10 Fascinating WWE Survivor Series 2004 Facts
Randy Orton stands tall as his ill-fated babyface push continues onward.
Survivor Series 2004 is one of those shows that are enjoyable to watch, a pleasant way to burn three hours, but not one that you'd breathlessly recommend to your buddies. If it weren't for the presence of two classic elimination matches on the card, you might have mistaken the show for a pretty decent Backlash or No Mercy. Though it has to be said that any show with Gene Snitsky in the main event can't be bad.
Two of the bigger winners at Survivor Series were in the elimination matches. On the SmackDown side, John Cena survived alongside Big Show and Eddie Guerrero, as the push toward his eventual main event run continued earnestly. Over on Raw, Randy Orton was the lone survivor, a position he found himself in just one year earlier. His push as a virtuous hero, however, just wasn't taking with the crowd. His edge had been thoroughly sanded off, and there were going to have to be changes at the top of the Raw cards once WWE chose to hold back on Orton's grand push.
Sure enough, one of Orton's opponents in that main event had been picking up steam. Batista was just beginning to demonstrate a willingness to usurp the nefarious Triple H, and that quiet confidence resonated with the WWE audience. The company certainly noticed.
Here are ten facts about Survivor Series 2004 you may not have known.
10. A Dozen Performers Were Released In The Weeks Before The Show
WWE's roster was taking on a new shape in the fall of 2004. After Christy Hemme won the first ever Diva Search, the decision was made to hire most of the losing contestants and give them nominal roles on air, from Maria Kanellis (Raw interviewer) to Joy Giovanni (SmackDown massage therapist - really) to Michelle McCool (SmackDown fitness trainer - really).
Conversely, WWE would then release a number of performers in the run-up to Survivor Series, including some notable veterans. In all, the group included Billy Gunn, A-Train, Rico, Chuck Palumbo, Test (while he was recovering from neck surgery), Rodney Mack, Johnny Stamboli, and LaMont (Ernest Miller's butler).
Four Divas were also released, among them Gail Kim, Nidia, Jazz, and Shaniqua. You know, because you have to make room for the new Divas, right?