At WWE Vengeance on July 21, 2002, Rob Van Dam defended his Intercontinental Championship against Brock Lesnar (with Paul Heyman) in a showcase of contrasting styles—RVD’s speed and agility versus Lesnar’s overwhelming power. The match played out with Lesnar dominating early through suplexes, backbreakers, and power moves while RVD used kicks, Rolling Thunder, and a Five-Star Frog Splash to counter and rally the momentum. RVD looked poised to win after hitting his frog splash and going for the pin, but Heyman pulled referee Charles Robinson out of the ring, leading to Lesnar being disqualified and allowing RVD to retain the Intercontinental Title. After the bell, the action continued with Lesnar taking control, hitting an F-5 on RVD through a steel chair to further assert his dominance despite the loss on paper. The bout served to protect both men—RVD keeping his title while Lesnar continued to look strong heading into his next big program.
