together to eliminate…
Shawn Michaels here, then they could… Oh, look out. Wait, here comes John Cena.
[J.R.] Cena, face first
into the announce table,
the ECW announce table right here to our right.
And now the most hard shots by Randy Orton and Edge
to the back of Shawn Michaels.
And Michaels having to get to the ropes, just to pull himself back up.
[King] John Cena out like a light down here, looks like.
Man, we've had one announce table destroyed tonight
by The Undertaker and Batista, that classic Last Man Standing Match.
And Michaels upside down, inside out.
And look at the double team.
-[all exclaiming] -[J.R.] High elevation.
Edge and Orton are on the same page.
You gotta wonder how many chapters are in that book.
Orton and Edge seem to be very comfortable with what they're accomplishing right now.
John Cena out of the picture.
Shawn Michaels being decimated.
And now a double Boston Crab, a double submission.
If Michaels taps out,
who the hell is the winner?
[King] That's what I was gonna say. If Shawn Michaels taps here…
[J.R.] Michaels' in danger of tapping out from a double Boston Crab.
And if Michaels taps out, this match is over.
[J.R.] But we would be in danger of having, now,
what would we have? Dual champions?
What would-- Who would the winner be?
[J.R.] I have no idea what the winner would be or who the winner would be.
But we're about to find out, it looks like.
Michaels is trying to reach to the ropes. That's his only salvation right now.
Michaels reaching with everything he's got.
And Orton and Edge bring Michaels back to the center of the ring.
This match is in danger of ending at any moment,
but who will be the winner?
[King] I don't know how Shawn Michaels can keep from tapping much longer.
[all exclaiming]
[J.R.] Oh, God, the Cena block out. John Cena…
Cena came out of nowhere.
And we talked about Cena and Michaels wrestling…
you know, destroying that hour, last Monday in London,
about what effect it would have on…
Cena now in a brilliant rush.
[King] Well, like you said, John Cena came out of nowhere
and drove both heads up. Hey, look out!
-There's one for Shawn Michaels as well. -[J.R.] And Michaels is hurting bad.
Michaels dropped to the outside.
And John Cena has lit this place up,
taking down Edge with nothing but power.
[King] Hey, J.R, you think John Cena can do it right here?
He's feelin' it.
Oh, yeah.
[all] You can't see me!
All of our fans are feeling who they--
Both hands feel the Five Knuckle Shuffle.
-Hey, hey. -[J.R.] And what--
And Shawn Michaels and Randy Orton…
pulling John Cena out of the--
Cena…
Cena's being double teamed by Michaels and Orton.
-They're working-- -[all exclaiming]
[J.R.] Well, that partnership dissolved faster than one-year marriages, King.
[King] Oh, you gotta love this, J.R.
I mean, you can't trust anybody. Everybody's out to be The Champ.
At any cost.
And here's a perfect example of that.
Orton and HBK ramming John Cena.
Uh-oh. Wait a minute. Look out.
[J.R.] Orton's face first on our announce table.
[King] Easy…
[J.R.] As Shawn-- wait a minute, Michaels… -[King] Let me get out of--
Michael has got Orton here in front of us.
I don't know what the--
Remember, there's no disqualification.
Nobody can get counted out here. There's nothing the referee can do.
[all exclaiming]
-[King] Good God. -[J.R.] Good Lord. Good God, almighty.
Just as Michaels was gonna piledrive Randy Orton through our announce table,
Edge almost beheaded Michaels with a steel chair.
A vile, nasty, steel chair shot.
[King] Sounded like a shot, all right.
[all exclaiming]
[J.R.] Orton gave Edge a thumbs up.
And Edge just told Orton to go to hell with that chair shot.
Michaels is writhing in pain on our announce table.
Cena is…
he's not even back to his feet back in the ring.
But Edge is standing in control with a weapon that cannot be disqualified.
[King] He's got that steel chair. Oh, look out!
[J.R.] The toehold. STFU. STFU
[King] That's it, J.R.! It's locked in!
And there's nobody to help Edge.
[J.R.] Edge is in… Edge is in no man's land.
