John: Welcome to the WWE Vengeance PPV preview written by the staff of TheJohnReport.net. As always, there will be 14 of us guiding you through Sunday’s PPV. This is the third WWE PPV in the last five weeks. Thankfully the next one is about a month away in November as the big Survivor Series event looms on the horizon from New York City. For some reason, instead of announcing only four or five matches like they’ve been doing lately, WWE has actually promoted a full card this time around. There are eight matches scheduled for Vengeance with Dolph Ziggler having two matches.
Here are the standings since we started doing the staff previews in July. The way the points work is you get 1 point for each correct match and 2 points for each correct WWE or World Title match.
19 – Matt “ROH” Seagull
18 – Laurence “Tuesday” Salford, Cody “Wednesday” Dodson, Thomas “Sunday” Briggs, Matty J. “Monday” Douglas & Mike “Friday” Aires
17 – Andrew “Headlines” Johnson
16 – Christian “Smackdown” Michael
15 – Lonestar “NXT”
14 – Eric “Tough Enough” Keith, John Canton, Kenny “Superstars” Latham, Marc “TNA” B.
12 – Jacob “Thursday” Lindsey
Clearly I need to improve. Maybe I’m just letting the boys get ahead before my big babyface comeback? Yeah that’s it. I think. The order of the predictions will come to you in the order that they appear in the standings above. Before the PPV begins can I ask WWE question: Where the hell is Daniel Bryan on this PPV card? He won Money in the Bank. You should be building him up. Not leaving him off cards. Plus, he’s one of the best in ring performers in the company. COME ON~! At least I know that at Vengeance there will be vengeance. They have said that a few times. Okay I’m done let’s get to it.
US Title: Dolph Ziggler vs. Zack Ryder
Matt Seagull: Woo woo woo! There is justice in this world! Frankly, this match should have happened at Hell in the Cell because they could have ridden the momentum of the Hugh Jackman segment, but better late than never, I suppose. So much for Mason “Batistwo†Ryan. The rightful man gets the shot. This is a complete homer pick, because I’m a big Ryder mark, but I think they pull the trigger and give him the belt. The Zack Pack will not be denied on this night! Winner: Zack Ryder (You Know It)
Laurence Salford: The Internet champ vs. the US champ has the potential to be a fantastic showcase for both of these young talents, and should have some genuine crowd investment, as Ryder’s babyface character continues to gain momentum. However, I’m not sure what the right piece of booking here should be. I would like to see Ryder get the gold, but I think his journey to the top should be a difficult one, to really help get his babyface character the crowd support. I also think that in the Laurinaitis GM era, a lot of heels should win on this PPV through his interference, to at least give his reign some sort of impact and meaning. Winner – Dolph Ziggler
Cody Dodson: It’s interesting having Ziggler in two matches, both of which are title matches. I think he wins one and loses one. I can’t see the tag champs losing just yet since they appear to be the first real tag team in quite some time, so I’m going to go with Ziggler pulling off the victory here. Zack will stay in the picture though. Winner: Dolph Ziggler
Thomas Briggs: How much do I love that Zack Ryder is in this match and not Mason Ryan? We have a great heel going against an over up-and-comer, what a concept! I’d love to see a scenario where Ziggler drops the midcard belt here and finally arrives at the main event scene… I’m just not sure if this is the right time. Ziggler is ready, but the main event scene is crowded at the moment. You know what would help that? Lose Triple H. Until then, I can’t make the pick that I’d really love to see. Winner: Dolph Ziggler
Matty J. Douglas: Dolph pulling double duty at the PPV is an interesting direction for the WWE to take. I don’t see him retaining the US title and then winning the Tag Titles, although it is a possibility. I think his match with Ryder, who finally gets a match at a PPV (WWWYKI), will be early in the show. I think it should be a tough match where Ziggler escapes with the title. The damage has been done however and will play into the tag title match later. Winner: Dolph Ziggler
Mike Aires: Let’s all just realize that Zack Ryder is getting a title shot. Let that sink in. I think he might hold the title in the future, but Ziggler is being awesome right now. Just a matter of time before Ziggler hits the big time. Winner: Dolph Ziggler
Andrew Johnson: Hoping for a Zack Ryder title run almost seems like a fruitless affair, but I’m hoping he wins just so he can start referring to himself as a double champion. He can be the first U.S.-Internet Champion, the World Wide U.S. Champion, the U.(S.)R.L. Champion… I could go on, but I won’t out of politeness to you. Winner: Zack Ryder
Christian Michael: This match is going to make the internet scream. Either they will be screams of joy that Mr. Woo Woo Woo won or they will be murderous screams towards WWE for keeping Zack down. The fact that Ryder has a singles match on a PPV is good enough for me. You’ve got to start small. Ziggler is one of only two guys ready to be pushed into the main event. The placement of this match on the card may indicate the winner. If it happens after the Tag Team Championship Match then I can see Zack pulling off the win on a tired Ziggler. I want to believe that WWE is going to push both of these men, Zack to a solid mid-card role and Ziggler to the main event but I don’t think WWE is ready to do that for either just yet. But guess what doofus? They are! Predicted Winner and STILL United States Champion- Dolph Ziggler
Lonestar: I think it’s great that Ryder has cultivated a fan base for himself out of basically nothing and if you’re one of the Broskis that watches his web-series you’re probably also aware that Ziggler plays an excellent heel on the show as well. These two are a great pairing, especially after the recent Raw with freakin’ Wolverine, though at this point Ziggler would probably form a great pairing with anybody. I’m actually kind of excited about this match and I hope Zack Ryder wins the title here. I’ll be a mark and guess that is what’s going to happen. Winner: Zack Ryder
