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Vengeance (2002)
Encyclopedia
Vengeance was a professional wrestling
pay-per-view
event produced by World Wrestling Entertainment
(WWE), which took place on July 21, 2002 at the Joe Louis Arena
in Detroit, Michigan. It was the second annual Vengeance
produced by WWE. Professional wrestling is a type of sports entertainment
in which theatrical events are combined with a competitive sport. The buildup to the matches and the scenarios that took place before, during, and after the event, were planned by WWE's script writers. The event starred wrestlers from the Raw
and SmackDown! brands
: storyline expansions of the promotion where employees are assigned to wrestling brands under the WWE banner.
The main event
from SmackDown saw The Rock win the WWE Undisputed Championship
in a Triple Threat match also involving Kurt Angle
and the defending champion The Undertaker. The main event from Raw
was between the champion Rob Van Dam
and challenger Brock Lesnar
for the WWE Intercontinental Championship
which Van Dam retain his championship by disqualification. The undercard featured The Un-Americans
(Lance Storm
and Christian) versus Hollywood Hulk Hogan
and Edge for the WWE Tag Team Championship and John Cena's
first ever WWE Pay-Per-View match against Chris Jericho
.
from SmackDown heading into Vengeance was between The Rock, Kurt Angle
and The Undertaker fighting for the Undisputed WWE Championship
. At King of the Ring (2002)
, Undertaker defeated Triple H
to retain the Undisputed WWE Championship. During the match The Rock interfered hitting Undertaker with a Rock Bottom. Undertaker, angry because of The Rock's interference, asked Mr. McMahon
for a match with The Rock. Vince booked the match for Vengeance and told Undertaker that it was for the Undisputed Championship. On the July 4 edition SmackDown!, however, Undertaker wrestled Kurt Angle to a draw in a WWE Undisputed title match, when Undertaker won by pinfall and tapped out to Angle's submission hold. On the following Raw McMahon announced that Angle would be added to the match. On the final edition of SmackDown!, The Rock defeated Angle by Disqualification due to interference from The Undertaker.
The biggest feud from Raw heading into Vengenace was between Rob Van Dam
and Brock Lesnar
for the WWE Intercontinental Championship
. The previous month at King of the Ring, RVD defeated Chris Jericho
in the first Semi-Final round while Lesnar defeated Test in the second Semi-Final round. During the latter event, Lesnar defeated Rob Van Dam in the King of the Ring tournament to earn the right to face the WWE Undisputed Champion at SummerSlam
. RVD had held the Intercontinental championship since the May 27 edition of Raw when he defeated Eddie Guerrero
(who he lost the title to at Backlash
on April 21) in a ladder match
. On the June 24 edition of Raw, I.C. Champion RVD interrupted Lesnar's KOTR coronation by attacking him from behind and knocking him down with the Van Daminator and the Diving superkick. Later that night, Lesnar challenged RVD for the Intercontinental title, which Lesnar lost by Disqualification when Lesnar's agent, Paul Heyman
interfered. Afterward, Lesnar nailed Van Dam with two powerbombs including one through the announce table. On the July 8 edition of Raw, Lesnar and Heyman issued a challenge to Van Dam at Vengeance for the I.C. title, which Van Dam accepted. Afterwords, Van Dam brawled with Lesnar and Heyman, ending with Van Dam nailing Heyman in the face with a Van Terminator along with the steel chair in hand. Later that night, during the 10 Man tag team match, RVD chased Shawn Michaels
to the back while being distracted, allowing Lesnar to perform an F-5 on Van Dam onto the steel ramp. On the final edition of Raw, Lesnar and Undisputed Champion
The Undertaker defeated RVD and Ric Flair
in a tag match. Afterwords, Lesnar nailed Undertaker from behind and performed an F-5 on him.
Another storyline heading into Vengeance was Triple H determining what brand
he would permanently join. He could either stay on SmackDown! with then-new General Manager Stephanie McMahon or move back to Raw with General Manager Eric Bischoff
. Originally the New World Order
(nWo) was planning to threaten Triple H to join the nWo on his return to Raw, but due to backstage circumstances, the nWo was written off television a week before Vengeance. Shawn Michaels
, however, would still promise to bring Triple H back to Raw.
John Cena had made his WWE debut a month before Vengeance on the June 27 episode of SmackDown! and had entered a minor feud with Kurt Angle
and Chris Jericho
. Jericho and Edge were also feuding at that time. Their feud began on the June 6 episode of SmackDown! when Edge and Jericho were scheduled to compete in the King of the Ring First-Round tournament. But Edge forfeited his match to Jericho due to a shoulder injury that he suffered the previous week on SmackDown! in a Steel Cage match after spearing Kurt Angle. Jericho then forced Edge to raise his hand in victory but Edge refused and tried to assault Jericho but Jericho retaliated by targeting Edge's shoulder including nailing his shoulder onto the steel ring steps with the steel chair. Edge and Jericho were booked to fight each other at Vengeance, until Hollywood Hulk Hogan
and Edge defeated Billy and Chuck
for the WWE Tag Team Championship on the July 4 edition of SmackDown!. Later that night, Jericho went one-on-one with Cena, which Jericho won after he pinned Cena, with his own feet on the ropes. The following week on SmackDown!, Cena teamed with The Undertaker to take on Angle and Jericho in a tag match, which Cena and Undertaker won after Cena pinned Jericho.
