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Unforgiven (2008)
Encyclopedia
Unforgiven was a professional wrestling
pay-per-view
(PPV) event produced by World Wrestling Entertainment
(WWE), which took place on September 7, 2008 at the Quicken Loans Arena
in Cleveland, Ohio
. It was the 11th and final annual Unforgiven
event, starring wrestlers from the Raw
, SmackDown, and ECW brands
.
Seven professional wrestling matches
were scheduled on the event's card
, which featured a supercard, a scheduling of more than one main event
. The three brands, Raw, SmackDown, and ECW, were all represented by their respective Championship Scramble match – a 20 minute time limit bout, during which participants can become the temporary champion via pinfall or submission. The main event of the pay-per-view was the Championship Scramble from the Raw brand. It was originally scheduled to feature World Heavyweight Champion
CM Punk
defending his title; he was replaced by Chris Jericho
after Randy Orton
attacked CM Punk. Jericho won the match and became World Heavyweight Champion. The Championship Scramble from the ECW brand featured ECW Champion Mark Henry
defending, losing the match and title to Matt Hardy
. The SmackDown brand's Championship Scramble saw WWE Champion
Triple H
defeat the other competitors to retain his championship. Another featured match on the undercard was an unsanctioned match, or hardcore match
, in which Shawn Michaels
defeated Chris Jericho.
The event marked the first time the Championship Scramble format was used by WWE. The event had an attendance of 8,707. The event received 211,000 pay-per-view buys, more than the previous year's event
. When the event was released on DVD, it reached a peak position of second on Billboard
's DVD sales chart.
with outcomes predetermined by WWE script writers. The matches featured wrestlers portraying their characters in planned storylines that took place before, during and after the event. All wrestlers were from one of the WWE's brands – SmackDown, Raw
, or ECW – the three storyline divisions
in which WWE assigned its employees. The event also marked the first time that the Championship Scramble format was used by the WWE.
Wrestlers from the Raw brand were featured in the main event
at Unforgiven: a Championship Scramble match, a 20 minute time limit bout, during which participants enter at five minute intervals and can become the temporary champion via pinfall or submission. The match was contested for the World Heavyweight Championship
, and was originally scheduled to be CM Punk
defending the title against John "Bradshaw" Layfield
(JBL), Batista, Rey Mysterio, and Kane
. During the event, however, Randy Orton
attacked CM Punk and he was replaced in the match by Chris Jericho
. The build up to the match began on the August 18 episode of Raw, when Raw General Manager Mike Adamle
, who portrays an on screen authority figure, announced the match and its rules, stating that JBL, Batista, John Cena
, Kane, and World Heavyweight Champion CM Punk would participate. The following week on Raw, Adamle announced that John Cena had been injured after his match against Batista at SummerSlam
, and would be unable to compete in the Championship Scramble. Adamle then announced Rey Mysterio as Cena's replacement. On the September 1 episode of Raw, a preview of the Championship Scramble match was featured, in which the five men fighting in the Championship Scramble competed in a traditional battle royal
, which Kane won.
The other predominant match from the Raw brand was an unsanctioned match
between Shawn Michaels
and Chris Jericho. The build up to the match began at SummerSlam
, when Michaels came to the ring to announce his storyline
retirement. Jericho, however, interrupted the announcement and, in an attempt to punch Michaels, accidentally struck Michaels' wife Rebecca. On the August 18 episode of Raw, Jericho stated that he had no remorse for what he did to Michaels wife, claiming that Michaels "had it coming to him". The following week on Raw, Michaels announced he was not going to retire and asked Jericho for an unsanctioned match. Jericho agreed to the match, and the following week on Raw there was a contract signing for the match. The signing ended with Jericho and Michaels attacking each other.
The predominant match from the SmackDown brand was a Championship Scramble for the WWE Championship
, in which title holder Triple H
faced Jeff Hardy
, The Brian Kendrick
, Shelton Benjamin
, and Montel Vontavious Porter (MVP). The build up to the match began on the August 22 episode of SmackDown!, when General Manager Vickie Guerrero
announced that SmackDown would have a Championship Scramble match and that the competitors would include WWE Champion Triple H and four men to be decided later in the night through a series of qualifying matches. The first qualifying match was a ten man battle royal, which saw The Big Show
disrupt the match and throw all the competitors over the top rope. The Brian Kendrick, however, was saved by his bodyguard, Ezekiel Jackson, who caught Kendrick and put him back in the ring after the Big Show had eliminated all other competitors. Thus, Kendrick qualified for the Championship Scramble. The second qualifying match saw MVP defeat Festus
by count out, qualifying for the match. The third qualifying match was Shelton Benjamin versus Finlay
, which Benjamin won. The final qualifying match was Jeff Hardy versus The Great Khali, which Hardy won.
The predominant match from the ECW brand was a third Championship Scramble, in which Mark Henry
defended against Matt Hardy
, The Miz
, Chavo Guerrero
, and Finlay. The build up to the match began on the August 26 episode of ECW, when General Manager Theodore Long
announced that the ECW Championship would be defended in a Championship Scramble and that there would be qualifying matches that night to determine who would participate. The first qualifying match saw Matt Hardy defeat John Morrison to qualify. The second match was The Miz versus Evan Bourne, which The Miz won. The third qualifying match saw Chavo Guerrero defeat Tommy Dreamer
to qualify, and the fourth match was Finlay versus Mike Knox
, which Finlay won. On the September 1 episode of Raw, there was a preview of the Championship Scramble, in which the five participants took part in a traditional battle royal. The winner was ECW Champion Mark Henry.
Before the event began and aired live
on pay-per-view
, a dark match was featured in which Evan Bourne defeated John Morrison with a shooting star press.
, a running knee lift and jumping neckbreaker, a combination called the "Reality Check". After the first five minutes had passed, Chavo Guerrero came to the ring and quickly performed a body splash on Hardy and covered him for a pinfall, making him the interim champion. Guerrero continued with a variety of offensive maneuvers until Matt Hardy performed a wrist-lock seated side slam, or "Side Effect", on Guerrero and covered him for a pinfall, making him the temporary champion. After the next five minutes had passed, Mark Henry
entered the ring. All three other men attacked him, but Henry overpowered them and performed a falling powerslam on Chavo Guerrero, covering him and scoring a pinfall to become the interim champion. After the next series of five minutes had passed, Finlay entered the ring. He attacked Henry and his storyline
son Hornswoggle distracted Henry, allowing Finlay to strike him with a shillelagh
, followed by a running over the shoulder belly to back piledriver, or "Celtic Cross", on Hardy to become temporary champion. The match continued until Matt Hardy performed a front facelock cutter, or "Twist of Fate", on The Miz. He covered The Miz and became the interim champion. Hardy continued to break up pinfall attempts until the end of the 20 minute time limit, at which time Matt Hardy, being the interim champion, won the ECW Championship.
The following bout was a tag team match for the World Tag Team Championship, where the champions, Cody Rhodes and Ted DiBiase
, defended their titles against Cryme Tyme
, a tag team composed of Shad Gaspard and JTG. The match began with Cryme Tyme in control, and Shad threw JTG over the top rope onto Rhodes and DiBiase. Rhodes and DiBiase, however, isolated JTG in their corner and performed a number of offensive maneuvers on him. Rhodes attempted a backflip from the top rope
onto JTG, but missed, allowing JTG to tag in Shad at the same time Rhodes tagged in DiBiase. Shad performed a back body drop on DiBiase, but while the referee was distracted, Rhodes performed a DDT on Shad. DiBiase attempted to cover Shad, but was forced to break the cover as Shad placed his foot on the bottom rope. JTG attempted an inside cradle pin on Rhodes, but Shad accidentally pushed DiBiase on Rhodes, reversing the pinfall attempt so that Rhodes scored the pin over JTG, retaining his and DiBiase's title in the process.
