Jim Ross and Jerry “The King” Lawler call this match and entire Raw brand Pay-Per-View. Randy Orton is the longest reigning Intercontinental champion in 7 years. Edge decided after his compulsory injury return match against Kane to go after Evolution and Orton's title. This point was also Legend Killer Randy Orton. As Edge makes his way to the ring JR says the Intercontinental title has changed hands more in July than any other calendar month, including Edge's first championship win in 1999. As Orton enters JR talks about the history of the championship. Randy Orton hasn't lost a singles or tag team match on Pay-Per-View so far beating names like Mick Foley, Shawn Michaels and Rob Van Dam, the latter of whom he beat for the championship.
RANDY ORTON © VS. EDGE (WWE Intercontinental Championship)
WWE Vengeance (11th July 2004)
A collar-elbow tie-up goes nowhere so they break off, Randy Orton gets a headlock as they lock up again but Edge counters into one of his own. Orton sends Edge off the ropes but gets dropped with a shoulder tackle, Edge lets Orton get to his feet and Orton goes for the arm. Edge counters to an arm wringer of his own, dropping Orton to his knees. Edge grabs a side headlock so Orton uses Edge's hair to bring him back into the ropes. Orton sends Edge across the ring, he goes prone and leapfrogs but gets cocky, turning around into another shoulder tackle. Edge lets Orton get to his feet again, Orton knees Edge in the gut and drops him with a clubbing blow to the back of the neck. Randy Orton goes back to a headlock as JR and King become his parents, trying to marry him off to the audience. Edge sends Orton across the ring and they do the 1980's criss-cross before Orton stops dead to drop to the mat. Edge steps over him and again Orton turns into a shoulder tackle. Edge takes Orton down with a headlock and keeps him on the mat, so the fans start to cheer for Orton. Randy Orton makes it to his feet and pulls Edge's hair, a European uppercut helps Orton push Edge into the ropes as Orton proves young men have short attention spans, getting dropped with three shoulder tackles in a row.
Randy Orton tries to walk out on the match so Edge goes out to remind him about the belt. Oh no, he attacks him on the ramp and brings him back to ringside. Orton meets the top of the ring apron and Edge sends Orton back in the ring at 4. Randy Orton sends Edge across the ring and dumps him over the top rope. Randy Orton sends Edge's head into the apron and slides back in the ring. Orton lifts Edge to his feet on the apron by his hair and suplexes him back into the ring for 2. Orton hits another European uppercut, draping Edge over the middle rope. Orton chokes Edge using the 5 count. Orton bends Edge's back around the ropes to a club at his chest. Randy Orton must hear our heart rates going up as he snapmares Edge down and traps an arm along with a chinlock to wear Edge down. Edge punches to his feet with his free arm but Orton kicks him in the gut. Edge is sent off the ropes but knocks Orton down with a forearm shot, Orton stands up into a clothesline, Edge hits the second one to knock Orton back down and sends him across the ring. Randy Orton stops his momentum by hooking the top rope but another clothesline by Edge sends him back out to the floor.
Randy Orton grabs his title belt, Edge sends him into the Spanish announce table with a baseball slide, knocking the belt into Orton. We see a replay before Edge hits a diving clothesline from the apron to the floor and sends Orton back into the ring at 5. Edge climbs to the top rope as the fans chant for Randy Orton, but it doesn't help him as Edge hits a missile dropkick. Edge covers but Orton kicks out at 2. Edge waits in the corner but a kick or knee lift by Orton cuts off a Spear attempt! Randy Orton hits his backbreaker and covers for 2. Edge rolls out of the ring as we see a replay of the Spear attempt. Randy Orton brings Edge straight back in the ring and drops an elbow across Edge's throat before breaking up the referee's count. Orton hits a European uppercut and an elbow to the back of Edge's head and he gets back in the ring himself. Randy Orton chokes Edge on the bottom rope using the 5 count, then drags him away from the ropes and wraps his hand around Edge's throat for another 4 count. Orton stays on Edge's neck with a boot to the back of the head and a quick neck crank before talking to the fans. Randy Orton hits a standing leg drop for a nearfall.
