Unforgiven (2003) - Background

Background

The main feud heading into Unforgiven was between Triple H and Goldberg over the World Heavyweight Championship. One month prior at SummerSlam, Triple H won an Elimination Chamber match to retain the World Heavyweight Championship by last eliminating Goldberg. After the match ended, 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 would 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 edition 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 preparing to spear Triple H. Goldberg was able to kick out 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 Championship.

The other main match on the card was a Last Man Standing match between Shane McMahon and Kane. On the June 23 edition of Raw, Kane was forced to unmask himself after he had lost a Mask vs. Title match to Triple H. Shortly after Kane unmasked himself, Kane turned on and chokeslammed his tag team partner Rob Van Dam. Three weeks later on the July 14 edition of Raw, during an interview between Kane and Jim Ross, Kane set Jim Ross on fire after he thought he was mocking him. The following 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 edition 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 following night on Raw, during a match between Shane McMahon and Chris Jericho, Kane interfered and performed a chokeslam on McMahon. Shortly afterwards, McMahon superkicked Kane into a dumpster that was on fire and full of gasoline. On the September 8 edition 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, followed by 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 edition 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 edition of Raw, Steve Austin announced that Orton would face off against Michaels at Unforgiven. Two weeks later on the September 15 edition 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.