Background
The event featured seven professional wrestling matches with outcomes predetermined by WWE script writers. The matches featured wrestlers portraying their characters in planned storylines that took place before, during and after the event. All wrestlers were from one of the WWE's brands – SmackDown and Raw – the two storyline divisions in which WWE assigned its employees.
The main feud on the Raw brand was between Team Orton (Randy Orton, Chris Benoit, Chris Jericho and Maven) and Team Triple H (Triple H, Edge, Batista and Snitsky). On the October 25, 2004 episode of Raw, Evolution (Triple H, Ric Flair and Batista) were put in charge of Raw, after General Manager Eric Bischoff took the night off. Triple H granted Flair the match of his choice; Flair wanted a rematch with Orton, as he lost a Steel Cage match to Orton at Taboo Tuesday. Orton accepted Flair's challenge, with a stipulation that if he defeated Flair he would get an opportunity to face Triple H for the World Heavyweight Championship at Survivor Series. Orton, however, lost the match after interference by Triple H, giving the win to Flair, so Orton did not receive an opportunity for the World Heavyweight title. On the November 1 episode of Raw, General Manager Eric Bischoff scheduled a traditional 8-man elimination tag team match between Orton, Jericho, Maven and Benoit and Triple H, Batista, Edge and Snistky at Survivor Series. The winning team at Survivor Series would be granted absolute control of running Raw for a month. The following week, Bischoff concluded with adding that the winning members at Survivor Series would all get a week to be in charge of Raw. That same night, Edge and Chris Benoit were scheduled in a match, where Triple H, Batista, Orton, Jericho and Maven came out to ringside to watch the match. At ringside, a fight broke out between Triple H and Orton's team, which caused the match to end in a No Contest.
The predominant feud on the SmackDown! brand was between John "Bradshaw" Layfield (JBL) versus Booker T, with the two battling over JBL's WWE Championship. On the October 21, 2004 episode of SmackDown!, SmackDown! General Manager Theodore Long booked a six man tag team match involving Booker T, Rob Van Dam, and Rey Mysterio taking on JBL, Kenzo Suzuki, and René Duprée. At the time, Booker T was a heel and congratulated JBL's success with the company in a segment backstage. The tag team match got underway, and JBL was led to believe that Booker T was going to betray Van Dam and Mysterio, as Booker T warned both Van Dam and Mysterio not to interfere with him during the match. The match concluded with Booker T pinning JBL after an axe kick, thus turning Booker face. The following week on SmackDown!, Booker T defeated Orlando Jordan to earn the right to face JBL for the WWE Championship at Survivor Series. On the November 4 episode of SmackDown!, JBL interfered in a match between Booker T and Orlando Jordan, which ended in a disqualification, giving Booker T the win. After the disqualification by JBL, Theodore Long scheduled a tag team match between Booker T and Josh Mathews versus JBL and Orlando Jordan. The tag team victory was given to Booker T and Matthews, as Booker pinned Jordan for the win. The week after JBL stated if he lost to Booker T at Survivor Series he would quit the WWE.
One of the primary matches on the SmackDown! brand was between Team Guerrero (Eddie Guerrero, The Big Show, Rob Van Dam and John Cena) versus Team Angle (Kurt Angle, Carlito, Luther Reigns and Mark Jindrak). On the October 28, 2004 episode of SmackDown, Theodore Long booked a 4-on-4 Survivor Series elimination match between Team Guerrero, Big Show, Van Dam, and Rey Mysterio against Team Angle, Carlito, Reigns and Jindrak. The following week, however, Mysterio was removed from the elimination match, as Long booked Mysterio in a Fatal Four-Way match for the WWE Cruiserweight Championship. Guerrero was given a week to choose a member for his team at Survivor Series. On the November 11 episode of SmackDown!, Guerrero announced that John Cena, who was recovering from a storyline injury, would be joining his team at Survivor Series.
Read more about this topic: Survivor Series (2004)
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