WWE Unforgiven was a pay-per-view marked by more than a few major twists. New champions were crowned, new alliances were formed and new characters debuted as WWE held its first three Championship Scrambles at Quicken Loans Arena in Cleveland, Ohio. It was said the champions had an 80 percent chance of losing their title. Well, it was 100 percent for one champion who didn’t even have to chance to make it to his match.
Todd Grisham and Matt Striker welcome us to the broadcast, which is presented in WWEHD. They waste no time in getting us to the ring for our opening contest.
Match #1 – ECW Championship Scramble – Matt Hardy (Cameron, NC) vs. The Miz (Cleveland, Ohio) vs. Chavo Guerrero (El Paso, Texas) vs. (c) Mark Henry (Silsbee, Texas) vs. Finlay (Belfast, Northern Ireland)
Hardy and The Miz start for the first five minutes. They start out with some mat wrestling until Miz is able to hit the Reality Check, but Hardy falls out of the ring. Miz brings him back into the center of the ring, but can only get two. Immediately after, Chavo Guerrero makes his way into the match. He immediately low-bridges Miz and climbs up and hits the Frog Splash to become the Interim ECW Champion.
Guerrero is on fire, hitting a rolling heel kick and then plunging onto Miz on the outside. With that, Hardy is up and goes after Guerrero. Miz gets up and hits a flying crossbody onto them, but soon after, Hardy hits the Side Effect on Miz for the three count.
All three men stop and team up on Henry as he enters the ring, but he shrugs them off briefly before being overwhelmed in the corner for a second until he pushes them all off and starts, as Grisham puts it, “swatting” them. Miz tries running into Henry and bounces right off. Henry picks up Guerrero and hits the World’s Strongest Slam for the fall.
None of the three are having any luck with Henry. Henry gets Guerrero in a bearhug, but sees Hardy go to the top and releases Chavo just to catch Hardy in the same move. Henry is just dominating this match. With Hardy in another bearhug, the clock strikes for Finlay to enter. He and Hornswaggle run to the ring, with Hornswaggle sliding under the ring.
Finlay comes in and we now have under five minutes to go in the match. Finlay comes in and hits a DDT on Henry for two, but Henry kicks out and puts Finlay in the bearhug. Hornswaggle comes in the ring to distract Henry, but ducks out and allows Finlay to hit Henry with the Shillelagh. They then dump Henry to the outside.
Finlay hits the Celtic Cross and he is now the interim champion with 3:48 to go. In his short celebration, Miz hits a missile dropkick on Finlay, but gets hit with the Twist of Fate by Hardy for the fall.
With all the men in the ring, pinfalls are being broken up all over the place. Henry is hitting the World’s Strongest Slam on everyone, but each pin attempt is being broken up. Finlay goes for the Celtic Cross on Hardy but eats a big boot from Henry instead. Henry hits the big splash on Miz, but is broken up.
Under a minute to go and Hardy is still champ. He is running around like a mad man trying to keep everyone clear. He sends Miz to the outside, then Guerrero. It is literally a mad scramble at the end, but time runs out!
Winner and NEW ECW Champion: Matt Hardy
Match rating: 7/10
Matt runs into brother Jeff backstage. Matt proposes a clean sweep for the Hardy’s tonight.
Match #2 – World Tag Team Championship – (c) Ted DiBiase (West Palm Beach, Fla.) & Cody Rhodes (Charlotte, NC) vs. Cryme Tyme (Brooklyn, NY)
Cryme Tyme gets off to a hot start when Shad propels JTG over the top rope and onto DiBiase and Rhodes. The tide turns eventually, though, when Priceless team up on JTG, isolating him in their corner. This continues for a good five minutes or more. Rhodes and DiBiase are just working JTG over. Rhodes goes to the top and attempts a moonsault but misses big time, as JTG rolls out of the way. He is able to find Shad as Rhodes finds DiBiase.
Shad hits a big back-body drop, but behind the referee’s back, Rhodes hit a DDT. DiBiase goes for the cover, but Shad gets his foot on the bottom rope.
