No Way Out (2005) - Aftermath

Aftermath

On the following edition of SmackDown!, Eddie Guerrero and Rey Mysterio successfully defended the WWE Tag Team Championship against the former champions, the Basham Brothers. They continued to defend the titles against other teams, including Mark Jindrak and Luther Reigns, John "Bradshaw" Layfield (JBL) and Orlando Jordan, and Hardcore Holly and Charlie Haas. Guerrero, however, challenged Mysterio to a match at WrestleMania 21, to find out who was the better wrestler, which Mysterio accepted. The following week, on SmackDown!, Guerrero faced Danny Basham, but Mysterio accidentally cost him the match. Later that night, Guerrero cost Mysterio his match against Doug Basham. At WrestleMania, Mysterio defeated Guerrero. Mysterio and Guerrero lost the tag titles on April 21, to MNM, after Mysterio was pinned while Guerrero was distracted by MNM's manager, Melina.

Booker T and Jon Heidenreich continued their feud, and they had a rematch a few weeks later on SmackDown!. Heidenreich won by Disqualification after Booker performed a DDT onto a steel chair. The following week, in a no-disqualification match, Booker won after a chairshot. Booker then moved on to a feud with Reigns, and was accompanied by his new wife, Sharmell. Reigns had fallen out with his tag team partner, Jindrak, just a few weeks prior, setting up matches between them.

On the February 24 edition of SmackDown!, Chavo Guerrero successfully defended his WWE Cruiserweight Championship against Funaki. After the match, Paul London attacked Guerrero. On a later edition of Velocity, London defeated Akio to become the Number One Contender for the Cruiserweight title. The following week, London defeated Billy Kidman. On March 31, London became the new Cruiserweight Champion after winning a Cruiserweight Battle Royal.

Randy Orton challenged The Undertaker to a match at WrestleMania on an edition of Raw. Orton had been inspired by WWE Hall of Fame member, "Superstar" Billy Graham, who encouraged him to "go where no wrestler has gone before". On the next edition of SmackDown!, the Undertaker accepted his challenge. On March 17, a contract signing for the match was scheduled to take place, and was attended by the SmackDown! General Manager, Theodore Long, and Raw General Manager, Eric Bischoff. The Undertaker immediately signed the contract; however, before Orton signed the contract, he cut a promo on the Undertaker, and then slapped the Undertaker. Orton fled the ring after the Undertaker began to fill the arena with smoke, and didn't sign the contract. Orton taunted the Undertaker for the next few weeks, but the Undertaker responded with taunts of his own, and he attacked other superstars. On the final SmackDown! before WrestleMania, Orton's father, "Cowboy" Bob Orton, begged the Undertaker to have mercy on Orton. It ultimately proved to be a set-up, however, as Orton attacked the Undertaker and performed an RKO on him. At WrestleMania, "Cowboy" Bob interfered in Orton's match, but was unsuccessful when the Undertaker pinned Orton after a Tombstone piledriver.

Kurt Angle entered into a feud with Shawn Michaels, with the pair fighting over who was the better wrestler in WWE. This feud had begun at the Royal Rumble, where Michaels had eliminated Angle. Angle then returned to the ring, and eliminated Michaels, before attacking him. A few weeks later, Michaels challenged Angle to a match at WrestleMania. On February 28, Angle appeared on Raw, attacking Michaels, and accepting his challenge. On the next edition of SmackDown!, Michaels ambushed Angle in the ring, and the two of them brawled, until security broke it up. Angle claimed that he was better than Michaels, and said he would prove it by achieving everything that Michaels had, but doing it faster. He then won a ladder match, mocking Michaels match from WrestleMania X. He then challenged Marty Jannetty, Michaels former tag team partner to a match. He won after Jannetty tapped out. Angle also persuaded Michaels' former manager, Sensational Sherri to do a spoof of Michaels' theme song, "Sexy Boy", calling his version "Sexy Kurt". Michaels, however, interrupted and played a video highlighting all his accomplishments. When Sherri got emotional from watching the video, Angle put her in the Ankle Lock. Angle also interfered in Michaels' matches on Raw. At WrestleMania, Angle won by making Michaels submit to his Ankle Lock.

John "Bradshaw" Layfield (JBL) went on to face John Cena at WrestleMania. On the SmackDown! after No Way Out, Cena and The Big Show defeated JBL and Orlando Jordan. The following week, JBL cut a promo and Cena, and insulted him, while Cena defended his United States title against Jordan. Jordan won the match after the Basham Brothers distracted the referee, and JBL hit Cena with the WWE Championship belt. They then blew up Cena's customized design of the United States Championship, and replaced it with the original one. Later that night, Cena attacked the General Manager, Long, and was thrown out of the arena. During JBL's match that night, Cena returned and attacked JBL's cabinet. The next week, Long announced that if Cena laid a hand on JBL, apart from in matches, he would lose his WrestleMania match. In a six-person tag team match that night, Cena's team won, but Cena had to stop himself from attacking JBL after the bell had rung. On a later edition of SmackDown!, Long clarifies that if JBL physically provoked Cena, then Cena could retaliate. Cena then attempted to provoke JBL, by vandalising his limousine, and spray painting "FU" on JBL's shirt. On the last SmackDown! before WrestleMania, however, JBL had Cena arrested for vandalism and, once Cena was handcuffed, attacked him. At WrestleMania, Cena pinned JBL after an FU, to win the WWE Championship for the first time.