No Way Out 2003

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

No Way Out

February 23, 2003

Bell Centre

Montreal, Quebec, Canada

News & Notes: Here’s the rundown of extra storylines. Jazz returned after Royal Rumble. She announced the bitch was back to take out Trish and become the most dominant Diva. This put her at odds with Victoria, but they worked together for now. On a vaguely related note, Teddy Long joined D’Lo’s campaign against racism in WWE. Unfortunately, D’Lo failed too often, so Long replaced him with Rodney Mack. In other news, Tough Enough 3 wrapped up its season. John Hennigan (Morrison) and Matt Cappotelli won the competition, and Nowinski accused them of rubbing it in his face. Elsewhere, Nunzio started a feud with Rikishi. When Rikishi gave him a Stink Face, Nunzio recruited Johnny Stamboli and Chuck Palumbo to form a new version of the FBI. Finally, Sean O’Haire convinced a newcomer named Spanky (Brian Kendrick) to go streaking, which got Spanky in trouble.

The PPV: There is no opening video unless you count a weird CGI romp through a dungeon. The camera pans around to show someone rattling the bars of a cage and a creepy man chained to a wall. “Bring Me to Life” by Evanescence plays over the footage. (I like the song, but it’s a strange choice for a PPV theme.) Then Coachman welcomes everyone to No Way Out while fireworks explode. He’s with Lawler because JR suffered a concussion on RAW. The doctors told Ross to take the night off.

Now, it’s time for the opener. Test vs. Jericho was the original plan, but they changed it to punish Test and Stacy for missing an episode of RAW. Jericho will face Jeff Hardy instead. Coach says Bischoff banned Shawn Michaels from ringside because Jericho asked him to do it. This is WWE’s first time back in Montreal since 1997, so Lawler jokes about how the fans will react to HBK. He has to explain what he means to Coach.

Chris Jericho vs. Jeff Hardy

Storyline: Jeff Hardy had a bad month. He lost a few matches and took out his frustrations on RVD, Kane, and Booker. Shawn Michaels tried to talk sense into him, but Jeff threatened to kick his ass and ate a superkick for his disrespect. Meanwhile, Jericho ran into some trouble. He swung a chair at Test but hit Stacy. Jericho showed concern until Christian convinced him he didn’t need to apologize because it was Test and Stacy’s fault. This led to Christian vs. Test, and Christian bullied Stacy, so Jeff saved her. As a result, Jericho wrestled Hardy and made him submit. However, Jericho had lingering issues with HBK, so Shawn teamed with Jeff against Jericho and Christian in a No DQ contest. They handcuffed Shawn to the post, but he escaped and helped Jeff pin Jericho. Afterward, Jericho asked Bischoff to ban Shawn from ringside for this bout.

The Match: Jeff makes Jericho regroup after some takedowns. Jericho avoids a slingshot move but can’t escape an Asai Moonsault or an Arabian Press. Then, Jericho sidesteps a barricade run and hotshots Hardy on the steps. Back inside, Jericho uses a rear chinlock to subdue Jeff, but Jericho crashes into the corner on a missed charge. Now, Jeff scores knockdowns and raises his knees for Jericho’s Lionsault. He even lands a DDT and Whisper in the Wind. Nevertheless, Jericho counters a missed enziguri into the Walls of Jericho, but Jeff reaches the ropes.

Jericho argues with the ref because he thinks he won, so Jeff attacks him. This leads to fighting on the top rope, and Jeff nails a super hip toss and the Swanton. Unfortunately for Jeff, Jericho finds a rope break during the cover. When Jeff continues his attack, the ref steps between them for no apparent reason. Despite the weird moment, they fight back and forth, and Jeff dropkicks Jericho out of the air. An inverted Twist of Fate follows, but Jeff misses the Swanton. This opens the door for a Lionsault, which only earns two! The Flashback and a cover with his feet on the ropes still can’t bring Jericho victory. So, they return to the top rope, where Jericho turns a Frankensteiner into a superbomb. With Jeff down, Jericho puts him in the Walls for the submission.

