The Piledriver Report 06.06.13: The History of Vince McMahon’s Wrestling Empire: Part Twenty

The year of 2003 ended with two strong men, Brock Lesnar and Triple H, standing atop the wrestling world. Unknown to most fans at the time, the year 2004 would be the year of the cruiserweight. The year began with Chris Benoit as the main challenger for the WWE World title. As the rumors started that Chris Benoit would be winning the Royal Rumble, many observers pegged him as being the man who would dethrone Lesnar to capture his first WWE World title.

THE RISE OF THE JUNOIRS

The Royal Rumble took place on January 25th in Philadelphia’s Wachovia Center. WWE Raw Tag Team Champions Ric Flair & Batista defeated the Dudley Boyz in a tables match. WWE Cruiserweight Champion Rey Mysterio Jr. pinned Jamie Noble. Eddie Guerrero pinned Chavo Guerrero Jr. WWE Smackdown! World Champion Brock Lesnar pinned Hardcore Holly. Shawn Michaels fought World Heavyweight Champion Triple H to a draw in a Last Man Standing Match when both men failed to meet the referee’s standing ten count after the challenger hit the superkick on Triple H. Chris Benoit won the 30-man Royal Rumble match by last eliminating the Big Show. Due to prematch stipulations, Benoit earned a world title shot at WrestleMania XX.

The next night on RAW, Chris Benoit showed up to let Triple H know that, by winning the Royal Rumble, he was able to choose which World title he would fight for at WrestleMania. Chris Benoit let the world know that he wanted a shot at Triple H’s title. Also on the show, the Chris Jericho/Trish Stratus/Christian storyline was furthered. Towards the end of 2003, Christian and Jericho had a bet with each other. Their bet was would Christian sleep with Lita or would Jericho sleep with Trish? By the time the two Divas found out about the pact, Jericho had really fallen for Stratus. However, she wasn’t buying it. On this night, Trish was being forced to wrestle Kane. To prove his devotion, Jericho gave up a World title shot, and used his Survivor Series favor on stopping Trish from having to fight Kane.

With Benoit on RAW, SmackDown! was in the hunt for a new #1 Contender to Brock’s belt. They decided to host a Royal Rumble style battle royal with the winner earning a shot at Lesnar’s title at the No Way Out pay per view. The participants included Kurt Angle, Rhyno, Charlie Haas, Shelton Benjamin, Bradshaw, Ernest Miller, Tajiri, Billy Gunn, WWE US Champion the Big Show, John Cena, Nunzio, Albert, Eddie Guerrero, Rikishi, and Hardcore Holly. Eddie Guerrero won the match after Eddie hit Angle with a front suplex that sent the Olympic gold medallist to the arena floor.

On February 9th’s edition of RAW, the main angle was centered around the World title contract signing between Triple H and Chris Benoit. After Triple H signed the contract, Benoit was prevented from putting his name on the dotted line because Shawn Michaels hit the “Canadian Crippler” with “Sweet Chin Music.” Michaels then grabbed the contract, and signed his own name on the paper.

No Way Out took place on February 15th at the Cow Palace in San Francisco, CA. WWE Smackdown! Tag Team Champions Scotty 2 Hotty & Rikishi defeated Shaniqua, Doug & Danny Basham in a handicap match. Jamie Noble defeated Nidia via submission. Due to pre-match stipulations, Noble had to wear a hood over his face to blindfold himself but took the hood off when the referee wasn’t looking, allowing him to see that Nidia was on the top rope. Shelton Benjamin & Charlie Haas defeated the Acolytes. Hardcore Holly pinned Rhyno. Chavo Guerrero Jr. pinned WWE Cruiserweight Champion Rey Mysterio Jr. to win the title. Kurt Angle defeated WWE US Champion the Big Show and John Cena when Cena submitted to the ankle lock after Show was sent to the floor with an Olympic Slam. Due to pre-match stipulations, Angle earned a WWE World Title shot for WrestleMania. Eddie Guerrero pinned WWE World Champion Brock Lesnar to win the title with the Frog Splash after reversing an attempt at the F5 into a tornado DDT onto the title belt. Late in the bout, Lesnar attempted to use the title belt as a weapon while the referee was knocked out but Bill Goldberg, who was arrested earlier in the evening, came out and hit the spear on the champion. After the match, Guerrero celebrated in the crowd and was congratulated by his mother and brother Mondo who sat ringside.

