SummerSlam (2002)
The main event was for the WWE Undisputed Championship between The Rock and Brock Lesnar. Lesnar dominated early with some power moves. The Rock went for the Sharpshooter. Lesnar's manager Paul Heyman got involved in the match, as he was attacked by The Rock, who executed a Rock Bottom through a broadcast table on Heyman. The Rock and Brock Lesnar gave each other a "Rock Bottom". The match came to an end when Lesnar stopped a People's Elbow and a "Rock Bottom" and then executed the "F-5" on The Rock for the win and the title. Lesnar remained the youngest world champion in WWE history until Randy Orton won the World Heavyweight Championship in 2004, although Lesnar remains the youngest WWE Champion in history.
Unforgiven (2004)
Seven professional wrestling matches were scheduled on the event's card beforehand, which were planned with predetermined outcomes by WWE's script writers. The buildup to these matches and scenarios that took place before, during and after the event were also planned by the script writers. The event featured wrestlers and other talent from Raw's brand – a storyline expansion in which WWE assigned its employees. Wrestlers portrayed either a villainous or fan favorite gimmick, as they followed a series of events which generally built tension, leading to a wrestling match.
The main feud heading into the event was between Randy Orton and Triple H over the World Heavyweight Championship. At the August pay-per-view event, SummerSlam, WWE's previous pay-per-view event, Orton defeated Chris Benoit to win the World Heavyweight Championship, thus making Orton the youngest World Heavyweight Champion in WWE history. On the August 16, 2004 edition of "Raw", one of WWE's primary television programs, Orton successfully retained the title in a rematch with Benoit. After the match, Evolution (Batista, Ric Flair, and Triple H), Orton's fellow stablemates, threw him a fake celebration, only to reveal that they were not pleased with his new victory. While Batista had Orton propped on his shoulders in elation, Triple H gave him a pleased thumbs up; Triple H, however, abruptly changed the thumbs up to a thumbs-down and told Batista to drop Orton to the mat. Flair and Batista then began to beat Orton in the ring as Triple H claimed that Orton was nothing without Evolution. Orton's break-up with Evolution began a new storyline for him as a fan favorite when he continued to feud with his former group members. On the August 23 edition of "Raw", after Orton refused to give Triple H the World title, Orton spat in Triple H's face and hit him with the title belt. General Manager Eric Bischoff then scheduled a match between the two for the World Heavyweight title at Unforgiven. The following week on "Raw", Eugene defeated Triple H in a singles match after Orton interfered and performed an RKO on Triple H. On the September 6 edition "Raw", Orton defeated Kane in a Steel Cage match, which Orton won by escaping the cage. Shortly after the match ended, Ric Flair and Batista came out and, along with Triple H, began attacking Orton. In an interview with the "Daily Star" in 2006, Orton revealed that WWE chairman, Vince McMahon, came up with the idea of having Orton be a fan favorite the day of SummerSlam. According to Orton, transforming into a fan favorite was "tough" because "no one bought it".