Vengeance 2004: Edge and Orton Carry a Good Raw Pay-Per-View That Never Quite Becomes Great

The opener is a short Raw-style tag match that never develops a pay-per-view identity. Tajiri and Rhyno provide the credible wrestling, while Jonathan Coachman's role is largely to generate heel comedy and eventually take the decisive offense. Garrison Cade gives the match some structure, but there is little sense that the teams have enough conflict to justify a Sunday slot. The crowd reacts to Tajiri's strikes and Rhyno's Gore, which keeps the seven minutes moving. The ending is tidy and sends the faces home happy. Nothing is broken, yet the ceiling is obvious from the premise. It functions as an opener because it is brief, not because it offers anything worth seeking out later.

Batista versus Jericho is useful as a snapshot of Batista before his major singles breakthrough. Jericho keeps the match organized and gives Batista opponents to hit, but the control segments are slow and the offense is still narrower than it would become a year later. Batista's power spots land well enough, and Jericho's comeback briefly raises the pace. The finish is the major problem: Jericho's foot is on the bottom rope during the pin, and the referee misses it in a way that looks more clumsy than dramatic. The result protects Jericho while giving Batista a win, but it also leaves the match feeling unfinished. It is watchable developmental work from a future star rather than a strong standalone contest.

The World Tag Team Championship match is designed around Eugene imitating famous wrestlers and Ric Flair reacting to him, not around sustained tag-team wrestling. That choice gets laughs because Eugene is over and Flair understands exactly how to play the situation. La Résistance spend much of the match supplying structure while the babyface team delivers the character beats. The disqualification finish arrives when Eugene shoves the referee, then continues into more imitation offense after the bell. As entertainment, there are moments that work. As a championship match, the stakes never feel serious enough, and the finish reinforces that the segment exists mainly to keep Eugene tied to the larger Triple H story rather than to elevate the tag titles.

Hardy and Kane make reasonable use of the No Disqualification stipulation without turning the match into a stunt exhibition. They brawl around ringside, introduce the monitor, bell, chair, and steps, and keep the weapons connected to the personal hostility in the story. Kane controls too much of the middle portion for the pace to stay urgent, but Hardy's comebacks give the crowd clear moments to rally behind. Lita's late distraction creates the opening for Hardy to use the chair against the steps and score the upset. The finish is protected enough to keep Kane dangerous while giving Hardy a needed victory. The surrounding storyline has aged badly, but the match itself is a competent midcard brawl with a clear structure.

Edge and Orton produce the event's best match by giving the Intercontinental Championship the time and seriousness of a main-event prize. The first half is slower than necessary, with Orton leaning heavily on control holds and the crowd occasionally signaling impatience. That patience pays off once the match accelerates. Edge's comebacks, Orton's counters, and the repeated attempts to land the RKO and Spear create a strong closing sequence without becoming a finisher exchange. The split crowd adds another layer because Orton is already drawing support despite his Evolution role. Edge finally wins with the Spear, ending Orton's seven-month reign. The length could be trimmed, but the final third is excellent and the title change feels substantial.

Victoria and Molly Holly receive only a little more than six minutes, yet they build a coherent match around Victoria's arm. Molly targets the limb after sending it into the steps, then returns to the arm often enough that the injury matters when Victoria attempts the Widow's Peak. That is more structure than many short women's matches of the era were allowed. The crowd is quiet because the bout arrives with little story and no championship directly at stake, which limits its atmosphere. Victoria's superkick finish looks sharp and gives the match a decisive ending. The wrestling is competent and purposeful, but the lack of time and investment keeps it from becoming more than an acceptable supporting match.

Benoit and Triple H wrestle a strong championship match for most of twenty-nine minutes. The opening is deliberate without becoming empty, Benoit gradually increases the pressure with suplexes and submission attempts, and Triple H works as the controlling challenger who keeps forcing resets. The match reaches its best stretch when Benoit strings together the Germans, diving headbutt, and Crossface threats. Then the finish becomes crowded. A referee bump brings Eugene into the ring, Triple H hits the Pedigree without a count, and Eugene eventually causes the chair shot that lets Benoit win with a roll-up. The wrestling deserves praise, but the champion's victory becomes secondary to the Eugene story. It is very good rather than great because the ending changes the subject.