On March 13th, the WWE presented their latest inductions to the WWE Hall of Fame. The ceremonies were held at the Hilton Hotel in New York City. The group of inductees included Jesse Ventura, Don Muraco, Tito Santana, Superstar Billy Graham, Big John Studd, Pete Rose, Sgt. Slaughter, Greg Valentine, Bobby Heenan, Harley Race, and the Junkyard Dog.

WrestleMania XX took place the next evening from Madison Square Garden in New York City. John Cena pinned WWE US Champion the Big Show to win the title. WWE Raw Tag Team Champions Rob Van Dam & Booker T defeated Mark Jindrak & Garrison Cade, the Dudley Boyz, and Rene Dupree & Rob Conway. Christian pinned Chris Jericho with a roll up and using the tights for leverage after Trish Stratus accidentally raked Jericho in the eyes. After the bout, Trish slapped Jericho and left ringside with Christian. WWE IC Champion Randy Orton, Ric Flair, & Batista defeated the Rock & Mick Foley in a handicap match. This was Foley’s first match in 4 years and The Rock’s first match in 11 months. Torrie Wilson & Sable defeated Stacy Keibler & Jackie Gayda in a Playboy Evening Gown Match. WWE Cruiserweight Champion Chavo Guerrero Jr. defeated Nunzio, Shannon Moore, Rey Mysterio Jr., Sho Funaki, the Ultimo Dragon, Jamie Noble, Billy Kidman, Tajiri, and Akio in a gauntlet match. Bill Goldberg pinned Brock Lesnar. After the bout, guest referee Steve Austin hit the Stunner on Lesnar before doing the same to Goldberg. This was Lesnar and Goldberg’s last match in the WWE. WWE Smackdown! Tag Team Champions Rikishi & Scotty 2 Hotty defeated the Acolytes, Shelton Benjamin & Charlie Haas, and Doug & Danny Basham. WWE Women’s Champion Victoria pinned Molly Holly. Due to prematch stipulations, Molly had her head shaved bald after the bout. WWE World Champion Eddie Guerrero pinned Kurt Angle with an inside cradle and using the ropes for leverage after avoiding the ankle lock by unlacing his boot. The Undertaker pinned Kane. Chris Benoit defeated World Heavyweight Champion Triple H and Shawn Michaels to win the title when Triple H submitted to the Crippler Crossface. After the bout, in one of the most famous and emotional moments in WrestleMania and WWF/E history, WWE World Champion Eddie Guerrero came out to congratulate Benoit. Following the telecast, Benoit’s family came out to celebrate the victory. This match was voted Pro Wrestling Illustrated Match of the Year.

March 22nd featured the Annual RAW/SmackDown! Draft Lottery. Smackdown! gained Rene Dupree, Mark Jindrak, Triple H (after John Cena came out and cut a promo, making Heyman’s pick for him), Rob Van Dam, Teddy Long, and Spike Dudley. Raw picked up Shelton Benjamin, Nidia, Rhyno (the pick was promised a world title match against Chris Benoit that same night), Tajiri, Edge, and Paul Heyman. After it was announced that Heyman was now on Raw, he immediately quit. This show included the unannounced return of Edge as he made his way to the ring, he hit the spear on Bischoff. Triple H wouldn’t stay on SmackDown! for long as he was traded back for the Dudleys and Booker T.

On the next RAW, Eric Bischoff announced that the main event for Backlash would be Chris Benoit defending the World Heavyweight title against Shawn Michaels and Triple H in a WrestleMania rematch. On SmackDown!, the new GM Kurt Angle announced that the winner of each singles contest that night became nominees for his “Great American” award, along with a shot at becoming the #1 Contender to the WWE World title. The Big Show, Charlie Haas, and Booker T won their matches to advance. At the end of the night, Angle announced that John Bradshaw Layfield would also be a nominee. Eddie Guerrero didn’t particularly care for this news as he stole Bradshaw’s cowboy hat and had the fans at ringside fill it with food and drinks before stomping it.

