The pay-per-view took place on September 22, 1996 at the CoreStates Center in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. There are no pinfalls, submissions, countouts, or disqualifications. The only way to win is to make your opponent say those two dreaded words: "I quit". Nearly the entire roster gathered in Randy Orton's locker room just to see the match. On Ring Posts, Kevin Eck stated that whether or not Cena has any star potential will be exposed in this match. He also wondered if WWE was really serious in giving Cena this push. It was titled: "OVW's Highest Prospect Meets The Internet Darling." Both men recieved 50/50 reactions. The crowd wasn't in the corner of either man, but they easily won everyone over in such short time. HHH dominated the early stages, hitting moves like the clothesline and an inverted Indian deathlock. Cena, however, took the advantage and hit The Game with several weapons, including a garbage can and the ring bell. The fight spilled over the barricade and into the Philadelphia crowd. At one point, The Champ had the STFU locked in on the stairs. The two ended up on top of the stairwell near the concession stands, where The Game hit an AA spinebuster. He then prepared for the Pedigree, but Cena countered and hit the FU on The King of Kings off the guardrail and into the WWE Universe. The match made its way back to ringside eventually. HHH nailed The Chain Gang Commander with a sledgehammer, busting him open. But Cena refused to quit. The Cerebral Assassin then hit the Pedigree onto the exposed concrete. That didn't work either. So Triple H took the WWE Champion to the SmackDown! announce table, where he prepared for a second Pedigree. But The Champ countered and hit the FU, breaking the table. The contest found its way in the squared circle once more. Cena hit The Game with the steel steps three times, bloodying him. At this point, both men were busted open. The Chain Gang Commander was bleeding profusely from his forehead, and Triple H wasn't all that good either. Cena hit the FU on The King of Kings a third time, but he still refused to quit. The Champ brought a wooden table into the ring, propped up Triple H on his shoulders, and looked to hit a fourth and final FU. But The Cerebral Assassin countered it into a Pedigree on the cold steps. Cena still didn't quit. Triple H was frustrated. He looked to hit a third Pedigree, but The Chain Gang Commander countered it into an FU on the table, destroying it in half. Cena then locked in the STFU for the second time in the match. The Game tried for a rope break, but that made The Champ angrier and the hold deeper. Triple H was slowly fading away. Referee Mike Chioda asked the Greenwich native if he wanted to quit. "I quit! I quit!", said a groggy King of Kings as the bell rung. John Cena had retained the WWE Championship in a brutal, barbaric, hellacious, yet classic "I Quit" Match. The image of a crimson-masked Cena holding up the gold is now remembered as one of the greatest moments in WWE history. The West Newbury native got a lot of praise in the locker room. Praise from guys like Randy Orton, Edge, and his best friend, Triple H.