WWE Vengeance (2003 TV Special) User Reviews

One Hell of a B-Level PPV.

[morantjavonte · 8/10 · 13 July 2023]

Vengeance 2003 Thoughts

Vengeance 2003 was the 3rd annual Vengeance PPV event produced by the WWE. The show took place on July 27, 2006, at the Pepsi Center in Denver, Colorado. Attendance was set at 9,500 with a buyrate of 365,000 which was very good for a PPV not part of the Big 4. It was also the first ever brand exclusive PPV event held from the Smackdown Brand (not counting the UK event from the previous year).

We had 8 matches held on the card and I will say going into this show, a lot at the time had high expectations as Smackdown was the favored show among WWE fans. Quality in and out of the ring was great. I would say it was a heck of a lot more interesting than Raw that year which had a disappointing show a month prior. Main event saw Brock Lesnar renewing his feud with Kurt Angle who returned from a near career-ending neck injury. Lesnar accepted another challenge against Angle but the Big Show who was feuding with Lesnar while Angle was absent wasn't having Angle come and just get a title shot just like that so the match was eventually set for a triple threat for the WWE Championship. The WCW United States title was brought back and now rebranded as the WWE United States Championship and saw a tournament to crown our new champion. Eddie Guerrero & Chris Benoit ended up being in the finals and faced each other at this event. Other notable matches included John Cena facing the Undertaker, Mr. McMahon, World's Greatest Tag Team against Billy Kidman & Rey Mysterio for the WWE Tag Team Championship and Mr. McMahon facing Zach Gowen a man who became the first and only disabled one-legged wrestler to compete in a WWE ring.

The Good - Again a very good PPV build up and the main event was a spectacular triple threat match. I loved how Big Show was taken out for awhile and a brief partnership by Lesnar & Angle only for it to backfire as Lesnar & Angle were selling of barely having anything in them after beating the crap out of each other and Big Show would be the most fresh and having a big momentum. It was a surprise to see Angle pin Lesnar at the time as many thought Lesnar would be protected for a rematch should Angle win by pinning Big Show. The tag team match was also very good and it felt like a PPV level tag match which was a struggle for the tag team divisions of both Raw and Smackdown at the time. John Cena vs. Undertaker was really good. It was a big brawl match and Cena cut a great heel promo disrespecting the old school. Last Eddie Guerrero vs. Chris Benoit was overall a great match. The two could always make something great. It tiny problem was the over booking at the end that dropped a rating but we saw some great classic Eddie moments.

The Meh - Well McMahon vs. Zack Gowen turned out better than it should have been. I'm not sure if that storyline of Vince mocking a disabled person would sit well today. Again it was better than expected being some what of an average match.

The Bad - The only boring match was Jamie Noble vs. Billy Gunn in a very silly storyline. It wasn't that interesting and the crowd didn't really care for the match either except for the ending. Stephanie McMahon vs. Sable was also pretty bad but it could have been worst and it wasn't long and dreadful. Though I did get reminded of how much of bad actress Stephanie McMahon could be at times. Won't talk about the APA Invitational Bar thing as it wasn't really a match.

Overall - This was a very good PPV. It probably could have been something more if one match didn't blow it with the last few minutes (Eddie/Benoit) which still was great. I highly recommend the Tag Team Championship and Triple Threat match to anyone. A solid show especially for a B-Level PPV.

Score - 8 out of 10: Really Really Good

0 = Terrible : 1 = Bad/Lackluster : 2 = Decent : 3 = Good : 4 =Awesome : 5 = One of the Best of all Time

1. Eddie Guerrero vs. Chris Benoit: WWE United States Championship - 3.5/5

2. Jamie Noble vs. Billy Gunn: Incident Proposal - 1.5/5

3. APA Invitational Bar Room Brawl - Not worth it

4. World's Greatest Tag Team vs. Rey Mysterio & Billy Kidman: WWE Tag Team Championship - 4/5

5. Stephanie McMahon vs. Sable - 1/5

6. John Cena vs. Undertaker - 3.5/5

7. Mr. McMahon vs. Zack Gowen - 2.5/5

8. Kurt Angle vs. Big Show vs. Brock Lesnar: WWE Championship - 4/5

Best Match - Kurt Angle vs. Big Show vs. Brock Lesnar

Worst Match - Stephanie McMahon vs. Sable

Most Memorable Moment - Kurt Angle's surprising victory pinning Lesnar.

Top 5 Performers 1. Kurt Angle - Outstanding Performance

2. Brock Lesnar - Outstanding Performance

3. Big Show - Great Performance

4. World's Greatest Tag Team - Great Performance

5. Mysterio & Kidman - Great Performance.

Not bad for the first Smackdown PPV of 2003

[kliko400 · 6/10 · 17 January 2007]

This wasn't really bad for the first exclusive Smackdown PPV of 2003, although it wasn't the best, but it was still good.

