Unforgiven 2008: Shawn Michaels Gets His Revenge and Chris Jericho Steals the Championship

The first Championship Scramble benefits from novelty because the crowd is still learning how temporary champions and timed entrances can reshape a title match. Miz and Hardy establish a solid opening pace, Chavo immediately changes the standings after entering, and Mark Henry's arrival gives the match a clear power obstacle. Finlay's entry creates the most chaotic stretch, including Hornswoggle's distraction and a temporary title change. Hardy finally lands the Twist of Fate on Miz and spends the remaining minutes desperately breaking up covers. That final defensive stretch gives his championship victory more substance than a simple opportunistic pin. The match is not elegant, but the format feels fresh here, and Hardy's long pursuit of the ECW title gives the final bell a satisfying emotional payoff.

Rhodes and DiBiase work a conventional heel tag structure between much larger concept matches, which gives the card a necessary change of pace even if the wrestling never becomes exceptional. JTG spends the middle portion isolated while the champions use quick tags and simple control, allowing Shad's eventual entrance to create the expected power comeback. The finish is more creative than the body of the match. JTG catches Rhodes in an inside cradle, but a collision involving DiBiase and Shad shifts the leverage and allows Rhodes to reverse the pin for three. The champions retain without outside interference, then the post-match arrival of Manu becomes the segment's lasting development. As a title defense, it is competent and forgettable; as a bridge toward Orton's second-generation group, it has useful historical context.

Michaels and Jericho understand that the match cannot feel like another technical classic. The story is revenge, so Michaels attacks with unusual aggression, sells the damaged arm, and repeatedly chooses punishment over efficient attempts to win. Jericho targets the injury whenever he can create distance, while Lance Cade's interference adds another obstacle without taking control of the match. The announcers' table elbow drop is the largest stunt, but the most important stretch comes afterward when Michaels removes his belt and whips Jericho until the fight becomes uncomfortable. The referee finally stops the match because Jericho can no longer defend himself, and Michaels still refuses to stop. That ending perfectly matches the feud's tone. It is violent, emotional, and the one match on Unforgiven that feels essential beyond its immediate result.

The SmackDown Scramble makes the best use of the format's temporary-title gimmick because nearly every change advances the Jeff Hardy and Triple H story. Hardy becomes interim champion early, The Brian Kendrick gets an unexpectedly memorable reign, and Triple H's late entrance immediately raises the pace. The final minutes are especially strong as Hardy and Triple H trade title-winning pins on different opponents rather than directly pinning each other. With one second remaining, Triple H covers MVP while Hardy simultaneously hits the Swanton Bomb on Benjamin, leaving Hardy just too late to reclaim the lead. That finish creates genuine frustration without making him look inferior to the champion. The first half is slower, but the final five minutes justify the structure and keep Hardy's championship chase moving toward a later payoff.

McCool and Maryse are given fewer than six minutes between major story segments, leaving little opportunity to make the Divas Championship feel important. Maryse attacks the knee and gives the match a simple target, while McCool responds with enough counters to keep the pace moving. The heel hook creates the most coherent wrestling sequence, but the rope break arrives before the submission work can develop into real suspense. McCool eventually hits the Wings of Love and retains cleanly. There are no major mistakes, yet the audience is noticeably less engaged and the bout feels secondary on a card dominated by larger concepts and angles. The clean finish protects the champion, which is useful, but the match never receives the time or intensity required to become a meaningful pay-per-view title defense.

The Raw Scramble has an excellent surprise and a mediocre journey to reach it. Batista, JBL, Kane, and Mysterio work the expected rotating combinations while the audience waits to learn what happened to CM Punk. By the final five-minute interval, Jericho enters as Punk's replacement despite barely being able to move after the unsanctioned match, immediately making the title outcome unpredictable. Batista eventually pins Kane after a spinebuster and appears ready to leave as champion. Jericho then slides back into the ring, covers the still-downed Kane, and steals the championship with seconds remaining. The finish is clever and launches the next phase of the Jericho-Michaels feud, but the match itself suffers from a tired crowd and the third use of the same format. The result is stronger than the wrestling.