Eric Keith: I guess the deal here is that Bourne is either legitimately or illegitimately (heh) hurt, so they axed the Air Boom/Team Swiggggler match? Luckily for the creative team Zack has been chasing the title for a little while now. Since I’m a wrestling fan that means one of two things will happen: 1) Zack wins the title to complete his self-started journey to WWE relevance. ORRRR B) Zack gets his dreams crapped on after Ziggleypuff cheats his way to a successful title defense, only to lose the title to Mason Ryan the next night on RAW. Screw you Hogan. I’m going with choice A. Winner: Zack Ryder
John Canton: I’m a big fan of both guys, especially Ziggler. I think Dolph needs to move on from the US Title level because he’s ready for the main event picture. I hope management feels the same way. That doesn’t mean he loses here. Ziggler’s lost to Ryder a few times, so they can say Ryder has his number. Could that mean that Ziggler comes back to earn the win here? Not sure. I’m really torn on this one. I’ll roll with Ryder winning after Swagger interferes and Mason Ryan interferes to cost Ziggler the title. It would mean a lot for Ryder to win. If Dolph loses it doesn’t hurt him. He’s ready to be elevated. Winner: Zack Ryder
Kenny Latham: Woo Woo Woo! Zack Ryder gets what I believe is his first Singles PPV match. I know John thinks that Ryder will go over here, but I don’t see it just yet. I think the original plan that WWE had involved Ryder winning the belt at MSG at Survivor Series (in front of his ‘hometown’), and I think they’ll stick to that plan. Ziggler gets the win with help from Swagger, setting up a Fatal-4 way at Survivor Series featuring Ryder, Ziggler, Swagger and Mason Ryan. Winner: Dolph Ziggler
Marc B.: Wow. Who would have seen this one coming? Three months ago we were clamoring for Long Islands favorite son to just appear on tv, and now he’s got a US title match. It’s awesome. I say the Internet champ adds to his collection. WWWYKI. Winner: Zack Ryder
Jacob Lindsey: Ziggler has been really good in his role as U.S. champ, and I don’t think Ryder is the one who is going to take it off of him. Hopefully Ryder is being rewarded for working hard to get himself over. Hopefully this is a good match that sees Ziggler narrowly escape with the belt–to build up Ryder and the tag match. Winner: Dolph Ziggler
Sheamus vs. Christian
Matt Seagull: Now here, I don’t know. At Hell in the Cell, I (correctly) assumed that Sheamus would win and immediately be thrust into the World Title picture. But Big Show returning and immediately getting the title shot at Vengeance threw a monkey wrench into my predictions. For the rematch at Vengeance, this is a total toss-up. I couldn’t imagine they would have Sheamus beat Christian on two straight Pay Per Views. I mean, Sheamus is over, but he’s not viewed on the same level as Randy Orton at this point where he can constantly win Pay Per View matches without having to give the wins back. I’m way overthinking this here, but there’s a reason I have sole possession of first place. Winner: Christian
Laurence Salford: This rivalry still feels quite fresh, and I am enjoying the Sheamus babyface run immensely at the moment. His push to being one of the top guys on the roster hasn’t felt forced, his character has stayed essentially the same and he’s a genuinely entertaining performer. This match should be a solid effort from both guys, but due to some sort of Laryngitis interference, the heel should come out on top here. Winner – Christian
Cody Dodson: I see this feud going a bit further. Sheamus got the victory at Hell in a Cell, so let’s give Christian the victory here, giving us a rubber match in the near future. I’m assuming they’ll be on opposing teams at Survivor Series, so it might take place on Smackdown or if we’re lucky, it will continue to TLC and we’ll get to see Christian in a ladder match. Winner: Christian
Thomas Briggs: I think it’s fair to expect to see Sheamus vs. Mark Henry for the World Title sometime in the near future. Because of Sheamus’ push, I can’t imagine him losing clean to Christian. Of course, Christian is great at picking up tainted wins. To keep this feud going for at least one more month, I’m going to go with Captain Charisma. Winner: Christian
Matty J. Douglas: I was pretty sure these two would have another match and here it is on the Vengeance PPV. I picked Christian last time and he lost. This time I have to consider how much the WWE seems to be behind babyface Sheamus. He got to stand together with HHH, Punk, and Cena during Raw, which shows that he is regarded with some elite company. There’s also the fact that he got to pick up the big win in the 12 man tag team match on Raw a few weeks back that included superstars like Punk and Cena on his team. That being said, I think this feud has a rubber match coming, and that Christian will steal a W. Winner: Christian
Mike Aires: Sheamus took Christian down at HITC, so this seems to be the rematch between the two. I expect them to maybe milk this feud a bit longer, so I can see Christian tying up the series with a win here. Winner: Christian
Andrew Johnson: It seems like every time I pick Christian to win the universe laughs and says “Not f**king likely.” Still, I don’t give up easily, except when I don’t want to do things anymore because they’re hard. Winner: Christian
Christian Michael: I sound like a broken record when I talk about Christian. Hell, he’s my namesake, but the man needs a damn win. Nobody that I can think of has gotten pushed to the top of the card and lost more than he has. Christian is the heel. He can cheat to win and it doesn’t hurt anybody. Give these guys 15 minutes and let them do their thing. This match books itself. Predicted Winner- Christian
Lonestar: This match is a tough one for me to predict. The WWE side of my brain says that Sheamus will win again, while my logical side thinks that surely they can’t continue this feud if Christian doesn’t pick up a win at some point. Logic seems to be passé at the moment, so I’ll go with the Fella-nator for the win. Winner: Sheamus
Eric Keith: Sheamus has been on a h(f)ella roll as of late and has really settled into his babyface role. It works for him and I expect him to be in line for a title shot sooner than later. But, Christian really needs a big win at a PPV and he just lost last month to the Human Candy Cane. I think that Christian evens things up this month and this feud will continue through Survivor Series. I’m wondering if these two will be involved in the big elimination match at SS. They deserve it. Winner: Christian
