Stone Cold Steve Austin
One main event at Judgment Day featured a Chain match, with Triple H defending his WWF Intercontinental Championship against Kane. The buildup to the match all started after WrestleMania X-Seven on the April 5 episode of "SmackDown!" when Triple H won the Intercontinental title by defeating Chris Jericho after WWF Commissioner William Regal interfered. Two weeks later on "SmackDown!", Triple H and Stone Cold Steve Austin interfered in Kane's WWF Hardcore Championship defense against Rhyno by injuring his left arm with multiple steel chair shots, enabling Rhyno to win the title. At Backlash, WWF Champion, "Stone Cold" Steve Austin and WWF Intercontinental Champion, Triple H defeated The Undertaker and Kane to win the WWF Tag Team Championship in a tag team match, in which Austin's WWF title and Triple H's Intercontinental title were also on the line after interference from both Stephanie McMahon-Helmsley and her father Vince McMahon The following night on Monday Night's "Raw Is War", Kane was scheduled to challenge "Stone Cold" Steve Austin for the WWF Championship, but Kane was attacked backstage by "Stone Cold" Steve Austin and Triple H before the match even started. Therefore, The Undertaker replaced Kane in the WWF Title match and defeated "Stone Cold" Steve Austin by disqualification, but did not win the WWF Title because of the disqualification. Afterward, Kane came down to the ring to save The Undertaker from the assault given to him by "Stone Cold" Steve Austin and Triple H, but Kane ended up being put out of action for two weeks after "Stone Cold" Steve Austin and Triple H targeted his left arm. Kane returned on the May 10 episode of "SmackDown!" and saved Undertaker from an assault by Austin. On the May 14 episode of "Raw Is War", Triple H announced a chain match for the WWF Intercontinental title between himself and Kane at Judgment Day.