On the April 6th taping of SmackDown!, the WWE started the storyline of turning Bradshaw into the new millenium version of the “Million Dollar Man” Ted DiBiase. In an opening segment, John Bradshaw Layfield offered to pay a fan $1,000 to clean his car in a minute; after the fan came very close, Bradshaw accidentally spilled a bottle of polish on the hood, costing the fan the money. To close the show, Kurt Angle brought out all the nominees for the ‘Great American Award.’ Angle picked Cena as the #1 contender, due to fan votes. However, after watching a video of Layfield catching illegal immigrants on the Texas / Mexico border, Angle chose JBL instead. It was announced the next week that Eddie Guerrero would defend the WWE title against Bradshaw at the next SmackDown! pay per view, Judgement Day.

The next RAW only pay per view, Backlash, took place on April 18th at the Rexall Place in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. Shelton Benjamin pinned Ric Flair. Jonathan Coachman pinned Tajiri. Chris Jericho defeated Christian & Trish Stratus in a handicap match. WWE Women’s Champion Victoria pinned Lita.
WWE IC Champion Randy Orton pinned Mick Foley in a falls count anywhere match. The Hurricane & Rosey defeated Rob Conway & Sylvian Grenier. Edge pinned Kane. This was Edge’s in-ring return after a 14-month absence due to a neck injury. World Heavyweight Champion Chris Benoit defeated Triple H and Shawn Michaels when Michaels submitted to the champion’s Sharpshooter.

In the first, of what would turn out to be a string of tasteless angles involving Eddie Guerrero or the Guerrero name within the next two years, in order to get some heat on the JBL/Eddie match-up for the pay per view, the WWE taped a segment at a house show and then aired the clip on SmackDown! On the May 2nd El Paso, TX house show, Eddie Guerrero’s mother “suffered” a heart attack in the ring and was taken backstage on a stretcher after John Bradshaw Layfield hit the Clothesline from Hell on Eddie.

Judgement Day took place on May 16th at the Staples Center in Los Angeles, CA. Rey Mysterio Jr. & Rob Van Dam defeated the Dudley Boyz. Torrie Wilson pinned Dawn Marie. Mordecai pinned Scotty 2 Hotty. WWE Smackdown! Tag Team Champions Charlie Haas & Rico defeated Hardcore Holly & Billy Gunn. Chavo Guerrero Jr. pinned WWE Cruiserweight Champion Jackie to win the title. WWE US Champion John Cena pinned Rene Dupree. The Undertaker (w/ Paul Bearer) pinned Booker T. John Bradshaw Layfield defeated WWE World Champion Eddie Guerrero by disqualification when the champion hit Layfield in the head with the title belt.

EUGENE

The next night’s RAW in San Diego, CA was notable for two reasons. The first was that The Rock showed up basically to endorse Eugene as being his friend. The second was to set up the main event for the Bad Blood pay per view. In order to name a #1 contender to the World Heavyweight Championship, Eric Bischoff held a battle royal. The participants included Kane, Triple H, Maven, Chris Jericho, the Hurricane, Rosey, Garrison Cade, Johnny Nitro, Steven Richards, Rhyno, Rob Conway, Sylvan Grenier, Val Venis, Shelton Benjamin, WWE Raw Tag Team Champion Edge, Ric Flair, WWE IC Champion Randy Orton, & Batista. Kane won the battle royal, along with the title shot, by last eliminating Triple H due to interference by Shawn Michaels.

June 13th marked the date for RAW’s Bad Blood pay per view, which was held at the Nationwide Arena in Columbus, OH. World Heavyweight Champion Chris Benoit & Edge defeated WWE Raw Tag Team Champions Rob Conway & Sylvian Grenier by disqualification when Kane interfered. Chris Jericho pinned Tyson Tomko. WWE IC Champion Randy Orton pinned Shelton Benjamin. Trish Stratus defeated Lita, Gail Kim, and WWE Women’s Champion Victoria to win the title by pinning Lita with a roll up after Lita hit a DDT on Gail. Eugene pinned Jonathan Coachman. World Heavyweight Champion Chris Benoit pinned Kane. In the longest Hell in a Cell match in history, Triple H pinned Shawn Michaels in 47 minutes and 26 seconds after hitting three Pedigrees.