Chris Jericho then asked Mr. McMahon to let The Un-Americans
(Lance Storm
and Christian) to wrestle Hogan and Edge for the Tag Titles instead at Vengeance, to which McMahon agreed.
On the July 8 edition of Raw, Jeff Hardy
had defeated William Regal
to win the WWE European Championship
. Regal, upset after his loss, used his rematch clause at Vengeance. On the July 15 edition of Raw, WWE European Champion
Jeff Hardy teamed with Bubba Ray dudley and Spike dudley
to take on William Regal, Chris Benoit
and Eddie Guerrero
in a Six man tag team Elimination match. Benoit last eliminated Hardy by forcing Hardy to submit to the Crippler Crossface following a Brass Knuckles
shot by Regal (who had already been eliminated).
Booker T
had been feuding with the nWo
at the time of their demise after being literally kicked out of it on the June 10 edition of Raw. The following week on Raw, Booker T competed in the King of the Ring Quarter-Final round against Brock Lesnar
which Lesnar won following the interference from the nWo. On the July 15 edition of Raw Booker T defeated former nWo member The Big Show
by disqualification after Big Show hit Booker with a chair. After the match, Big Show asked Raw General Manager Eric Bischoff if he could fight Booker in a No Disqualification match at Vengeance, which Bischoff granted.
On the June 6 episode of SmackDown!, Jamie Noble
debuted by attacking the Hurricane
and was joined by Nidia
. On the June 20 edition of SmackDown!, Noble defeated Billy Kidman after he nailed him with the DDT
off the top rope. Afterwords, The Hurricane got his mask back (that Noble and Nidia had taken from him the previous week) after nailing Noble with the chokeslam
. Then at King of the Ring
, he defeated The Hurricane for the Cruiserweight Championship
. The following three weeks on SmackDown!, Kidman and The Hurricane defeated Noble and Tajiri
in two tag team matches. Billy Kidman then challenged Jamie Noble to a Cruiserweight Championship match at Vengeance.
Before the event went live on pay-per-view, Goldust defeated Stevie Richards
in a standard wrestling match taped for Sunday Night Heat
.
The show began with Jim Ross
and Jerry Lawler
until Tazz
and Michael Cole
said they deserved to call WWE Vengeance just as much as Ross and Lawler should. Ross agreed and let Tazz and Cole call the first half of the show.
After winning the WWE Undisputed Championship
, The Rock then entered a feud with the number one contender Brock Lesnar
for the upcoming PPV SummerSlam
. Lesnar went on to win the match and become the youngest WWE Champion in history. It was also the last match for The Rock as an active WWE superstar and his last reign as WWE Champion, prior to being a full-time actor in Hollywood.
Triple H
and Shawn Michaels
came out the night after Vengeance and what appeared to be a reunion for D-Generation X
was instead Triple H nailing a Pedigree on Michaels. This caused Michaels to retaliate and challenge Triple H to a street fight at SummerSlam, marking his first official match since WrestleMania XIV
. Michaels won the match, and Triple H attacked him after the match.
A night after Vengeance, Eric Bischoff
decided to merge the WWE Intercontinental Championship
and the WWE European Championship
into one, putting Rob Van Dam
and Jeff Hardy
against each other in a ladder match. RVD won the match, and the European Championship was retired. A week later, Van Dam lost the Intercontinental Championship to Chris Benoit
, who would then jump to SmackDown!. Van Dam used his rematch clause for Summerslam and brought the Intercontinental title back to Raw.
After losing to John Cena
, Chris Jericho
had to face Edge in a steel cage match on the July 25 episode of SmackDown!. Edge won the match, and Jericho, along with The Un-Americans
, moved to the Raw brand. Jericho went on to feud with Ric Flair
. Lance Storm
and Christian began to feud with Booker T
and Goldust, while Test had a one-month feud with The Undertaker. After his cage match win over Chris Jericho, Edge began a two-month long feud with Eddie Guerrero
.
After losing the triple threat match to The Rock, Kurt Angle
was pinned by Rey Mysterio in a six man tag team match on the August 8 episode of SmackDown!. As a result, on the following episode of SmackDown, he challenged Mysterio to a match at SummerSlam to which Mysterio agreed.
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...
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), which took place on July 21, 2002 at the Joe Louis Arena
Joe Louis Arena
Joe Louis Arena, nicknamed The Joe and JLA is a hockey arena located at 600 Civic Center Drive in Detroit, Michigan. It is the home of the Detroit Red Wings of the National Hockey League. Completed in 1979 at a cost of $57 million, Joe Louis Arena is named after boxer and former heavyweight...
in Detroit, Michigan. It was the second annual 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....
produced by WWE. Professional wrestling is a type of sports entertainment
Sports entertainment
Sports entertainment is a type of spectacle which presents an ostensibly competitive event using a high level of theatrical flourish and extravagant presentation, with the purpose of entertaining an audience...
in which theatrical events are combined with a competitive sport. The buildup to the matches and the scenarios that took place before, during, and after the event, were planned by WWE's script writers. The event starred wrestlers 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...
and SmackDown! 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...
