Unforgiven (2003)

Background

Last month at SummerSlam, Triple H retained the World Heavyweight Championship in the Elimination Chamber Match, last eliminating Goldberg. After the match, Triple H, along with Evolution members Ric Flair and Randy Orton, handcuffed Goldberg to the Chamber and attacked him with a sledgehammer. The next night on Raw, Goldberg challenged Triple H to a match later that night. Triple H declined and said that they'd face off at Unforgiven instead. Triple H then added the stipulation that if he won, Goldberg would have to retire from professional wrestling. On the September 1 episode of Raw, Goldberg, Shawn Michaels, and Maven defeated Evolution (Triple H, Randy Orton, and Ric Flair). Towards the end of the match, Orton attacked Goldberg from behind as he was looking to spear Triple H. Goldberg escaped of the pinfall attempt and hit Orton with a Jackhammer for the win. The next week on Raw, Co-General Manager Steve Austin added the stipulation where if Triple H got himself counted out or intentionally disqualified, he would lose the World Heavyweight Title.

On the June 23 episode of Raw, Kane was forced to unmask himself after losing a Mask vs. Title match to World Heavyweight Champion Triple H. Shortly after unmasking himself, Kane turned on and chokeslammed his tag team partner Rob Van Dam. Three weeks later on the July 14 episode of Raw, during an interview between Kane and Jim Ross, Kane set Jim Ross on fire after he thought he was mocking him. The next week on Raw, after a match between Kane and Van Dam ended in a no-contest, Linda McMahon came out to try and stop Kane from attacking Van Dam. Kane, however, gave Linda McMahon a Tombstone Piledriver on the steel ramp. On the July 28 episode of Raw, Shane McMahon made a surprise appearance by attacking Kane for his actions the week before. The next week on Raw, Eric Bischoff defeated Shane McMahon after Kane interfered and gave McMahon a Tombstone Piledriver on the steel ring steps. On August 24 at SummerSlam, Kane defeated Rob Van Dam in a No Holds Barred match, and Shane McMahon defeated Eric Bischoff in a No Disqualification Falls Count Anywhere match. The next night on Raw, during a match between Shane McMahon and Chris Jericho, Kane interfered and chokeslammed Shane. Shortly afterwards, McMahon superkicked Kane into a dumpster that was on fire and full of gasoline. On the September 8 episode of Raw, Bischoff announced that McMahon and Kane would face each other in a Last Man Standing match at Unforgiven. The next week on Raw, after both men signed a contract for their match at Unforgiven, McMahon gave Kane multiple low blows, before a Leap of Faith through an announce table.

One of the main matches on the undercard was between Randy Orton and Shawn Michaels. At the previous Raw brand pay-per-view, Bad Blood, Ric Flair defeated Shawn Michaels after Randy Orton interfered and hit Michaels with a steel chair. One month later, on the July 21 episode of Raw, Chris Jericho defeated Michaels in a Singles match. In the match, Orton interfered on Jericho's behalf by executing an RKO on Michaels while the referee was distracted. The following week on Raw, during Jericho's Highlight Reel talk show, Orton claimed that he was becoming a "Legend Killer" and that Michaels was going to be the next legend killed. Michaels came out shortly afterwards and the two started brawling. On the September 1 episode of Raw, Steve Austin announced that Orton would face off against Michaels at Unforgiven. Two weeks later on the September 15 episode of Raw, Orton told Michaels that he was going to use him as a "stepping stone towards greatness." Michaels responded by slapping Orton and telling him that if he was going to use him as a stepping stone, he had better step hard.

The Divas match set for Unforgiven was a tag team match pitting Trish Stratus and Lita against Molly Holly and Gail Kim. Gail Kim debuted on the June 30 episode of Raw and won the WWE Women's Championship in a battle royal. Four weeks later on the July 28 edition of Raw, Kim lost her title to Molly Holly. After Trish Stratus defeated Holly in a non-title match on the following week, she was attacked in the ring by Holly and Victoria. Kim entered and fought off both Divas; appearing to save Stratus, but she would later attack Stratus herself, turning Kim into a villainess. Two weeks later, the evil Kim aligned with Holly to eliminate Stratus, and the pair continuously attacked Stratus for several weeks. On the September 15 episode of Raw, Lita returned from injury and saved Stratus from being attacked from Holly and Kim, setting up the tag team match for Unforgiven.

