WWE Vengeance 2011: 10 Things to Know About CM Punk & HHH vs. Awesome Truth

New Raw GM John Laurinaitis announced at the very end of last week's Raw that, at WWE's Vengeance pay-per-view, former enemies CM Punk and Triple H will team up to take on the recently reinstated duo of The Miz and R-Truth in what promises to be one of the most heated, grudge-fueled matches on the card.

As we gear up for the card, which is taking place on Oct. 23 at the AT&T Centre in San Antonio, Texas, here are the top 10 things wrestling fans should know about this match going into the event...

The Match Will Have a Major Say on the Direction of WWE Stoylines

Are R-Truth and Miz involved with the conspiracy? Just who lowered the cage at Hell in a Cell? Will HHH ever regain power? Where is CM Punk in all this? And who is John Laurinaitis texting all the time?

As Vengeance plays out we are going to see the next chapter in this long-winded conspiracy story and the ending of the match will likely dictate where all the players in this conspiracy angle stand. Especially if a certain Mr Laurinaitis can't help but get involved in the finish...

John Laurinaitis Could Play a Major Role in the Result

Raw’s conniving new general manager, John Laurinaitis, has a lot at stake in this match. Closely aligned with Awesome Truth in the storylines (he was the one who brought them back after HHH fired them) and an established on-screen enemy of HHH, it would not shock us if, during the match, he were to wander down to ringside to get involved for some nefarious reason.

HHH Is Not the Man to Mess with Right Now

One thing is for sure: Triple H has had a rough few weeks. He fired the troublesome duo Awesome Truth only to watch on helpless as the pair staged a vicious beatdown on the fatigued participants of the main event of the Hell in a Cell pay-per-view.

Worse, as WWE continued to spiral out of control under his watch, he found his position as COO being heavily scrutinized and threatened, as the entire roster staged a massive walkout in protest of his job performance. This all finally culminated last week on Raw Hunter was embarrassingly relieved of his duties and replaced by his right hand man, the conniving John Laurinaitis.

Needless to say, Hunter can't exactly be pleased about all this and we fully expect him to be working off some of his pent-up frustration at the pay-per-view.

Punk and HHH Have an Uneasy Alliance Right Now

After their bickering and arguing throughout the summer, culminating in a lively bout at Night at Champions (which saw HHH emerge victorious in a less than spotless finish), HHH and Punk appear to have called a truce. In fact, the previously rebellious Punk even took Hunter's side in the recent walkout angle on Raw and berated most of the wrestlers for abandoning the company when they were needed most. The two teamed up later in the night to send Awesome Truth packing and will, of course, take them on at the pay-per-view. But it is difficult to believe their problems have been entirely smoothed over and there are no more problems left.

Can their shaky alliance hold up till then?

CM Punk Needs a Victory Right Now

While CM Punk may have been tearing the house down in WWE over the summer with his trailblazing worked-shoot promos detailing his deep frustrations with current-day WWE, his career has been flagging as of late.

He is stuck playing second-fiddle to Raw and, by going against most of the roster and throwing his full support behind HHH on Raw, arguably betrayed the rebellious roots on his character.

To make matter worse, he has been pinned at the last three pay-per-views (Summerslam, Night of Champions, Hell in a Cell) furthering stalling any momentum he once had. Certainly, a victory here against Miz and R-Truth would get his struggling career back on track.

HHH Could Probably Have a Better Match with a Broomstick

Yup. A broomstick is superior to most of the roster (including, presumably, Miz, R-Truth and CM Punk). We know this is true: HHH told us so in the opening segment of Raw on Monday. Alas, it seems the broomstick had indy bookings the weekend of the show, so poor HHH is stuck wrestling actual wrestlers.

Awesome Truth Have Shown a More Vicious Side Recently

When these two disgruntled stars officially formed as a team in late August, their act was played for laughs more than anything, with The Miz often playing the straight man to the wacky R-Truth character.

However, after their firing the Raw after Night of Champions, we have seen a different, more violent side to do the duo. Most notably, when they shockingly ran in at the end of the Hell in a Cell pay-per-view and took out everyone in sight, in a stunning brutal beatdown, before being dragged out of the arena by cops. Miz and R-Truth also have run in at various house shows, too, and staged more beatdowns on WWE contracted performers. And it seems unlikely that being hired back by new Raw interim GM John Laurinaitis will soften them or force the duo to rethink their violent tactics as of late, as their attempt to destroy Punk after the match ended shows.

In this angle, it seems Miz and Truth bring out the absolute worst in each other--and Punk and HHH better beware.

Kevin Nash May Get Involved

Kevin Nash has not been seen in WWE since he interfered in the CM Punk and HHH match at the Night of Champions pay-per-view with was taken out by HHH, who blasted him with a vicious sledgehammer shot the head.

 In reality, the storyline injury is a cover for a Nash taking time out to film a movie (hilariously, he is apparently playing a male stripper). With his work on the flick reportedly finished, Nash is now free to return to WWE television and resume his feud with his former friend, HHH.  With this in mind, don’t be too surprised if he makes an appearance in this match.

The Match May Hint at the Direction of Survivor Series

This match, and its result, will likely give us some indication of the direction WWE’s next pay-per-view Survivor Series is going in. A victory for Awesome Truth, by nefarious means, could see HHH and Punk forming their own team for the event, with the intention of taking on the duo and settling the score once and for all .

If that is indeed the case, expect to see Miz and Truth recruit Raw mid-carders like Dolph Ziggler or Jack Swagger, who were both two of the most vocal critics of HHH during his stint as COO, for their team.

The Match Could Potentially Steal the Show

The combination of the long-term storyline, fan interest and four very good workers may ensure that is the standout match of WWE's Vengeance pay-per-view. Certainly, it already seems to have garnered far more interest that the flat announcement on Raw that John Cena would take on Alberto Del Rio at the pay-per-view as well. In many respects, this tag match is the real main event of the show