JTG gets the tag and gets Rhodes in a small package, but Shad accidentally pushes DiBiase and he turns the small package in Rhodes’ favor and it’s enough for the pin.
Winners via pinfall and STILL World Tag Team Champions: Ted DiBiase & Cody Rhodes
Match rating 5/10
After the match, the champs gloat in front of Cryme Tyme and thus the beatdown begins. That is until a large man with a giant, fluffy afro comes out and clears Cryme Time out of the ring. Cole and Lawler, of course, have no clue who this guy is and neither do I.
Match #3 – Unsanctioned Match – Chris Jericho (Manhasset, NY) vs. Shawn Michaels (San Antonio, Texas)
Michaels hits the ring and immediately takes Jericho down. He takes off his boot and wallops Jericho in the head with it. They are soon in the crowd and Jericho is bleeding about two minutes into the contest.
On the ringside floor, HBK slingshots Jericho into the ring post and then grabs a chair and goes to smash Jericho’s head between the chair and the post, but he ducks out of the way. This gives Jericho the opening he needs.
Jericho goes under the ring and grabs a table that he just throws at Michaels. He sets the table up and tries to power bomb him into it, but HBK lands punches and Jericho drops him back onto the ring apron.
Back in the ring and Jericho is showing no mercy. He props a chair in between the second and top turnbuckle. Jericho goes to throw him into it, but is reversed and sent the other way, shoulder-first into the ring post.
HBK goes to the top rope and hits the big elbow and starts to fire up. He starts to tune up the band but he lets up just as he is reaching Jericho. He then goes to work on Jericho’s eye with some punches and elbows before locking in the Crippler Crossface.
But Jericho lifts up and throws Michaels eye-first into the chair that was still set up in the corner. Now it’s Jericho’s turn to work the eye, as he goes to town with punches while the ref yells at him to “not do it that way.”
Jericho doesn’t care, though, as he rakes the eye. He gets in a few more blows before HBK connects with one of his own. Michaels hits a Lou Thesz press but his next move is countered into the Walls of Jericho, but Michaels is eventually able to get to the rope, but Jericho duly notes that he doesn’t have to break the hold. Michaels keeps going forward, climbing out of the ring and somehow, HBK grabs a fire extinguisher from somewhere and sprays Jericho with it.
He then levels Jericho with it and he goes flying to the outside. They head up the aisle and Michaels hits a suplex on the steel. Then Lance Cade comes out and is dispatched of by HBK rather quickly as Jericho retreats toward the ring. Cade wants some more and hits Michaels in the triceps and then they wrap HBK’s injured arm around the post and Cade comes and hits a big knee on it.
In the ring, Cade holds HBK up while Jericho slaps him and headbutts him. This continues until Jericho goes to the top, but HBK Superkicks Cade and nails Jericho with a chair, sending him crashing through the table outside. He then starts throwing one-arm chair shots. Soon, the RAW announce table is being dismantled by Michaels. He lifts Cade onto it and goes into the ring. He goes to climb the ropes by comes back down, only to put Jericho on top of Cade.
He rolls back in the ring and goes to the top and hits a huge flying elbow through the table. He immediately hops back up and sits against the apron with a weird look on his face. He puts Jericho back in the ring and starts whipping him with his belt. HBK locks up both of Jericho’s arms and starts pounding him with his belt-wrapped hand. He then goes back for more, beating on a lifeless Jericho until the referee stops the match.
Winner via referee stoppage: Shawn Michaels
Match rating: 8.5/10
After the match, Michaels goes back at it until the referee literally has to tackle him. The ref gives him the business and eats a Superkick for his troubles. He turns back to Jericho as a bunch of refs hit the ring to check on Jericho and their colleague. Michaels drops to his knees with that weird look on his face, like he can’t believe what he just did.
Backstage, the World Tag Team Champions are celebrating when Randy Orton comes in. They introduce him to Manu, the son of Afa. They ask Orton if he is impressed now. He goes on a long spiel how he was not impressed at all.
