Vengeance: Night of Champions
Encyclopedia
Vengeance: Night of Champions was the seventh annual professional wrestling
pay-per-view
(PPV) event produced by World Wrestling Entertainment
(WWE) within its Vengeance
chronology, and the last to be promoted with the Vengeance name until 2011. It featured talent from the Raw
, SmackDown, and ECW brands
. The event took place on June 24, 2007 at the Toyota Center
in Houston, Texas. Every match on the card
was contested for a championship; two were won and seven were retained. This event was notable for being on the weekend of the Chris Benoit double murder and suicide
case. Benoit
, who was originally booked to face CM Punk
for the vacant ECW World Championship, legitimately no-showed due to "personal reasons."
The main event featured the Raw brand. It saw John Cena
defend the WWE Championship
against Mick Foley
, Bobby Lashley, Randy Orton
, and King Booker
. Cena won the match and retained the WWE Championship after pinning Foley following an FU. The featured match from the SmackDown brand was a "Last Chance match" for the World Heavyweight Championship
between Edge and Batista, which Edge won by countout. The primary match from the ECW brand was CM Punk versus Johnny Nitro for the vacant ECW World Championship, which Nitro won by pinfall after performing a corkscrew neckbreaker from the middle rope.
The main feud
on the Raw
brand heading into the event was between John Cena
, Bobby Lashley, King Booker
, Mick Foley
, and Randy Orton
over the WWE Championship
. The feud began when Lashley was drafted
to the Raw brand and stripped of the ECW World Championship. After being stripped of the title, Lashley began to pursue the WWE Championship. On the June 18 edition of Raw, Foley, Orton, Booker, and Lashley all cut promos on why they deserve to be the number-one contender to the WWE Championship. Cena also cut a promo on who he believed deserved to be the number one contender to the championship. Following this, Interim General Manager Jonathan Coachman
announced that all five men would compete for the title in a match billed as the "WWE Championship Challenge" at Vengeance.
The main feud heading into Vengeance on the SmackDown brand was between Edge and Batista over the World Heavyweight Championship
. Their match stemmed from their Steel cage match at One Night Stand
, the pay-per-view three weeks before Vengeance, where Edge won by escaping the cage. On the June 8 edition of SmackDown, WWE Chairman Vince McMahon
announced that Edge would be defending the World Heavyweight Championship against Batista in a "Last Chance" match at Vengeance. On the June 22 edition of SmackDown!, Batista and Ric Flair
defeated Edge and Montel Vontavious Porter (MVP). Midway through the match, Flair and MVP brawled outside the ring, leaving Edge on his own against Batista. Batista gained the pinfall after executing a Batista Bomb on Edge.
The feud between The Hardys
(Matt
and Jeff
) and Lance Cade and Trevor Murdoch began at Backlash
. At the event, The Hardys defeated Cade and Murdoch to retain the World Tag Team Championship. At the following event, Judgment Day
, Matt and Jeff defeated Cade and Murdoch once again to retain the title.
defeated Carlito in a dark match.
The event began with a video package of the event and its theme, "Night of Champions," followed by opening pyrotechnics
. The first match was between Lance Cade and Trevor Murdoch and The Hardys
(Matt
and Jeff
) for the World Tag Team Championship. Cade and Matt started the match, with Matt in control. The two teams tagged in and out until Cade and Murdoch attempted to walk out of the match, but the Hardys went after them, and brought them back into the ring. Jeff attempted a Swanton Bomb onto Cade, but Murdoch interfered on Cade's behalf. Matt tried to interfere on Jeff's behalf, but was stopped by the referee. Murdoch used this as an advantage, and pushed Jeff off the turnbuckle
, leading to Cade performing a powerbomb. Cade gained the pinfall on Jeff to win the match and retain the tiles.
The second match was between Chavo Guerrero
and Jimmy Wang Yang
for the WWE Cruiserweight Championship
. The match began with Yang and Guerrero locking up, followed by Yang in control through most of the match. After Yang missed a moonsault
, Guerrero executed a Gory Bomb. Shortly after, Guerrero performed a Frog Splash on Yang. Afterwards, Guerrero pinned Yang to win the match and retain the Cruiserweight Championship.
The third match was between CM Punk
and Johnny Nitro, who subbed in for the absent Chris Benoit
, for the ECW World Championship. The match started off with Punk attempting a crossbody on Nitro. Nitro countered, however, and executed an enzuigiri. Nitro delivered a corkscrew neckbreaker and pinned Punk to win the match to become the new ECW World Champion.
The fourth match was between Santino Marella and Umaga
for the WWE Intercontinental Championship
. The match began with Umaga in control, squashing Marella. Two minutes into the match, Umaga was punching Marella uncontrollably. The referee
disqualified Umaga when he refused to stop, and Marella retained then Umaga delivered a splash and a Samoan Spike.
The fifth match was between Montel Vontavious Porter (MVP) and Ric Flair
for the WWE United States Championship
. The match started with Flair executing a series of backhand chops to MVP. Flair kept the advantage and applied the figure four leglock. MVP countered, by executing a low blow. MVP then performed the Playmaker and pinned Flair to retain the United States Championship.
The sixth match was an open challenge by Deuce 'n Domino
to any tag team
for the WWE Tag Team Championship
, which was accepted by Jimmy Snuka
and Sgt. Slaughter
. Snuka and Slaughter controlled most of the match; however, Deuce 'n Domino got the win after Deuce pinned Snuka. After the match, Deuce 'n Domino attacked Snuka and Slaughter until Tony Garea
and Rick Martel
came into the ring to assist Snuka and Slaughter.