: storyline expansions of the promotion where employees are assigned to wrestling brands under the WWE banner.
The main event
Main Event
Main Event is Australia's only pay-per-view channel. It transmits through Foxtel, Optus Television and Austar, which jointly own the channel...
from SmackDown saw The Rock win the WWE Undisputed 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...
in a Triple Threat match also involving Kurt Angle
Kurt Angle
Kurt Steven Angle is an American professional wrestler, amateur wrestler, and 1996 Olympic gold medalist. He is currently under contract with Total Nonstop Action Wrestling, where he is recognized as a 15-time World Heavyweight Champion...
and the defending champion The Undertaker. The main event from Raw
WWE RAW
WWE Raw ) is a sports entertainment television program for WWE that currently airs on the USA Network in the United States...
was between the champion Rob Van Dam
Rob Van Dam
Robert Alexander "Rob" Szatkowski , better known by his ring name Rob Van Dam , is an American professional wrestler and actor who is currently signed to Total Nonstop Action Wrestling ....
and challenger Brock Lesnar
Brock Lesnar
Brock Edward Lesnar is an American mixed martial artist, actor and a former professional and amateur wrestler. He is a former UFC Heavyweight Champion and is ranked the No.5 Heavyweight in the world by Sherdog...
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...
which Van Dam retain his championship by disqualification. The undercard featured The Un-Americans
The Un-Americans
The Un-Americans were a professional wrestling stable in World Wrestling Entertainment who were active throughout mid-2002...
(Lance Storm
Lance Storm
Lance Timothy Evers known professionally by his ring name Lance Storm, is a semi-retired Canadian professional wrestler. He is best known for his work in World Wrestling Entertainment, Extreme Championship Wrestling, and World Championship Wrestling...
and Christian) versus Hollywood Hulk Hogan
Hulk Hogan
Terrance Gene "Terry" Bollea , better known by his ring name Hulk Hogan, is an American Semi-retired professional wrestler, actor, television personality, and musician currently signed to Total Nonstop Action Wrestling ....
and Edge for the WWE Tag Team Championship and John Cena's
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....
first ever WWE Pay-Per-View match against Chris Jericho
Chris Jericho
Christopher Keith Irvine , better known by his ring name Chris Jericho, is an inactive Canadian-American professional wrestler, musician, songwriter, radio personality, television host, actor, author, and dancer...
.
Background
The main feudFeud
A feud , referred to in more extreme cases as a blood feud, vendetta, faida, or private war, is a long-running argument or fight between parties—often groups of people, especially families or clans. Feuds begin because one party perceives itself to have been attacked, insulted or wronged by another...
from SmackDown heading into Vengeance was between The Rock, Kurt Angle
Kurt Angle
Kurt Steven Angle is an American professional wrestler, amateur wrestler, and 1996 Olympic gold medalist. He is currently under contract with Total Nonstop Action Wrestling, where he is recognized as a 15-time World Heavyweight Champion...
and The Undertaker fighting for the Undisputed 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 King of the Ring (2002)
King of the Ring (2002)
King of the Ring was the tenth annual King of the Ring professional wrestling pay-per-view event produced by the World Wrestling Entertainment . It took place on June 23, 2002 at the Nationwide Arena in Columbus, Ohio...
, Undertaker defeated Triple H
Triple H
Paul Michael Levesque is an American professional wrestler, professional wrestling authority figure, WWE Executive Vice President of Talent and actor, better known by his ring name Triple H, an abbreviation of the ring name, Hunter Hearst Helmsley...
to retain the Undisputed WWE Championship. During the match The Rock interfered hitting Undertaker with a Rock Bottom. Undertaker, angry because of The Rock's interference, asked Mr. 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...
for a match with The Rock. Vince booked the match for Vengeance and told Undertaker that it was for the Undisputed Championship. On the July 4 edition SmackDown!, however, Undertaker wrestled Kurt Angle to a draw in a WWE Undisputed title match, when Undertaker won by pinfall and tapped out to Angle's submission hold. On the following Raw McMahon announced that Angle would be added to the match. On the final edition of SmackDown!, The Rock defeated Angle by Disqualification due to interference from The Undertaker.
The biggest feud from Raw heading into Vengenace was between Rob Van Dam
Rob Van Dam
Robert Alexander "Rob" Szatkowski , better known by his ring name Rob Van Dam , is an American professional wrestler and actor who is currently signed to Total Nonstop Action Wrestling ....
and Brock Lesnar
Brock Lesnar
Brock Edward Lesnar is an American mixed martial artist, actor and a former professional and amateur wrestler. He is a former UFC Heavyweight Champion and is ranked the No.5 Heavyweight in the world by Sherdog...
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 previous month at King of the Ring, RVD defeated Chris Jericho
Chris Jericho
Christopher Keith Irvine , better known by his ring name Chris Jericho, is an inactive Canadian-American professional wrestler, musician, songwriter, radio personality, television host, actor, author, and dancer...
in the first Semi-Final round while Lesnar defeated Test in the second Semi-Final round. During the latter event, Lesnar defeated Rob Van Dam in the King of the Ring tournament to earn the right to face the WWE Undisputed Champion at SummerSlam
SummerSlam (2002)
SummerSlam was the fifteenth annual SummerSlam professional wrestling pay-per-view event produced by World Wrestling Entertainment . It took place on August 25, 2002 at the Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum in Uniondale, New York....
