Vengeance (2003)

Before the event aired live on pay-per-view, Último Dragón faced Kanyon on Sunday Night Heat, one of WWE's secondary TV programs. Dragon won after a standing shiranui on Kanyon.[3]

Eddie Guerrero faced Chris Benoit for the vacant United States Championship.

As the pay-per-view event began, Eddie Guerrero faced Chris Benoit for the vacant United States Championship. The match was contested evenly between both men, with both of them performing a variety of offensive maneuvers. Guerrero eventually gained the upper hand when Rhyno interfered in the match while the referee was unconscious, performing a Gore on Benoit. After this, Guerrero performed a Frog splash on Benoit to win the title.[4][5]

In the next match, Billy Gunn (with Torrie Wilson) faced Jamie Noble (with Nidia). If Noble won, he'd get to sleep with Torrie. During the match, Noble performed a DDT from the top turnbuckle on Gunn and went for a cover, but Nidia interfered and placed Gunn's foot on the rope. Noble then angrily confronted Nidia. Torrie attempted to slap him, but he instead kissed her. After this, Nidia and Torrie both slapped Noble. Noble returned to the inside of the ring, only to be tripped by Torrie. While confronting her, Gunn attempted a Gunnslinger but Noble pushed him into Torrie. Noble then rolled-up on Gunn to win.[4][5]

In the third match, Bradshaw, Faarooq, Shannon Moore, Doink the Clown, Brother Love, Nunzio, Matt Hardy, Kanyon, Danny Basham, Doug Basham, the Easter Bunny, Sean O'Haire, John Hennigan, Orlando Jordan, Funaki, Los Conquistadores (Rob Conway and Johnny Jeter), the Brooklyn Brawler, Johnny Stamboli, Chuck Palumbo, Matt Cappotelli, and Spanky fought in the APA Invitational Bar Room Brawl. During the match, Spanky was put through a table, Sean O'Haire used a pool cue and Brother Love threw Shannon Moore through a mirror. After knocking down Brother Love, Bradshaw won the match.[5][6]

In the next match, The World's Greatest Tag Team (Shelton Benjamin and Charlie Haas) faced Rey Mysterio and Billy Kidman for the WWE Tag Team Championship. Throughout the match, both teams performed many offensive maneuvers. The World's Greatest Tag Team won after a combination of a powerbomb by Haas and a diving lariat to retain the titles.[4][5]

In the fifth match Sable faced SmackDown! General Manager Stephanie McMahon in a No Countout Match. Stephanie attacked Sable while she was on the way to the ring, while Sable utilized kicks to take the advantage. Stephanie beat on Sable on the outside before trying to hit her with a steel chair, but the referee stopped her. The match ended when Stephanie tore away at Sable's top, and while Sable was attempting to get referee Brian Hebner to help her, A-Train attacked Stephanie. Hebner then gave Sable his shirt to cover her, and she covered Stephanie for the win.[5][6]

The Undertaker, who faced John Cena at Vengeance.

In the next match, The Undertaker faced John Cena. The Undertaker controlled the start of the match, but Cena took advantage by drinking water and spraying it in the Undertaker's face. The Undertaker regained control by chokeslamming Cena, before an attempt at a Last Ride. Cena reversed into a DDT, however. The Undertaker was thrown into an exposed turnbuckle and Cena attacked his midsection, bloodying him from the mouth, selling internal injuries, or making them appear realistic. The Undertaker later attempted to perform a Tombstone Piledriver but couldn't due to the (kayfabe) injuries he had received. Cena punched him with a chain wrapped around his fist and delivered an FU. Cena then covered the Undertaker, but he kicked out of the attempt. Cena then scaled the turnbuckle to attack the Undertaker in the corner, but the Undertaker performed the Last Ride on him and pinned Cena for the win.[4][5]

In the next match, WWE Chairman Vince McMahon faced Zach Gowen. McMahon controlled much of the match, attacking Gowen's leg primarily, as Gowen only has one leg. However, Gowen retaliated with such offensive maneuvers as one-legged dropkicks and springboard backflips. Late in the match, McMahon held a steel chair with the intent of hitting Gowen with it. Gowen, however, countered by using a spinning heel kick to kick the chair into McMahon's face, bloodying him. Gowen then went for a Corkscrew Moonsault, but missed and landed on the mat. McMahon then covered Gowen for the win, but after the match, the crowd gave Gowen a standing ovation for his performance.[4][5]

Kurt Angle faced the Big Show and Brock Lesnar for the WWE Championship.

In the main event, Brock Lesnar, Kurt Angle and Big Show fought in a Triple Threat Match for the WWE Championship. The match began with Angle and Lesnar facing each other, before attacking the Big Show. Big Show threw Angle outside the ring and chokeslammed Lesnar. He covered Lesnar but didn't score a pinfall. The Big Show controlled the match early on before Lesnar shoulder blocked and went for an F5 but Big Show countered. Angle returned to the ring with trash can lids and both he and Lesnar used them against Big Show. The Big Show tried to chokeslam both men simultaneously, but Angle and Lesnar teamed up to chokeslam Big Show. Later in the match, Angle began to bleed. Big Show placed Lesnar on the top turnbuckle and climbed up to punch Lesnar, but Angle distracted both men and went down to the mat, with Big Show still above him, allowing Lesnar to powerbomb and cover Big Show. Angle broke the cover by hitting Lesnar with a chair to the back, following with a chair shot to the head, bloodying Lesnar, too. Angle and Big Show proceeded to fight outside the ring, and Angle Angle Slammed Big Show on the Spanish announcers' table. Afterward, Lesnar and Angle fought each other back inside the ring, and Lesnar threw Angle to the outside again. The Big Show returned to the ring and chokeslammed Lesnar and Angle simultaneously, and covered both men but couldn't score a pinfall. Angle then placed Lesnar in an ankle lock, but Big Show broke the hold. Angle performed an Angle Slam on Big Show again, and then delivered an Angle Slam to Lesnar, covering him for a pinfall and winning the WWE Title.[5][7]

The tournament for the vacant WWE United States Championship was held between June 19 and July 27, 2003. The tournament brackets were: