Vengeance
July 21st, 2002
Joe Louis Arena
Detroit, Michigan
 
The Buildup: On the 7/15 RAW, Vince McMahon announced that he had hired a General Manager for both RAW and Smackdown to run both shows with full control as he revealed Eric Bischoff to be the new GM of RAW and on the 7/18 Smackdown, he revealed Stephanie McMahon as the new GM of Smackdown.
 
Sunday Night Heat:
 
1. Goldust pins Steven Richards at 3:49.
 
Actual Show:
 
We see the opening video for Vengeance.
 
Your hosts for the first half of the show are Michael Cole and Tazz.
 
1. Bubba Ray and Spike Dudley defeat Eddie Guerrero and Chris Benoit in an Elimination Tables match.
 
Eliminations:
1. Eddie at 13:28.
2. Spike at 14:27.
3. Benoit at 14:58.
 
The Buildup: On the 6/24 RAW, Eddie defeated Bubba in a match and Bubba would put him through a table only for Benoit to attack him and put him in the Crossface, and on the 7/1 RAW Bubba and Spike defeated Eddie and Benoit in a match only for Benoit to put Spike through a table and he put Bubba in the Crossface while Eddie hit the Frog Splash. On the 7/8 RAW, Benoit defeated Bubba in a match as he and Eddie attacked the Dudleyz until Booker T and Goldust made the save, and later that night Benoit and Eddie teamed with the New World Order to defeat the Dudleyz, Booker, Goldust, and Rob Van Dam in a 10-man tag. On the 7/15 RAW, this match was made as Benoit, Eddie, and William Regal defeated the Dudleyz and Jeff Hardy in an Elimination match only for the Dudleyz to save Jeff from being put through a table by Benoit and Eddie.
 
Analysis: We kick off this PPV with a pretty big matchup. These two teams have been going at it for the last month or so and now they face off here to settle their issues in the Dudleyz’ type of match. The Dudleyz get a good pop from the crowd while Benoit and Eddie were pretty hot as heels. Benoit wastes no time and kicks at Spike to start the match as he pounds on him and hits a back elbow, and then he hits a back suplex on Spike and stomps on him as he hits a short clothesline and a backbreaker. He whips Spike into the corner and pounds on him only for Spike to counter a hiptoss with an armdrag and Bubba tags in, but Benoit hits a drop toehold as Eddie comes in and hits a low dropkick to Bubba as he pounds on him. Benoit tags in and they stomp on Bubba repeatedly in the corner as they hit a double back elbow and Eddie knocks Spike off the apron, and Benoit hits a short clothesline and a snap suplex on Bubba as Eddie tags in and pounds on him. He hits a snapmare and rakes his boot across Bubba’s face as he pounds on him in the corner and Bubba reverses a whip into the other corner, but Eddie hits a dropkick to the knee and stomps on him as Benoit tags in and he hits a slam on Bubba. He drops an elbow on Bubba who reverses a whip into the corner and Benoit ducks a shot as Bubba knocks Eddie off the apron, and Benoit hits a German suplex on Bubba and stomps on him as he whips him into the corner and kicks at him. Eddie tags in and slingshots over the top as he hotshots Bubba on the middle rope and returns to the ring before pounding on Bubba, and he stomps on Bubba and tears at his face as he chokes him on the ropes while Benoit stomps on him from the apron. Benoit comes in and pounds on Bubba as he hits a backdrop and stomps on him only for Bubba to try and battle back, but Benoit stomps on him in the corner and chokes him with his knee while Eddie chokes him from the apron and Bubba tries to battle back on both men. Benoit rakes the eyes and stomps on Bubba in the corner while Eddie does the same from the apron as Benoit whips Bubba hard into the corner, and he hits a headbutt and stomps on Bubba as he whips him hard into the other corner as he knocks Spike off the apron. Eddie comes in and stomps on Bubba along with Benoit as Eddie goes outside and pulls a table out which he sets up at ringside, and Benoit drops an elbow on Bubba and stomps on him as Spike comes in and ducks a shot before jumping off of Bubba’s back and he hits a somersault senton onto Eddie on the floor. Benoit knocks Bubba down and goes outside as he rams Spike into the barricade and he whips him into the steps, and he rolls back into the ring as Bubba battles back until Benoit reverses a whip and Eddie trips Bubba up from the floor. Benoit drops an elbow on Bubba as Eddie grabs another table and slides it into the ring before pounding on Bubba, and Benoit sets the table up and they stomp on Bubba in the corner as they put him on the top rope and go up themselves. Spike pushes the table away as Benoit and Eddie hit a double superplex on Bubba and Spike stomps on Eddie before pounding on Benoit, and he pounds on Eddie until Benoit gets a shot in and he stomps on Spike as Eddie goes outside and slides another table into the ring. Benoit hits a gutbuster on Spike and stomps on Bubba as he and Eddie set the table up in the corner and Benoit rams Spike into the buckle, and he and Eddie pound and stomp on Spike in the corner as they try to whip him into the table only for Bubba to save him at the last second. Eddie and Benoit stomp and pound on Bubba until Spike grabs at Eddie’s leg and Bubba hits a pair of clotheslines on Benoit, and he hits a backdrop on Benoit as Eddie pounds on Spike until Bubba hits a backdrop on Eddie and a sidewalk slam on Benoit. Eddie gets a kick in and grabs Bubba’s hand as he goes up top only for Bubba to toss him to the mat and he hits a slam on Benoit, and Spike goes up top and hits a double stomp on Benoit as Bubba pounds on Eddie and drives the elbow into the head. He hits a slam on Benoit and holds his legs up as Spike goes up top and hits a diving headbutt to the groin, and Bubba sends Eddie shoulder first into the post as Benoit takes Spike to the mat and hooks the Crossface on until Bubba breaks it up, and Benoit counters a whip though Bubba hoists him onto his shoulders and hits a Samoan drop as he grabs the table and sets it up. He catches Benoit with a back elbow and rams him into the table repeatedly as he puts him on the table and goes up to the middle rope, and Eddie grabs at Bubba’s leg and Bubba knocks him to the floor as Benoit avoids the senton with Bubba crashing through the table. Eddie gets in the ring and pounds on Spike as he stomps on him until Spike hits a headscissors on Eddie, and he pounds on Eddie and avoids a charge from Benoit as both men tumble over the top to the floor. He checks on Bubba and pulls Eddie onto the apron as Eddie gets a shoulder in and pounds on him before looking for a suplex, and Spike lands on the apron and pounds on Eddie as he kicks at him and hits the Dudley Dog which puts Eddie through the table and eliminates him. Benoit throws Spike into the ring and pulls out another table which he slides into the ring and he tries to set it up, but Spike gets a kick in and looks for the Dudley Dog though Benoit throws him off and gets a kick in. He presses Spike up and tosses him over the top through a table at ringside which eliminates Spike and he hits a clothesline on Bubba, and he sets the table up and looks for a German suplex though Bubba escapes and hits the Bubba Bomb which puts Benoit through the table and he wins the match. The match itself was good as both teams worked hard and put on a solid match. The Dudleyz looked good as a team while Benoit and Eddie were also gelling as a team, and they had good chemistry though it was weird they worked most of the match as a standard tag match and we didn’t see the tables until late in the match. The crowd was into the match and popped for the Dudleyz when they won. The Dudleyz get the upset win over Benoit and Eddie as both teams move on. Grade: 2.5
 