. RVD had held the Intercontinental championship since the May 27 edition of Raw when he defeated Eddie Guerrero
Eddie Guerrero
Eduardo Gory "Eddie" Guerrero was a Mexican-American professional wrestler born into the Guerrero wrestling family. He wrestled in Mexico and Japan for several major professional wrestling promotions...
(who he lost the title to at Backlash
Backlash (2002)
Backlash was a professional wrestling pay-per-view event produced by the World Wrestling Federation promotion, which took place on April 21, 2002 at Kemper Arena in Kansas City, Missouri. The event starred talent from the Raw and SmackDown! brands. It was the fourth event under the Backlash...
on April 21) in a ladder match
Ladder match
A ladder match is a type of match in professional wrestling that is most commonly used to describe a match where an item is hung above the ring, and the winner is the contestant who climbs a ladder and retrieves the item...
. On the June 24 edition of Raw, I.C. Champion RVD interrupted Lesnar's KOTR coronation by attacking him from behind and knocking him down with the Van Daminator and the Diving superkick. Later that night, Lesnar challenged RVD for the Intercontinental title, which Lesnar lost by Disqualification when Lesnar's agent, Paul Heyman
Paul Heyman
Paul Heyman is an American entertainment producer, best known for his career in professional wrestling as a promoter, manager, commentator and journalist. He is also an occasional actor in film....
interfered. Afterward, Lesnar nailed Van Dam with two powerbombs including one through the announce table. On the July 8 edition of Raw, Lesnar and Heyman issued a challenge to Van Dam at Vengeance for the I.C. title, which Van Dam accepted. Afterwords, Van Dam brawled with Lesnar and Heyman, ending with Van Dam nailing Heyman in the face with a Van Terminator along with the steel chair in hand. Later that night, during the 10 Man tag team match, RVD chased Shawn Michaels
Shawn Michaels
Michael Shawn Hickenbottom , better known by his ring name Shawn Michaels, is an American television host and retired professional wrestler. He presents the Outdoor Channel show MacMillan River Adventures, and is currently signed to WWE, where he has served in an ambassadorial role since December...
to the back while being distracted, allowing Lesnar to perform an F-5 on Van Dam onto the steel ramp. On the final edition of Raw, Lesnar and Undisputed Champion
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 Undertaker defeated RVD 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....
in a tag match. Afterwords, Lesnar nailed Undertaker from behind and performed an F-5 on him.
Another storyline heading into Vengeance was Triple H determining what brand
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...
he would permanently join. He could either stay on SmackDown! with then-new General Manager Stephanie McMahon or move back to Raw with General Manager Eric Bischoff
Eric Bischoff
Eric Aaron Bischoff is an American entrepreneur, and professional wrestling booker and on-screen personality currently signed to Total Nonstop Action Wrestling...
. Originally the New World Order
New World Order (professional wrestling)
The New World Order was a professional wrestling stable that originally wrestled for World Championship Wrestling . The group later appeared in the World Wrestling Federation after the purchase of WCW by the WWF...
(nWo) was planning to threaten Triple H to join the nWo on his return to Raw, but due to backstage circumstances, the nWo was written off television a week before Vengeance. Shawn Michaels
Shawn Michaels
Michael Shawn Hickenbottom , better known by his ring name Shawn Michaels, is an American television host and retired professional wrestler. He presents the Outdoor Channel show MacMillan River Adventures, and is currently signed to WWE, where he has served in an ambassadorial role since December...
, however, would still promise to bring Triple H back to Raw.
John Cena had made his WWE debut a month before Vengeance on the June 27 episode of SmackDown! and had entered a minor feud with Kurt Angle
Kurt Angle
Kurt Steven Angle is an American professional wrestler, amateur wrestler, and 1996 Olympic gold medalist. He is currently under contract with Total Nonstop Action Wrestling, where he is recognized as a 15-time World Heavyweight Champion...
and Chris Jericho
Chris Jericho
Christopher Keith Irvine , better known by his ring name Chris Jericho, is an inactive Canadian-American professional wrestler, musician, songwriter, radio personality, television host, actor, author, and dancer...
. Jericho and Edge were also feuding at that time. Their feud began on the June 6 episode of SmackDown! when Edge and Jericho were scheduled to compete in the King of the Ring First-Round tournament. But Edge forfeited his match to Jericho due to a shoulder injury that he suffered the previous week on SmackDown! in a Steel Cage match after spearing Kurt Angle. Jericho then forced Edge to raise his hand in victory but Edge refused and tried to assault Jericho but Jericho retaliated by targeting Edge's shoulder including nailing his shoulder onto the steel ring steps with the steel chair. Edge and Jericho were booked to fight each other at Vengeance, until Hollywood Hulk Hogan
Hulk Hogan
Terrance Gene "Terry" Bollea , better known by his ring name Hulk Hogan, is an American Semi-retired professional wrestler, actor, television personality, and musician currently signed to Total Nonstop Action Wrestling ....
and Edge defeated Billy and Chuck
Billy and Chuck
Billy and Chuck was the professional wrestling tag team of Billy Gunn and Chuck Palumbo seen in World Wrestling Entertainment.-History:Near the end of the Invasion storyline, Chuck Palumbo was kicked out of the WCW/ECW coalition. In response, he defected to the WWF, where he began teaming with Gunn...
for the WWE Tag Team Championship on the July 4 edition of SmackDown!. Later that night, Jericho went one-on-one with Cena, which Jericho won after he pinned Cena, with his own feet on the ropes. The following week on SmackDown!, Cena teamed with The Undertaker to take on Angle and Jericho in a tag match, which Cena and Undertaker won after Cena pinned Jericho.