Preliminary matches

Before the event went live on pay-per-view, Maven defeated Stevie Richards in a match taped for WWE Heat. The first match that aired was a Handicap Tables match between The Dudley Boyz (Bubba Ray and D-Von) and Rob Conway and La Resistance (Sylvan Greinier and Rene Dupree). The Dudleyz put Dupree though a table with a 3D to win the World Tag Team Championship.

The next match was between Test and Scott Steiner. After Test tried a clothesline, Steiner countered with a fallaway slam for a one count. Later during the match, Test attempted a diving double axe handle but Steiner reversed it into a suplex. In the end, Test attempted to hit Steiner with a chair but Keibler came inside the ring and took the chair. Keibler tried to hit Test but hit Steiner, allowing Test to execute a running big boot for the pin. Therefore, Steiner became Test's property, as per the pre-match stipulation.

The third match was Shawn Michaels versus Randy Orton. Orton countered Sweet Chin Music into an RKO on Michaels for a near-fall. Michaels executed Sweet Chin Music on Orton for a pin but Ric Flair put Orton's foot on the bottom rope to void the pinfall. Flair passed Orton a pair of brass knuckles, but Michaels executed Sweet Chin Music on Flair. Michaels attempted a back suplex but Orton hitMichaels with the brass knuckles and pinned Michaels to win the match.

Next was a Divas tag team match between the team of Trish Stratus and Lita and the team of Molly Holly and Gail Kim. When the match began, all four Divas fought each other. When the two legal Divas were inside the ring, it was between Lita and Kim. Throughout the match, Lita's team had the advantage over Kim and Holly. In the end, Stratus threw Kim out of the ring, and Lita performed a moonsault on Holly for the pin.

Main event matches

Next was a Last Man Standing match between Kane and Shane McMahon. Before the match began, McMahon attacked Kane, who was doing his entrance, with a steel chair. As the referee officially called to ring the bell to start the match, Kane pushed McMahon away to block another chair shot. After multiple shots with the chair, McMahon targeted Kane's knee using the ring post. Later, Kane attempted to perform a big boot on McMahon, but he accidentally hit the referee. After back and forth action, Kane attempted a Tombstone Piledriver onto the steel steps on McMahon but McMahon countered into a bulldog and performed a Coast-to-Coast into the steel steps, which were positioned against Kane. In the end, McMahon attempted a Leap of Faith, from the top of the arena TitanTron, which was roughly 25 feet tall. but Kane moved and McMahon fell through the floor. Kane won the match when McMahon did not stand up in time to answer the referee's 10 count.

In the next match, Christian, Chris Jericho, and Rob Van Dam fought in a Triple Threat match for the WWE Intercontinental Championship. At the start, Jericho and Christian teamed up on RVD. RVD reversed Jericho and Christian's offense, performing a double dropkick. During the match, RVD performed a double DDT on the two. At the end, RVD went for a 5-star frog splash on Christian but when the referee was distracted, Christian retrieved the belt and RVD fell onto it. Christian then pinned Van Dam with a roll-up to retain the title.

The seventh match was Al Snow and Jonathan Coachman taking on Jim Ross and Jerry Lawler for the commentator position of Raw. Chris Jericho came out and interfered, allowing Al Snow and Coachman to get the victory.

Next was the main event, which saw Triple H defend the World Heavyweight Championship against Goldberg. In the end, Goldberg attempted a spear but Triple H countered with a facebreaker knee smash. After Triple H attempted another one, Goldberg countered, kicked Triple H in the stomach, and performed a clothesline. In the end, Goldberg executed a spear and a Jackhammer to win the title.