John Canton: Their match last month was good, but not great. I’m not sure if they’re doing this again so Christian can go over. Sheamus seems to be protected like Cena & Orton are in terms of how he will likely go over most of the time. I think both will be in the Survivor Series main event tag match, so the feud will continue in that sense although not in terms of another singles match. The fella wins again…fella. Winner: Sheamus
Kenny Latham: This is a rematch from Hell in a Cell. Sheamus went over there, so you would think Christian would go over here… but I don’t see it. This feud is hot, but I think Sheamus puts a decided end to it here. Winner: Sheamus
Marc B.: This match, along with the Orton/Rhodes match, has had the best build on the whole card. It’s going to be a good match though. Christian wins, but I don’t think it’s clean. Winner: Christian
Jacob Lindsey: Like I said last month, Christian needs to win this one. He and Sheamus had a good match last month, and I expect this one to be even better. Give Christian the win, with help from someone else in the stable of whiners. You have a while till Survivor Series, so they can have a rubber match on Smackdown. Winner: Christian
Divas Title: Beth Phoenix vs. Eve Matt Seagull: Dear WWE writing team, you know there are other face divas on the roster besides Kelly Kelly and Eve, right? Um, what are their names? Damned if I know, but I know they’re there. I expect a massacre here, kinda like how I’m going to massacre Christian Michael in TJR’s Fantasy Football league this week. I mean, are you serious, bro? Two entities will dominate this Sunday, Flacco Seagulls and Beth Phoenix. Winner: Beth Phoenix
Laurence Salford: Must…summon…enthusiasm…can’t…couldn’t…care…less… Winner – Beth Phoenix
Cody Dodson: If Eve wins this, I riot. In my basement. By myself. Winner: Beth Phoenix
Thomas Briggs: Can I just answer with a “who cares?” I like Phoenix, and want to see her remain dominant in the division. Eve is NOT the right opponent for her though. This is obviously a stop-gap match until the biggest babyface in the division eventually gets her title back. Winner: Phoenix
Matty J. Douglas: Finally, not another Beth vs. Yelly Kelly match. Not going to say much about this, except that Beth wins. Winner: Beth Phoenix
Mike Aires: If they remotely get an idea to give Eve the title, then they should just fire the whole Divas division. Winner: Beth Phoenix
Andrew Johnson: Booty popping with Ceelo Green won’t save you now, sweet tits. Winner: Beth Phoenix
Christian Michael: The only intrigue in this match is if Eve will finally connect with two feet when throwing a dropkick. Predicted Winner and STILL Divas Champion- Beth Phoenix
Lonestar: You know, it is a huge step forward for the women’s division to actually get consistent PPV ring time and not waste it. If you look strictly at the matches they’ve been having on PPV, ignoring all the booking attached to them, you almost realize how well they’re doing at the moment. Almost. Phoenix wins, maybe even cleanly this time. Winner: Beth Phoenix
Eric Keith: I have a hunch about this match. Usually my hunches are a bit far-fetched, but just bear with me because I think I’m onto something this time. Eve and K2 will skip on down to ring all happy and whatever. Then, the Nation of Salvation will angrily lumber down and the fun begins. Eve gets off to a hot start, hitting her no-legged dropkick, booty shake, and dead fish moonsault. But, OUT OF NOWHERE, Natalya clubs her in the kneecap with a lead pipe, ala Nancy Kerrigan. (Look it up, kids). Clearly and audibly in pain, Eve tries to stand up, only for Beth to snap her neck in the middle of the ring. End of match. End of Eve. Winner: Beth Phoenix (P.S. Eve comes back on RAW and no-sells death)
John Canton: Why does Eve get a title shot? Because there’s nobody else apparently. Beth will win. Hopefully Eve doesn’t attempt one of her atrocious looking one legged dropkicks. Winner: Beth Phoenix
Kenny Latham: Eve is a much better worker than Kelly Kelly, and hits a moonsault finisher that is very impressive. However, the Divas of Doom will continue their hot streak, and Beth Phoenix will cleanly go over Eve with no problems. Winner: Beth Phoenix
Marc B.: I love Eve, but Beth should destroy her fine Latina ass. Winner: Beth Phoenix.
Jacob Lindsey: Beth Phoenix is a beautiful princess. Winner: Beth Phoenix
Tag Team Titles: Kofi Kingston & Evan Bourne vs. Dolph Ziggler & Jack SwaggerMatt Seagull: So we’ve got Dolph pulling double duty on this show. I actually like when wrestlers come out for more than one match. It allows more of a focus to be put on them. Like when Chris Benoit had to defend the Tag Titles and the World Title on the same show at Bad Blood 2004. Since I have Zack Ryder winning the U.S. Title, I figure Dolph would even things out and pick up the Tag Team Titles. Swiggler isn’t too bad of a tag team, and I don’t know the extent of Evan Bourne’s injury. Maybe they need to get the tag belts off Air Boom so Bourne can rest up. I vote for Vickie’s guys. Winners: Ziggler and Swagger
Laurence Salford: At least this match has had some build up, with these two teams coming to blows a few times over the past few months. If Ziggler has to have two matches, I can’t see him winning both, and I’m going to give this match the babyface win, as I’ve gone for largely heels so far. Winners – Air Boom
Cody Dodson: I alluded to this match in my prediction for the U.S. title match. I think the champs keep the titles here. They’re on a roll as a tag team and could be the guys to bring some credibility back to the division. Having Ziggler keep his singles title but possibly cost the team the match here due to being tired from two matches (assuming this is the latter of the two) would be interesting. Winner: Air Boom
Thomas Briggs: Ziggler in two matches?? I can probably guess one superstar who will be considered star of the night. I find it a little odd that the WWE couldn’t produce one additional tag team to compete with Air Boom, but I’m not about to think they’re going to drop their belts. Air Boom is in it for the long run, they’re the foundation of the “new” tag division. Winners: Air Boom
Matty J. Douglas: With Ziggler’s US title defense having happened earlier in the evening (I’m assuming) I think Ziggler underperforms and costs his team the Tag Team Championships against a fresh Air Boom (ughh). Will they get another shot? Likely. Why? Who knows, I mean they’ve lost to the Tag Champs more than once. Move on! Winner: Air Boom
Mike Aires: Until they have a tag team that is credible in the long-term to feud with Kofi and Evan, they should retain the titles. Winners: Kofi Kingston & Evan Bourne