The next night on RAW, Jim Ross conducted an interview with Triple H and Shawn Michaels, in an attempt to finally end the feud between the two. However, Kane attacked Michaels with a steel chair, and caused him to bleed heavily from the mouth. Eugene and William Regal as guests of the Hi-Light where Evolution came out and Triple H gave Eugene a number of gifts to show that he was Eugene’s friend, despite the fact they would be facing each other the following week. This show also included Lita finding out that she was pregnant.

On June 27th, the WWE brought back the name of one of the most famous WCW branded pay per views. The WWE version of the Great American Bash was held at the Norfolk Scope in Norfolk, VA. WWE US Champion John Cena defeated Booker T, Rene Dupree, and Rob Van Dam in an elimination match. Luther Reigns pinned Charlie Haas. WWE Cruiserweight Champion Rey Mysterio Jr. pinned Chavo Guerrero Jr.
Kenzo Suzuki pinned Billy Gunn. Sable pinned Torrie Wilson. Mordecai pinned Hardcore Holly. John Bradshaw Layfield defeated WWE Smackdown! World Champion Eddie Guerrero in a bullrope match to win the title. The Undertaker defeated WWE Smackdown! Tag Team Champions the Dudley Boyz in a non-title handicap match. After the bout, Paul Heyman attempted to suffocate a kidnapped Paul Bearer in cement, but he was stopped by the Undertaker who then did it himself.

The Eugene/Triple H storyline was furthered on the next night’s RAW. In the opening segment, Evolution, Eugene, and William Regal were in the ring. Triple H tried to convince Eugene that Regal was only pretending to be Eugene’s friend, so he could get his job back. There was an in-ring interview conducted by Jim Ross with Kane in which Matt Hardy came through the crowd to attack Kane before he was escorted out of the arena by security.

The next RAW featured Eugene playing the role of General Manager for the day. He signed a match for later that night pitting Ric Flair, Triple H and Eugene against the World Heavyweight Champion Chris Benoit and Edge in a handicapped match. In that main event match, Triple H, Ric Flair, & Eugene defeated World Heavyweight Champion Chris Benoit & Edge in a handicap match when Triple H pinned Benoit with the Pedigree after Eugene hit Benoit in the back with a steel chair as Triple H was caught in the Sharpshooter.

Vengeance was held on July 11th at the Hartford Civic Center in Hartford, CT. Tajiri & Rhyno defeated Garrison Cade & Jonathan Coachman. WWE Raw Tag Team Champions Rob Conway & Sylvian Grenier defeated Eugene & Ric Flair by disqualification when Eugene pushed down the referee as Flair was being illegally double-teamed. Matt Hardy pinned Kane in a No DQ match. Edge pinned WWE IC Champion Randy Orton to win the title. Victoria pinned Molly Holly. Due to pre-match stipulations, Victoria became the #1 contender to the Women’s title. World Heavyweight Champion Chris Benoit pinned Triple after Eugene and Benoit had a tug of war over a steel chair, with Eugene falling backwards and accidentally hitting Triple H in the head with the chair.

On RAW the following night, featured Jerry Lawler interviewing Candace Michelle, Nina Hardin, & Carmela Deceasre who were trying out to become the next WWE Raw Diva. The Hurricane interrupted a Ric Flair interview backstage, asking Flair to sign a copy of Flair’s book. After being rejected and having Flair refer to him as Gregory Helms, the Hurricane said Flair’s book wasn’t as good as the others written by WWE talent. Flair knocked Hurricane to the floor and challenged him to a match. Kane and Lita were guests of the Hi-Light Reel in which Lita spoke up for herself, making it clear she was no longer afraid of Kane and his threats. After she left the ring, Kane destroyed the set until Chris Jericho intervened. Jericho was thrown to the floor. As Kane began to stalk Lita backstage, Jericho grabbed a microphone and verbally berated Kane, challenging him to a fight. WWE IC Champion Edge pinned Batista in a non-title match. Rhyno pinned WWE Raw Tag Team Champion Rob Conway. Tyson Tomko pinned Maven. Chris Jericho defeated Kane by disqualification. Ric Flair defeated the Hurricane. WWE Raw World Champion Chris Benoit fought Eugene to a no contest, after Eugene ran around the ring with the title belt thinking he had won the match and title. Evolution came into the ring and began to beat down both Benoit and Eugene. Moments later, William Regal attempted to make the save but was also beaten down. As the show came to a close, Eugene was bloodied and sustained the Pedigree from Triple H.