The seventh match was between Edge and Batista for the World Heavyweight Championship
. This was a "Last Chance match", meaning if Batista lost, he could not get another shot at the World Heavyweight Championship as long as Edge was champion. Batista originally won the match by disqualification after Edge executed a low blow; however, SmackDown General Manager Theodore Long
restarted the match with the stipulation that Edge could lose the title by countout or disqualification. Edge won the match after Batista was counted out, thus retaining the title.
The eighth match was between Melina
and Candice Michelle
for the WWE Women's Championship
. After a back and forth match, Michelle executed a spinning heel kick on Melina to gain the victory and win the Women's Championship.
The main event, billed as the "WWE Championship Challenge," saw John Cena
defending the WWE Championship
against King Booker
, Bobby Lashley, Mick Foley
and Randy Orton
. Throughout the match, all five men gained an advantage over one-another at one or more spots. One spot in the match saw Lashley dive over the top rope onto the other four competitors. Towards the end of the match, Cena executed an FU on Lashley through an announce table. Cena won the match and retained the title after pinning Foley following an FU.
went on to defend the WWE Cruiserweight Championship
in a Cruiserweight Open at The Great American Bash
against Jimmy Wang Yang
, Jamie Noble
, Funaki
, and Shannon Moore
. Hornswoggle also entered the match at the bell, but immediately escaped the ring and hid under it. With all of the cruiserweights down, with the exception of Noble, Hornswoggle came out from under the ring and delivered a Tadpole Splash to Noble. He pinned him afterwards to win the match and the Cruiserweight Championship. Candice Michelle
and Melina
continued to feud over the WWE Women's Championship
. The two had a rematch at The Great American Bash for the title. Michelle pinned Melina after delivering a Candy Wrapper to retain the title.
On the July 2 edition of Raw
, Umaga
defeated Santino Marella in a rematch to capture the WWE Intercontinental Championship
. Two weeks later, Jeff Hardy
defeated William Regal
, Shelton Benjamin
, and Santino Marella in a Fatal Four-Way Elimination match to become the number one contender to the Intercontinental Championship. At The Great American Bash, Umaga defeated Hardy to retain the title after the Samoan Spike. That same night, Bobby Lashley won a "Beat the Clock" tournament to become the number-one contender to the WWE Championship
. At The Great American Bash, Lashley faced John Cena
for the WWE Championship in the main event. Cena retained the title after an FU.
On the June 26 episode of ECW on Sci Fi, CM Punk
defeated Elijah Burke
in a two out of three falls match to become the number one contender to the ECW Championship. At The Great American Bash, Punk faced John Morrison (formerly known as Johnny Nitro) for the ECW Championship. Morrison retained the title after hitting Punk with both of his knees.
On the July 6 edition of SmackDown, Kane
was named the number one contender to the World Heavyweight Championship
after he appeared as the special guest on Edge's Cutting Edge segment. Edge held a celebration for himself on the July 13 edition of SmackDown, and was attacked by Kane, who in the process legitimately injured Edge. On the July 20 episode of SmackDown, Edge was forced to vacate the World Heavyweight Championship as a result of his injury. The Great Khali went on to win a 20-man battle royal
to become the new World Heavyweight Champion. At The Great American Bash, Khali defended the title successfully against Kane and Batista in a Triple Threat match.
Professional wrestling
Professional wrestling is a mode of spectacle, combining athletics and theatrical performance.Roland Barthes, "The World of Wrestling", Mythologies, 1957 It takes the form of events, held by touring companies, which mimic a title match combat sport...
pay-per-view
Pay-per-view
Pay-per-view provides a service by which a television audience can purchase events to view via private telecast. The broadcaster shows the event at the same time to everyone ordering it...
(PPV) event produced by World Wrestling Entertainment
World Wrestling Entertainment
World Wrestling Entertainment, Inc. is an American publicly traded, privately controlled entertainment company dealing primarily in professional wrestling, with major revenue sources also coming from film, music, product licensing, and direct product sales...
(WWE) within its Vengeance
WWE Vengeance
Vengeance is a professional wrestling pay-per-view event produced by professional wrestling promotion WWE. The inaugural event took place on December 9, 2001 and replaced WWE Armageddon for that year due to the possible insensitivity of the latter's name with respect to the September 11 attacks....
chronology, and the last to be promoted with the Vengeance name until 2011. It featured talent from the Raw
WWE RAW
WWE Raw ) is a sports entertainment television program for WWE that currently airs on the USA Network in the United States...
, SmackDown, and ECW brands
WWE Brand Extension
WWE, formerly the World Wrestling Federation and World Wrestling Entertainment , currently promotes its core business of professional wrestling through two "brands" named after their two major television shows Raw and SmackDown...
. The event took place on June 24, 2007 at the Toyota Center
Toyota Center (Houston)
The Toyota Center is an indoor arena located in downtown Houston, Texas. It is named after the Japanese automobile manufacturer Toyota. The arena is home to the Rockets of the National Basketball Association, the principal owners of the building, and the Aeros of the American Hockey League.Rockets...
in Houston, Texas. Every match on the card
Card (sports)
In sports, a card comprises a listing of the matches taking place in a title-match combat-sport event. Organizers divide overall cards into a main-event match and the undercard, which encompasses the rest of the matches. One can also further subdivide the undercard into midcard and lower card,...
was contested for a championship; two were won and seven were retained. This event was notable for being on the weekend of the Chris Benoit double murder and suicide
Chris Benoit double murder and suicide
The Chris Benoit double murder suicide occurred over a three-day period ending on June 24, 2007. World Wrestling Entertainment professional wrestler Chris Benoit killed his wife, Nancy Benoit, strangled his seven-year-old son, Daniel, and subsequently committed suicide by hanging. Autopsy results...
case. Benoit
Chris Benoit
Christopher Michael "Chris" Benoit was a Canadian professional wrestler whose career and life ended in a murder–suicide...
