The Acolytes (future APA) and Mideon took on The Brood in the opening contest. I wasn't expecting much out of this match, but Mideon delivered a beautiful vertical suplex at one point and the Acolytes, while still working quite stiff, allowed their opponents to shine at certain times. JBL's offense on Christian was particularly devastating as he delivered an insane powerbomb out of the corner and then an absolutely devastating Clothesline from Hell to wrap things up. The crowd didn't react to much of this, but the Brood had only just recently turned babyface (more by default than anything as Christian was punished for "ratting") and Edge and Christian had not yet shown their personalities. Not a bad opener, but nothing too special. (2.5/5)
Al Snow challenged Hardcore Holly for the Hardcore Championship in the next match. After the brevity of the matches on the WrestleMania that came before this, I did not expect to see a hardcore garbage match like this go for 15+ minutes. This was just too long and drawn out and, despite the number of weapons used and the locales visited, tiresome. It almost seems like Snow and Holly wanted to outdo the famous Benoit/Sullivan match from a few years prior, but that match stood out because it was so different than anything that WCW had put on in the years before it. This felt like they were stretching out old ideas instead of really doing anything new and, when it came time for the finish, it was a little too cutesy for me. Maybe this would've worked better if they had shaved 3-4 minutes off, but this was a loooong 15 minutes to me. (1.5/5)
The Godfather was the Intercontinental Champion for no apparent reason and defends the title against Goldust in the next match. The Godfather was a fairly terrible wrestler and this was his most grating and annoying gimmick, though I guess the original Kama character was also pretty bad. When people talk about how impossible it seemed that Goldust (Dustin Rhodes) would ever be a decent worker again, this is the era in which it really seemed like he had completely sunk to the bottom of the roster. The audience is only interested in the Godfather's Ho Train, but who can blame them with what these two were doing in the ring? The ending is incredibly dumb as Goldust gets "blinded" and attacks his right hand man, The Blue Meanie, believing it to be The Godfather. A half-point for them keeping it short and for The Godfather's effort, I guess. (0.5/5)
The New Age Outlaws took on Jeff Jarrett and Owen Hart in a match to decide who the number one contenders for the WWE Tag Team Championships would be, but this was really just about 10 minutes of fans chanting for Debra McMichael's chest and occasionally popping for a nearfall. A year after this, the WWE's tag team division would actually go through a bit of a renaissance as The Hardys, Edge and Christian, and the Dudleys raised the bar with their car-crash, high-spot-loaded style of matches. This was more "traditional," except Road Dogg sucked as a worker and Jarrett and Owen were always solid workers, they didn't have as much chemistry as one would've assumed (watching Owen, it really does seem like despite the WWE's success, he had completely "checked out" on what the company had become and his place in it). I think I would've liked this more if the audience hadn't been so obsessed with Debra, who was really just eye candy on the outside and not much of a character/manager. (2/5)
In my review of WrestleMania XV I wrote that I was pleasantly surprised by the chemistry between Big Show and Mankind and opined that they should've worked together more extensively in the months to come, forgetting all about this match (which isn't hard to do because it is very forgettable). Instead of squaring off in the ring, the two heavyweights do battle in a Boiler Room Brawl and it is just not as good. Mankind was immensely over with the live crowds at the time and Big Show was never a great gimmick wrestler so he wasn't suited for this. They use a ton of weapons and some of the slams and bumps are great...but, remember, less than a half hour before this, Al Snow and Hardcore Holly had brawled in a very similar setting and worked a very similar match, taking much of the novelty out of this. Also, aesthetically, this match was promoted as a Boiler Room Brawl and, technically, it was...but when people think of boiler rooms, they tend to think of dark and dangerous and confined, not well-lit and open. I'm guessing these two guys put on some good matches on the house show loop around this time, but in this context, we didn't get to see them tell an actual story in front of an actual crowd. I'll also readily admit that I may be in the minority with how disappointed I was as, if you check out Cagematch, this match has a surprisingly high score and may even be considered, based on its rating alone, one of Big Show's best matches. (2.5/5)
Back to the ring we go for Triple H vs. X-Pac, a heated battle between two former best friends. At nearly 20 minutes, this match goes way too long and featured way too many restholds and headlocks for me. The ingredients were there for a really great match - X-Pac was still over as a babyface, Triple H and Chyna were getting heat after joining the Corporation, theoretically these two guys had the physical skills to tell a riveting story - but this match did not click for me. It wasn't that the psychology was off as Triple H really did do a good job of targeting X-Pac's neck, but parts of this were just too repetitive. Like, how many spin kicks can you throw into a match and still make them meaningful? How many times can Chyna grab someone's foot? This match needed some escalation of offense and it wasn't there. Then, when the match finally seemed like it was coming to a conclusion, Kane showed up to make sure it ended with enough shenanigans that nothing was accomplished and nobody left with more credibility or overness than anyone else. Too long by at least 5 minutes, too meaningless of a finish, too many repeated moves and spots, no escalation - this is why Triple H would go on to become one of my least favorite workers to watch despite everyone calling him a "ring general." (1.5/5)
