Unforgiven: In Your House was the 21st In Your House and inaugural Unforgiven professional wrestling pay-per-view (PPV) event produced by the World Wrestling Federation (WWF; WWE as of 2002). It took place on April 26, 1998, at the Greensboro Coliseum Complex in Greensboro, North Carolina. This was the first WWF pay-per-view that used the new "scratch" logo for promotional work, which had first appeared on the ring apron at WrestleMania XIV. This event saw the first Inferno match and WWF's first evening gown match.
This was one of the In Your House events which later became the title of an annual pay-per-view, replacing the method at the time of making new names for all events aside from the "Big Five" (Royal Rumble, WrestleMania, King of the Ring, SummerSlam, and Survivor Series). Unforgiven returned in September 1999, becoming the promotion's annual September PPV until its final event in 2008.
Production
Background
In Your House was a series of monthly pay-per-view (PPV) shows first produced by the World Wrestling Federation (WWF, now WWE) in May 1995. They aired when the promotion was not holding one of its then-five major PPVs (WrestleMania, King of the Ring, SummerSlam, Survivor Series, and Royal Rumble), and were sold at a lower cost. Unforgiven: In Your House was the 21st In Your House event and took place on April 26, 1998, at the Greensboro Coliseum Complex in Greensboro, North Carolina.
Storylines
Nation of Domination leader Faarooq felt his leadership compromised by the egotism of The Rock and so when Rock was tapping out to Ken Shamrock's anklelock at WrestleMania XIV, rather than appear to save him, Faarooq merely laughed as The Rock ostensibly lost his Intercontinental Championship (the decision was soon reversed). The following night Rock promised to Faarooq that in their match against Shamrock and Steve Blackman, the Nation of Domination would find a new strength. The new strength turned to be a double cross as Rocky left the match, making it a de facto handicap match which Faarooq lost. After the match, Faarooq demanded The Rock return so they could face each other man to man but when Rock came back to the ring, it turned into a coup d'état as all the other members turned on their leader and Rock took leadership of the newly named Nation. The next week, as Faarooq arrived at the arena, he was met with a beating in the parking lot by all the Nation members, which they also filmed. Ken Shamrock, meanwhile, was forming an ad hoc tag team with Blackman based on their martial arts backgrounds, and still wanted his hands on the Intercontinental Champion.
As the only Hart family member left after the Montreal Screwjob, Owen Hart found himself in a feud with D-Generation X and specifically Triple H. Hart wanted Helmsley's European Belt after Shawn Michaels laid down to give it to Triple H as a Christmas present. Hart eventually persuaded Helmsley into a match, though it turned out to be a ruse with The Artist Formerly Known as Goldust playing the part of Triple H; Hart's win was upheld and he became champion anyway. Triple H would win the title back with the help of Chyna exploiting an injured ankle. Their rematch at WrestleMania XIV would see Commissioner Slaughter handcuffed to Chyna in a bid to prevent her from interfering but she managed to regardless and Hart lost the match after a low blow. The decision was then made for a rematch to be held at Unforgiven, with Chyna restrained in a small cage, suspended from the ground.
Jim Cornette had long been on a campaign to return tradition to the WWF and in doing so brought in a National Wrestling Alliance faction. The NWA Tag Team Champions The Rock 'n' Roll Express were part of this faction until two successive losses to The Headbangers saw Jim Cornette turn on them and bring in The Midnight Express who would record a success over the Headbangers and take the titles. The Rock 'n' Roll Express, though, still wanted revenge for their assault and Cornette's double-cross.