Thoughts: This was a solid opener. It contained fine action and some good nearfalls toward the end. Plus, they gave Jeff enough offense and hope spots to look strong in defeat. I only had two gripes. What was the ref doing when he got between Jericho and Jeff? The commentators called this out. I don’t think they planned that spot. Also, Coach’s commentary brought this down a notch. He wasn’t great.

Winner: Chris Jericho (12:59)

Afterward, Jericho refuses to release Jeff from the Walls, so Shawn Michaels runs to the ring. (The Montreal fans boo him.) Shawn attacks Jericho, but Christian intervenes. Christian and Jericho double-team Shawn until he takes them out with a double DDT and a superkick. Then Jericho and Christian retreat while Jericho yells at Shawn.

Backstage, Kurt Angle talks with the WWE Tag Champs, Haas & Benjamin. Kurt calls the Canadian fans bitter and jealous. They don’t have any Olympic heroes worth mentioning, unlike America. Those fans will say they suck, but Kurt tells Haas and Benjamin to ignore them. The fans suck because they’re a bunch of Canadians who want to be French! And as for their opponents, they aren’t champions like Team Angle. Angle says he won’t lose to a walking gorilla and two Canucks. He promises to give Brock a taste of what will happen at Mania. Kurt guarantees a victory because he has an idea to give them an early advantage. However, the segment ends before we hear what it is.

Meanwhile, Evolution arrives in a limo. We see Steve Austin’s truck behind them when they move.

World Tag Team Title Match: Lance Storm & William Regal (c) vs. Kane & Rob Van Dam

Storyline: Morley showed the footage of the Dudleys using the knucks at Royal Rumble. He tried to make Nick Patrick overturn his decision, but it didn’t work. Then, the Dudleys refused to relinquish the belts. So, Storm and Regal put the Dudleys through tables, and Morley ordered an immediate rematch, which Storm and Regal won. Storm and Regal even retained the gold in a Ladder Match against the Dudleys with 3-Minute Warning’s help. Meanwhile, Kane and RVD’s team experienced issues. Kane abandoned RVD when Evolution ripped off his mask. This annoyed RVD, so he wrestled Kane. However, Jeff Hardy interrupted them, so Kane and RVD patched their differences and fought him off together. Afterward, Kane and RVD defeated 3MW, and RVD beat Storm, earning them a tag title shot. Later, on Heat, Terri caught Storm and Regal leaving Bischoff’s office, but they wouldn’t say why they were there.

The Match: RVD exchanges takedowns, athletic reversals, and holds with Storm and Regal. Then he scores a step-over heel kick, monkey flip, and split-legged moonsault on William. Unfortunately, Regal suffers a concussion when Kane slams him, so they cover for him, and Storm returns. Now, Kane press slams Storm. Lance avoids Rolling Thunder but can’t escape RVD’s somersault plancha and slingshot leg drop. When Regal recovers, he takes a springboard kick. So, Storm shoves RVD off the top rope, and Regal wears RVD down with a half nelson suplex and multiple pin attempts.

Next, Storm makes a blind tag during a sunset flip and gives RVD a DDT. Plus, Storm and Regal cut off the ring and prevent RVD’s tag. They ground him with a front facelock, but RVD escapes and tags Kane. Kane cleans house with clotheslines, big boots, and a side slam. He seeks a chokeslam on Regal, so Storm jumps on Kane’s back. Lance twists Kane’s mask around to block his sight. While this happens, RVD performs a flying kick to Regal. The problem is that Storm shoves RVD into a blinded Kane. He chokeslams RVD, thinking it’s Storm, and Regal covers for the three.