FIRST MATCH- CHRIS BENOIT VS. EDDIE GUERRERO IN THE FINALS OF THE US TOURNAMENT FOR THE WWE UNITED STATES CHAMPIONSHIP What a way to start Vengeance with two former best friends battling each other. The match took very long & it was good. While the referee is knocked down, Benoit has Eddie in the Crossface, Eddie is tapping out but there is no referee. Suddenly Rhyno interferes & nails the Gore on Benoit, followed by a Frog Splash by Eddie Guerrero. The groggy referee gets up just in time to count to 3 as Eddie has won the tournament & has became the new WWE United States Champion. 5/10

SECOND MATCH- BILLY GUNN W/ TORRIE Wilson VS. JAMIE NOBLE IF JAMIE NOBLE WINS, HE GETS TO SLEEP WITH TORRIE FOR ONE NIGHT IF BILLY GUNN WINS, THEN JAMIE NOBLE WILL NOT SLEEP WITH TORRIE Pretty boring match, Jamie Noble wins after a roll-up, but I don't think anyone cares. Guess Jamoe Noble gets one night with Torrie Wilson. 2/10

THIRD MATCH- WORLD'S GREATEST TAG TEAM {SHELTON BENJAMIN & CHARLIE HAAS} VS. REY MYSTERIO & BILLY KIDMAN FOR THE WWE TAG TEAM CHAMPIONSHIP This match was really good & long with great Cruiserweight moves from both Billy Kidman & Rey Mysterio. Shelton Benjamin & Charlie Haas get the hard fought win against Kidman & Mysterio to retain their WWE Tag Team titles. 5/10

FOURTH MATCH- BAR BRAWL INVITATIONAL {This was like a Bar Brawl match organized by APA, whoever knocks everybody out first are the winner. The wrestlers involved in this bar brawl are APA, Matt Hardy, Sean 'O' Haire, Doink The Clown, Dr. Love I don't remember the rest, sorry}. Cool I like this bar brawl, APA win after brutally knocking everybody out with beer bottles & other items etc. 4/10

FIFTH MATCH- STEPHANIE MCMAHON VS. SABLE Just a Diva match, nothing to see here as usual. A-Train interferes & nails a huge running charge on Stephanie {After the referee was distracted with Sable}. Sable covers Stephanie for the 3 count to get the win. 2/10

SIXTH MATCH- VINCE MCMAHON VS. ZACH GOWEN Zach Gowen is a good wrestler even though he has one leg. To me Zach Gowen in his first debut match here was really, really impressive. He made Vince McMahon busted so wide open. Vince McMahon got the win but the damage was done to him. 3/10

SEVENTH MATCH- UNDERTAKER VS. JOHN CENA Believe me this was really a good match. It was a bit long & it was perfect. Undertaker is busted open during the match. Cena nails whatever he can to try & wear Taker down but Taker fights back & nails a Chokeslam for the hard win here against Cena. 5/10

EIGHTH MATCH- BROCK LESNAR VS. KURT ANGLE VS. BIG SHOW IN A TRIPLE-THREAT MATCH FOR THE WWE CHAMPIONSHIP As the match starts both Angle & Lesnar gang up on Big Show & slam him through the announce table knocking him out. Then both Angle & Lesnar take it to each other as both these wrestlers know each other very well. Later Big Show comes & tries to get the advantage but Lesnar knocks him out. Then suddenly Angle comes from behind & nails an Angle Slam on Lesnar for the 3 count & for the win to become the new WWE Champion. 5/10

This wasn't really a bad Samckdown PPV even though it was the first in 2003. Smackdown in my opinion is way better than Raw.

Overall: I'll give it 6/10 & a D+

Underrated, the SmackDown PPVs are.

[VenomX · 6 April 2004]

When it comes to PPVs, SmackDown lacks the name power but in terms of workrate it excels above RAW. The cards are rarely impressive, but the effort is noticeable. Vengeance is the first SmackDown-exclusive PPV and after a sub-par RAW-exclusive Bad Blood this one had some big shoes to fill and make up for. Thankfully, the PPV itself is not only an improvement over Bad Blood but is one of the best PPVs of the year.

Chris Benoit vs. Eddie Guerrero - ****

Was I looking forward to this match when it was announced, back when this happened both were upper-midcarders looking up. Thankfully, within eight months they were both champions and rightfully so. This was a great match, filled with great technical spots (submission holds and the like). Combined with great acrobatic action such as torpedo dives and Eddie's constant "screwjob" attempts to win which are pretty hilarious to watch, this match is a sight to watch. The ending I didn't like and is the only real bad part, it would have been nice seeing a clean finish to complement the hard work of these to, (though if Eddie did the screwjob, it would work because he is so good at making them look good).

Billy Gunn vs. Jamie Noble **

Problem with PPVs is that there is the "Crap, we still have 10 minutes left in the show! Quick, get the list of lower midcarders and we'll book like the wind!' type of match. The stipulation was that if Noble won, Billy's "girlfriend" Torrie Wilson would sleep with him...and that lead to a segment involving fourplay that is better left forgotten. I never understood why Billy Gunn has been around as long as he has, ever since DX broke up he's been in severe limbo. But I'm not going to rant about that, onto the match!

