Vengeance (2002) - Background

Background

The main feud from SmackDown heading into Vengeance was between The Rock, Kurt Angle and The Undertaker fighting for the WWE Undisputed Championship. At King of the Ring (2002), Undertaker defeated Triple H to retain the WWE Undisputed Championship. During the match The Rock interfered hitting Undertaker with a Rock Bottom. Undertaker, angry because of The Rock's interference, asked Mr. McMahon for a match with The Rock. Vince booked the match for Vengeance and told Undertaker that it was for the Undisputed Championship. On the July 4 episode SmackDown!, however, Undertaker wrestled Kurt Angle to a draw in a WWE Undisputed title match, when Undertaker won by pinfall and tapped out to Angle's submission hold. On the following Raw McMahon announced that Angle would be added to the match. On the final episode of SmackDown!, The Rock defeated Angle by Disqualification due to interference from The Undertaker.

The biggest feud from Raw heading into Vengenace was between Rob Van Dam and Brock Lesnar for the WWE Intercontinental Championship. The previous month at King of the Ring, RVD defeated Chris Jericho in the first Semi-Final round while Lesnar defeated Test in the second Semi-Final round. During the latter event, Lesnar defeated Rob Van Dam in the King of the Ring tournament to earn the right to face the WWE Undisputed Champion at SummerSlam. RVD had held the Intercontinental championship since the May 27 episode of Raw when he defeated Eddie Guerrero (who he lost the title to at Backlash on April 21) in a ladder match. On the June 24 episode of Raw, I.C. Champion RVD interrupted Lesnar's KOTR coronation by attacking him from behind and knocking him down with the Van Daminator and the Diving superkick. Later that night, Lesnar challenged RVD for the Intercontinental title, which Lesnar lost by Disqualification when Lesnar's agent, Paul Heyman interfered. Afterward, Lesnar nailed Van Dam with two powerbombs including one through the announce table. On the July 8 episode of Raw, Lesnar and Heyman issued a challenge to Van Dam at Vengeance for the I.C. title, which Van Dam accepted. Afterwords, Van Dam brawled with Lesnar and Heyman, ending with Van Dam nailing Heyman in the face with a Van Terminator along with the steel chair in hand. Later that night, during the 10 Man tag team match, RVD chased Shawn Michaels to the back while being distracted, allowing Lesnar to perform an F-5 on Van Dam onto the steel ramp. On the final episode of Raw, Lesnar and Undisputed Champion The Undertaker defeated RVD and Ric Flair in a tag match. Afterwords, Lesnar nailed Undertaker from behind and performed an F-5 on him.

Another storyline heading into Vengeance was Triple H determining what brand he would permanently join. He could either stay on SmackDown! with then-new General Manager Stephanie McMahon or move back to Raw with General Manager Eric Bischoff. Originally the New World Order (nWo) was planning to threaten Triple H to join the nWo on his return to Raw, but due to backstage circumstances, the nWo was written off television a week before Vengeance. Shawn Michaels, however, would still promise to bring Triple H back to Raw.

John Cena had made his WWE debut a month before Vengeance on the June 27 episode of SmackDown! and had entered a minor feud with Kurt Angle and Chris Jericho. Jericho and Edge were also feuding at that time. Their feud began on the June 6 episode of SmackDown! when Edge and Jericho were scheduled to compete in the King of the Ring First-Round tournament. But Edge forfeited his match to Jericho due to a shoulder injury that he suffered the previous week on SmackDown! in a Steel Cage match after spearing Kurt Angle. Jericho then forced Edge to raise his hand in victory but Edge refused and tried to assault Jericho but Jericho retaliated by targeting Edge's shoulder including nailing his shoulder onto the steel ring steps with the steel chair. Edge and Jericho were booked to fight each other at Vengeance, until Hollywood Hulk Hogan and Edge defeated Billy and Chuck for the WWE Tag Team Championship on the July 4 episode of SmackDown!. Later that night, Jericho went one-on-one with Cena, which Jericho won after he pinned Cena, with his own feet on the ropes. The following week on SmackDown!, Cena teamed with The Undertaker to take on Angle and Jericho in a tag match, which Cena and Undertaker won after Cena pinned Jericho.

Chris Jericho then asked Mr. McMahon to let The Un-Americans (Lance Storm and Christian) to wrestle Hogan and Edge for the Tag Titles instead at Vengeance, to which McMahon agreed.

On the July 8 episode of Raw, Jeff Hardy had defeated William Regal to win the WWE European Championship. Regal, upset after his loss, used his rematch clause at Vengeance. On the July 15 episode of Raw, WWE European Champion Jeff Hardy teamed with Bubba Ray dudley and Spike dudley to take on William Regal, Chris Benoit and Eddie Guerrero in a Six man tag team Elimination match. Benoit last eliminated Hardy by forcing Hardy to submit to the Crippler Crossface following a Brass Knuckles shot by Regal (who had already been eliminated).

Booker T had been feuding with the nWo at the time of their demise after being literally kicked out of it on the June 10 episode of Raw. The following week on Raw, Booker T competed in the King of the Ring Quarter-Final round against Brock Lesnar which Lesnar won following the interference from the nWo. On the July 15 episode of Raw Booker T defeated former nWo member The Big Show by disqualification after Big Show hit Booker with a chair. After the match, Big Show asked Raw General Manager Eric Bischoff if he could fight Booker in a No Disqualification match at Vengeance, which Bischoff granted.

On the June 6 episode of SmackDown!, Jamie Noble debuted by attacking the Hurricane and was joined by Nidia. On the June 20 episode of SmackDown!, Noble defeated Billy Kidman after he nailed him with the DDT off the top rope. Afterwords, The Hurricane got his mask back (that Noble and Nidia had taken from him the previous week) after nailing Noble with the chokeslam. Then at King of the Ring, he defeated The Hurricane for the Cruiserweight Championship. The following three weeks on SmackDown!, Kidman and The Hurricane defeated Noble and Tajiri in two tag team matches. Billy Kidman then challenged Jamie Noble to a Cruiserweight Championship match at Vengeance.