The Great American Bash 2004 The Great American Bash 2004 was the 15th Great American Bash professional wrestling pay - per - view event , and the first produced by World Wrestling Entertainment ( WWE ) . The event , presented by Subway , took place on June 27 , 2004 , at the Norfolk Scope in Norfolk , Virginia and was a SmackDown ! brand - exclusive event . Three of the eight matches on the card were contested for a championship ; one was lost while the other two were retained . 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 . 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 . 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 . 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 . The Divas rivalry heading into the event was between Sable and Torrie Wilson . Sable and Torrie teamed together at WrestleMania XX and defeated " Raw " Divas Miss Jackie and Stacy Keibler , but when Torrie was featured on the cover of " SmackDown ! " Magazine , Sable turned villainous by displaying jealousy over Torrie ' s cover and berating her in a backstage segment . The two Divas later brawled with each other , which led to the announcement that Sable and Torrie will face each other at The Great American Bash . Event . Before the live broadcast of the event began , Spike Dudley defeated Jamie Noble in a match that aired on " Sunday Night Heat " . 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 ( fireman ' s carry takeover ) 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 , which Mordecai won after performing a powerbomb . Main event matches . The next match was a Texas Bullrope match for the WWE Championship between champion Eddie Guerrero and John " Bradshaw " Layfield ( JBL ) . Throughout the duration of the match , both men were strapped together by a rope , with a cowbell attached in the center . In order to win the bout , one must touch all four turnbuckles ( one in each corner of the ring ) in succession . One preplanned move in the match saw Guerrero hit JBL with a steel chair , which caused JBL to bleed . Guerrero then got back in the ring and went on to touch three turnbuckles ; however , he was unable to touch the fourth as JBL was holding him back . Guerrero executed a dropkick on JBL and attempted to touch the fourth again . JBL , however , held him back and took the advantage . JBL threw Guerrero into the Spanish announce table and executed a powerbomb onto him through it . Towards the end of the match , each man had touched three turnbuckles and were vying for the fourth . Guerrero attempted to jump over JBL and touch the remaining turnbuckle , but was unsuccessful ; he splashed himself and JBL into the turnbuckle as a result . Guerrero was declared the winner , as it appeared he had touched all four turnbuckles first , but General Manager Kurt Angle came out and reversed the decision . He showed on the JumboTron that JBL had touched the final turnbuckle before Guerrero ; as a result , JBL was declared the winner and new WWE Champion . The final match on the card was the main event , which saw The Undertaker face off against The Dudley Boyz ( Bubba Ray and D - Von ) in a Handicap match . Per the pre - match stipulation , Paul Bearer would be cemented in a glass crypt if Undertaker lost . Throughout the duration of the match , Bearer was locked on a chair inside a glass crypt with the pump of cement truck above him . After a match evenly controlled by The Undertaker and The Dudleys , Undertaker pinned D - Von following a Tombstone Piledriver to win . After the match , Undertaker pulled the lever to the cement truck , which in turn filled the crypt with Bearer inside full of cement . Aftermath . At the event , John " Bradshaw " Layfield ( JBL ) defeated Eddie Guerrero to begin his first reign as WWE Champion , which would last nearly ten months . JBL began feuding with The Undertaker following the event , and the two faced off for the WWE Championship at SummerSlam . JBL won the match and retained the title after Undertaker was disqualified for hitting JBL with the title belt . The two faced off again at No Mercy in a Last Ride match , in which the object is to place your opponent in a hearse and drive out of the arena . JBL defeated The Undertaker and concluded their storyline after interference from Heidenreich . Following the conclusion of his title match against JBL at the event , Eddie Guerrero began to feud with Kurt Angle . During a Steel Cage match between Guerrero and JBL for the WWE Championship , El Gran Luchadore ( Kurt Angle in disguise ) interfered on JBL ' s behalf , which allowed JBL to escape the cage and win the match . After the match , Guerrero attacked El Gran Luchadore and pulled off his mask , revealing him to be Kurt Angle . The following week , Vince McMahon scheduled a match between the two at SummerSlam . Angle won the match , and their feud concluded at the November pay - per - view , Survivor Series , when Guerrero ' s team defeated Angle ' s in a 4 on 4 Survivor Series match . On the July 8 episode of " SmackDown ! " , Booker T challenged John Cena for the WWE United States Championship . During the match , General Manager Kurt Angle and Luther Reigns interfered on Booker ' s behalf , and Booker inadvertently caused Cena to attack Angle . The match ended in a disqualification subsequently thereafter ; however , Angle stripped Cena of the title for attacking him . On the July 29 episode of " SmackDown ! " , Booker T won the vacant United States Championship after last eliminating Rob Van Dam in an elimination match . The following week , Cena defeated Van Dam to become the number - one contender to the title . Theodore Long , who proceeded Angle as General Manager after he was fired as part of the storyline , announced that Cena would be facing Booker in a " Best of 5 series " , in which the winner would be the man who earns three victories over the other first . Cena defeated Booker in the first match at SummerSlam , and eventually won the fifth and final match at No Mercy to begin his second reign as United States Champion .