World Wrestling Federation pay-per-view event
The 2000 Unforgiven was the third annual Unforgiven professional wrestling pay-per-view (PPV) event produced by the World Wrestling Federation (WWF, now WWE). It took place on September 24, 2000, at the First Union Center in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Eight matches were contested at the event.
The main event was a Fatal Four-Way match for the WWF Championship. The Rock defended the title against Chris Benoit, The Undertaker, and Kane. Benoit originally won the match by pinning Undertaker but since Undertaker's foot was on the rope and the referee did not notice it, the match was restarted and Rock pinned Benoit after a Rock Bottom to retain the title.
The undercard featured Triple H versus Kurt Angle in a No Disqualification match with WWF Commissioner Mick Foley serving as special guest referee, Eddie Guerrero versus Rikishi for the WWF Intercontinental Championship, Edge and Christian versus The Hardy Boyz (Matt Hardy and Jeff Hardy) in a Steel Cage match for the WWF Tag Team Championship, Chris Jericho versus X-Pac, a 10-Minute Hardcore Battle Royal for the WWF Hardcore Championship, Tazz versus Jerry Lawler in a Strap Match, and Right to Censor (Steven Richards, Val Venis, Bull Buchanan, and The Goodfather) versus The Dudley Boyz (Bubba Ray Dudley and D-Von Dudley) and The Acolytes Protection Agency (Faarooq and Bradshaw) in an eight-man tag team match.
This event also marked the return of Stone Cold Steve Austin after a ten-month absence, with the exception of his appearances at Backlash as well as "Raw is War" and "SmackDown!" episodes building into the late April pay-per-view.
Production.
Background.
Unforgiven was first held as the pay-per-view (PPV) in April 1998; In Your House was a series of monthly PPV shows first produced by the World Wrestling Federation (WWF, now WWE) in May 1995. The In Your House branding was retired following February 1999's event, as the company moved to install permanent names for each of its monthly PPVs. Unforgiven then returned in September 1999 as its own PPV event, thus establishing Unforgiven as the annual September PPV for the promotion. The 2000 event was the third event in the Unforgiven chronology and took place on September 24 at the First Union Center in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
Storylines.
Unforgiven featured professional wrestling matches that involved different wrestlers from pre-existing feuds, plots, and storylines that were played out on "Raw is War" and "SmackDown!"—World Wrestling Federation's (WWF) television programs. Wrestlers portrayed a villain or a hero as they followed a series of events that built tension, and culminated in a wrestling match or series of matches.
The main rivalry heading into the event was between The Rock, Chris Benoit, The Undertaker and Kane over Rock's WWF Championship. On the August 28 episode of "Raw is War", Undertaker cost Kane a title opportunity against Rock. ;ref name="Raw - 08/28/2000" ; ;/ref ; On the August 31 episode of "SmackDown!", Undertaker and Benoit wrestled in a number one contender's match which Undertaker won by disqualification after being attacked by Kane. However, due to earning the victory by disqualification, Undertaker was not made the number one contender. ;ref name="SD - 08/31/2000" ; ;/ref ; This led to a number one contender's match between Benoit and Kane on the September 4 episode of "Raw is War". Benoit was disqualified again for hitting Kane with a chair and the position of the number one contender remained vacant. ;ref name="Raw - 09/04/2000" ; ;/ref ; On the September 11 episode of "Raw is War", Benoit and Kane defeated Rock and Undertaker in a tag team match. After the match, the WWF Commissioner Mick Foley announced that Rock would defend the title against Benoit, Undertaker and Kane in a fatal four-Way match at Unforgiven. ;ref name="Raw - 09/11/2000" ; ;/ref ;
Another predominant rivalry heading into the event was between Triple H and Kurt Angle. At SummerSlam, The Rock defeated Triple H and Angle in a Triple Threat match to retain the WWF Championship after Angle received a concussion at the hands of Triple H. Angle had started taking a liking to Triple H's on-screen wife, Stephanie McMahon which made Triple H jealous of Angle. On the August 28 episode of "Raw is War", Angle interfered in a match between Eddie Guerrero and Triple H by attacking both men with a chair. Guerrero's valet and Triple H's former on-screen girlfriend, the WWF Intercontinental Champion Chyna checked on both men and hugged Triple H. On the August 31 episode of "SmackDown!", Angle showed McMahon, a video of Triple H and Chyna hugging each other to create differences between Triple H and McMahon. Later that night, Triple H was arrested by police officers before his scheduled match against Guerrero and Angle. On the September 4 episode of "Raw is War", Test was revealed to have complained to the officers to have Triple H arrested. On the September 11 episode of "Raw is War", Angle interfered in Triple H's match with Chris Jericho and distracted Triple H, causing Triple H to leave the ring and chase Angle. Later that night, Angle attacked both Triple H and McMahon after his Handicap match against T &amp; A (Test and Albert). As a result, the WWF Commissioner Mick Foley announced that Triple H and Angle would wrestle at Unforgiven.
