 The main feud heading into the event was between Randy Orton and Triple H over the World Heavyweight Championship . At the August pay @-@ per @-@ view event , SummerSlam , WWE 's previous pay @-@ per @-@ view event , Orton defeated Chris Benoit to win the World Heavyweight Championship , thus making Orton the youngest World Heavyweight Champion in WWE history . On the August 16 , 2004 edition of Raw , one of WWE 's primary television programs , Orton successfully retained the title in a rematch with Benoit . After the match , Evolution ( Batista , Ric Flair , and Triple H ) , Orton 's fellow stablemates , threw him a fake celebration , only to reveal that they were not pleased with his new victory . While Batista had Orton propped on his shoulders in elation , Triple H gave him a pleased thumbs up ; Triple H , however , abruptly changed the thumbs up to a thumbs @-@ down and told Batista to drop Orton to the mat . Flair and Batista then began to beat Orton in the ring as Triple H claimed that Orton was nothing without Evolution . Orton 's break @-@ up with Evolution began a new storyline for him as a fan favorite when he continued to feud with his former group members . On the August 23 edition of Raw , after Orton refused to give Triple H the World title , Orton spat in Triple H 's face and hit him with the title belt . General Manager Eric Bischoff then scheduled a match between the two for the World Heavyweight title at Unforgiven . The following week on Raw , Eugene defeated Triple H in a singles match after Orton interfered and performed an RKO on Triple H. On the September 6 edition Raw , Orton defeated Kane in a Steel Cage match , which Orton won by escaping the cage . Shortly after the match ended , Ric Flair and Batista came out and , along with Triple H , began attacking Orton . In an interview with the Daily Star in 2006 , Orton revealed that WWE chairman , Vince McMahon , came up with the idea of having Orton be a fan favorite the day of SummerSlam . According to Orton , transforming into a fan favorite was " tough " because " no one bought it " . 
