Backlash 2006 Backlash 2006 was a professional wrestling pay - per - view ( PPV ) event produced by World Wrestling Entertainment ( WWE ) , which took place on April 30 , 2006 at the Rupp Arena in Lexington , Kentucky . It was the eighth event under the Backlash name and featured wrestlers and other talent that performed on the Raw brand . Seven professional wrestling matches were scheduled on the event ' s card , which saw three main matches . The first of these main events was a Triple Threat match for the WWE Championship , which saw John Cena defeat challengers Triple H and Edge to retain his title . The second main event was Shawn Michaels and " God " versus Vince and Shane McMahon in a No Holds Barred match , which was won by the McMahons . The third main event was a " Title versus Briefcase match " between Rob Van Dam ( the Money in the Bank holder ) and Shelton Benjamin ( the Intercontinental Champion ) . In this match , Van Dam defeated Benjamin to retain his Money in the Bank briefcase and win the Intercontinental Championship . The event received 273 , 000 pay - per - view buys , which was more than the previous year ' s event received . This contributed to WWE ' s pay - per - view revenue increasing by $ 4 . 3 million from the previous year . When the event was released on DVD , it peaked at second on " Billboard " ' s DVD sales chart for recreational sports . Background . Backlash featured professional wrestling matches that involved different wrestlers from pre - existing scripted feuds , plots , and storylines that were played out on " Raw " . Wrestlers portrayed a villain or a hero as they followed a series of events that built tension , and culminated into a wrestling match or series of matches . All wrestlers were from World Wrestling Entertainment ( WWE ) ' s Raw brand — a storyline division in which WWE employees are assigned to a television program of the same name . The main event at Backlash was a Triple Threat match , a standard wrestling match involving three wrestlers for the WWE Championship between John Cena , Triple H , and Edge . The buildup to the match began when Triple H lost the Royal Rumble match , a multi - competitor match type in which wrestlers are eliminated until one is left and declared winner but participated in the 2006 Road to WrestleMania Tournament , where the winner would become the number - one contender to the WWE Championship at WrestleMania . Triple H won the tournament . Cena defeated Triple H at WrestleMania to retain the title after forcing him to submit to the STFU , a move in which the wrestler wraps his arm around the neck of the opponent in a sleeper hold instead of pulling back on the head of the opponent . The next night on " Raw " , one of WWE ' s primary television programs , Triple H demanded another shot at the WWE Championship , but Edge and Lita ( Edge ' s girlfriend ) interrupted Triple H ' s segment . Edge said that he became WWE Champion at New Year ' s Revolution when he cashed in his Money in the Bank title shot , that he won at WrestleMania 21 , and defeating Cena at the event , after Cena had defeated five other men in an Elimination Chamber , a match featuring wrestlers fighting in a ring surrounded by a steel structure of chain and girders . Cena , however , reclaimed the Championship at the 2006 Royal Rumble , when he defeated Edge . Edge claimed that it was time for a new opponent for the WWE Championship , after stating that at WrestleMania , Triple H lost his opportunity when he lost to Cena . All three men had a series of Handicap matches , a match consisting of one team of wrestlers facing off against a team of wrestlers with numerical superiority such as three against two , or two against one leading up to Backlash with Triple H pinning Cena after tucking Cena ' s head between his knees and jumping up to slam his head to the mat , a move that Triple H calls the Pedigree , Cena forcing Edge to submit to the STFU , and Edge executing a shoulder block takedown on Triple H and pinning him . It was then announced that Cena would defend the WWE Championship in a Triple Threat match against Triple H and Edge at Backlash . Another rivalry heading into the event was Vince McMahon and Shane McMahon versus Shawn Michaels and God . This feud started on December 26 , 2005 , when Vince McMahon made note of Bret Hart ' s DVD , claiming that he " tricked " Hart in the hours of his match at Survivor Series 1997 , where Hart lost the WWE Championship to Shawn Michaels . At the event , Michaels applied Hart ' s own finisher , the Sharpshooter , and McMahon called for the bell , in an event known as the " Montreal Screwjob " . Michaels interrupted McMahon and told him to " let it go " and " move on " from the events of Survivor Series . In reply McMahon told Michaels that he indeed screwed Bret Hart and added , " Shawn , do not make me screw you . " At the Royal Rumble , Shane McMahon made a surprising appearance when he eliminated Michaels from the Rumble match , though Shane was not a participant . McMahon informed Michaels that he would face his son Shane on the March 18 , 2006 edition of Saturday Night ' s Main Event in a No Holds Barred match . At the event , Vince interfered throughout the match on his son ' s behalf , by stopping the referee ' s count , after Michaels performed Sweet Chin Music , a move which sees the wrestler use the sole of the foot to strike an opponent ' s head or chin on Shane , an enraged Michaels grabbed McMahon but before he could do anything , Shane hit Michaels with a low blow . McMahon ordered Shane to apply the Sharpshooter on Michaels , and , after he executed the submission move , McMahon called for the bell , similar to the 1997 Survivor Series match . Mr . McMahon booked himself and Michaels in a No Holds Barred match at WrestleMania 22 . At WrestleMania , the Spirit Squad and Shane McMahon interfered on McMahon ' s behalf , but Michaels defeated Vince McMahon after he performed Sweet Chin Music and captured the pinfall victory . The next night on " Raw " , The McMahons confronted Michaels and informed him that his win at WrestleMania was " an act of God , " therefore setting up the tag team match at Backlash that would have The McMahons facing Michaels and God . The Divas rivalry between Mickie James and Trish Stratus over the WWE Women ' s Championship continued entering the event . Stratus and James first fought over the title at New Year ' s Revolution , with Stratus retaining . In the months that followed , James ' obsession with Stratus