, who was originally booked to face CM Punk
CM Punk
Phillip Jack "Phil" Brooks , better known by his ring name CM Punk, is an American professional wrestler currently signed to WWE and working on its Raw brand currently serving his second title reign as WWE Champion....
for the vacant ECW World Championship, legitimately no-showed due to "personal reasons."
The main event featured the Raw brand. It saw John Cena
John Cena
John Felix Anthony Cena is an American professional wrestler, actor, rapper, and television personality. He is currently signed to WWE as a member of its WWE Raw brand....
defend the WWE Championship
WWE Championship
The WWE Championship is a professional wrestling world heavyweight championship in WWE. It is the world title of the Raw brand and one of two in WWE, complementing the World Heavyweight Championship of the SmackDown brand. It was established under the then WWWF in 1963...
against Mick Foley
Mick Foley
Michael Francis "Mick" Foley, Sr. is an American semi-retired professional wrestler, author, comedian, actor, voice actor and former color commentator. He has worked for many wrestling promotions, including WWE, WCW, ECW and TNA. He is often referred to as "The Hardcore Legend", a nickname he...
, Bobby Lashley, Randy Orton
Randy Orton
Randal Keith "Randy" Orton is an American professional wrestler and actor. He is signed to WWE wrestling on its SmackDown brand...
, and King Booker
Booker Huffman
Robert Booker Tio Huffman , better known by his ring name Booker T, is a semi-retired American professional wrestler and currently signed to WWE, on its SmackDown brand, as part of the announcing team. Booker is best known for his time in both the World Wrestling Entertainment and World...
. Cena won the match and retained the WWE Championship after pinning Foley following an FU. The featured match from the SmackDown brand was a "Last Chance match" for the World Heavyweight Championship
World Heavyweight Championship (WWE)
The World Heavyweight Championship is a professional wrestling world heavyweight championship in WWE. It is the world title of the SmackDown brand and one of two in WWE, complementing the WWE Championship of the Raw brand...
between Edge and Batista, which Edge won by countout. The primary match from the ECW brand was CM Punk versus Johnny Nitro for the vacant ECW World Championship, which Nitro won by pinfall after performing a corkscrew neckbreaker from the middle rope.
Background
Feud (professional wrestling)
A professional wrestling feud is a staged rivalry between multiple wrestlers or alliances of wrestlers. They are integrated into ongoing storylines, particularly in events which are televised...
on the Raw
WWE RAW
WWE Raw ) is a sports entertainment television program for WWE that currently airs on the USA Network in the United States...
brand heading into the event was between John Cena
John Cena
John Felix Anthony Cena is an American professional wrestler, actor, rapper, and television personality. He is currently signed to WWE as a member of its WWE Raw brand....
, Bobby Lashley, King Booker
Booker Huffman
Robert Booker Tio Huffman , better known by his ring name Booker T, is a semi-retired American professional wrestler and currently signed to WWE, on its SmackDown brand, as part of the announcing team. Booker is best known for his time in both the World Wrestling Entertainment and World...
, Mick Foley
Mick Foley
Michael Francis "Mick" Foley, Sr. is an American semi-retired professional wrestler, author, comedian, actor, voice actor and former color commentator. He has worked for many wrestling promotions, including WWE, WCW, ECW and TNA. He is often referred to as "The Hardcore Legend", a nickname he...
, and Randy Orton
Randy Orton
Randal Keith "Randy" Orton is an American professional wrestler and actor. He is signed to WWE wrestling on its SmackDown brand...
over the WWE Championship
WWE Championship
The WWE Championship is a professional wrestling world heavyweight championship in WWE. It is the world title of the Raw brand and one of two in WWE, complementing the World Heavyweight Championship of the SmackDown brand. It was established under the then WWWF in 1963...
. The feud began when Lashley was drafted
2007 WWE Draft
The 2007 World Wrestling Entertainment Draft Lottery took place at the Wachovia Arena in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania on June 11, 2007. The first half of the draft was televised live for three hours on WWE's flagship program, Raw on USA Network...
to the Raw brand and stripped of the ECW World Championship. After being stripped of the title, Lashley began to pursue the WWE Championship. On the June 18 edition of Raw, Foley, Orton, Booker, and Lashley all cut promos on why they deserve to be the number-one contender to the WWE Championship. Cena also cut a promo on who he believed deserved to be the number one contender to the championship. Following this, Interim General Manager Jonathan Coachman
Jonathan Coachman
Jonathan William Coachman , also known as "The Coach", is a former professional wrestling color commentator and authority figure. He is also a former college basketball player, and football play-by-play announcer...
announced that all five men would compete for the title in a match billed as the "WWE Championship Challenge" at Vengeance.
The main feud heading into Vengeance on the SmackDown brand was between Edge and Batista over the World Heavyweight Championship
World Heavyweight Championship (WWE)
The World Heavyweight Championship is a professional wrestling world heavyweight championship in WWE. It is the world title of the SmackDown brand and one of two in WWE, complementing the WWE Championship of the Raw brand...
. Their match stemmed from their Steel cage match at One Night Stand
One Night Stand (2007)
One Night Stand was the third annual One Night Stand professional wrestling pay-per-view event produced by World Wrestling Entertainment . It took place on June 3, 2007 at the Jacksonville Veterans Memorial Arena in Jacksonville, Florida and featured talent from the Raw, SmackDown!, and ECW brands...
