ECW Champion Jack Swagger vs. Christian

After surviving the Elimination Chase to Backlash by avoiding being pinned in a Fatal Four Way Match, a Triple Threat Match, and a finals contest between himself and Finlay, Christian has earned the honor of being No. 1 contender to Jack Swagger's ECW Title and will face off against him for the coveted prize at the pay-per-view.

In her first bold move as interim General Manager of ECW, Tiffany announced that ECW Champion Jack Swagger will defend his title at Backlash. But "The All-American American” didn't have a definite opponent just yet.

Tiffany announced that Swagger’s competitor on April 26 will be determined by the Elimination Chase to Backlash. Four Superstars – Finlay, Christian, Tommy Dreamer and Mark Henry – began their Chase on ECW on Sci Fi in a Fatal Four Way Match. Thanks to his trusty shillelagh, Finlay defeated Henry, eliminating him first from the competition.

On the next ECW, the three remaining Superstars – Finlay, Christian and Tommy Dreamer – squared off in a Triple Threat Match. Once again with Hornswoggle in his corner, Finlay was victorious, this time pinning Tommy Dreamer, eliminating him from the competition.

A final match between the two remaining Superstars to determine the last man standing took place on the premiere episode of WWE Superstars on WGN America. Despite Finlay's impressive performances, registering both pins in the previous two matches, the Irishman's luck ran out and Christian captured the title opportunity.

Christian was defeated by Swagger in "The All-American American's" last ECW Championship defense, but Christian has defeated him in singles action. With his Peeps standing behind him, will Captain Charisma have the chance to win the ECW Championship?

Watch Backlash live, only on pay-per-view on April 26.

DRAFT 2009 RESULTS

ATLANTA - The 2009 Draft saw the entire WWE roster shaken up, and even after a special three-hour Raw, the changes are still coming with the Supplemental Draft, live on WWE.com all day Wednesday. While the WWE Universe certainly won, with such high-profile Superstars as Rey Mysterio, Matt Hardy, CM Punk and Big Show changing brands and WWE Champion Triple H bringing Raw its second World Title, the night was a rough one for Randy Orton. 

Not only did the Draft bring Orton’s nemesis Triple H to Monday nights, but his protégés in The Legacy failed to defeat The Game, Batista & Shane McMahon, meaning that The Legend Killer will have to face The King of Kings on the next Raw. (Exclusive Draftee interviews)

Though the WWE Universe might not have known what to expect with the 2009 Draft, they should know to "Expect Everything" for the very first episode of WWE Superstars this Thursday at 8 ET/5 WT only on WGN America. (More)

WWE Champion Triple H, Batista & Shane McMahon def. The Legacy; The Game earned an opportunity to go one-on-one with Randy Orton on the next Raw
 
In Raw’s main event, there wasn’t a Draft pick on the line, but instead something far more valuable to the competitors: An opportunity to exact retribution from Randy Orton. With the ring warrior scoring the pinfall earning a match against The Legend Killer on the next Raw, WWE Champion Triple H, Batista & Shane McMahon were more concerned with getting a victory for themselves than with working as a team. As Cody Rhodes & Ted DiBiase did their best to take advantage of their opponents’ strife, their opponents did themselves no favors, with Shane going so far as to break up Batista’s pin. As The Animal and Shane O’Mac argued, however, Triple H took advantage of the situation to pin Ted DiBiase after a devastating Pedigree, dashing The Legacy’s hopes of keeping their leader out of competition the following week.

Chris Jericho (SmackDown) def. Tommy Dreamer (ECW); Intercontinental Champion Rey Mysterio drafted to SmackDown  
Though he had made Raw his home since returning to WWE, Chris Jericho competed in the night’s last interpromotional Draft match on behalf of SmackDown, where he had been drafted earlier in the evening. The nefarious Superstar proved what a valuable addition he will be to SmackDown’s roster by defeating ECW Original Tommy Dreamer and bringing more championship gold to Friday nights with Draftee, Intercontinental Champion Rey Mysterio.

Matt Hardy (Raw) def. CM Punk (SmackDown); Divas Champion Maryse drafted to Raw  
Matt Hardy and CM Punk entered the 2009 WWE Draft representing SmackDown and Raw respectively, but by the time they faced off in the ring, their brand allegiances had switched. As the two ring warriors slugged it out, Jeff Hardy rushed to the ring and attacked his sibling, resulting in the disqualification of Mr. Money in the Bank and allowing Matt to pick up another random selection for Raw. With Women’s Champion Melina drafted to SmackDown earlier, Monday nights were in sore need of women’s division gold, and found it in the form of the newest Raw Diva: Divas Champion Maryse.

Christian (ECW) def. Shelton Benjamin (SmackDown); Vladimir Kozlov drafted to ECW  
Christian took to the ring to compete against Shelton Benjamin, and managed to show The Gold Standard what being Captain Charisma is all about, picking up a win and a Draft pick for his home brand of ECW. Though it was the only selection of the night for the Land of the Extreme, interim ECW General Manager Tiffany couldn’t be disappointed as it brought Vladimir Kozlov, The Moscow Mauler to Tuesday nights.

