By Jason Powell

Dot Net Members are listening to the 85-minute audio review of WWE Vengeance that Chris Shore and Jake Barnett recording on Sunday night. They will also be listening to my audio review later tonight. Join us on the ad-free version of the website by signing up now via the Dot Net Members' Signup Page.

WWE Vengeance Hits

Mark Henry vs. Big Show: Another highly entertaining match from Henry and Show. I had no expectations for their previous pay-per-view encounter and came away satisfied, but I didn't know whether they could satisfy viewers now that the expectations were higher. They certainly did with me, and I like the finish in that it sets the stage for a rematch. The near falls were believable, and the ring collapse spot was still impressive even though we saw Big Show and Brock Lesnar use it on television.

Alberto Del Rio vs. John Cena: The idea of watching John Cena challenge for the WWE Championship again did nothing for me. Like many viewers, I'm bored of seeing Cena hold the title or challenge for the title so frequently. Nevertheless, they worked very hard to deliverable a memorable main event. The broken ring gimmick made for a unique setting and some shaky footing, and Del Rio and Cena delivered a wild brawl that made for a fun spectacle. That said, I don't sense that the fan base has a strong desire to see a rematch, so hopefully The Miz and R-Truth attack is setting something up for Survivor Series and we can get away from Cena challenging for the WWE Championship for a long stretch. By the way, it was nice to see Cena switch up his look, but the new t-shirt is way too precious.

Air Boom vs. Dolph Ziggler and Jack Swagger: Another quality tag title match. These four work well together, but I am more than ready for WWE to put some legit tag teams together rather than pairing singles wrestlers to challenge Air Boom.

Dolph Ziggler vs. Zack Ryder: Good work by both men and the live crowd was definitely behind Ryder. I'm not a fan of the comedic Ryder babyface persona, but I was hoping he'd get the win because I believe the time has come for Ziggler to break out of the mid-card and into the upper mix.

Beth Phoenix vs. Eve: A big improvement over the Beth vs. Kelly Kelly matches. Eve continues to improve as a worker. Now the company has to find a way to help her make a real connection with the fans like Kelly has.

WWE Vengeance Misses

Overall show: If you liked the lineup enough to order the show, then you probably came away satisfied with your purchase. WWE gave an honest effort to deliver something out of the ordinary by having the ring break, but it felt like smoke and mirrors to make up for the fact that the product is stale. This was the most meaningless pay-per-view of the year for WWE. There were more hits than misses, but I just couldn't shake the feeling of how unnecessary it was to have three pay-per-view events in five weeks. The show had some solid in-ring work, but most of the storylines seemed flat and most of the show came across like a glorified house show event.

Triple H and C.M. Punk vs. The Miz and R-Truth: I saw the Kevin Nash interference coming a mile away. Don't mistake that as bragging, as I'm fairly convinced that over half the viewing audience also expected that to be the finish. The Miz and R-Truth need to evolve. They appeared to be doing that when they did the Hell in a Cell run-in, but they returned to TV doing the same schtick they did before they left. They are entertaining characters, but they aren't positioned in a way that makes anyone think they're going to hold their own with top wrestlers. Meanwhile, Punk has cooled off considerably since his peak at Money in the Bank. How much fresher would the storylines feel if Punk had been feuding with Del Rio over the WWE Championship while Cena played games with Triple H, The Miz, R-Truth, and Kevin Nash for the past few months?

Randy Orton vs. Cody Rhodes: The key issue I have with Cody Rhodes is that he just doesn't look intimidating when he's in the ring with most WWE talent. The paper bag and face mask bit have run their course and it's time for the character to evolve. I disagree with Chris Shore's comment in the live coverage that Cody needed the win. There's no denying that this would have been a big win for Rhodes, but I would not put Cody over at Orton's expense. Of course, if they are going forward with this feud, then they're going to have to do something to make it interesting, and I suspect that Chris believes they are going forward with it and thus the need for a Cody win. The current Rhodes character is a solid mid-card act, but I just don't see him becoming more than that without a serious gimmick overhaul (and some damn kneepads!!!).

Sheamus vs. Christian: Once again, this wasn't a bad match, but I am already losing interest in this program. An ongoing issue in WWE is that every heel not named Mark Henry (and perhaps Brodus Clay) is portrayed as the chickenshit type. Christian plays the part very well and I think it would be money if there weren't so many guys portrayed in a similar manner.

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