Jonathan Coachman interviews Eric Bischoff, who says that he is proud of his talent and that’s why he’s excited about being RAW GM, and he says that he is here to sign the most ruthless athlete he knows in Triple H as he sees him arrive to the arena. He runs up to him and says it was a pleasure to meet him on Thursday and for them to get to know each other as he is looking forward to working with him, and they walk up to Stephanie McMahon’s office as Triple H says he will listen to what she has to say and will make a decision later as it’s all about negotiation.
 
Debut: Eric Bischoff started his career in the AWA in their sales department before becoming an interviewer and commentator until the company folded, and after a failed tryout with WWE he would sign with WCW and continued working as a commentator and interviewer. In 1993, he would become Executive Producer of WCW and would be promoted to Executive Vice President of WCW in 1994, and he would be instrumental in signing former WWE stars to WCW while also starting Monday Nitro in 1995. He would continue commentating until 1996 when he turned heel and joined the nWo though he would eventually be sent home in 1999 when ratings started falling, and he would return briefly in 2000 to work with Vince Russo before leaving for good after Bash at the Beach. He would attempt to buy WCW in 2001 though was unsuccessful after learning WCW would no longer be on TV, and he would stay out of the spotlight before signing with WWE in July as he made his TV debut on the 7/15 RAW as the new RAW General Manager and he makes his PPV debut here.
 
2. Jamie Noble (w/ Nidia) pins Billy Kidman with the Tiger Bomb at 7:34 to retain the WWE Cruiserweight Championship.
 
The Buildup: On the 6/27 Smackdown, Kidman and the Hurricane defeated Noble and Tajiri in a tag match when Kidman pinned Tajiri, and on the 7/11 Smackdown the two teams had a rematch with Kidman getting the win again for his team when he pinned Noble. On the 7/18 Smackdown, this match was made as Kidman defeated Tajiri in a match only to be beaten down by Noble after the match.
 
Analysis: Our next match on the card is our first title match of the night. Noble has been rolling as Cruiserweight Champion and faces a tough challenge here in Kidman, who was floating in the Cruiserweight division and looks to become champion again here. Kidman gets a good pop from the crowd while Noble had solid heat as a heel. The two men lock up to start with Kidman backing Noble into the corner and they jockey for position until both men tumble through the ropes to the outside, and both men roll back into the ring and lock up again with Kidman backing Noble into the ropes and Noble gets a kick in twice. Kidman avoids the knee and hooks a rollup for a two count as he hooks a backslide for a two count and he ducks a shot, and he leaps onto Noble’s shoulders and hooks a victory roll for a two count as Noble rolls outside to regroup with Nidia before returning to the ring. They lock up with Noble getting a knee in and he pounds on Kidman as he hits a snapmare and Kidman leaps over him, and he hits a headscissors on Noble and he pounds on him in the corner and Noble reverses a whip into the other corner as Kidman backdrops him over the top with Noble landing on the apron. Noble gets a shoulder in only for Kidman to avoid a second one as he hits a legdrop to the back of Noble’s head, and Noble falls to the floor and Kidman attempts a slingshot plancha though Noble avoids it and Kidman lands on his feet. Noble ducks a shot and sends Nidia into Kidman as Noble hits an armbreaker on the floor and he hoists him onto his shoulder, and he rams Kidman’s shoulder into the post and throws him back into the ring as he gets a two count and then he hits a Northern lights suplex for a two count. He works on the arm as Kidman tries to battle back and he slides under Noble only to hurt his arm when he tries to lift him up, and Noble rams Kidman’s shoulder into the post and Kidman falls to the floor as Noble goes outside and he throws him back into the ring. He hits an armdrag and hooks a submission on Kidman who fights to his feet as Noble goes behind him and Kidman hits a back elbow, and he hits a short clothesline on Noble and pounds on him as Noble reverses a whip and Kidman hits a hurricanrana. He hits a standing dropkick on Noble and both men counter a whip as Kidman hoists Noble onto his shoulders and hits a modified backbreaker for a two count, and he pounds on Noble and whips him into the corner as Noble gets a kick in though Kidman blocks the armbreaker by pounding on Noble. Noble catches him ducking with an armbreaker and hooks a submission on Kidman who reaches the rope to force a break, and Noble stomps on Kidman who counters a powerbomb by slamming Noble’s head into the mat for a two count. Noble escapes a move and catches a kick attempt as Kidman hits an enzurgiri and goes up top only for Noble to nail him first, and he goes up himself only for Kidman to pound on him and he hits a sitdown spinebuster on Noble for a two count. Noble blocks a tornado bulldog and Kidman catches him with a back elbow as he goes up himself only for Noble to block the tornado DDT by sending Kidman over the top, but Kidman lands on the apron and he hotshots Noble on the top rope as he goes up top again only to miss the Shooting Star Press. Noble hooks a rollup for a two count and stomps on Kidman who escapes a suplex attempt and Noble goes behind him, and Kidman hits a back elbow and Noble ducks a shot as he hits the Tiger Bomb which gets the three and he retains the title. The match itself was good as both men worked hard and put on a solid title match. Noble was getting into a groove by this point while Kidman was also hitting his groove, and they had good chemistry as Noble gets a clean title defense. The crowd was into the match and Kidman, but are not happy when Noble wins. Noble retains the title over Kidman and both men move on. Grade: 2.5
 
