Unforgiven 1996
In a world where robots beat evil pirates and destroy the universe in a shocking turn-on...Ok, I was just kidding. The story actually begins in 1971. This time I'm not kidding. Vince McMahon, with the help of his ailing, yet supportive father, created the World Wrestling Federation, or WWF for short. For 15 years, the company rules the world, creating millions in revenue and tax income and having stars such as Buddy Rogers, Hulk Hogan, Bruno Sammaratino, Ric Flair and Jake Roberts dazzle every night. Then Donald Trump took over, the company failed, yada, yada, yada...Then in 1992, McMahon returned and by the mid '1990s, guys like "Stone Cold" Steve Austin and The Rock (who helped revitalize the company in the late '80s to early '90s) had left. In 1996, after a settled lawsuit, McMahon renamed the company to WWE. That August, he ordered two world titles, two secondary titles, and two tag-team titles. The ECW Championship and the ECW brand came in January of 1997. They made their debut at the New Year's Revolution PPV. It helped pave the way for John Cena, Triple H, and many others to take their spot in history. When the two world titles were awarded in September, the WWE Champion would be easy to predict. Everyone thought that internet darling and purebred superstar Triple H would take it, since he was college wrestling's most coveted prospect in history. Others thought that John Cena, the powerful and resilient Superman who had a 29-2 record in OVW, would take it. In the end, McMahon gave Cena the strap. Many people were vocal about this. Some thought that Cena was unable to carry the company and he'll cause division amongst the fans. Others believed Cena deserved the WWE Championship, and that being the IWC's favorite son doesn't gain you credibility. In time, Cena got over with a large majority of the fans and became a fan favorite. When Cena began to wear caps, claming it "completed the look", he was ribbed about it in the locker room. However, the ribbing became real, and Triple H, who had been Cena's best friend for four years, supported Cena through it all. But one day in the cafeteria, Triple H mocked Cena by saying, "You can't see me because my movies aren't in theaters long enough." After Cena heard about it, he said that Triple H will be "taught a lesson in hustle, loyalty, and respect at Unforgiven." That night on RAW, it was announced that John Cena will defend the WWE Championship at Unforgiven against Triple H in an "I Quit" Match.