Unforgiven (2006)

Unforgiven was first held by World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) as the 21st In Your House pay-per-view (PPV) in April 1998. Following the discontinuation of the In Your House series in February 1999, Unforgiven branched off as its own PPV in September that year, becoming WWE's annual September PPV.[3] The 2006 event was the ninth event in the Unforgiven chronology and took place on September 17 at the Air Canada Centre in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Like the previous three years' events, it featured wrestlers exclusively from the Raw brand.[4]

The event featured seven professional wrestling matches with different wrestlers involved in pre-existing scripted feuds, plots and storylines. Wrestlers were portrayed as either villains or fan favorites as they followed a series of tension-building events, which culminated in a wrestling match or series of matches. All wrestlers belonged to the Raw brand – a storyline division in which WWE assigned its employees to a different program, the other being SmackDown!.

WWE Champion Edge feuded with John Cena prior to Unforgiven

The main feud heading into Unforgiven was between Edge and John Cena over the WWE Championship. The two were evenly matched, with one victory each. Cena defeated Edge by disqualification at Saturday Night's Main Event XXXIII, and Edge had beaten Cena at SummerSlam to retain his championship.[5][6] On the edition of August 21, 2006 of Raw, Lita, Edge's girlfriend, threw Cena's customized belt, which had a spinning center plate of the WWE logo, into the Long Island Sound. Afterwards, Edge proclaimed that it was the end of the "Cena era" in his life.[7] Edge went on to unveil a new version of the belt, which had a spinning center plate of his "Rated-R Superstar" logo.[8] Later in the evening, Edge had a match with the returning Jeff Hardy; however, the match ended in a no-contest after Cena interfered and attacked Edge.[7] After the match, the two fought outside the arena, and Cena tossed Edge into the Long Island Sound.[7][8] On the edition of August 28, 2006 of Raw, Edge demanded that Shane McMahon, who was in charge of Raw that night, fire Cena for his actions the week before.[9] Cena, however, interrupted and told Edge that if he got another WWE Championship match and lost, he would sign a contract with SmackDown! and leave Edge's life.[10] Edge agreed, but on the condition that he decided when, where, and what type of match it would be.[10] After Cena defeated Chris Masters later that night, Edge hit Cena with a chair, a ladder, and later put him through a table. Following his attack, Edge told Cena that the match was going to be a Tables, Ladders, and Chairs match at Unforgiven in his hometown of Toronto, Ontario.[9][10]

The other main match on the card was D-Generation X (DX) (Triple H and Shawn Michaels) versus The McMahons (Vince and Shane) and The Big Show in a Hell in a Cell match. At SummerSlam, DX defeated The McMahons in a tag team match.[11] On the edition of August 21, 2006 of Raw, as part of the storyline, DX vandalized the WWE headquarters and Vince McMahon's personal jet plane and limousine.[8][12] On the edition of August 28 of Raw, The McMahons viciously attacked DX after their 3-on-2 handicap match with their SummerSlam opponents, Mr. Kennedy, Finlay and William Regal.[9] But before Vince and Shane proceeded to attack DX, Big Show attacked DX, giving the advantage to The McMahons.[9] Moments after the assault, Vince booked a match at Unforgiven, where he teamed up with Shane and Big Show to take on DX in a 3-on-2 handicap Hell in a Cell match.[9]

One of the main undercard matches was between Lita and Trish Stratus for the WWE Women's Championship. Lita engaged herself in a feud with Trish Stratus, after Lita and Edge interrupted Stratus' title match with Mickie James. Lita and Edge then went on to attack Stratus', only to involve Carlito, who was in an on-screen relationship with Stratus, to brawl with Lita and Edge.[13][14] A scheduled tag team match between Lita and Edge versus Stratus and Carlito occurred, in which Edge and Lita were the winners.[13][14] On the edition of August 28, 2006 of Raw, Lita revealed that Stratus would retire following Unforgiven, which was later confirmed by Stratus.[15][16] On the edition of September 4 of Raw, Stratus challenged Lita to a match at Unforgiven for the WWE Women's title, for her retirement match, in which Lita accepted.[17]

The first match was between Jeff Hardy and Johnny Nitro for the Intercontinental Championship. In the start of the match, Hardy gained the advantage over Nitro by countering his attacks. Hardy performed the Swanton Bomb, but Nitro put his foot on the rope to break a pinfall attempt. Melina, however, hit Hardy with her boot, and Nitro pinned Hardy and retained the title.[19][20]

D-Generation X (DX) (Triple H and Shawn Michaels) were scheduled in a handicap Hell in a Cell match

The match that followed was between Kane and Umaga. The match was taken to the outside of the ring. Kane performed a clothesline on Umaga into the crowd for a double countout called by the referee.[20][21] The third match was for the World Tag Team Championship between the Spirit Squad (Kenny and Mikey) and The Highlanders. back and forth action was seen by both teams. The members of the Squad, who were at ringside, interfered in the match and gave the upper hand to their teammates, as Mikey was able to pin Rory after a Facebuster, thus able to retain the World Tag Team Championship.[20][22]

In the next match, Big Show, Shane McMahon and Vince McMahon faced D-Generation X (Triple H and Shawn Michaels) (DX) in a Handicap Hell in a Cell match. At first, DX got the upper hand over the McMahons and Big Show. Back and forth action occurred between the teams. During the match, Triple H wrapped a chair around Shane's neck and Michaels dropped an elbow onto the chair, injuring Shane. Michaels proceeded to perform Sweet Chin Music on Big Show. DX then pulled Big Show's trunks down and shoved Vince's head up Big Show's buttocks. Michaels performed Sweet Chin Music, before Triple H hit Vince with a sledgehammer and covered him for the win.[23][20]

John Cena defeated Edge to become WWE Champion

The next singles match was between Trish Stratus and Lita for the WWE Women's Championship. Stratus gained control early in the match, but Lita took it from her after she threw Stratus from the top rope. Stratus won the match after she locked in the Sharpshooter on Lita, who submitted to the move, and Stratus became Women's Champion for the last time in her career.[24][25][26]

In the sixth match, Randy Orton faced Carlito. As the match began, Carlito spat on Orton and momentarily was followed by a dropkick. Mid-way in the match, Carlito performed a springboard moonsault from each side of the ring. His elbow caught Orton in the mouth on the second moonsault causing Orton to bleed from the mouth. After back-and-forth action, Carlito attempted an aerial maneuver, only to be countered into a mid-air RKO. Orton then pinned Carlito for the win.[20][27]

In the main event, Edge faced John Cena in a Tables, Ladders, and Chairs match for the WWE Championship. The match stipulation added that if Cena lost to Edge, Cena would move to the SmackDown! brand. At the start, Cena took the advantage over Edge. Edge, however, countered Cena's moves with a neckbreaker. The match saw Cena sandwich Edge in a ladder as he applied the STFU on Edge, to which Edge submitted. At one point, Cena began to climb the ladder, but as he was moments away from retrieving the title, Lita, who interfered on Edge's behalf, tipped the ladder over, making Cena fall off the ladder through a table at ringside. Lita's interference was short, as Cena would later recover, and as Edge was climbing the ladder, Lita hit Cena with a steel chair to the back, only for him to inadvertently fall towards and push the ladder, making Edge fall off the ladder through a table at ringside. Lita then received an FU off Cena. Cena then began to make his way up the ladder, as did Edge when he re-entered the ring. The two fought until Cena performed an FU off the ladder through two tables that were stacked on Edge. Cena then grabbed the belt to win the WWE Championship for a third time.[28][20]