The Undertaker took on Ken Shamrock in a heel/heel match that also went super long (nearly 20 minutes) next. On paper, this sounds like it might be an interesting match. The Undertaker always had a bit of an MMA fetish, though it wouldn't really become a part of his character for another few years. Shamrock was a legit bad-ass so, again, this might seem like a precursor to Taker's big matches with Lesnar...but it isn't anything like that. Instead, its a slow, ground-based match where the Deadman looks like he's literally months away from death - I'm not sure if he was just working injured or what - and Ken Shamrock is working at his least dynamic pace. This match could've been a brawl with big transition spots built on power (like Taker's series with Batista), this match could've been a clash of styles built around both guys' signature offense (or at least the Undertaker's) like the Taker/Angle matches, or it could've been a blend of both (like the aforementioned Taker/Lesnar matches), but this none of the above. It was just boring. The story was that Shamrock was attacking Taker's legs and keeping him grounded and while that psychology makes sense, it also makes for a boring match that makes the Undertaker almost too human (especially as this is still quite a bit of time before the American Badass Era really humanized him). Shamrock had many of the tools to be a bigger star in the WWE, but I'm not sure things ever really "clicked" all the way with him or if he was coached/mentored properly. The crowd chants for Shamrock's kayfabe sister (Ryan) multiple times in the match (when they're not chanting "boring"). There's also a very glaring nearfall miscue where Shamrock clearly gets pinned, but Hebner doesn't count the three. I guess its interesting to see the Undertaker deliver submission moves in 1999 against a smaller opponent, but that novelty isn't enough to make a 20-minute match satisfying beginning to end. In the end, Shamrock attempts a Tombstone - which shows that he likely could've delivered some big suplexes and slams even against a larger opponent that might've popped this crowd - but the Phenom reverses it to get the clean pin. The Undertaker fought too many immobile monsters in true stinkers over the years for this to ever be considered his worst...but it might be in the bottom 10. (1/5)
Main event time - "Stone Cold" Steve Austin defending the WWE Championship against The Rock with Shane McMahon as the guest referee (and the extra stipulation that if Austin touched Shane, he'd be DQ'd and lose the title). At the previous pay-per-view, WrestleMania XV, Austin defeated The Rock for the title. However, after unveiling the new "Smoking Skull belt," it ended up in the hands of The Rock, who then proceeded to try to throw it into a river - which was a callback to Austin and The Rock's feud over the Intercontinental Championship years earlier. Anyway, Austin ended up in the river, The Rock's car got crushed by Austin in a monster truck, and Shane McMahon got involved too and it all did huge ratings. So, we get to this match, which plays a bit like a looser, somehow less "stuffy" version of their WrestleMania match (which was already just a mostly wild brawl featuring multiple ref bumps and run-ins). Meltzer gave this match over 4 stars, which seems silly because it is not at all any sort of "workrate" match. However, it might also be the most "classic" and memorable of all the classic and memorable Austin/Rock matches. When people think of their bouts, this is the match that features many of the "classic moments" that might spring to mind - the Rock putting on a headset mid-match to do some commentary, the iconic spot where The Rock grabs the camera and the audience gets to enjoy a POV-style Stunner, the Rock Bottom through the table, and then the finish, which sees Vince McMahon do the unthinkable and essentially turn babyface to allow Austin to get the clean W over The Rock (this would, of course, be part of his long con ruse leading to the Higher Power angle some time later). I can definitely see the argument that this is the quintessential Austin/Rock match, though this is also a style of match that was emulated for far too long with far less heat and, consequently, might be considered a bit old hat 20+ years later. (4/5)
After the match, we get the famous "Where to, Stephanie?" kidnapping angle. That earns a plus one because it became a major tag for my friends and I as freshman/sophomores in high school. (+1)
With a not-too-great Kwang score of 2.06-out-of-5, Backlash 99' is not a show that offers too much great wrestling aside from the excellent main event. The Boiler Room Brawl is not nearly as good as the original, though its not bad. The Shamrock/Taker and HHH/X-Pac matches are both major whiffs considering the talent level and nothing else on the card is "PPV worthy." If you're looking for an Attitude Era show to watch, there are better ones to check out, but the main event of this show is essential viewing for fans of Austin and The Rock.
FINAL RATING - High Risk Maneuver
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