Review by JJ Botter 

OPENING NOTES

I’ve had a LOT of good feedback since posting my two old Analysis pieces to the WWF tape review section yesterday.  A lot of it came from people who enjoyed my short and to the point recaps of the highlights and lowlights of the two shows I put up.  So, with that in mind, I’ve decided to keep doing them for every major pay per view.  Don’t worry – Scott’s still the man when it comes to PPV recaps, but I’m in need of another source of content and these reviews seem to be popular among those who’ve read them.

THE GOOD

- Rhyno vs. Raven.  To me, this was the match of the night.  I enjoyed Chris Benoit and Kurt Angle going at it, but this match was a lot more fun and in the end that’s what’s important to me when I’m watching wrestling.  There were several spots from this match that were innovative and fun, and according to Rhyno over at WWF.com most of them were developed and created by Raven.  Here’s to these guys hooking it up again at some point in the near future.

- Shane’s Magnificent Fall. How much higher can Shane go?  My guess is that we’ve probably seen the last of Shane’s big bumps for awhile, because there’s really nothing else he can do short of intentionally setting himself on fire in the ring that would impress anyone.  Shane McMahon is one of the most consistently entertaining superstars in the WWF, and his much-respect work ethic will surely filter down to the boys in WCW.  He’s sending the ultimate message – if the boss is willing to put his body on the line, then everyone else should be expected to give 110% every single night.

- Benoit vs. Angle. So what if it wasn’t the classic we all expected? Chris and Kurt still did a fantastic job of delivering a realistic match that came across very well on television. I watched the show with a bunch of friends at Hooters, and every single time Benoit would struggle to get the Crossface locked in the place would erupt.  The coolest part about the match is that we’ll get to see them do it at least one more time, most likely in an Olympic Rules style match at Judgment Day.

THE BAD

- Production Errors. Up until April, the WWF had been known for delivering a virtually flawless program on every television broadcast.  Recently, though, they’ve been plagued by the same kind of errors that haunted WCW for much of it’s lifespan.  Things like missing the pinfalls during matches and having your cameramen in the wrong spot at the wrong time really takes away from the enjoyment of the show.  I don’t like having to see a replay to catch what I should have seen the moment it happened.

- Regal vs. Jericho. I think everyone else around these parts have covered this in enough detail.  I’ll just say that I didn’t really like the gimmick the first time they did it, and this time around it was just boring and predictable.  I want to see these guys get 15 minutes to WRESTLE and not do another dumb gimmick match.  Fortunately, it looks like they’ll get another shot at Judgment Day 2001.

- Shane McMahon vs. The Big Show.  The match was just a chance to set up Shane’s big bump from the entrance.  If that was the case all along, why not just make the match go REALLY short and do the bump? Don’t get me wrong – I DO enjoy watching Shane, but Big Show just isn’t cutting it for me at this point.

THE TOP PERFORMERS

- Rhyno.  Rhyno’s being pushed along at just the right speed, and it’s only a matter of time before performances like this one get him over the top as a monster.  It’s my belief that the guy could be as big as Goldberg if handled properly, and thus far they haven’t disappointed.  Great match and a great performance by the little big man.

- Chris Benoit.  It goes without saying that Benoit is the top performer in the sport today, and he continues to prove every single night why he’s deserving of that distinction.  Kurt Angle is no slouch, but I firmly believe that Benoit could battle a basketball and make the match look believeable.

- Raven.  Rhyno had help in the Hardcore title match, and it was Raven’s excellent booking of the match that made all the difference.  He’s revitalized the Hardcore division with his creativity, and I’m hoping he gets elevated into a higher stature before long.

THE RATINGS

I assign star ratings a bit differently than others.  For me, the more entertaining a match was, the higher the star rating it’ll get.  I enjoy workrate and psychology just as much as the next guy, but if it’s not entertaining I won’t rate it as high.  Keep in mind that star ratings are OPINIONS.

Angle vs. Benoit - ****
Rhyno vs. Raven - ***3/4
HHH/Austin vs. Kane/Undertaker - ***
X-Factor vs. The Dudley Boyz - **3/4
Matt Hardy vs. Christian vs. Eddy Guerrero - **1/2
Steven Regal vs. Chris Jericho - **
Shane McMahon vs. The Big Show - *

THE BOTTOM LINES

We’ve all become spoiled by WWF pay per views.  Nearly every month since last April the WWF has delivered an incredible pay per view performance that tops the last month’s outing.  This month was different.  While it wasn’t even a remotely BAD event, Backlash simply can’t live up to the standards that they have set for themselves.

Overall Show Rating (OSR): **1/2
Backlash 2000 OSR: ****

Last WWF OSR: Judgment Day 2000 (****1/2)