Unforgiven (2004) - Background

Background

Seven professional wrestling matches were scheduled on the event's card beforehand, which were planned with predetermined outcomes by WWE's script writers. The buildup to these matches and scenarios that took place before, during and after the event were also planned by the script writers. The event featured wrestlers and other talent from Raw's brand – a storyline expansion in which WWE assigned its employees. Wrestlers portrayed either a villainous or fan favorite gimmick, as they followed a series of events which generally built tension, leading to a wrestling match.

The main feud heading into the event was between Randy Orton and Triple H over the World Heavyweight Championship. At the August pay-per-view event, SummerSlam, WWE's previous pay-per-view event, Orton defeated Chris Benoit to win the World Heavyweight Championship, thus making Orton the youngest World Heavyweight Champion in WWE history. On the August 16, 2004 edition of Raw, one of WWE's primary television programs, Orton successfully retained the title in a rematch with Benoit. After the match, Evolution (Batista, Ric Flair, and Triple H), Orton's fellow stablemates, threw him a fake celebration, only to reveal that they were not pleased with his new victory. While Batista had Orton propped on his shoulders in elation, Triple H gave him a pleased thumbs up; Triple H, however, abruptly changed the thumbs up to a thumbs-down and told Batista to drop Orton to the mat. Flair and Batista then began to beat Orton in the ring as Triple H claimed that Orton was nothing without Evolution. Orton's break-up with Evolution began a new storyline for him as a fan favorite when he continued to feud with his former group members. On the August 23 edition of Raw, after Orton refused to give Triple H the World title, Orton spat in Triple H's face and hit him with the title belt. General Manager Eric Bischoff then scheduled a match between the two for the World Heavyweight title at Unforgiven. The following week on Raw, Eugene defeated Triple H in a singles match after Orton interfered and performed an RKO on Triple H. On the September 6 edition Raw, Orton defeated Kane in a Steel Cage match, which Orton won by escaping the cage. Shortly after the match ended, Ric Flair and Batista came out and, along with Triple H, began attacking Orton. In an interview with the Daily Star in 2006, Orton revealed that WWE chairman, Vince McMahon, came up with the idea of having Orton be a fan favorite the day of SummerSlam. According to Orton, transforming into a fan favorite was "tough" because "no one bought it".

The second main feud heading into the event was between Kane and Shawn Michaels. This feud began the night after Bad Blood, when Michaels lost a Hell in a Cell match to Triple H. Raw commentator Jim Ross tried making amends between Michaels and Triple H by making them to shake hands. Michaels and Triple H extended their hands to shake, however, Kane came out and attacked Michaels, which resulted in Kane, in storyline, crushing Michaels' throat with a wedged chair. Michaels was then taken out in an ambulance for medical attention. On the June 28, 2004 edition of Raw, Ross interviewed Kane and asked him to explain his actions towards Michaels; Kane explained that he was robbed of the World Heavyweight Championship at Bad Blood against Chris Benoit, as Michaels got in his way, which angered him. On the August 30 edition of Raw, Kane revealed that Eric Bischoff's wedding gift to him and Lita, who married the week before, was to name any match he wanted for the September pay-per-view, Unforgiven. Lita then informed Kane that Bischoff's present was for both of them, where they were able to pick Kane's opponent for Unforgiven, which resulted in Michaels being picked.

The third main feud heading into the event was between Chris Jericho and Christian over the vacant WWE Intercontinental Championship. On the September 6, 2004 edition of Raw, Eric Bischoff stripped Edge of the Intercontinental Championship, after Edge suffered a legitimate injury. Christian interrupted Bischoff and stated that all his peeps would riot the streets if Bischoff did not award him the vacant championship. Jericho suggested that he and Christian wrestle in a match on Raw over the vacant championship. Bischoff, however, scheduled a Ladder match at Unforgiven between Christian and Jericho.