The third contest was an unsanctioned match
between Shawn Michaels
and Chris Jericho
. The match was contested under no disqualification and no count-out rules, so both men utilized a number of weapons in their offense. Jericho and Michaels used weapons and objects such as folding tables, steel chairs, and fire extinguishers. The match also saw Lance Cade
interfere on behalf of Jericho, but Michaels ultimately gained the advantage over both men, leading to him placing both men on an announcer's table and diving onto them with his elbow cocked, sending them through the table. After returning Jericho to the ring, Michaels continued to attack Jericho. The referee ended the match when he determined that Jericho could no longer defend himself against Michaels, making Michaels the victor by referee stoppage.
The main event for the SmackDown brand was a Championship Scramble for the WWE Championship
in which the champion, Triple H
, defended against Jeff Hardy
, The Brian Kendrick
, Shelton Benjamin
, and Montel Vontavious Porter. The match began with Jeff Hardy and Shelton Benjamin, with both men wrestling inconclusively until the first five minute interval had passed, and The Brian Kendrick entered the match. Soon after Kendrick's entrance, Hardy performed a reverse powerbomb on him and covered him, scoring a pinfall and becoming the interim WWE Champion. Later, Kendrick performed a springboard backflip three-quarter facelock falling reverse DDT, which he calls The Kendrick, on Hardy and covered him for a pinfall, becoming the temporary WWE Champion. Shortly after, the second five minute interval expired and MVP entered the match. All four men in the match continued to fight, with no pinfalls being scored until the third five minute interval expired, at which point Triple H entered the match. Soon after his entrance, performed a spinebuster, followed by a performed a double underhook facebuster, or "Pedigree", on Kendrick, covering him to become the interim champion. Hardy returned to the ring and performed a front facelock dropped into a cutter, which he calls a "Twist of Fate", on MVP, covering him for a pinfall and becoming temporary champion. After disrupting Hardy's attempt to perform a maneuver off the top turnbuckle, Triple H performed another Pedigree on Kendrick to become interim champion again. Shortly after, however, Hardy performed a high angle senton bomb, or "Swanton Bomb", on Kendrick and again became temporary champion after a cover. The match ended with Triple H performing a Pedigree on MVP and Hardy performing a Swanton Bomb on Benjamin; however, Triple H covered MVP faster and scored the pinfall with one second remaining on the clock. The time limit expired and Triple H retained the WWE Championship.
Following this, a backstage segment took place in which CM Punk
was being interviewed regarding his title defense in the Championship Scramble later in the evening. The interview was interrupted by Randy Orton, and as he spoke with Punk, Cody Rhodes, Ted DiBiase
, and Manu
attacked CM Punk, as well as Kofi Kingston who tried to help Punk. After they had attacked both Punk and Kingston, Orton made use of this opportunity to perform a running punt on Punk.
The fifth contest was a standard match in which WWE Divas Champion Michelle McCool
defended her title against Maryse
. Maryse began the match attacking McCool's knee, but McCool soon countered by grabbing Maryse's foot and twisting it, a submission hold called a heel hook. Maryse, however, reached the ropes and caused McCool to break the hold. Later in the match, McCool performed a lifting double underhook facebuster, a move called the "Wings of Love", and covered Maryse to retain her championship.
Following the match, an in ring segment took place in which The Big Show
, entered the ring and asked the crowd whether they thought he should have been in the Championship Scramble for the WWE Championship. SmackDown General Manager Vickie Guerrero
, who portrays on on-screen authority figure for the SmackDown brand, then came to the ring and proceeded to insult the Big Show, and demanded that he leave the ring. Druids then came to the ring bringing a casket
, and The Undertaker appeared on the TitanTron
, telling Guerrero to either get in the casket herself or he would put her in it. Guerrero refused to enter the casket voluntarily, so The Undertaker began to come to ringside. The Big Show held back Guerrero as The Undertaker came to the ring. Once he was in the ring, The Undertaker began to choke Guerrero, but the Big Show turned heel
, becoming a villainous character, by striking The Undertaker and freeing Guerrero. He proceeded to attack The Undertaker, and restrained him to allow Guerrero to slap him and spit in his face.
The main event from the Raw brand was a Championship Scramble for the World Heavyweight Championship
. The event was originally scheduled to be World Heavyweight Champion CM Punk defending against John "Bradshaw" Layfield
, Batista, Rey Mysterio, and Kane
. However, due to the attack on CM Punk earlier in the night, CM Punk was unable to compete and was replaced by Chris Jericho (this information was not revealed until the final five minutes of the match, at which point Chris Jericho entered in place of CM Punk). Batista and JBL began the match, performing a variety of offensive maneuvers until the first five minute interval had passed, and Kane entered the match. Later, JBL attempted to strike Kane with his forearm, a move JBL calls a "Clothesline from Hell", but was caught by Kane. Kane then lifted JBL by the throat and slammed him to the mat
, called a chokeslam, and covered him for a pinfall, becoming the interim champion. Soon after, the second five minute interval expired and Rey Mysterio entered the match. The match continued for several minutes, until the final five minute interval expired and Jericho entered the match as a replacement for CM Punk, shocking everyone. Soon after Jericho's entrance, Batista performed a spinebuster on Kane, covering him for a pinfall and becoming temporary champion. Batista was left as the only man standing until Jericho returned to the ring and covered the already downed Kane, scoring a pinfall and becoming interim champion. The time limit expired soon after, and Jericho won the World Heavyweight Championship.
. Following this announcement, Shawn Michaels announced that he would be facing Chris Jericho in a ladder match
at No Mercy. Two weeks later on the September 29 episode of Raw, Chris Jericho and Lance Cade
faced a reunited D-Generation X
(Shawn Michaels and Triple H) in a tag team
match, which D-Generation X won via disqualification. At No Mercy, Batista defeated JBL to become number one contender for the World Heavyweight Championship, and Chris Jericho defeated Shawn Michaels to retain the World Heavyweight Championship.
On the September 12 edition of SmackDown, a standard wrestling match involving four wrestlers was held between Jeff Hardy, The Brian Kendrick, Shelton Benjamin, and MVP, with the stipulation that the winner would go on to face Triple H at No Mercy for the WWE Championship. Jeff Hardy won the match and earned a title match at No Mercy. At No Mercy, Triple H defeated Hardy to retain his championship.
On the September 16 episode of ECW, it was announced that Matt Hardy would defend the ECW Championship against Mark Henry at No Mercy. At No Mercy, Hardy defeated Henry to retain his championship.
Almost two and a half years later at Royal Rumble 2011
CM Punk prevented Randy Orton from winning the WWE Championship
from The Miz. Eventually Punk revealed that he did this to get revenge on Orton for costing him the championship at Unforgiven in 2008.
' s professional wrestling section rated the entire event a 7 out of 10 stars. The rating was higher than the Unforgiven event in 2007
, which was rated a 5.5 out of 10 stars. The Championship Scramble main event match from the Raw brand was rated a 6.5 out of 10 stars, while the SmackDown brand's main event, a Championship Scramble for the WWE Championship, was rated an 8 out of 10 stars. The Sun
gave a positive review of the event, praising the Jericho/HBK Match and Jericho's World Championship victory. Furthermore, the continuation of the Hardy/Triple H feud was similarly praised. The event was released on DVD
on October 7, 2008 by Sony Music Entertainment
. The DVD reached second on Billboard
s DVD Sales Chart for recreational sports during the week of November 1, 2008, although it fell off the chart thereafter.
ECW Championship Scramble Interim Champions
WWE Championship Scramble Interim Champions
World Heavyweight Championship Scramble Interim Champions
Professional wrestling
Professional wrestling is a mode of spectacle, combining athletics and theatrical performance.Roland Barthes, "The World of Wrestling", Mythologies, 1957 It takes the form of events, held by touring companies, which mimic a title match combat sport...
pay-per-view
Pay-per-view
Pay-per-view provides a service by which a television audience can purchase events to view via private telecast. The broadcaster shows the event at the same time to everyone ordering it...
(PPV) event produced by World Wrestling Entertainment
World Wrestling Entertainment
World Wrestling Entertainment, Inc. is an American publicly traded, privately controlled entertainment company dealing primarily in professional wrestling, with major revenue sources also coming from film, music, product licensing, and direct product sales...
