WWE VENGEANCE 2004

Hartford Civic Center
Hartford, Connecticut
July 11, 2004

Coach and Garrison Cade versus Rhyno and Tajiri
Tajiri spraying Coach with the green mist during musical chairs is shown. This match was made on Heat, and should have stayed there for all I care. Still, the crowd was very hot already and cheered all of Tajiri’s kicks and booed the actions of the heels. By the way, is it just me or is there a Pay-Per-View every week? Tajiri played Eddie Gilbert for most of the match, with Coach and his love-slave Cade cut the ring in half on Tajiri for a good amount of time before getting the hot tag to Rhyno. Rhyno’s destruction was short-lived though, as Cade threw him from the ring. Tajiri spit the mist into Cade’s eyes and Rhyno gored Cade down, and Tajiri kicked Coach in the head for the pin. Rhyno and Tajiri defeated Coach and Garrison Cade.
 

Chris Jericho versus Batista
Batista might be getting more ripped every time I see him. Batista control the match’s early goings, over powering the smaller Chris Jericho. Batista worked over the back of Jericho, from his shoulders to his lower back. He used sidewalk slams and a number of back breakers. Jericho came back though, setting up a splash while Batista was draped over the middle rope. Batista jumped up before Jericho could connect and hit a spine buster. He set up his Batista Bomb, but Jericho countered with a sunset flip. Jericho began to speed up his offense. He hit a face plant bull dog from the top rope, and went for the Lionsault. Batista got his knees up, and Jericho was selling that one caught his thigh muscle. Jericho hit a running enziguri, but couldn’t properly capitalize because of the strain of his hurt leg. Batista seized the opportunity to land a spine buster and the Batista Bomb for a three count. Batista defeated Chris Jericho via pin fall. Jericho had his leg on the bottom rope, but before the official could see anything Batista pulled the leg off.

 

La Résistance versus Eugene and Ric Flair
Sylvain Grenier butchered the Canadian National Anthem before the match. Thankfully, the Nature Boy’s music interrupted them. Eugene started the match off, imitating the famous wrestling style of Ric Flair right down to running his fingers through his hair and giving a “Woo!” Flair seemed flattered at first, but then angry as Eugene started to copy the Nature Boy moves set. He went as far as to beg in the corner, poke Sylvain in the eye, and face drop down before an attempted tag. Flair got the tag, and showed the strut and cocky attitude off for real by single-handedly taking care on La Résistance. Flair locked on the figure four on Grenier, by Conway broke it up. La Résistance, who were at this point completely locked into the back story of this match, finally took control. The pair of Grenier and Conway worked over the veteran. When he was about to get the tag to the fresh Eugene, Grenier snuck around the ring and pulled the special talent off the ring apron. As La Résistance hit their tandem roll the dice finisher, Eugene lost his mind. He went into angry retard mode, and cleaned house of the champions. In his retard rage he shoved the referee out of the way, causing a disqualification. La Résistance defeated Eugene and Ric Flair via disqualification. Eugene hit a Stone Cold Stunner, a Rock Bottom and a People’s Elbow into a Ric Flair Strut after the match. He helped the hurt Ric Flair up the ramp.  

 

No disqualification, no count-out match: Kane versus Matt Hardy version 1
No Matt facts? I no longer care what happens in this match. This match immediately went to the outside, with Kane slamming Matt around the crowd and eventually back into the ring. Then, the match went back outside, with Kane using Matt as a battering ram for the ring guard and apron. Kane proceeded to control the entire match, inside the ring and out, even when Matt grabbed a steel chair. When Kane tried to use the chair, however, Matt kicked up from the ground causing Kane to fall off the lip of the ring and get his foot caught in the ropes. Matt went on the assault finally, beating Kane while he was trapped with his feet and the ring bell. Kane came back though, powering out of the Twist of Fate. Matt was undeterred, hitting the Twist of Fate diamond cutter style. Kane sat up, and hit a sloppy choke slam and going for the ring steps to bash Hardy’s head in. Lita ran down, complete with bigger breasts I believe, and stood in front of her love. Kane could not hurt the pregnant Lita, but forced her to leave the match. He picked up the ring steps again, but Matt Hardy had grabbed the steel chair and hit the steps right into Kane’s head. Matt grabbed a quick pin for the upset. Matt Hardy defeated Kane via pin fall.