, the pay-per-view three weeks before Vengeance, where Edge won by escaping the cage. On the June 8 edition of SmackDown, WWE Chairman Vince McMahon
Vince McMahon
Vincent Kennedy "Vince" McMahon is an American professional wrestling promoter, announcer, commentator, film producer, actor and former occasional professional wrestler. McMahon is the current Chairman, CEO and Chairman of the Executive Committee of professional wrestling promotion WWE...
announced that Edge would be defending the World Heavyweight Championship against Batista in a "Last Chance" match at Vengeance. On the June 22 edition of SmackDown!, Batista and Ric Flair
Ric Flair
Richard Morgan Fliehr is an American professional wrestler, better known by his ring name Ric Flair. Also known as "The Nature Boy", Flair is one of the most well-known professional wrestlers in the world....
defeated Edge and Montel Vontavious Porter (MVP). Midway through the match, Flair and MVP brawled outside the ring, leaving Edge on his own against Batista. Batista gained the pinfall after executing a Batista Bomb on Edge.
The feud between The Hardys
Hardy Boyz
The Hardy Boyz are a professional wrestling tag team, consisting of real-life brothers Matt and Jeff Hardy...
(Matt
Matt Hardy
Matthew Moore "Matt" Hardy is a semi-retired American professional wrestler. He is best known for his stints in World Wrestling Entertainment and Total Nonstop Action Wrestling ....
and Jeff
Jeff Hardy
Jeffrey Nero "Jeff" Hardy is an American professional wrestler, who is currently signed to Total Nonstop Action Wrestling , where he is a former two–time TNA World Heavyweight Champion...
) and Lance Cade and Trevor Murdoch began at Backlash
Backlash (2007)
Backlash was a professional wrestling pay-per-view event produced by World Wrestling Entertainment , which took place on April 29, 2007 at the Philips Arena in Atlanta, Georgia. Following WrestleMania, all pay-per-views became tri-branded...
. At the event, The Hardys defeated Cade and Murdoch to retain the World Tag Team Championship. At the following event, Judgment Day
Judgment Day (2007)
Judgment Day was the ninth annual Judgment Day professional wrestling pay-per-view event produced by World Wrestling Entertainment . It took place on May 20, 2007 from the Scottrade Center in St. Louis, Missouri...
, Matt and Jeff defeated Cade and Murdoch once again to retain the title.
Preliminary matches
Before the event aired live on pay-per-view, Super CrazySuper Crazy
Francisco Islas Rueda is a Mexican professional wrestler, or Luchador, best known by his ring name Super Crazy. Islas is most known for his three year run in the original ECW...
defeated Carlito in a dark match.
Pyrotechnics
Pyrotechnics is the science of using materials capable of undergoing self-contained and self-sustained exothermic chemical reactions for the production of heat, light, gas, smoke and/or sound...
. The first match was between Lance Cade and Trevor Murdoch and The Hardys
Hardy Boyz
The Hardy Boyz are a professional wrestling tag team, consisting of real-life brothers Matt and Jeff Hardy...
(Matt
Matt Hardy
Matthew Moore "Matt" Hardy is a semi-retired American professional wrestler. He is best known for his stints in World Wrestling Entertainment and Total Nonstop Action Wrestling ....
and Jeff
Jeff Hardy
Jeffrey Nero "Jeff" Hardy is an American professional wrestler, who is currently signed to Total Nonstop Action Wrestling , where he is a former two–time TNA World Heavyweight Champion...
) for the World Tag Team Championship. Cade and Matt started the match, with Matt in control. The two teams tagged in and out until Cade and Murdoch attempted to walk out of the match, but the Hardys went after them, and brought them back into the ring. Jeff attempted a Swanton Bomb onto Cade, but Murdoch interfered on Cade's behalf. Matt tried to interfere on Jeff's behalf, but was stopped by the referee. Murdoch used this as an advantage, and pushed Jeff off the turnbuckle
Turnbuckle
A turnbuckle, stretching screw or bottlescrew is a device for adjusting the tension or length of ropes, cables, tie rods, and other tensioning systems. It normally consists of two threaded eyelets, one screwed into each end of a small metal frame, one with a left-hand thread and the other with a...
, leading to Cade performing a powerbomb. Cade gained the pinfall on Jeff to win the match and retain the tiles.
The second match was between Chavo Guerrero
Chavo Guerrero, Jr.
Salvador "Chavo" Guerrero IV also known as Chavo Guerrero and Chavo Guerrero, Jr., is a third generation Mexican-American professional wrestler and member of the famed Guerrero wrestling family who was well known for working with World Wrestling Entertainment and World Championship Wrestling...
and Jimmy Wang Yang
James Yun
James Carson Yun is an American professional wrestler and actor, best known for his time in World Wrestling Entertainment under the ring name Jimmy Wang Yang, in World Championship Wrestling as one-third of the Jung Dragons as Yang, and in Total Nonstop Action Wrestling and the independent circuit...
for the WWE Cruiserweight Championship
WWE Cruiserweight Championship
The World Wrestling Entertainment Cruiserweight Championship was a professional wrestling championship in World Wrestling Entertainment and was originally a World Championship Wrestling title. It was challenged by cruiserweights at a maximum weight of 215 lbs...
. The match began with Yang and Guerrero locking up, followed by Yang in control through most of the match. After Yang missed a moonsault
Moonsault
A moonsault, moonsault press, or back flip splash is a professional wrestling aerial technique. Much of its popularity in American wrestling is attributed to The Great Muta, despite it being used in North America by "Leaping" Lanny Poffo years before Muta came from Japan.In a standard moonsault,...
, Guerrero executed a Gory Bomb. Shortly after, Guerrero performed a Frog Splash on Yang. Afterwards, Guerrero pinned Yang to win the match and retain the Cruiserweight Championship.
The third match was between CM Punk
CM Punk
Phillip Jack "Phil" Brooks , better known by his ring name CM Punk, is an American professional wrestler currently signed to WWE and working on its Raw brand currently serving his second title reign as WWE Champion....
and Johnny Nitro, who subbed in for the absent Chris Benoit
Chris Benoit
Christopher Michael "Chris" Benoit was a Canadian professional wrestler whose career and life ended in a murder–suicide...
, for the ECW World Championship. The match started off with Punk attempting a crossbody on Nitro. Nitro countered, however, and executed an enzuigiri. Nitro delivered a corkscrew neckbreaker and pinned Punk to win the match to become the new ECW World Champion.
The fourth match was between Santino Marella and Umaga
Eddie Fatu
Edward Smith "Eki" Fatu was a Samoan-American professional wrestler better known by his ring name Umaga...
for the WWE Intercontinental Championship
WWE Intercontinental Championship
The WWE Intercontinental Championship is a professional wrestling championship in WWE. It is the original secondary title of the promotion. Currently, it is the secondary championship exclusive to the SmackDown brand...
. The match began with Umaga in control, squashing Marella. Two minutes into the match, Umaga was punching Marella uncontrollably. The referee
Referee (professional wrestling)
A professional wrestling referee is the official figure that makes sure that wrestling matches move smoothly in an attempt to maintain kayfabe. The referee also has the ultimate power in the ring...
disqualified Umaga when he refused to stop, and Marella retained then Umaga delivered a splash and a Samoan Spike.
The fifth match was between Montel Vontavious Porter (MVP) and Ric Flair
Ric Flair
Richard Morgan Fliehr is an American professional wrestler, better known by his ring name Ric Flair. Also known as "The Nature Boy", Flair is one of the most well-known professional wrestlers in the world....
for the WWE United States Championship
WWE United States Championship
The WWE United States Championship is a professional wrestling championship in WWE. It was originally a National Wrestling Alliance and World Championship Wrestling championship, and is currently the secondary championship of the Raw brand....
. The match started with Flair executing a series of backhand chops to MVP. Flair kept the advantage and applied the figure four leglock. MVP countered, by executing a low blow. MVP then performed the Playmaker and pinned Flair to retain the United States Championship.
The sixth match was an open challenge by Deuce 'n Domino
Deuce 'n Domino
Deuce 'n Domino was the name of a professional wrestling tag team consisting of Deuce Shade and Dice Domino, who were managed for the majority of their run by Cherry Pie and briefly by Maryse. The pair teamed together in World Wrestling Entertainment and Ohio Valley Wrestling from 2006 through 2008...
to any tag team
Tag team
Tag team professional wrestling is a variation in which matches are contested between teams of multiple wrestlers. A tag team may comprise two wrestlers who normally wrestle in singles competition, but more commonly are made of established teams who wrestle regularly as a unit and have a team name...
for the WWE Tag Team Championship
WWE Tag Team Championship
The WWE Tag Team Championship is a professional wrestling world tag team championship in WWE. It was established as a second title for tag teams in WWE in 2002 to complement the original World Tag Team Championship...
, which was accepted by Jimmy Snuka
Jimmy Snuka
James William "Jimmy" Reiher is a semi-retired Fijian professional wrestler and actor, better known by his ring name Jimmy "Superfly" Snuka. Originally from the Fiji Islands, Snuka wrestled for several promotions in the 1970s and 1980s. Snuka is a two-time world heavyweight champion, having been a...
and Sgt. Slaughter
Sgt. Slaughter
Robert Remus , better known by his ring name Sgt. Slaughter, is an American former WWE personality and semi-retired professional wrestler. From the late 1970s to the early 1990s, Slaughter had success in the National Wrestling Alliance, American Wrestling Association, and World Wrestling...
. Snuka and Slaughter controlled most of the match; however, Deuce 'n Domino got the win after Deuce pinned Snuka. After the match, Deuce 'n Domino attacked Snuka and Slaughter until Tony Garea
Anthony Garcia
Anthony "Tony" Garcia is a retired New Zealand professional wrestler, better known by his ring name Tony Garea, who wrestled for the National Wrestling Alliance and the World Wrestling Federation , spending thirty-two of his thirty-five year career in the promotion...
and Rick Martel
Rick Martel
Richard Vigneault is a retired Canadian professional wrestler, best known for his appearances with the World Wrestling Federation between 1980 and 1995 under the ring name Rick Martel...
came into the ring to assist Snuka and Slaughter.
Main event matches
World Heavyweight Championship (WWE)
The World Heavyweight Championship is a professional wrestling world heavyweight championship in WWE. It is the world title of the SmackDown brand and one of two in WWE, complementing the WWE Championship of the Raw brand...
. This was a "Last Chance match", meaning if Batista lost, he could not get another shot at the World Heavyweight Championship as long as Edge was champion. Batista originally won the match by disqualification after Edge executed a low blow; however, SmackDown General Manager Theodore Long
Theodore Long
Theodore R. "Teddy" Long is an American professional wrestling manager and former referee who currently works for WWE on its SmackDown brand as its General Manager.-National Wrestling Alliance / World Championship Wrestling:...
restarted the match with the stipulation that Edge could lose the title by countout or disqualification. Edge won the match after Batista was counted out, thus retaining the title.
The eighth match was between Melina
Melina Perez
Melina Nava Perez is an American professional wrestler currently signed to Women Superstars Uncensored. She is best known for her time with World Wrestling Entertainment under the ring mononym Melina....
and Candice Michelle
Candice Michelle
Candice Michelle Beckman-Ehrlich better known as Candice Michelle or just Candice, is an American model, actress, and professional wrestler best known for her time with World Wrestling Entertainment....
for the WWE Women's Championship
WWE Women's Championship
The WWE Women's Championship was a professional wrestling championship in the World Wrestling Entertainment promotion. Created in 1956, it was the oldest active professional wrestling championship in World Wrestling Entertainment history until its retirement in 2010 as a result from a unification...