Cena's got the STFU locked in.
[King] Edge may have sealed his own fate
when he knocked down his other two opponents with that steel chair.
Cena inching back.
Edge with a true gut-check right here.
[J.R.] Edge reaching for the rope, and Edge saves himself.
He saves his title hopes…
by getting to the rope.
[King] Oh, man.
[King] Well, Edge had to truly save himself there
because Orton and Michaels were no help.
Look out. Orton back in the ring though.
[J.R.] And Cena again… Now, Cena's gonna do STFU on Randy Orton.
Cena punishing Randy Orton.
John Cena torturing RKO.
[King] And Cena, the freshest man in this match.
If Orton taps out, Cena retains-- Oh, wait. Shawn Michaels.
Shawn Michaels!
[J.R.] Single-leg takedown by John Cena.
And Michaels… Michaels count-down.
Michaels countered.
Oh, damn Jesus!
[King] Look out!
[J.R.] What shots…
What intense shots by Shawn Michaels.
And now, The Showstopper. The Main Event…
has bought himself and willed himself back into this ball-game.
[King] Watch your back, Shawn! Look out!
[J.R.] And another bridge…
straight right hands by Michaels and Edge goes out, gone.
[King] Oh, I'm gonna die, J.R.
We remembered Shawn Michaels beating Cena last Monday night.
And could he do it here again tonight?
It's looking like it.
[J.R.] Shawn Michaels has got that swagger.
His attitude, his confidence-- it's all there.
[King] He's going to the top, J.R.
This show is about to be stopped.
Here it is!
[J.R.] Sinking an elbow to the spleen.
And he found it, did Shawn Michaels.
And John Cena is in one hell of a big problem.
-Cena in big time trouble. -[King] Uh-oh.
-[all] Two. Three. -[King] The band is tuning up.
Shawn is going to play some Sweet Chin Music. Hey!
[J.R.] Edge trying to intervene. Michaels sidestepped Edge.
And, now, Michaels again… was thinking of Sweet Chin Music on Cena
but if Michaels pins Edge, Michaels is a champion anyway.
-[King] Either way, pin anybody you can. -[J.R.] Oh, the elbow!
Michaels flying on Air Canada there to Edge.
And Michaels scoops up Randy Orton.
My God, Michaels has scooped and slammed and elbowed and climbed to the top.
[King] Would've been a trifecta for HBK but--
I don't know if this is a good idea.
[J.R.] And, oh! The third time not the charm for Shawn Michaels.
And John Cena…
intervening…
-Cena with the big right hands. -[King] Oh, my.
-[J.R.] What the hell is Cena gonna-- -[King] He's gonna try an FU, I think.
Oh, wait, wait, wait. Look at this now.
[J.R.] Oh, good God. What in the hell?
[all exclaiming]
-[King] Oh, my gosh. -[J.R.] Good Lord. Edge and--
Edge and Orton taking Cena and Michaels down
in a human demolition derby.
[King] Yeah, this is like a car-wreck that you can't take your eyes off of.
We got all four men in the ring, and they're all down.
[J.R.] And how do you say any man can have an advantage now?
It's almost as if we're starting the match all over, the Fatal 4-Way,
with no disqualifications and no count-outs.
Can one man score a pin? Can one man earn a submission?
And that if they do, that one man is the WWE Champion.
[King] And you're right…
This match is not the same as the Last Man Standing Match.
Somebody has to be pinned. There has to be a pinfall or submission,
or this match is gonna go all night.
[J.R.] And it has to happen inside the squared circle.
And John Cena, looking to FU Edge.
-[King] It doesn't happen. Maybe it will. -[J.R.] Edge counters.
Cena counters. Cena counters. Edge counters back.
Cena just won't give up.
[King] He's determined to hit that FU.
[all exclaiming]
[J.R.] Michaels…
[all exclaiming]
[J.R.] Michaels thinking Sweet Chin Music. Orton got the RKO on Shawn Michaels.
[King] Luckily Cena saw that happen out of the corner of his eye.
[King] He was able to stop the pin. Look out!
