 After a segment earlier in the event showed an injured Sabu was unable to compete in the match, it was decided that Hardcore Holly would take his spot in the ECW Championship match.Before the match began, Paul Heyman announced the rules of the match and explained that each superstar had a weapon with them in each of their pods.Before entering the ring, Heyman had a conversation backstage with Big Show, that was unseen by television viewers, with him revealing that for the first time in his professional career he was not motivated to give the promo.