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2 Yrs Ago: Keller's No Way Out coverage - Austin vs. Hunter Feb 23, 2003 - 3:21:00 PM
The following No Way Out 2000 PPV report was originally published live during the PPV two years ago...
WWF No Way Out PPV review
February 25, 2001
Broadcast live on pay-per-view
Live from Las Vegas, Nev.
(1) Big Show captured the WWF Hardcore Title from Raven at 4:20. After a couple minutes of brawling between Show and Raven, Crash Holly interfered (wearing a disguise). Hardcore Holly and Billy Gunn then entered the match. Gunn pinned Raven at 2:30. Raven pinned Gunn at 3:30. Big Show chokeslammed Raven into a trash can at 4:20. As he left the ring, he headbutted Gunn at ringside. He basically left everyone lying in the ring.
Kevin Kelly interviewed Kurt Angle in the parking garage as he arrived. Angle said he is doing great, but he's not so sure about Rock after the beating he gave him on Smackdown.
Lillian Garcia interviewed Eddie Guerrero and Chris Benoit.
(2) Chris Jericho pinned X-Pac at 12:18 to retain the WWF Intercontinental Title in a four-way match also involving Eddie Guerrero and Chris Benoit.. By 2:00 all four were in the ring with intense exchanges. X-Pac flattened Jericho with a spin wheel kick, but Benoit and Guerrero then doubled on him. Benoit put X-Pac in a Crippler Crossface at 2:30. Guerrero was going to break it up, but Jericho stopped him, then Jericho broke up the Crossface himself. Jericho fought Benoit at ringside. At 5:20 Benoit and Guerrero finally fought each other. At 6:45 Benoit gave Guerrero a top rope superplex. After being KO'd at ringside for a few minutes, X-Pac crawled into the ring and broke up Benoit's pin attempt. At 8:00 Benoit nailed Jericho with some stiff chops, but Jericho surprised Benoit with a schoolboy for a two count. Justin Credible came to ringside and helped X-Pac wipe out Benoit with a double sidekick. At 11:15 Benoit put X-Pac in the Crippler Crossface, but Guerrero broke it up. Chaos ensued, but after X-Pac flattened Benoit with a spin wheel kick, Jericho ended up surprising X-Pac with a bridge for the pin. Great action from start to finish.
Vince McMahon told William Regal backstage that since it was his idea for the match between Trish and Stephanie, he'd make sure everything turned out all right. Vince left. Regal seemed flustered by McMahon's warning.
Jim Ross interviewed Test live from WWF New York regarding Trish vs. Stephanie. Test said after the match we'd know who the "biggest trash bag ho in the WWF is."
Regal tried to talk to Trish. Trish said she didn't have time to talk because she had a bitch to slap.
(3) Stephanie McMahon-Helmsley pinned Trish Stratus at 8:32. Great intensity at the start. They are both so convincing in their dislike for each other, they're setting the bar high for Triple H and Steve Austin. At 3:10 Trish gave Steph a bulldog for a near fall. Trish complained to the ref which gave Steph a chance to recover and punch Trish in the gut. Trish gave Steph a great looking DDT (her long hair really helps hide any light) for another near fall. By 6:00 Steph began ripping at Trish's clothes, and she strutted around looking very proud of herself. Trish charged Steph, but they both grabbed each other's hair and spun to the mat. Regal entered the ring and put Trish on top of Steph. Then as the ref began to count, Regal put Steph's leg on the bottom rope. Regal entered the ring and tried to explain his actions to Trish, but she slapped him. He flattened her and Stephanie scored the pin. I like the way they are bringing Regal along, mixing him with top tier players like the McMahons to set the stage for his eventual main event push, yet not shoving him down anyone's throats too early by forcing him into a PPV main event slot before fans see in that way.
A WrestleMania XVII commercial aired.
Vince confronted Regal, yelling at him for what he did in the previous match. Vince said that's going to result in Vince & Trish vs. Regal & Stephanie on Raw tomorrow night.
