From PROWRESTLING.NET

10/23 Shore's WWE Vengeance Results and Review: Alberto Del Rio vs. John Cena in a Last Man Standing match for the WWE Championship, Mark Henry vs. Big Show for the World Heavyweight Championship, Dolph Ziggler twice, more

Posted in: WWE PPV Reports, MUST-READ LISTING
By
Oct 23, 2011 - 07:00 PM

By Chris Shore

veng.jpg
Dot Net Members can look forward an exclusive audio review of WWE Vengeance pay-per-view with Chris Shore and Jake Barnett later tonight. Join us on the ad-free version of the website by signing up right now via the Dot Net Members' Signup Page.

WWE Vengeance
Aired live on pay-per-view
San Antonio, Texas at the AT&T Center


A graphic gave the definition of vengeance, and then the synonym "retribution. A video hyped the two title matches at the big tag match…The opening video played, followed by the big pyro, and Michael Cole, Jerry "The King" Lawler, and Booker T welcomed us to Vengeance…

Justin Roberts started to introduce the tag title match, but Vickie Guerrero came out and introduced her two guys, who came out as singles. The champs were out next, together…

1. Air Boom defeated Jack Swagger and Dolph Ziggler (w/Vickie Guerrero) to retain the WWE Tag Team Championships at 13:19. Kofi and Ziggler started. The babyfaces took early control and worked in and out with various double team moves on both heels, including a double bull dog, double dropkick in the corner, and a double shoulder tackle. Swagger caught Kingston jumping off the top and slammed him to the mat for the heels to take charge.

Kofi got a hot tag to Bourne and Bourne hit a zillion kicks on both heels. He knocked Swagger into Ziggler and went to the top. He came off with Air Bourne, but Swagger got his knees up and Bourne sold it great. Ziggler tagged in and covered, but Kofi broke the count for the match to continue.

Bourne took a beating from the heels and made the hot tag to Kofi. Kofi hit a crossbody that Ziggler jumped into that made it look great. Kofi hit the Boom Drop, but missed Trouble in Paradise. He hit the SOS and Swagger broke the count. Kofi went for the TiP on Swagger and Swagger caught his leg for the ankle lock. Bourne hit a double knee drop on Swagger to break the hold. Ziggler tried a dirty school boy roll up, but Kofi kicked out, hit TiP, and tagged in Bourne for the Air Bourne and pinfall victory…

Shore's Slant: Great opener. Ziggler gets better all the time. Look for Ziggler to retain in the next match.

Zack Ryder made his entrance and the match started almost immediately…

2. Dolph Ziggler (w/Vickie Guerrero and Jack Swagger) defeated Zack Ryder to retain the United States Championship ay 5:59. Ryder attacked quickly and sent Ziggler to the floor. Ziggler acted like he was leaving, and Air Boom forced him back in the ring. The ref ejected Air Boom from ringside. Ryder missed a crossbody to allow Ziggler to attack.

Ziggler hit a Fameassor for a two count. He set Ryder in the corner and charged. Ryder got the feet up and followed with a kick in the corner. Vickie distracted the ref and Swagger grabbed Ryder's leg. Ryder kicked him away and blocked the Zig Zag by grabbing the rope. He kicked Swagger away again, but turned into a sweet super kick for a Ziggler win…

Shore's Slant: Another solid match from Ziggler and Ryder. I do not like Ziggler using the super kick as I think the comparisons to he and HBK (which I have done as well) are fair, but he shouldn't copy the guy. If it's something he pulls out rarely, I'm OK with it. I just don't want it to be his full-time finisher. Solid open to this show. But they may have blown their whole wad in the first half hour.

Backstage, Punk and Triple H talked about their match and appeared to be on the same page…A video showed Natalya attacking Kelly Kelly earlier in the night with Eve making the save. Cole said that Kelly and Natty were banned from ringside…

3. Beth Phoenix defeated Eve to the WWE Divas' Championship at 7:19. Eve went on the attack first and handcuffed Beth to the ropes with Beth outfit. The ref had to pull Eve away to prevent a DQ. Beth rolled to the floor and Eve followed. Beth swept the legs on the apron and then gorilla press slammed Eve on the railing.

Beth rolled Eve in the ring and worked a body scissor. She pounded on Eve, yelling, "Cry," over and over. Eve escaped and hooked in a figure-four cross arm breaker type move. Beth made the ropes, and came right back with a Glam Slam attempt. Eve rolled through and tossed Beth into the ropes. She rolled up Beth for a great near fall, but missed a moonsault from the top. Beth hit the Glam Slam for the win…

Shore's Slant: One of the better wrestled Divas matches we have seen in some time. If only the story behind it meant something. I don't mind Eve looking close to equal with Beth because of her athleticism. Now the question is, where do they go from here? No one else is even close to credible.

