No Way Out 2002

(All screen captures are the property of World Wrestling Entertainment)

No Way Out

February 17, 2002

Bradley Center

Milwaukee, Wisconsin

News & Notes: Vince said everybody lost when Flair beat him at Royal Rumble. He was going to do something he would regret. On the following Smackdown, Vince locked himself in a room and descended into madness. He claimed Flair gave the WWF terminal cancer. Flair was trying to take the WWF from him. It would slowly die under Flair’s leadership, but Vince wouldn’t let that happen. Only one person could kill his creation, and that was Vince himself. He would inject the WWF with a lethal dose of poison known as the nWo! When Ric heard this, he implored Vince to change his mind. Vince said he would back down if Flair relinquished his 50% ownership, so Ric considered this. He offered a tearful goodbye and almost signed the deal, but Steve Austin convinced Ric to rip up the agreement and throw it in Vince’s face.

Now for a few extra storylines. Jazz continued her rivalry with Trish Stratus. She got disqualified for refusing to release an armbar in their first rematch. However, they fought again and Jazz captured the Women’s title! Speaking of the women, Jacqueline worked more contests as a referee. She officiated Boss Man vs. Rikishi, Tazz vs. Jericho, and the Hurricane vs. Scotty 2 Hotty. Meanwhile, the issues between Kane and Big Show escalated. Show shook Kane’s hand after complimenting his feat of strength at the Rumble. They even teamed, but this quickly fell apart and they brawled. Elsewhere, Val Venis found a new shtick. He has women from the crowd remove his towel, but he doesn’t want to know their names. Val wouldn’t want to grow attached. Afterward, he rewards them with a kiss. And finally, Mr. Perfect tried to impress Debra, which earned him a beating from Austin.

The PPV: There is no opening video. I asked on Twitter. Apparently, this was how the live broadcast began. Worse yet, they replace “Feel So Numb” by Rob Zombie with some generic funky music, which doesn’t fit. They go directly into the narrator’s introduction before fireworks explode around the big rigs at the entrance. Meanwhile, JR and Lawler discuss the card and the nWo’s potential impact upon tonight’s proceedings. As if summoned, the nWo theme plays, and Hogan, Hall, and Nash appear. JR calls them a pack of dogs, but Lawler blames Flair for this.

Nash wants to set the record straight. The amount of heat and stares they received backstage scared him. People spent the past few weeks using words like poison, cancer, and self-servant. Some even called them company-killing bastards! Nash says this hurt their feelings. What did they do? All they want is a fair chance and a clean slate. Next, Hall says, “Hey yo!” Scott claims they aren’t the bad guys. They are marks and fans. Maybe they’ll get some autographs and photos with the great WWF superstars. He also suggests they drink some beers, but Hogan and Nash tell him that’s a terrible idea. With that said, Hogan takes the mic. The crowd cheers, so Hogan soaks it in before speaking. Hogan swears they are there to make the WWF better, not kill it. Vince is the only one who gave them a chance, so god bless McMahon and America!

JR doesn’t buy a word of this. He thinks they have their own agenda, but Lawler says they have changed. While they talk, Scotty 2 Hotty and Albert arrive for the first contest.

Tag Team Turmoil Participants: Albert & Scotty 2 Hotty, Christian & Lance Storm, The Hardy Boyz, The Dudley Boyz, Billy & Chuck, & The APA.

Tag Team Turmoil #1 Contender Match

Storyline: There are a few angles going into this. First, Christian had a problem. Things haven’t gone his way, and DDP seemed to have his number. Page pinned him twice in tag encounters and then DDP took Christian’s European championship! These losses and mishaps caused Christian to throw temper tantrums. Elsewhere, Lance Storm waged a war on offbeat shenanigans, including the Godfather’s escort service. Meanwhile, Billy and Chuck made everyone uncomfortable with their suggestive antics. They challenged Stacy and Torrie to a posedown and gave each other chocolates for Valentine’s Day. Billy and Chuck even used a loaded box of chocolates to beat the APA. In other news, the Dudleys continued helping Regal battle Edge to various levels of success. The issue was, they weren’t getting shots at the tag titles, so they complained. When multiple teams demanded a chance, Flair created this contest as a solution.

