No Way Out 2004

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

No Way Out

February 15, 2004

Cow Palace

San Francisco, California (Daly City)

News & Notes: I have little to discuss before we begin. This will be a quick intro. The issues between Lesnar and Goldberg didn’t end after Royal Rumble. Stone Cold Steve Austin gave Goldberg a front-row ticket to No Way Out. He told Goldberg not to do anything he wouldn’t do. Heyman confronted Goldberg on RAW and warned him not to interfere, but he paid the price. Meanwhile, backstage interviewer (and the future Mrs. Josh Matthews) Rue DeBona announced a deal with Playboy. Sable and Torrie Wilson would do a photo shoot together. That’s all the news. Let’s get started.

The PPV: Speaking of Sable and Torrie, they open the show. Their entrance excites Cole and Tazz. They plug the new issue of Playboy while Sable and Torrie say hello to San Francisco. Sable says they spent all day seeing the city’s sights. Now, the fans can enjoy them. Torrie promises action and excitement from Smackdown’s superstars. There isn’t anything they won’t do, and the same goes for Torrie and Sable! So, welcome to No Way Out!

At the announcer’s desk, Cole and Tazz greet everybody. Cole says the PPV will be off the hook. Plus, Cole wishes Hugo a happy birthday. Hugo thanks him in Spanish.

Brock says he has been here before. This is another title defense where he will senselessly beat a man and leave as champion. He might have a little fun but will move on to the real challenge. As for Guerrero, he says his family broke his heart. He used to fight for his blood, but will do it for himself now. Eddie has also been here before. He finds himself backed into a corner against a huge obstacle. It’s time to make a choice. However, Brock calls this sad. Eddie overcame all his demons, but only for the biggest demon to destroy him. Eddie is facing Brock Lesnar, not the odds. Lesnar has fought legends, but he calls Eddie a nobody. Eddie says something is preoccupying Brock. He’s not facing Eddie. Brock is fighting Latino Heat. Eddie can think of one way out. Can Brock do the same?

Next, fireworks explode while they play “Crossing Borders” by Rey Mysterio. The song is off the new WWE Originals album. Cole welcomes everyone to the Cow Palace. Tonight, they will determine WrestleMania’s main event.

Handicap Match for the WWE Tag Team Titles: Rikishi & Scotty 2 Hotty (c) vs. The Basham Brothers & Shaniqua

Storyline: Rikishi and Scotty 2 Hotty returned as a tag team a few weeks before this PPV. They received a championship match, but the Bashams and Shaniqua beat them up instead of wrestling them. Meanwhile, Rikishi and Scotty also competed in singles competition. Rikishi participated in a 15-man Royal Rumble to determine a #1 contender, but Angle and Eddie eliminated him. Scotty fought Sakoda on Velocity and lost. Then Rikishi and Scotty finally had their tag title shot against the Bashams. They won and captured the gold. Afterward, Scotty faced Danny Basham. Doug and Shaniqua helped Danny pin Scotty, so Rikishi tried to give Shaniqua the Banzai Drop. The Bashams saved her.

The Match: Scotty skins the cat when Danny throws him over the ropes. Then Scotty nearly spikes Danny with a headscissors. When Rikishi tags, he almost sits on Doug during a sunset flip. Shaniqua interferes, so Rikishi brings her inside and looks for a Stink Face. The Bashams save her, but Rikishi evades Shaniqua’s sneak attack. Now, Scotty returns, and we get a double down after a collision. Scotty kips up but can’t hit the Worm because Shaniqua clotheslines him.

The ambush allows the Bashams to seize control. They subdue Scotty with a double slingshot suplex and slams. Plus, they prevent Scotty’s tags and use a sleeper hold. Shaniqua seeks a powerbomb only for Scotty to backdrop her and tag Rikishi. Rikishi cleans house as Shaniqua begs off. The Bashams rescue her, so Shaniqua jumps on Rikishi’s back. He snapmares her down and tries a Banzai Drop. As Rikishi drags her to the corner, the Bashams jump him. Scotty’s intervention causes chaos, allowing the Bashams to floor Rikishi with a double powerbomb. Shaniqua covers for a close two while Scotty dives off the apron onto the Bashams. Since that wasn’t enough, Shaniqua tells Rikishi to stand up. Rikishi blocks a clothesline and lands a Samoan Drop before finishing Shaniqua with a Banzai Drop.

Thoughts: This was fun despite some messy action. Shaniqua and the Bashams were green, but I can’t fault them. The crowd loved this. They got a great reaction and built to a nice finish. This accomplished what it needed to as an opener.