grew to the point that she confessed to Stratus that she was in love with her ; making Stratus uncomfortable . James made one final attempt to kiss Stratus at " Saturday Night ' s Main Event " on March 18 , but after she was rebuffed , James turned into a villainess and attacked Stratus , while later vowing to destroy her . At WrestleMania 22 , James defeated Stratus to capture the Women ' s Championship for the first time in her career . In the following weeks , the evil James continued her mind games by dressing like Stratus and claiming to be her . Stratus eventually confronted James by dressing like her and mocking her personality . It was later announced that James and Stratus would face each other for the Women ' s Championship at Backlash Event . Before the event aired live on pay - per - view , Goldust defeated Rob Conway in a match that aired on " Heat " . Goldust won the match after a powerslam , a move where the wrestler performing the slam falls face - down on top of his opponent . The first match of the event was between Carlito and Chris Masters . In the beginning of the match , Carlito had the advantage over Masters , as he jumped from the ring to the outside and impacts his chest against Masters ' chest , and performed a Springboard Back elbow . Masters , however , gained the advantage and executed a Powerbomb , a move which is executed by the attacking wrestler slamming the opponent after lifting them on their shoulders on Carlito into the turnbuckle . Carlito performed a Back Cracker , a move where the wrestlers goes behind the opponent and jumps up to place both his knees against the opponent ' s back , forcing the wrestler ' s knees to push up into the back of the opponent . Carlito then pinned Masters while using the ropes for leverage to win the match . Next was a match between Umaga and Ric Flair . Umaga had the advantage throughout the match , as Umaga hit Flair with a knee to his head . Umaga defeated Flair after hitting Flair in the throat with his thumb . The third match was between Mickie James and Trish Stratus for the WWE Women ' s Championship . The match had escalated outside the ring . When Stratus delivered punches to Mickie , who was on the second turnbuckle , Mickie threw her over the top rope , causing Stratus to land on her right arm . Afterwards , Mickie choked Stratus with a wristband she was wearing that fell off during the match , therefore giving the win to Stratus by disqualification , but per WWE regulations , a title can only change hands via pinfall or submission therefore Mickie retained the Championship . The next match was for the WWE Intercontinental Championship between Rob Van Dam and Shelton Benjamin . Both Van Dam and Benjamin started the match with high spots as Benjamin performed a Sunset Flip Powerbomb , a move in which a wrestler will roll / flip over an elevated opponent facing them in a reverse body scissors and use the momentum to pull the opponent down to the floor . The match went back and forth with action , but in the end Van Dam performed a body splash , known in wrestling as a frog splash , from the top turnbuckle on Benjamin and pinned him to win the match and retain his Money in the Bank briefcase and win the Intercontinental Championship . The next match was The Big Show versus Kane , which ended in a no contest after a red hue covered the ring and voices from the speakers in the arena began taunting Kane with " May 19 " . Big Show who seemed to have enough , hit Kane with a folding chair and walked away . The sixth match was Vince and Shane McMahon versus Shawn Michaels and God in a No Holds Barred match . As soon as The McMahons made their way to the ring , Vince informed the referee to " check " God for any hidden objects , as God was being " portrayed " by the stage spotlight . The match started with Shawn Michaels executing a crossbody on both Vince and Shane McMahon on the outside of the ring . Afterwards , Michaels crossbodied Vince down through a part of the Backlash staging area . Shane then hit Michaels with a folding chair and caused him to bleed . After Vince and Shane took turns assaulting Michaels , Vince grabbed a microphone and informed Michaels that " God " had left the building and used a Superkick , Michaels ' own signature finisher , against him . Michaels battled back and grabbed two tables and put both Vince and Shane on them . Michaels then grabbed a ladder and stood on top of it . The Spirit Squad ( Kenny , Johnny , Mitch , Nicky , and Mikey ) interfered and attacked Michaels , which was followed by the Spirit Squad putting Michaels through a table with a Sky lift slam , a move in which the two attacking wrestlers standing either side of an opponent ; the wrestlers then force the opponent upwards , throwing them up while releasing the hold to allow the opponent slam to the mat back - first . Vince then pinned Michaels for the win . The main event was the Triple Threat match for the WWE Championship between champion John Cena , Edge , and Triple H . As the match began , Edge chose to stand outside the ring , hoping that Cena and Triple H would simply fight the match themselves . Cena and Triple H , however , teamed up and turned against Edge . One spot in the match saw Edge catapult Triple H into the steel ringpost , which made Triple H bleed as a result . Afterwards , Edge drove Triple H ' s head through a table and then focused on Cena . Cena , however , locked Edge in the STFU , but was broken when Triple H hit Cena in the head with a microphone . Triple H then went after Edge and hit him with a chair , sending him over the security wall and into the audience . Lita , who accompanied Edge , entered the ring with a chair to hit Triple H , but Triple H reversed it into a Spinebuster , a move where the wrestler lifts the opponent , turning 180° , and then tosses her forward onto her back . Near the end of the match , Cena had Edge on his shoulders for an FU , Triple H then delivered a low blow to Cena , which made Cena drop Edge out of the ring and attempted to execute a Pedigree . Cena , however , countered it into a jackknife roll - up , a hold that has the attacking wrestler lift the opponent ' s legs from behind the knees . Still gripping the opponent ' s legs , the attacking wrestler then flips forward , over the opponent , and plants their feet on the mat while bridging the back to add leverage . Cena won the match and successfully retained the WWE Championship . After the match , Triple H hit Cena , Edge , and the referee with a sledgehammer .