| Date: December 9, 2001
| Venue: San Diego Sports Arena | City: San Diego, California
| Attendance: 11, 800 | Buyrate: 315, 000

Tonight four men in the spotlight will be looking for Vengeance. Since the Invasion of The Alliance ended in November, four men have been looking to become the top man in the company and tonight they have their chance to prove it. Since Survivor Series, a lot has happened. Ric Flair was announced as the new co-owner of WWF, buying his stake from Stephanie and Shane. Between them, Ric Flair and Vince McMahon announced that the WWF and World Championships would be unified into the Undisputed Championship at Vengeance. First though, Stone Cold Steve Austin will defend his WWF Championship against Kurt Angle and The Rock will defend the World Championship against Chris Jericho. The winners of those two matches will then face off in a unification bout to merge both titles. Vince McMahon is supporting the man that helped team WWF win the war, Kurt Angle. I can see Kurt, The Rock or Austin go home with the belts tonight, I’m just not totally convinced on Jericho.

The Intercontinental Championship will be on the line when Edge defends the belt he won at Survivor Series against William Regal. Regal earned his job back in the WWF by kissing Vince McMahons ass (literally) and Edge has been the man to give him stick ever since. Regal has been on a good run as of late, using brass knucks to gain victory. The tag team titles will be defended by champions The Dudley Boyz against number one contenders Kane and The Big Show. Kane and Big Show defeated The Hardy Boyz to win number one contenderhip. The Hardy Boyz have been at odds for weeks and Matt has lost his patience with the daredevil risks Jeff has been taking. The brothers have got into shoving matches backstage and Matt challenged Jeff to a match at Vengeance, even putting his girlfriend Lita as special guest referee. Tonight we find out who is the better Hardy Boy.

Since Survivor Series there has been a drastic change in the attitude of The Undertaker. He attacked Jim Ross after Ross wouldn’t kiss Vince McMahons ass. Undertaker has since attacked the likes of Tazz and Rob Van Dam in order to teach them respect and tonight The Undertaker will go one on one with Rob Van Dam with Van Dams Hardcore title on the line. Also tonight Trish Stratus will defend her Women’s title against Jacqueline and the new team of Scotty Too Hotty and the “Hip Hop Hippo” Albert will take on Christian and Test. On Heat before the PPV began, the APA defeated Billy Gunn and Chuck Palumbo.

We kick off with a video package showing Classy Freddie Blassie watching a video with old WWF and wCw Champions. There has never been one champion before but tonight there will be. It’s almost a comedy package with ends with shots of Steve Austin, Kurt Angle, The Rock and Chris Jericho.

Jim Ross welcomes us to Vengeance, he’s joined by Jerry Lawler but they are soon interrupted by Vince McMahon! McMahon isn’t happy about what happened on Smackdown with Steve Austin and Ric Flair against him and The Rock shoving McMahon’s face up Rikishi’s ass! I’m never happy with a promo opening up a PPV. It feels too much like a Raw. Vince says he’ll be laughing last but out comes his 50% business partner, Ric Flair. This is Flairs first appearance at a WWF PPV since Royal Rumble 1993. Flair says the show starts now and Scotty 2 Hotty’s music hits!

Scotty 2 Hotty & Albert vs. Test & Christian

Scotty and Albert come out dancing but Vince McMahon does not look happy. Test and Christian come out to Tests music. Albert and Scotty come out and attack the ex Alliance mates in the entrance way. The match gets started with Scotty and Christian. Scotty takes Christian down with a drop toe hold before Christian tags out to Test. Scotty tags Albert and we have the old T & A team mates against each other. Albert takes down Test and hits him with a splash but Christian breaks up the first near fall of the night. Albert tags Scotty who has opportunity to get revenge for Test taking him out of the battle royal at Survivor Series. Christian hits a cheap shot on Scotty and Test tags him in. Christian lays into Scotty before we get some classic double teaming from the Canadians.

