Backlash 2005 Backlash 2005 was the seventh annual Backlash professional wrestling pay - per - view ( PPV ) event produced by the World Wrestling Entertainment ( WWE ) , which took place on May 1 , 2005 at the Verizon Wireless Arena in Manchester , New Hampshire . The show ' s six matches showcased prominent WWE wrestlers , who acted out the franchise ' s stories in and out of the ring . The event starred talent from the Raw brand . In the main event , Batista defeated Triple H in a singles match to retain the World Heavyweight Championship . From the five scheduled bouts on the undercard , two received more promotion than the others . The first was a tag team match , in which Shawn Michaels and Hulk Hogan defeated Muhammad Hassan and Daivari . The other was a Last Man Standing match , a match where a wrestler is unable to respond to a ten count by the referee would lose . Edge defeated Chris Benoit after Benoit failed to get to his feet before the referee ' s count to ten . Backlash helped WWE increase its pay - per - view revenue by $ 4 . 7 million , through ticket sales and pay - per - view buys . Background . The event featured six professional wrestling matches with different wrestlers involved in pre - existing scripted feuds , plots and storylines . Wrestlers were portrayed as either villains or fan favorites as they followed a series of tension - building events , which culminated in a wrestling match or series of matches . All wrestlers belonged to the Raw brand – a storyline division in which WWE assigned its employees to a different program , the other being SmackDown ! . The main event at Backlash was a standard wrestling match for the World Heavyweight Championship , in which Batista defended the championship against Triple H . The buildup to the match began after WrestleMania 21 , WWE ' s previous pay - per - view event , where Batista defeated Triple H to win the championship . On the April 11 episode of " Raw " , one of WWE ' s primary television programs , it was announced that Batista would defend the championship against Triple H at Backlash , after Triple H invoked his rematch clause . The following week , Triple H had a no disqualification match , a match where neither wrestler can be disqualified , allowing for weapons and outside interference , against Raw commentator Jim Ross , in which Ross won by pinfall after Batista interfered and hit Triple H in the head with a steel chair . On the April 25 episode of " Raw " , Batista defeated Christian in a singles championship match , where Batista retained his title . After the match , Triple H assaulted Batista and hit the World Champion with a Pedigree . The pay - per - view event featured the buildup of a rivalry among two tag team s , a group of at least two wrestlers . The two groups were Shawn Michaels and Hulk Hogan versus Muhammad Hassan and Daivari . The night after WrestleMania , Michaels thanked the fans for their support towards him , despite Michaels losing at the event . Michaels continued , but was interrupted by Hassan and Daivari . Michaels , however , was in no mood to listen to Hassan ' s comments regarding Michaels loss . As a result , Michaels slapped Hassan , which led to Hassan and Daivari to attack Michaels , leaving him unconscious in the ring . The following week , Michaels approached authority figure Eric Bischoff , a portrayed match maker and rules enforcer , in which he demanded a handicap match with Hassan and Daivari , a match consisting of one wrestler or team of wrestlers facing off against a team of wrestlers with numerical superiority such as two against one , or three against two . Bischoff refused to schedule the match , but informed Michaels to find a partner and he would grant him the match . Michaels then made a plea for Hulk Hogan to come back and team with him . On the April 18 episode of " Raw " , Hassan again led an attack on Michaels until Hogan appeared to save Michaels and accept his offer . Another preliminary match was between Edge versus Chris Benoit in a Last Man Standing Match . At WrestleMania , Edge won the first ever Money in the Bank ladder match , gaining himself a contract that gave him a shot at the World Heavyweight Championship within one year . On the April 4 episode of " Raw " , Edge chose not to use his contract that night , deciding to wait until the right opportunity . When Edge declined to force Batista into a title defense , Eric Bischoff scheduled Edge in a match against Chris Benoit . Benoit won the match by pinfall after performing a roll - up . After the match , Edge attacked Benoit ' s injured arm with a steel chair . Two weeks later , Benoit and Edge faced off in another match , in which ended in a no - contest , leading to Bischoff to book the Last Man Standing match for Backlash . Other feuds that received less promotion and culminated into matches at Backlash include WWE Intercontinental Champion Shelton Benjamin versus Chris Jericho for the title in standard singles bouts . William Regal and Tajiri versus Rosey and The Hurricane versus The Heart Throbs ( Antonio Thomas and Romeo Roselli ) versus La Résistance ( Sylvain Grenier and Robért Conway ) in a tag team turmoil match for the World Tag Team Championship , and a singles match between Kane ( accompanied by Lita ) versus Viscera ( accompanied with Trish Stratus ) . Event . Before the event aired live on pay - per - view , Tyson Tomko defeated Val Venis on " Sunday Night Heat " . The first match of the event was Shelton Benjamin versus Chris Jericho for the WWE Intercontinental Championship . The match started out with Benjamin having the upper hand . Benjamin then hit a springboard off the ropes , but Jericho countered it with a hurricanrana off the ring apron to the floor . Jericho utilized a chinlock on Benjamin . Jericho then climbed to the top rope , but was stopped by Benjamin when he leaped to the top rope hitting a superplex on Jericho . Jericho then hit a running enzuigiri , but only got a near fall . Benjamin hit the T - Bone Suplex , but Jericho put his foot under the bottom rope to stop the pin . Jericho locked in the Walls of Jericho , but Benjamin got to the rope . Jericho then locked in the Walls of Jericho again but Benjamin countered it into a roll - up to retain the Intercontinental Championship . The next match was the Tag Team Turmoil match for the World Tag Team Championship . Tajiri and William Regal were the champions heading into the match . The teams come out at random , but it was the champions Tajiri and William Regal who come out first . The Heart Throbs come out second . Tajiri utilized a lot of kicks and then locked in the Tarantula . The Heart Throbs then kept Tajiri isolated , but Tajiri pinned Antonio with a roll - up . Simon Dean and Maven entered into the match next , trying to pick apart the weakened Tajiri . That elimination did not last very long as Regal made the tag and cleaned house , putting Dean away with a shot to the head . La Résistance came in next , but Regal and Tajiri tried to fight back . Regal was then rolled up , with a handful of tights . Rosey and The Hurricane were the last two men to enter the match . Hurricane was then smashed on the turnbuckle post . Hurricane and Rosey got the pin when Hurricane leapt off the shoulders of Rosey , who was perched on the top rope to grab the win . The third match of the night was a Last Man Standing match between Edge and Chris Benoit . The match started out with Benoit getting the upper hand . Edge then got the upper hand by throwing Benoit sternum first into the turnbuckles . Benoit then applied the Sharpshooter on Edge . Benoit then performed multiple German suplexes on Edge , which sent Edge outside to the floor . Benoit dived through the ropes , but was met with a trash can lid to the face . Edge hit a superplex on Benoit through a trash can . Edge grabbed a ladder and dragged it into the ring , only to get a German suplex off of the ladder . Benoit missed a diving headbutt off the top of the ladder , Edge grabbed the Money in the Bank briefcase , but was caught in the Crippler Crossface . Edge got out of the Crippler Crossface and performed an Edgecution on Benoit on the briefcase . Benoit reached his feet at nine , only to get speared by Edge . After spearing Benoit again , Edge pulled a brick out of his briefcase and hit Benoit in the back of his head , leaving Benoit unable to answer the ten count . The next match for the night was Kane , accompanied by Lita , versus Viscera , accompanied by the WWE Women ' s Champion Trish Stratus . Kane ' s early attempts to take Viscera off his feet resulted in Kane being knocked down . Viscera then was clotheslined out of the ring by Kane . Trish tried to hit Kane with a steel chair , but Lita hit her with a crutch . Viscera then executed a Chokebomb on Kane , but only got a two