Marc Lloyd interviews Kurt Angle, who says that you can say “if” about anything though he doesn’t deal with “if”, but “when” as he will make either Rock or Undertaker tap out as Brock Lesnar and Paul Heyman walk up to him. Heyman says Angle would then head to Summerslam where he would face Lesnar and Angle says that he’s an Olympic Gold Medalist and future Undisputed Champion. Heyman starts to talk though Angle interrupts him and says all he has to say is that he would love to face Lesnar at Summerslam, but if he messes with him like he did Taker last week he will take him down as 2002 is his year and Lesnar wishes him luck.
 
We see highlights from RAW 2 week ago.
 
3. Jeff Hardy pins William Regal with a rollup at 4:17 to retain the WWE European Championship.
 
Title Changes: The last time we saw the European Title on PPV was at WrestleMania X8 where Diamond Dallas Page was champion and on the 3/21 Smackdown (taped 3/19), Regal defeated Page to win the title and on the 4/8 RAW, Spike Dudley defeated Regal to win the title with Regal winning it back on the 5/6 RAW.
 
Farewell: This is the final WWE PPV appearance of the European Championship as the next night on RAW, Rob Van Dam defeated Jeff in a ladder match to unify the European and Intercontinental Championships.
 
The Buildup/Title Change: On the 7/8 RAW, Jeff defeated Regal to win the European Title and Regal would break down crying in the back with Christopher Nowinski consoling him, and on the 7/15 RAW this match was made as Regal, Chris Benoit, and Eddie Guerrero defeated Jeff and the Dudleyz in an Elimination match when Regal cost Jeff the match.
 
Side Feud: On the 6/3 RAW, Jeff told Matt that they were losing their edge and needed to do something to bring them back to their glory days, and later that night Jeff would attack the Undertaker and left the arena which led Taker to assaulting Matt backstage. On the 6/10 RAW, Taker called out Jeff only for the Hardyz to attack him with a ladder and on the 6/17 RAW, Taker defeated Matt in a match and attacked Jeff afterwards. On the 6/24 RAW, Taker defeated Jeff in a non-title match and Jeff would challenge Taker to a ladder match for the title the next week, and on the 7/1 RAW Taker defeated Jeff to retain the title and would beat Jeff down as Jeff kept getting up though eventually Taker would raise his hand out of respect.
 
Analysis: Our next match on the card is our second title match of the night. Jeff defeated Regal two weeks ago to become European Champion and now Regal gets his rematch here. Jeff gets a big pop from the crowd while Regal was pretty hot as a heel. The two men lock up to start with Regal backing Jeff into the corner and he catches him with a headbutt, and he pounds on Jeff and whips him into the corner as Jeff leaps over him and mocks him only for Regal to slap him in the face. He hooks a headlock and knocks Jeff down for a series of two counts as he hits a headbutt to the ribs and Jeff attempts a sunset flip, but Regal steps away and drives his knee into the back of Jeff’s head for a two count as Jeff reverses a whip into the corner. Regal catches him with a boot to the face only to miss a knee as Jeff kicks at the knee twice and hits a flying forearm, and he hits a jawbreaker on Regal for a two count and trips him up as he slingshots him over the top to the floor. Regal blocks a baseball slide and grabs Jeff who holds onto the ropes and then he hits a hurricanrana on Regal, and Jeff runs the barricade only to miss a crossbody and Regal throws Jeff back into the ring for a two count as he whips him into the corner. Jeff goes up top and hits Whisper in the Wind on Regal as he pounds on him until Regal reverses a whip and Jeff tries to slide under him, and Regal grabs his leg only for Jeff to hit a modified enzurgiri and he trips Regal up as he hits a legdrop to the groin. Jeff goes up top only for Regal to get his knees up on the Swanton and he hits a modified German suplex for a two count, and then he hits a backbreaker on Jeff and kicks him in the back only for Jeff to take Regal to the mat and he hooks a rollup which gets the three and he retains the title. The match itself was decent as both men worked hard and put on a quick title match. Jeff was hitting his groove by this point while Regal was hitting his groove as well, and they had good chemistry as Jeff gets a clean title defense. The crowd was into the match and popped for Jeff when he won. Jeff retains the title over Regal and both men move on. Grade: 2
 
We see Ric Flair backstage as Jeff Hardy comes up to him and they shake hands as Flair says he knows Jeff is on his way, and then Hulk Hogan comes up to them and congratulates Jeff as well as Jeff walks away and Hogan tells Flair that Jeff is unreal. Hogan says that maybe tonight, he’ll try to go up top and hit a Swanton himself as Flair jokes about how Jim Ross would call it and makes fun of Hogan, and Hogan asks what Vince is thinking making Bischoff and Stephanie the General Managers as Flair says he’s worried about the young stars that don’t need to be caught up in the power struggle. Hogan says this could be single best or worst thing to happen to the business and Flair says Stephanie better watch her ass as Bischoff will either own the company or run it out of business.
 
We see a shot outside the Joe Louis Arena.
 
4. John Cena pins Chris Jericho with a rollup at 6:19.
 
Debut: John Cena grew up a wrestling fan and played football in high school and college before taking up bodybuilding when he moved out to California, and he would train to be a wrestler at UPW and made his debut in 2000 as the Prototype where he would win the UPW Title once. He would sign with WWE in 2001 and continued training in OVW while also competing as the Prototype and would win the tag titles, and he would work dark matches throughout the year before making his TV debut on the 6/27 Smackdown under his real name and he makes his PPV debut here.
 
