The main event was a triple threat match for the World Heavyweight Championship involving reigning champion and hometown hero Chris Benoit vs Triple H vs Shawn Michaels, which Benoit won after forcing Michaels to submit to the sharpshooter.

[4][5] The main feud heading into Backlash was between Chris Benoit, Triple H, and Shawn Michaels over the World Heavyweight Championship.

[6][7][8] On the March 15 episode of Raw, Benoit and Michaels defeated Evolution (Randy Orton, Ric Flair, and Batista) in a 3-on-2 handicap tag team match.

brand, and Raw General Manager Eric Bischoff announced that Michaels would receive a World Heavyweight Championship match against Benoit at Backlash.

[7] On the April 5 episode of Raw, Christian announced that he would be teaming up with Stratus to take on Jericho in a handicap match at Backlash.

[19] Before the event went live on pay-per-view, Val Venis defeated Matt Hardy in a match taped for Sunday Night Heat.

[1][20][21] Next was a hardcore match between Randy Orton and Cactus Jack for the WWE Intercontinental Championship, with the stipulation that Evolution were banned from ringside.

Raw General Manager Eric Bischoff interrupted and informed Cactus that he would be disqualified and the event would end if he lit the bat on fire.

In a particularly brutal spot, Orton - wearing only his signature trunks - missed an RKO and was thrown onto thumbtacks.

[22][23] After taking an elbow drop off the entrance stage, Orton executed an RKO on Cactus onto the barbed wire baseball bat to retain the title.

[28][29] However, the match never happened as during that night, a Battle Royal took place, in which the winner would go on to face Benoit at Bad Blood for the World title.

The result of the fight gave Bischoff the authority to schedule a Hell in a Cell match between Triple H and Michaels at Bad Blood.

[24][25] In the following weeks on Raw, Kane began repeatedly assaulting Hardy and attempting to seduce Lita.

[35] One incident saw Kane kayfabe kidnap Lita and hold her tied up backstage, where he supposedly asked her a "question.

"[26][27] Later that night, Kane won a number one contenders Battle Royal match, in which he received a title shot at Bad Blood.

[26][27] At Bad Blood, Benoit was successful in defending the World Heavyweight title, after he pinned Kane with a roll-up.

[32][33] On the June 7 episode of Raw, Bischoff booked a match at Bad Blood between Tomko and Jericho.