The Match: Albert fends off Storm and Christian with a gorilla press, a giant swing, and a bicycle kick. Then the teams exchange superkicks before Scotty tries the Worm. Christian and Storm overwhelm him and Christian pins Scotty with the Unprettier. This brings the Hardys out next. They stop Storm and Christian’s double-teaming, but Lance rolls Jeff into the Maple Leaf. When Matt breaks the hold, everybody brawls. Storm hits Christian by mistake, which opens the door for a Twist of Fate and a Swanton to eliminate them. Now the Dudleys join the fray. After some back-and-forth action, the women get involved. Lita gives Bubba a Litacanrana, and Matt turns D-Von’s suplex into a roll-up for three.

Unfortunately, the Dudleys attack the Hardys and give Jeff a 3D on the floor! This allows Billy and Chuck to take out the Hardys with a Jungle Kick and a Fameasser. The APA is the final team. They subdue Billy and Chuck with shoulder blocks and a fallaway slam, but Billy answers with a neckbreaker on Faarooq. Afterward, Billy and Chuck use ref distractions, double-teaming, and illegal switching to maintain control. However, Faarooq nails a spinebuster and tags Bradshaw. He cleans house and avoids Billy’s charge into the corner. The miss enables Bradshaw to end it with a Clothesline from Hell.

Thoughts: This was a good way to start the show. It was fast-paced and fun. They never let it drag, and it furthered storylines and character development. This did everything it needed to do, so I enjoyed it.

Winners: The APA (16:38)

Michael Cole interviews Ric Flair. He says the nWo already made an impact tonight, but Flair says they did more than that. This whole place went upside down when they walked through the door. Flair can’t believe they stood in the ring and tried to sell that load of crap to the boys. There is a group of guys back there waiting to teach the nWo respect! When Flair says this, the Undertaker interrupts him. Taker asks Ric if he considers himself an authority on respect now. Maybe Flair shouldn’t worry about who is keeping an eye on the nWo. He should concern himself with who is keeping an eye on Flair. Ric asks if that’s the Undertaker. Taker says he might be right, and this is something to think about. Once Taker finishes, he shoves the mic into Ric’s chest and walks away.

Rob Van Dam vs. Goldust

Storyline: Just when Goldust thought he got out, they pulled him back in. He vowed to become the WWF’s brightest shining star again, but Goldust said he saved his greatest production for a mystery man. Frankly, he didn’t give a damn if this person liked it. And that target was Rob Van Dam. Goldust watched him on TV and admired his athleticism. While Goldust observed him, RVD sought to win Regal’s Intercontinental title, but Regal escaped through disqualifications and the help of the Dudleys. Then Goldust attacked RVD after Van Dam faced Bubba Ray. He gave Rob the Shattered Dreams, so RVD retaliated. He jumped Goldust during Goldust vs. Rikishi. RVD also rescued Torrie Wilson from receiving Shattered Dreams. Rob said he didn’t blame Goldust for obsessing over him. After all, he is R-V-D! He even mocked Goldust’s inhaling taunt because no one knows about inhaling like Rob Van Dam!

The Match: Goldust attacks when RVD arrives, but RVD responds. He scores kicks, a spinning leg drop, and a cartwheel moonsault. This makes Goldust regroup for a while, but RVD nails the barricade wheel kick. Back inside, Goldust takes over with an attack on the apron. He focuses on RVD’s lower back. Goldust bends him over the ring post, does two catapult backbreakers, and locks RVD in multiple reverse chinlocks! (That’s three chinlocks. Someone call Wrestling Bios!) Nevertheless, RVD raises his knees, as Goldust tries to jump on his back. It opens the door for a monkey flip, a flying kick, Rolling Thunder, and a somersault senton. The Five Star misses, but RVD avoids the Curtain Call and uses a heel kick. Finally, he blocks a bulldog and hits the Five Star for the three.

Thoughts: It started slowly, but they built to something good. They got a great reaction from the crowd, so it worked. This was exactly the short and solid bout it should have been.

