WWE Classic of the Week: John Cena vs. Edge vs. Triple H from Backlash 2006

Triple Threat matches have become a staple of World Wrestling Entertainment television, the perfect way to get three deserving Superstars into a single main event or give two top contenders to the heavyweight title a shot at the gold in the same bout.

Popularized in Paul Heyman's Extreme Championship Wrestling under the name "Three Way Dance," it was not until the height of the Attitude Era that Vince McMahon saw the benefit of the format and began using it with great regularity on his programs.

Superstars such as Steve Austin, The Rock, Kurt Angle and The Undertaker were instrumental in laying the groundwork for some of the best of the company's early attempts at promoting the match, but as is the case with any early version, there were kinks to be worked out.

At July 2002's Vengeance pay-per-view, Rock, Angle and Undertaker wrestled what many considered to be the best Triple Threat match to that point. With rapid near-falls and dazzling sequences, the Superstars wowed the audience all the way up to the point that The Great One pinned the former Olympian and captured the title.

In the years that followed, Triple Threat matches would get better and better as the Superstars involved perfected the formula. At WrestleMania XX, Chris Benoit defeated Shawn Michaels and Triple H in one of the greatest matches to ever play out on The Grandest Stage of Them All.

Two years later, The Game would once again be involved in a spectacular bout involving two other elite stars in the industry. Just weeks removed from a loss at WrestleMania 22, he would have another shot at the WWE Championship and John Cena at Backlash 2006. But "Rated R Superstar" Edge would not make things easy.

For The Game to emerge with the title, he would have to overcome two young stars determined to usurp him at the top of the industry.

Would he succeed?

Background

On January 8, 2006, Edge successfully cashed in his Money in the Bank briefcase, defeating John Cena following a brutal and bloody performance inside the Elimination Chamber and capturing his first WWE Championship.

Unfortunately, his run as champion was cut short when he ceded the title back to Cena just weeks later at the Royal Rumble.

Edge would move on to a feud with Mick Foley, one that culminated in a Hardcore match at WrestleMania 22. His spear through the ropes and into a flaming table was the most memorable moment from that year's show, a spot that capped off a main event star-making performance from the Canadian.

In the 'Mania main event, Triple H challenged John Cena for the WWE title. Overconfident in his ability to defeat the champion, The Game found himself on the receiving end of an Attitude Adjustment before tapping out to the STF in a moment that infuriated the Chicago crowd.

The following night on Raw, the seeds were planted for a Triple Threat match when a beaten, burned and scarred Edge interrupted a promo involving Triple H and Cena.

In the weeks that proceeded that initial confrontation, the three Superstars would take turns competing in Handicap matches.

The Match

The Analysis

The finish of the match was spectacular in that it played up the pre-WrestleMania storyline between Cena and Triple H.

Triple H was absolutely convinced that the champion was in over his head, that there was no chance that Cena could ever outwrestle The Game. When he did at The Showcase of the Immortals, The King of Kings considered it a fluke.

That Cena was able to overcome the challenges of two of the most cerebral competitors, not to mention the use of a sledgehammer for the second consecutive title defense, and again pin Triple H by outwrestling him was a brilliant bit of booking.

For Edge, this match served as his reintroduction to the main event scene. After being unceremoniously eliminated from the title picture two months earlier, he again proved that he belonged. The involvement of Lita, as well as the wicked spinebuster she took from Triple H, helped establish her as an integral part of The Rated R Superstar's overall presentation...if fans had not already realized it.

The Aftermath

Triple H's crotch chop during the contest hinted at the return of D-Generation X, something that had become a theme in the weeks leading into the event. By the time the summer approached, The Game and friend Shawn Michaels would reform the faction and cause the McMahon family many a headache throughout the ensuing months.

Cena and Edge would continue their rivalry, especially when the latter was able to defeat Rob Van Dam for the WWE title. The two Superstars would battle at SummerSlam and Unforgiven, trading wins and the title.

Ultimately, Cena would emerge from a Tables, Ladders & Chairs match in Edge's hometown of Toronto with the title, putting an end to the feud that would cement both of them as the future of the company.