Andrew Johnson: I dunno, just cuz. Winner: Ziggler and Swagger
Christian Michael: I picked Zig Swag at the last PPV and I’m sticking with that pick here. I don’t see why they’d get another title match just to lose again. I think Evan Bourne may actually be hurt so the titles will change out of necessity. This could be a banner night for Mr. Ziggler. Predicted Winners and NEW Tag Team Champions- Dolph Ziggler and Jack Swagger
Lonestar: I thought the tag titles were going to change hands last month at HIAC and still think they will this month at Vengeance. I can’t give a great explanation as to why; it’s just my gut feeling. Winner: Dolph Ziggler and Jack Swagger
Eric Keith: So it turns out that Team Swiggggler gets their chance after all. Since this is the second time we’ve seen this match on a PPV, I’m inclined to pick the team to win this time that lost before. I don’t know if Bourne is really hurt or not, but if he is they may want to move the belts over to Jack/Dolph until he heals up. If they pull the string on the title switch I don’t really think it hurts the long-term tag division planning if Air Boom regains the title soon. Could Dolph lose one title and gain another in the same night? Yeah, sure. I’ll buy into that. Winners: Team Swiggggler
John Canton: I know this match is announced for the PPV, but I question whether it will actually take place. It seems surprising to me that Ziggler would work twice. With that said, since it is advertised we are including it. I’ll go with the champs to retain because as I’ve said in the past they are re-building the tag division with Bourne & Kingston as the faces of it. That will continue. Winners: Bourne & Kingston
Kenny Latham: Ziggler is working two matches. I think this one goes on immediately after the Ryder/Ziggler match (since I predicted Swagger interference in that match). I see Air Boom defending successfully once again, taking advantage of a tired Ziggler. Winners: Air Boom
Marc B.: If the rumors of Bourne being injured are true, then the outcome of this match is obvious. I’m going with the heels in this one. I say this is the opening match so they can say Dolph had two titles at once. Winners: Ziggler/Swagger
Jacob Lindsey: I think the champs should retain. Hopefully Ziggler’s U.S. title match happens first, so he can blame the loss on having to wrestle twice in one night. On the other hand, if they want to elevate him, retaining his belt and winning the tag belts in the same night would be kind of cool. The tension between Swagger and Ziggler hasn’t been as prevalent as in previous months, so they may have a shot. Still going with the champs to retain though. Winners: Air Boom
Randy Orton vs. Cody Rhodes (not for IC Title)Matt Seagull: What a breath of fresh air. Randy Orton is not involved in the World Title match at a Pay Per View! This little feud with Cody Rhodes has been very well built, and it’s smart that the match isn’t for the Intercontinental Title, because it takes away the inevitability of Rhodes winning, because Orton is well above IC title status at this point. If you’re using typical logic, the heel wins the first match to continue the feud. But if you’ve been following WWE over the past couple years, you’d know that they way they book is to have the face win first and the heel come back for revenge. It’s completely backwards, I know. But that’s how they’ve done it. I’m playing the percentages here. That plus no title on the line gives Orton the nod. Winner: Randy Orton
Laurence Salford: Cody’s gradual ascent to the main event has so far been a success, and I for one welcome him into the top tier. Similar to the ascent of Ziggler, I don’t feel like they need to rush the push of Cody, as he’s still very young, and is constantly improving. I think this will be the one match with a babyface victory, as Orton hasn’t won at a PPV for a few months now, and he needs to look strong against Cody. Despite the probable outside interference from Leonidus and the gang, nothing can stop the Apex Predator once he gets his groove on. Winner – Randall Orton
Cody Dodson: It’s nice to see Randy Orton move out of the title picture and into a feud where he can potentially help solidify somebody else as a main-eventer. That’s exactly what I expect Cody Rhodes to get out of this feud, but I don’t see it happening on this night. Orton gets the win, but Rhodes delivers a beatdown with the mask after the match. Winner: Randy Orton
Thomas Briggs: I imagine this match will someday headline pay-per-views. Both guys are very talented, and Rhodes deserves to be in a high-profile match. Of course, this is a “non-title” match, which means the champ is going to lose. Even if it was for the title, we know that Orton would win by disqualification. Winner: Randy Orton
Matty J. Douglas: I think this feud should last Randy a couple of months, but its quite possible they blow it off quickly to open up Randy for a World Title match at Survivor Series. I want Cody to go over for the shock value, not to mention the fact that it would keep their battle going into the future. However I’m realistic, and after losing clean two PPVs it a row, I’m 90% sure Randy picks up the win, and moves on to face the World Champion at Survivor Series. Winner: Randy Orton
Mike Aires: It amazes me how interweaving Rhodes’ career has been with Orton’s. Here we are again, with the two facing off. This time, Rhodes actually looks like a true competitor to Orton. I think the push of Rhodes is coming fast, and a win here would solidify it. Granted, because the RIGHT thing is to push Rhodes here…it means Orton will end up winning. Pssh. Winner: Cody Rhodes
Andrew Johnson: Ever since he re-introduced the retro Intercontinental title design, Cody Rhodes has been elevated on my list from “Superstar I really like” to “OMG Cody is awesome I want him to win all the belts in the universe.” While I’m not immune to hyperbole, the truth is that Cody Rhodes is consistently one of the best on the roster today. I don’t even care about the lack of knee pads anymore. I just want to see him win everything. That being said I doubt he’ll win on Sunday, but who knows? What’s the point of doing this whole pick em’ if you’re not willing to take chances now and then. Winner: Cody Rhodes