Test is now the legal man and he hits some big clotheslines on Scotty. Test gets a near fall when Albert breaks it up. European Champion Christian is tagged in and he thrusts his boot into the throat of Scotty. Quick tags between Test and Christian now. Test and Christian have been opponents to Edge over the past few months. Scotty takes Test down with a superkick and both men are down. Scotty tags Albert who takes down both opponents. He squashes Christian and Test in the corner before spinning Christian by his legs for a near fall. Albert has teamed with the likes of Droz, Big Boss Man and Test in his career so far. Albert sets Christian up for the Baldo Bomb but Test pulls him outside. All hell breaks loose and Test hits a big boot on Albert.

Scott breaks up the cover and then hits the Worm on Test! Christian gets back in the ring and attempts an Unprettier on Scotty but Albert grabs Christian and hits him with the Baldo Bomb! That’s enough for the three and it’s a big and surprising win for Scotty 2 Hotty and Albert in the opening contest! A fun contest between these four.

Rating: 6.25/10

Jonathan Coachman is backstage with William Regal who puts over Edge but says that he hasn’t fought Regal before. Decent promo by Regal who calls Coach a silly pillock as he leaves.

Edge (c) vs. William Regal – Intercontinental Championship Match

This is a first time meeting between these two men on pay per view. The referee checks Regal before the match to make sure he isn’t hiding brass knucks. Edge is a four time IC champion, Regal has never held the title before. Edge dropkicks Regal out of the ring and Regal manages to coax Edge out of the ring and throw him into the ring post. Back in the ring and Regal hits uppercuts until he is caught by a back body drop from Edge for a two count. Jim Ross claims Edge is a three time IC champion which he’s wrong about. Regal drives a knee into the back of Edge’s neck for a two count. Regal hits another knee, this time a running knee into the side of the champions face for a two count. Regal has slowed the pace down and he hits a floatover suplex for another near fall.

Edge manages to block a kick and hits a swinging neckbreaker and a clothesline. Edge hits some forearms of his own and pops Regal in the top turnbuckle before hitting him with a hurricanrana for a two count. Only 2 of the 6 men that have wrestled so far have been American. Edge hits a northern lights suplex for a two count. He then sends Regal out of the ring before attempting to spear him but Regal sidesteps him and Edge goes right into the ring steps. With the referee seeing to Edge, Regal grabs some brass knucks from under the ring! Edge has wrestled more PPV matches without main eventing than anyone else in history. Back in the ring and Regal hits an underhook powerbomb for a two count. Edge hits an enzeguri from nowhere but Regal takes the advantage again and hits two more double underhook powerbombs. That still isn’t enough for Regal to win the match. Regal puts the knucks on his hand but turns around into a Spear from Edge! Edge hooks the leg and gets the three! Edge wins the match and retains his Intercontinental Championship! Good match between these two.

Rating: 7/10

Ric Flair is backstage when Kurt Angle barges in. Angle tells Flair that he’s never won gold medals or the Undisputed WWF Championship. Kurt says he’ll do it tonight. Flair says he’s got a good shot.

Lita is backstage when Matt Hardy walks in and says tonight Lita is in a difficult position. He tells Lita that he hoes she understands how big of a match this is for him tonight. Lita says that as his girlfriend she’s always on his side but as referee she’s got to call it down the middle. Matt is confident and says that after he wins he’ll take Lita out for some food.

There’s a VT for Matt and Jeff next. There are soundbites with them complimenting each other with shots of both men winning the tag team titles and doing their crazy stuff. The tone then changes with Jeff costing the Hardyz the match at Survivor Series. Since then Matt has verbally abused Jeff and the two brothers have got into shoving matches.

Matt Hardy vs. Jeff Hardy – Lita as special guest referee

Matt and Jeff come out without a break in the entrance music as they get set to wrestle their first match against each other. Matt takes Jeff down early and stomps all over his back. Jeff applies an armbar as the two men execute some chain wrestling. Matt takes Jeff down with an elbow which makes Lita cringe. Matt hits a powerslam for the first near fall of the match. I’m surprised they didn’t save this match for Wrestlemania. The two men hit knife edge chops on one another before Matt drops Jeff on the top rope and hits a clothesline for a two count. Matt then applies a sleeper but Jeff gets out of it and applies a sleeper of his own which Matt quickly gets out of. Matt then flies off the middle rope with a legdrop but Jeff rolls out of the way and takes the advantage with a jawbreaker.

