Backlash: Jeff Hardy Defeats Randy Orton to Retain the United States Championship

Jeff Hardy successfully held on to his United States Championship at Backlash on Sunday, defeating [...]

Jeff Hardy successfully held on to his United States Championship at Backlash on Sunday, defeating one of his old foes in Randy Orton.

The match finished with Orton setting up for an RKO, only for Hardy to counter it into a Twist of Fate. "The Charismatic Enigma" then connected with a Swanton Bomb for the win.

Sunday's match was actually a throwback for both superstars, as the two faced off at the 2008 Royal Rumble more than 10 years ago for the WWE Championship. Orton successfully retained the title in that match and went on defend it against both John Cena and Triple H months later at WrestleMania 24. Hardy finally captured the WWE Championship, his first of three world championship reigns, in a triple threat match with Triple H and Edge in December 2008 at the Armageddon pay-per-view.

Hardy's victory made him the third champion of the night to successfully retain his title, as Seth Rollins pinned the Miz with a Curb Stomp to keep his Intercontinental Championship and Raw Women's Champion Nia Jax pinned Alexa Bliss via a Samoan Drop.

Matches still to come at the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey, include Daniel Bryan vs. Big Cass, Samoa Joe vs. Roman Reigns, Braun Strowman and Bobby Lashley vs. Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn, SmackDown Women's Champion Carmella vs. Charlotte Flair and WWE Champion AJ Styles vs. Shinsuke Nakamura.

Fresh off his return from injury the night after WrestleMania 34, Hardy won the United States Championship for the first time in his career on the April 16 episode of Monday Night Raw by defeating Jinder Mahal.

On the following night Hardy was drafted to SmackDown Live as part of the Superstar Shake-up. He quickly began feuding with Orton and Shelton Benjamin, and successfully retained his championship in Saudi Arabia by defeating Mahal at the Greatest Royal Rumble.

By winning the title, Hardy joined Chris Jericho as the only two men in WWE history to become a multi-time Grand Slam champion by winning every championship in both of the record's formats. The original format required a wrestler win a world title, the tag team titles, a midcard championship (United States or Intercontinental) and either the Hardcore or European Championship. Since both of those titles were retired, the format was restructured.

Orton himself joined the exclusive Grand Slam Champions club when he won the United States Championship at Fastlane back in March.

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