Chris Jericho then asked Mr. McMahon to let The Un-Americans
The Un-Americans
The Un-Americans were a professional wrestling stable in World Wrestling Entertainment who were active throughout mid-2002...
(Lance Storm
Lance Storm
Lance Timothy Evers known professionally by his ring name Lance Storm, is a semi-retired Canadian professional wrestler. He is best known for his work in World Wrestling Entertainment, Extreme Championship Wrestling, and World Championship Wrestling...
and Christian) to wrestle Hogan and Edge for the Tag Titles instead at Vengeance, to which McMahon agreed.
On the July 8 edition of Raw, 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...
had 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...
to win the WWE European Championship
WWE European Championship
The WWE European Championship was a professional wrestling championship competed for in World Wrestling Entertainment. A coveted singles title of the late 1990s and early 2000s, it was held by superstars such as Shawn Michaels, Triple H, Kurt Angle, Chris Jericho, Owen Hart, Eddie Guerrero, and was...
. Regal, upset after his loss, used his rematch clause at Vengeance. On the July 15 edition of Raw, WWE European Champion
WWE European Championship
The WWE European Championship was a professional wrestling championship competed for in World Wrestling Entertainment. A coveted singles title of the late 1990s and early 2000s, it was held by superstars such as Shawn Michaels, Triple H, Kurt Angle, Chris Jericho, Owen Hart, Eddie Guerrero, and was...
Jeff Hardy teamed with Bubba Ray dudley and Spike dudley
Matt Hyson
Matthew "Matt" Hyson is a retired American professional wrestler, best known for his performances in Extreme Championship Wrestling and World Wrestling Entertainment under the ring name Spike Dudley and in Total Nonstop Action Wrestling under the ring name Brother Runt.In ECW, he was a two-time...
to take on William Regal, Chris Benoit
Chris Benoit
Christopher Michael "Chris" Benoit was a Canadian professional wrestler whose career and life ended in a murder–suicide...
and Eddie Guerrero
Eddie Guerrero
Eduardo Gory "Eddie" Guerrero was a Mexican-American professional wrestler born into the Guerrero wrestling family. He wrestled in Mexico and Japan for several major professional wrestling promotions...
in a Six man tag team Elimination match. Benoit last eliminated Hardy by forcing Hardy to submit to the Crippler Crossface following a Brass Knuckles
Brass knuckles
Brass knuckles, also sometimes called knuckles, knucks, brass knucks, or knuckledusters, are weapons used in hand-to-hand combat. Brass knuckles are pieces of metal, usually steel despite their name, shaped to fit around the knuckles...
shot by Regal (who had already been eliminated).
Booker T
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...
had been feuding with the nWo
New World Order (professional wrestling)
The New World Order was a professional wrestling stable that originally wrestled for World Championship Wrestling . The group later appeared in the World Wrestling Federation after the purchase of WCW by the WWF...
at the time of their demise after being literally kicked out of it on the June 10 edition of Raw. The following week on Raw, Booker T competed in the King of the Ring Quarter-Final round against Brock Lesnar
Brock Lesnar
Brock Edward Lesnar is an American mixed martial artist, actor and a former professional and amateur wrestler. He is a former UFC Heavyweight Champion and is ranked the No.5 Heavyweight in the world by Sherdog...
which Lesnar won following the interference from the nWo. On the July 15 edition of Raw Booker T defeated former nWo member The Big Show
Paul Wight
Paul Donald Wight, Jr. , better known by his ring name, Big Show, is an American professional wrestler and actor, currently signed to WWE on its Raw brand....
by disqualification after Big Show hit Booker with a chair. After the match, Big Show asked Raw General Manager Eric Bischoff if he could fight Booker in a No Disqualification match at Vengeance, which Bischoff granted.
On the June 6 episode of SmackDown!, 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...
debuted by attacking the Hurricane
Gregory Helms
Gregory Shane Helms is an American professional wrestler. He is best known for his time with World Wrestling Entertainment where he wrestled as The Hurricane and Gregory Helms. He is also known for his time with World Championship Wrestling where he wrestled as "Sugar" Shane Helms...
and was joined by Nidia
Nidia Guenard
Nidia Guenard better known simply Nidia is a former professional wrestler who worked for World Wrestling Entertainment...
. On the June 20 edition of SmackDown!, Noble defeated Billy Kidman after he nailed him with the DDT
DDT (professional wrestling)
In professional wrestling a DDT is any move in which the wrestler has the opponent in a front facelock, and falls down or backwards to drive the opponent's head into the mat...
off the top rope. Afterwords, The Hurricane got his mask back (that Noble and Nidia had taken from him the previous week) after nailing Noble with the chokeslam
Chokeslam
A chokeslam refers to a type of body slam in professional wrestling in which the wrestler grasps their opponent's neck, lifts them up, and slams them to the mat. It is common in televised wrestling because it is simple and relatively safe, yet looks powerful on camera...
