Backlash 2005: Batista Keeps Moving Forward While the Rest of Raw Mostly Stands Still

Benjamin and Jericho work a competitive opener that gets better as the crowd realizes neither man is going to dominate. Jericho repeatedly counters Benjamin's speed with positioning, while Benjamin answers with athletic escapes, the springboard bulldog, and a spectacular leap to the top rope for a superplex. The match builds through several believable near falls instead of relying on outside interference. Jericho traps Benjamin in the Walls of Jericho twice, but the champion reaches the ropes and survives. Benjamin then counters a sunset-flip sequence into the deciding pin, retaining the title cleanly. The finish is abrupt enough to surprise without feeling cheap. It is the night's most polished conventional wrestling match and a strong continuation of Benjamin's long championship reign.

The turmoil format gives the match constant movement but also reveals how little identity most of Raw's tag division has. Regal and Tajiri carry the early stages, eliminating the Heart Throbs and the improvised team of Maven and Simon Dean before La Resistance steals a fall with the tights. That guarantees new champions and gives the final entry genuine stakes. Hurricane and Rosey receive the strongest reaction, survive a brief control segment, and finish Conway with Hurricane splashing from Rosey's shoulders. The title change is a satisfying payoff and the crowd treats it like one. The wrestling between eliminations is mostly functional, however, and several teams feel assembled simply to fill the format. The happy ending is considerably stronger than the thirteen minutes preceding it.

Edge and Benoit make the stipulation feel like a fight rather than a normal match with delayed pin counts. Benoit attacks with suplexes and submissions even though neither can directly win, using the Crossface and Sharpshooter to exhaust Edge before the standing counts begin. Edge answers by turning the environment into a weapon, including a trash-can-assisted superplex and repeated Spears. The structure escalates naturally, with both men surviving increasingly desperate attempts before Edge opens the Money in the Bank briefcase and reveals a brick. One strike to Benoit's head ends the match when he cannot answer ten. The finish is memorable but uncomfortable in hindsight. Before that moment, the match is physical, coherent, and important to Edge's developing heel identity.

Kane and Viscera have a simple power-match idea but very little pace with which to execute it. Viscera's size gives Kane a temporary obstacle, and the match tries to create interest through Trish Stratus and Lita at ringside rather than through sustained wrestling. Kane spends much of the opening trying to knock Viscera down, while Viscera answers with slow clubbing offense and a chokebomb for the closest near fall. Trish attempts to interfere with a chair, Lita stops her with a crutch, and Kane eventually wins with a big boot and chokeslam. The post-match angle becomes more memorable than the contest when Viscera attacks Trish. Six minutes is brief, yet the match still feels longer because almost nothing develops between the opening premise and finish.

The match is designed around Hogan's return and the Manchester crowd willingly does most of the heavy lifting. Michaels handles the longer athletic stretches, selling for Hassan and Daivari before creating the expected hot tag. Hogan works his familiar punches, clotheslines, big boot, and comeback sequence while the audience reacts as though every movement is a major event. The heels use a lead pipe to create their only believable openings, first against Michaels and later against Hogan. Michaels eventually lands Sweet Chin Music on Daivari and Hogan makes the pin. The result is never in serious doubt, and fifteen minutes stretches the formula beyond what the matchup requires. As live nostalgia it succeeds. As a replayable wrestling match it is basic and overlong.

The WrestleMania rematch is less about proving Batista can win than proving he can survive Triple H's experience a second time. Flair interferes immediately, Triple H controls long stretches, and the challenger repeatedly looks for the Pedigree while attacking Batista's back. Batista's comebacks are simple but effective because the crowd already accepts his power as the equalizer. The finishing sequence becomes cluttered when Triple H uses the championship belt and the referee is unavailable for Batista's first apparent winning pin. A replacement referee counts two, Triple H tries another low blow, and Batista eventually lands the Batista Bomb for the clean three. The match is good enough and the correct wrestler wins, but the interference makes the second victory feel less decisive than the story deserves.