Thoughts: They had an uphill battle because of Regal’s unfortunate injury, so I can’t judge this too harshly. It was fine for what they had to work with. I’ll give Regal kudos for working through the concussion, but it was a foolish move in hindsight. He experiences problems that will keep him out of action for a while.

Winners: Lance Storm & William Regal (9:20)

A confused Kane helps RVD to his feet and apologizes, but RVD looks pissed. He walks away from Kane and shakes his head in disbelief.

Backstage, Josh Matthews interviews Matt Hardy about his Cruiserweight Title shot against Kidman. Josh asks Matt if he had difficulty making weight for this contest. Matt says he did. He lost ten pounds in two weeks, which is next to impossible. However, Mattitude believes in making the impossible happen because it’s a frame of mind. As Matt says this, he spots Jeff in the background and excuses himself. Matt says Jeff wouldn’t lose every match he’s in if he didn’t wrap himself up in his Imagi-Nation. He should have remained a Mattitude Follower like he was for years. Jeff responds to the insult with a slap to the face before leaving. Matt tries retaliating, but Shannon Moore stops him because his contest is next.

During Matt’s entrance, we get the usual Matt Facts. Snow and ice annoy Matt Hardy. Cole and Tazz say the current weather must bother him.

Cruiserweight Title Match: Matt Hardy (w/ Shannon Moore) vs. Billy Kidman (c)

Storyline: Matt blamed Shannon for his Rumble elimination, so Matt told Nunzio to teach Moore a lesson. When Shannon failed against Nunzio, Matt chased Shannon backstage. Moore hid in an equipment case to escape Matt’s wrath. Meanwhile, Matt and Shannon faced Kidman, but neither could defeat him. Matt even got himself disqualified for pulling the ref into the Shooting Star Press. A frustrated Matt gave Kidman the Twist of Fate twice and vowed to drop enough weight to qualify for the cruiserweight division. He spent the next few weeks shedding pounds, but the effort exhausted him. Matt lost a match to Mysterio because of this. Once he reached his goal, Matt and Shannon wrestled Kidman and Mysterio, and Matt pinned Kidman! Later, Kidman defeated Shannon again in a non-title bout on Velocity.

The Match: They do chain wrestling until Kidman scores a hurricanrana. Then Matt runs Kidman into the post and focuses on his neck. Matt uses neckbreakers and chinlocks while fending off pin attempts. Plus, he covers Kidman with his feet on the ropes, but it doesn’t work. Now, Kidman secures a sleeper hold, which Matt breaks with the Ricochet (a back suplex/elbow drop combo). Undaunted, Kidman responds with a kip-up enziguri and a BK Bomb. Hardy fires back with the Drop Shot, but Kidman sends him outside for a slingshot crossbody.

Afterward, a series of counters ends with a jackknife pin by Kidman, so Shannon interferes. Matt shoves Kidman into Moore and nails the Side Effect, but Kidman rallies with a tornado bulldog off of Shannon. A missed SSP follows, so Hardy hits the Twist of Fate, but it only earns two! Finally, they fight on the top rope once more. Kidman knocks Matt down and looks for the SSP, so Shannon grabs his leg. This allows Matt to perform a super Twist of Fate for three!

Thoughts: This was good, but it wasn’t flashy. They kept it simple, which is fine. Matt and Billy told a nice story, and they built to an impressive finish. The only downside was a lack of crowd reaction. The fans popped for the big moves but went silent for the rest.

Winner: Matt Hardy (New Champion) (9:31)

Meanwhile, someone attacked Edge backstage. Benoit finds Edge unconscious and unresponsive. The EMTs arrive and ask what happened, but Benoit and Lesnar don’t know. They found Edge this way. Benoit tries to wake Edge up while the EMTs work on him. Cole wonders what the hell is going on. Benoit and Lesnar planned to team up with Edge, but they don’t know what they will do now. (They did this to write Edge off of TV to get neck surgery.)