[J.R.] Oh, the Impaler.
The DDT.
Edge has got Cena. The DDT.
[all exclaiming]
Edge got a--
the longest two-count, maybe in his life.
[King] This is the most intense match that I can remember, J.R.
-These guys… -[J.R.] Uh-oh.
Look at that…
[King] Start talking about intense. Look at that look on the face of Edge.
[J.R.] Edge's eyes tell a compelling story.
Edge may feel he is a spear away
from being the WWE Champion for the third time.
[King] He may be about to snap, J.R.
This guy's got more hang-ups than a women's closet.
Look out here! Oh, my!
[J.R.] Cena avoided contact.
-[King] Oh a spear! -[J.R.] Orton does it.
[all exclaiming]
-[J.R.] Cena! -[King] FUs!
[J.R.] FUs.
-[King] Oh, Sweet Chin Music! -[J.R.] The Chin Music.
Michaels and Cena--
-[bell dings] -[J.R.] And it's over! I can't believe it.
[King] Who won? What happened, who won?
[John Cena's theme song plays]
[announcer] The winner of this match and still WWE Champion…
John Cena!
[King] Oh, my gosh!
[J.R.] Well, King, you said it earlier-- would luck have any part of this match?
I don't know how much luck or perseverance or survival skills--
all four these men have got it all.
But John Cena was in the right place at the right time.
It would seem to me like there.
[King] His lights were turned out by Sweet Chin Music.
But as you said, luckily, as he fell backward,
he fell across Randy Orton.
[J.R.] The chain of events that led to the pin was absolutely amazing.
Look at this.
…up with RKO, but instead he got speared.
Then Edge, who speared Orton, got FU'd by Cena.
Then Cena falls.
Got the Sweet Chin Music from Shawn Michaels but look--
[bell dings]
[J.R.] Now watch this. Watch this chain of events.
A spear that took down Orton.
Now, you see the Viva John Cena.
Michaels just kicked-- Shawn Michaels just kicked John Cena
right on top of Randy Orton.
Michaels' Sweet Chin Music has led to John Cena,
somehow, someway, pinning Randy Orton.
Bottom-line, John Cena is, by God, still the WWE Champion.
[King chuckles]
I mean this is… this was utter chaos.
The referee had no idea where to go, who to look at, what to see.
Everything was unfolding so fast in front of him.
Let's see if we can watch this one more time
and try to put yourself in the referee's shoes here…
and see if you can keep up with the action.
First, the FU.
Right outta that, the Sweet Chin Music.
The ref all of a sudden realized that Orton's shoulders were down
and Cena was laying on top of him.
[J.R.] The referee had no option but to count.
Orton's shoulders were down. Cena was on top of him.
Shawn Michaels desperately tried to get there in time,
but the count was made.
But it was Shawn Michaels' Sweet Chin Music--
[King] Wait, wait, wait, J.R.
I think Shawn Michaels just expressed his opinion,
and everyone in this arena knows that Shawn Michaels' opinion
is he feels he is still the better man.
All I know is that Shawn Michaels' Sweet Chin Music hit John Cena
who landed right on top of Randy Orton.
Cena got the three-count. Cena's still the WWE Champion.
[King] You're right. The Sweet Chin Music won the match.
But John Cena is the winner. That's why Shawn is so upset.
He knew this match was his. Look at this.
[J.R.] Bam! Right there. The kick should've won the match,
but Michaels couldn't get there in time,
because Cena landed. Orton's shoulders were obviously down.
And there were times when Randy Orton
looked I thought he was gonna win this match
with the RKO. And Edge with the spear and the Impaler.
And Michaels' with Sweet Chin Music.
[King] Look at Cena's eyes' swollen. These guys are battered, bruised…
That kick landed right on the…
right on the upper eyelid of John Cena but somehow, Cena is still the champ.
[J.R.] John Cena kicked right in the face.
And Michaels knows it was Sweet Chin Music that gave John Cena the victory tonight.
And John Cena has persevered here at Backlash.
John Cena is still the WWE Champion.
[King] What a night. What a match!
[crowd cheering] ht. What a match!