Winners: Rikishi & Scotty 2 Hotty (7:38)

Meanwhile, they show an empty seat in the front row. This is the spot Austin bought for Goldberg, but Bill has yet to arrive. Tazz doesn’t think he is coming. Josh Matthews waited for him on Heat, but he gave up.

Now, it’s time for Jamie Noble vs. Nidia. Noble has to wear a blindfold for the contest, but he hesitates to put it on. Charles Robinson yells at him until he obeys, but Noble tries to jump Nidia before he pulls the hood over his eyes. Nidia evades him.

Boyfriend vs. Girlfriend Blindfold Match: Jamie Noble vs. Nidia

Storyline: Nidia tripped Noble again during a rematch with Mysterio, so Jamie pulled her into the ring. He shoved her at Rey, but she stopped short. Nidia revealed she wasn’t blind anymore and helped Mysterio defeat Noble. Then Nidia tossed her sunglasses at Jamie and stormed away. Later, Noble wrestled Kidman, and Nidia appeared in the aisle. She had Jamie’s wallet. Nidia threw his money into the stands, causing him to lose. So, Noble complained to Heyman and asked for a match against Nidia. Heyman granted his wish. Afterward, Noble said he should have dumped Nidia for a hotter woman while she was blind. He offered to cancel the encounter as long as she returned the gifts he gave her. Instead, Nidia destroyed her mink coat in a wood chipper. Plus, she said Heyman added a stipulation. Noble had to wear a blindfold!

The Match: Robinson threatens to disqualify Noble when he keeps trying to remove the hood. Nidia flusters Noble with dropkicks and lures him in by making noise. The attempt works, but Noble fumbles around blindly. He almost grabs her by the breasts in the corner. Now, Nidia pulls down Jamie’s shorts and nails a bulldog. She adds a headscissors, which makes Noble fall outside. A dropkick through the ropes follows before Noble rolls inside. The fans don’t help when Jamie points, so Nidia sneaks behind him and kicks him in the ass. As Noble seeks to retaliate, he attacks the ref accidentally. Eventually, Noble grips Nidia by the hair, but her extensions rip out. Her escape enables Nidia to score a drop toe hold. Nidia climbs, but Noble lifts the blindfold to peek. Jamie slams Nidia off the top rope and locks her in a guillotine choke for the submission.

Thoughts: Parts of this amused me, but it wasn’t great. Also, that finish was uncomfortable. The crowd didn’t know how to react to it. They went silent. The best I can say is they kept this brief and somewhat entertaining until the end.

Winner: Jamie Noble (4:25)

Josh Matthews interviews Kurt Angle. He wants to know why Angle hit Big Show and Cena with a chair, but Angle thinks Show and Cena should explain themselves. Somebody attacked Kurt from behind last week and knocked him out. He doesn’t know who did it, but common sense says it was someone who would gain the most benefit. That means it was Cena or Big Show. If Kurt doesn’t win tonight, he can’t wrestle for the championship at Mania. Kurt’s comments get Cena’s attention, so he interrupts Angle. Cena mocks Angle’s catchphrase. He says it’s true. This is all about who goes to Mania, but Angle has it wrong. If Cena were to knock Angle out, he would do it to his face. Cena shows this by slapping Kurt, causing a pull-apart brawl.

The World’s Greatest Tag Team vs. The APA

Storyline: Haas and Benjamin competed in the 15-man Royal Rumble and went after Angle. Eddie eliminated Haas while Angle threw Benjamin out. Bradshaw also participated, but the Big Show ousted him. Later, the World’s Greatest Tag Team defeated Ultimo Dragon and Funaki on Velocity, while Bradshaw beat Johnny Stamboli. Finally, the World’s Greatest Tag Team faced the APA. Shelton injured Bradshaw’s shoulder, but Bradshaw pinned Shelton after a Clothesline from Hell.

The Match: Shelton tries to out-wrestle Faarooq, but the APA overpowers him. They use a double shoulder block and a swinging neckbreaker. The attack continues until Faarooq crashes shoulder-first into the corner. Now, Haas and Benjamin focus on Faarooq’s arm. They target it with slingshot stomps, hammerlocks, and armbars. Benjamin even nails an armbreaker, but Bradshaw breaks up the pin. More armbars follow until Faarooq scores a spinebuster and tags Bradshaw. He cleans house with a big boot, a backdrop, a powerslam, and a powerbomb. Haas stops the count, but Faarooq sends Charlie outside. As Faarooq and Haas brawl, Bradshaw lands a super Last Call on Shelton. Haas intervenes only to eat a Clothesline from Hell. The move hurts Bradshaw’s arm. Plus, Shelton is still the legal man. Benjamin surprises Bradshaw with a superkick for the three.

