The Great American Bash (2004) - Background

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 episode of SmackDown!, Paul Heyman told The Dudleys to "make an impact". 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. Two weeks later, on the June 17 episode 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.

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. Since a championship cannot be lost via 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 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. 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. The following 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 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. 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 episode of SmackDown!, Angle changed the match to an elimination match.