The Great American Bash (2004)

Infobox Wrestling event
name=The Great American Bash (2004)


tagline=Join Our Party
promotion=World Wrestling Entertainment
brand=SmackDown!
date=June 27, 2004
venue=Norfolk Scope
city=Norfolk, Virginia
attendance=6,500cite web|url= http://www.prowrestlinghistory.com/supercards/usa/wwf/gabash.html#2004|title=The Great American Bash 2004 results|publisher=Pro Wrestling History|accessmonthday=July 15|accessyear=2008]
lastevent=Bad Blood (2004)
nextevent=Vengeance (2004)
event=The Great American Bash
nextevent2=The Great American Bash (2005)
lastevent2="First"

The Great American Bash (2004) was the first annual Great American Bash professional wrestling pay-per-view event produced by World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE). It took place on June 27, 2004 at the Norfolk Scope in Norfolk, Virginia and was a SmackDown! brand-exclusive event.cite web|first=Chris|last=Sokol|date=June 27, 2004|url= http://slam.canoe.ca/Slam/Wrestling/PPVReports/2004/06/28/517769.html|title=Bash provides surprise endings|publisher=Canadian Online Explorer|work=SLAM! Sports|accessmonthday=July 15|accessyear=2008] Three of the eight matches on the card were contested for a championship; one was lost while the other two were retained.cite video|title=The Great American Bash 2004|medium=DVD|publisher=WWE Home Video|location=Stamford, Connecticut|year2=2004|id=WWE56044] The event grossed $325,000 with 6,500 ticket sales and received a 0.47 buyrate.

The main event was a Handicap match between The Dudley Boyz (Bubba Ray and D-Von) and The Undertaker. Undertaker won the match after pinning D-Von following a Tombstone Piledriver.cite web|first=Adam|last=Martin|date=June 27, 2004|url= http://www.wrestleview.com/news2004/1088391565.shtml|title=WWE Great American Bash (SmackDown) PPV Results - 6/27/04|publisher=WrestleView|accessmonthday=July 16|accessyear=2008] One of the featured matches on the undercard was a Texas Bullrope match for the WWE Championship between John "Bradshaw" Layfield (JBL) and champion Eddie Guerrero. JBL won the match and the WWE Championship after touching all four turnbuckles in succession.cite web|url= http://www.wwe.com/shows/thegreatamericanbash/history/2004/mainevent/|title=JBL vs. Eddie Guerrero in a Texas Bullrope match for the WWE Championship|publisher=World Wrestling Entertainment|accessmonthday=July 16|accessyear=2008] Guerrero was at first declared the winner, but General Manager Kurt Angle came out and showed that JBL had touched the final turnbuckle before Guerrero. Another primary match on the undercard was Rey Mysterio versus Chavo Guerrero for the WWE Cruiserweight Championship, which Mysterio won with a sunset flip.cite web|url= http://www.wwe.com/shows/thegreatamericanbash/history/2004/results/|title=The Great American Bash 2004 results|publisher=World Wrestling Entertainment|accessmonthday=July 16|accessyear=2008]

Background

The main feud heading into The Great American Bash was between The Dudley Boyz (Bubba Ray and D-Von) and The Undertaker. On the May 27 edition of "SmackDown!", Paul Heyman told The Dudleys to "make an impact".cite web|first=Dale|last=Plummer|date=May 27, 2004|url= http://slam.canoe.ca/Slam/Wrestling/2004/05/28/477048.html|title=SmackDown: Cena lumbers to win|publisher=Canadian Online Explorer|work=SLAM! Sports|accessmonthday=July 19|accessyear=2008] cite web|first=Mike|last=Siciliano|date=May 27, 2004|url= http://www.wrestleview.com/results/smackdown/smackdown2004/1085729763.shtml|title=Cena wins, Bradshaw #1 contender, Eddie competes, or does he?|publisher=WrestleView|accessmonthday=July 19|accessyear=2008] As part of the storyline, The Dudleys responded by abducting Paul Bearer, Undertaker's manager. The following week, Heyman told Undertaker that the only way he would ever see Bearer again, was to align himself with The Dudleys.cite web|first=Dale|last=Plummer|date=June 3, 2004|url= http://slam.canoe.ca/Slam/Wrestling/2004/06/04/486107.html|title=SmackDown: 'Taker given an ultimatum|publisher=Canadian Online Explorer|work=SLAM! Sports|accessmonthday=July 19|accessyear=2008] cite web|date=June 3, 2004|url= http://web.archive.org/web/20040701212257/smackdown.wwe.com/results/060304/results.html|title=Join us, or else!|publisher=Internet Archive|work=World Wrestling Entertainment|accessmonthday=July 19|accessyear=2008] Two weeks later, on the June 17 edition of "SmackDown!", a Handicap match 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.cite web|first=Dale|last=Plummer|date=June 17, 2004|url= http://slam.canoe.ca/Slam/Wrestling/2004/06/18/504646.html|title=SmackDown: New tag, cruiser champs crowned|publisher=Canadian Online Explorer|work=SLAM! Sports|accessmonthday=July 19|accessyear=2008] cite web|first=Mike|last=Siciliano|date=June 17, 2004|url= http://www.wrestleview.com/results/smackdown/smackdown2004/1087532593.shtml|title=The road to the Bash takes a turn and 2 twists|publisher=WrestleView|accessmonthday=July 19|accessyear=2008]