The Buildup: On the 6/24 RAW, Vince addressed the WWE roster as he was looking for someone to take the next step and show some ruthless aggression, and on the 6/27 Smackdown Kurt Angle issued an open challenge to anyone he’s never faced with Cena answering as he took Angle to the limit only for Angle to defeat him. On the 7/4 Smackdown, Vince complimented Cena on his effort though Jericho called him disrespectful and Cena would slap Jericho in the face, and later that night Jericho defeated Cena and attacked him afterwards only for Cena to clear him from the ring. On the 7/11 Smackdown, Cena and the Undertaker defeated Jericho and Angle in a tag match when Cena pinned Jericho only for Jericho to attack him afterwards, and on the 7/18 Smackdown Cena defeated Jericho by DQ and Jericho would assault Cena with a chair as the rematch was made for this show.
 
Analysis: Our next match on the card is a pretty interesting matchup. These two men have been going at it since Cena’s debut a few weeks ago and now they face off here to settle their issues. Cena gets a decent pop from the crowd while Jericho was red hot as a heel. Jericho grabs a chair and goes after Cena who avoids a swing to start the match and he gets a kick in as he grabs the chair, and he hits Jericho in the back with the chair until the ref takes it from him and Cena throws Jericho into the ring. He tackles Jericho to the mat and pounds on him as he whips him into the corners and hits a clothesline, and Jericho holds the ropes and rolls outside to regroup as Cena goes outside and chases Jericho back into the ring. Jericho ducks a shot and Cena hits a back elbow as he hits a hiptoss on Jericho who reverses a whip and Cena catches him in a spinebuster for a two count, and Jericho ducks a shot and hotshots Cena on the top rope as he stomps on him repeatedly and hits a back suplex. He hits a low dropkick to the back of Cena’s head and chokes him on the ropes as he slams down on his back and tries to take the pad off the buckle though the ref stops them, and Cena hooks a rollup for a two count and Jericho hits a spin kick on Cena as he knocks him down twice and pounds on him in the corner. He whips Cena into the other corner and Cena catches him with a boot to the face as Jericho ducks a shot and hits the inverted Russian legsweep, and he goes up top only for Cena to nail him first as he goes up himself and hits a superplex for a two count. He ducks a shot and fires up on Jericho who catches him ducking with a kick and Cena hits a tilt-a-whirl powerslam for a two count, and he whips Jericho into the corner and Jericho goes up to the middle rope as he hits a missile dropkick on Cena for a two count. He kicks at Cena and pounds on him as Cena catches him on a dropkick attempt and slingshots him into corner with Jericho landing on the middle rope, but Cena catches him on a springboard and hits a belly-to-belly suplex for a two count as Jericho holds the ropes to avoid a dropkick and Cena lands on the mat. Jericho misses the Lionsault and Cena attempts a rollup though Jericho blocks it for a two count and he pounds on Cena, and he whips Cena into the corner and hits a sleeper slam as he uses the ropes for leverage for a two count. He slaps Cena in the face twice and whips him into the corner as he hits the running bulldog and the Lionsault, and he trips Cena up and looks for the Walls of Jericho only for Cena to hook a small package which gets the three and he wins the match. The match itself was decent as both men worked hard and put on a solid match. Cena was slowly getting into a groove since his debut while Jericho was hitting his stride, and they had good chemistry as Cena gets the shocking upset win. The crowd was into the match and popped for Cena when he won. Cena gets the win over Jericho and both men move on. Grade: 2
 
We see Eric Bischoff and Jonathan Coachman outside Stephanie McMahon’s office as her attorney comes up to them and Bischoff says that he knows there serious negotiations going on, and the attorney says he is here to deliver important documents as he goes into the office and Bischoff gets more frustrated.
 
Your hosts for the second half of the show are Jim Ross and Jerry “The King” Lawler.
 
We see Rob Van Dam warming up backstage.
 
We see Brock Lesnar preparing for his match.
 
We see the buildup to the next match.
 
5. Rob Van Dam defeats Brock Lesnar (w/ Paul Heyman) by disqualification at 9:38 to retain the WWE Intercontinental Championship.
 
The Buildup: On the 6/24 RAW, Lesnar and Heyman were holding a coronation ceremony which RVD interrupted by attacking Lesnar and Vince would give Lesnar an IC Title match that night, and RVD would defeat Lesnar by DQ when Heyman got involved and RVD would hit the 5-Star Frog Splash on Heyman only for Lesnar to powerbomb RVD through the announce table. On the 7/1 RAW, RVD challenged Lesnar to a match right then and there though Heyman offered a match at Vengeance which RVD accepted, and on the 7/8 RAW Heyman revealed the IC Title would be on the line as he talked about using the stars of ECW to build his legacy. Tommy Dreamer would come out and attacked Lesnar who took him out only for RVD to attack Lesnar and he would give Heyman the Van Terminator, and later that night Lesnar attacked RVD during his match and gave him the F-5 on the stage. On the 7/15 RAW, Lesnar and the Undertaker defeated RVD and Ric Flair in a tag match when Taker pinned RVD only for Lesnar to attack Taker after the match and hit the F-5.
 