The Air Canada Center in Toronto, Canada played host to SummerSlam on August 15th. WWE Cruiserweight Champion Spike Dudley & the Dudley Boyz defeated Rey Mysterio Jr., WWE Smackdown! Tag Team Champions Billy Kidman & Paul London. Kane pinned Matt Hardy. Due to pre-match stipulations, Lita would have to marry Kane. If Hardy won, she would have married him. In the WWE US Championship Best of 5 Series, Match 1: John Cena pinned WWE US Champion Booker T. WWE IC Champion Edge defeated Chris Jericho and Batista. Kurt Angle defeated Eddie Guerrero by submission. Triple H pinned Eugene. WWE World Champion John Bradshaw Layfield defeated the Undertaker by disqualification when the challenger hit Bradshaw with the title belt. Randy Orton pinned World Heavyweight Champion Chris Benoit to win the title.

THE LEGEND KILLER GETS KILLED

On the next RAW telecast, Randy Orton cut a promo blasting the fans and boasting that he won the World Heavyweight Championship at such a young age. Later in the evening, he fought Chris Benoit in a rematch. Randy Orton pinned Chris Benoit with the RKO after Benoit fought off an interfering Ric Flair, Batista, and Triple H. After the bout, Evolution celebrated Orton’s title defense, with Batista hoisting the champion on his shoulders. Triple H gave Batista a thumbs down, which was a signal to fall backwards and drop Orton. As the show came to a close, Orton was triple teamed by the remaining members of Evolution.

The August 23rd edition of Raw, which took place at the Arrowhead Pond in Anaheim, CA, featured another surprise appearance by The Rock. This time, he was used to try and get over the heavily criticized Diva contest. The Evolution storyline continued as Triple H called Randy Orton out and demanded that the “Legend Killer” hand him the world title belt. Orton responded by spitting in Triple H’s face, hit him in the head with the championship belt, and escaped through the crowd as Evolution tried to get at him. There was a very special wedding to end the broadcast. The evil Kane and Lita were to get married, due to a contractual obligation. Matt Hardy attempted to attack Kane and stop the wedding. However, Kane knocked Hardy off the stage, dragged Lita back inside the ring, and finished the vows to end the broadcast.

On SmackDown!, in the WWE US Championship Best of 5 Series, Match 2: WWE US Champion Booker T pinned John Cena to tie up the series at one a piece. On August 27th, at the Superdome in Sydney, Australia, in the WWE US Championship Best of 5 Series, Match 3: WWE US Champion Booker T pinned John Cena to take a two to one series lead.

The Unforgiven pay per view took place at the Rose Garden in Portland, OR on September 12th. Chris Benoit & William Regal defeated Ric Flair & Batista. WWE Women’s Champion Trish Stratus pinned Victoria. Tyson Tomko pinned Steven Richards. Chris Jericho defeated Christian in a ladder match to win the vacant WWE IC title. Shawn Michaels pinned Kane in a No DQ match. WWE Raw Tag Team Champions Sylvian Grenier & Rob Conway defeated Rhyno & Tajiri. Triple H pinned World Heavyweight Champion Randy Orton to win the title after Triple H hit the champion over the head with a chair shot and followed with a Pedigree onto the same chair.

On that week’s SmackDown!, WWE US Championship Best of 5 Series, Match 4: John Cena pinned WWE US Champion Booker T to tie up the series at four, and send the series to a final fifth match.

The September 20th RAW featured an announcement that Kane and Lita had lost their child as a result of Gene Snitsky “accidentally” hitting Lita. Snitsky, in an interview, showed no remorse for the couple’s loss. The WWE also announced the winner of the Diva Search contest. In somewhat of an upset, Christy Hemme was declared the winner.