Being a lower-midcard match, expectations were not high but the match managed to be a little better than it had any right to be. Billy Gunn was pretty stiff at times with his spots, matching the emotion that his character was supposed to be exerting. There were some good spots here, Noble's top rope DDT being the highlight. Basically it was an above average match by two of the most unlikely participants of all.

APA Invitational

Not being reviewed as it is more of a segment than a match, good for cheap laughs and some good spots. Having the Easter Bunny and Doink in the segment resulting in some priceless moments, (not going to spoil anything). This is filler, but some damn good filler.

World's Greatest Tag Team vs. Billy Kidman & Rey Mysterio - ****1/2

Holy, this is the best match of the entire show and an easy Match of the Year contender. We get amazing spots like Kidman's top rope SSP to the outside, Mysterio's running leaping Hurricanrama with Kidman assisting and a massive Electric Chair for the finish. I can't say enough, all four men in this match showed massive work skills and WGTT showed their huge potential in this classic of a match.

Stephanie McMahon vs. Sable *

Isn't it interesting that after a classic of a match we decide to keep the crowd happy with...this? Well, it's a match involving Stephanie McMahon and Sable so there isn't much to say other than it lived up to whatever remote expectations I had.

Undertaker vs. John Cena ***

Back-and-forth really, not much to this match as both men carried each other and put forth an average match. It's nice to see the bookers trying to rub some of Taker's success onto Cena, this match and later the one against Angle would showcase his true potential as a wrestler.

Vince McMahon vs. Zach Gowen **1/2

Yes, the match looked really terrible on paper but it was surprisingly acceptable. I'm going to try to review this like I would any other match but be a little more accepting as it is impossible for Gowen to operate on a level of any other wrestler. This match is very infamous for the big bladejob Vince did in which he was literally gushing blood near the mid-point. The biggest problem Gowen has is that he just isn't very convincing as a wrestler, mostly due to his paper-thin physique. Nothing against him personally but I think there wasn't much the bookers could do with him other than work his condition over to get sympathy from the crowd. Even that dried up and six month after this match ended, he was released by the WWE. It had some good spots, like Gowen's Asai Moonsault but in the end it wasn't much to write home about.

Brock Lesnar vs. Kurt Angle vs. Big Show - ***1/2

Lesnar and Angle carried this match, Show did little but the focus was thankfully on these two. Lesnar and Angle do have great chemistry together and can put forth ***+ matches with ease. Great spots like Angle's Release German Suplex and Angle/Lesnar's double chokeslam to Big Show. Plus, having Kurt get over and win the title was a great finish and a nice moment in the timeline of this feud.

Score 8.0/10

This is the second best PPV of 2003, after WrestleMania XIX. Great matches from a card that looked unimpressive on paper but more than made up for it with execution.

The best split PPV we've ever had *Spoilers* Ahead

[Yankees26 · 22 March 2004]

Warning Spoilers ahead...



1. Eddie Guererro vs. Chris Benoit- Great match between two great wrestlers for the US title. Lots of good near falls. I think it's a candidate for match of the year. Rhyno turned on Chris Benoit hitting him with the Gore setting him up for the Frog Splash. 9/10

2. Jaime Noble vs. Billy Gunn- A little short, but thats probably a good thing considering it's a Billy Gunn match. Noble rolled him up with a fistful of tights for the win. 6/10

3. APA Barroom Brawl- Hard to follow, not quite sure how the ref determines if someone is eliminated or not. Entertaining though. Bradshaw wins after cracking a bottle over the head of Brother Love. 7.5/10

4. Billy Kidman + Rey Mysterio vs. WGTT- Match of the night. All four of these men are very talented, and should be pushed. When it ended and I was begging for more. Charlie Haas had Mysterio up in powerbomb position. Benjamin made a tag, jumped off the top rope and clotheslined Mysterio as Haas followed through with the powerbomb. I don't care what anyone say this was match of the year! 10/10

5. Sable vs. Stephanie McMahon- This match really hurt the PPV. These 2 women showed why the Womens titles are on Raw, where the women actually know how to wrestle. A-Train knocked over Stephanie when the Ref had his back turned. Fastest I've ever seen A-Train run. (Not a compliment.) Sable covered her and won. 2/10

6. Undertaker vs. John Cena- Great match. Undertaker was bleeding eternally after Cena exposed the turnbuckle. Undertaker was also hit Cena's steel chain, then FU'ed and still Kicked out. Undertaker finally won after the Last Ride. 7/10

7. Vince McMahon vs. Zach Gowen- Not a very good match. It started to pick up near the end. McMahon was busted open. He eventually won after Gowen missed on a moonsault and he covered him. 3.5/10

8. Brock Lesnar vs. Big Show vs. Kurt Angle- Pretty good, but there was better. The main event is supposed to be the top match. Angle and Lesnar were both busted open. Big Show took an Angle Slam through the Spanish Announce Table. Angle finally won after Angle Slams on both men and covering Lesnar. 7.5/10

So, I gave this 52.5/80 which is pretty good.