At SummerSlam, Edge and Christian defeated Hardy Boyz (Matt Hardy and Jeff Hardy) and The Dudley Boyz (Bubba Ray Dudley and D-Von Dudley) in the first-ever Tables, Ladders and Chairs match to retain the WWF Tag Team Championship. The following night on "Raw is War", Edge and Christian mocked Hardy Boyz and Dudley Boyz by bringing out four midgets portraying the Hardyz and the Dudleyz. This caused the Hardyz to come out and attack Edge and Christian. On the September 11 episode of "Raw is War", the Hardy Boyz defeated the Dudley Boyz in a number one contender's match for the Tag Team Championship. On the September 14 episode of "SmackDown!", the WWF Commissioner Mick Foley announced that Edge and Christian would defend the titles against Hardy Boyz in a steel cage match at Unforgiven. ;ref name="SD - 09/14/2000" ; ;/ref ;
At SummerSlam, Chyna and Eddie Guerrero defeated the WWF Intercontinental Champion Val Venis and Trish Stratus in a mixed tag team match by pinning Venis for his WWF Intercontinental Championship. The next night on "Raw is War", Chyna and Guerrero involved themselves in a rivalry between Triple H and Kurt Angle as Guerrero and Triple H had a match, in which Angle interfered and attacked both men. After the match, Chyna and Triple H hugged. Angle tried to create differences between Chyna and Guerrero, leading to a title match between Chyna and Angle on the September 4 episode of "Raw is War". However, Guerrero wanted to second Chyna but the WWF Commissioner inserted him into the Intercontinental Championship match, making it a Triple Threat match. Angle knocked out Chyna and Guerrero accidentally pinned her as he attempted to revive her. After the match, Chyna and Guerrero argued and Guerrero tried to return the belt to her but she refused and they hugged. It was followed by a vicious smile by Guerrero, creating a doubt that Guerrero was plotting this to win the title. He would follow by sneak attacks on Chyna's allies, Road Dogg and Too Cool (Scotty 2 Hotty and Grand Master Sexay). ;ref name="SD - 09/07/2000" ; ;/ref ; Following Guerrero's assault on Too Cool on the September 11 episode of "Raw is War", Too Cool's ally Rikishi came to rescue the team but was attacked by Chyna. On the September 14 episode of "SmackDown!", Guerrero cost the team of Rikishi and Scotty, a tag team match against Right to Censor (Val Venis and Steven Richards) by attacking Rikishi. This led to an Intercontinental Championship match between Guerrero and Rikishi at Unforgiven. Throughout all of this, tension was building between Eddie and Chyna, with Chyna being uncomfortable with Eddie cheating to retain his title, and Eddie being upset over Chyna posing for "Playboy", even going to the Playboy Mansion to stop the photos from being released. On the September 18 episode of "Raw", Eddie faked an illness to get out of a match with Rikishi, who ended up facing Chyna instead. Eddie would come down to ringside at the start of the match and spray Rikishi in the eyes with mace. When Chyna attempted to check on him, Rikishi attacked her to goad Eddie into the ring and hit the Banzai Drop, but Eddie wouldn't make the save. On the September 21 episode of "SmackDown", Eddie would apologize to Chyna for all the horrible things he had done over the past month, but Rikishi would expose Eddie with a security video of Eddie trying to break into Playboy Headquarters to stop Chyna's Playboy spread from being released. After seeing that video, a heartbroken Chyna was about to leave Eddie for good, but Eddie quickly pulled Chyna back into his clutches by proposing to her.