Analysis: Our next match on the card is our third title match of the night. Lesnar defeated RVD last month to become KOTR and they continued to feud after that, and now they face off here with the IC Title on the line. RVD gets a big pop from the crowd while Lesnar had solid heat as a heel. The two men lock up to start with Lesnar shoving RVD away and RVD ducks a shot as he pounds on Lesnar, and Lesnar counters a whip and hits a fireman’s carry on RVD as he gets a kick in and pounds on RVD before sending him into the corner. RVD battles back and kicks at Lesnar repeatedly as Lesnar reverses a whip into the corner and RVD flips over his back, and he hits a drop toehold that sends Lesnar into the middle buckle and then he hits a spin kick that sends Lesnar to the outside. Lesnar regroups with Heyman and gets on the apron as he gets a shoulder in and gets in the ring only for RVD to hit a legsweep, and he kicks at Lesnar’s leg repeatedly and ducks a shot as he hits a dropkick to the knee and then he hits a second dropkick on Lesnar. He hooks a headlock only for Lesnar to hoist him up and toss him off as he pounds on him only for RVD to backdrop him over the top to the floor, and RVD attempts a slingshot plancha only for Lesnar to catch him and he hoists him onto his shoulder though RVD slides off and sends Lesnar into the post. He gets on the apron only for Lesnar to catch him on a moonsault attempt and he hits a running powerslam on the floor, and he stomps on RVD and throws him back into the ring for a two count as he hits a gutbuster and stomps on him. He pounds on RVD and hits another gutbuster as he hits a belly-to-belly suplex on RVD and stomps on him before hoisting him onto his shoulder, but RVD slides off and catches a kick attempt as he hits a spin kick on Lesnar and kicks him in the head before pounding on him in the corner. Lesnar reverses a whip into the other corner and RVD catches him with a boot to the face as he leaps up top and does a backflip over Lesnar, and he attempts a monkey flip only for Lesnar to toss him over the top to the floor and he goes outside himself. He rams RVD’s back into the apron and sends him into the steps as he throws him back into the ring and hooks a side bearhug on, and RVD tries to fight out of the hold only for Lesnar to ram him into the corner twice and he hooks an abdominal stretch on. He pounds on RVD and whips him into the corner as he catches a boot attempt only for RVD to duck a shot and he rams the shoulder into Lesnar’s ribs twice, and RVD does a backflip and ducks a shot as he hits a springboard kick on Lesnar and then he hits a low dropkick. He hits a slingshot legdrop on Lesnar and goes up top as he hits a side kick on Lesnar and then he hits the Rolling Thunder for a two count, and he hits a side kick on Lesnar and goes up top only for Lesnar to grab him and hoist him onto his shoulders. RVD counters the F-5 with a spinning DDT and goes up top as he hits the 5-Star Frog Splash on Lesnar only for Heyman to pull the ref out of the ring which draws the DQ and RVD retains the title. The match itself was good as both men worked hard and put on a solid title match. Both men were hitting their groove by this point and they had good chemistry, and the ending was a bit weak though you knew Lesnar wasn’t winning the title while not losing clean either. The crowd was into the match and RVD, but are not happy with the ending. RVD gets the win over Lesnar by DQ and retains the title as both men move on. Grade: 2.5
 
After the match, Heyman shoves the ref who shoves him back and RVD hits a baseball slide on Heyman as the ref pounds on Heyman, and Lesnar nails RVD from behind and goes outside as he grabs the ref and tosses him aside while RVD goes up top and hits a somersault senton on Lesnar. He stomps on Lesnar and throws him back into the ring as he hits a superkick and goes outside where he grabs a chair, and he goes up top with the chair only for Heyman to grab at his leg as RVD tosses the chair aside and pulls Heyman onto the apron. Lesnar grabs RVD and hits a fisherman’s suplex onto the chair as he hoists RVD onto his shoulders and hits the F-5 onto the chair.
 
We see Eric Bischoff and Jonathan Coachman outside Stephanie McMahon’s office as Stephanie comes out with a sullen look on her face and Bischoff says that things must not have gone well, and she says that Triple H signed and walks away as Bischoff gets mad while Triple H walks out of the office as well. Bischoff asks what he’s doing and what kind of businessman he is as they should still be negotiating as Triple H says he signed his divorce papers, and he says that’s his personal life and as far as business goes, he hasn’t made up his mind yet and walks away as Bischoff says that Triple H will be his.
 
We see highlights from RAW 6 nights ago.
 
6. Booker T pins the Big Show with the Houston Hangover in a No Holds Barred match at 6:12.
 
The Buildup: On the 6/24 RAW, the nWo defeated Booker and Goldust in a tag match when Show pinned Goldust and on the 7/1 RAW, Booker defeated Show by countout and on the 7/8 RAW, the nWo teamed with Eddie Guerrero and Christ Benoit to defeat Booker, Goldust, Rob Van Dam, and the Dudleyz in a 10-man tag when Show pinned Booker. On the 7/15 RAW, Vince announced that the New World Order was dead with Nash on the shelf due to injury and X-Pac being sent home indefinitely, and later that night Booker defeated Show by DQ when Show hit him with a chair and he would chokeslam Booker through the announce table as Bischoff made this match at Show’s request.
 
Analysis: Our next match on the card is a pretty interesting matchup. These two men have been going at it for the last month and now they face off here in a No Holds Barred match to settle their issues. Booker gets a good pop from the crowd while Show had decent heat as a heel. Booker ducks a shot and kicks at Show repeatedly to start the match as Show catches him on a leap and hits a powerbomb, and he rams Booker into the buckle and rams the knee into the ribs repeatedly as he hits a hiptoss out of the corner. Booker tries to battle back only for Show to hit a headbutt and he knocks Booker down as he steps on his back, and he hoists Booker onto his shoulder though Booker slides off and kicks at Show repeatedly until Show catches a kick attempt and Booker hits an enzurgiri. Show recovers and hits an clothesline on Booker as he pounds on him in the corner and he clotheslines him over the top to the floor, and Show goes outside as well as Booker grabs a chair only for Show to knock it out of his hands and he hits a headbutt on Booker. He rams Booker into the post and then he splashes Booker against the post as he rams him into the apron only for Booker to avoid a charge with Show hitting the post, and Booker rams Show into the post repeatedly and pounds on him until Show shoves him back and Booker chokes him with a cord. Show hits a pair of back elbows to escape and Booker pounds on him until Show shoves him away and Booker clears off the Spanish announce table, and he hits Show in the head with a monitor and climbs onto the other announce table as he hits the scissors kick which puts Show through the Spanish announce table. Both men roll back into the ring and Booker pounds on Show as he kicks him in the head only for Show to grab him by the throat, but Booker hits a pair of back elbows and low blow to escape as he hits the scissors kick before going up top and he hits the Harlem Hangover which gets the three and he wins the match. The match itself was decent as both men worked hard and put on a basic match. Booker was getting into a groove by this point while Show was also hitting his groove and they had good chemistry, but it felt way too short and wasn’t as wild as it could’ve been though it was a good win for Booker. The crowd was into the match and popped for Booker when he won. Booker gets the win over Show and both men move on. Grade: 2
 
After the match, Booker celebrates the win and does the Spinaroonie.
 