No Mercy took place on October 3rd at the Continental Airlines Arena in East Rutherford, NJ. Eddie Guerrero pinned Luther Reigns. WWE Cruiserweight Champion Spike Dudley pinned Nunzio. Billy Kidman pinned Paul London. WWE Smackdown! Tag Team Champions Kenzo Suzuki & Rene Dupree defeated Rey Mysterio Jr. & Rob Van Dam. The Big Show pinned Kurt Angle. In the WWE US Championship Best of 5 Series final match: John Cena pinned WWE US Champion Booker T to win the series, and the title. Charlie Haas, Rico, & Jackie Gayda defeated the Dudley Boyz & Dawn Marie. WWE World Champion John Bradshaw Layfield defeated the Undertaker in a Last Ride Match when John Heidenreich interfered and helped in putting the challenger into the hearse after Bradshaw hit the Clothesline from Hell.

October 5th featured the WWE Television debut of Carlito Caribbean Cool as he beat John Cena on SmackDown for the United States Championship.

A unique pay per view was presented on October 19th from the Bradley Center in Milwaukee, WI. The event was called Taboo Tuesday. It was the first interactive wrestling pay per view in the company’s history. The WWE presented several matches that would be on the show. Each match would feature some kind of choice, whether it be who the opponent would be or what type of match certain wrestlers would fight in. Shelton Benjamin pinned WWE IC Champion Chris Jericho to win the title. Benjamin was chosen as the challenger, with 37% of the vote, just prior to the match. Batista was the runner up with 20%. WWE Women’s Champion Trish Stratus won a school girl battle royal by last eliminating Molly Holly. The other possible stipulations for the attire were French maid or nurse outfits. Gene Snitsky pinned Kane in a steel chain match. Eugene pinned Eric Bischoff. After the bout, it was announced that 59% of the fans voted that the match be hair vs. hair where Bischoff was forced to shave his head. Other possible stipulations included that the loser must wear a dress for a month or be the winner’s servant. Chris Benoit & Edge defeated WWE Raw Tag Team Champions Sylvian Grenier & Rob Conway to win the titles. Benoit wrestled the last 3 minutes of the bout by himself as Edge, frustrated that he wasn’t voted to wrestle for the world title in the main event, walked out of the match. The challengers were chosen as a result of not being picked to face Triple H for the world title later in the broadcast. Christy Hemme pinned Carmella Descanre in a lingerie pillow fight. Other possible stipulations for the bout included an aerobics challenge and an evening gown match. World Heavyweight Champion Triple H pinned Shawn Michaels after Edge interfered and hit the spear on the challenger as the referee was distracted by Batista at ringside. Michaels earned the title shot by getting 39% of the vote, against Chris Benoit’s 28% and Edge’s 33%. Randy Orton pinned Ric Flair in a steel cage match. After the contest, Flair offered his hand to Orton in respect, with Orton then shaking it. Other possible stipulations included a falls count anywhere match and a submission match.

A VIPER’S FAILED ROAD TO WRESTLEMANIA

November 14th was the date for the next pay per view, Survivor Series, at the Gund Arena in Cleveland, OH. WWE Cruiserweight Champion Spike Dudley defeated Billy Kidman, Rey Mysterio Jr., and Chavo Guerrero Jr. WWE IC Champion Shelton Benjamin pinned Christian. Eddie Guerrero, the Big Show, John Cena, & Rob Van Dam defeated Kurt Angle, WWE US Champion Carlito Caribbean Cool, Mark Jindrak, & Luther Reigns in an elimination match. The Undertaker pinned John Heidenreich. WWE Women’s Champion Trish Stratus defeated Lita by disqualification after Lita threw the champion to the floor and assaulted her with a steel chair. WWE World Champion John Bradshaw Layfield pinned Booker T. Randy Orton, Chris Benoit, Maven, & Chris Jericho defeated World Heavyweight Champion Triple H, Batista, Gene Snitsky, & Edge in a handicap elimination match. Due to pre-match stipulations, each member of Orton’s team won control of Raw for a week.

On RAW the next night, Maven was the guest General Manager. He named the main event of the evening as himself vs. Triple H for the title. Triple H pinned Maven following interference from Gene Snitsky. Chris Benoit was the General Manager on the next show. He fought Edge in the main event, because Triple H was unable to compete due to being attacked backstage earlier in the evening. Most felt that Batista was the man to put Triple H on the shelf. However, after Benoit’s match with Edge, it was revealed that the “injury” was a hoax perpetrated by Evolution. In the main event, Chris Benoit beat Edge in a steel cage match.