Jeff hits a clothesline and a legdrop of his own from the middle rope for a two count. Jeff goes up top but Matt crotches him and hangs Jeff upside down. Lita counts Matt and helps Jeff down which Matt doesn’t take to. Matt rolls up Jeff for a two count and then sends him onto the apron. Matt goes for a sunset flip but Jeff holds on and ends up hitting a hurricanrana on Matt on the outside. Back in the ring and Jeff hurts his knee flying back into the ring. Matt takes advantage, stomping on the knee and hitting a chopblock. Jeff hits a side Russian leg sweep for a two count but Matt goes right back to work on the knee, applying a half boston crab. Jeff gets to the ropes and once again Lita has to count her boyfriend Matt to break the hold.

Matt tries to roll Jeff up for a spinning toe hold but Jeff kicks Matt out of the ring. Jeff follows it up with a baseball slide and then attempts to fly over the top but Jeffs knee fails on him again. Matt goes for the knee but Jeff hits him with an enzeguri. The two men slug it out which results in Jeff hitting a legdrop to the lower abdomen in Matt. Jeff hits a side suplex and then heads to the top but he’s slow because of his knee injury and Matt throws him off the top. Jeff is definitely the more talented of the two. Both men attempt twist of fate but neither men hit it. Matt pins Jeff getting extra leverage from the ropes but Lita stops counting. Jeff then rolls Matt up for a near fall. Matt is first up and he kicks Jeff out of the ring.

Jeff heads to the top but Matt meets him up there and attempts a twist of fate off the top! Jeff pushes him off and then flies off with a Swanton Bomb! Jeff covers Matt who gets his foot on the rope but Lita doesn’t see it and Jeff pulls the leg off the rope! Lita counts the three and Jeff wins the match! Matt isn’t happy because he got his foot on the rope!

Rating: 7.25/10

Advert for an Undertaker “This is my yard” special on PPV TV.

Trish Stratus walks into The Rocks dressing room and compliments him on what he did to Vince McMahon on Smackdown. She then wishes The Rock good luck in his match tonight with a kiss on the cheek. The Rock then says the only thing he is concentrating on tonight is walking out the Undisputed Champion tonight. He then says later there will be plenty of time for Trish to smell what the Rock is cooking.

The Dudley Boyz (Bubba Ray & D-Von)(c) vs. Kane & The Big Show – WWF Tag Team Championship Match

The Dudley Boyz are joined by the Dutchess of Dudleyville, Stacy Keibler tonight. Big Show and Kane beat The Hardy Boyz to qualify as number one contenders tonight. The Dudley Boyz become the first men to have wrestled on every single PPV in 2001. Big Show and Kane might have teamed up at Survivor Series as part of team WWF but this is the first time they team up in a 2 on 2 tag team match on PPV. Kane and D-Von kick things off and Kane hits a big boot. Bubba Ray gets in and Kane takes both men down. Kane tags The Big Show who lays into Bubba Ray and hits him with a powerslam. Bubba Ray wants to tag D-Von but D-Von doesn’t want the tag. Bubba tags him eventually and Big Show hits him with a sidewalks slam for a two count.

Big Show rams his arse into D-Von in the corner before knocking him out of the ring. Kane rolls D-Von back in and Big Show then throws Kane into both Dudleyz before squashing them both in the corner. Big Show throws Bubba Ray and D-Von out of the ring and Kane goes up top and flies to the outside with a clothesline on both men. Stacy Keibler then gets in the ring and Big Show pulls down her skirt, puts her over his knee and spanks her! The Dudleyz get back in the ring and double team Kane to take the advantage. They then hit the flying headbutt to the groin of Kane.Plenty of double teaming on Kane now including a double flapjack. They knock Big Show off the apron and attempt 3D but Kane knocks both of them down.

