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Build to Unforgiven!
Ted DiBiase comes out on the Raw after SummerSlam demanding Austin meets him in the ring so he can grant Ted's three wishes that he rightfully earned by his team beating the two GMs at SummerSlam. Ted reminds Austin that none of the three requests can be refused or else Austin is out of a job. He gives Austin some verbal abuse and then gets right to the first demand which is the most obvious one. The U.S. Title was wrongfully stripped from DiBiase and Charlie Haas was essentially handed the thing back at Night of Champions all for the purpose of humiliating DiBiase and making Austin laugh. Therefore his first request is for Austin to immediately strip Charlie Haas of the United States Title. Austin bows his head down and ponders this over. Ted demands it again or else Austin is fired as GM. Austin raises his mic and in a hushed manner declares that he is stripping Charlie Haas of the title. Ted is all smiles and asks Austin if it was so hard. He gets ready to make his next demand but Chris Sylvain, the new WWE Champion interrupts, and joins the two and talks about himself. Sylvain is the best thing going on Raw. Hell, he's the best thing going on either show. He wants Ted and Austin to have their little pow-wow someplace else because the WWE Champion is the only important thing on this show. DiBiase gets right up in Sylvain's face and agrees that being champion is important. Therefore his next demand is a floating WWE Title opportunity to be used whenever Ted sees fit until the day he decides to hang up his boots. Austin begrudgingly agrees. Ted then gets in Austin's face and points out that Austin doesn't look too happy doing his job as GM. Maybe Austin needs a vacation or at the very least some help in his duties. Ted wants to ask for something he's always wanted. Something even his money has never been able to buy. He wants power. Therefore, Ted's last demand is to be named the co-GM of Raw. Austin is really taken back at this. Ted urges Austin to do it. Austin raises his mic again after thinking this one over and proclaims, "Ted, if having you as a general manager of this show means that I get to keep my job, well, hell....you're fresh out of luck!" KICK! WHAM! STUNNER! DiBiase goes down! Austin gets back on the mic: "Don't bother firing me. I....QUIT!" Austin leaves the ring saluting the crowd.
Sylvain is still the ring looking down at DiBiase. He shakes his head in disapproval and points out the weakness of the Raw superstars. If they can't even step up to a has-been like Steve Austin, how can any of them step up to Chris Sylvain? How can they expect to be rewarded without any risk? Shelton Benjamin interrupts and claims he knows all about risk. He also knows all about the kind of guy Chris Sylvain is. Chris Sylvain doesn't like being disrespected or punked out. "Well consider yourself disrespected.' BAM! Right hand from Benjamin! Sylvain grabs his belt and retreats.
In the back, the locker room ponders what will happen now that Raw doesn't have a General Manager.
The New Frontier (Jeremy Matthews and Scott Andrews) and the Thug Life Soldiers (Jordan and Jerome) each win fatal four-way tag matches and will face each other to determine the number one contenders to the Unified Tag Team Titles.
A series of matches are also being set-up to determine the number one contender for Kevin Daniels' Cruiserweight Title.
Oracle feels she's been getting the shaft ever since being drafted to Raw. She knows all about Victoria and she should be the one who dethrones her for the Diva's Title.
Over on SmackDown!, Cody Rhodes opens the show with the Rock as he is set to make his demands known. Rhodes wonders if Rock is going to turn chicken and quit like Austin did. Rock just wants Cody to get on with it. Rhodes points out that he respects Ted DiBiase but sadly he's not as patient as his former Legacy teammate. Rhodes wants a shot at Jason Collins' World Heavyweight Title TONIGHT! Rock makes it official by announcing the match as the main event. Rhodes continues as he reveals that his next request isn't entirely selfish. He made a vow to the rest of the SmackDown! locker room that if they supported Rhodes in his campaign against the Rock, he'd make a special request that would benefit all of them. It's something that should've been done a long time ago. Rhodes wants Kofi Kingston suspended....indefinitely. Rock isn't sure about this one but Rhodes claims that if it had been done right from the get go when Kofi was beginning his vigilante-style investigation, maybe the Rock and Austin wouldn't be in the positions they are now. He repeats his request and this time, after much deliberation, the Rock declares that Kofi Kingston is, in fact, suspended. Rock, however, points out that this essentially makes Rhodes the prime suspect in the case of who is behind Kofi's misery. Rhodes says it doesn't matter because it's not him anyway. HOLY F*CK! It's Shawn Michaels back from being hospitalized a few weeks back by Rhodes. He tries to get to Rhodes but the Dashing One escapes but he gets back on the mic and says his last request has just come to him. He wants the Rock to trade Shawn Michaels back to Raw! Rock and Michaels stare at each other as Rhodes smiles away.