. Then at King of the Ring
King of the Ring (2002)
King of the Ring was the tenth annual King of the Ring professional wrestling pay-per-view event produced by the World Wrestling Entertainment . It took place on June 23, 2002 at the Nationwide Arena in Columbus, Ohio...
, he defeated The Hurricane for the 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 following three weeks on SmackDown!, Kidman and The Hurricane defeated Noble and Tajiri
Yoshihiro Tajiri
, is a Japanese professional wrestler, perhaps best known for his appearances with Extreme Championship Wrestling and World Wrestling Entertainment. He is currently competing in SMASH as TAJIRI.-Early years :...
in two tag team matches. Billy Kidman then challenged Jamie Noble to a Cruiserweight Championship match at Vengeance.
Event
| Role: | Name: |
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| Commentator Sports commentator In sports broadcasting, a commentator gives a running commentary of a game or event in real time, usually during a live broadcast. The comments are normally a voiceover, with the sounds of the action and spectators also heard in the background. In the case of television commentary, the commentator... |
Michael Cole Michael Cole Michael Sean Coulthard , better known by his ring name Michael Cole, is an American professional wrestling commentator, currently signed to WWE on both its Rawand SmackDown brands. Coulthard is a former news journalist.... |
| Tazz Tazz Peter Senerchia is a retired American professional wrestler and current color commentator best known by his ring name Tazz, originally Tazmaniac and later shortened to simply Taz... |
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| Jim Ross Jim Ross James William "Jim" Ross is a professional wrestling commentator, former professional wrestling referee, restaurateur, occasional wrestler, and former company executive of WWE, where he currently works as a commentator on the WWE Raw brand... |
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| Jerry Lawler Jerry Lawler Jerry O'Neil Lawler is an American professional wrestler, wrestling commentator, musician, businessman, commercial artist and film actor, known throughout the wrestling world as Jerry "The King" Lawler. He is currently signed to WWE, working on its Raw brand as the color commentator and occasional... |
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| Carlos Cabrera Carlos Cabrera Carlos Rodrigo Cabrera is a former newsman and currently employed with WWE, where he is one half of the company's Spanish announce team in which he is the play-by-play announcer. His longtime broadcast partner was the former Ecuadorian professional wrestler Hugo Savinovich, who was the color... |
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| Hugo Savinovich Hugo Savinovich Hugo Savinovich is a former Ecuadorian professional wrestler, formerly employed with WWE, where he was one half of the Spanish announce team for the company's TV shows and pay-per-view events. He was a color commentator and partner of Carlos Cabrera and occasionally Marcelo Rodríguez. When he... |
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| Interviewer | 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... |
| Marc Lloyd | |
| Terri Terri Runnels Terri Lynne Boatright Runnels is a former World Championship Wrestling and World Wrestling Federation professional wrestling manager, television host and occasional wrestler.... |
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| Ring announcer Ring announcer A ring announcer is a paid in-ring employee for a boxing, professional wrestling, or mixed martial arts event or promotion... |
Howard Finkel Howard Finkel Howard Finkel is a professional wrestling ring announcer currently working with WWE in a variety of roles. Hired in 1975 by Vincent J. McMahon's World Wide Wrestling Federation, "The Fink" was the first person brought in to Vincent K... |
| Referee | Jack Doan Jack Doan John Michael "Jack" Doan is a veteran professional wrestling referee currently signed with WWE.-Career:Doan joined WWE in October 1991 as a truck driver. From there, he took robes from Superstars at ringside, played music at shows, worked as part of the ring crew, and continued to drive the... |
| Jimmy Korderas Jim Korderas __FORCETOC__Demetrius Korderas , better known by his referee name, Jim "Jimmy" Korderas is a Canadian professional wrestling referee who worked for World Wrestling Entertainment for over 22 years.-Early career:... |
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| Mike Sparks | |
| Nick Patrick Nick Hamilton Joseph Nicholas "Nick" Patrick Hamilton Jr. , better known by his ring name Nick Patrick, is a professional wrestling referee. He is a former referee for World Championship Wrestling and World Wrestling Entertainment... |
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| Mike Chioda Mike Chioda Michael Joseph "Mike" Chioda, is a senior referee who is currently signed to WWE. While not refereeing, Chioda, as well as the other referees in WWE, help set up the arena before shows, constructing the ring and stage areas.-WWF:... |
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| Charles Robinson Charles Robinson (referee) Charles Shane Robinson is an American professional wrestling referee currently signed to WWE.- Beginnings and World Championship Wrestling :... |
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| Brian Hebner | |
| Chad Patton | |
| Earl Hebner Earl Hebner Earl William Hebner is a professional wrestling referee currently working for Total Nonstop Action Wrestling, and the twin brother of Dave Hebner... |
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| General Manager | Stephanie McMahon |
| Eric Bischoff Eric Bischoff Eric Aaron Bischoff is an American entrepreneur, and professional wrestling booker and on-screen personality currently signed to Total Nonstop Action Wrestling... |
Before the event went live on pay-per-view, Goldust defeated Stevie Richards
Stevie Richards
Michael Manna is an American professional wrestler, better known by the ring name Stevie Richards. Also known by his ring names, Steven Richards and Dr...
in a standard wrestling match taped for Sunday Night Heat
WWE HEAT
WWE Heat was a professional wrestling television program produced by World Wrestling Entertainment...