Kane tags Big Show who hits clotheslines on both Dudley Boyz, a back body drops a splash in the corner. He then goes for a chokeslam on D-Von but Bubba Ray hits a chopblock and all hell breaks loose. Kane goes up top but accidentally hits Big Show with a clothesline! Kane throws both Dudley Boyz out and Big Show isn’t happy! All four men then slug it out until Big Show hits a big boot on Bubba Ray and then accidentally knocks Kane off the apron! D-Von comes off the top and hits both Big Show and D-Von. Bubba Ray takes off one of the top turnbuckles and the Dudley Boyz flapjack Big Show onto it! And that’s enough for the three! The Dudley Boyz win the match and retains their tag team titles!

Rating: 6.25/10

Lita is backstage apologising to Matt for not seeing his foot on the rope. Matt looks disgusting and leaves with his bags.

Video package next for The Undertaker and Rob Van Dam.

Rob Van Dam (c) vs. The Undertaker – Hardcore Championship

This is a first time meeting between these two men on pay per view. Nobody has wrestled as many pay per view matches as The Undertaker and that also means that nobody has won as many pay per view matches as The Undertaker. This is the first time The Undertaker has wrestled as a heel since Summerslam 1999. Undertaker has a short back and sides for the first time. RVD uses his speed in the early going until he runs into the boot of The Undertaker for a two count. Van Dam comes off the top for a two count and follows that up with a spinning heel kick. Undertaker drops Van Dam on the top rope and then boots the Hardcore champion to the outside. Undertaker slams RVD into the ring steps and then tries for the ring post but Van Dam nips down and pushes the dead man into the post.

Rob Van Dam clotheslines Undertaker into the crowd before springboarding off the barricade and right into Undertaker fist. Undertaker lays into Van Dam and uses somebodies flag to choke him with. Van Dam springboards off the side with a moonsault before hitting a big right hand. The two men slug it out before Undertaker sends Van Dam over a barricade. Undertaker grabs a steel chair but RVD sprays a fire extinguisher in his face but jabbing the extinguisher into his middle section. Van Dam smashes a trash can into the head of The Undertaker before going up some steps to a balcony and flying off with a cross body! Van Dam covers Undertaker who kicks out at 2. The two men battle into a technical area and then up some stairs and behind the titantron! They fight round to the front of the titantron where RVD hits a legdrop for a two count.

Undertaker hits a headbutt and then picks up Van Dam and rams him into the stage. “Booger Red” (as JR keeps referring to him as) sets up for the Last Ride but Van Dam grabs on to something and fights him off. Undertaker heads to the back and returns with a chair but Van Dam kicks it out of his hand. Van Dam has been made to look very strong in this match. He hits Rolling Thunder on the stage for a two count. RVD then hits a running Van Daminator for another near fall. He attempts another Van Daminator but this time Undertaker gets out of the way and smashes the chair into Van Dams back a couple of times. Van Dam again attempts a Van Daminator but Undertaker ducks and chokeslams RVD off the stage and through some tables! Undertaker nips down and gets the three! Undertaker beats Rob Van Dam and wins the Hardcore Championship! Fun match between these two!

Rating: 7.75/10

Ric Flair is on the phone backstage when Chris Jericho enters his office and tells him that he’ll be winning the Undisputed Championship. Jericho doesn’t think that Flair thinks he’ll win tonight. Flair says that if Jericho can pull it off then more power to him.

Trish Stratus (c) vs. Jacqueline – WWF Women’s Championship Match

This is Jacqueline’s 8th PPV match and she has yet to win one yet. It’s a first one on one meeting between the two on PPV tonight. Jacqueline lays into Trish in the early going with right hands a back body drop. Trish gets back into it with a hard kick. Jacqueline doesn’t seem happy and shoves the referee before hitting Trish with some hard kicks of her own. Jacqueline hits a couple of body slams but Trish hits a clothesline for a two count. Trish goes for a kick but Jacqueline sweeps her off her feet beautifully. Trish botches a pinfall attempt in what looks like it was supposed to be the end of the match. Jacqueline hits a back body drop and a reverse elbow. Trish avoids the second elbow and attempts her springboard bulldog but Jacqueline sends her across the ring and dropkicks the back of her head for a two count.

