Background
The event featured twelve professional wrestling matches with outcomes predetermined by WWF script writers. The matches featured wrestlers portraying their characters in planned storylines that took place before, during and after the event.
The main feud heading into the event was between Steve Austin and Vince McMahon, who did not want Austin as the WWF Champion. McMahon originally seemed to be against The Undertaker and Kane when he insulted them on the September 5 episode of Raw Saturday Night (taped on August 31 but not aired until Saturday because of US Open (tennis) coverage on the USA Network). On the September 6 episode of Sunday Night Heat, however, McMahon apologized for his comments and revealed that Austin would defend his title at Breakdown in a Triple Threat match against The Undertaker and Kane. On the September 14 episode of Raw is War, McMahon added a stipulation where The Undertaker and Kane cannot pin each other. McMahon then got in Austin's face, and Austin began to attack McMahon until The Undertaker and Kane attacked Austin. Later that night, during Austin's match with Ken Shamrock, The Undertaker and Kane interfered. The Rock and Mankind also came down. They fought off The Undertaker and Kane as McMahon looked on from the entrance ramp. Austin hit The Undertaker and Kane with a steel chair and chased McMahon. On the September 21 episode of Raw is War, The Undertaker and Kane defeated Austin and Billy Gunn. After the match, Austin hit The Undertaker and Kane with a chair.
The second feud was between Ken Shamrock, The Rock and Mankind. On the September 21 episode of Raw is War, they fought in a Triple Threat match for a shot at the WWF Championship. During the match, McMahon, The Undertaker and Kane came down, and attacked all three for what happened during Austin's match on September 14. The match ended in a no-contest and a rematch was made for Breakdown. During Sunday Night Heat before Breakdown, it was announced that the match at Breakdown would be held inside a steel cage.
Lower down the card saw the return of Marlena, under her real name Terri Runnels. On the September 13 episode of Sunday Night Heat, Dustin Runnels jumped through the crowd and attacked Val Venis with his religious-themed sign, using the wood to choke him. Dustin Runnels' new gimmick was that of an evangelist who preached against the vulgarity of the WWF's Attitude Era, mainly its violence, bloodlust and sexual content, making Venis, whose gimmick was that of a porn star, a prime target. Venis responded the following evening on Raw is War with a film of his entitled 'The Preacher's Wife' that featured Runnels' wife, who had been absent for almost a year. The following week, Dustin Runnels, who was on the commentary table, tried to assault Venis, who was busy fighting Owen Hart, but Venis managed to tie him up in the ropes and deliver a promo further insinuating the details of his adulterous relationship with Terri, with another film entitled 'Something About Terri'.
Read more about this topic: Breakdown: In Your House
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