WWE Vengeance 2011: 5 Reasons Why This Pay-Per-View Is Critical

A little bit ago, I did an article about creating the Vengeance pay-per-view around the idea of that simple, yet complicated emotion that is the namesake of the PPV.   Well, the WWE apparently had the same idea.

The card is loaded with eight matches, all announced ahead of time (unusual, I know).  The card as it stands has four title matches, and four matches put together with some actual story lines.  Overall, the PPV looks strong on paper. 

You likely have some familiarity with the story lines that are presented on TV, but there are some more subtle angles that have greater implications for the WWE and the talent involved. 

Let's take a look.

The Curious Case of Ziggler

Robert Aitken correctly noted the two title matches that Ziggler is involved with are unusual for a lot of reasons.  It's not unheard of, but it's rare.

However, that being said, WrestllingNewsSource.com, crediting Wrestling Observer, noted that Ziggler has been getting some run backstage.

""The Wrestling Observer reports that WWE's current United States Heavyweight Champion Dolph Ziggler has been receiving praise backstage in WWE both for his work inside the ring and for his microphone skills. WWE is also pleased with Ziggler's ability to have good matches with Mason Ryan, who is still considered to be somewhat green (awkward inside the ring)."

"It should also be noted that this is not the first time that WWE officials have been high on Dolph Ziggler. Many members of the WWE Universe - fans, wrestlers, and WWE officials alike - believe that Dolph Ziggler has the potential to be a big star in the future.""

One thing to note is that Ziggler has been featured prominently as of late, with story lines involving everyone from Vicki and Ryder, to a segment with Jackman that garnered some mainstream publicity.  It's been noted previously that he and Ryder have been feuding on Ryder's YouTube show.

The future looks bright for the Perfect One, and how he performs on Sunday could cement his place as the top grade talent he is destined to become.

The Opening of the Corporate War?

I admit that I do not like John Laurinaitis.  However, he is critical to the story lines that have carried Raw through the summer and fall.

John was first mentioned by Punk in his epic worked shoot promo, then introduced as an "On Air" character at Money In The Bank.  He has been integral to all the major Raw story lines since that time while becoming main antagonist for Triple H, while the latter was running things on Raw.

Ultimately, when Triple H was relieved of his duties, Laurinaitis took over the day to day operations as the Interim Raw GM, and has quickly made an impact with the return of Awesome Truth and subsequently making Triple H's life a nightmare in one form or another. 

One thing to note it that both are in the higher echelons of the company still.  How this will ultimately play out is anyone's guess, but with the Survivor Series set to begin soon, it does stand to reason this feud will be a focal point for the main event.

The high profile Tag Team match with Triple H, Punk and Awesome Truth should be a good one, and it will be interesting to see how this plays out.

The Crossroads of Rhodes?

Another talent that has been on the radar as of late is Cody Rhodes.  A lot of emphasis has been placed on the Martyred One as of late, with returning the old Intercontinental Championship belt and doing a lot of promo work on TV.

WrestleZone noted, crediting PWTorch, that McMahon is high on Rhodes as of late.

"

"PWTorch.com is reporting that Vince McMahon is said to be high on Smackdown star Cody Rhodes right now, even though he had lack faith in The Intercontinental Champion in the past. One of the reasons why Vince never approved a main event push for Rhodes is because he felt he was an overactor."

"

Really now? You have to appreciate the irony of the last line given Rhodes' current gimmick.

In any case, Rhodes has been booked strong as of late, ultimately retaining his title after a ten man Battle Royal, defeating Sheamus, DiBiase and Jackson during his reign thus far.  The match this Sunday is not for the title, and Orton is in desperate need of a PPV victory after losing twice to Henry. 

If Orton pins Rhodes at Vengeance, don't be surprised, but the feud is just getting starting.  Here is hoping that Rhodes makes the most of it.

Cena's Last Stand! We Promise!

Ultimately, the last time neither John Cena or Randy Orton were involved directly in the world title picture of some sort was 2008.  

With Orton tangling with Rhodes, and Cena's potentially last chance at the title (for a while) versus Del Rio, this could happen again.

Donald Wood noted in an article that current long term plans involve Del Rio and Punk feuding over the title for a while, while Cena gets going with his program with The Rock.  The Internet Darling (Punk) will likely win the title at some point and carry the strap for a while. 

Think about it for a second.  After survivor, if neither Orton or Cena are wrapped up in a title, it will have been three years in the making.  Could hell be freezing over?

One thing to note is that the WWE has been rumored to be paying more attention to complaints expressed by Internet fans.  One of the main complaints by said fans is that Orton and Cena are always wrapped up in the title in some fashion.  Ultimately, could this be the ultimate expression of that rumor?  Time will tell I suppose.

Don't Look Now, but the Divas Might Have a "Money" Feud!

Eve and Phoenix are scheduled to go at it for the Divas title on Sunday.   In less then a week, however, the gals have managed to create a surprisingly heated feud that has some serious potential.

Recall that on Raw, it was announced that Eve would take on the Glamazon for the Divas title.  After a quick match where Eve pinned Natalya, it felt like simply a filler match.

During that time, as Sharon Glencross noted, both Eve and Beth took to Twitter and traded barbs.  What wasn't noted is that they were, quite literally, at it all day with some particularly good jabs at one another.  Fast forward to SmackDown where Natalya, Beth, and Eve put in a surprisingly good short segment purely based on promos.

There wasn't enough time to establish a lot of depth to the feud, but they did a good job adding intrigue to what was a simple filler match.  However, what matters is this is exactly the sort of feud the WWE needs to help resurrect the Divas division. 

If you remember, the Kelly Kelly/Beth Phoenix feud went on for a few months, but was tattered with inconsistent booking for Kelly Kelly, a lack of strong promos from the face side of the feud, and the misjudge at Night Of Champions where Beth got the "Home Town" reaction.

Eve has been surprisingly strong as the babyface of the feud, and displayed a strong presence on the stick on SmackDown.  Beth and Natalya were already good in this respect, but the difference between Eve and K2 has been, thus far, night and day. 

If the K2/Beth feud was meant to save a Divas' division that was flatlining, then this feud could outright heal it.

As always, thanks for reading and feel free to leave your thoughts below.