Aftermath

Following Unforgiven, Triple H offered a $100,000 bounty to anyone who could "take out" Goldberg. The first individual to act on the bounty was Steven Richards. He was unsuccessful, as he was quickly taken out by Goldberg. Others who tried included Mark Henry, Rodney Mack and Tommy Dreamer, but all three were unsuccessful. On the October 20 episode of Raw, Goldberg faced Shawn Michaels in a World Heavyweight title match, after Raw Co-General Manager Eric Bischoff booked the match the week before. During the match, Goldberg and Michaels were down, along with the referee. Batista made a run-in, as he kayfabe attacked Michaels and dragged him out of the ring. He then proceeded to attack Goldberg, which led to Batista inserting a chair on Goldberg's ankle. He then jumped off the second rope onto the chair, kayfabe shattering Goldberg's ankle. Afterwards, Evolution gave the $100,000 bounty to Batista. The following week, Bischoff set to present Triple H with the World Heavyweight title, after the events that took place the week before, but Co-General Manager Steve Austin intervened and announced a title match at Survivor Series between Goldberg and Triple H. On the November 10 episode of Raw, Goldberg and Batista were scheduled in a match, which resulted in a disqualification, after Triple H interfered. Triple H tried to injure Goldberg's knee with a use of a chair and sledgehammer. Goldberg, however, speared Triple H and attacked Batista with the sledgehammer. At Survivor Series, Goldberg retained the title, after he hit Triple H with a spear and Jackhammer for the pinfall.

On the October 20 episode of Raw, Co-General Manager Eric Bischoff proposed that he and Co-General Manager Steve Austin face off at Survivor Series in a "Traditional 5-on-5 Survivor Series match" to determine the future of Raw. The stipulation of the match was that if Austin's team defeated Bischoff's team, Austin could no longer have to be physically provoked before assaulting a Raw Superstar; if Bischoff’s team, however, were victorious, Austin must resign his position as Co-General Manager. Austin promptly accepted the challenge, with Bischoff announcing the first two members of his team were Scott Steiner and Chris Jericho. Later in the night, Booker T was announced as the first member of Austin's Survivor Series team. The following week, Rob Van Dam, and Bubba Ray and D-Von Dudley were named members to join Austin's team. For Team Bischoff, Christian and Mark Henry were announced as members, as well. On the November 3 episode of Raw, both Austin and Bischoff announced their final members to join their respective team; Shawn Michaels accepted Austin's invitation to join his team and Bischoff announced Randy Orton as the last member to join his team. At Survivor Series, Team Bischoff (Steiner, Jericho, Christian, Henry and Orton) defeated Team Austin (Booker T, Van Dam, Bubba Ray, D-Von and Michaels). As a result of Austin's team losing, he lost his position as Co-General Manager of Raw.

On the September 22 episode of Raw, Shane McMahon was hospitalized after the events in his match against Kane at Unforgiven. Shane sent a "message" to Kane, but before he could finish, Kane appeared in Shane's hospital room and attacked him. The attack led to Shane bleeding from his forehead and Kane telling him to "Get Well Soon!". Two weeks later, Shane interfered in a match between Kane and Rosey, which angered Kane. After the match, Kane ran around rampant backstage looking for Shane. Kane walked by a Semi-Truck and saw Shane, who taunted Kane and jumped into a limousine. Kane broke the limousine's window and got in through the sunroof. Shane proceeded to get out from the drivers seat and rigged the limousine to crash directly into another truck. After the crash, workers attend to the limousine with a bloody Kane inside. The following week on Raw, Shane challenged Kane, who was in the hospital recovering from the car crash from the week before, to a match at Survivor Series. As the challenge was made, Kane sprang up and attacked a doctor and a nurse who were attending to him. On the October 27 episode of Raw, Shane challenged Kane to an Ambulance match, which Kane accepted. At Survivor Series, Kane defeated Shane after Kane performed a Tombstone Piledriver on him and then throwing Shane into the ambulance.