(4a) Steve Austin pinned Triple H at 12:20 in a "pure wrestling match." Austin flew into Triple H against the ropes at 1:30, but the move looked botched and both men bumped awkwardly. Austin took control and began working over Triple H's arm. At 3:15 Austin hit a Thesz Press. When Austin came off the top rope, Triple H raised his boot and caught Austin in the face. Triple H followed with a neckbreaker. Triple H applied a figure-four, but Austin reversed it. Ross pointed out that Triple H applied the hold so that if it were reversed, he was close enough to grab the ropes. Triple H continued working over Austin's legs. Austin fought back and went for a quick cover after a forearm drop. The crowd popped for every two count and comeback. Austin stalked Triple H from behind, waiting for him to get up. As soon as Triple H got up, Austin went for the Stunner. Triple H countered and shoved Austin into the turnbuckle. Austin came back and hit the Stunner off the ropes and scored the pin.
(4b) Triple H pinned Steve Austin at 28:10 (time including the first fall) to even the falls one-to-one. As opposed to breaking between falls, they did go right into the second fall after all. I assumed with this coming so early on the card they were going to split it up with matches between, giving them a chance to rest. Instead, they went right to ringside and began brawling. Austin nailed Triple H with a monitor at ringside. Austin got the crowd to their feet at 16:52 (from the original start of the match) with a series of a dozen or so chairshots to Triple H's back and knee. Austin grabbed a barbed wire two-by-four, but Triple H stole it and nailed Triple H in the head with it at ringside. Austin came up bleeding. Triple H set up a Pedigree on the announcers' table, but Austin backdropped out of it and Triple H crashed through the table and landed on his butt with a thud on the cement; the table didn't absorb much of the move at all. Both men lay on their backs amidst shattered tables and scattered equipment. At 21:30 Austin finally got up with a beer and began hitting Triple H with it. Back in the ring Triple H nailed Austin with the timekeeper's bell. He followed with two neckbreakers onto a chair in center ring. Triple H scored two near falls. Triple H back suplexed Austin onto the chair for another near fall. The crowd seemed exhausted at this point - like the two wrestlers - and weren't popping at the same level as they were early. They did rise as Triple H set up the Pedigree. Austin backdropped Triple H over the top rope to the floor to avoid the move. Austin "tattooed Triple H right between his evil eyes with a chair," as Ross put it. By this point both were bleeding from the forehead. Triple H reached under Ross's chair and pulled out his sledgehammer. Lawler blamed Ross for storing it there. Ross denied knowing it was there. He set up a swing at Austin, but (of course) Austin punched him in the gut first. The hammer banged onto the steel stairs instead. Triple H brought the sledge hammer into the ring and managed to hit Austin's face with it (although it was positioned with his own hand over it to save it from being murderous). Triple H then scored the pin on Austin after an academic Pedigree at 28:10.
(4c) Triple H pinned Steve Austin to win two falls to one at 36:31. The cage lowered around the two wrestlers and the ref. Triple H rubbed barbed wire in Austin's face at the start of the third fall. Austin fought back and rubbed the barbed wire in Triple H's face. After several minutes of back and forth struggling, Triple H gave Austin a Pedigree at 36:30. Ross called the match over - and believably so - but Austin kicked out. Triple H was going to give Austin another Pedigree, but Austin escaped and catapulted him into the cage. He then gave Triple H a Stunner, but he was slow to go for the cover. When he finally made the cover, Triple H kicked out at two. As both men got up, Austin grabbed the barbed wire and Triple H grabbed the sledgehammer. They both hit each other and both went down, but Triple H fell on top of Austin and scored the pin. Great match. Early match of the year contender.