The Undertaker vs. The Big Show (w/ Paul Heyman)

Storyline: The Undertaker said he was back to get revenge on Big Show for throwing him off the stage. He called Big Show out, but Show made A-Train fight Taker instead. A-Train lost. Then Heyman gave Big Show the next few weeks off because Taker was out of control. In the meantime, Big Show and Heyman presented Taker with peace offerings in large wooden boxes. First, they paid Spanky to give Taker a singing telegram. Taker attacked him when he wanted a tip. The next box contained Brother Love, so Taker chokeslammed and a Tombstoned him. Taker’s third gift was Kanyon, dressed as Boy George. He sang “Do You Really Want to Hurt Me” until Taker battered him with a chair. Finally, they offered Taker a puppy dog, but it was a distraction. Big Show jumped Taker and chokeslammed him before escaping in a limo.

The Match: Taker flips over the ropes and attacks, so they brawl around the post and the barricade. Then Taker performs the apron leg drop and grabs a chair, but Big Show punches it into Taker’s face. Taker also can’t slam Big Show, so Show focuses on Taker’s lower back. He delivers many elbow drops, which makes the fans boo. A bear hug and a side slam follow before Big Show busts Taker open with headbutts. This seems to motivate Taker, so he fires back with clotheslines and Old School. Taker even uses a low blow when the ref gets clipped. The move opens the door for a jumping DDT.

The problem is that Taker keeps attempting chokeslams and the Last Ride, so Big Show responds with a spinebuster and Snake Eyes. When Big Show seeks more, Taker locks him in Takin’ Care of Business (dragon sleeper). Unfortunately, Heyman distracts Taker to make him release the hold. Worse yet, A-Train interferes, so Taker hits a plancha on Heyman and Train. Back in the ring, Big Show surprises Taker with a chokeslam. He covers, but Taker hooks him in a triangle choke. Big Show tries to turn this into a pin. It doesn’t work, and Big Show passes out.

Thoughts: This held pieces of a good encounter, but it dragged when Big Show controlled the action. His repetitive offense kept this from becoming great. With that said, I didn’t hate this. They did enough to keep this somewhat interesting, and I liked the closing minutes.

Winner: The Undertaker (14:08)

Taker grabs a chair and enters the ring. He tries to attack Big Show, but A-Train stops him and hits the Derailer (Baldo Bomb). He yells at Taker. A-Train tells him this is his yard, and Taker is just a little dog. Then Train helps Big Show to the back.

Backstage, they load Edge into an ambulance while Benoit and Lesnar watch. Stephanie says Benoit and Lesnar made their decision, so they need to head to the ring. She will handle the Edge situation.

Elsewhere, Bischoff warms up and talks to Chief Morley. Sean says they have Jericho, Christian, Storm, and Regal ready to back them up. He also asks Bischoff what kind of stipulation he wants for his encounter with Austin. Eric says they could do No Holds Barred, a Lumberjack Match, or No DQ. Hell, they could do all three! As he says this, Vince arrives and shakes their hands. He praises Bischoff’s karate demonstration against JR. Vince realizes Bischoff vs. Austin is the toughest SOB versus the eighth-degree karate champion. Therefore, Vince sees this as a one-on-one contest. If anyone gets involved, he will fire their asses on the spot! Vince leaves after this revelation, so Bischoff looks worried.

Now, it’s time for Team Angle vs. Lesnar, Benoit, and Edge, but Chimel announces a change. Tony says this is a two-on-three handicap fight. Stephanie allowed Brock and Benoit to choose a replacement, but they wanted to do it alone.