We see a shot outside the World and we go inside where Torrie Wilson and Dawn Marie are as Wilson brings up winning the Golden Thong award here and says Rock will win the main event tonight while Marie picks Undertaker to win and says she should’ve won that award.
 
Triple H comes down to the ring and then Eric Bischoff comes down to the ring as he says that before Triple H says anything, he wants to apologize for what happened earlier tonight as he shouldn’t have got involved in Triple H’s personal affairs. He says that the advantage he has over Stephaine is that if Triple H signs with him and RAW, it will all be business and his personal life won’t interfere with it as he says that he’s not the most sensitive guy in the world, but he’s a businessman. He says that he spent two years in Hollywood and everyone is talking about Rock’s success as they are looking for the next breakout star, and he says that everyone he talks to say that they want Triple H and if he signs with him, he guarantees that Triple H will get many opportunities with anything he wants. Just then, Stephanie McMahon comes down to the ring and says that Bischoff needs to shut up as she says what he calls negative in terms of their personal problems can be positive, and she says that it’s because of that history that she knows Triple H and he knows her as he knows she respects him and his ability. She says that she and Triple H were unstoppable and they can be again though it will be business as signing the divorce papers were the hardest thing she’s done, and Bischoff tells her to stop crying and he doesn’t have to know Triple H personally as he just wants him on RAW because of his talent. She says that Triple H once said that Bischoff told him he had no charisma and talent when he was in WCW, and Triple H says he does remember that and Bischoff says he was young and didn’t know what he had, and he says that he has more experience than Stephanie though she says no one knows the business better than her as a McMahon. She says that Triple H knows she means it when she wants to Smackdown the most successful program on TV, and Triple H says that he didn’t ask to be in this position as Vince came out a week ago and talked about the grass being greener on the other side. He says that he finds himself stuck between them and to decide between an arrogant prick and a cold hearted bitch, and he says that he could come out here and look Bischoff in the eye before telling him screw you which he wouldn’t like. He says that he could do the same thing to Stephanie though she knows she likes it as he couldn’t resist saying it, and he says that he’s made his decision as he offers a handshake to Bischoff though pulls away as he says he will go with the devil he knows than the one he doesn’t know. Just then, Shawn Michaels comes down to the ring and says that everyone knows the last thing he wants to do is cause trouble, and he says that he doesn’t want to get in the middle of this though he remembers that it was him who would come here and bring Triple H home to his buddies in the New World Order. He says that there’s a problem in that Kevin Nash is hurt and Vince decided the nWo no longer exists, but he says that Triple H has a dilemma on his hands with this decision in choosing either RAW or Smackdown. He says that he would like Triple H to consider two things in making this decision with them being friendship and fun, and he says that besides Nash, no one is a better friend to Triple H than himself and there’s no doubt that there is no one he’s had more fun with than him. He says that Triple H should picture the two of them back in the saddle again making Bischoff’s life a living hell and all Triple H has to do is be part of the show they pioneered in RAW, and Triple H says that’s tempting and he tells Stephanie he’s sorry as he embraces Michaels and they head to the back. They pose on the stage as Bischoff celebrates and says that he wins while she lost and he laughs before saying that the difference between them is that he has testicles, and she slaps him in the face and heads to the back while Bischoff recovers in the ring.
 
Marc Lloyd interviews Rikishi, who says that he’s shocked and disappointed by Triple H’s decision as he feels for the young kids who look up to Triple H, and he says that he knows Triple H will do what he has to do and he hopes he’s happy with the decision.
 
Terri Runnels interviews Booker T and Goldust, who say that Booker got a big win and Triple H can come to RAW if he wants though if he does what Michaels did to him, Triple H will get his ass kicked by them and he might be the Game, but they have the bigger joysticks.
 
We see the buildup to the next match.
 
7. The Un-Americans defeat Edge and “Hollywood” Hulk Hogan when Lance Storm pins Edge at 10:01 to win the WWE Tag Team Championships.
 
Temp. Farewell: This is Hulk Hogan’s last WWE PPV until 2003
 
Title Changes: On the 6/6 Smackdown (taped 6/4), Billy and Chuck defeated Rikishi and Rico in an elimination match to regain the WWE Tag Team Championships and on the 7/4 Smackdown (taped 7/2), Edge and Hogan defeat Billy and Chuck to become tag champions.
 
The Buildup: Beginning back before King of the Ring, Storm and Christian believed that the company was biased against them because they were Canadian, and on the 6/20 Smackdown Storm cut a promo running down America and that the country was hated by the rest of the world. On the 6/27 Smackdown, Test lost a match to Rikishi by DQ as Storm and Christian said this re-affirmed the fact that they were being discriminated against, and later that night Hogan defeated Chris Jericho by DQ when Jericho tried to put him out only for Edge to make his return to save Hogan. On the 7/4 Smackdown, Storm, Christian, and Test ran down America and later that night, Vince made a match between Edge and Jericho for the PPV, and on the 7/11 Smackdown Edge and Hogan saved Rikishi from an attack by Storm, Christian, and Test as Jericho went to Vince who cancelled the match with Edge and instead made a tag title match with Edge and Hogan defending against Storm and Christian. On the 7/18 RAW, Hogan and Edge teamed with Rikishi to defeat Storm, Christian, and Test in a 6-man tag match when Edge pinned Storm.
 