Christian Michael: I said Ziggler was one of two guys ready for the main event. Cody is the other and this match will go a long way in proving that. He’s in there with SmackDown’s top babyface and a great showing will cement my feelings towards him. The match is non-title so you know Cody is losing but this match is all about Cody proving he belongs in the ring with Orton. Predicted Winner- Randy Orton
Lonestar: I don’t have enough faith in the WWE to expect this feud or whatever it is to elevate Cody Rhodes any further than he is already. I’m sure this match will be enjoyable but I think Orton will win to bounce back from losses against Mark Henry. I’d love to be surprised though. Winner: Randy Orton
Eric Keith: This will definitely be a main event feud in the near future, although personally I would rather have Cody keep the IC title for several months to make it relevant for the first time in years. It’s always a safer bet to pick Orton in any PPV match AND the title isn’t even on the line. But, I’m still picking Cody since he ate an RKO on Smackdown. It’s clear they need to get rid of Rhodes’ mask though because it is difficult to take him seriously when he looks like a transparent Phantom of the Opera. Put 2 and 2 together WWE. Have Cody play up the importance of his mask for the next month or so. Then, he defends his title against someone (Dibiase?) who claims he is going to take his title AND his mask. Then, during the big match, Cody sacrifices the mask in order to keep the title. Afterwards he gives a shoot interview about how much more important the Intercontinental title is to him than anything in the world. See, now the IC title means something doesn’t it? Winner: Cody Rhodes
John Canton: This is a future World Title feud, most likely in 2012. This is one of those matches that is a pre-cursor to that and is a big test especially for Rhodes. Can he put on a main event level match against Orton on PPV? I think he can. Orton wins clean in this non-IC Title affair. It should be a very solid three star type of match. Winner: Randy Orton
Kenny Latham: The key words here are ‘Non-Title Match’. That means Orton’s going to win cleanly. This feud sorta came out of nowhere, and it will definitely help elevate Cody to the Main Event level. Cody has a bright future ahead of him, and he is fantastic at what he does. Winner: Randy Orton
Marc B.: This could easily be the match of the night. As I says before, they have had the best build of the card. The only problem I have is that Randy Orton has lost twice in a row and it’s hard to see him losing three in a row, unless they DQ finish, which I think they do. Cody gets the win, but Orton leaves him laid out. Winner: Cody Rhodes
Jacob Lindsey: Orton has lost clean at the past two PPVs. Since this is non-title, it gives Orton a chance to get a win back, and it really won’t hurt Rhodes to take a loss. I really like Cody Rhodes lately, and I would LOVE to see him pick up the W over Orton, but I don’t think that’s happening. Winner: Randy Orton
Triple H & CM Punk vs. The Miz & R-TruthMatt Seagull: Aside from the awful booking decision to have Punk shake Triple H’s hand, which goes against everything Punk had been doing and saying since July, this is one of the more intriguing matches on the card. They’re obviously making it a special occasion whenever Trips puts the wrestling boots on, and Miz and Truth have been a pleasant surprise the past couple of months. Frankly I wouldn’t mind this being the main event because Vengeance is one of those lost-in-the-shuffle type Pay Per Views that isn’t a Big 4 and isn’t a gimmick PPV (like Over the Limit and Capital Punishment) and doesn’t need the title match to main event. Plus, it keeps Punk’s PPV main event streak alive! I’m also a mark for regular tag team matches main eventing Pay Per Views (Mega Powers vs. Mega Bucks FTW). Of all the matches, this is the toughest one to call. On the one hand, Triple H is wrestling, so he’ll probably win. On the other, I don’t think this Punk/HHH saga is quite over yet. I guess I can use the “I smell a rat†defense on this match. Trips hasn’t shown us his hand yet. It seems like he’s unaware that John Laurinaitis is undermining him at every turn. Right, and Rikishi acted alone when he ran over Steve Austin. I’ll gamble and say that Hunter will eventually turn on Punk. It may not happen in this match…they may make it look like an accident. But regardless, Truth and Miz should pick up the win. I wouldn’t be surprised at a clean babyface victory either, however. Winners: R-Truth and Miz
Laurence Salford: Similar to the US title match, I’m not sure what the right booking here should be. There is no real rivalry here, and the attempt on Raw to create some tension between Miz and Punk screamed of last minute planning, but I assume that the match will be pretty good. The outcome here should follow my overall predictions of a lot of dodgy TNA-esque run in finishes from John Laurencesalford et al, and there is no way that this match will finish clean. Winner – The Miz & R-Truth
Cody Dodson: This is a tough one to predict because I’m not exactly sure what their goal is, besides to set up Survivor Series. I personally would like to see Triple H or CM Punk turn on the other, but I think they’re going to be on the same team next month. I’m going to be bold and go for the underdogs on this one. Laurinaitis gets to gloat about it, which will set up Team HHH vs. Team Laurinaitis next month. Winner: Miz & R-Truth
Thomas Briggs: Most people would like to see this storyline die. But will it? Not until Survivor Series. Punk and Triple H should dominate here, but Miz and Truth have the powers that be on their side. I’d like to think that it all comes down to which scenario better sets up Summerslam. But then again, the WWE is trying to protect Punk, and how often does Triple H lose? Winners: CM Punk and Triple H
Matty J. Douglas: I really can’t say I’m a fan of this match because it represents every nonsensical thing that has happened in the WWE over the past few weeks. I don’t like Punk being great buddies with Triple H. That being said I think they go over here. Should be a pretty good match though, and it’s a great opportunity for Truth and Miz, so that’s good. Also I wouldn’t be surprised if there’s a storyline advancing reveal made during this PPV, more specifically in this match, involving John Laurinaitis and trips. Winners: CM Punk and Triple H
Mike Aires: Come on. Triple H and Punk are going to tear Awesome Truth up. And that’s what’s up. Winner: HHH/Punk
Andrew Johnson: I’ll just give you my answer and go back to pretending this match isn’t happening and reflect on when CM Punk was awesome and not Hunter’s little buddy. Winner: CM Punk and Triple H, aka The Best Friends Forever