(WWE), which took place on September 7, 2008 at the Quicken Loans Arena
Quicken Loans Arena
Quicken Loans Arena , is a multi-purpose arena, in downtown Cleveland, Ohio, United States....
in Cleveland, Ohio
Cleveland, Ohio
Cleveland is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and is the county seat of Cuyahoga County, the most populous county in the state. The city is located in northeastern Ohio on the southern shore of Lake Erie, approximately west of the Pennsylvania border...
. It was the 11th and final annual Unforgiven
WWE Unforgiven
Unforgiven was an annual professional wrestling pay-per-view event produced by World Wrestling Entertainment, which had been held in September since the 1999 edition. It originally started out as a In Your House pay-per-view event in April and featured the infamous Inferno match between The...
event, starring wrestlers from the Raw
WWE RAW
WWE Raw ) is a sports entertainment television program for WWE that currently airs on the USA Network in the United States...
, SmackDown, and ECW brands
WWE Brand Extension
WWE, formerly the World Wrestling Federation and World Wrestling Entertainment , currently promotes its core business of professional wrestling through two "brands" named after their two major television shows Raw and SmackDown...
.
Seven professional wrestling matches
Mock combat
Mock combat involves the execution of combative actions without intent to harm. Participants can engage in such sparring for ritual, training, recreational or performance reasons...
were scheduled on the event's card
Card (sports)
In sports, a card comprises a listing of the matches taking place in a title-match combat-sport event. Organizers divide overall cards into a main-event match and the undercard, which encompasses the rest of the matches. One can also further subdivide the undercard into midcard and lower card,...
, which featured a supercard, a scheduling of more than one main event
Card (sports)
In sports, a card comprises a listing of the matches taking place in a title-match combat-sport event. Organizers divide overall cards into a main-event match and the undercard, which encompasses the rest of the matches. One can also further subdivide the undercard into midcard and lower card,...
. The three brands, Raw, SmackDown, and ECW, were all represented by their respective Championship Scramble match – a 20 minute time limit bout, during which participants can become the temporary champion via pinfall or submission. The main event of the pay-per-view was the Championship Scramble from the Raw brand. It was originally scheduled to feature World Heavyweight Champion
World Heavyweight Championship (WWE)
The World Heavyweight Championship is a professional wrestling world heavyweight championship in WWE. It is the world title of the SmackDown brand and one of two in WWE, complementing the WWE Championship of the Raw brand...
CM Punk
CM Punk
Phillip Jack "Phil" Brooks , better known by his ring name CM Punk, is an American professional wrestler currently signed to WWE and working on its Raw brand currently serving his second title reign as WWE Champion....
defending his title; he was replaced by Chris Jericho
Chris Jericho
Christopher Keith Irvine , better known by his ring name Chris Jericho, is an inactive Canadian-American professional wrestler, musician, songwriter, radio personality, television host, actor, author, and dancer...
after Randy Orton
Randy Orton
Randal Keith "Randy" Orton is an American professional wrestler and actor. He is signed to WWE wrestling on its SmackDown brand...
attacked CM Punk. Jericho won the match and became World Heavyweight Champion. The Championship Scramble from the ECW brand featured ECW Champion Mark Henry
Mark Henry
Mark Jerrold Henry is an American professional wrestler signed with WWE, where he performs on its SmackDown brand as the reigning World Heavyweight Champion. He is a 1992 Olympian, and winner of the 2002 Arnold Strongman Classic...
defending, losing the match and title to Matt Hardy
Matt Hardy
Matthew Moore "Matt" Hardy is a semi-retired American professional wrestler. He is best known for his stints in World Wrestling Entertainment and Total Nonstop Action Wrestling ....
. The SmackDown brand's Championship Scramble saw WWE Champion
WWE Championship
The WWE Championship is a professional wrestling world heavyweight championship in WWE. It is the world title of the Raw brand and one of two in WWE, complementing the World Heavyweight Championship of the SmackDown brand. It was established under the then WWWF in 1963...
Triple H
Triple H
Paul Michael Levesque is an American professional wrestler, professional wrestling authority figure, WWE Executive Vice President of Talent and actor, better known by his ring name Triple H, an abbreviation of the ring name, Hunter Hearst Helmsley...
defeat the other competitors to retain his championship. Another featured match on the undercard was an unsanctioned match, or hardcore match
Hardcore wrestling
Hardcore wrestling is a form of professional wrestling that eschews traditional concepts of match rules in favor of matches that take place in unusual environments, using foreign objects that are not normally permitted...
, in which Shawn Michaels
Shawn Michaels
Michael Shawn Hickenbottom , better known by his ring name Shawn Michaels, is an American television host and retired professional wrestler. He presents the Outdoor Channel show MacMillan River Adventures, and is currently signed to WWE, where he has served in an ambassadorial role since December...
defeated Chris Jericho.
The event marked the first time the Championship Scramble format was used by WWE. The event had an attendance of 8,707. The event received 211,000 pay-per-view buys, more than the previous year's event
Unforgiven (2007)
Unforgiven was the tenth annual Unforgiven pay-per-view event produced by World Wrestling Entertainment . It took place on September 16, 2007 from the FedExForum in Memphis, Tennessee and featured talent from the Raw, SmackDown, and ECW brands.The main match on the SmackDown brand was The...
. When the event was released on DVD, it reached a peak position of second on Billboard
Billboard (magazine)
Billboard is a weekly American magazine devoted to the music industry, and is one of the oldest trade magazines in the world. It maintains several internationally recognized music charts that track the most popular songs and albums in various categories on a weekly basis...
's DVD sales chart.
Background
The event featured seven professional wrestling matchesMock combat
Mock combat involves the execution of combative actions without intent to harm. Participants can engage in such sparring for ritual, training, recreational or performance reasons...
with outcomes predetermined by WWE script writers. The matches featured wrestlers portraying their characters in planned storylines that took place before, during and after the event. All wrestlers were from one of the WWE's brands – SmackDown, Raw
WWE RAW
WWE Raw ) is a sports entertainment television program for WWE that currently airs on the USA Network in the United States...
, or ECW – the three storyline divisions
WWE Brand Extension
WWE, formerly the World Wrestling Federation and World Wrestling Entertainment , currently promotes its core business of professional wrestling through two "brands" named after their two major television shows Raw and SmackDown...
in which WWE assigned its employees. The event also marked the first time that the Championship Scramble format was used by the WWE.
Card (sports)
In sports, a card comprises a listing of the matches taking place in a title-match combat-sport event. Organizers divide overall cards into a main-event match and the undercard, which encompasses the rest of the matches. One can also further subdivide the undercard into midcard and lower card,...
at Unforgiven: a Championship Scramble match, a 20 minute time limit bout, during which participants enter at five minute intervals and can become the temporary champion via pinfall or submission. The match was contested for the World Heavyweight Championship
World Heavyweight Championship (WWE)
The World Heavyweight Championship is a professional wrestling world heavyweight championship in WWE. It is the world title of the SmackDown brand and one of two in WWE, complementing the WWE Championship of the Raw brand...
, and was originally scheduled to be CM Punk
CM Punk
Phillip Jack "Phil" Brooks , better known by his ring name CM Punk, is an American professional wrestler currently signed to WWE and working on its Raw brand currently serving his second title reign as WWE Champion....
defending the title against John "Bradshaw" Layfield
John Layfield
John Charles Layfield is a former American professional wrestler, a former commentator/host for mixed martial arts promotion Vyper Fight League and financial analyst for Fox News...
(JBL), Batista, Rey Mysterio, and Kane
Kane (wrestler)
Glenn Thomas Jacobs is a Spanish-born American professional wrestler and actor better known by his ring name, Kane. He is signed to WWE, appearing on its SmackDown brand, but is currently inactive due to injury....
. During the event, however, Randy Orton
Randy Orton
Randal Keith "Randy" Orton is an American professional wrestler and actor. He is signed to WWE wrestling on its SmackDown brand...
attacked CM Punk and he was replaced in the match by Chris Jericho
Chris Jericho
Christopher Keith Irvine , better known by his ring name Chris Jericho, is an inactive Canadian-American professional wrestler, musician, songwriter, radio personality, television host, actor, author, and dancer...