Edge finally has the fans onside as he is sent into the corner. He gets his boot up to Orton's jaw and attacks with forearms but Edge runs off the ropes into a knee to the gut. Randy Orton lines Edge up for a knee drop and presses his knee on Edge's throat, trying to keep the choke out of the referee's sight for as long as possible. Edge crawls towards the ropes but Orton uses them to pull back on Edge's face and neck and hits a standing dropkick for a nearfall. Randy Orton shocks the world, going to a chinlock on the mat. I can't complain too much though, it gives me time to make a drink. As I return Edge is getting to his feet and he swings at Orton with body shots. Orton uses Edge's hair to send him to the mat and hits a standing leg drop for a nearfall. Orton clubs at Edge's chest and goes back to the chinlock, Edge tries to reach around but Orton bites at his fingers. Edge fades so Orton grapevines the leg. Orton seems to have moved into a choke or using Edge's face as the referee counts for a disqualification but we don't see why. Randy Orton goes back to the chinlock on the mat.
The referee checks for Edge's consciousness which miraculously revives him. Edge gets to his feet and gets free with three elbow shots. Randy Orton still has Edge's hair but Edge puts a stop to that. Edge strikes Orton with a forearm shot and hits a running crossbody for a nearfall. Edge rolls Orton up for another nearfall and turns around into a clothesline. Randy Orton leaves the ground, jumping from the middle rope into a dropkick by Edge. Edge is sent into the ropes but blocks a hip toss. Edge turns Orton over slowly and drops him with a neckbreaker. Neither man moves so the referee starts counting them down. JR reminds us that Orton retains the title if this becomes a draw but they both get to their knees at 8 and hit each other with right hands. They move to forearms as they get to their feet and Edge knocks Orton into the ropes, Edge hits a side Russian legsweep and covers for a nearfall. Randy Orton reverses an irish whip but Edge holds on to the ropes avoiding a dropkick. Edge catapults Orton into the top turnbuckle, forcing him back to the mat and holding his shoulders down for 2. Edge climbs to the top rope but Orton cuts him off with right hands. Edge blocks a superplex and drops Orton on the top rope! Ouch, that didn't look right, even without Orton going electrocution-selling. Edge hits a crossbody from the top rope but Orton rolls through! 1, 2, no. Randy Orton pokes Edge in the eye so JR sarcastically thanks his Evolution stablemate Ric Flair, Randy Orton exposes the turnbuckle but gets caught with an inside cradle. The referee is distracted by the turnbuckle pad giving Orton time to kick out so Edge shouts at the referee, thinking he should be champion. Randy Orton rolls Edge up and grabs the tights but Edge kicks out. Orton hits a standing dropkick and it still isn't enough to get the job done. Randy Orton sends Edge into the ropes but gets caught with an Impaler DDT, 1, 2, 2.999, Orton gets a shoulder up! Randy Orton gets to his feet in the corner. Edge hits the mounted punches but Orton is able to cover up and block some, he drops Edge on the exposed turnbuckle and rolls him up, Orton has his feet on the rope and Edge still kicks out! Randy Orton is in shock, he waits for Edge to get to his feet but Edge blocks an RKO sending Orton into the corner. Orton avoids a Spear sending Edge into the corner, signalling another RKO attempt. Edge counters into a backslide but Orton kicks out, Randy Orton gets sent back first into the exposed turnbuckle and walks out of the corner into a Spear. Edge pins Randy Orton to win the championship.
WINNER: EDGE (NEW WWE INTERCONTINENTAL CHAMPION)
I really liked this match at the time. I was happy to see Randy Orton's reign end at this point, I was lukewarm to him at best, something that continues to this day whereas Edge was someone who I could (and again, to this day can) enjoy. Randy Orton slowed the match down working an oldschool 1980's heel, leaving Edge to pick up the pace as and when. It was a good way of bringing the fans around where WWE wanted them, this was a big return singles win for Edge and a promising first step in his plan to rid Raw of Evolution. Also, Randy Orton's reaction to losing the match is something we don't see in modern wrestling often enough. – WORKRATE: 2.75/5 PERSONAL ENJOYMENT 3/5 OVERALL 5.75/10
Edge celebrates and leaves with the championship as Randy Orton looks distraught, as told by King on commentary, in the middle of the ring.
Trivia
- This was Randy Orton's first one on one PPV loss
- Edge started his 5th reign as the WWE Intercontinental Champion
This match is available on Edge: A Decade of Decadence DVD Set.
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