.
The show began with Jim Ross
Jim Ross
James William "Jim" Ross is a professional wrestling commentator, former professional wrestling referee, restaurateur, occasional wrestler, and former company executive of WWE, where he currently works as a commentator on the WWE Raw brand...
and Jerry Lawler
Jerry Lawler
Jerry O'Neil Lawler is an American professional wrestler, wrestling commentator, musician, businessman, commercial artist and film actor, known throughout the wrestling world as Jerry "The King" Lawler. He is currently signed to WWE, working on its Raw brand as the color commentator and occasional...
until Tazz
Tazz
Peter Senerchia is a retired American professional wrestler and current color commentator best known by his ring name Tazz, originally Tazmaniac and later shortened to simply Taz...
and Michael Cole
Michael Cole
Michael Sean Coulthard , better known by his ring name Michael Cole, is an American professional wrestling commentator, currently signed to WWE on both its Rawand SmackDown brands. Coulthard is a former news journalist....
said they deserved to call WWE Vengeance just as much as Ross and Lawler should. Ross agreed and let Tazz and Cole call the first half of the show.
Aftermath
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 Rock then entered a feud with the number one contender Brock Lesnar
Brock Lesnar
Brock Edward Lesnar is an American mixed martial artist, actor and a former professional and amateur wrestler. He is a former UFC Heavyweight Champion and is ranked the No.5 Heavyweight in the world by Sherdog...
for the upcoming PPV SummerSlam
SummerSlam (2002)
SummerSlam was the fifteenth annual SummerSlam professional wrestling pay-per-view event produced by World Wrestling Entertainment . It took place on August 25, 2002 at the Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum in Uniondale, New York....
. Lesnar went on to win the match and become the youngest WWE Champion in history. It was also the last match for The Rock as an active WWE superstar and his last reign as WWE Champion, prior to being a full-time actor in Hollywood.
Triple H
Triple H
Paul Michael Levesque is an American professional wrestler, professional wrestling authority figure, WWE Executive Vice President of Talent and actor, better known by his ring name Triple H, an abbreviation of the ring name, Hunter Hearst Helmsley...
and Shawn Michaels
Shawn Michaels
Michael Shawn Hickenbottom , better known by his ring name Shawn Michaels, is an American television host and retired professional wrestler. He presents the Outdoor Channel show MacMillan River Adventures, and is currently signed to WWE, where he has served in an ambassadorial role since December...
came out the night after Vengeance and what appeared to be a reunion for D-Generation X
D-Generation X
D-Generation X was a professional wrestling stable in WWE . The group originated in the midst of the WWF's "Attitude Era" from 1997 to 2000...
was instead Triple H nailing a Pedigree on Michaels. This caused Michaels to retaliate and challenge Triple H to a street fight at SummerSlam, marking his first official match since WrestleMania XIV
WrestleMania XIV
WrestleMania XIV was the fourteenth annual WrestleMania professional wrestling pay-per-view event produced by the World Wrestling Federation , which took place on March 29, 1998 at the FleetCenter in Boston, Massachusetts....
. Michaels won the match, and Triple H attacked him after the match.
A night after Vengeance, Eric Bischoff
Eric Bischoff
Eric Aaron Bischoff is an American entrepreneur, and professional wrestling booker and on-screen personality currently signed to Total Nonstop Action Wrestling...
decided to merge 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...
and the WWE European Championship
WWE European Championship
The WWE European Championship was a professional wrestling championship competed for in World Wrestling Entertainment. A coveted singles title of the late 1990s and early 2000s, it was held by superstars such as Shawn Michaels, Triple H, Kurt Angle, Chris Jericho, Owen Hart, Eddie Guerrero, and was...
into one, putting Rob Van Dam
Rob Van Dam
Robert Alexander "Rob" Szatkowski , better known by his ring name Rob Van Dam , is an American professional wrestler and actor who is currently signed to 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...
against each other in a ladder match. RVD won the match, and the European Championship was retired. A week later, Van Dam lost the Intercontinental Championship to Chris Benoit
Chris Benoit
Christopher Michael "Chris" Benoit was a Canadian professional wrestler whose career and life ended in a murder–suicide...
, who would then jump to SmackDown!. Van Dam used his rematch clause for Summerslam and brought the Intercontinental title back to Raw.
After losing to 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....
, Chris Jericho
Chris Jericho
Christopher Keith Irvine , better known by his ring name Chris Jericho, is an inactive Canadian-American professional wrestler, musician, songwriter, radio personality, television host, actor, author, and dancer...
had to face Edge in a steel cage match on the July 25 episode of SmackDown!. Edge won the match, and Jericho, along with The Un-Americans
The Un-Americans
The Un-Americans were a professional wrestling stable in World Wrestling Entertainment who were active throughout mid-2002...