Backstage, Matt Striker asked Big Show if he was ready for his match. Show said he should ask Henry if he is ready. He said he was going to break Henry. He balled his fist up and blocked Striker's head in the camera and said he would take the world title from Henry tonight…A video hyped the Bret vs. Shawn DVD…

4. Sheamus defeated Christian at 10:35. Sheamus hit his clubbing blows in the ropes and Booker and Cole argued over its name. Dear god. The first four minutes was back and forth brawling. Christian managed to work a short series of offense, hitting hit punch in the ropes and a missile dropkick, but he missed a head-butt to give Sheamus some life.

Sheamus hit his slingshot shoulder tackle for two, but Christian came right back with his reverse layout DDT for two. Christian escaped the Irish Cross twice, but Sheamus hit the Irish Curse backbreaker for two. Sheamus went for the Brogue kick, but Christian hit a spear for a near fall. Christian hit a hurricanranna and charged for a spear, but Sheamus reversed into a Brogue kick for the victory…

Shore's Slant: Boring uninspired match that gave Sheamus a win he didn't need, and Christian a loss he didn't need. That was a disappointment.

John Laurinaitis was backstage talking with David Otunga and Awesome Truth walked up. They asked Johnny Ace why he re-instated them. Ace patronized them and said it was because they suck-up well. He walked off and Miz and Truth said they might be suck ups, but at least they didn't suck like CM Punk, Triple H, and the state of Texas…

Shore's Slant: What are they, 12? That was awful.

A video ran down the long story behind CM Punk and Triple H vs. Awesome Truth…

5. The Miz and R-Truth defeated Triple H and CM Punk at 15:16. Miz and Punk started. Punk kicked Miz around and tagged Hunter. Miz fled and tagged Truth. Hunter worked over Truth and then Miz tagged in. Hunter and Punk worked double team on him, and then Hunter and Punk both hooked submission moves and reached back for extra leverage from their teammate. The crowd had no reaction to it.

Truth popped Punk from behind to allow the heels a moment of offense, but Punk made the hot tag and Hunter dragged Miz in the ring so he could destroy them both and clothesline them over the top rope. Hunter followed to the floor and was shoved into the railing. Truth rolled him in the ring and hit the lie detector elbow for two.

Miz got a hot tag and charged at Hunter, only to eat a clothesline. Miz tagged out and Hunter hit a DDT on Truth. Miz and Punk both tagged in and Punk went to work. He went to the top for the elbow drop on Miz, but Truth stopped him. Hunter dragged Truth to the floor and attacked, allowing Punk to hit the elbow. Kevin Nash ran in through the crowd and attacked Hunter. For some reason, the ref was distracted by this, but didn't call for the disqualification.

Truth slid in the ring and prevented the GTS. The heels hit their finishers at the same time in a move called Little Jimmy's Finale. Post-match, Hunter took an ass-kicking and a sick jackknife powerbomb they showed over and over in slow-motion as the non-credible announce team tried to put over Hunter as legit hurt…

Shore's Slant: Snooze fest of a match with a terrible finish. How does that distract the ref but not cause a DQ? What a terrible story and delivery.

Backstage, Ace was on the show and told whoever it was that he would get it figured out. Del Rio and Ricardo Rodriguez, who was sporting a nice shiner from Big Show's punch, walked up. Del Rio flipped out about having to be in a Last Man Standing match with Cena. Ace gave him a pep talk and sent him on his way…

6. Randy Orton defeated Cody Rhodes at 11:26. Cody took early advantage, but missed a top rope moonsault. Orton hit a dropkick on Cody in the air for two. Cody came back and hit the standing moonsault for a near fall. The San Antonio crowd is not into this match. At 9:30, Orton attacked a bagger who jumped on the apron and Cody hit Cross Rhodes for a near fall that got little pop.

Cody mimicked Orton's viper pose. He went for an RKO, but Orton saw it and hit a drop kick, followed by the rope DDT. Orton did the viper pose himself. Cody waved to the other bagger, and he climbed onto the apron. Orton went after him, then dodged Rhodes so Rhodes hit the bagger. Orton followed with the RKO for the win.

Shore's Slant: Bleh. Rhodes showed some new moves, but he looks terrible coming out of this match. I was distracted early when Cody was in control, so maybe he looked OK there, but I didn't see anything impressive. Just a poorly booked match. Rhodes needed that win and Orton did not.

A video recapped the history between Henry and Show…

7. Big Show fought Mark Henry to an apparent no-contest in a World Heavyweight Championship match in about 13:30. Henry dodged Show to start. He tried to leave with the belt, but Show stopped him. Henry body slammed Show and the crowd woke up. The next five minutes was standard big man fare of big chops and strikes. Big Show hit a chokeslam that Henry kicked out of. Henry hit the World's Strongest Slam and Show kicked out.