More stuff happens (I'll get into more detail when I get to No Mercy since it's a SmackDown! PPV) and we get to the main event: Jason Collins defending the World Heavyweight Title against Cody Rhodes. Collins is nowhere near 100% after his brutal encounter with Kane at SummerSlam. Rhodes is able to get the upper-hand several times during the match and victory looks to be within his grasp but Shawn Michaels comes from the crowd with security hot his heels. He tries jumping the barrier but is held back. It's enough to draw the attention of Rhodes however and he yells at security to get him out of the arena since he's no longer a SmackDown! superstar. Collins takes advantage with a surprise Fall From Heaven for the pin and successful defense.
Back on Raw, The New Frontier emerge as number one contenders and Matt Stryker wins the cruiserweight series to win the right to challenge for the Cruiserweight Title. The Diva's title will be defended in a triple threat match involving the champion, Victoria against Kim Roderick and Oracle.
Evan Bourne is feeling tremendous guilt over what happened to Austin at SummerSlam and Raw last week. He only hoped that by speaking up against Austin that'd there be some restructuring or limits placed on Austin. He didn't want Austin gone completely or being forced to do the bidding of DiBiase. He vows to set things right.
Speaking of Ted DiBiase, he's out to speak out against Austin over what he did the previous week. He feels like he should be mad but he then goes over the things he did manage to get and Austin not being around kind of makes up for not becoming co-GM. He does want to complain about not receiving the U.S. Title. Seeing as Charlie Haas no longer has a claim to it, he should've been given the belt last week. Out comes WWE owner M-A-G with the title belt in hand!!! M-A-G gets on the mic and points out that Ted only asked Austin to strip Haas of the title. No one said anything about giving the title back to DiBiase. Ted says that it was implied since he never really lost it in the first place. It was wrongfully taken away. Ted pleads with M-A-G saying that he knows deep down in his heart that it was wrong to take the title from him and that he is still the true champion. M-A-G actually agrees and thus makes it official. Ted DiBiase is now the new United States champion. Ted celebrates as the crowd boos. "However," M-A-G continues, "now I have another individual from whom the title was wrongfully removed. And seeing as you're all about doing the right thing DiBiase, you will be facing that man tonight. You will defend your U.S. Title against Charlie Haas!"
Blah, blah, blah, stuff happens, DiBiase manages to retain the title via chicanery.
The next week, Bourne appeals to the entire fanbase, the Raw locker room, and M-A-G to consider a return for Steve Austin. Bourne has begun a drive and want everyone to be a part of it. M-A-G comes out and speaks to Bourne about this. M-A-G makes it clear that Austin made his own choice and he really can't do much about that. However, he can't ignore the cries of the faithful WWE fans nor can he completely ignore the demand that Ted DiBiase made. So he offers Bourne and DiBiase a deal: both men must enlist two other superstars to join them in a six-man tag team match. If Bourne's team wins, Austin is re-instated as GM if that's what he wants. If DiBiase's team wins, DiBiase gets his wish of being a co-GM.
So the Unforgiven card is as follows:
WWE Title: Chris Sylvain vs. Shelton Benjamin
WWE Cruiserweight Title: Kevin Daniels vs. Matt Stryker
WWE Unified Tag Team Titles: Cash Inc. vs. The New Frontier
WWE Diva's Title: Victoria vs. Oracle vs. Kim Roderick
Evan Bourne, Charlie Haas, and John Morrison vs. Ted DiBiase, William Regal, and The Miz
Mr. Kennedy vs. Randy Orton
R-Truth vs. Bret Banderas
Triple Threat U.S. Title number one contendership match: Sean Criss vs. Pete Shapiro vs. Scott Blackmore
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