Trish botches what looked like a spear attempt. Jacqueline has been so stiff in this one. Trish rolls her up with a backslide for the three. Trish wins in a match that Jacqueline carried. The two women shake hands and Trish celebrates.

Rating: 2.5/10

There’s some footage from Smackdown with The Rock shoving Vince McMahons face into Rikishi’s arse.

Rikishi is at WWF New York where he says he’s back and ready to back that ass up.

VT is up next for the Undisputed Championship competitors.

“Stone Cold” Steve Austin (c) vs. Kurt Angle – WWF Championship Match

This is the third PPV match between these two men, Kurt won the first two. All three have been for the WWF Championship held by Stone Cold. The two men go face to face before the bell in what will be the first of two matches for one of these men. The two men jockey for position in the early going. I’m surprised the “first round matches” are so late in the show. I would’ve thought it would make more sense to have these matches early on to give a break before the final. Austin stomps away at Angle and hits him with chops. Angle heads to the outside to re-group before getting back into the ring. Kurt takes down Austin and this time Austin heads to the outside. He then gets back in and flips off Angle. The two men slug it out and Austin hits a thumb to the eye to take the advantage. Stone Cold then works the arm of Angle before throwing him out of the ring.

Austin throws Angle into the ring post arm first a couple of times. Not sure why Austin is working the arm, he doesn’t have a finisher that would work the arm. Back in the ring and Angle stomps away at Austins back and neck. A “What?” chant breaks out as Austin hits an armbar takedown for a two count. Kurt Angle has wrestled on every single pay per view since his debut at Survivor Series 1999. Austin has wrestled on every pay per view in 2001. Kurt locks the Ankle Lock on Austin but the champion reaches the bottom rope. Austin then manages to back body drop Angle out of the ring. He slams the Olympic gold medalist into the announce table a couple of times before rolling him back into the ring. Angle takes the advantage and wraps Austins knee around the ring post. He then locks a figure four on Austin around the ring post! Back in the ring and Angle applies the Ankle Lock once more! Austin manages to get out of it but Angle hits him with a belly to belly suplex.

Angle hits three German suplexes but Austin kicks out of the pinfall. Kurt goes to the top and attempts a moonsault (which he always misses) and Austin rolls out of the way. Austin hits a Lou Thesz Press and a spinebuster for a two count. Stone Cold then hits five German suplexes of his own! Kurt kicks out though and the match continues. Angle hits a low blow and follow it up with an Angle Slam! Austin still manages to kick out. Angle goes for the Stone Cold Stunner but Austin pushes him away and hits the Stunner himself! Austin hooks the leg and this one is over! Stone Cold retains his title and will meet the winner of Jericho and The Rock later!

Rating: 8/10

Trish Stratus is backstage wearing just a towel when Test barges in and offers to give her a congratulations kiss. Trish kicks him out of her locker room.

The Rock (c) vs. Chris Jericho – World Championship Match

This is the second pay per view meeting between The Rock and Jericho. Jericho won the first, beating The Rock at No Mercy. The winner of this will face Steve Austin later to unify the World championship with the WWF title. The Rock takes Jericho down early and hits a couple of armdrag takedowns. Jericho is definitely the underdog in this series. Jericho applies a headlock but The Rock gets out of it. Rocky hits some big right hands and a clothesline. Jericho gets back into it with a spinning heel kick which sends The Rock to the outside. Jericho hits his trademark springboard dropkick and then heads to the outside. He has wrestled on every PPV in 2001 as well as every PPV in 2000. This is Jericho’s 30th PPV in a row, a record he co-owns with Kurt Angle. Nobody has every wrestled on 30 PPVs in a row.