Analysis: Our last match before the main event is our fourth title match of the night. Edge and Hogan have been rolling as tag champions and face a tough challenge here in Storm and Christian, who were gaining steam as a unit and look to become champions here. Edge and Hogan get a big pop from the crowd while Storm and Christian were pretty hot as heels. Hogan starts off the match with Christian and they lock up with Hogan shoving Christian through the ropes to the outside, and Christian returns to the ring and they square off with Storm getting a shot in from the apron and Christian pounds on Hogan. Storm tags in and they hit a double suplex on Hogan who no-sells it and he hits a double clothesline before ramming their heads together, and he pounds on Storm and hits a clothesline as he rakes his boot across his face and Edge and Hogan pound on Storm. Hogan rams Storm into the buckle and pounds on him in the corner as he whips him into the other corner and splashes him, and he rams Storm into Edge’s boot and tags him in as he pounds on Storm and hits a flapjack before hitting a flying forearm. He stomps on Storm in the corner and pounds on him until Christian shoves him to the mat and Storm hits a side dropkick, and Christian tags in and stomps on Edge repeatedly as he pounds on him on the mat and chokes him. He hits a backbreaker on Edge for a two count and hooks a submission on as Edge fights to his feet though Christian holds onto his hair and hits a backbreaker for a two count, and he goes up to the middle rope only to miss the elbow though he keeps Edge from tagging until Edge hits an enzurgiri. Storm comes in and Edge hits a modified facebuster as he slams Storm onto Christian and Hogan gets the hot tag, and he fires up on both men and hits a big boot on Storm as Christian ducks the big boot and hits the inverted DDT for a two count. Hogan starts to hulk up and no-sells Christian’s shots as he pounds on him until Storm gets in the ring and Hogan knocks him down, and Hogan hits the big boot on Christian and then he hits the legdrop for a two count as Storm breaks it up and Hogan knocks him to the outside. Christian rakes the eyes and Storm hotshots Hogan on the top rope as Christian sends him to the outside and Storm hits the superkick on Hogan, and Christian goes outside and throws Hogan back into the ring as he pounds on him on the mat and tags Storm. He pounds on Hogan in the corner and rams the shoulder into the ribs repeatedly as Christian tags in and they stomp on Hogan in the corner, and Christian pounds on Hogan and chokes him while Storm does the same from the apron and he tags in. They whip Hogan into the other corner and Storm misses a charge as Hogan hits a clothesline on Christian and then Hogan and Storm clothesline each other, and Edge gets the hot tag and he fires up on both men as he hits a pair of clotheslines and backdrops on both men. He whips Storm into the corner and rams the shoulder into his ribs as he does the same to Christian and he ducks a shot, and he hits the Edge-o-Matic on Storm for a two count as Christian breaks it up and Hogan knocks him to the outside. He rams Christian into the steps as Storm leaps over Edge to avoid the spear and Edge hits the ref by mistake, and Edge catches a superkick attempt and gets a kick in as he hits the Edgecution on Storm though the ref is still down. Just then, Test comes out of the crowd and pounds on Hogan as he rams him into the post and he gets in the ring, and he hits the big boot on Edge and gets out of the ring as Storm gets a two count and then Rikishi runs down to the ring. He pounds on Test and sends him to the back as Edge escapes a DDT and ducks a shot before hitting the spear on Storm, and Christian gets on the apron only for Hogan to pull him down as Chris Jericho gets in the ring with one of the belts. He hits Edge in the head with the belt and gets out of the ring as Storm gets the three and we have new champions. The match itself was good as both teams worked hard and put on a solid title match. Edge and Hogan have looked good as a team while Storm and Christian were also gelling well as a team, and they had good chemistry as Test and Jericho end up making the difference in helping Storm and Christian win. The crowd was into the match and Edge and Hogan, but are not happy when Storm and Christian win. Storm and Christian get the win over Edge and Hogan and are the new tag champions as both teams move on. Grade: 3
 
We see Kurt Angle walking down the hallway as Eric Bischoff comes up to him and says it was a pleasure meeting him on Thursday, and he says that he wants him on RAW regardless of what happens tonight and Angle says he has something to do now as he will talk to him later.
 
Marc Lloyd interviews Stephanie McMahon, who says that she’s not happy about Triple H going to RAW and Bischoff won the battle, but she will win the war because she is in contact with all the RAW Superstars and she will make her move when the time is right by ripping the heart out of RAW.
 
We see the buildup to the main event.
 
8. The Rock defeats the Undertaker and Kurt Angle in a Triple Threat match when he pins Angle at 19:34 to win the WWE Undisputed Championship.
 
The Buildup: On the 6/24 RAW, Taker confronted Vince and demanded a match with Rock though Vince told him Rock’s appearance on RAW the previous week was a one-time thing, and on the 6/27 Smackdown it was announced Rock would return in two weeks as Angle challenged Taker to a title match with Taker accepting and Angle put him in the Ankle Lock briefly. On the 7/1 RAW, Vince told Taker that he would face Rock at the PPV and on the 7/4 Smackdown, Taker defended the title against Angle which ended in a draw when Angle was pinned while Taker tapped out at the same time and Angle attacked Taker after the match. On the 7/8 RAW, Vince announced that the main event of Vengeance would now be a triple threat between Taker, Angle, and Rock, and on the 7/11 Smackdown, Rock made his return until Angle interrupted and challenged him to a match for the next week. Rock accepted and put Angle in the Ankle Lock until Taker ran out and laid out both men, and later that night Taker and John Cena defeated Angle and Chris Jericho in a tag match and Taker attacked Angle after the match only for Rock to come out and lay both men out. On the 7/18 Smackdown, Taker did an interview about his reign and the match at Vengeance, and later that night Rock defeated Angle by DQ when Taker got involved and the three men brawled with Angle standing tall in the end.
 