Henry went to the top, but Show caught him and hit a chokeslam from the second rope. Henry kicked out on a great nearfall. Show went to the top, but Henry caught him there. Henry hit a superplex from, the second rope, and the ring collapsed, a la Brock Lesnar. They showed the move close to ten times from various angles at various speeds as the medical team came out. Teddy Long and Johnny Ace also came to the ring. Everybody helped get both men from the ring. Show rode out on the cart, Henry walked out by begrudgingly accepting help…

Shore's Slant: An OK match that had a hot finish right up until the end. It's funny. We give WWE a hard time constantly for not being consistent. And now when they are consistent, i.e. every time Big Show takes a superplex the ring collapses, I wish they had not been. That visual is so ingrained in the minds of fans, albeit not the new ones) that I think it looked bad here. I don't know. Everyone sold it well. This is a tough one.

Post-match, Johnny Ace introduced himself and said regardless of the injuries done to Henry and Show, and regardless of the damage to the ring, he was going to give the fans what he wanted. He corrected himself and changed it to what the crowd wanted. He said he hoped they agreed with his decision…

8. Alberto Del Rio defeated John Cena in a Last Man Standing match for to retain the WWE Championship at 26:55. Del Rio shoved Ric Rod at Cena at the bell. Cena lifted for an AA and Del Rio kicked him to take control. They worked in the broken ring, which had lost a ton of its bounce. Del Rio hit a low dropkick and landed awkward on the slanted ring. He followed with three back suplexes in a row and Cena made the count at seven.

Del Rio went for three regular suplexes, but Cena reversed the last. He hit a gut wrench slam and Del Rio answered the count at four, and immediately hit a tilt a whirl backbreaker. He stuffed Cena under one of the collapsed rails and then jumped on it in a nice environment spot. Cena made the count at eight and Del Rio charged into an AA as the ref started a double count.

Cena went for another AA, but Ric Rod attacked. Cena kicked him to the floor and Del Rio slapped on a choke hold. The ref checked the limp arm, but he couldn't call for the bell. Del Rio broke the hold and Super Cena made the count at eight. Out of nowhere, Cena just tossed Del Rio from the ring into the rail in a tough looking spot. Cena dropped Ric Rod, nuts first on the post, then a drop toe hold on Del Rio on the other end. Funny.

Cena tried to hit Del Rio with the stairs, but Del Rio ducked and slammed Cena on the stairs. Cena made the count at nine and they fought to the back. Cena slammed Del Rio over a table and then Cena turned a packing box over. Del Rio avoided getting crushed, and then Del Rio slammed Cena on the box. Cena made the count, but staggered and fell in the interview set. Del Rio came over and pushed all four metal forms on top of Cena. Super Cena still made the count.

They battled back onto the ramp and Ric Rod joined in the fray. Del Rio slammed Cena into the giant V that was on the stage. Del Rio setup a table and put Cena on it. Del Rio tried to climb the set, but Cena recovered and pulled Del Rio off and through the table. Del Rio made the count, and they battled back to the ring area. Del Rio tossed Cena into the announcers and we lost them for a moment. My favorite spot of the night.

Del Rio tried for his run up enziguri while Cena was leaning against the post. Cena ducked and Del Rio kicked the post and sold it. Cena dragged the stairs near the Spanish announce table. He lifted Del Rio and hit the AA from the top of the stairs onto the table. Before the ref could start counting, Miz and R-Truth ran out and attacked Cena. Miz hit a skull crushing finale and they left. The ref decided to count both men, but Del Rio stood almost immediately, and Cena made the count at nine. Del Rio hit Cena with the belt, and that was enough for a Del Rio win…

Shore's Slant: So Johnny Ace sent the goons out to give us what he wanted? Is that what the storyline is going to be? It is as I feared; this was a well wrestled PPV, at least for the most part, while the stories stunk up the joint. They had some neat spots with the gimmick, though Cena has to ruin them by being superman. I really grow tired of that. But this match suffered from a horrible finish more than anything else.

Overall it was a lackluster PPV that had some good matches, some boring matches, and some downright wretched storytelling at times. They are going to have to work hard to make Survivor Series feel special, not counting the Rock of course. I will have more in just a little while with the member's exclusive audio review with Jake Barnett. Thanks for reading along tonight.

Questions? Comments? Anyone, anyone? Let me hear from you. Email me at css3238@gmail.com or tweet me @TheShoreSlant with whatever is on your mind.

And read my first work of fiction:
The Following Contest is a Dark Match available exclusively on ebook for all eReaders, smartphones, tablets, and PCs for only 99 cents.

© Copyright 2011 by PROWRESTLING.NET