. The build up to the match began on the August 18 episode of Raw, when Raw General Manager Mike Adamle
Mike Adamle
Michael David "Mike" Adamle is a sports personality and former National Football League player. He is best known as the co-host of American Gladiators series for seven years....
, who portrays an on screen authority figure, announced the match and its rules, stating that JBL, Batista, John Cena
John Cena
John Felix Anthony Cena is an American professional wrestler, actor, rapper, and television personality. He is currently signed to WWE as a member of its WWE Raw brand....
, Kane, and World Heavyweight Champion CM Punk would participate. The following week on Raw, Adamle announced that John Cena had been injured after his match against Batista at SummerSlam
SummerSlam (2008)
SummerSlam was a professional wrestling pay-per-view event produced by World Wrestling Entertainment , which took place on August 17, 2008 at Conseco Fieldhouse in Indianapolis, Indiana. It was the 21st annual SummerSlam event and starred wrestlers from the Raw, SmackDown and ECW brands.Seven...
, and would be unable to compete in the Championship Scramble. Adamle then announced Rey Mysterio as Cena's replacement. On the September 1 episode of Raw, a preview of the Championship Scramble match was featured, in which the five men fighting in the Championship Scramble competed in a traditional battle royal
Battle royal (professional wrestling)
In professional wrestling, a battle royal is a multi-competitor match type in which wrestlers are eliminated until one is left and declared winner...
, which Kane won.
The other predominant match from the Raw brand was an unsanctioned match
Hardcore wrestling
Hardcore wrestling is a form of professional wrestling that eschews traditional concepts of match rules in favor of matches that take place in unusual environments, using foreign objects that are not normally permitted...
between Shawn Michaels
Shawn Michaels
Michael Shawn Hickenbottom , better known by his ring name Shawn Michaels, is an American television host and retired professional wrestler. He presents the Outdoor Channel show MacMillan River Adventures, and is currently signed to WWE, where he has served in an ambassadorial role since December...
and Chris Jericho. The build up to the match began at SummerSlam
SummerSlam (2008)
SummerSlam was a professional wrestling pay-per-view event produced by World Wrestling Entertainment , which took place on August 17, 2008 at Conseco Fieldhouse in Indianapolis, Indiana. It was the 21st annual SummerSlam event and starred wrestlers from the Raw, SmackDown and ECW brands.Seven...
, when Michaels came to the ring to announce his storyline
Kayfabe
In professional wrestling, kayfabe is the portrayal of events within the industry as "real" or "true". Specifically, the portrayal of professional wrestling, in particular the competition and rivalries between participants, as being genuine or not of a worked nature...
retirement. Jericho, however, interrupted the announcement and, in an attempt to punch Michaels, accidentally struck Michaels' wife Rebecca. On the August 18 episode of Raw, Jericho stated that he had no remorse for what he did to Michaels wife, claiming that Michaels "had it coming to him". The following week on Raw, Michaels announced he was not going to retire and asked Jericho for an unsanctioned match. Jericho agreed to the match, and the following week on Raw there was a contract signing for the match. The signing ended with Jericho and Michaels attacking each other.
WWE Championship
The WWE Championship is a professional wrestling world heavyweight championship in WWE. It is the world title of the Raw brand and one of two in WWE, complementing the World Heavyweight Championship of the SmackDown brand. It was established under the then WWWF in 1963...
, in which title holder Triple H
Triple H
Paul Michael Levesque is an American professional wrestler, professional wrestling authority figure, WWE Executive Vice President of Talent and actor, better known by his ring name Triple H, an abbreviation of the ring name, Hunter Hearst Helmsley...
faced Jeff Hardy
Jeff Hardy
Jeffrey Nero "Jeff" Hardy is an American professional wrestler, who is currently signed to Total Nonstop Action Wrestling , where he is a former two–time TNA World Heavyweight Champion...
, The Brian Kendrick
Brian Kendrick
Brian David Kendrick is an American professional wrestler currently signed to Total Nonstop Action Wrestling under his real name. Before joining TNA he spent several years wrestling for World Wrestling Entertainment, where he wrestled under his name, as Spanky, and finally as "The" Brian Kendrick...
, Shelton Benjamin
Shelton Benjamin
Shelton James Benjamin is an American professional wrestler and former amateur wrestler best known for his tenure in World Wrestling Entertainment. Benjamin has an amateur wrestling background, including wrestling in high school and at the University of Minnesota. In addition, Benjamin has acted...
, and Montel Vontavious Porter (MVP). The build up to the match began on the August 22 episode of SmackDown!, when General Manager Vickie Guerrero
Vickie Guerrero
Vickie Lynn Guerrero is an American professional wrestling personality, manager, shifting authority figure and occasional wrestler. She is the widow of professional wrestler Eddie Guerrero, currently signed to WWE on its Raw brand...
announced that SmackDown would have a Championship Scramble match and that the competitors would include WWE Champion Triple H and four men to be decided later in the night through a series of qualifying matches. The first qualifying match was a ten man battle royal, which saw The Big Show
Paul Wight
Paul Donald Wight, Jr. , better known by his ring name, Big Show, is an American professional wrestler and actor, currently signed to WWE on its Raw brand....
disrupt the match and throw all the competitors over the top rope. The Brian Kendrick, however, was saved by his bodyguard, Ezekiel Jackson, who caught Kendrick and put him back in the ring after the Big Show had eliminated all other competitors. Thus, Kendrick qualified for the Championship Scramble. The second qualifying match saw MVP defeat Festus
Drew Hankinson
Andrew "Drew" Hankinson is an American professional wrestler. He was best known for his time with World Wrestling Entertainment , where he appeared under the ring names Festus and Luke Gallows...
by count out, qualifying for the match. The third qualifying match was Shelton Benjamin versus Finlay
Dave Finlay
David John "Fit" Finlay Jr. is a Northern Irish professional wrestler and road agent. He is perhaps best known for his time in World Championship Wrestling and WWE as an active wrestler and later as a road agent...
, which Benjamin won. The final qualifying match was Jeff Hardy versus The Great Khali, which Hardy won.
The predominant match from the ECW brand was a third Championship Scramble, in which Mark Henry
Mark Henry
Mark Jerrold Henry is an American professional wrestler signed with WWE, where he performs on its SmackDown brand as the reigning World Heavyweight Champion. He is a 1992 Olympian, and winner of the 2002 Arnold Strongman Classic...
defended against Matt Hardy
Matt Hardy
Matthew Moore "Matt" Hardy is a semi-retired American professional wrestler. He is best known for his stints in World Wrestling Entertainment and Total Nonstop Action Wrestling ....
, The Miz
Mike Mizanin
Michael "Mike" Gregory Mizanin is an American professional wrestler and reality television personality better known by his nickname and ring name The Miz. He is currently signed to World Wrestling Entertainment on its Raw brand...
, Chavo Guerrero
Chavo Guerrero, Jr.
Salvador "Chavo" Guerrero IV also known as Chavo Guerrero and Chavo Guerrero, Jr., is a third generation Mexican-American professional wrestler and member of the famed Guerrero wrestling family who was well known for working with World Wrestling Entertainment and World Championship Wrestling...
, and Finlay. The build up to the match began on the August 26 episode of ECW, when General Manager Theodore Long
Theodore Long
Theodore R. "Teddy" Long is an American professional wrestling manager and former referee who currently works for WWE on its SmackDown brand as its General Manager.-National Wrestling Alliance / World Championship Wrestling:...
announced that the ECW Championship would be defended in a Championship Scramble and that there would be qualifying matches that night to determine who would participate. The first qualifying match saw Matt Hardy defeat John Morrison to qualify. The second match was The Miz versus Evan Bourne, which The Miz won. The third qualifying match saw Chavo Guerrero defeat Tommy Dreamer
Tommy Dreamer
Thomas James "Tom" Laughlin is an American professional wrestler better known by his ring name Tommy Dreamer. He is currently working for various promotions on the independent circuit. He is best known for his time spent with Extreme Championship Wrestling and World Wrestling Entertainment...
to qualify, and the fourth match was Finlay versus Mike Knox
Mike Knox
Michael Shawn Hettinga is a American professional wrestler. He is best known for wrestling for World Wrestling Entertainment as Mike Knox. He is also an avid fisherman, and fishes in his spare time.-Independent circuit :...