Analysis: After a long and interesting night of wrestling, we come to our main event. Taker has been rolling as Undisputed Champion and faces a tough challenge here in Rock and Angle as these three men have been going at it for the last month and face off here. Rock gets a big pop from the crowd while Taker gets a mixed reaction and Angle was red hot as a heel. The three men square off to start the match as Rock and Taker have a staredown while Angle yells that he’s here too, and Rock and Taker knock him down and stomp on him repeatedly as Taker hits a big boot on Angle and Rock clotheslines him over the top to the floor. Taker nails Rock and pounds on him in the corner as he hits a series of back elbows until Rock catches him ducking by slamming his head into the mat, and he pounds on Taker who ducks a shot and hits the flying clothesline on Rock as Angle gets on the apron. Rock reverses a whip and sends Taker into Angle who gets knocked to the floor and Rock clotheslines Taker over the top to the floor, and Angle nails Taker and whips him into the steps as he gets on the apron only for Rock to toss him into the ring. He pounds on Angle who counters a whip and he hits a German suplex on Rock as he stomps on him repeatedly in the corner, and he chokes Rock with his boot and pounds on him until Rock turns it around and pounds on Angle in the corner. Angle counters a whip and hits a pair of belly-to-belly suplexes on Rock who counters a whip and gets a kick in before hitting a DDT for a two count, and Angle rolls outside to regroup and Rock goes after him as he rams Angle into the steps only for Angle to reverse a whip and he sends Rock into the barricade. He hits a clothesline only for Taker to hit a clothesline on Angle and he rams the knee into Rock’s ribs repeatedly as he pounds on him, and he throws Rock back into the ring and stomps on him as he rams him into the buckle and pounds on him in the corner. Rock battles back until Taker catches him in a sidewalk slam for a two count as Angle gets on the apron though Taker knocks him to the floor, and Rock grabs Taker by the throat and hits the chokeslam for a two count as Angle breaks it up and he stomps on Rock repeatedly. He pounds on Rock who hits a clothesline on Angle and then he hooks the Ankle Lock on though Angle rolls through to escape, and he hits the Rock Bottom on Rock for a two count as Taker breaks it up with a legdrop to Angle and he rams him into the buckle. He hits a back elbow and pounds on Angle in the corner as Angle counters a whip and gets a kick in though Taker escapes an Angle Slam, and he gets a kick in and hits the Angle Slam on Angle for a two count as Rock breaks it up and gets a shot in on Taker. Taker reverses a whip and hits a back elbow on Rock who quickly nips up and he hits a clothesline on Taker, and he sends Angle over the top to the floor and hits a spinebuster on Taker as he hits the People’s Elbow only for Angle to pull him out of the ring. He hotshots Rock on the announce table and gets in the ring as he gets a two count and pounds on Taker in the corner, and he stomps on him repeatedly and chokes him with his boot until Taker grabs Angle by the throat and tosses him into the corner. He fires up on Angle and hits a headbutt as he stomps on him and splashes him only for Angle to reverse a whip into the other corner, but he misses a charge and rams his shoulder into the post as Taker goes outside as well and he pounds on Angle. He rams Angle into the post and Rock spits water in Taker’s face as he pounds on him until Taker blocks a ram into the table, and he gets a shot in and rams Rock into the table as he gets a shot in and then he pounds on Angle who we see is busted open. Taker throws Angle back into the ring and drapes him across the apron as he hits a legdrop on Angle and gets back in the ring, and he stomps on Angle and hits a headbutt as he grabs the arm and goes up top before hitting Old School for a two count with Rock breaking it up. He fires up on Taker who catches him ducking with a DDT for a two count as Angle goes outside and grabs a chair, and Taker grabs Rock by the throat as Angle brings the chair into the ring only for Taker to nail him and he drops the chair. Rock and Taker pound on Angle until Rock hits a clothesline and Taker gets a shot in on Rock who counters a whip, but Taker blocks the Rock Bottom with a back elbow and he grabs Rock by the throat only for Rock to hit a low blow though he knocks the ref down as well. Angle grabs the chair and hits Taker in the head with it as he then hits the Angle Slam on Rock and he gets a two count on both men, and Rock catches a kick attempt and snaps Angle to the mat as he hooks the Sharpshooter on only for Taker to hit a big boot on Rock to break the hold up. He gets a kick in and hits the Last Ride on Rock for a two count as Angle pulls Taker off and hooks the Ankle Lock on, and Taker rolls through to escape the hold and gets a kick in as he hoists Angle up for the Last Ride only for Angle to hook the triangle choke. Taker grabs Angle by the throat and hoists him up as he drives him into the mat to break the hold though Angle quickly hooks it back on, but Rock breaks it up by nailing Angle and he looks for the Rock Bottom only for Angle to trip him up and he hooks the Ankle Lock on. Rock escapes by hooking a rollup for a two count and he ducks a shot as Taker grabs Angle by the throat and hits the chokeslam, and Rock ducks a shot and hits the Rock Bottom on Taker for a two count as Angle hooks a rollup on Rock and grabs the tights for a two count. Taker hits a big boot on Rock as Angle gets a kick in and hits the Angle Slam on Taker only for Rock to hit the Rock Bottom on Angle which gets the three and we have a new champion. The match itself was excellent as all three men worked hard and put on a fantastic title match. All three men were hitting their stride by this point and they had great chemistry as they kept things flowing and never slowed down, and they kept Taker strong as he loses the title though doesn’t get pinned. The crowd was red hot for the match and popped for Rock when he won. Rock gets the win over Taker and Angle and is the new Undisputed Champion as all three men move on. Grade: 4.5
 
After the match, Rock celebrates with the title as we go off the air.
 
Final Analysis: Overall, this PPV ends up being a very solid show that was pretty much carried by the main event. With most of the focus of the show being on the main event, there was a feeling that was going to deliver big and the hope was that the undercard wouldn’t be that bad to hurt the show and thankfully, it wasn’t. Rock is now the man while Storm and Christian rule the tag division and Noble, Jeff, and RVD retain their titles, and the Dudleyz, Cena, and Booker get big wins, and in terms of the matches the main event was easily the best while the rest ranged from good to average. 2002 has been an interesting year to this point as the brand split has now been shaken up with the addition of the GMs in Bischoff and Stephanie, and we will see how things continue to play out as we now start building to Summerslam. As for this show, it is a very good show that is carried by the main event. Final Grade: B-