Winner: RVD (11:08)

Austin walks backstage, but he runs into the nWo. They sarcastically list his nicknames and monikers, but Hall claims they don’t want any trouble. He bought Austin a gift. It’s ice-cold beer from the nWo! Austin says “What”, so Hall repeats himself. Then Austin asks if this is for him. Did they bring him some beer? When Hall says yes, Austin tells him he isn’t thirsty. Hall suggests he save it for later, but Austin tosses the six-pack over his shoulder and glares at them. After a few seconds, Hogan tells them to let Austin pass. Austin walks away, so the nWo stares at him. (Having Hall handle the beer was in poor taste.)

Tag Team Title Match: Tazz & Spike Dudley (c) vs. Booker T & Test

Storyline: Tazz and Spike had a few successful championship defenses. They defeated Albert & Scotty, and they won a Triple Threat against the APA and Billy & Chuck. Tazz even faced Jericho in a non-title bout with Jacqueline as the ref, but Jericho cheated to win. Meanwhile, Booker T answered open challenges to prove himself. He wrestled the Rock and Triple H. Booker vs. Hunter ended in DQ because of Angle, so Booker bragged about supposedly beating Hunter. Later, the APA and stars from the movie Rollerball mocked Booker about his supermarket brawl with Austin. This led to a tag encounter, so Test wanted to team up with Booker again. He needed to impress Rebecca Romijn-Stamos, but they lost to the APA. However, Booker and Test rebounded with singles wins over Tazz and Spike. Finally, Spike scored a surprise victory over an overconfident Booker, and Test taunted him about it.

The Match: Everyone brawls until Spike scores dropkicks and pin attempts. This ends when Booker and Test hit a sidekick version of the Hart Attack. Now they lure Tazz in to cause ref distractions so they can double-team Spike. They use corner offense, choking, and attacks on the floor to subdue him. Plus, Booker nails an axe kick and does the Spinaroonie. Undeterred, Spike floors Booker with a tornado DDT and tags Tazz. He cleans house with clotheslines and suplexes while fending off double-teaming. Test blocks a Tazmission only to eat a Dudley Dog, so Test and Booker cheat. Booker pulls Spike outside, but he cannot run him into the post. Worse yet, the ref catches Test using the ropes during a pin, which causes an argument. Test shoves the ref, so the referee pushes him into Tazz. Tazz grabs the Tazmission, and Test taps out.

Thoughts: This was okay. The pieces were there, but it seemed they rushed through the motions. The action felt like it was on fast-forward, so they didn’t flesh out any of the ideas they had. This wasn’t bad. It was forgettable.

Winners: Tazz & Spike Dudley (7:16)

Coach interviews the Rock, but Coachman stumbles over his words while talking about the Undertaker’s attack. He asks Rocky about his physical condition. The Rock wonders why he would ask that. Taker jumped him ten days ago while the Rock talked to Coach. The Undertaker tried to end his career because he thought the Rock disrespected him. Rock says Taker doesn’t know what it’s really like when the Rock disrespects him. He spent ten days in the hospital thinking, and it wasn’t about respect. What he thought about was whooping Taker’s candy ass all over Milwaukee! Tonight, Taker is exactly what he says he is. He’s a dead man walking. If you smell what the Rock is cooking!

Now it’s time for Edge vs. William Regal in a Brass Knuckles on a Pole Match. The ref checks Regal’s tights for knucks beforehand, so Lawler calls him an idiot. He says the knuckles are up on the pole. However, JR says Regal might have another pair stashed away. While he says this, Edge attacks Regal.

Brass Knuckles on a Pole Match for the Intercontinental Title: William Regal (c) vs. Edge

Storyline: Edge snapped after losing a rematch with Regal. He attacked William and Nick Patrick with the knuckles, so Flair barred Edge from the arena until he cooled off. This didn’t prevent Edge from jumping out of the crowd and ambushing Regal again. Edge even scuffled with Regal when William tried to use the knucks on RVD, but Regal knocked Edge out while the Dudleys gave RVD a 3D. Regal & the Dudleys vs. Edge & RVD resulted from this. Edge shoved Bubba into Regal and pinned Bubba with the Edgecution. Next, Rikishi helped Edge battle with Regal, and Regal got the Stink Face. An irate Regal broke Edge’s ribs with the knucks and put him in a Regal Stretch until Edge coughed up blood. The injury cost Edge a victory over Jericho in a non-title contest. Finally, Regal punched Coachman for insulting him, so Edge brawled with Regal.