Christian Michael: Let’s call this match the TNA Special and what I mean by that is expect run-ins and a screwy finish. I expect this to be the beginning of the build to a 5 vs. 5 Survivor Series Match at the annual November PPV. I can see John Laurinaitis pulling some BS to keep the upper hand on Triple H. It’s better for the heels to win to keep the story going into Survivor Series and if you think HHH is taking the fall in this match the my friend, you’ve eaten too many sandwiches in your life. Predicted Winners- The Miz and R-Truth
Lonestar: Do you really think these two, entertaining as they may be, are going to beat Triple H and the guy who’s been keeping up with Triple H for the past few months? No chance in hell……unless the Funkhauser plays a factor. Winner: CM Punk and Triple H
Eric Keith: I’m sure we will be treated to some hijinks and possibly some chicanery here. All I really want is for R-Truth to attack HHH pre-spit and beat him with his own water bottle. Is that too much to ask? In the end, I’m thinking that Punk/Trips will win fairly and squarely, only to endure a massive post-match beatdown from all the heels that are siding with JL. Winners: Triple H & CM Punk
John Canton: The finish here is either a dominant win for Triple H & CM Punk or it’s a win by Miz & Truth after Triple H turns heel on Punk. I don’t think the heel turn is coming yet. The super babyface team wins. Punk goes on to the WWE Title feud sooner rather than later. Winners: Triple H & CM Punk
Kenny Latham: This is the biggest match on the card, in my opinion. And it is also the one that can have many different outcomes. Outcome #1: HHH and Punk win cleanly and live happily ever after. Outcome #2: HHH and Punk have a small dissension but wind up winning anyway in spite of themselves. Outcome #3: Miz and Truth win with the help of some of the other ‘outsiders’ aka ‘Johnny Ace Fanboys’. Outcome #4, and the one I hope happens, is HHH turns heel and destroys Punk letting Miz and Truth win and have HHH reveal that IT WAS ME, AUSTIN!… uh, ME, PUNK! and set up HHH, Nash, Truth, Miz and Del Rio vs. Cena, Rock, Punk, Orton and Sheamus at Survivor Series. Winners: The Miz & R-Truth
Marc B.: This match has Survivor Series build written all over it. It really could go either way, but I have a feeling that the good guys pull off the win. There will be retribution though. You’ll see. Winners: Triple H/Punk
Jacob Lindsey: This is really more of an angle than a match. It should be a street fight. It sort of reminds of WrestleMania 25, when Randy Orton assaulted Triple H’s wife, so they had a wrestling match to settle it. It should have been a brawl, and that’s what this should be. All four of these guys are on, and I’ve really enjoyed The Miz and R-Truth this year. I figure Laurinaitis gets involved, but the faces win. I think it could go either way, though. Winners: Triple H & CM Punk
World Title: Mark Henry vs. Big ShowMatt Seagull: Show could conceivably win this, because things have been going so well with Mark Henry, the temptation to fuck it all up is too great. As I’ll explain in further detail later, since 2009, WWE creative has thought that multiple title changes, as opposed to multiple title retentions, is the way to book your World Titles. I think they realize they have a great thing going with Henry and will continue to ride the wave of momentum. I could easily see Big Show winning by DQ to give the babyface a win but keep the belt on Henry and keep this feud going into Survivor Series. This is one match where I’ll play it safe and pick the guy everybody else is going to pick. Winner: Mark Henry
Laurence Salford: I have no idea if this match will be good or not. The last one between the two of them was not too shabby, and so far I haven’t been too disappointed in any of the Henry title matches. I am finding it hard to summon up some enthusiasm for this match though, as it feels like I have seen Henry defend his belt a thousand times since he won it. Nevertheless, a Henry loss here would be pointless, and I want to see him with the belt at Wrestlemania, to lose it to Daniel Bryan, as if all he does with this massive title run is lose it in predictable fashion to Orton, then it will all have been for naught. Winner – Mark Henry
Cody Dodson: I’m actually looking forward to seeing this, as it’s the first time that they’ve made Mark Henry look vulnerable and even a little scared. Plus, they have Big Show looking like an angry monster, which is what they should be doing with him. However, Big Show’s title days are behind him and he will just be a stepping stone to continue putting Henry over. Winner: Mark Henry
Thomas Briggs: The Mark Henry Momentum Train doesn’t stop here. Most obvious match of the night. Winner: Mark Henry
Matty J. Douglas: I do not have high hopes for this. If they don’t destroy something around the arena then this match will be even more worthless than I thought it would be. I do not see Show winning at all. Winner: Mark Henry
Mike Aires: Slowest. Title Match. Ever. Winner: Mark Henry
Andrew Johnson: Unlike a lot of people on the Internet, I love a good monster fight. I wish they would have made it a hardcore match so they could fight to the back and stand in front of a green screen. Then they could put images of burning buildings and helicopter attacks going on behind their battle. What? How dare you scoff at my brilliant vision? It’s called theater, you ignorant plebeian! (Throws scarf over shoulder, lights Camel Williamsburg cigarette, struts out of the room with one hand on hip, goes and buys the complete works of Andrew Lloyd Webber on vinyl despite not owning a record player.) Winner: Mark Henry
Christian Michael: MIZARK SMASH! That’s the way this should go. Henry should run right through Show and onto the next challenger. This is one of the least appealing Championship matches booked in a while. Predicted Winner and STILL World Heavyweight Champion- Mark Henry
Lonestar: Let’s be real, this isn’t my type of match. Henry should retain the title here and beat Big Show just like every other challenger to continue his streak of dominance, but I wouldn’t be surprised if Big Show wins the match somehow without winning the title. That scenario seems foolish to me but I could see the WWE wanting Show to look strong in his first match back from “injuryâ€. In fact, I’ll go out on a limb and make that my prediction. Winner: Big Show
