The Great American Bash (2004)

Background

On the May 27 episode of SmackDown!, Paul Heyman told The Dudley Boyz to "make an impact". The Dudleyz responded by abducting Paul Bearer, The Undertaker's manager. The next week, Heyman told Undertaker that the only way he would ever see Bearer again, was to align himself with The Dudleys. Two weeks later, on the June 17 episode of SmackDown!, a Handicap match between The Dudleys and The Undertaker was booked for The Great American Bash, with the stipulation being if Undertaker lost, Bearer, as part of the scripted events, would be cemented in a glass crypt.

At Judgment Day, John "Bradshaw" Layfield defeated Eddie Guerrero by disqualification after Guerrero hit JBL with the WWE Title belt. Since a championship can't be lost countout or disqualification, Guerrero retained the title. Two weeks later, on the May 27 episode of SmackDown!, General Manager Kurt Angle announced that JBL was the number-one contender to the title at The Great American Bash, and that JBL would choose the stipulation for the match. The next week, JBL announced his match against Guerrero as a Texas Bullrope match, where the goal is to successfully touch all four turnbuckles (one in each corner of the ring).

At Judgment Day, John Cena retained the United States Championship against René Dupree. Four days later, on SmackDown!, Cena faced Duprée in a title rematch. Duprée blew Cena low outside the ring, causing Cena to be counted out. Duprée won the match, but not the title since a title can't be lost by countout or disqualification. The next week, Cena defeated Duprée in a Lumberjack match to retain the title. On the June 3 episode of SmackDown!, Cena confronted Booker about his interference in the Lumberjack match the last week. As General Manager Kurt Angle told Cena to exit the arena, Booker attacked Cena from behind and pushed him onto Angle. Angle claimed he was going to strip Cena of the United States Championship for what he did. The next week, on SmackDown!, Cena faced Booker, Van Dam, and Duprée, respectively, in one-on-one matches with a five-minute time limit. The man to defeat Cena would become the number-one contender to the United States Title at The Great American Bash. Cena, however, won all three matches as no man was able to defeat him within the time limit. This led to Angle booking Cena in a Fatal Four-Way match for the title at The Great American Bash. On the June 17 episode of SmackDown!, Angle changed the match to an elimination match.

The Divas rivalry heading into the event was between Sable and Torrie Wilson. Sable and Torrie teamed together at WrestleMania XX and defeated Raw Divas Miss Jackie and Stacy Keibler, but when Torrie was featured on the cover of SmackDown! Magazine, Sable turned villainous by displaying jealousy over Torrie's cover and berating her in a backstage segment, leading to a brawl between the two Divas. The events led to the announcement that Sable and Torrie will face each other at The Great American Bash.

Event

Before the live broadcast of the event began, Spike Dudley defeated Jamie Noble in a match that aired on Sunday Night Heat.

Preliminary matches

The first match of the event was a Fatal Four-Way Elimination match for the WWE United States Championship in which John Cena defended the title against René Duprée, Booker T, and Rob Van Dam. Cena eliminated Van Dam with a roll-up. Booker eliminated Duprée by pinning him following an (FU) from Cena. Cena eliminated Booker after an FU to retain the title.

The next match was between Luther Reigns and Charlie Haas. After a match predominantly controlled by Reigns, Reigns executed a Reign of Terror for the win.

The third match was between Rey Mysterio and Chavo Guerrero for the WWE Cruiserweight Championship. Guerrero gained the early advantage, as he applied various submission holds to Mysterio's knee, including a single leg Boston crab and an Argentine leglock. After a back and forth match between the two, Mysterio pinned Guerrero with a sunset flip to retain the title.

The match that followed saw Kenzo Suzuki face Billy Gunn. The match went back and forth, as each man was able to gain the advantage numerous times. Suzuki defeated Gunn after an inverted headlock backbreaker.