Another primary feud heading into the event was between Eddie Guerrero and John "Bradshaw" Layfield (JBL) over the WWE Championship. At the previous SmackDown! brand pay-per-view event, Judgment Day, JBL defeated Guerrero by disqualification after Guerrero hit JBL with the WWE Championship belt.cite web|url= http://www.wwe.com/shows/judgmentday/history/judgmentday2004/mainevent/|title=Eddie Guerrero vs. JBL for the WWE Championship|publisher=World Wrestling Entertainment|accessmonthday=July 16|accessyear=2008] cite web|first=Adam|last=Martin|date=May 16, 2004|url= http://www.wrestleview.com/news2004/1084762150.shtml|title= Full WWE Judgment Day (SmackDown) PPV Results - 5/16/04|publisher=WrestleView|accessmonthday=July 19|accessyear=2008] Since a championship cannot be lost via countout or disqualification, Guerrero retained the title. Two weeks later, on the May 27 edition of "SmackDown!", General Manager Kurt Angle announced that JBL was the number-one contender to the WWE Championship at The Great American Bash, and that JBL was allowed to choose the stipulation for the match. The following week, JBL announced that his match against Guerrero would be a Texas Bullrope match, in which the object is to touch all four turnbuckles (one in each corner of the ring) in succession.

One of the main matches on the undercard was a Fatal Four-Way Elimination match for the WWE United States Championship between the champion, John Cena, René Duprée, Booker T, and Rob Van Dam. At Judgment Day, Cena defeated Duprée to retain the United States Championship. [cite web|first=Bob|last=Kapur|date=May 16, 2004|url= http://slam.canoe.ca/Slam/Wrestling/PPVReports/2004/05/17/463112.html|title=J-Day for Guerrero|publisher=Canadian Online Explorer|work=SLAM! Sports|accessmonthday=July 19|accessyear=2008] Four days later, on "SmackDown!", Cena faced Duprée in a rematch for the title. Duprée executed a low blow on Cena outside the ring, which caused Cena to be counted out. Duprée won the match, but not the title since a championship cannot be lost via countout or disqualification.cite web|first=Dale|last=Plummer|date=May 20, 2004|url= http://slam.canoe.ca/Slam/Wrestling/2004/05/20/467058.html|title=SmackDown: J-Day revisited|publisher=Canadian Online Explorer|work=SLAM! Sports|accessmonthday=July 19|accessyear=2008] cite web|date=May 20, 2004|url= http://web.archive.org/web/20040701212257/smackdown.wwe.com/results/052004/results.html|title=Concern for a champion|publisher=Internet Archive|work=World Wrestling Entertainment|accessmonthday=July 19|accessyear=2008] The following week, Cena defeated Duprée in a Lumberjack match to retain the title. On the June 3 edition of "SmackDown!", Cena confronted Booker about his interference in the Lumberjack match the week before. As General Manager Kurt Angle told Cena to leave 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.cite web|first=Chris|last=Sokol|date=June 10, 2004|url= http://slam.canoe.ca/Slam/Wrestling/2004/06/11/495285.html|title=SmackDown: Cena draws the gauntlet|publisher=Canadian Online Explorer|work=SLAM! Sports|accessmonthday=July 19|accessyear=2008] cite web|date=June 10, 2004|url= http://web.archive.org/web/20040701212257/smackdown.wwe.com/results/061004/results.html|title=Grave Situation|publisher=Internet Archive|work=World Wrestling Entertainment|accessmonthday=July 19|accessyear=2008] The man to defeat Cena would become the number-one contender to the United States Championship 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 edition of "SmackDown!", Angle changed the match to an elimination match.

Event

Before the live broadcast of the event began, Spike Dudley defeated Jamie Noble in a match that aired on "Sunday Night Heat", the 30-minute pre-show for the event.

Preliminary matches

The first match of the event was a Fatal Four-Way Elimination match for the WWE United States Championship. John Cena defended the title against René Duprée, Booker T, and Rob Van Dam. Van Dam was the first man eliminated, as Cena pinned him with a roll-up. Shortly after, Booker eliminated Duprée after pinning him following an FU from Cena. Cena last eliminated Booker, after executing an FU, to retain the championship.

The next match was a singles match between Luther Reigns and Charlie Haas. After a match predominantly controlled by Reigns, Reigns pinned Haas after executing a Reign of Terror. The third match on the card was a singles match 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 win the match and retain the WWE Cruiserweight Championship.

The match that followed saw Kenzo Suzuki face off against Billy Gunn. The match went back and forth, as each man was able to gain the advantage numerous times. Suzuki defeated Gunn after pinning him following an inverted headlock backbreaker. The following match was between two divas, 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. As part of their storyline, the referee counted the pinfall even though Wilson's shoulders were off the mat. The sixth match on the card was between Mordecai and Hardcore Holly. After a back and forth match, Mordecai pinned Holly following a Crucifixion to win the bout.

Main event matches

ee also

*WWE The Great American Bash

References

External links

* [http://www.wwe.com/shows/thegreatamericanbash/history/2004/ Official Great American Bash 2004 website]