Handicap Match: Brock Lesnar & Chris Benoit vs. Team Angle (Kurt Angle, Charlie Haas, & Shelton Benjamin) (w/ Paul Heyman)

Storyline: Haas and Benjamin couldn’t defeat Benoit or Edge, so Angle had to show them how. Kurt beat Mysterio and refused to release an anklelock, but Edge and Benoit saved him. Then Edge, Benoit, and Rey triple-teamed Angle because Kurt had told Team Angle to stay backstage. A frustrated Kurt motivated Team Angle to improve by helping them best Edge and Benoit for a tag title shot. Haas and Benjamin captured the gold from Los Guerreros with Kurt’s help. Meanwhile, Lesnar wanted a fight, so Kurt literally tried to kiss up to Steph to avoid it. However, she booked this six-man instead. Afterward, Brock battered Cena to convince Angle to face him. Kurt made Brock wrestle Haas and Benjamin to earn a chance. Brock succeeded, but Heyman immediately attacked him with a chair. Team Angle ambushed Brock until Edge and Benoit intervened.

The Match: Benoit scores takedowns on Haas and Benjamin, and Brock throws them around the ring. Then Lesnar demands Angle and chases him when he tries to interfere. This allows Haas to attack, and Angle jumps on Brock’s back. He holds him for Benjamin’s superkick. Now, Angle tags and locks Lesnar in a long rear naked choke. Brock runs Angle into the corner to break it and tags Benoit again. When Benoit enters the ring, he suplexes everybody until Haas catches Chris on the top rope. He distracts him for Kurt’s run-up throw, but Brock hooks Angle in a sleeper hold from the apron.

Benjamin knocks Brock down, and Team Angle seizes control. They use frequent tags, ref distractions, cheap shots, and mat wrestling. Benoit rallies with pin attempts, but Angle hits a German suplex, and Haas and Benjamin perform a tandem back splash. No matter how hard Benoit fights, they keep blocking the tag until Benoit nails a mule kick. He tags Brock, who cleans house with suplexes and clotheslines. Haas and Benjamin prevent the F5, so Benoit jumps them. This leads to Benoit and Angle countering between anklelocks and crossfaces. Chris even puts Haas in it, but Benjamin stops him. Finally, Lesnar avoids a belt strike, takes out Benjamin, and plants Angle with an F5. While this happens, Benoit makes Haas tap to the crossface.

Thoughts: This was great. It became chaotic, but I mean that in a good way. They kept this exciting and weaved a nice story. Plus, they teased Angle vs. Lesnar enough to build the anticipation of their Mania encounter. This did what it needed to do. The only minor gripe is that Benoit and Haas weren’t the legal men at the end.

Winners: Brock Lesnar & Chris Benoit (13:19)

Afterward, Lesnar grabs the WWE Title and puts it on his shoulder, so Angle calls him a son of a bitch. Cole says Brock put Angle on notice for WrestleMania.

World Title Match: Triple H (c) (w/ Ric Flair) vs. Scott Steiner

Storyline: Triple H claimed he embarrassed Steiner, so there wouldn’t be a rematch. Then he made Steiner face Batista, because the doctor hadn’t cleared Hunter to wrestle. Before the contest, Steiner had a run-in with Orton backstage. This seemed innocuous until Orton attacked Steiner and joined Hunter, Batista, and Flair. They called themselves Evolution because they represented the past, present, and future. Evolution partied with ladies in the sky box while Steiner faced Jericho to earn his return bout with Hunter. Steiner succeeded and pointed at Hunter threateningly. Meanwhile, Evolution also terrorized Goldust. Goldust moped because he parted ways with Booker T. So, Evolution jumped him and rammed him into an electrical box, electrocuting him. This drew Booker T’s ire. He teamed with Steiner against Hunter and Batista. Booker pinned Hunter after a scissors kick despite Evolution’s interference.

The Match: Steiner goes after Hunter’s bandaged leg. He rips at the covering and attacks the limb while taunting Hunter with push-ups. Then Steiner locks Triple H in a Figure Four after a t-bone suplex, but Flair rakes his eyes to stop him. Now, Hunter and Flair lure Steiner to the floor, and Hunter rams him into the steps. He returns Steiner to the ring for neckbreakers, but Hebner catches Hunter using the ropes during a pin. This causes an argument, and Hunter tries to get disqualified by shoving Earl. Hebner refuses.

