Intro

Prelude to Backlash

Batista finally won the WWE Championship, defeating Edge in his own Tables, Ladders...Chairs match. In an act of pure indignation, The Animal would make his first appearance on the flagship show, leaving SmackDown! behind. John Cena, fresh off a controversial victory over Randy Orton in Hell in a Cell for the #1 Contendership that ended with the Apex Predator falling unconscious to the STF submission hold, followed the new champion to Monday Night Raw, wondering when his chance would come to win the gold. The only problem is that Edge has a rematch clause.

"HOW DO YOU THINK I FEEL?!" The Rated-R Superstar growls at Maria's question, cheeks red with anger and a tinge of embarrassment, as Lita's glare makes Maria cower in fear. She squeezes the blonde wild-tempered superstar's solid, tattooed arm. "Let me jog your memory, sweetheart! I don't know what you losers were doing here on RAW at the time when I said adios, but this all started when I cashed-in my Money in the Bank briefcase and speared the Undertaker back to the spirit realm. I took my rightful place as world champion. And then this muscle freak Batista just barely sneaks out of WrestleMania in a match that I made famous. I'm sore, I'm pissed off, and I want my damn title back!"

"Good g-d, Edge is irrate!" Jim Ross reacts at ringside, next to longtime companion, "The King" Jerry Lawler. "I feel sorry for Edge, JR. It's no easy feat to topple the Phenom. And I hope Batista isn't listening, but the Animal got lucky. He lost so many times on SmackDown, JR, that I turned off the TV. I'd rather watch re-runs of our show. This is RAW, baby! Besides, TLC is famous because of Edge, when he speared Jeff Hardy off that ladder. Batista got his WrestleMania moment, but darn it, it's Edge's time to shine. Gives me more chances to see Lita, too! Woo!"

Meanwhile, RAW's women's division is heating up. Lawler hoots once a certain theme song hits.

"You have to wonder why Candice is choosing to be a part of this. What is there not to like about Mickie James?" JR speculates as the 3-on-1 handicap DIVAS match gets underway. "Did you say something, JR?" King jokes, enamored by Candice's entrance. "If you ask me, Trish Stratus can't let go of WrestleMania 22, when Mickie James put her square on her ass with that Mick Kick--"

"Geez, JR! Hold on, now. Do you remember, uh, how--well, I'll go on and say it--bonafide loony Mickie was back then? I don't blame Trish for not wanting James anywhere around her, especially with how she's been gawking at her Women's Championship as of late."

"You mean the same one she took from Trish to start all of this?"

"Well..." King trails off, as the next DIVA enters the arena.

"JR, I love my job." Ross chuckles at Lawler's honesty. The fiery diva joins Candice in the ring.

"Gotta love that laugh, JR. Trish looks like she means business."

Referee Charles Robinson has his hands full, nearly as badly as Mickie James and her uphill battle to win this match. That is not the last time Trish's theme song plays, as Mickie James is defeated rather easily, given the unfair nature of a 3-on-1 handicap match. "Only Bischoff would sign off on such a mauling," JR says in disgusted tones as Mickie James lays on the mat, beaten down and laid to waste. The trio of women leisurely walk up the ramp to a chorus of boos from the WWE Universe. "Mickie had no chance!"

Next up, the new team of Hardcore Bob Holly & Irish brute Fit Finlay take on the arrogant Tag Team Champions, Carlito & Chris Masters "The Masterpiece." A video plays on the Titantron of last week's backstage altercation with Carlito & Masters being called "punks with no sense of respect" by Holly. Finlay joins Holly's side, always ready for a tussle. "Hey, Finlay. You love to fight, don't cha? What do you say next week we teach these two punks a lesson in manners?" Carlito mutters an insult, but the Masterpiece steps between his partner and Holly, his imposing physique warding off a fight until now.

After Holly takes Carlito to school early, outwrestling the brash young talent, the Masterpiece wallops the veteran with a polish hammer while the referee is distracted telling Finlay to keep his distance at ringside. A few moments later, Finlay tosses the shillelagh up over the ropes to Holly. Masters protests by jumping on the ring apron, blocked off by the referee, who also doesn't witness Holly bashing Carlito--afro and all--in the head for the 3-Count.

"We'll take those titles next, boys!" Holly hollers at the champions as he and Finlay walk up the ramp, leaving their foes to lick their wounded pride as the Irishman brandishes his trusty weapon. "No, you won't!" Carlito yells back, holding his head with one hand, one of the Tag Team Titles with the other.

Newly impressive duo, MNM, get a good win over Regal & Eugene, as the camera finds HBK.

"These fans call me the Heartbreak Kid. And you know, they're not wrong. Every man in this business cares most about one thing: the world title. If you ain't got that, you got problems. I used to say, 'Ah, so what if I'm not the champ? Right? Triple H, Randy Orton, Stone Cold, The Rock, Undertaker, Goldberg, Batista, Kurt Angle, Edge, John Cena, Hogan--it's cool, they got it right now. My time will come. It's fine. Then one day? It wasn't fine. Didn't sit well with me any longer. So, I don't smile as much anymore. I ain't lost it a second time. I just ain't got nothing to be happy about if I ain't got that world championship belt around my waist. So, the fans boo me. It's...fine. I'm still the Show Stopper. At Wrestlemania, those fans may have booed me, but I stole the show once again. It's what I do. Guess you could say I'm talented." Shawn looks directly into the camera. "And this is me saying I want that championship. Batista, Edge, Cena, Orton--doesn't matter who. It's a matter of when."

"Cheating, no-good sonuva--" JR fires up, then settles down at King's request, watching John Bradshaw Layfield bust open Booker T's skull with the Intercontinental Championship. "Booker T's fine, JR. He can just go steal some gold jewelry somewhere," King pokes fun, as JR scowls at him. "That the way you won your matches back in the day, King?" 

"Well, not exactly, JR, but give it up to JBL. He always finds a way to win. You may not like how he does it, but it's still impressive." Booker T looks on in bloodied defeat, as JBL exits with a grin on his face.

"JBL can suck up to Bischoff all he wants, but at Backlash he's gotta beat Booker T in the middle of that ring."

"And I think he will. He's a great champion," King continues to bicker with Ross.

Intense tag-team action follows, as Shawn Michaels gets a tainted victory over John Cena. Randy Orton, having come to after their Hell in a Cell match, sneaked into the ring and leveled the Chain Gang Leader with a devastating R.K.O, allowing HBK to crack Cena with Sweet Chin Music. Noticeably, neither Orton or Michaels are too friendly toward the other. It's all about the WWE Title.

To end the night, Edge gets the controversial victory over the WWE Champion after Lita low blows the Animal, exposing him to a deadly spear by the former title holder. As the wounded beast recovers in the ring, Edge & Lita stand on the RAW stage. The victory appears to have calmed the irrate Rated-R Superstar, or perhaps the slobbery PDA by a celebratory Lita. "Next time, Batista, it won't just be a three-count. That title is mine!" Edge runs a hand through his matted hair, trying to keep his composure as Lita takes the microphone. "At Backlash, my man is going to put down the animal, for good." Edge grins, kisses the smirk off his woman's face, as a wounded Batista stands defiantly in the ring.