Jericho hits a suplex and then chokes The Rock on the middle rope. The Rock gets back into it with a clothesline but Jericho hits a side suplex for a near fall. The Rock hits a belly to belly suplex and a Samoan drop for a two count. Jericho manages to lock on a sleeper and eventually The Rock fights his way out of it. Jericho hits an elbow and attempts the lionsault but The Rock moves out of the way and Jericho manages to land on his feet. Jericho hits a bulldog and this time hits the Lionsault but The Rock kicks out. Jericho hits a suplex and goes up top but The Rock crotches him on the top and goes up to superplex him but Jericho pushes him off and flies off with a cross body which The Rock rolls through and gets a two count. Jericho is first up and hits a clothesline. He then attempts a splash in the corner but The Rock sidesteps it and Jericho goes flying out of the ring.

Jericho drops The Rock on the barricade before catapulting the Great One into the ring post. Jericho then takes the announce table apart and slaps The Rock before attempting a Rock Bottom! The Rock manages to fight him off with elbows and drive the challenger through the desk with a DDT! Rocky rolls Jericho back into the ring and motions for Rock Bottom but Jericho fights him off and hits the facebuster that he’s been using recently. Jericho then hits a senton and kicks The Rocks arms in for a People’s Elbow! Jericho bounces off the ropes but The Rock grabs his legs and locks on the Sharpshooter! Jericho quickly counters into a Sharpshooter of his own! The Rock fades out but then comes back to life and reaches the ropes!

Jericho drags The Rock to the middle of the ring but The Rock rolls him up for a very close two count! Both men then get to their feet and The Rock hits Rock Bottom from nowhere! The Rock takes a while to roll over to Jericho and in the meantime Vince McMahon runs down and distracts the referee! The Rock hammers McMahon off the apron and then hits a spinebuster on Jericho! He tries for the People’s Elbow but Vince is back up on the apron! The Rock brings him into the ring which distracts The Rock! Jericho hits Rocky with a low blow and then a Rock Bottom! Jericho hooks the leg and gets the three count! Chris Jericho beats The Rock with a lot of help from Vince McMahon! Before he can celebrate though, Austins music hits and out comes the WWF Champion!

Rating: 8/10

Chris Jericho (c) vs. “Stone Cold” Steve Austin (c) – WWF/World Championship Unification Match

Austin comes down and goes right to work on Jericho. I don’t think the bell has rung yet. Kurt Angle comes out and smashes a chair into the face of Austin. The referee kicks Angle out of here and The Rock gets in the ring and hits Rock Bottom on Jericho! The Rock then chases Angle to the back and the bell rings. Both men are down and Earl Hebner stars counting. Imagine if it ended this way, it would be terrible. I think a “Triple H” chant has broken out. Jericho quickly rolls over and pins Austin but Austin kicks out. This is a first PPV meeting between these two men. Jericho hits a flying forearm and a clothesline in the corner. Austin explodes out of the corner with a tackle and then rams Jericho’s head into the top turnbuckle. Stone Cold then goes for the Stunner but Jericho exits the ring onto the apron. Austin sends him flying into the announce table before going out and laying into him with chops.

Austin throws Jericho into the ring post twice, much like he did to Angle earlier. The WWF Champion then peels back the mats at ringside exposing the concrete floor. Jericho hits a big right hand sending Austin to the exposed floor. Jericho then pulls apart the Spanish announce table! He puts Austin on the table and then attempts to suplex him off it onto the concrete floor! Austin fights off and attempts a Stunner but Jericho grabs his leg and tries for Walls of Jericho! It hurts twice as much on the announce table don’t you know. Austin kicks him off and hits a suplex on Jericho on the concrete before throwing Y2J back into the ring. Stone Cold tries for a shoulder barge in the corner but Jericho side steps it and Austin goes shoulder first into the ring post.

Austin slingshots Jericho into the top turnbuckle before taking him down with a clothesline. That gets him a near fall but Jericho quickly grabs Austins arm and applies an arm bar, even using the ropes for leverage. Hebner kicks his legs off the ropes and Jericho keeps the advantage with a suplex. Chris then goes up to the top but Austin hits him with a right hand as he comes off. Jericho locks the Walls Of Jericho on Austin but Stone Cold gets to the ropes. Jericho attempts a flying forearm on Austin but Austin ducks and Jericho takes out referee Earl Hebner. Another “Triple H” chant breaks out which is unsurprising considering he’s the man on the poster. Jericho hits a Stone Cold Stunner on Austin and Vince McMahon then re-emerges with referee Nick Patrick! Ric Flair runs out and pulls Nick Patrick out of the ring. McMahon then lays out Flair!