The distraction allows Steiner to recover and land suplexes. An awkward exchange follows before Steiner performs a belly-to-belly and a super Samoan Drop. He hooks Hunter in the Recliner, so Flair calls out Orton and Batista. Steiner has to release the hold to fight them. He knocks Flair down, sends Orton outside, and throws Batista onto him. Steiner even fends off a Pedigree while Hebner ejects Flair, Orton, and Batista. Since Hebner is dealing with them, Hunter grabs the belt and decks Steiner. It only earns two, but Hunter ends it with a Pedigree.

Thoughts: This was dull. It wasn’t as bad as their Rumble encounter, but that isn’t saying much. Their previous meeting was sloppy, but this one was plodding. The fans didn’t care from the second the bell rang. They spent more time heckling Hebner than reacting to the action.

Winner: Triple H (13:01)

A worried-looking Bischoff walks backstage. He passes a group of superstars watching the show, so Test mocks him. Bischoff glares at Test as he wishes him good luck. Lawler loves this. He says Bischoff looks like a lamb going to the slaughter.

Meanwhile, despite the doctor’s orders, JR joins the commentary team for this bout. He says he came to witness Bischoff getting his ass whipped in Montreal. This leads to Bischoff’s entrance. He sends a message to McMahon. Eric thinks none of the people want to see him wrestle Steve Austin. He says they still have time to do the right thing. Bischoff offers to forfeit, but Austin’s music plays, and Stone Cold returns! Austin tackles Bischoff when Eric asks him to let bygones be bygones.

Stone Cold Steve Austin vs. Eric Bischoff

Storyline: Bischoff’s bombshell was he wanted to sign Austin to a new contract so Steve could tell his side of the story. However, Eric couldn’t find Austin at any of the bars he checked. Worse yet, Vince was coming to RAW to fire him. Then Eric blamed JR for interfering. He threatened JR’s job if Ross couldn’t produce Austin. When Vince heard this, he fired Bischoff and Morley, but JR told Vince Austin would be at the PPV. So Vince rehired Eric and gave him a choice. He could join the Kiss My Ass Club or the Kick My Ass Club. Bischoff refused to kiss Vince’s ass. Therefore, Vince booked Bischoff in a match against Austin! Afterward, Eric sought revenge on JR. He challenged him to a karate demonstration. Bischoff and Morley jumped Ross, and Eric kicked a cinder block into his face. He pinned JR and celebrated with beers.

The Match: Austin beats him down while listening to his imaginary watch. He chokes Bischoff and stomps a mudhole in him. Then Austin removes Eric’s gloves, throwing them away before stomping another mudhole. When the ref admonishes Steve, he flips him off and continues the assault. Now, Bischoff tries an ineffective eye rake. This makes Austin grin. He chases Eric outside and throws a fan’s orange juice in Bischoff’s face. Plus, Austin tosses him over the barricade and returns him to the ring. There, Austin hits a Stunner, but he pulls Bischoff up from the pin. Austin does it again after a second Stunner. Finally, Austin flips Eric off, gives him a third Stunner, and pins him.

Thoughts: This was good fun. Yeah, it wasn’t much, but that’s fine. Austin hadn’t wrestled in almost a year, so they wouldn’t put him in a full-length contest immediately. This was a nice way to bring him back and pop the crowd. And it had to be therapeutic for Austin after Bischoff fired him from WCW.

Winner: Stone Cold Steve Austin (4:26)

JR loses his mind over the win. He stands up and yells that Stone Cold is back. Coach and Lawler try in vain to calm him. Ross tells the fans to feel the moment. Austin feels it and gives Bischoff one more Stunner. He almost leaves, but Austin returns to raise his middle fingers.