At SummerSlam, Jerry Lawler defeated Tazz in a standard wrestling match. The following night on "Raw is War", Tazz had a scheduled WWF Hardcore Championship match against Steve Blackman. Tazz began attacking Lawler, causing Lawler and Jim Ross to interfere in the match and cost Tazz, the title opportunity against Blackman. On the August 31 episode of "SmackDown!", Lawler cost Tazz, a match against Chris Jericho. On the September 4 episode of "Raw is War", Lawler and Jericho defeated Tazz and Mideon in a tag team match when Lawler pinned Tazz. After the match, Tazz attacked Lawler with a leather strap. On the September 11 episode of "Raw is War", Lawler cost Tazz a WWF European Championship match against Al Snow and after the match, Tazz decided to quit WWF. However, on the September 14 episode of "SmackDown", the WWF Commissioner Mick Foley convinced Tazz to stay in WWF and announced that Tazz would wrestle Lawler in a Strap match at Unforgiven.
On the September 7 episode of "SmackDown!", X-Pac defeated Chris Jericho in a standard wrestling match. On the September 11 episode of "Raw is War", X-Pac interfered in Jericho's match against Triple H by attacking Jericho and causing Triple H to get disqualified. Later that night, Jericho cost X-Pac, a WWF Hardcore Championship match against Steve Blackman. On the September 18 episode of "Raw is War", Jericho ruined the returning Steven Regal's ceremony and X-Pac attacked Jericho from behind. ;ref name="Raw - 09/18/2000" ; ;/ref ; This would lead to a match between Jericho and X-Pac at Unforgiven.
At SummerSlam, Right to Censor (Steven Richards, Bull Buchanan and The Goodfather) defeated Too Cool (Scotty 2 Hotty, Grand Master Sexay and Rikishi) in a six-man tag team match. On the August 31 episode of "SmackDown!", RTC helped Val Venis in defeating Rikishi. On the September 11 episode of "Raw is War", Goodfather and Buchanan defeated Acolytes Protection Agency (Faarooq and Bradshaw) in a tag team match. After the match, Venis attacked APA and joined RTC. On the September 18 episode of "Raw is War", Goodfather and Buchanan defeated The Dudley Boyz (Bubba Ray Dudley and D-Von Dudley) in a tag team match through the same way. After the match, RTC began attacking Dudley Boyz until APA came out to rescue Dudley Boyz. This would lead to an eight-man tag team match between the team of APA and Dudley Boyz against Right to Censor at Unforgiven.
On the September 21 episode of "SmackDown!", Steve Blackman defended the WWF Hardcore Championship against the WWF European Champion Al Snow. During the match, Funaki, Test, Perry Saturn and Crash Holly interfered and attacked Blackman to take advantage of the 24/7 rule. Blackman pinned Funaki to retain the title. This set up a title defense for Blackman against Funaki, Test, Saturn, Holly and Snow in a Hardcore Battle Royal for the Hardcore Championship at Unforgiven.
On the September 7 episode of "SmackDown!", Stone Cold Steve Austin, who had been out of action for almost ten months since he got run over by a car at the previous year's Survivor Series in Detroit, appeared in an interview and announced that he would be returning at Unforgiven to find out who ran over him.
Event.
Preliminary matches.
The first match on the card was an eight-man tag team match pitting Right to Censor (Steven Richards, Val Venis, Bull Buchanan, and The Goodfather) against the team of The