, which Finlay won. On the September 1 episode of Raw, there was a preview of the Championship Scramble, in which the five participants took part in a traditional battle royal. The winner was ECW Champion Mark Henry.
Event
| Role: | Name: |
|---|---|
| Commentator | Jim Ross Jim Ross James William "Jim" Ross is a professional wrestling commentator, former professional wrestling referee, restaurateur, occasional wrestler, and former company executive of WWE, where he currently works as a commentator on the WWE Raw brand... |
| Tazz Tazz Peter Senerchia is a retired American professional wrestler and current color commentator best known by his ring name Tazz, originally Tazmaniac and later shortened to simply Taz... |
|
| Mick Foley Mick Foley Michael Francis "Mick" Foley, Sr. is an American semi-retired professional wrestler, author, comedian, actor, voice actor and former color commentator. He has worked for many wrestling promotions, including WWE, WCW, ECW and TNA. He is often referred to as "The Hardcore Legend", a nickname he... |
|
| Jerry Lawler Jerry Lawler Jerry O'Neil Lawler is an American professional wrestler, wrestling commentator, musician, businessman, commercial artist and film actor, known throughout the wrestling world as Jerry "The King" Lawler. He is currently signed to WWE, working on its Raw brand as the color commentator and occasional... |
|
| Todd Grisham Todd Grisham Todd Grisham is an American presenter/announcer who is best known for his time in the WWE as a backstage interviewer, play-by-play commentator and occasional ring announcer... |
|
| Matt Striker Matthew Kaye Matthew Kaye is an American actor, wrestling commentator and semi-retired professional wrestler, better known by his ring name Matt Striker. He is signed to WWE, where he serves as the host of WWE NXT.... |
|
| Carlos Cabrera Carlos Cabrera Carlos Rodrigo Cabrera is a former newsman and currently employed with WWE, where he is one half of the company's Spanish announce team in which he is the play-by-play announcer. His longtime broadcast partner was the former Ecuadorian professional wrestler Hugo Savinovich, who was the color... |
|
| Hugo Savinovich Hugo Savinovich Hugo Savinovich is a former Ecuadorian professional wrestler, formerly employed with WWE, where he was one half of the Spanish announce team for the company's TV shows and pay-per-view events. He was a color commentator and partner of Carlos Cabrera and occasionally Marcelo Rodríguez. When he... |
|
| Interviewer | Todd Grisham |
| Eve Torres Eve Torres Eve Marie Torres is an American dancer, model, and professional wrestler. She is working for WWE on Raw brand. She is a two time WWE Divas Champion.Torres began her career as a model and dancer... |
|
| Ring announcer | Tony Chimel Tony Chimel Anthony "Tony" Chimel is an American professional wrestling ring announcer, currently employed by WWE working as the ring announcer for SmackDown brand.-WWE :... |
| Lilian Garcia Lilian Garcia Lilian Annette García , is a Spanish-American singer. She is best known as the former ring announcer for WWE's Raw brand. During her time in WWE, she became the first Diva to remain with the promotion for ten years.-Early life and career:... |
|
| Justin Roberts Justin Roberts Justin Jason Roberts is an American professional wrestling ring announcer, currently working for WWE appearing on its Raw brand.-Career:... |
|
| Referee | Mickie Henson |
| Mike Chioda Mike Chioda Michael Joseph "Mike" Chioda, is a senior referee who is currently signed to WWE. While not refereeing, Chioda, as well as the other referees in WWE, help set up the arena before shows, constructing the ring and stage areas.-WWF:... |
|
| Scott Armstrong | |
| Charles Robinson Charles Robinson (referee) Charles Shane Robinson is an American professional wrestling referee currently signed to WWE.- Beginnings and World Championship Wrestling :... |
|
| John Cone John Cone John Cone is an American professional wrestling referee currently working for WWE.-Career:Cone started refereeing independent wrestling matches in August 1995. He worked for Harley Race World League Wrestling from 1999 to 2006 and got his big break when a WWE official attended a match he refereed.... |
|
| Marty Elias |
Before the event began and aired live
Live television
Live television refers to a television production broadcast in real-time, as events happen, in the present. From the early days of television until about 1958, live television was used heavily, except for filmed shows such as I Love Lucy and Gunsmoke. Video tape did not exist until 1957...
on pay-per-view
Pay-per-view
Pay-per-view provides a service by which a television audience can purchase events to view via private telecast. The broadcaster shows the event at the same time to everyone ordering it...
, a dark match was featured in which Evan Bourne defeated John Morrison with a shooting star press.
Preliminary matches
Following the dark match, the pay-per-view event began with a Championship Scramble for the ECW Championship in which the champion, Mark Henry, defended against Matt Hardy, The Miz, Chavo Guerrero, and Finlay. In this type of match, competitors fight in a 20 minute time limit bout, during which participants can become the temporary champion by a pinfall or submission on any opponent. The match began with The Miz and Matt Hardy, who performed a variety of wrestling maneuvers including The Miz performing his signature moveSignature move
A signature move is a move or ability that is almost analogous to the person or character that uses it. This may infer that the move is usually a staple of the user's repertoire, and on most occasions was invented by the performer.-Usage:...
, a running knee lift and jumping neckbreaker, a combination called the "Reality Check". After the first five minutes had passed, Chavo Guerrero came to the ring and quickly performed a body splash on Hardy and covered him for a pinfall, making him the interim champion. Guerrero continued with a variety of offensive maneuvers until Matt Hardy performed a wrist-lock seated side slam, or "Side Effect", on Guerrero and covered him for a pinfall, making him the temporary champion. After the next five minutes had passed, Mark Henry
Mark Henry
Mark Jerrold Henry is an American professional wrestler signed with WWE, where he performs on its SmackDown brand as the reigning World Heavyweight Champion. He is a 1992 Olympian, and winner of the 2002 Arnold Strongman Classic...
entered the ring. All three other men attacked him, but Henry overpowered them and performed a falling powerslam on Chavo Guerrero, covering him and scoring a pinfall to become the interim champion. After the next series of five minutes had passed, Finlay entered the ring. He attacked Henry and his storyline
Kayfabe
In professional wrestling, kayfabe is the portrayal of events within the industry as "real" or "true". Specifically, the portrayal of professional wrestling, in particular the competition and rivalries between participants, as being genuine or not of a worked nature...
son Hornswoggle distracted Henry, allowing Finlay to strike him with a shillelagh
Shillelagh (club)
A shillelagh is a wooden walking stick and club or cudgel, typically made from a stout knotty stick with a large knob at the top, that is associated with Ireland and Irish folklore.- Construction :...
, followed by a running over the shoulder belly to back piledriver, or "Celtic Cross", on Hardy to become temporary champion. The match continued until Matt Hardy performed a front facelock cutter, or "Twist of Fate", on The Miz. He covered The Miz and became the interim champion. Hardy continued to break up pinfall attempts until the end of the 20 minute time limit, at which time Matt Hardy, being the interim champion, won the ECW Championship.
Ted DiBiase, Jr.
Theodore Marvin "Ted" DiBiase Jr. is an American professional wrestler and actor signed with WWE, where he appears on its SmackDown brand...
, defended their titles against Cryme Tyme
Cryme Tyme
For animated series named Crime Time, visit Crime TimeCryme Tyme was a professional wrestling tag team that was signed to WWE.The team consisted of JTG and Shad , an over-the-top parody of stereotypical street thugs.-Early lives:Of Haitian and...