. After a back and forth match, Michelle executed a spinning heel kick on Melina to gain the victory and win the Women's Championship.
The main event, billed as the "WWE Championship Challenge," saw John Cena
John Cena
John Felix Anthony Cena is an American professional wrestler, actor, rapper, and television personality. He is currently signed to WWE as a member of its WWE Raw brand....
defending the WWE Championship
WWE Championship
The WWE Championship is a professional wrestling world heavyweight championship in WWE. It is the world title of the Raw brand and one of two in WWE, complementing the World Heavyweight Championship of the SmackDown brand. It was established under the then WWWF in 1963...
against King Booker
Booker Huffman
Robert Booker Tio Huffman , better known by his ring name Booker T, is a semi-retired American professional wrestler and currently signed to WWE, on its SmackDown brand, as part of the announcing team. Booker is best known for his time in both the World Wrestling Entertainment and World...
, Bobby Lashley, Mick Foley
Mick Foley
Michael Francis "Mick" Foley, Sr. is an American semi-retired professional wrestler, author, comedian, actor, voice actor and former color commentator. He has worked for many wrestling promotions, including WWE, WCW, ECW and TNA. He is often referred to as "The Hardcore Legend", a nickname he...
and Randy Orton
Randy Orton
Randal Keith "Randy" Orton is an American professional wrestler and actor. He is signed to WWE wrestling on its SmackDown brand...
. Throughout the match, all five men gained an advantage over one-another at one or more spots. One spot in the match saw Lashley dive over the top rope onto the other four competitors. Towards the end of the match, Cena executed an FU on Lashley through an announce table. Cena won the match and retained the title after pinning Foley following an FU.
Aftermath
Chavo GuerreroChavo Guerrero, Jr.
Salvador "Chavo" Guerrero IV also known as Chavo Guerrero and Chavo Guerrero, Jr., is a third generation Mexican-American professional wrestler and member of the famed Guerrero wrestling family who was well known for working with World Wrestling Entertainment and World Championship Wrestling...
went on to defend the WWE Cruiserweight Championship
WWE Cruiserweight Championship
The World Wrestling Entertainment Cruiserweight Championship was a professional wrestling championship in World Wrestling Entertainment and was originally a World Championship Wrestling title. It was challenged by cruiserweights at a maximum weight of 215 lbs...
in a Cruiserweight Open at The Great American Bash
The Great American Bash (2007)
The Great American Bash was the fourth annual Great American Bash professional wrestling pay-per-view event produced by World Wrestling Entertainment...
against Jimmy Wang Yang
James Yun
James Carson Yun is an American professional wrestler and actor, best known for his time in World Wrestling Entertainment under the ring name Jimmy Wang Yang, in World Championship Wrestling as one-third of the Jung Dragons as Yang, and in Total Nonstop Action Wrestling and the independent circuit...
, Jamie Noble
Jamie Noble
James Howard Gibson better known by his WWE ring name Jamie Noble, is an American former professional wrestler currently working for WWE as a trainer. He is best known for his work from 2002 to 2009 when a severe back injury forced him to retire from competition...
, Funaki
Shoichi Funaki
is a Japanese/American professional wrestler best known for his time in World Wrestling Entertainment, where he was a one-time Cruiserweight Champion and a one-time Hardcore Champion.-Early years :...
, and Shannon Moore
Shannon Moore
Shannon Moore is an American professional wrestler, who is signed to Total Nonstop Action Wrestling . He is best known for his work with World Championship Wrestling between 1999 and 2001 and with World Wrestling Entertainment for several years in the 2000s.Moore befriended Matt and Jeff Hardy...
. Hornswoggle also entered the match at the bell, but immediately escaped the ring and hid under it. With all of the cruiserweights down, with the exception of Noble, Hornswoggle came out from under the ring and delivered a Tadpole Splash to Noble. He pinned him afterwards to win the match and the Cruiserweight Championship. Candice Michelle
Candice Michelle
Candice Michelle Beckman-Ehrlich better known as Candice Michelle or just Candice, is an American model, actress, and professional wrestler best known for her time with World Wrestling Entertainment....
and Melina
Melina Perez
Melina Nava Perez is an American professional wrestler currently signed to Women Superstars Uncensored. She is best known for her time with World Wrestling Entertainment under the ring mononym Melina....
continued to feud over the WWE Women's Championship
WWE Women's Championship
The WWE Women's Championship was a professional wrestling championship in the World Wrestling Entertainment promotion. Created in 1956, it was the oldest active professional wrestling championship in World Wrestling Entertainment history until its retirement in 2010 as a result from a unification...
. The two had a rematch at The Great American Bash for the title. Michelle pinned Melina after delivering a Candy Wrapper to retain the title.
On the July 2 edition of Raw
WWE RAW
WWE Raw ) is a sports entertainment television program for WWE that currently airs on the USA Network in the United States...
, Umaga
Eddie Fatu
Edward Smith "Eki" Fatu was a Samoan-American professional wrestler better known by his ring name Umaga...
defeated Santino Marella in a rematch to capture the WWE Intercontinental Championship
WWE Intercontinental Championship
The WWE Intercontinental Championship is a professional wrestling championship in WWE. It is the original secondary title of the promotion. Currently, it is the secondary championship exclusive to the SmackDown brand...
. Two weeks later, Jeff Hardy
Jeff Hardy
Jeffrey Nero "Jeff" Hardy is an American professional wrestler, who is currently signed to Total Nonstop Action Wrestling , where he is a former two–time TNA World Heavyweight Champion...
defeated William Regal
Darren Matthews
Darren Kenneth Matthews , is an English professional wrestler, author and color commentator currently signed to WWE and competing on the SmackDown brand under the ring name William Regal. He is also known for his time in World Championship Wrestling under the ring name Steven Regal...
