 The feud started on the September 2 episode of "Raw" when Raw General Manager Eric Bischoff awarded Triple H the World Heavyweight Championship in the form of the Big Gold Belt.Later on that edition, Triple H successfully defended the title over Ric Flair but lost in a tag team match to both Ric Flair and Rob Van Dam towards the end of the show.On the September 9 episode of "Raw", Rob Van Dam became the number one contender to the World Heavyweight Championship by defeating Chris Jericho, Jeff Hardy, and The Big Show in a fatal four-way elimination match.