Background
The main feud heading into Unforgiven on the SmackDown brand was between The Undertaker and Mark Henry. Their rivalry started in early 2006 when Henry's interference caused Undertaker to lose a match for the World Heavyweight Championship against Kurt Angle. This culminated in a Casket match at WrestleMania 22 which Undertaker won, extending his WrestleMania winning streak to 14-0. On the May 11, 2007 edition of SmackDown, Henry, who made his return from an injury he sustained in mid-2006, assaulted The Undertaker after Undertaker had retained the World Heavyweight Championship against Batista in a Steel Cage match. Following the assault, Edge cashed in his Money in the Bank contract to defeat Undertaker and win the World Heavyweight Championship. As a result, Undertaker was out of action for four months. In August, vignettes started airing about Undertaker's return and his match with Henry at Unforgiven.
The main feud on the Raw brand was between John Cena and Randy Orton for the WWE Championship. Cena had retained the title against Orton at SummerSlam. The following night on Raw, Orton demanded a rematch for the title, but his request was declined by General Manager William Regal. Orton proceeded his demands to Mr. McMahon, who also refused to give him a rematch unless he proved himself. That night, Orton interfered in Cena's match by assaulting Cena and kicking Cena's father, who was at ringside, in the head. The following week, Orton was granted a title rematch against Cena at Unforgiven.
The main feud on the ECW brand was between CM Punk and Elijah Burke over the ECW Championship. The rivalry started on the September 11, 2007 edition of ECW on Sci Fi, when Burke became the number one contender to the title. After the fact was revealed, Punk dropkicked Burke. Later that same night, Punk teamed up with Stevie Richards in the main event against Burke and Kevin Thorn, which saw Punk and Richards win the match.
The secondary feud on the SmackDown brand was between The Great Khali, Batista and Rey Mysterio for the World Heavyweight Championship. After Batista was unable to win the World Heavyweight Championship from Khali at SummerSlam, he participated in a tournament in which he lost to Mysterio, the eventual winner. As a result, Mysterio got a title shot against Khali at Unforgiven. On the September 7, 2007 edition of SmackDown, after Mysterio defeated Chavo Guerrero in an "I Quit" match, Khali put Mysterio in a Khali Vise Grip. Batista made the save, and as a result, he was made a part of the match, making it a Triple Threat match at Unforgiven.
Read more about this topic: Unforgiven (2007)
Famous quotes containing the word background:
“I had many problems in my conduct of the office being contrasted with President Kennedy’s conduct in the office, with my manner of dealing with things and his manner, with my accent and his accent, with my background and his background. He was a great public hero, and anything I did that someone didn’t approve of, they would always feel that President Kennedy wouldn’t have done that.”
—Lyndon Baines Johnson (1908–1973)
“They were more than hostile. In the first place, I was a south Georgian and I was looked upon as a fiscal conservative, and the Atlanta newspapers quite erroneously, because they didn’t know anything about me or my background here in Plains, decided that I was also a racial conservative.”
—Jimmy Carter (James Earl Carter, Jr.)
“Silence is the universal refuge, the sequel to all dull discourses and all foolish acts, a balm to our every chagrin, as welcome after satiety as after disappointment; that background which the painter may not daub, be he master or bungler, and which, however awkward a figure we may have made in the foreground, remains ever our inviolable asylum, where no indignity can assail, no personality can disturb us.”
—Henry David Thoreau (1817–1862)