 

Intercontinental Title Match: Edge versus the Champion, Randy Orton
This match featured back and forth action, with neither competitor gaining a serious advantage for some time. They did a criss-cross spot, with both men running different pairs of ropes. When Edge started to pound Orton, Randy decided he had no reason to risk his title and decided to walk to the back. Edge chased after him, and got the worst of the fight outside the ring. Orton took control now, using a variety of holds that he keeps interesting as always. Edge did get a come back, and took the fight outside. He knocked Orton out while he was holding the title belt, and then a running clothesline off the apron. He hit a missile dropkick from the drop, but only for a near fall. Edge called for the spear, and ran into Randy’s knee. Once more the champion was in control, choking out the challenger and being an all around bad guy. He was caught by a boot when he rushed Edge in the corner, but maintained control. Orton continued his dominance, hitting leg drops and knee drops between head locks. For the record, Randy Orton is an excellent wrestler. He makes every single basic move, including those headlocks, interesting. Edge appeared to be knocked out from a rear chin lock, and Orton wrapped his legs around Edge to choke him out. Of course, Edge got his hand up before the referee observed a third one concurrent one fall. Edge had the scheduled come back now; drop kicking Orton as he came off the top rope. As with all good face comebacks, however, it was not meant to last. Both men went down, and had to fight one another on their way up. Edge began finally tying his moves together, including the one I can’t ever remember, and went to the top rope. Orton tried to stop the high risk offense again and again, but Orton got hung up on the top rope and received a cross body. He rolled through it, and the back and forth action restarted. Orton pulled a turnbuckle off, and I completely lost track of the action as the longest finishing segment I have ever seen commenced. Edge ate some ring turn buckle, but kicked out of the pin. Finally, after a half dozen near falls, Orton was Irish whipped into the corner and was speared down for the three count. Randy Orton looked ready to cry after the match. Edge defeated Randy Orton to win the Intercontinental Championship.

 

Number One Contender’s Match: Molly Holly versus Victoria
Ah, the women’s match after the big title showdown. Molly had a short blond wig with a chin strap. The girls did a very good job keeping the hot crowd into the show. Victoria used a bunch of acrobatic moves and counters, such as cartwheels and splits, to elude her opponent. Not for long, as Molly threw the former Women’s Champion to the outside, and proceeded to slow her down with holds, focusing on the right shoulder, and slams. Victoria came back with a power slam, and attempted a Widow’s Peak. Her shoulder gave out, and she had to drop Molly. She instead opted for a vicious side kick, and a three count. Victoria defeated Molly Holly via pin fall.

World Heavyweight Championship Match: Triple H versus the Champion, Chris Benoit.
The two stared down and circle one another intensely to start, before finally locking up for some chain wrestling, which Benoit got the best of. Then they broke off, and started again. Hunter got the best of that exchange. Once more they restarted, with the Champion in control and even attempting a cross face. Hunter fled outside the ring and the Rabid Wolverine was right after him. He slammed him around the ring, but Triple H was the one who seized the moment once back in the ring. Triple H worked over the back of Benoit, even slamming him in the ring steps. The champion did not give up though, and he fought back with stiff chops and Suplexes. Benoit began to pound Hunter into the corners, and used a clothesline to take him over the top. Now it was Hunter’s turn to run into the ring steps. Chris tried to end the match early, going to the top rope for a flying head butt. Hunter moved, and Benoit’s head hit the mat hard. The Cerebral Assassin used Irish Whips to throw Benoit into the turnbuckles torso first with some amazing impact. He began picking Benoit up into vertical suplex position and dropping him face forward. Chris was tossed hard outside the ring, and brought back in for an abdominal stretch. Benoit escaped, and after some counters from both men, Benoit found himself locking on the sharpshooter. Hunter strained for the ropes, stretched for the ropes, and Benoit just pulled him back to the center of the ring. Once more Hunter had to crawl and reach inch by inch, until finally grabbing the bottom ropes to escape Bret Hart’s hold. Benoit was not done with Hunter though. He hit the triple Suplexes, and then took Hunter out. When Hunter stood up Benoit landed a surprising tope, causing the two to collide face to face. Back in the ring after a near double count out Triple H took control long enough to call down Eugene. Benoit hopped up while he was coming though, and locked on the cross face. He screamed for Eugene to “Get the ref!” When he would not, Benoit had to knock Eugene off the ring. Triple H gave Benoit the shot to the penis, and the pedigree. This time Eugene got the referee, but the delay was long enough for Benoit to kick out. All things went to pot now, as Eugene refused to give Hunter a chair and having Triple H turn on him. Benoit was forced to take the chair from Hunter and fight off Flair as well as the challenger. Eugene came into the ring, when both men were knocked down, and could not decide whom to hit with it. Benoit was up first, and tried to take the chair from Eugene. The special young man held on, wrestling it away from Chris only to accidentally hit Hunter in the face with it. Eugene started to cry and ran out of the ring while Benoit capitalized on some rare face luck and pinned Hunter for the win. Chris Benoit defeated Triple H to retain the Heavyweight Championship.