Got a new shipment of VHS and DVD in the mail yesterday. I missed Raw last night because I was busy watching this card, which I hadn't seen since it aired live on pay-per-view (Don't worry, Raw was DVR'd).
 
I always thought this was a lame ending to the Triple H return. He battles back from injury, wins the Royal Rumble, leaves his bitch of a wife, wins the world title at WrestleMania. ...And then loses the title the next month to a guy in his 50s. ...Eh?
 
Maybe that's just me.
 
Angle / Edge still stole the show on second viewing, especially Kurt's punt which led to the finish. RVD / Eddie was better than I remembered. Smiled to see the early singles push for Bradshaw (always was a fan of his pre JBL ... then again, still am) as well as the TV in-ring debut of the Next Big Thing.
 
What did everyone else think of the last pay-per-view to have the initials WWF?
 

 
Backlash 02 - Kansas City, MO - Kemper Arena - April 21, 2002 (12,489)
 
Pay-Per-View bouts - featured Jim Ross & Jerry Lawler on commentary; included a backstage segment in which Farooq met with and hugged Bradshaw, with Farooq wishing Bradshaw good luck in his match against the nWo; featured a backstage segment in which Vince McMahon walked into Ric Flair's office and talked with Flair, Arn Anderson beside him, and questioned Flair's decision to be guest referee for the Steve Austin / Undertaker bout later in the show; Flair then said he would never be like McMahon, with McMahon saying he could try and extended his hand but Flair refused to shake it; included a backstage segment in which Paul Heyman hyped Brock Lesnar up for his first televised match; featured Tazz at WWF New York, with pretaped comments from fans in attendance over who they thought would win the match between Triple H and Hulk Hogan; included an in-ring promo by Chris Jericho, complaining about not having a match on the show even though he had just lost the WWE World Title and others like Billy Kidman, Trish Stratus, and Maven did get on the card; Jericho then complained of Hogan getting a title shot ahead of him; featured a backstage segment with Flair and Anderson in which the Undertaker appeared and didn't say a word but attempted to intimidate Flair prior to the match later in the night:
 
Tajiri (w/ Torrie Wilson) pinned WWF Cruiserweight Champion Billy Kidman to win the title at 9:08 when Tajiri sprayed Kidman in the face with red mist as Kidman attempted a powerbomb, with Tajiri falling on top for the win; after the bout, Michael Cole interviewed Tajiri at ringside with Tajiri speaking in Japanese until he dragged Torrie backstage
 
Scott Hall (w/ X-Pac) pinned Bradshaw (w/ Farooq) at 5:47 with a low blow and roll up immediately after Farooq rammed X-Pac into the steel ringpost on the floor; prior to the bout, Farooq made a surprise appearance to counter X-Pac at ringside
 
WWF Women's Champion Jazz defeated Trish Stratus at 4:26 via submission with the STF; prior to the bout, Molly Holly came out, insulted Trish, hit her with the mic, and threw her into the steel ringsteps on the floor before Jazz appeared; after the bout, Mark Lloyd interviewed Jazz at ringside, with Jazz walking off after he asked whether Molly had anything to do with the win
 
Brock Lesnar (w/ Paul Heyman) defeated Jeff Hardy (w/ Lita) at 5:31 when referee Teddy Long stopped the match, deeming Hardy unable to defend himself after sustaining the Brockbuster and three powerbombs; after the bout, Lita and several referees tended to Hardy in the ring (Lesnar's TV in-ring debut)
 
Kurt Angle pinned Edge at 13:24 with a kick to the face and the Olympic Slam after Edge attempted the spear
 
Eddie Guerrero pinned WWF IC Champion Rob Van Dam to win the title at 11:43 with the Frog Splash after dropping the champion with a neckbreaker onto the title belt
 
The Undertaker pinned Steve Austin at 26:58 after kicking a steel chair into Austin's face; Scott Hall & X-Pac briefly appeared ringside at the 12-minute mark; Austin's foot was on the bottom rope during the cover but guest referee Ric Flair didn't see it; due to pre-match stipulations, Taker became the #1 contender and earned a WWE World Title shot at Judgment Day; after the bout, Austin dropped Taker with the Stunner; moments later, Jonathan Coacham conducted a backstage interview with Flair, showing him footage of Austin's foot on the bottom rope during the cover, with Flair then saying "Aw, JD Costello" upon seeing he made a bad call
 
WWF Tag Team Champions Billy Gunn & Chuck Palumbo (w/ Rico) defeated Al Snow & Maven at 5:59 when Gunn pinned Maven after Palumbo hit the Jungle Kick on Maven following Snow chasing an interfering Rico out of the ring
 
Hulk Hogan pinned WWF World Champion Triple H to win the title at 22:05 with the legdrop after sending an interfering Undertaker to the floor with a clothesline, moments after Taker punched out referee Earl Hebner, hit Triple H over the head with a steel chair, and pulled Hogan on top of the champion; late in the bout, Chris Jericho punched out Hebner and hit Hogan over the head with a steel chair but was eventually knocked out of the ring by Triple H; after the bout, a bloody Triple H extended his hand to the new champion, with Hogan shaking it (Hulk Hogan: The Ultimate Anthology)