The Match: They trade takedowns and knockdowns and stop each other from going after the knucks. Then they briefly fight around the barricade before Edge scores a missile dropkick in the ring. Once Regal recovers, he targets the injured ribs. Regal drapes Edge on the ropes and uses an ab stretch with leverage. The ref catches him, but Regal takes Edge outside for a Tiger Bomb on the floor. Now Edge bleeds from the mouth after a second bomb and a Regal Stretch.

Later, Edge counters an apron powerbomb with a hurricanrana in a scary spot that nearly goes wrong. This allows Edge to fetch the knuckles, but they fall to the mat after Regal’s back superplex. He kicks them away so Edge can’t grab them, but Edge scores the Edge-O-Matic and a spear. Afterward, Edge looks for the knucks, so Regal gets a hidden pair from his tights. He punches Edge in the ribs and the head for the win.

Thoughts: This was solid. But like their previous bouts, there was some detail that kept me from loving it. An encounter involving brass knuckles shouldn’t have strict rules. It seems ridiculous. This was an example of the stipulation impeding the action. Just make it No DQ. Putting anything on a pole is almost always more of a distraction than a boon.

Winner: William Regal (10:22)

Lilian interviews Kurt Angle. She says he seems pretty confident ahead of his match with Triple H, especially since Stephanie became the special referee. This offends Kurt. His confidence didn’t come from Stephanie. Kurt says she will do a fair and honest job as the ref. His confidence comes from his superiority over Triple H. Angle didn’t win his gold medals at a fair or find them in a box of Lucky Charms! He got them from being the best in the world. Then Angle has a message for Triple H, if he recovered enough to hear him. Stephanie lying about her pregnancy was the best news ever because Hunter would have been a terrible father! But he tells Hunter to cheer up. Tonight, Angle will be his daddy, and this daddy is walking out of No Way Out with Hunter’s title shot. It’s true!

The Rock vs. The Undertaker

Storyline: The Rock mocked the Undertaker about the Maven incident at the Rumble, so Taker felt disrespected. He cost the Rock a #1 contender qualifying match against Angle to teach him a lesson. Later, Taker and Jericho wrestled Rock and Austin, and Jericho pinned the Rock after Taker hit Rocky with a pipe. As a result, the Rock helped Maven win the Hardcore championship from Taker! Taker ambushed the Rock in the parking lot in retaliation. He gave him a chokeslam and a Tombstone on a car! Afterward, Flair said he lost respect for Taker because of the attack, so he made Taker face Austin. Finally, Taker and Angle fought Maven and Triple H. Taker planted Maven with a Last Ride on the announce table and tried to do the same to Flair. However, Vince stopped him. McMahon wanted Flair to survive long enough to see the nWo arrive.

The Match: Rock sprints to the ring and they brawl. Taker grinds his knee and forearm against the Rock’s concussed head, but Rock fires back with a neckbreaker. Then Taker tries to subdue him with a side slam and a chinlock, but Rocky takes the fight outside. They scuffle around the barricade and the announce tables before briefly heading into the crowd. Back inside, Taker regains control with more chinlocks, a DDT, and a bear hug. Once Rocky escapes, he scores his own DDT and a spinebuster, but not the People’s Elbow.

Next, Rock blocks a chokeslam with a low blow, yet Taker hits the second attempt. When it only earns two, Taker argues with the ref and heads to his bike. He has to scream Mike Chioda’s name because he’s late for his spot. Mike arrives, as Taker pulls the pipe from his bike. Taker shoves Chioda into the steps and goes after the Rock, but Ric Flair prevents the pipe shot! Taker fends off Flair only to take a spinebuster and a Sharpshooter. This draws out Vince, so Rock yanks him over the ropes. Now Taker grabs Rock for a Tombstone, but Flair decks Taker with the pipe and Rock ends it with a Rock Bottom!