The following match was between Sable and Torrie Wilson. Sable controlled Wilson throughout the contest, as she choked her using the bottom rope and applied a criss-cross choke. After both women ran into each other, Sable pinned Wilson with a schoolgirl to win the match.

The sixth match was between Mordecai and Hardcore Holly, which Mordecai won after performing a powerbomb.

Main event matches

The next match was a Texas Bullrope match for the WWE Championship between Eddie Guerrero and John "Bradshaw" Layfield (JBL). One preplanned move in the match saw Guerrero hit JBL with a steel chair, which caused JBL to bleed. Guerrero went on to touch three turnbuckles but was unable to touch the fourth as JBL held him back. Guerrero executed a dropkick on JBL and attempted to touch the fourth again but JBL held him back and took the advantage. JBL threw Guerrero into a broadcast table and executed a powerbomb through the broadcast table. In the end, each man had touched three turnbuckles and were vying for the fourth. Guerrero attempted to jump over JBL and touch the remaining turnbuckle, but was unsuccessful; he splashed himself and JBL into the turnbuckle. Guerrero was declared the winner, as it appeared he had touched all four turnbuckles first, but General Manager Kurt Angle came out and reversed the decision. He showed on the TitanTron that JBL had touched the final turnbuckle before Guerrero; as a result, JBL won the title.

The final match on the card was the main event, which saw The Undertaker face off against The Dudley Boyz (Bubba Ray and D-Von) in a Handicap match. Per the pre-match stipulation, Paul Bearer would be cemented in a glass crypt if Undertaker lost. Throughout the duration of the match, Bearer was locked on a chair inside a glass crypt with the pump of cement truck above him. After a match evenly controlled by The Undertaker and The Dudleys, Undertaker pinned D-Von following a Tombstone Piledriver to win. After the match, Undertaker pulled the lever to the cement truck, which in turn filled the crypt with Bearer inside full of cement.

Aftermath

At the event, John "Bradshaw" Layfield (JBL) defeated Eddie Guerrero to begin his first reign as WWE Champion, which would last nearly ten months. JBL began feuding with The Undertaker following the event, and the two faced off for the WWE Championship at SummerSlam. JBL won the match and retained the title after Undertaker was disqualified for hitting JBL with the title belt. The two faced off again at No Mercy in a Last Ride match, in which the objective is to place your opponent in a hearse and drive out of the arena. JBL defeated The Undertaker and concluded their storyline after interference from Heidenreich.

Following the conclusion of his title match against JBL at the event, Eddie Guerrero began to feud with Kurt Angle. During a Steel Cage match between Guerrero and JBL for the WWE Championship, El Gran Luchadore (Kurt Angle in disguise) interfered on JBL's behalf, which allowed JBL to escape the cage and win the match. After the match, Guerrero attacked El Gran Luchadore and pulled off his mask, revealing him to be Kurt Angle. The following week, Vince McMahon scheduled a match between the two at SummerSlam. Angle won the match, and their feud concluded at the November pay-per-view, Survivor Series, when Guerrero's team defeated Angle's in a 4 on 4 Survivor Series match.

On the July 8 episode of SmackDown!, Booker T challenged John Cena for the WWE United States Championship. During the match, General Manager Kurt Angle and Luther Reigns interfered on Booker's behalf, and Booker inadvertently caused Cena to attack Angle. The match ended in a disqualification subsequently thereafter; however, Angle stripped Cena of the title for attacking him. On the July 29 episode of SmackDown!, Booker T won the vacant United States Championship after last eliminating Rob Van Dam in an elimination match. The following week, Cena defeated Van Dam to become the number-one contender to the title. Theodore Long, who proceeded Angle as General Manager after he was fired as part of the storyline, announced that Cena would be facing Booker in a "Best of 5 series", in which the winner would be the man who earns three victories over the other first. Cena defeated Booker in the first match at SummerSlam, and eventually won the fifth and final match at No Mercy to begin his second reign as United States Champion.