WWE WrestleMania 21 #1 Contender Tournament (SmackDown) – 2005

January 31 – February 20, 2005

– Quarter-Finals

Held 1/31/05 at the HP Pavilion in San Jose, CA. – The Undertaker fought Rene Dupree to a double count-out at 12:37 when Luther Reigns grabbed Taker’s leg, preventing him from getting back in the ring after Taker threw Dupree into the steel ring steps; early in the bout, Mark Jindrak and Luther Reigns came ringside to watch the match; after the match, Taker hit the tombstone on Dupree – Booker T pinned Eddie Guerrero at 19:55 by reversing a suplex attempt into a roll up and grabbing the tights for leverage Held 2/5/05 at the Super Arena in Saitama, Japan. – WWE US Champion John Cena pinned Orlando Jordan in a non-title match with the FU at 4:51 – Kurt Angle defeated Rey Mysterio Jr. via submission with the ankle lock at 20:00 after hitting the Olympic Slam

– Semi-Finals

Held 2/15/05 at the Gund Arena in Cleveland, OH. – WWE US Champion John Cena pinned Booker T with the FU in a non-title match at 16:46

– Finals

Held 2/20/05 at the Mellon Arena in Pittsburgh, PA during No Way Out 05. – WWE US Champion John Cena pinned Kurt Angle at 19:22 with the FU after ramming Angle into the corner as Angle attempted to use Cena’s steel chain as a weapon while referee Charles Robinson was knocked down; due to pre-match stipulations, Cena earned a WWE World Title shot at WrestleMania 21