At the beginningof this I said the rules were that the matches couldn't involve the other two teams in this series, and couldn't involve tag teams from other posts. I may have bent the rules here, as The Hardyz faced the New Age Outlaws, and this match involves Road Dogg, one half of that tag team, with X-Pac at a time where they represent DeGeneration X, as did the New Age Outlaws. So I'm going to call this my X-Pac rule. Similar to the Freebird Rule in wrestling for factions defending tag team championships, substituting members.
This was the opening match for the 2000 edition of WWF's Backlash Pay-Per-View. Edge & Christian won the championships last month at Wrestlemania in TLC:Prototype. The Triangle Ladder Match against defending champions The Dudley Boyz and The Hardy Boyz. At this point in time the tag team championships were pot-potatoed around a lot throughout the division. *cough* RUSSO *cough* Edge and Christian were the last in the trio to hold the championships with each team having held the belts once at this point.
Jim Ross and Jerry "The King" Lawler handling commentary tonight. Debra is making her return to the WWF as the first person we see on this broadcast and the special guest ring announcer for this match. JR says it's the first of 6 championship matches tonight, man they really catered to everyone with championships... Lawler still doesn't have himself under control by the time the challengers come down to the ring, accompanied by Tori. Road Dogg does his usual pre-match stuff, clarifying to Debra that he wasn't stepping in out of disrespect, he likes her mic work. Has Debra done many promos? Interestingly Road Dogg's hype work got a mixed reaction, slight majority cheers but definite boos in there too. Road Dogg has held the tag belts on six occasions, holding the record for most reigns with the belts. Interesting in retrospect now Edge has surpassed him and this was during his first reign. X-Pac is also a former Tag Team champion. Debra's really slurring her words tonight. She sounds relieved when she finishes, emphesising "Edge and Christian" with a definite sigh. Road Dogg and X-Pac are seen as the favourites here over the champions, due to their experience advantage.
EDGE & CHRISTIAN VS. ROAD DOGG & X-PAC
(WWF Tag Team Championships)
WWF Backlash (30th April 2000)
"X-Pac sucks" chants from the crowd as the match begins. This seems to be a strange situation where Road Dogg is being treated like a face and X-Pac a heel by the crowd. Edge begins the match with X-Pac, X-Pac tells Edge "I'll beat your ass boy" and they lock up, X-Pac grabs a headlock, transitions to a hammerlock and back again before Edge releases his grip into a top wristlock. X-Pac moves over to the ropes for a top rope assisted backflip to arm drag out. The fans didn't appreciate it too much. A second collar-elbow tie up leads to an Edge headlock, X-Pac sends him across the ring but gets knocked down. X-Pac goes prone, leap frogs the return then gets clocked with a spinning heel kick by Edge, sending him down to the floor. Road Dogg tries to cool X-Pac down on the outside as he's getting frustrated early. X-Pac back in the ring only to spit at Edge before tagging out.
Road Dogg taking his time, reaching a hand out for Edge, but he kicks him in the gut. Road Dogg sends Edge across the ring but Edge ducks a back elbow and hits Road Dogg with a flying headscissors, knocking him down again with a clothesline before tagging out to Christian. The champions send Road Dogg into the corner and Christian hits an Edge-assisted cross body in the corner. Christian sends Road Dogg down to the mat and hits Road Dogg with right hands. Christian gets two consecutive nearfalls before Road Dogg is able to fight back to his feet. Road Dogg backs Christian into DX's corner and tags out to X-Pac. Christian starts fighting back against X-Pac but gets sent across the ring, Christian hits a powerslam and sends X-Pac face first into the top turnbuckle. Christian kicks at X-Pac and mounts the second rope for the 10 punches. He's only able to get three before Road Dogg hangs him on the top rope, X-Pac explodes out of the corner with a crazy clothesline knocking Christian down before dumping him out of the ring. Edge tries to get across the ring to help his partner, but that brings the referee over as Road Dogg sends Christian into the ring steps. Road Dogg tosses Christian into the ring and makes an audible tag for the referee before covering Christian, 1, 2, no!
Road Dogg grabs a front facelock after arguing with the referee, but Christian is able to slowly make his way back to the corner, X-Pac enters the ring to distract the referee at the last second! He didn't see the tag so Road Dogg and X-Pac double team Christian in the corner. That got one hell of a heel reaction. X-Pac hits a Bronco Buster on Christian before tagging back out. Road Dogg snapmares Christian over and he boots the small of Christian's back with a pair of soccer kicks. Road Dogg covers but Christian still kicks out at 2. Road Dogg applies a chinlock on the mat. Christian is slowly willed to his feet by Edge and the crowd and he fights back at Road Dogg with elbows and right hands. Christian picks up some speed and Road Dogg ducks early, Christian hits him with a boot, but the second time runs into Road Dogg's jabs. Road Dogg hits the knee drop to follow up and covers, but Edge saves the match. X-Pac comes in for some cheap kicks to Christian's face as the referee's telling Edge off, but Christian starts fighting back and sends Road Dogg across the ring, Road Dogg ducks a clothesline and both men hit each other with a flying cross body. That took a lot out of each of them and the referee counts them down.
They both stir at 3 with a long way to go, X-Pac attacks Christian so Edge climbs to the top rope for a diving headbutt on Road Dogg. Edge sends X-Pac off and Christian covers Road Dogg for a close nearfall. Road Dogg has the awareness to grab Christian by his hair and bring him over to DX's corner, tagging out to X-Pac. Christian flips out of a double team attempt and hits them both with double inverted DDTs! Christian finally gets the tag to Edge who knocks Road Dogg and X-Pac down with right hands. The hot tag lives up to it's name as X-Pac reverses an irish whip. Edge catches X-Pac in a powerbomb and covers, but Road Dogg breaks it up at 2. Road Dogg sets up for a Pumphandle slam but Christian grabs him in an unprettier, Road Dogg shoves Christian into a spinning kick from X-Pac. Edge spears Road Dogg out of the corner and stalks X-Pac, Tori grabs Edge's hair, but falls victim to an accidental right hand from X-Pac. Edge rolls X-Pac up, 1, 2, NO! The fans are going livid for everything these four do. Christian has Tori on the outside, baiting out Road Dogg who attacks him from the apron. X-Pac hits the X-Factor back in the ring and covers, Road Dogg tries to turn the referee's attention to the cover, but he's more bothered about arguing with him, allowing Christian to clock X-Pac with the ring bell. Christian keeps Road Dogg away whilst Edge covers X-Pac for the win.
WINNERS: EDGE & CHRISTIAN (STILL WWF TAG TEAM CHAMPIONS)
This was an interesting match to start the show with.Edge & Christian were a hot tag team turning heel, the fans hated X-Pac but loved Road Dogg, but Road Dogg worked more of a heel style match for the ocassion. The actual match itself was a good first PPV defense for the new champions though, they looked like they were almost keeping up with their way more experienced opponents, and the ring bell just gave them the last minute advantage they needed amongst all the chaos. 3.6/10
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