(5) Steven Richards (w/Ivory) pinned Jerry Lawler (w/Kat) a 5:31. If Lawler won, Kat got to strip naked. If Richards on, RTC gets possession of Kat. Tazz joined Lawler on commentary. Lawler dressed in a leopard skin singlet. The crowd chanted "We Want Puppies." Lawler nailed Richards with a title belt and then slammed Ivory when she got in his face. With his back turned trying to get at Ivory, Richards got up (so slowly Lawler had to turn to him to urge him to hurry up) and was going to hit Lawler with the belt. Lawler eventually turned and blocked it. Kat entered the ring and swung at Richards, but Richards ducked and Lawler took the blow. Richards scored the pin. The RTC carried Kat away against her will, but not before covering her entire body.
Cole interviewed Undertaker and Kane backstage.
(6) The Dudleys beat Undertaker & Kane and Edge & Christian at 12:04 in a tables match. Taker and Kane fought E&C at ringside for the opening two minutes. The Dudleys attacked Taker and Kane from behind, then entered the ring and fought E&C. E& C hung Buh Buh upside down in the corner and stepped on his crotch. He recovered miraculously from the move within a minute and held Edge's legs as D-Von dove off the top rope with a headbutt. The crowd went nuts. Woulda been nice if he sold the nutcrushed a bit longer. Undertaker and Kane, who had been wandering around ringside, reentered the ring and immediately took over on E&C. The Dudleys went to ringside to get the tables. At 8:30 the Dudleys brought tables into the ring. All six battled over who could slam whom through a table. As Taker and Kane setup E& C for individual powerbombs through each of the two tables, Rikishi and Haku ran to the ring and stopped the moves. Taker and Kane fought Rikishi & Haku to the back as The Dudleys put E&C through a table in the ring to win. Taker and Kane stared back at the ring from the stage, examining their missed opportunity. Ross said there will be hell to pay for Rikishi & Haku for costing Taker & Kane the tag titles.
Cole interviewed Rock backstage. Short and to the point. He paused waiting for the crowd to chant his name. When they didn't, he told Cole to be quiet and listen. That prompted the fans to chant his name.
(7) The Rock pinned Kurt Angle at 16:53 to capture the WWF Hvt. Title. They stared down before the match. Angle trash-talked Rock. Rock seemed to be trying not to crack up; we can only imagine what Angle was actually saying to Rock to try to crack him up. Angle swung at Rock with the WWF Title belt and the match was on. Tazz, by the way, remained on commentary since Lawler's match earlier. Angle went for an early anklelock on Rock, but Rock frantically reached for the ropes to break it. Angle kept it applied until the ref forced the break. At 4:00 Rock applied a Sharpshooter, but Angle reached the bottom rope 20 seconds later to break the hold. At 5:40 Rock superplexed Angle off the top rope for a two count. At 7:45 Big Show entered the ring and gave the ref, Angle, and Rock chokeslams. Ross asked, "What the hell is going on!" Big Show then left. Rock rolled on top of Angle and scored a two count. Angle tried to hit Rock with the belt, but Rock wrested the belt away and hit Angle and scored a near fall. Angle fought back and applied the ankle lock again. He showed intensity like he never has before. He trash talked Rock and swore and tried to talk him into giving up. It was the type of intensity that with Ken Shamrock seemed manufactured and phony, but Angle's intensity was similar to Benoit's in its realism. Rock hit the Rock Bottom at 13:30 and scored a very near fall that had the crowd on their feet. Ross said the look on Rock's face when Angle kicked out was priceless. When Rock shoved the ref for getting in his face as he beat up Angle in the corner, Angle gave Rock a low blow. Angle detached the turnbuckle pad. Rock got up and tried to give him a Rock Bottom, but Angle escaped and surprised Rock with an Olympic Slam. Angle had the same look of disbelief when Rock kicked out as Rock had when Angle kicked out of his finisher. At 16:16 Rock hit the Rock Bottom and went for the pin. It looked like a three count, but the ref stopped and insisted Angle's shoulder just got up a tad. The crowd was on their feet as Ross screamed at the top of his lungs that it looked like a three count. Rock immediately hit another Rock Bottom and scored the three count. Very good match, especially the last six minutes.
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