Now, it’s time for the main event. The Rock uses a remix of his song, but this isn’t the iconic Hollywood Rock theme yet. This version includes a long intro and mixes random soundbites from the Rock. As for Hogan, they dubbed “Voodoo Child” with some generic knock-off. Also, I must point out the referee for this bout. He is a local talent named Sylvain Grenier. Sylvain officiated a contest on Heat, and they chose him for this encounter. Something tells me this will be significant.

The Rock vs. Hulk Hogan

Storyline: Stephanie countered Bischoff’s announcement with her own bombshell. She invited Hulk Hogan back, but this angered Vince. Hogan still wanted to fight McMahon. He knocked Vince out when Vince told him Hulkamania had died. Then Vince found somebody who would end Hogan’s ruthless, bottom-feeding ways. He chose the Rock! The Rock called in via satellite, but he had a new attitude since going to Hollywood. Rocky insulted the fans for booing him. He promised to still entertain them, but he chastised them for singing along with his catchphrases. Rocky also appeared on the Titantron to interrupt a Hogan promo. He labeled Hogan’s shtick tired and yawned when Hogan bored him. Finally, the Rock attended Smackdown to confront Hogan, but he brought his personal security team. They prevented people like Funaki from approaching Rocky. When they met in the ring, Rock demanded an apology and spat in Hogan’s face.

The Match: The Rock regroups when an ambush fails, but Hogan fetches him. Then Hogan rams Rocky into the turnbuckles and uses the Rock’s spit punch to send him outside! When Rock returns, he scores a Rock Bottom for two before donning Hogan’s bandanna. Now, Rock takes the weight belt and whips Hogan, but Hogan repays the favor. Nevertheless, Rock answers with a DDT and a Sharpshooter. The Rock holds on despite a rope break, but Hogan powers out of the hold.

Next, they brawl around the announcer’s table and use a chair, so Sylvain snatches it. The distraction allows Rock to nail a low blow, a spinebuster, and two People’s Elbows! As Rock covers, Hogan hulks up. He hits the big boot and leg drop, but someone turns out the lights during the cover. They come back on to reveal Sylvain is unconscious. Hogan looks confused until Vince McMahon appears on the stage. Vince’s arrival distracts Hogan, so Sylvain slides the chair to the Rock. He bloodies Hogan with it and nails a Rock Bottom. Grenier pops up and counts the three when the Rock pins Hogan.

Thoughts: I was fine with this. It was entertaining enough to keep me interested, and they set up the events for Mania nicely. Furthermore, this established Rock’s persona well. They filled it with the right amount of shenanigans and introduced a character in Sylvain. So, this accomplished its goals.

Winner: The Rock (12:20)

Cole calls this a screwjob. Tazz says Vince stuck it to Hogan, so Cole says this is a joke. While they speak, Vince raises the arms of the Rock and Sylvain Grenier. The Rock even spits at Hogan again as they leave. However, Vince stays behind. He returns to the ring and removes his jacket and shirt to reveal a defaced Hogan t-shirt. Hogan crawls toward Vince while McMahon mocks him, but Vince shoves him down and rips the shirt. He throws it in Hogan’s face before leaving.

The Good:

• The main event

• Team Angle vs. Brock & Benoit

• Austin vs. Bischoff

• The opener

• Hardy vs. Kidman

The Bad:

• Steiner vs. Triple H

• Coach’s commentary

Performer of the Night:

I’m giving it to Kurt Angle. He did great in the Team Angle match. His performance becomes even better when you realize he was working through a lot of pain around that time. Also, I will give William Regal an honorary mention for continuing despite his injury. (CORRECTION: Kurt Angle broke his neck during the handicap match on this show. So, he was in pain after this event. But this makes his performance even more impressive.)

Final Thoughts:

I’ve seen negative reviews of this show, but I disagree. This was enjoyable overall. Steiner vs. Triple H was the worst thing, but everything else ranged from decent to pretty good. They did a fine job setting the stage for WrestleMania, and that’s the purpose of this PPV.

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