, Shelton Benjamin
Shelton Benjamin
Shelton James Benjamin is an American professional wrestler and former amateur wrestler best known for his tenure in World Wrestling Entertainment. Benjamin has an amateur wrestling background, including wrestling in high school and at the University of Minnesota. In addition, Benjamin has acted...
, and Santino Marella in a Fatal Four-Way Elimination match to become the number one contender to the Intercontinental Championship. At The Great American Bash, Umaga defeated Hardy to retain the title after the Samoan Spike. That same night, Bobby Lashley won a "Beat the Clock" tournament to become the number-one contender to the WWE Championship
WWE Championship
The WWE Championship is a professional wrestling world heavyweight championship in WWE. It is the world title of the Raw brand and one of two in WWE, complementing the World Heavyweight Championship of the SmackDown brand. It was established under the then WWWF in 1963...
. At The Great American Bash, Lashley faced John Cena
John Cena
John Felix Anthony Cena is an American professional wrestler, actor, rapper, and television personality. He is currently signed to WWE as a member of its WWE Raw brand....
for the WWE Championship in the main event. Cena retained the title after an FU.
On the June 26 episode of ECW on Sci Fi, CM Punk
CM Punk
Phillip Jack "Phil" Brooks , better known by his ring name CM Punk, is an American professional wrestler currently signed to WWE and working on its Raw brand currently serving his second title reign as WWE Champion....
defeated Elijah Burke
Elijah Burke
Elijah Samuel Burke is an American professional wrestler, currently signed to Total Nonstop Action Wrestling under the name of "The Pope" D'Angelo Dinero; a gimmick in which he portrays a Harlem street preacher...
in a two out of three falls match to become the number one contender to the ECW Championship. At The Great American Bash, Punk faced John Morrison (formerly known as Johnny Nitro) for the ECW Championship. Morrison retained the title after hitting Punk with both of his knees.
On the July 6 edition of SmackDown, Kane
Kane (wrestler)
Glenn Thomas Jacobs is a Spanish-born American professional wrestler and actor better known by his ring name, Kane. He is signed to WWE, appearing on its SmackDown brand, but is currently inactive due to injury....
was named the number one contender to the World Heavyweight Championship
World Heavyweight Championship (WWE)
The World Heavyweight Championship is a professional wrestling world heavyweight championship in WWE. It is the world title of the SmackDown brand and one of two in WWE, complementing the WWE Championship of the Raw brand...
after he appeared as the special guest on Edge's Cutting Edge segment. Edge held a celebration for himself on the July 13 edition of SmackDown, and was attacked by Kane, who in the process legitimately injured Edge. On the July 20 episode of SmackDown, Edge was forced to vacate the World Heavyweight Championship as a result of his injury. The Great Khali went on to win a 20-man battle royal
Battle royal (professional wrestling)
In professional wrestling, a battle royal is a multi-competitor match type in which wrestlers are eliminated until one is left and declared winner...
to become the new World Heavyweight Champion. At The Great American Bash, Khali defended the title successfully against Kane and Batista in a Triple Threat match.
Results
| # | Results | Stipulations | Times |
|---|---|---|---|
| Super Crazy Super Crazy Francisco Islas Rueda is a Mexican professional wrestler, or Luchador, best known by his ring name Super Crazy. Islas is most known for his three year run in the original ECW... defeated Carlito |
Singles match | 05:06 | |
| 1 | Lance Cade Lance Cade Lance Kurtis McNaught was an American professional wrestler. He was best known for his time in World Wrestling Entertainment where he performed under the ring names Garrison Cade and Lance Cade.... and Trevor Murdoch (c) defeated The Hardys Hardy Boyz The Hardy Boyz are a professional wrestling tag team, consisting of real-life brothers Matt and Jeff Hardy... (Matt Hardy Matt Hardy Matthew Moore "Matt" Hardy is a semi-retired American professional wrestler. He is best known for his stints in World Wrestling Entertainment and Total Nonstop Action Wrestling .... and Jeff Hardy Jeff Hardy Jeffrey Nero "Jeff" Hardy is an American professional wrestler, who is currently signed to Total Nonstop Action Wrestling , where he is a former two–time TNA World Heavyweight Champion... ) |
Tag team Tag team Tag team professional wrestling is a variation in which matches are contested between teams of multiple wrestlers. A tag team may comprise two wrestlers who normally wrestle in singles competition, but more commonly are made of established teams who wrestle regularly as a unit and have a team name... match for the World Tag Team Championship |
11:51 |
| 2 | Chavo Guerrero Chavo Guerrero, Jr. Salvador "Chavo" Guerrero IV also known as Chavo Guerrero and Chavo Guerrero, Jr., is a third generation Mexican-American professional wrestler and member of the famed Guerrero wrestling family who was well known for working with World Wrestling Entertainment and World Championship Wrestling... (c) defeated Jimmy Wang Yang James Yun James Carson Yun is an American professional wrestler and actor, best known for his time in World Wrestling Entertainment under the ring name Jimmy Wang Yang, in World Championship Wrestling as one-third of the Jung Dragons as Yang, and in Total Nonstop Action Wrestling and the independent circuit... |
Singles match for the WWE Cruiserweight Championship WWE Cruiserweight Championship The World Wrestling Entertainment Cruiserweight Championship was a professional wrestling championship in World Wrestling Entertainment and was originally a World Championship Wrestling title. It was challenged by cruiserweights at a maximum weight of 215 lbs... |
11:15 |
| 3 | Johnny Nitro defeated CM Punk CM Punk Phillip Jack "Phil" Brooks , better known by his ring name CM Punk, is an American professional wrestler currently signed to WWE and working on its Raw brand currently serving his second title reign as WWE Champion.... |
