Backlash (2016)

The 2016 Backlash was a professional wrestling pay-per-view (PPV) and livestreaming event produced by WWE, held exclusively for wrestlers from the promotion's main roster brand, SmackDown. It was the 12th Backlash and took place on September 11, 2016, at the Richmond Coliseum in Richmond, Virginia. This was the first Backlash held since the 2009 event, subsequently making it the first to livestream on the WWE Network that launched in 2014, and it was the only Backlash to be held in September. Following the reintroduction of the brand extension in July 2016, Backlash was the first brand-exclusive PPV and livestreaming event of the second brand split and was the first brand-exclusive PPV event since the 2007 No Way Out. It was also the first brand-exclusive Backlash since 2006. The original concept of Backlash was based on the backlash of WrestleMania, however, the 2016 event dropped this theme as it was instead held after that year's SummerSlam—the post-WrestleMania theme would return with the 2021 event. Eight matches were contested at the event, including one on the Kickoff pre-show. In the main event, AJ Styles defeated Dean Ambrose to win the WWE World Championship, making him the first wrestler since Kurt Angle to hold world championships in WWE, Total Nonstop Action Wrestling, and New Japan Pro-Wrestling. The event also determined the inaugural holders of the SmackDown Women's Championship and SmackDown Tag Team Championship, which were won by Becky Lynch and the team of Heath Slater and Rhyno, respectively. Unlike a large majority of WWE's PPV and livestreaming events, the 2016 Backlash did not see a DVD or Blu-ray release.