, moved to the Raw brand. Jericho went on to feud with 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....
. Lance Storm
Lance Storm
Lance Timothy Evers known professionally by his ring name Lance Storm, is a semi-retired Canadian professional wrestler. He is best known for his work in World Wrestling Entertainment, Extreme Championship Wrestling, and World Championship Wrestling...
and Christian began to feud with Booker T
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...
and Goldust, while Test had a one-month feud with The Undertaker. After his cage match win over Chris Jericho, Edge began a two-month long feud with Eddie Guerrero
Eddie Guerrero
Eduardo Gory "Eddie" Guerrero was a Mexican-American professional wrestler born into the Guerrero wrestling family. He wrestled in Mexico and Japan for several major professional wrestling promotions...
.
After losing the triple threat match to The Rock, Kurt Angle
Kurt Angle
Kurt Steven Angle is an American professional wrestler, amateur wrestler, and 1996 Olympic gold medalist. He is currently under contract with Total Nonstop Action Wrestling, where he is recognized as a 15-time World Heavyweight Champion...
was pinned by Rey Mysterio in a six man tag team match on the August 8 episode of SmackDown!. As a result, on the following episode of SmackDown, he challenged Mysterio to a match at SummerSlam to which Mysterio agreed.
Results
| # | Results | Stipulations | Times |
|---|---|---|---|
| Goldust defeated Steven Richards Stevie Richards Michael Manna is an American professional wrestler, better known by the ring name Stevie Richards. Also known by his ring names, Steven Richards and Dr... . |
Singles match | 03:49 | |
| 1 | The Dudley Boyz (Bubba Ray Dudley and Spike Dudley Matt Hyson Matthew "Matt" Hyson is a retired American professional wrestler, best known for his performances in Extreme Championship Wrestling and World Wrestling Entertainment under the ring name Spike Dudley and in Total Nonstop Action Wrestling under the ring name Brother Runt.In ECW, he was a two-time... ) defeated Eddie Guerrero Eddie Guerrero Eduardo Gory "Eddie" Guerrero was a Mexican-American professional wrestler born into the Guerrero wrestling family. He wrestled in Mexico and Japan for several major professional wrestling promotions... and Chris Benoit Chris Benoit Christopher Michael "Chris" Benoit was a Canadian professional wrestler whose career and life ended in a murder–suicide... . |
Elimination Tables Match | 14:59 |
| 2 | 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... (c) (with Nidia Nidia Guenard Nidia Guenard better known simply Nidia is a former professional wrestler who worked for World Wrestling Entertainment... ) defeated Billy Kidman. |
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... |
07:34 |
| 3 | 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... (c) 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... . |
Singles match for the WWE European Championship WWE European Championship The WWE European Championship was a professional wrestling championship competed for in World Wrestling Entertainment. A coveted singles title of the late 1990s and early 2000s, it was held by superstars such as Shawn Michaels, Triple H, Kurt Angle, Chris Jericho, Owen Hart, Eddie Guerrero, and was... |
04:16 |
| 4 | 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.... defeated Chris Jericho Chris Jericho Christopher Keith Irvine , better known by his ring name Chris Jericho, is an inactive Canadian-American professional wrestler, musician, songwriter, radio personality, television host, actor, author, and dancer... . |
Singles match | 06:21 |
| 5 | Rob Van Dam Rob Van Dam Robert Alexander "Rob" Szatkowski , better known by his ring name Rob Van Dam , is an American professional wrestler and actor who is currently signed to Total Nonstop Action Wrestling .... (c) defeated Brock Lesnar Brock Lesnar Brock Edward Lesnar is an American mixed martial artist, actor and a former professional and amateur wrestler. He is a former UFC Heavyweight Champion and is ranked the No.5 Heavyweight in the world by Sherdog... (with Paul Heyman Paul Heyman Paul Heyman is an American entertainment producer, best known for his career in professional wrestling as a promoter, manager, commentator and journalist. He is also an occasional actor in film.... ) 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... |
09:38 |
| 6 | Booker T 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... defeated The Big Show. |
No Disqualification match | 06:12 |
| 7 | The Un-Americans The Un-Americans The Un-Americans were a professional wrestling stable in World Wrestling Entertainment who were active throughout mid-2002... (Lance Storm Lance Storm Lance Timothy Evers known professionally by his ring name Lance Storm, is a semi-retired Canadian professional wrestler. He is best known for his work in World Wrestling Entertainment, Extreme Championship Wrestling, and World Championship Wrestling... and Christian) defeated Hollywood Hulk Hogan Hulk Hogan Terrance Gene "Terry" Bollea , better known by his ring name Hulk Hogan, is an American Semi-retired professional wrestler, actor, television personality, and musician currently signed to Total Nonstop Action Wrestling .... and Edge (c). |
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 WWE Tag Team Championship |
10:00 |
| 8 | The Rock defeated Kurt Angle Kurt Angle Kurt Steven Angle is an American professional wrestler, amateur wrestler, and 1996 Olympic gold medalist. He is currently under contract with Total Nonstop Action Wrestling, where he is recognized as a 15-time World Heavyweight Champion... and The Undertaker (c). |
Triple Threat match for the Undisputed 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... |
19:35 |