Singles match for the vacant ECW World Championship | 10:03 |
| 4 | Santino Marella (c) defeated Umaga Eddie Fatu Edward Smith "Eki" Fatu was a Samoan-American professional wrestler better known by his ring name Umaga... by disqualification |
Singles match for the WWE Intercontinental Championship WWE Intercontinental Championship The WWE Intercontinental Championship is a professional wrestling championship in WWE. It is the original secondary title of the promotion. Currently, it is the secondary championship exclusive to the SmackDown brand... |
02:35 |
| 5 | Montel Vontavious Porter (c) defeated Ric Flair Ric Flair Richard Morgan Fliehr is an American professional wrestler, better known by his ring name Ric Flair. Also known as "The Nature Boy", Flair is one of the most well-known professional wrestlers in the world.... |
Singles match for the WWE United States Championship WWE United States Championship The WWE United States Championship is a professional wrestling championship in WWE. It was originally a National Wrestling Alliance and World Championship Wrestling championship, and is currently the secondary championship of the Raw brand.... |
08:40 |
| 6 | Deuce 'n Domino Cliff Compton Clifford "Cliff" Compton is an American professional wrestler, better known by his ring name Domino. He is signed with Ohio Valley Wrestling , where he is a former two–time OVW Heavyweight Champion... (c) (with Cherry Kara Drew Kara Elizabeth Drew is a former American professional wrestler and valet, better known by her ring name Cherry. She is best known for working in World Wrestling Entertainment as the manager of former Tag Team Champions, Deuce 'n Domino, and as a performer for its SmackDown brand.After becoming... ) defeated Sgt. Slaughter Sgt. Slaughter Robert Remus , better known by his ring name Sgt. Slaughter, is an American former WWE personality and semi-retired professional wrestler. From the late 1970s to the early 1990s, Slaughter had success in the National Wrestling Alliance, American Wrestling Association, and World Wrestling... and Jimmy Snuka Jimmy Snuka James William "Jimmy" Reiher is a semi-retired Fijian professional wrestler and actor, better known by his ring name Jimmy "Superfly" Snuka. Originally from the Fiji Islands, Snuka wrestled for several promotions in the 1970s and 1980s. Snuka is a two-time world heavyweight champion, having been a... |
Tag team match for the WWE Tag Team Championship WWE Tag Team Championship The WWE Tag Team Championship is a professional wrestling world tag team championship in WWE. It was established as a second title for tag teams in WWE in 2002 to complement the original World Tag Team Championship... |
06:29 |
| 7 | Edge (c) defeated Batista by countout | Last Chance match for the World Heavyweight Championship World Heavyweight Championship (WWE) The World Heavyweight Championship is a professional wrestling world heavyweight championship in WWE. It is the world title of the SmackDown brand and one of two in WWE, complementing the WWE Championship of the Raw brand... |
16:50 |
| 8 | Candice Michelle Candice Michelle Candice Michelle Beckman-Ehrlich better known as Candice Michelle or just Candice, is an American model, actress, and professional wrestler best known for her time with World Wrestling Entertainment.... defeated Melina Melina Perez Melina Nava Perez is an American professional wrestler currently signed to Women Superstars Uncensored. She is best known for her time with World Wrestling Entertainment under the ring mononym Melina.... (c) |
Singles match for the WWE Women's Championship WWE Women's Championship The WWE Women's Championship was a professional wrestling championship in the World Wrestling Entertainment promotion. Created in 1956, it was the oldest active professional wrestling championship in World Wrestling Entertainment history until its retirement in 2010 as a result from a unification... |
04:21 |
| 9 | John Cena John Cena John Felix Anthony Cena is an American professional wrestler, actor, rapper, and television personality. He is currently signed to WWE as a member of its WWE Raw brand.... (c) defeated Mick Foley Mick Foley Michael Francis "Mick" Foley, Sr. is an American semi-retired professional wrestler, author, comedian, actor, voice actor and former color commentator. He has worked for many wrestling promotions, including WWE, WCW, ECW and TNA. He is often referred to as "The Hardcore Legend", a nickname he... , Bobby Lashley, Randy Orton Randy Orton Randal Keith "Randy" Orton is an American professional wrestler and actor. He is signed to WWE wrestling on its SmackDown brand... , and King Booker Booker Huffman Robert Booker Tio Huffman , better known by his ring name Booker T, is a semi-retired American professional wrestler and currently signed to WWE, on its SmackDown brand, as part of the announcing team. Booker is best known for his time in both the World Wrestling Entertainment and World... (with Queen Sharmell) |
5-Pack Challenge match for the WWE Championship WWE Championship The WWE Championship is a professional wrestling world heavyweight championship in WWE. It is the world title of the Raw brand and one of two in WWE, complementing the World Heavyweight Championship of the SmackDown brand. It was established under the then WWWF in 1963... |
14:07 |
See also
- List of WWE pay-per-view events
- WWE VengeanceWWE VengeanceVengeance is a professional wrestling pay-per-view event produced by professional wrestling promotion WWE. The inaugural event took place on December 9, 2001 and replaced WWE Armageddon for that year due to the possible insensitivity of the latter's name with respect to the September 11 attacks....
- Chris Benoit double murder and suicideChris Benoit double murder and suicideThe Chris Benoit double murder suicide occurred over a three-day period ending on June 24, 2007. World Wrestling Entertainment professional wrestler Chris Benoit killed his wife, Nancy Benoit, strangled his seven-year-old son, Daniel, and subsequently committed suicide by hanging. Autopsy results...