Backlash (2005) - Background

Background

The event featured six professional wrestling matches with different wrestlers involved in pre-existing scripted feuds, plots and storylines. Wrestlers were portrayed as either villains or fan favorites as they followed a series of tension-building events, which culminated in a wrestling match or series of matches. All wrestlers belonged to the Raw brand – a storyline division in which WWE assigned its employees to a different program, the other being SmackDown!.

The main event at Backlash was a standard wrestling match for the World Heavyweight Championship, in which Batista defended the championship against Triple H. The buildup to the match began after WrestleMania 21, WWE's previous pay-per-view event, where Batista defeated Triple H to win the championship. On the April 11 episode of Raw, one of WWE's primary television programs, it was announced that Batista would defend the championship against Triple H at Backlash, after Triple H invoked his rematch clause. The following week, Triple H had a no disqualification match, a match where neither wrestler can be disqualified, allowing for weapons and outside interference, against Raw commentator Jim Ross, in which Ross won by pinfall after Batista interfered and hit Triple H in the head with a steel chair. On the April 25 episode of Raw, Batista defeated Christian in a singles championship match, where Batista retained his title. After the match, Triple H assaulted Batista and hit the World Champion with a Pedigree.

The pay-per-view event featured the build up of a rivalry among two tag teams, a group of at least two wrestlers. The two groups were Shawn Michaels and Hulk Hogan versus Muhammad Hassan and Daivari. The night after WrestleMania, Michaels thanked the fans for their support towards him, despite Michaels losing at the event. Michaels continued, but was interrupted by Hassan and Daivari. Michaels, however, was in no mood to listen to Hassan's comments regarding Michaels loss. As a result, Michaels slapped Hassan, which led to Hassan and Daivari to attack Michaels, leaving him unconscious in the ring. The following week, Michaels approached authority figure Eric Bischoff, a portrayed match maker and rules enforcer, in which he demanded a handicap match with Hassan and Daivari, a match consisting of one wrestler or team of wrestlers facing off against a team of wrestlers with numerical superiority such as two against one, or three against two. Bischoff refused to schedule the match, but informed Michaels to find a partner and he would grant him the match. Michaels then made a plea for Hulk Hogan to come back and team with him. On the April 18 episode of Raw, Hassan again led an attack on Michaels until Hogan appeared to save Michaels and accept his offer.

Another preliminary match was between Edge versus Chris Benoit in a Last Man Standing Match. At WrestleMania, Edge won the first ever Money in the Bank ladder match, gaining himself a contract that gave him a shot at the World Heavyweight Championship within one year. On the April 4 episode of Raw, Edge chose not to use his contract that night, deciding to wait until the right opportunity. When Edge declined to force Batista into a title defense, Eric Bischoff scheduled Edge in a match against Chris Benoit. Benoit won the match by pinfall after performing a roll-up. After the match, Edge attacked Benoit's injured arm with a steel chair. Two weeks later, Benoit and Edge faced off in another match, in which ended in a no-contest, leading to Bischoff to book the Last Man Standing match for Backlash. Other feuds that received less promotion and culminated into matches at Backlash include WWE Intercontinental Champion Shelton Benjamin versus Chris Jericho for the title in standard singles bouts. William Regal and Tajiri versus Rosey and The Hurricane versus The Heart Throbs (Antonio Thomas and Romeo Roselli) versus La Résistance (Sylvain Grenier and Robért Conway) in a tag team turmoil match for the World Tag Team Championship, and a singles match between Kane (accompanied by Lita) versus Viscera (accompanied with Trish Stratus).