Edge (SmackDown) won the Tri-Branded Battle Royal; Kane & Chris Jericho drafted to SmackDown
 
Five Superstars from each of WWE’s three brands took to the ring for a 15-Man Tri-Branded Battle Royal, with the victor earning two Draft picks for their respective brand. With so much talent loaded into the ring, the match could have gone any way, but it was The Ultimate Opportunist Edge who outlasted the competition – including Big Show, Mark Henry and Finlay – and was the last Superstar left in the ring. Though Raw had gained numerous new ring warriors throughout the night, this win did a lot to even the score by bringing both Kane and Chris Jericho to SmackDown.

Kofi Kingston (Raw) def. The Miz (ECW); The Miz drafted to Raw
Representing Raw, Kofi Kingston competed against ECW’s The Miz, accompanied by his tag team partner, John Morrison. Perhaps not accustomed to working alone, The Shaman of Sexy was caught interfering in the match on behalf of the self-proclaimed “chick magnet,” leading to The Miz’s loss by disqualification, and another Draft pick for Raw. The former reality TV star will be getting more chances to work solo, as he was randomly selected to move to Monday nights. After embracing his “Dirt Sheet” partner, The Miz turned on him, leveling him with a Reality Check. 

The Great Khali (SmackDown) def. Santino Marella (Raw); Mr. Money in the Bank CM Punk drafted to SmackDown  
In another interpromotional SmackDown vs. Raw match, Santino Marella was faced with the massive Great Khali. Before the match began, however, Beth Phoenix came to the stage with a special announcement regarding the impending contest. By order of GM Vickie Guerrero, in addition to the Draft pick already at stake, if Santino lost the match, his “twin sister,” Miss WrestleMania “Santina” Marella, would have to be a guest on the Khali Kiss Cam. Unfortunately for the Italian Superstar and Miss WrestleMania, The Great Khali was victorious. In addition to winning some time with Santina next week, The Punjabi Playboy also earned SmackDown a Draft pick, bringing CM Punk to Friday nights. The Straightedge Superstar brings with him his Money in the Bank contract, which if utilized properly, is as valuable as any World Title.

World Heavyweight Champion John Cena (Raw) def. ECW Champion Jack Swagger (ECW); Matt Hardy and WWE Champion Triple H drafted to Raw 
 
With two Draft picks up for grabs, World Heavyweight Champion John Cena faced off against ECW Champion Jack Swagger for the first time ever. Despite “The All-American” American’s earlier bragging, The Champ prevailed, handing Swagger a defeat courtesy of the STF, and bringing two of SmackDown’s most powerful ring warriors to Raw: The devious Matt Hardy and WWE Champion Triple H, giving Raw two World Titles. Following the match Cena was attacked by his Backlash opponent, Edge, but managed to turn the assault around, chasing The Ultimate Opportunist from the ring.

Divas Champion Maryse, Michelle McCool & Natalya (SmackDown) def. Women’s Champion Melina, Mickie James & Kelly Kelly (Raw); Melina drafted to SmackDown  
The Divas of Raw and SmackDown squared off in a Six-Diva Tag Team Match, which saw Divas Champion Maryse, Michelle McCool & Natalya defeat Women’s Champion Melina, Mickie James & Kelly Kelly, earning SmackDown the brand’s first Draft pick. The random selection was a lucky one for the ladies of SmackDown, as it brought Melina and her Women’s Championship to Friday nights.

Kane (Raw) def. The Brian Kendrick (SmackDown); Big Show drafted to Raw  
Representing SmackDown, The Brian Kendrick took on Kane with another Draft selection on the line. But even with the assistance of his bodyguard, Ezekiel Jackson, Kendrick was no match for the immense size and strength of The Big Red Monster. Kane’s victory earned Raw another Draftee, bringing in The World’s Largest Athlete, Big Show, and eliminating the 7-footer’s status as the biggest Superstar on Raw.

Intercontinental Champion Rey Mysterio (Raw) def. Evan Bourne (ECW); United States Champion MVP drafted to Raw  
The first match of the night pitted two high-flyers against one another in the form of Intercontinental Champion Rey Mysterio and ECW’s Evan Bourne. Unfortunately for “Air” Bourne, his aerial maneuvers were no match for the ring experience of The Master of the 619, who picked up the win. Like most of the matches on the Draft night, there was a randomized Draft pick at stake, which Mysterio picked up for Raw. With the first Draft selection of the evening, Monday nights gained another title as United States Champion MVP joined the roster.

WWE Champion Triple H, Batista & Shane McMahon to face The Legacy on Raw with a match against Randy Orton at stake  
After returning to WWE the week before, Batista opened Raw on the night of the Draft with vengeance on his mind. Though he’ll have a chance to meet Randy Orton in the ring as part of the WWE Championship Tag Team Match at Backlash, The Animal made clear his desire to face The Legend Killer on Raw and take revenge for the vicious punt that kept him from the ring for months. But Batista wasn’t the only competitor with his sights set on Orton, as he was joined in the ring by both Shane McMahon and WWE Champion Triple H, who both wanted to get their hands on the venomous Superstar for what his attacks on Stephanie McMahon and the WWE Chairman himself, Mr. McMahon. 