, a tag team composed of Shad Gaspard and JTG. The match began with Cryme Tyme in control, and Shad threw JTG over the top rope onto Rhodes and DiBiase. Rhodes and DiBiase, however, isolated JTG in their corner and performed a number of offensive maneuvers on him. Rhodes attempted a backflip from the top rope
Moonsault
A moonsault, moonsault press, or back flip splash is a professional wrestling aerial technique. Much of its popularity in American wrestling is attributed to The Great Muta, despite it being used in North America by "Leaping" Lanny Poffo years before Muta came from Japan.In a standard moonsault,...
onto JTG, but missed, allowing JTG to tag in Shad at the same time Rhodes tagged in DiBiase. Shad performed a back body drop on DiBiase, but while the referee was distracted, Rhodes performed a DDT on Shad. DiBiase attempted to cover Shad, but was forced to break the cover as Shad placed his foot on the bottom rope. JTG attempted an inside cradle pin on Rhodes, but Shad accidentally pushed DiBiase on Rhodes, reversing the pinfall attempt so that Rhodes scored the pin over JTG, retaining his and DiBiase's title in the process.
The third contest was an unsanctioned match
Hardcore wrestling
Hardcore wrestling is a form of professional wrestling that eschews traditional concepts of match rules in favor of matches that take place in unusual environments, using foreign objects that are not normally permitted...
between Shawn Michaels
Shawn Michaels
Michael Shawn Hickenbottom , better known by his ring name Shawn Michaels, is an American television host and retired professional wrestler. He presents the Outdoor Channel show MacMillan River Adventures, and is currently signed to WWE, where he has served in an ambassadorial role since December...
and Chris Jericho
Chris Jericho
Christopher Keith Irvine , better known by his ring name Chris Jericho, is an inactive Canadian-American professional wrestler, musician, songwriter, radio personality, television host, actor, author, and dancer...
. The match was contested under no disqualification and no count-out rules, so both men utilized a number of weapons in their offense. Jericho and Michaels used weapons and objects such as folding tables, steel chairs, and fire extinguishers. The match also saw Lance Cade
Lance Cade
Lance Kurtis McNaught was an American professional wrestler. He was best known for his time in World Wrestling Entertainment where he performed under the ring names Garrison Cade and Lance Cade....
interfere on behalf of Jericho, but Michaels ultimately gained the advantage over both men, leading to him placing both men on an announcer's table and diving onto them with his elbow cocked, sending them through the table. After returning Jericho to the ring, Michaels continued to attack Jericho. The referee ended the match when he determined that Jericho could no longer defend himself against Michaels, making Michaels the victor by referee stoppage.
Main event matches
WWE Championship
The WWE Championship is a professional wrestling world heavyweight championship in WWE. It is the world title of the Raw brand and one of two in WWE, complementing the World Heavyweight Championship of the SmackDown brand. It was established under the then WWWF in 1963...
in which the champion, Triple H
Triple H
Paul Michael Levesque is an American professional wrestler, professional wrestling authority figure, WWE Executive Vice President of Talent and actor, better known by his ring name Triple H, an abbreviation of the ring name, Hunter Hearst Helmsley...
, defended against Jeff Hardy
Jeff Hardy
Jeffrey Nero "Jeff" Hardy is an American professional wrestler, who is currently signed to Total Nonstop Action Wrestling , where he is a former two–time TNA World Heavyweight Champion...
, The Brian Kendrick
Brian Kendrick
Brian David Kendrick is an American professional wrestler currently signed to Total Nonstop Action Wrestling under his real name. Before joining TNA he spent several years wrestling for World Wrestling Entertainment, where he wrestled under his name, as Spanky, and finally as "The" Brian Kendrick...
, Shelton Benjamin
Shelton Benjamin
Shelton James Benjamin is an American professional wrestler and former amateur wrestler best known for his tenure in World Wrestling Entertainment. Benjamin has an amateur wrestling background, including wrestling in high school and at the University of Minnesota. In addition, Benjamin has acted...
, and Montel Vontavious Porter. The match began with Jeff Hardy and Shelton Benjamin, with both men wrestling inconclusively until the first five minute interval had passed, and The Brian Kendrick entered the match. Soon after Kendrick's entrance, Hardy performed a reverse powerbomb on him and covered him, scoring a pinfall and becoming the interim WWE Champion. Later, Kendrick performed a springboard backflip three-quarter facelock falling reverse DDT, which he calls The Kendrick, on Hardy and covered him for a pinfall, becoming the temporary WWE Champion. Shortly after, the second five minute interval expired and MVP entered the match. All four men in the match continued to fight, with no pinfalls being scored until the third five minute interval expired, at which point Triple H entered the match. Soon after his entrance, performed a spinebuster, followed by a performed a double underhook facebuster, or "Pedigree", on Kendrick, covering him to become the interim champion. Hardy returned to the ring and performed a front facelock dropped into a cutter, which he calls a "Twist of Fate", on MVP, covering him for a pinfall and becoming temporary champion. After disrupting Hardy's attempt to perform a maneuver off the top turnbuckle, Triple H performed another Pedigree on Kendrick to become interim champion again. Shortly after, however, Hardy performed a high angle senton bomb, or "Swanton Bomb", on Kendrick and again became temporary champion after a cover. The match ended with Triple H performing a Pedigree on MVP and Hardy performing a Swanton Bomb on Benjamin; however, Triple H covered MVP faster and scored the pinfall with one second remaining on the clock. The time limit expired and Triple H retained the WWE Championship.
CM Punk
Phillip Jack "Phil" Brooks , better known by his ring name CM Punk, is an American professional wrestler currently signed to WWE and working on its Raw brand currently serving his second title reign as WWE Champion....
was being interviewed regarding his title defense in the Championship Scramble later in the evening. The interview was interrupted by Randy Orton, and as he spoke with Punk, Cody Rhodes, Ted DiBiase
Ted DiBiase, Jr.
Theodore Marvin "Ted" DiBiase Jr. is an American professional wrestler and actor signed with WWE, where he appears on its SmackDown brand...
, and Manu
Afa Anoa'i, Jr.
Afa Anoa'i, Jr. is an American professional wrestler of Samoan descent. He is best known for his work in World Wrestling Entertainment, where he competed on its Raw brand under the ring name Manu.-World Xtreme Wrestling:...
attacked CM Punk, as well as Kofi Kingston who tried to help Punk. After they had attacked both Punk and Kingston, Orton made use of this opportunity to perform a running punt on Punk.
The fifth contest was a standard match in which WWE Divas Champion Michelle McCool
Michelle McCool
Michelle Leigh McCool , is a retired American professional wrestler who is best known for her time in WWE.McCool originally worked as a middle school teacher in Palatka, Florida. She joined WWE in 2004 after participating in the 2004 WWE Diva Search. In her initial on-screen role, she acted...
defended her title against Maryse
Maryse Ouellet
Maryse Ouellet is a Professional Glamour Model and a former professional wrestler, better known simply as Maryse. She most recently worked for WWE...
. Maryse began the match attacking McCool's knee, but McCool soon countered by grabbing Maryse's foot and twisting it, a submission hold called a heel hook. Maryse, however, reached the ropes and caused McCool to break the hold. Later in the match, McCool performed a lifting double underhook facebuster, a move called the "Wings of Love", and covered Maryse to retain her championship.
Following the match, an in ring segment took place in which The Big Show
Paul Wight
Paul Donald Wight, Jr. , better known by his ring name, Big Show, is an American professional wrestler and actor, currently signed to WWE on its Raw brand....
, entered the ring and asked the crowd whether they thought he should have been in the Championship Scramble for the WWE Championship. SmackDown General Manager Vickie Guerrero
Vickie Guerrero
Vickie Lynn Guerrero is an American professional wrestling personality, manager, shifting authority figure and occasional wrestler. She is the widow of professional wrestler Eddie Guerrero, currently signed to WWE on its Raw brand...
, who portrays on on-screen authority figure for the SmackDown brand, then came to the ring and proceeded to insult the Big Show, and demanded that he leave the ring. Druids then came to the ring bringing a casket
Casket
A casket, or jewelry box is a term for a container that is usually larger than a box, and smaller than a chest, and in the past was typically decorated...
, and The Undertaker appeared on the TitanTron
Jumbotron
A JumboTron is a large-screen television using technology developed by Sony, typically used in sports stadiums and concert venues to show close-up shots of the event. Although JumboTron is a registered trademark owned by the Sony Corporation, the word jumbotron is often used by the public as a...