count . Kane then came back and hit a big boot and a chokeslam to get the pinfall . Trish then verbally slammed Viscera , who responded by performing a bear hug and a splash on Trish , who was then taken out on a stretcher . The fifth match of the night was Hulk Hogan and Shawn Michaels versus Muhammad Hassan and Daivari . Hogan and Hassan started things off and Hassan was immediately sent into the turnbuckles . Hogan double clotheslined both his opponents and then he and Michaels teamed up with a big double boot to the face of Hassan . Michaels climbed to the top rope but missed an elbow drop . Daivari was tossed outside where Hogan bashed him . Michaels hit Daivari with a flying forearm smash and a kip up . Michaels was about to hit Daivari with Sweet Chin Music , but instead Hassan hit Michaels with a lead pipe . Hassan then took advantage and locked Michaels in the Camel Clutch . Michaels fought his way to his feet and dropped Hassan with an Electric Chair . Hogan then got tagged in and went for a leg drop to Daivari , but was instead hit with a lead pipe by Hassan . As the referee has his back turned at Hogan , Michaels hit Daivari with Sweet Chin Music allowing Hogan to get the pinfall and win the match for his team . The main event was for the World Heavyweight Championship between champion Batista and Triple H . In the opening seconds Flair grabbed Batista ' s leg , providing the distraction necessary for Triple H to attack Batista and gain an early advantage . Both men attempted to hit their finishers early on , but both attempts failed . Triple H went for another Pedigree attempt , but was backdropped over the top rope to the floor . Batista returned to the ring and walked into a spinebuster for a two count . Batista then went for a Batista Bomb , but Triple H hit Batista in the head with the championship belt . Batista performed a spinebuster on Triple H , but there was no referee to make the pin . Jack Doan then ran put and made the pin , but only got a two count . A second Batista Bomb attempt was stopped with a low blow by Triple H . Triple H then backed Batista into a corner and punched him ten times . Batista then performed another Batista Bomb to win the match and retain the championship . Aftermath . The next night on " Raw " , General Manager Eric Bischoff held a Gold Rush Tournament to determine who would be the number one contender for the World Heavyweight Championship . The matches were Kane versus Christian , Shawn Michaels versus Shelton Benjamin , Edge versus Chris Jericho and Chris Benoit versus Triple H . Kane , Michaels , Edge and Benoit all advanced to the next round . The next week , Edge faced Michaels and Kane faced Benoit . Edge and Kane advanced to the finals . One week later the finals took place between Edge and Kane . Edge won the tournament after Lita helped Edge win . One week later , Edge faced Batista for the World Heavyweight Championship . Batista won the match by pinfall after executing a Batista Bomb . Edge then started a feud with Kane , which lasted until Kane defeated him at Vengeance . The next night on " Raw " , Triple H and Batista verbally taunted each other . Three weeks later , after Batista ' s world title match against Edge , Ric Flair attacked Batista . Triple H then came out and hit Batista with a sledgehammer . Afterward , Triple H told Batista that they were going to have a match in a Hell in a Cell and performed a Pedigree on Batista onto the title . At Vengeance , Batista retained the title against Triple H . In June , Batista was drafted to SmackDown in the 2005 WWE Draft Lottery , which , as a result , ended the rivalry . Reception . The Verizon Wireless Arena usually can accommodate 11 , 000 , but the capacity was reduced for the event . This event grossed over $ 700 , 000 from an approximate attendance of 14 , 000 which was the maximum allowed . Backlash helped WWE earn $ 21 . 6 million in revenue from pay - per - view events versus $ 16 . 9 million the previous year , which was later confirmed by Linda McMahon , the CEO of WWE , on September 7 , 2005 in a quarterly result . Canadian Online Explorer ' s professional wrestling section rated the event six out of 10 . The rating was higher than the Backlash 2006 event , which was marked as a " complete disaster " . The World title match was rated a seven out of 10 . Additionally , the singles match between Kane and Viscera was marked a four of 10 .