Austin hits a low blow on Jericho and then lays out Vince McMahon on the outside! He gets back in the ring and hits a Lou Thesz Press on Jericho, following it up with his trademark elbow. Jericho goes up to the middle rope but Austin catches him and locks on the Walls Of Jericho! Jericho taps out but there’s no referee! Booker T comes in from behind and smashes the WWF Championship into the back of Austins head! McMahon throws Hebner back in the ring as Jericho pins Austin and Hebner counts the three! Chris Jericho wins the match and has beaten both Steve Austin and The Rock in the same night! Jericho is both WWF and World Champion! Vince McMahon celebrates with Jericho as the show comes to an end.

Rating: 7.5/10

Considering the high stakes, this PPV had the lowest buyrate of the year. But the quality was high through out the night. The opening match was good fun and in my eyes a bit of an upset as Scotty and Albert beat Test and Christian. I don’t mind the result as it makes the new team of Scotty and Albert look strong in a division that needs new, strong teams. Test has been getting a big push as of late so will be looking to get back on track soon. Edge beat Regal giving new Intercontinental Champion Edge a good start to his reign. I like Edge as champion a lot and they could build the division around him over the next year before moving him up. Regal is a solid midcarder who has good enough charisma and in-ring skills for him to be able to work with anybody.

I enjoyed Matt and Jeff Hardy’s match and there were a number of ways they could have gone with it. Jeff winning when he shouldn’t have was a good way to go and keeps the feud open. There are now questions over the Matt Hardy/Lita relationship and it’ll be interesting to see where this feud goes. Personally I would get the European title involved and have them fight over it in a ladder match at Wrestlemania. The Dudley Boyz beat Kane and Big Show with a little help from some exposed steel. This was fine, The Dudley Boyz are on an amazing run at the moment and are head and shoulders above the rest of the roster as the top team in the company. The Kane and Big Show team doesn’t look like it’s going to last.

The Undertaker beat Rob Van Dam in a good Hardcore match. The Undertaker is beating everybody at the moment, whether it’s RVD, Booker T or DDP. This was his first match as a heel since Summerslam 1999 and he takes home the Hardcore title. The loss won’t hurt Van Dam much, he’s putting on match of the night performances every night and he’s a man who could work with anyone. I’d love to see a feud between him and Kurt Angle. No idea where Undertaker goes from here but there are plenty of babyfaces on the roster who he could feud with. Trish Stratus beats Jacqueline clean and you get the feeling the WWF are high on Stratus. I think she’ll hold her title until Wrestlemania where she may go on to lose it to Jazz. That’s my gut feeling anyway.

The three main events were very strong. I was surprised they left all three matches until the end of the night, not giving Austin and especially Jericho a rest. Jericho would fight for 45 minutes straight with Rock and Austin. The Angle/Austin and Jericho/Rock matches were slightly better than Austin/Jericho but they were all good. I for one was very surprised that Jericho went home with the gold. It’s his first WWF title reign and I think he should get a long reign to build him up as a credible champion. It looks as though Jericho and Vince McMahon could have a relationship going forward and where does Booker T fit into it all? Jericho has plenty of potential opponents going forward. With Triple H on the poster of the PPV, he was the one thing missing from this show and there were plenty of chants for him during the main events.

Overall Rating: 67.2/100 (ranked 9th out of 132)

Match Of The Night: Angle/Austin & Jericho/The Rock
Worst Match Of The Night: Trish Stratus vs. Jacqueline
Surprise Of The Night: Chris Jericho goes home with the gold
Worst Booking Of The Night: N/A
Superstar Of The Night: Chris Jericho
Vengeance 2001 Will Be Remembered For: Chris Jericho becoming the first ever Undisputed Champion