page_title: Backlash (2008)
section_title: Storylines
hierarchical_section_title: Backlash (2008) / Production / Storylines
caption_attribution_description: John Cena
context_page_description: Backlash was a professional wrestling pay-per-view event produced by World Wrestling Entertainment. It took place on April 27, 2008, at the 1st Mariner Arena in Baltimore, Maryland. Following WrestleMania, all pay-per-views became tri-branded. It was the tenth annual event under the Backlash name and starred wrestler talents from Raw, SmackDown, and ECW brand divisions.
  Eight professional wrestling matches were scheduled on the event's card, which featured a supercard, a scheduling of more than one main event. The first was a Fatal 4-Way elimination for the WWE Championship match featuring wrestlers from the Raw brand, in which all four men fought in the ring at the same time, with competitors being eliminated by pinfall or submission. Triple H defeated WWE Champion Randy Orton, John Cena, and John "Bradshaw" Layfield to win the championship. The other main event featured wrestlers from the SmackDown brand, in which defending World Heavyweight Champion The Undertaker defeated challenger Edge in a standard wrestling match, also known as a singles match. The main event from the ECW brand was a standard match in which defending ECW Champion Kane defeated challenger Chavo Guerrero.
context_section_description: This event featured seven professional wrestling matches with outcomes predetermined by WWE script writers. The matches featured wrestlers portraying their characters in planned storylines that took place before, during and after the event. All wrestlers were from one of the WWE's brands – SmackDown, Raw, or ECW – the three storyline divisions in which WWE assigned its employees.
  Wrestlers from Raw were featured in the main event at Backlash: a fatal 4-way elimination match, in which four men wrestled each other and can be eliminated only by pinfall or submission. The match was contested for the WWE Championship, featuring the champion, Randy Orton, defending against Triple H, John Cena, and John "Bradshaw" Layfield (JBL). The buildup to the match began at WrestleMania XXIV, where Randy Orton defended his title against Triple H and John Cena in a Triple Threat match, in which the three men competed against each other, and the first man to score a pinfall or submission would win. Orton won the match, retaining the title after pinning Cena. On the following night's episode of Raw, with the WWE Championship shining on his shoulder, Randy Orton crowed about defeating both Triple H and John Cena at WrestleMania, declaring his reign as champion the "Age of Orton". But John "Bradshaw" Layfield had other ideas, telling Orton that he deserved a title match as a reward for proving that he was the toughest Superstar on Raw in his Belfast Brawl victory over Finlay also at WrestleMania. On the following week's episode of Raw, WWE Champion Randy Orton began the night believing he would go one-on-one with JBL at Backlash, but the tide quickly turned on him. Due to Triple H's complaint about himself being kicked in the head by Orton when he was about to pin Cena to win the WWE title at Wrestlemania, Raw General Manager William Regal placed Triple H into a Handicap match against Orton & JBL, and when Triple H won, Regal made the Triple Threat match for the title. Not to be outdone, John Cena also pleaded his case to Regal, who gave him the same Handicap Match ultimatum. After Orton's intended interference failed, Cena pulled out the win, thus, the championship match at Backlash became a Fatal Four Way starring three former WWE Champions challenging Orton. On the following week's episode of Raw, after his victory over William Regal, Orton felt compelled to meddle in the bout between Triple H and JBL. In an attempt at eliminating Triple H from Backlash, Orton ran in and nearly took off Triple H's head. He administered an RKO before then teaming with JBL against him. As Orton was set to punt Triple H's noggin again, however, JBL turned on him and laid him out with a vicious Clothesline From Hell.
  The main feud heading into Backlash on the SmackDown brand was between The Undertaker and Edge, over the World Heavyweight Championship. In February, at No Way Out, Undertaker won an Elimination Chamber match to become the number one contender to the World Heavyweight Championship at WrestleMania XXIV. At WrestleMania, Undertaker defeated Edge to win the World Heavyweight Championship and extend his WrestleMania undefeated streak to 16–0. On the April 4, 2008 episode of SmackDown, SmackDown General Manager Vickie Guerrero booked a WrestleMania rematch between Undertaker and Edge for the World Heavyweight Championship at Backlash.
  The secondary feud for SmackDown heading into Backlash was between Matt Hardy and MVP. On the November 16th, 2007 edition of SmackDown after failing to regain the Tag Team Championship from John Morrison and The Miz, MVP attacked Matt Hardy targeting and injuring his knee. The feud would start again at WrestleMania XXIV where Matt Hardy cost MVP the Money in the Bank Ladder Match by performing a Twist of Fate at the top of the ladder. Hardy would then face MVP on the April 4th, 2008 edition of SmackDown in a non-title match, which he won. It was confirmed on the next SmackDown that Matt Hardy would face MVP for the United States Championship at Backlash.
  The primary feud on the ECW brand was between Kane and Chavo Guerrero
caption: John Cena competed in the WWE Championship match.
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