, telling Guerrero to either get in the casket herself or he would put her in it. Guerrero refused to enter the casket voluntarily, so The Undertaker began to come to ringside. The Big Show held back Guerrero as The Undertaker came to the ring. Once he was in the ring, The Undertaker began to choke Guerrero, but the Big Show turned heel
Heel (professional wrestling)
In professional wrestling, a heel is a villain character. In non-wrestling jargon, heels are the "bad guys" in professional wrestling; the term heel coming from the term take to you heels, which means to run away which heel champions tend to do to avoid losing their titles.storylines...
, becoming a villainous character, by striking The Undertaker and freeing Guerrero. He proceeded to attack The Undertaker, and restrained him to allow Guerrero to slap him and spit in his face.
World Heavyweight Championship (WWE)
The World Heavyweight Championship is a professional wrestling world heavyweight championship in WWE. It is the world title of the SmackDown brand and one of two in WWE, complementing the WWE Championship of the Raw brand...
. The event was originally scheduled to be World Heavyweight Champion CM Punk defending against John "Bradshaw" Layfield
John Layfield
John Charles Layfield is a former American professional wrestler, a former commentator/host for mixed martial arts promotion Vyper Fight League and financial analyst for Fox News...
, Batista, Rey Mysterio, and Kane
Kane (wrestler)
Glenn Thomas Jacobs is a Spanish-born American professional wrestler and actor better known by his ring name, Kane. He is signed to WWE, appearing on its SmackDown brand, but is currently inactive due to injury....
. However, due to the attack on CM Punk earlier in the night, CM Punk was unable to compete and was replaced by Chris Jericho (this information was not revealed until the final five minutes of the match, at which point Chris Jericho entered in place of CM Punk). Batista and JBL began the match, performing a variety of offensive maneuvers until the first five minute interval had passed, and Kane entered the match. Later, JBL attempted to strike Kane with his forearm, a move JBL calls a "Clothesline from Hell", but was caught by Kane. Kane then lifted JBL by the throat and slammed him to the mat
Chokeslam
A chokeslam refers to a type of body slam in professional wrestling in which the wrestler grasps their opponent's neck, lifts them up, and slams them to the mat. It is common in televised wrestling because it is simple and relatively safe, yet looks powerful on camera...
, called a chokeslam, and covered him for a pinfall, becoming the interim champion. Soon after, the second five minute interval expired and Rey Mysterio entered the match. The match continued for several minutes, until the final five minute interval expired and Jericho entered the match as a replacement for CM Punk, shocking everyone. Soon after Jericho's entrance, Batista performed a spinebuster on Kane, covering him for a pinfall and becoming temporary champion. Batista was left as the only man standing until Jericho returned to the ring and covered the already downed Kane, scoring a pinfall and becoming interim champion. The time limit expired soon after, and Jericho won the World Heavyweight Championship.
Aftermath
On the September 8 episode of Raw, it was announced that CM Punk would challenge Chris Jericho in an attempt to win back the World Heavyweight Championship, with the two fighting in a steel cage match the following week. On the following week's Raw, Chris Jericho escaped the cage before Punk, and thus retained his championship. Later that night, General Manager Mike Adamle announced that Batista would face JBL in a number one contender's match at No MercyNo Mercy (2008)
No Mercy was a professional wrestling pay-per-view event produced by World Wrestling Entertainment , which took place on October 5, 2008 at the Rose Garden in Portland, Oregon...
. Following this announcement, Shawn Michaels announced that he would be facing Chris Jericho in a ladder match
Ladder match
A ladder match is a type of match in professional wrestling that is most commonly used to describe a match where an item is hung above the ring, and the winner is the contestant who climbs a ladder and retrieves the item...
at No Mercy. Two weeks later on the September 29 episode of Raw, Chris Jericho and Lance Cade
Lance Cade
Lance Kurtis McNaught was an American professional wrestler. He was best known for his time in World Wrestling Entertainment where he performed under the ring names Garrison Cade and Lance Cade....
faced a reunited D-Generation X
D-Generation X
D-Generation X was a professional wrestling stable in WWE . The group originated in the midst of the WWF's "Attitude Era" from 1997 to 2000...
(Shawn Michaels and Triple H) in a tag team
Tag team
Tag team professional wrestling is a variation in which matches are contested between teams of multiple wrestlers. A tag team may comprise two wrestlers who normally wrestle in singles competition, but more commonly are made of established teams who wrestle regularly as a unit and have a team name...
match, which D-Generation X won via disqualification. At No Mercy, Batista defeated JBL to become number one contender for the World Heavyweight Championship, and Chris Jericho defeated Shawn Michaels to retain the World Heavyweight Championship.
On the September 12 edition of SmackDown, a standard wrestling match involving four wrestlers was held between Jeff Hardy, The Brian Kendrick, Shelton Benjamin, and MVP, with the stipulation that the winner would go on to face Triple H at No Mercy for the WWE Championship. Jeff Hardy won the match and earned a title match at No Mercy. At No Mercy, Triple H defeated Hardy to retain his championship.
On the September 16 episode of ECW, it was announced that Matt Hardy would defend the ECW Championship against Mark Henry at No Mercy. At No Mercy, Hardy defeated Henry to retain his championship.
Almost two and a half years later at Royal Rumble 2011
Royal Rumble (2011)
Royal Rumble was the 24th annual Royal Rumble professional wrestling pay-per-view event produced by World Wrestling Entertainment , which took place on January 30, 2011 at the TD Garden in Boston, Massachusetts....
CM Punk prevented Randy Orton from winning the WWE Championship
WWE Championship
The WWE Championship is a professional wrestling world heavyweight championship in WWE. It is the world title of the Raw brand and one of two in WWE, complementing the World Heavyweight Championship of the SmackDown brand. It was established under the then WWWF in 1963...
from The Miz. Eventually Punk revealed that he did this to get revenge on Orton for costing him the championship at Unforgiven in 2008.
Reception
Despite the event's promotional build-up, only a reported 6,000 tickets were initially sold for an arena that holds 20,000 people. To fill the arena, local radio stations gave away tickets to the show. The event had a final attendance of 8,707. Canadian Online ExplorerCanadian Online Explorer
Canadian Online Explorer is a bilingual online news and information site from Canada.A subsidiary of Quebecor Media, Canoe.ca is a leading local and national interactive media provider of news, entertainment and services, helping to inform and connect Canadians...
Unforgiven (2007)
Unforgiven was the tenth annual Unforgiven pay-per-view event produced by World Wrestling Entertainment . It took place on September 16, 2007 from the FedExForum in Memphis, Tennessee and featured talent from the Raw, SmackDown, and ECW brands.The main match on the SmackDown brand was The...
, which was rated a 5.5 out of 10 stars. The Championship Scramble main event match from the Raw brand was rated a 6.5 out of 10 stars, while the SmackDown brand's main event, a Championship Scramble for the WWE Championship, was rated an 8 out of 10 stars. The Sun
The Sun (newspaper)
The Sun is a daily national tabloid newspaper published in the United Kingdom and owned by News Corporation. Sister editions are published in Glasgow and Dublin...
gave a positive review of the event, praising the Jericho/HBK Match and Jericho's World Championship victory. Furthermore, the continuation of the Hardy/Triple H feud was similarly praised. The event was released on DVD
DVD
A DVD is an optical disc storage media format, invented and developed by Philips, Sony, Toshiba, and Panasonic in 1995. DVDs offer higher storage capacity than Compact Discs while having the same dimensions....
on October 7, 2008 by Sony Music Entertainment
Sony Music Entertainment
Sony Music Entertainment ' is the second-largest global recorded music company of the "big four" record companies and is controlled by Sony Corporation of America, the United States subsidiary of Japan's Sony Corporation....
. The DVD reached second on Billboard
Billboard (magazine)
Billboard is a weekly American magazine devoted to the music industry, and is one of the oldest trade magazines in the world. It maintains several internationally recognized music charts that track the most popular songs and albums in various categories on a weekly basis...
s DVD Sales Chart for recreational sports during the week of November 1, 2008, although it fell off the chart thereafter.