Thoughts: The finish was hot, and it set up the storylines going forward, but the rest ranged from slow to sloppy to awkward. You know things are bad when Taker has to yell at Mike Chioda to come do a spot. This wasn’t great.

Winner: The Rock (17:25)

Mr. Perfect is at WWF New York. JR thinks he is there to enjoy the wonderful food. I can’t tell if JR is joking. Then Mr. Perfect does the gum swat while JR asks him for his thoughts about the PPV. Perfect says he should be out there with the fans of New York having fun, but he looked around the audience. He can’t believe the teeth and hair on these guys. Even the rats are out in New York, so Perfect wants to show them what a man looks like. He opens his jacket to show off his body, but only for a moment. Perfect doesn’t want to reveal too much. After all, everybody knows one thing is for real. When Mr. Perfect is in town, it’s going down! Perfect ends the promo by calling himself everyone’s role model.

Next, it’s time for Triple H vs. Angle for Triple H’s Mania title shot. Stephanie made herself the special referee. She wears a revealing top, which excites Lawler more than Jacqueline did last month. Also, Steph corrects the Fink when she arrives. She dropped Helmsley from her name. Now she is just Stephanie McMahon. Stephanie claps for Kurt Angle during his entrance, so Lawler points this out.

For Triple H’s Mania Title Shot: Kurt Angle vs. Triple H

Storyline: The marriage of Triple H and Stephanie started crumbling when Hunter grew tired of her behavior. Sensing trouble, Steph suggested they renew their vows, but Hunter refused until Steph revealed she was pregnant! The problem was, Linda exposed this as a lie. Steph used a fake doctor to fool Hunter. When the ceremony happened, Steph convinced Vince to walk her down the aisle, despite everything that had occurred over the previous months. It was all for naught. Triple H threw his wedding ring in her face, asked for a divorce, and gave Vince a Pedigree. Meanwhile, Angle told Vince Hunter cheated to eliminate him from the Rumble, so Vince offered Kurt a match for Hunter’s Mania title shot! Kurt even attempted to get under Hunter’s skin. He mocked Triple H’s potential baby and tried to break Hunter’s ankle. Finally, Stephanie made herself the ref as a Valentine’s Day surprise.

The Match: They trade knockdowns and covers until Kurt accidentally clotheslines Stephanie over the ropes! This makes Hunter laugh. He scores a neckbreaker while waving goodbye to Stephanie. Then Tim White takes over, as Angle uses suplexes and a sleeper. Once Hunter escapes, he turns corner punches into a powerbomb and nails a high knee. A spinebuster and a face crusher follow, so Angle regroups. Kurt leads a chase before attacking Tim White. Now Angle does a low blow, an Angle Slam, and an anklelock while Stephanie returns. However, Hunter shoves Angle into Steph and performs a DDT. Unfortunately, Tim goes down again, so Kurt grabs a chair. Before he can use it, Hunter lands the Pedigree, but Stephanie jumps Tim and kicks him in the balls. Hunter has enough. He tries to Pedigree Steph, so Kurt whacks him with a chair and ends it with the Angle Slam.

Thoughts: This was good. It blended the storytelling and wrestling well. Angle and Hunter always had nice chemistry, so you knew they would do fine. And kudos to Stephanie for taking some of those bumps.

Winner: Kurt Angle (14:39)

Kurt Angle and Stephanie celebrate while Triple H foams at the mouth. JR says his Rumble win was for nothing. Triple H’s future ex-wife turned his professional life into a living hell. Lawler would rather talk about Angle’s big win, but JR says Triple H shouldn’t have been in this match in the first place. His future ex-father-in-law did this! Meanwhile, Angle exits the arena and gets in his car to leave. He gives a message to a security guard for anyone who asks where he went. Kurt tells him to say Angle is going to WrestleMania!