Match #4 – WWE Championship Scramble – Jeff Hardy (Cameron, NC) vs. Shelton Benjamin (Orangeburg, SC) vs. The Brian Kendrick (Olympia, Wash.) vs. Montel Vontavious Porter (Miami, Fla.) vs. (c) Triple H (Greenwich, Ct.)
Again, some mat wrestling to start this one out, but Shelton gains the momentum when he power bombs Hardy into the corner. Very mat-based start here. Not much happening as The Brian Kendrick enters the fray.
Kendrick knocks Benjamin off the apron while Kendrick jitterbugs all over the ring, going for quick falls all over the place on Hardy. That all changes when Hardy flips Kendrick over right onto his face and gets the pinfall to become the Interim WWE Champion.
So Kendrick slips to the outside as Benjamin comes back in and eventually hits Paydirt but can’t get the three count before Kendrick breaks it up. He disposes of Benjamin and hits Sliced Bread No. 2 on Hardy to become the WWE Champion. Kendrick doesn’t have long to celebrate as the clock ticks, the horn goes and the clock ticks some more as MVP makes his way to the squared circle.
MVP dispatches of Kendrick and Hardy and sets up for the Drive By but is lit up by Kendrick out of nowhere as he runs in to stop the move. The WWE Champion then goes to work on Shelton Benjamin (savor the flavor on that one) but is picked off by a Benjamin Samoan Drop.
The clock ticks down and Triple H is of course next and he gets the water out of his system on the way to the ring and comes in and clotheslines Benjamin over the top, hits a spinebuster on Kendrick and sends MVP flying over the top rope. He hits a Pedigree on Kendrick and that’s probably all she wrote for The Brian Kendrick.
Hardy comes in and hits the Twist of Fate on MVP to become the champ with just under three minutes to go. He then goes to the top rope but is crotched by Triple H. Triple H comes back in and becomes the champion by hitting the Pedigree on Kendrick. But behind Triple H’s back, Hardy hits the Pedigree on Kendrick to become champion. HHH goes for the Pedigree on Hardy, but he gets out and sends him to the outside. Hardy flips outside onto HHH. Inside, Benjamin, Kendrick and MVP set up for the suplex-power bomb combo with 45 seconds left.
Hardy comes back and hits the Swanton on Benjamin, but HHH comes back and hits the Pedigree on MVP and covers him. Hardy is slow to get up and he goes to pin Benjamin but is a second too late, as Triple H officially retains his title with one second left on the clock.
Winner and STILL WWE Champion: Triple H
Match rating: 8/10
Hardy approaches Triple H and they tell each how close it was and shake hands.
Todd Grisham is backstage with Shawn Michaels. He says he would do what he did to Chris Jericho tonight every night for the rest of his life. Jericho has awoken something inside of him he can’t control. The worst is yet to come. Ruh-roh!
This transitions to CM Punk making the usual underdog interview when Randy Orton interrupts. They chat and then DiBiase, Rhodes and Manu comes in and lay out Punk, leading to the punt by Orton. Kofi Kingston tries to do something about it but is ineffective. Orton tells them that THAT was impressive.
Match #5 – Divas Championship – Michelle McCool (Palatka, Fla.) vs. Maryse (Montreal, Quebec)
They brawl a little before Maryse zeroes in on McCool’s left knee. This quickly turns the other way as McCool locks in the heel hook, but Maryse gets to the ropes. They start to brawl a little more and Maryse goes for a sunset flip, but McCool rolls out and kicks her. Maryse makes a weak attempt to go after the knee, but McCool lifts her up and hits a face-drop suplex for the win.
Winner via pinfall and STILL WWE Divas Champion: Michelle McCool
Match rating: 2/10
RAW General Manager Mike Adamle is out on the stage to address the CM Punk situation. He says it appears CM Punk may not be able to compete. If Punk cannot compete, he will have no alternative but to find a suitable replacement. He says no matter what, the RAW Scramble will go on.