Results
| # | Results | Stipulations | Times |
|---|---|---|---|
| Evan Bourne defeated John Morrison | Singles match | 06:02 | |
| Matt Hardy Matt Hardy Matthew Moore "Matt" Hardy is a semi-retired American professional wrestler. He is best known for his stints in World Wrestling Entertainment and Total Nonstop Action Wrestling .... defeated Mark Henry Mark Henry Mark Jerrold Henry is an American professional wrestler signed with WWE, where he performs on its SmackDown brand as the reigning World Heavyweight Champion. He is a 1992 Olympian, and winner of the 2002 Arnold Strongman Classic... (c), The Miz Mike Mizanin Michael "Mike" Gregory Mizanin is an American professional wrestler and reality television personality better known by his nickname and ring name The Miz. He is currently signed to World Wrestling Entertainment on its Raw brand... , Chavo Guerrero Chavo Guerrero, Jr. Salvador "Chavo" Guerrero IV also known as Chavo Guerrero and Chavo Guerrero, Jr., is a third generation Mexican-American professional wrestler and member of the famed Guerrero wrestling family who was well known for working with World Wrestling Entertainment and World Championship Wrestling... , and Finlay Dave Finlay David John "Fit" Finlay Jr. is a Northern Irish professional wrestler and road agent. He is perhaps best known for his time in World Championship Wrestling and WWE as an active wrestler and later as a road agent... |
Championship Scramble for the ECW Championship | 20:00 | |
| Cody Rhodes and The Legacy (professional wrestling) The Legacy was a villainous alliance of professional wrestlers in World Wrestling Entertainment. The group was led by Randy Orton and contained the tag team of Cody Rhodes and Ted DiBiase.... Ted DiBiase Ted DiBiase, Jr. Theodore Marvin "Ted" DiBiase Jr. is an American professional wrestler and actor signed with WWE, where he appears on its SmackDown brand... (c) defeated Cryme Tyme Cryme Tyme For animated series named Crime Time, visit Crime TimeCryme Tyme was a professional wrestling tag team that was signed to WWE.The team consisted of JTG and Shad , an over-the-top parody of stereotypical street thugs.-Early lives:Of Haitian and... (Shad Gaspard Shad Gaspard Shad Chad Javier Romane Chittick Gaspard is an American professional wrestler of Haitian and Curaçaon descent, currently signed with Inoki Genome Federation... and JTG Jayson Paul Jayson Anthony Paul is an American professional wrestler better known by the ring name JTG... ) |
Tag team Tag team Tag team professional wrestling is a variation in which matches are contested between teams of multiple wrestlers. A tag team may comprise two wrestlers who normally wrestle in singles competition, but more commonly are made of established teams who wrestle regularly as a unit and have a team name... match for the World Tag Team Championship |
11:35 | |
| Shawn Michaels Shawn Michaels Michael Shawn Hickenbottom , better known by his ring name Shawn Michaels, is an American television host and retired professional wrestler. He presents the Outdoor Channel show MacMillan River Adventures, and is currently signed to WWE, where he has served in an ambassadorial role since December... defeated Chris Jericho Chris Jericho Christopher Keith Irvine , better known by his ring name Chris Jericho, is an inactive Canadian-American professional wrestler, musician, songwriter, radio personality, television host, actor, author, and dancer... |
Unsanctioned match Hardcore wrestling Hardcore wrestling is a form of professional wrestling that eschews traditional concepts of match rules in favor of matches that take place in unusual environments, using foreign objects that are not normally permitted... |
26:53 | |
| Triple H Triple H Paul Michael Levesque is an American professional wrestler, professional wrestling authority figure, WWE Executive Vice President of Talent and actor, better known by his ring name Triple H, an abbreviation of the ring name, Hunter Hearst Helmsley... (c) defeated Jeff Hardy Jeff Hardy Jeffrey Nero "Jeff" Hardy is an American professional wrestler, who is currently signed to Total Nonstop Action Wrestling , where he is a former two–time TNA World Heavyweight Champion... , The Brian Kendrick Brian Kendrick Brian David Kendrick is an American professional wrestler currently signed to Total Nonstop Action Wrestling under his real name. Before joining TNA he spent several years wrestling for World Wrestling Entertainment, where he wrestled under his name, as Spanky, and finally as "The" Brian Kendrick... , Shelton Benjamin Shelton Benjamin Shelton James Benjamin is an American professional wrestler and former amateur wrestler best known for his tenure in World Wrestling Entertainment. Benjamin has an amateur wrestling background, including wrestling in high school and at the University of Minnesota. In addition, Benjamin has acted... , and Montel Vontavious Porter |
Championship Scramble for the WWE Championship WWE Championship The WWE Championship is a professional wrestling world heavyweight championship in WWE. It is the world title of the Raw brand and one of two in WWE, complementing the World Heavyweight Championship of the SmackDown brand. It was established under the then WWWF in 1963... |
20:00 | |
| Michelle McCool Michelle McCool Michelle Leigh McCool , is a retired American professional wrestler who is best known for her time in WWE.McCool originally worked as a middle school teacher in Palatka, Florida. She joined WWE in 2004 after participating in the 2004 WWE Diva Search. In her initial on-screen role, she acted... (c) defeated Maryse Maryse Ouellet Maryse Ouellet is a Professional Glamour Model and a former professional wrestler, better known simply as Maryse. She most recently worked for WWE... |
Singles match for the WWE Divas Championship | 05:42 | |
| Chris Jericho defeated John "Bradshaw" Layfield John Layfield John Charles Layfield is a former American professional wrestler, a former commentator/host for mixed martial arts promotion Vyper Fight League and financial analyst for Fox News... , Batista, Rey Mysterio and Kane Kane (wrestler) Glenn Thomas Jacobs is a Spanish-born American professional wrestler and actor better known by his ring name, Kane. He is signed to WWE, appearing on its SmackDown brand, but is currently inactive due to injury.... |
Championship Scramble for the World Heavyweight Championship World Heavyweight Championship (WWE) The World Heavyweight Championship is a professional wrestling world heavyweight championship in WWE. It is the world title of the SmackDown brand and one of two in WWE, complementing the WWE Championship of the Raw brand... |
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ECW Championship Scramble Interim Champions
| Number | Wrestler | Entered | Pinned | Method |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Chavo Guerrero | 3 | Matt Hardy | Frog Splash |
| 2 | Matt Hardy | 1 | Chavo Guerrero | Side Effect |
| 3 | Mark Henry | 4 | Chavo Guerrero | World's Strongest Slam |
| 4 | Finlay | 5 | Matt Hardy | Celtic Cross |
| Matt Hardy | 1 | The Miz | Twist of Fate |
WWE Championship Scramble Interim Champions
| Number | Wrestler | Entered | Pinned | Method |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Jeff Hardy | 1 | The Brian Kendrick | Powerbomb Powerbomb A powerbomb is a professional wrestling throw in which an opponent is lifted up and then slammed back-first down to the mat. The standard powerbomb sees an opponent first placed in a standing headscissors position... |
| 2 | The Brian Kendrick | 3 | Jeff Hardy | The Kendrick |
| 3 | Triple H | 5 | The Brian Kendrick | Pedigree |
| 4 | Jeff Hardy | 1 | MVP | Twist of Fate |
| 5 | Triple H | 5 | The Brian Kendrick | Pedigree |
| 6 | Jeff Hardy | 1 | The Brian Kendrick | Swanton Bomb |
| Triple H | 5 | MVP | Pedigree |
World Heavyweight Championship Scramble Interim Champions
| Number | Wrestler | Entered | Pinned | Method |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Kane | 3 | JBL | Chokeslam Chokeslam A chokeslam refers to a type of body slam in professional wrestling in which the wrestler grasps their opponent's neck, lifts them up, and slams them to the mat. It is common in televised wrestling because it is simple and relatively safe, yet looks powerful on camera... |
| 2 | Batista | 1 | Kane | Spinebuster |
| Chris Jericho | 5 | Kane | Covered Kane after Batista's Spinebuster |