As the three argued over who would get first dibs on Orton, they were interrupted by Vickie Guerrero. Raw’s new General Manager announced that only one of them would get the opportunity to face The Legend Killer before Backlash, and that they would have to earn it. Guerrero then placed WWE Champion Triple H, Batista & Shane McMahon in a 3-on-2 Handicap Match against The Legacy for later in the night. Whoever scores the pinfall on either Rhodes or DiBiase will have earned themselves a match against Orton on the next Raw, but if The Legacy prevails, then none of “The Viper’s” enemies will be able to get their hands on him.

BROTHER VS BROTHER

Miles away from their backyard training grounds in Cameron, N.C., Jeff and Matt Hardy take up arms – brother against brother – one more time at Backlash. This time, however, victory is not the sole objective as the Hardy siblings will aim to force a humiliating two-word utterance from one another: “I quit.”

If unlocking one’s destiny means endangering your own brother’s life repeatedly, even setting ablaze his home with his dog locked inside, then the key symbol on Matt Hardy’s new ring attire is an accurate metaphor. And it makes Backlash’s “I Quit” Match cruelly appropriate.

As Matt described in WWE.com’s “Dueling Diaries” exclusive which trailed both Hardys on the final days of their Road to WrestleMania XXV, he feels he is “the superior Hardy.” Motivated by a lethal combination of jealousy and wrath, Matt will do everything within his power to prove it and erase Jeff from memory.

Thus far, neither an Extreme Rules nor Stretcher Match has been enough to quell the vengeful emotions that have befallen the brothers Hardy. Without regard for rules or referees, Matt and Jeff continue to trade guerrilla-like attacks across all brands, including WGN’s newly launched WWE Superstars program. Perhaps this was the impetus behind the WWE Executive Board inking this dangerous confrontation where there are no pinfalls, no count-outs and no disqualifications.

The “I Quit” Match is an encounter in which only the most extreme enemies duel, vowing to torture each other to the point of not just submission but verbal surrender. It is a humbling, embarrassing defeat for whoever speaks this phrase, losing the bout as well as dignity.

Known for settling scores and determining champions, this contest was truly made (in)famous by WWE Hall of Famers Bret “Hit Man” Hart and “Stone Cold” Steve Austin at WrestleMania 13 – a moment where blood was porously drawn from Austin at the merciless hands of The Excellence of Execution.

But this instance is different. These are two brothers – born and raised by the same father – who only share one last commonality: The desire to vanquish the other.

Until now, Matt’s ill intentions have been endured by the persistent spirit of The Charismatic Enigma, who tried his best to resist walking this path with his sibling. Will the fortitude of the face-painted warrior be enough to earn Jeff a victory against his brother? Or will the elder Hardy, Matt, secure his third and perhaps most emphatic triumph over Jeff?

To what lengths will either Hardy go – or soar, knowing Jeff – to exact the ultimate fraternal conquest? Find out as Backlash comes to you from Providence, R.I., live on pay-per-view.

SMACKDOWN

Face Off:Although WWE Champion Triple H was drafted to Raw, he comes back to SmackDown to go face-to-face with Randy Orton. With tensions running high before their WrestleMania rematch on Raw, what will unfold?

No escape:
In the first match of the premeire episode of "WWE Superstars" on WGN America, Matt Hardy faced off against Undertaker. Hardy left the ring and was counted out, but was then attacked and chased back into the ring by his brother Jeff, where The Deadman was waiting ...

Backlash Prelude:In a prelude to their Backlash Six-Man Tag Team Match, Batista faces off with The Legacy’s Ted DiBiase. After being pinned by Triple H on Raw, can DiBiase build momentum for his team, or will The Animal crush him in his tracks?

Big Challenge:After a punishing loss to his own brother in a Stretcher Match last week on SmackDown, Jeff Hardy goes up against the World’s Largest Athlete, Big Show. Can the Charismatic Enigma find a way to win, or will Big Show stop him cold?

WWE Champion Triple H, Batista & Shane McMahon def. The Legacy; The Game earned an opportunity to go one-on-one with Randy Orton on the next Raw

In Raw’s main event, there wasn’t a Draft pick on the line, but instead something far more valuable to the competitors: An opportunity to exact retribution from Randy Orton. With the ring warrior scoring the pinfall earning a match against The Legend Killer on the next Raw, WWE Champion Triple H, Batista & Shane McMahon were more concerned with getting a victory for themselves than with working as a team. As Cody Rhodes,Ted DiBiase did their best to take advantage of their opponents’ strife, their opponents did themselves no favors, with Shane going so far as to break up Batista’s pin. As The Animal and Shane O’Mac argued, however, Triple H took advantage of the situation to pin Ted DiBiase after a devastating Pedigree, dashing The Legacy’s hopes of keeping their leader out of competition the following week.