On the November 29th RAW, Chris Benoit and Edge co-won a 21-man battle royal when both men fell off the apron and hit the floor at the same time. Other participants included Batista, Chris Jericho, Ric Flair, Maven, WWE Raw Tag Team Champions Eugene & William Regal, Gene Snitsky, Rhyno, Tajiri, Steven Richards, Val Venis, Tyson Tomko, the Hurricane, Rosey, Rob Conway, Sylvian Grenier, WWE IC Champion Shelton Benjamin, Viscera, and Christian. Due to pre-match stipulations, both earned a world title match later on the show. The original stipulation called for the winner to win the world title. However, Vince McMahon revoked that stipulation. Chris Benoit, Edge, and World Heavyweight Champion Triple H fought to a no contest when Edge submitted to the Crippler Crossface at the same time Benoit, with Edge on top of him, was pinned; the show went off the air with a referee declaring Edge the winner and another referee declaring Benoit the winner.

The next week, Vince McMahon declared the World Heavyweight Championship vacant due to the previous week’s Triple Threat World Title Match.

The Gwynette Center in Atlanta, GA, on December 12th, was the home to the Armageddon pay per view. WWE Smackdown! Tag Team Champions Rob Van Dam & Rey Mysterio Jr. defeated Kenzo Suzuki & Rene Dupree. In the Tough Enough Challenge: Daniel Puder defeated Mike Mizanin in a 3-round boxing match. Both men lasted the full 3 rounds and a crowd reaction was used to determine the winner. Doug & Danny Basham defeated Charlie Haas & Hardcore Holly. WWE US Champion John Cena pinned Jesus in a streetfight. Dawn Marie pinned Jackie Gayda. The Big Show defeated Kurt Angle, Mark Jindrak, & Luther Reigns in a handicap match. Sho Funaki pinned WWE Cruiserweight Champion Spike Dudley to win the title. WWE World Champion John Bradshaw Layfield defeated Eddie Guerrero, the Undertaker, and Booker T in a No DQ match by pinning Booker with the Clothesline from Hell after John Heidenreich interfered and assaulted the Undertaker.

The next night on RAW, GM Eric Bischoff made his return after a few week absence. Bischoff ordered that the world title would be decided by a 6-man Elimination Chamber match at New Year’s Revolution, featuring Chris Benoit, Edge, Triple H, Chris Jericho, Batista, and Randy Orton. The show ended with all six men brawling, and Orton and Triple H having a confrontation as the show faded to black.

On that week’s SmackDown!, Al Snow announced that Daniel Puder won the Tough Enough III competition over Mike Mizanin. Due to stipulations, Puder was awarded the $1,000,000 prize and a WWE contract, along with being declared the first official entrant into the 2005 Royal Rumble.

On the final RAW of the year, Eric Bischoff announced that each competitor in the upcoming Elimination Chamber match would wrestle for the chance to determine which man would enter into the bout last. Therefore, having a greater chance of winning the title. All six men would face unnamed opponents and whomever won their match in the shortest amount of time would be the last man in the Elimination Chamber. If any of the six lost their match, the winner of the bout would replace them in the Elimination Chamber match. Chris Jericho defeated Christian (mystery opponent) by submission with the Walls of Jericho in 10:47. Randy Orton pinned Maven (mystery opponent) at the 6:14 mark. Edge defeated WWE Raw Tag Team Champion Eugene (mystery opponent) at 8:48 by submission with a standing figure-four. Chris Benoit defeated Viscera (mystery opponent) by submission with the Crippler Crossface in 5:43. Batista pinned Rhyno (mystery opponent) following two sit-down powerbombs at 3:02. Triple H pinned WWE IC Champion Shelton Benjamin (mystery opponent) in a non-title match in 5:47. After the bout, Eric Bischoff came out and announced that Shawn Michaels would be the guest referee in the Elimination Chamber contest.

As the year came to a close, the heel group Evolution was in disarray. A mere six-months ago, Triple H, Batista, Ric Flair, and Randy Orton were a strong, cohesive unit. By the end of the year, Randy Orton was kicked out of the group, and was feuding with his former teammates. However, Orton’s departure wasn’t the only crack in Evolution’s armor. As 2005 was approaching, there was a new wrestler threatening to destroy the group at its core. That man was current Evolution member, Batista.

Sources for this article include www.historyofthewwe.com