Unforgiven Recap

Who is the WWE Champion? Will we be seeing John Cena wrestle on Friday nights or Monday nights? Was the brutality of Hell in a Cell enough to settle the differences between D-Generation X and the McMahon family? Where is the WWE headed after this show? All of these questions and more were answered tonight.

Intercontinental Title: Champ Johnny Nitro w/Melina vs Jeff Hardy - Jeff’s return to PPV lasted nearly twenty minutes but did not end with the title victory he hoped for. Johnny Nitro kept the title when Melina “injured” her ankle and then used the heel of her boot on Jeff which allowed Nitro to get the pin. Winner: Johnny Nitro

- In the back, Jeff talks to his brother Matt who wrestles for Smackdown. Their former manager Lita, sees them and insults them both by calling them losers that will never be champions like her and Edge. In addition to Matt being in the building, SmackDown GM Teddy Long is also in the building. Of course, if John Cena loses his match tonight, he will be forced to leave RAW and wrestle for SmackDown.

Kane vs Umaga - Nothing has been settled between these two monsters as they were both counted out. After getting counted out, they fought through the crowd and into the back of the arena. Winner: Double count out

Tag Team Championship: Champs the Spirit Squad (Kenny/Mikey/Johnny/Nicky/Mitch) vs the Highlanders (Rory/Robbie) - Mikey and Kenny represent the Spirit Squad tonight and they took care of the Highlanders very quickly. The three members of the Spirit Squad outside the ring were the difference makers as Johnny kicked Rory which allowed Mikey to hit the face buster to get the win for the team. Winners: The Spirit Squad

Hell in a Cell Handicap Match: the Big Show, Vince McMahon, & Shane McMahon vs D-Generation X (Shawn Michaels & Triple H) - As expected, this was a bloody and violent battle. After almost a year-long feud, it appears that D-Generation X has finally won this war in a most convincing fashion. Shane was taken care of when Shawn hit him with an elbow drop off the top rope while Shane had a chair wrapped around his throat. D-Generation X then knocked out the Big Show, exposed his buttocks, and then forced Vince to kiss them. They then took care of Vince with a sledge hammer to the back of a head. Triple H then pinned Vince to get the win after a nearly half-hour long battle. After the match, Vince and Shane needed to be carried out of the ring on stretchers. Winners: D-Generation X

Women's Championship: Champ Lita vs Trish Stratus - Win, lose, or draw this is Trish’s final match. At least Vince let one Canadian end their WWE career in a proper manner as Trish won the match and the title with the sharpshooter. This brought back memories of Bret Hart “losing” to that move in his final WWE match in Montreal. That famous night in Montreal refuses to die and next year’s Survivor Series will be held in Montreal to commemorate the ten year anniversary of the “Montreal Screwjob”. Winner and new champion: Trish Stratus

Carlito vs Randy Orton - Randy reversed Carlito’s springboard off the ropes into an RKO to get a clean win. Winner: Randy Orton

Tables, Ladders, & Chairs Match for the WWE Title: Champ Edge vs John Cena - Despite being the bad guy, the fans were behind their hometown hero Edge. The match was incredible and featured many great spots. It ended when John delivered an FU from the top of the ladder through a table. Cena then grabbed the title from the top of the ladder to start his third WWE Championship reign. Winner: John Cena

What does this event mean for future?
With John winning the title tonight and Randy Orton getting a clean win over Carlito in the previous match, it appears that Randy may be the next man in line for a title shot. As far as Edge goes, he could be in line for at least one rematch and maybe a feud with Jeff Hardy due to the interaction between Jeff and Lita earlier in the show.

It appears that the D-Generation X vs McMahon feud has finally ended. Hopefully, Vince and Shane will be off TV for a while and there will finally be a new RAW GM after the post being vacant for almost a year. Triple H is free to move back into the title scene and Shawn can take off some time to get his knee fixed up. This match should have no impact on the career of the Big Show as he will be back defending his ECW championship on Tuesday nights.

With Trish retiring as Women’s Champion, there should be a tournament for the belt that will be taking place over the next few weeks on RAW. Nothing was solved in the feud between Kane and Umaga and I would expect a few rematches between these men over the next few weeks.

Overall Thoughts
Tonight’s show was very good for a one brand PPV event. Two long running feuds were finally decided with two of the best gimmick matches in the WWE. The lasting memory may be Trish’s retirement. It was an emotional moment and thankfully she was treated with far more respect by the Toronto crowd than she was on Monday night at Madison Square.

Match Results:

• I-C Title: Champ Johnny Nitro beat Jeff Hardy
  
• Kane and Umaga fought to a double count out
  
• Tag Team Titles: Champs the Spirit Squad (Mikey/Kenny) beat the Highlanders
  
• Hell in a Cell: Shawn Michaels and Triple H beat Vince McMahon, Shane McMahon, and the Big Show
  
• Women’s Title: Trish Stratus beat Lita to win the title
  
• Randy Orton beat Carlito
  
• T.L.C. Match for the WWE Title: John Cena beat Edge and as a result became champion and can still wrestle on RAW