Eric Keith: Obviously this will be a 5-star classic. Realistically, I have no interest in seeing this train wreck but I understand why WWE is doing it. Big Show is a freaky-giant man and a proven attraction, while K.A.M. is a freaky-giant man who is an improving attraction. If this wasn’t PG-land, I would expect massive amount of Kool Aid to be spilled. But in the real (fake) world, I sense a countout or a DQ as an angry Show seeks VENGEANCE!! Winner: Big Show
John Canton: This could be painful to watch. If the rules were No DQ and they were able to brawl around ringside it would have helped a lot. As a straight up singles match it’s best to keep it short at like 7-10 minutes. I think Henry leaves wit the title. I’m hoping it’s by pinfall so they can have him move onto a different opponent, but a DQ win by Show is possible if they want to stretch this to Survivor Series. Keep in mind Kane is due back any day now, so he’s a likely PPV opponent for Henry as well. I’ll go with the safe pick of Mark Henry to use the power of the KOOL-AID~! to retain his title. Winner: Mark Henry
Kenny Latham: Big Show returns from injury. GET INSTANT TITLE MATCH. There’s a meme to be made there somewhere. Hey Edswoggle, How you doing? Anyway, back on track, this is Big Show’s first match since returning from an injury that Mark Henry caused. Henry’s going to keep the title. I think he wins here cleanly, but Kane returns and Kane and Big Show get them some of Mark Henry together, setting up a Triple Threat at Survivor Series. Winner: Mark Henry
Marc B.: There is nothing about this match that appeals to me. While I do love the current version of Mizark and his perpetually wet beard, I don’t think he should be fighting Showski right now. Or ever. This should be a Henry win. Winner: Mark Henry
Jacob Lindsey: Mark Henry will make it through another PPV as champion, so we get a break from Orton v. Henry. This isn’t going to be pretty, and hopefully it won’t last long. That’s what I tell the ladies. Winner: Mark Henry
WWE Title in a Last Man Standing Match: Alberto Del Rio vs. John Cena Matt Seagull: You know, every fiber of my being is telling me to pick John Cena to win this match. Because I know the writing team would fucking do something like this. Just trade the belt back and forth, forth and back for all eternity. You know something? I love chocolate. Love it. It’s one of the most wonderful things in the world. But if I had chocolate EVERY DAY, I’d hate it. Part of the fun of chocolate is that you don’t have it all the time. So that when you do get the opportunity to have some, you’re able to savor the taste. Constant world title changes are the professional wrestling equivalent of eating chocolate every day.
Since 2009, there have been 20 World Heavyweight Title changes and 22 WWE Title changes. TWENTY CHANGES OR MORE IN THREE YEARS! With 13 Pay Per Views a year, you’re looking at 39 possible title defenses per championship (yes, I know the belt changes hands on Raw and Smackdown sometimes, but not that often). So for the past three years, even if you only count the title changes that happen on Pay Per View, the odds of a champion retaining are just about the same as the champion losing. That shouldn’t happen.World title changes only mean something when they happen only every so often. Title retentions add prestige to the belts. The belt is only as good as the champion who holds it. If Alberto Del Rio cannot make it past one month as champion for the second time, he should not be regarded as championship material and should not have the opportunity to hold the belt again. And that blows, because he’s a great character who should be dominant.
And one more thing…Last Man Standing matches are terrible. The action is constantly interrupted by the match’s version of a “false finish,†which is the referee slowly counting to 10 while the fallen competitor struggles to get to their feet. It takes so much out of the match where about 30% of the match length has nothing happening while we’re waiting for one guy to get up. A Falls Count Anywhere match can have the same type of spots you have in a Last Man Standing match without having to wait all the time. Rant over. Del Rio better retain for his own good. Winner: Alberto Del Rio
Laurence Salford: This match will be the most underwhelming on the card. Although I am tempted to go for the champion retaining, I’m in two minds whether they will switch the belt back to Cena, as the title currently means nothing. As is the trend for this PPV, I’m not really bothered who wins, as WWE storylines are currently meandering a bit, presumably before the big push for Survivor Series, which despite this potential turd of a PPV, might actually turn out OK. I’m guessing the match stipulation is in place to allow for Cena to lose without getting pinned, as it would be an I Quit match otherwise. This match will have all the Johnny Larryfunkman posse getting involved here, presumably dropping a huge bell with “5 tonnes†written on the side onto Cena to prevent him from answering the ten count. Amannuuuuu. Winner – Alberto Del Rio
Cody Dodson: Some people would say that WWE gave away the result of this match as soon as they announced that it was a Last Man Standing match. I disagree. The time has come for Cena to focus on The Rock rather than the title. They’re not going to have Cena vs. Rock for the championship at Mania, the match is big enough on its own. Cena will beat Del Rio within an inch of his life, but the champ retains the title by some nefarious means. Winner: Alberto Del Rio
Thomas Briggs: I’d like to believe that the WWE will somehow allow Alberto Del Rio to retain his championship, if not for the simple fact that the WWE title has been passed around more than a two dollar hooker in recent months. But I’m not at all confident that’s going to happen. The WWE’s tour of Mexico is finished, and ratings always see a boost when John Cena is champion. While it would be nice to see a blow-off match between the two at Survivor Series (one of the biggest shows of the year), Cena’s already committed to a mulit-man match which includes everyone’s favorite People’s Champ. Still, I can also see Del Rio winning this match, and then feuding with CM Punk post-Survivor Series. That would at least be somewhat fresh. It’s a stretch, but I’m going with… Winner: Alberto Del Rio