After some brief discussion between Cole and Lawler, The Big Show makes his way to the ring. He gets the mic and says he’s available to replace CM Punk in the RAW Scramble. He says even Adamle wouldn’t make an “oversight” as big as leaving him out of the Scramble. He panders to the fans to get him in the Scramble and as he starts to leave, Vickie Guerrero is doing a Vince-walk to the ring.
Guerrero runs Show down for causing a disturbance, calling him a big, dumb giant. She says to get out of her ring and to go back to where he belongs. As she finishes her thought, some familiar sounds start playing as the arena goes dark and druids bring a casket down the aisle. In the ring, Show is laughing hysterically and clapping for what he assumes is about to happen.
The druids bring the casket to its usual spot on the side of the ring as the Undertaker appears on the TitanHDTron. He says he told her that coffin would be her final resting place. Will she go by herself or will he have to come get her? Of course, Show holds her and ‘Taker’s music hits and Show isn’t letting her go anywhere. She gets away, but Show tracks her down and brings her back into the ring as Undertaker approaches the casket and lifts it open. She, of course, is freaking out.
Show holds her until ‘Taker puts his hand around her throat and then sucker punches him and begins a beatdown outside the ring, working the body and driving Undertaker’s back into the ring post. He closes the casket and drops ‘Taker face-first onto it. Show tips the casket over and continues the assault inside the ring. Show picks up the limp Undertaker and tells Guerrero to slap him and then spits in his face. They leave as the Undertaker is left lying.
Backstage, William Regal is politicking with Adamle to take Punk’s place in the Scramble. Adamle says there’s a chance Punk could still compete and he’s checking on some things.
Match #6 – World Heavyweight Championship Scramble – Batista (Washington, DC) vs. John “Bradshaw” Layfield (New York City) vs. Kane (Hell, Fire & Brimstone) vs. Rey Mysterio (San Diego, Calif.) vs. Chris Jericho (Manhasset, NY)
There’s an air of uncertainty to the match, as Batista and John “Bradshaw” Layfield are your combatants for the first five minutes. Batista wastes no time in locking in the Figure Four Leg Lock to a chorus of “WOOOOOOOO!”
JBL takes it to the outside and has some success, but it’s Batista that throws JBL into the steel steps as the first five minutes expire and Kane makes his way to the ring. Kane finds success with a big boot and a big uppercut. Batista turns things around briefly, but walks right into a sidewalk slam. Kane goes to the top and goes for the flying clothesline, but Batista rolls out of the way. JBL comes back in and eats a choke slam from Kane who, with the cover, becomes the new Interim World Heavyweight Champion.
Shortly after, Rey Mysterio makes his return and is alive, not dead. Kane awaits his arrival and he immediately eats a big punch. Mysterio dispatches of Kane and works over JBL, but Kane says “welcome back” with a thunderous punch.
Batista and Mysterio start working together until Mysterio tries to take advantage of it. JBL hits a fallaway slam on Mysterio, throwing him onto a fallen Batista. It’s all JBL as the clock appears for the final entrant — CHRIS JERICHO.
Everyone is in shock as JBL goes for two quick covers, but can’t get anything. Jericho slowly makes his way to the ring (he took about 50 seconds) and immediately eats a spear from Batista, who goes on a spear rampage.
Jericho is the only man outside of the ring with three minutes to go. Batista goes for the power bomb on Rey but he gets out. In running away, Mysterio hits the 619 on JBL, but then Batista sends him flying.
JBL hits the Clothesline from Hell on Kane but immediately eats a spinebuster from Batista with two minutes to go.
It’s Kane and Batista now. Kane hits the flying clothesline and goes for the cover when he’s still the champion and gets two. He calls for the chokeslam with a minute to go but Batista spears him.
Batista hits the spinebuster and gets the pin with 30 seconds to go and is the only man standing in the ring. Mysterio comes out of nowhere and goes for the West Coast Pop on Batista but is caught. Then Jericho comes in the backdoor with 11 seconds left and pins Kane. Batista turns around with a look of disbelief on his face as the final four seconds tick off the clock.
Winner and NEW World Heavyweight Champion: Chris Jericho
Match rating: 6.5/10
Overall rating: 7/10