Elsewhere, the Rock holds an ice pack on his neck while talking to the trainer. As this happens, the nWo approaches the Rock. Hogan says the Rock is his son’s favorite wrestler, so he asks for a photo. Rock reluctantly agrees, but he doesn’t look happy about it. This elicits a snarky remark from Hall. He tries to say it under his breath, but Rocky tells him to come back. The Rock says he shouldn’t have said that. Then he calls Hall Chico and Razor Ramon. He says Hall can stick the camera up his ass and give it to his buddy, Big Daddy Cool Diesel. When Rock says this, he mocks the diesel horn. Finally, Rock turns to Hogan. He tells him to say his prayers, take his vitamins, shine them up, and shove them all up their candy asses!

Undisputed Title Match: Chris Jericho (c) vs. Stone Cold Steve Austin

Storyline: Austin’s anger didn’t dissipate after the Rumble. He interrupted Mr. Perfect vs. Val Venis, stunned everyone, and officially entered the 2003 Rumble. Steve also promised to whip someone’s ass at Mania, so he joined a four-man tournament to crown a #1 contender. Austin defeated Booker and Angle to win it. Jericho tried to attack Austin, but Stone Cold fended him off. Later, Jericho had Will Sasso dress up as Austin and kiss his feet. When Austin saw this, he confronted Sasso. Will apologized and had a beer with Austin, but Steve gave him the Stunner. This didn’t end the disrespect. Jericho ambushed Austin with the belt before stealing his beer, so Flair punished Jericho with a match against Kane. Beforehand, Austin offered Jericho a beer, only to smack it out of his hand. Plus, Austin prevented Jericho from running away from Kane and nailed a Stunner.

The Match: Jericho taunts Austin and leads a chase, but Austin knocks him down, smacks him into the turnbuckles, and lands suplexes. This results in brawling around ringside and the set. Austin rams Jericho into the tractor-trailers and the projectors. Back inside, Austin scores three superplexes, but they only earn two. (Somewhere, Barry Windham weeps.) When Jericho recovers, he throws a desperate low blow, but Austin answers with a Stun Gun. Now Jericho seeks a chair only for Hebner to thwart his plans. Jericho settles for frequent chops in the corner and a sleeper hold instead.

Austin escapes and attempts a Stunner. Jericho blocks it, but Austin performs a spinebuster and a powerslam. However, Jericho responds with a bulldog and two Lionsaults! It still only earns two, so Jericho locks Austin in the Walls. Once Stone Cold finds a rope break, Jericho heads outside. He shoves Mark Yeaton and takes the WWF title. Both men perform moves onto it after Hebner gets clipped. Austin does a spinebuster while Jericho uses the Breakdown. Neither garners a three. Afterward, Hebner goes down before Austin puts Jericho in the Walls. Chris taps, but there is no ref. Austin even hits a Stunner, as the nWo arrives to interfere. They swarm Austin, and Hall gives him an awkward Stunner. While Austin is down, Jericho pulls Hebner into the ring and covers Austin for the three.

Thoughts: This was okay, but they lost the crowd until the finish. The fans in Milwaukee were loud all night, but they went mild for this. The problem was, they repeated a lot of spots and sequences. You can only go back to the corner for chops so many times before it becomes tiresome.

Winner: Chris Jericho (21:33)

The nWo gets back in the ring and continues the attack. Austin tries to rally, but Hogan, Hall, and Nash fend him off. Then Hall hits another Stunner and mocks Austin. While this happens, Hogan fetches the spray paint. They tag Austin with the nWo letters as the show ends.

The Good:

• Tag Team Turmoil

• RVD vs. Goldust

• Triple H vs. Angle

The Bad:

• The main event disappointed me slightly

• Rock vs. Taker was messy

Performer of the Night:

I went with an odd choice. Stephanie won this honor. She amused me during Triple H vs. Angle and the bumps she took impressed me.

Final Thoughts:

This was a step down after the last two PPVs. It wasn’t terrible, but much of this fell flat. They did a fine job advancing storylines toward WrestleMania, so this accomplished its goal. However, I consider this decent, at best.

Thank you for reading. My next review is WrestleMania X8. Look for it next Sunday!