Matty J. Douglas: Everything I’m hearing indicates that Alberto is going to win this match and move on into a feud with CM Punk for the WWE Championship. This makes sense and I hope that it’s true. If Cena wins here he will be an 11 time WWE Champion, and likely lose and win the title back one more time before 2012. I don’t know how they’re going to book Cena losing a Last Man Standing match, a match right up there with an “I Quit†match on the list of matches Cena never loses. I just don’t really see the title being put back on Cena so soon after he just quickly won and lost it a month ago. But I’ve been wrong before and wouldn’t be flabbergasted if they put the Title back on their Golden Boy. Winner: Alberto Del Rio
Mike Aires: It’s fairly sad when I start thinking Cena could win this. He won’t, but I know WWE all too well. Should actually be a pretty fun match. Winner: Alberto Del Rio
Andrew Johnson: No offense to the guys involved in this match, but I haven’t been playing Gotham City for a whole seven minutes while I’ve been writing these predictions, so I’m going to rap this up and go back to punching people in the face. Winner: Alberto Del Rio
Christian Michael: I’m going against the grain here and saying that this will be first PPV since Capitol Punishment that a World Title will not change hands. That’s dangerous because we know WWE loves booking title changes and they love booking Cena to win. Cena destroyed ADR on RAW and if you follow the “get beat up on TV, win at the PPV†rule then this is a lock for Del Rio. Cena’s going to be tied up with The Rock next month so he doesn’t need the title and the match is booked so Cena can lose without being pinned. Let Del Rio hold the belt for a little while. Let’s see what type of Champion he can be. Predicted Winner and STILL WWE Champion- Alberto Del Rio
Lonestar: I’ve got some fondness for the “Last Man Standing†stipulation because I think it brings out the best in some of the WWE’s more “meat and potatoes†main eventers. It’s a good choice for the Cena/Del Rio pairing and will probably produce their best singles match yet. However, I can’t recall a time where Cena ever really gave up or was unable to answer a ten count. No wait, there was that time Big Show chokeslammed him into a spotlight. Well, I guess as long as there are no spotlights hanging around I’ll predict Cena wins back the title. Winner: John Cena
Eric Keith: I’m not sure when I last saw a LMS match in real-time because they always seem to put them on these crappy PPV’s that I don’t have much interest in watching. This is no different. I would probably pick Cena to win if they hadn’t literally just had this title switch from Del Rio to Cena like a month ago. I’m going to go out on a limb and say that Ricardo will be in the back and play The Rock’s music or something to distract Cena long enough for Del Rio to knock him out with something. Maybe he will run him over with one of his rental cars? Winner: Alberto Del Rio
John Canton: Oh look, it’s the Last Man Standing stipulation. It’s one of the few stipulations that exists that could lead to John Cena losing a match. I’ve been off on WWE Title matches on a regular basis, so whoever I pick is probably wrong. Keep that in mind. With that in mind, I’m of the belief that Cena will somehow lose here because I believe he’ll be kept out of the title picture now that Rock is set to come back for Survivor Series. I think the title will stay on ADR while he feuds with CM Punk. BTW, the best Last Man Standing match in WWE history? HHH vs. Jericho from Fully Loaded 2000. Nearly five stars. Awesome match. This won’t be close to as good as that, nor will it be bloody like that. It should be okay if they get 15-20 minutes to tell the story. Del Rio wins…somehow. Winner: Alberto Del Rio
Kenny Latham: Cena is not winning the title for the rest of the year. He better not. The title has been passed around like Melina in the Locker Room the last few months. I think Del Rio is going to have a nice long hold on it, perhaps all the way to Wrestlemania. How does Del Rio win? Maybe a little interference from HHH/Truth/Miz (assuming this is the last match). It’ll be a good way to set up Survivor Series. Winner: Alberto Del Rio
Marc B.: The stipulation for this match is there to assure that Cena doesn’t lose clean. My prediction is that Miz/Truth attack Xena: Warrior Princess and leave him lying, thus getting their heat back and build towards Survivor Series. Winner: Alberto Del Rio
Jacob Lindsey: I don’t like this feud. There’s nothing to it. There is absolutely no reason why John Cena should win this match. None. Del Rio probably won’t knock Cena out–he’ll probably tie him up or park his car on top of Cena, or something. Last Man Standing matches can be really really good, but I think they’re overused. Either way, I’m not particularly excited about this one. Winner: Alberto Del Rio
———–
John Canton: That’s a wrap. If you made it this far, through eight matches with 14 different (or similar) predictions we thank you very much. Here’s a quick look at what everybody picked.
US Title: Dolph Ziggler vs. Zack Ryder
Ziggler – Salford, Dodson, Briggs, Matty, Aires, Christian, Latham, Lindsey (8)
Ryder – Seagull, Johnson, Lonestar, Keith, Canton, Marc (6)
Sheamus vs. Christian
Sheamus – Lonestar, Canton, Latham (3)
Christian – 11 writers
Divas Title: Beth Phoenix vs. Eve
Beth – 14 writers
Eve – 0
Tag Titles: Kingston & Bourne vs. Swagger & Ziggler
Air Boom – Salford, Dodson, Briggs, Matty, Aires, Canton, Latham, Lindsey (8)
Swaggler – Seagull, Johnson, Christian, Lonestar, Keith, Marc (6)
Randy Orton vs. Cody Rhodes
RKO – 10 writers
Cody – Aires, Johnson, Keith, Marc
Triple H & CM Punk vs. The Miz & R-Truth
HHHCMP – 9 writers
Awesome Truth – Seagull, Salford, Dodson, Michael, Latham (5)
World Title: Mark Henry vs. Big Show
Henry – 12 writers
Show – Lonestar, Keith (2)
WWE Title LMS: Alberto Del Rio vs. John Cena
ADR – 13 writers
Cena – Lonestar (1)
There’s some balance in the two matches involving Ziggler. Everything else looks like a predictable outcome from the standpoint of majority predictions. Will we be right? Find out on Sunday night.
I may be watching and writing about Vengeance live. Usually I watch the NFL game live, but since it’s a stinker like Saints vs. Colts (Saints should crush them) I may opt to watch the PPV live while having the NFL game in the background. I’m not sure yet. I’ll know on Sunday, so check back to thejohnreport.net to find out. Any questions about the preview, email me at john@thejohnreport.net and I’ll do my best to reply as soon as possible.
Thanks for reading. Enjoy WWE Vengeance.