WrestleMania XIX - Aftermath

Aftermath

On the SmackDown! edition after WrestleMania, SmackDown General Manager Stephanie McMahon announced Kurt Angle suffered a pulled hamstring and a neck injury, while Lesnar suffered multiple concussions. She later announced that a tournament would take place to determine the number one contender to Lesnar's WWE Championship. On the April 17 episode of Smackdown!, John Cena would become the number one contender after he defeated Chris Benoit in the tournament's final match. At Backlash, Lesnar defeated Cena to retain the WWE Championship. Lesnar would then feud with The Big Show, as he defeated him at Judgment Day to retain the WWE Championship in a Stretcher match. Lesnar would however lose the WWE Championship to Angle at Vengeance in a Triple threat match that also involved The Big Show. Lesnar then regained the WWE Championship from Angle on the September 18 edition of SmackDown!, in an Iron Man match winning 5-4.

On the April 3 edition of SmackDown!, Vince McMahon forced Hulk Hogan to leave WWE forever as a part of their storyline. On the May 1 edition of SmackDown!, "Mr. America" (who was in reality Hogan under a mask), made his debut on Piper's Pit, where McMahon promised to prove America was in reality Hogan. Involved in the feud was also, Zach Gowen, a one legged wrestler who was brought in to the feud by Mr. America. After multiple failed attempts to prove Mr. America was Hogan, however, McMahon succeeded on the July 3 edition of SmackDown!, after he aired footage of Mr. America unmasking and revealing himself to be Hogan. He then announced that Hogan was fired from WWE.

On the Raw edition after WrestleMania, Steve Austin was fired from the WWE in storyline by then-Raw General Manager Eric Bischoff due to medical reasons. Austin was then re-hired by WWE CEO, Linda McMahon, however, as Co-Raw General Manager on April 29. Later that night, The Rock taunted Austin for his firing; which proceeded to Rock challenging another superstar in a match. Goldberg would answer the Rock's challenge by stating that "you're next", which led to Goldberg spearing The Rock. On the April 14 edition of Raw, The Rock would accept a challenge made by Goldberg, which he rejected a week earlier, in which the two would wrestle each other at Backlash. At Backlash, Goldberg successfully pinned Rock. After the match, The Rock gave a farewell speech in which he stated that he was to take a sabbatical from professional wrestling.