Thoughts: This was a solid encounter. I liked their work on Faarooq’s arm, but it needed to make more sense. They built the storyline around Bradshaw’s injury, yet Faarooq took most of the arm punishment. Was Bradshaw legitimately hurt? He did little during this bout.

Winners: The World’s Greatest Tag Team (7:20)

Now Goldberg arrives with a security escort. Tazz says Mr. McMahon suspended Goldberg, but Austin gave him a ticket to the event. McMahon called Goldberg a lunatic, and Tazz agrees. Cole says Goldberg is here for one reason, which is Brock Lesnar. Then, they recap the issues between Brock and Goldberg.

Goldberg’s arrival brings out Heyman. He asks who the hell Goldberg thinks he is. This is the first exclusive PPV of the Heyman administration. Goldberg may have spent eleven months on the inferior RAW brand, but he will only observe this show. If he gets out of his seat, Heyman will have him arrested. While Heyman speaks, Lesnar joins him, so Heyman says here comes the pain. Brock wants Goldberg to fight, but Heyman tries to stop this. Lesnar and Heyman go back and forth. Brock goads Goldberg. Heyman attempts to calm him. Eventually, Goldberg hops over the barricade because Brock calls him a bitch. Heyman screams as they brawl. Goldberg evades the F5 and gives Brock the Jackhammer, so Heyman yells for security. Since Goldberg accomplishes his goal, he lets the police handcuff him. Cole believes Goldberg deserves the arrest.

Lesnar recovers and stands up, but Hardcore Holly appears. Heyman escorts Brock backstage before Holly can attack. Meanwhile, Rhyno heads to the ring for his bout against Holly. Rhyno and Holly interrupt Chimel’s introductions by scuffling.

Hardcore Holly vs. Rhyno

Storyline: Rhyno threatened to target Cena’s bad knee and end his career during the 15-man Royal Rumble. However, Angle eliminated Rhyno. Kurt even threw Hardcore Holly out of the contest. The elimination led to Angle vs. Holly, which Angle won. Later, Hardcore fought Rhyno. Rhyno grew frustrated when he couldn’t finish Holly, so he shoved the ref and got disqualified. The outcome made Holly snap, so he had a pull-apart brawl with Rhyno.

The Match: Holly takes Rhyno to the mat with headlocks and shoulder blocks before sending him outside. There, Rhyno drags Holly out and rams him into the apron. Now, Rhyno focuses on Holly’s ribs and midsection with knees and a bodyscissors. He also drapes Hardcore on the ropes. After a double down, Rhyno whips Holly around the ring until he collapses. The attack continues, but Holly scores a rebound clothesline. (Cole and Tazz care so little they let the Spanish announcers take over for a minute.) A slug-fest follows before Rhyno lands a superplex. Holly answers with a reverse DDT, but Rhyno fires back with a spinebuster and the Gore. Holly rolls to the floor to avoid the pin. Eventually, Holly beats the referee’s count, so Rhyno attacks. Holly counters into an Alabama Slam for the victory.

Thoughts: This was a pleasant surprise. They barely built this encounter on TV, but this was technically sound and well done. They told a simple yet effective story and earned about as good of a reaction as expected for a weak build. So, kudos to Holly and Rhyno.

Winner: Hardcore Holly (9:50)

They show Alcatraz, so Cole wonders if they took Goldberg there. Then, they recap the Mysterio/Chavo feud. Afterward, the Undertaker’s bell sounds. They play a spooky video, showing clips of Taker and Kane. A message says the dead will rise again in 28 days!

Cruiserweight Title Match: Chavo Guerrero (w/ Chavo Sr.) vs. Rey Mysterio (c) (w/ Jorge Páez)

Storyline: A bruised and cut Chavo said his wounds would heal, but the cuts on his heart would last forever. He vowed revenge on his uncle Eddie. Later, someone ambushed Eddie backstage, but the Chavos feigned innocence. Mysterio didn’t believe them. Rey chased the Chavos out of the arena while they brought Eddie to the hospital. Afterward, Chavo complained about Rey getting too much exposure, so Heyman gave Chavo a Cruiserweight Title shot. Paul even booked Chavo Sr. vs. Rey. Rey won the match, but Chavo Jr. attacked him and tried to steal his mask. The following week, the Chavos jumped Rey after Mysterio wrestled Tajiri, but boxer/actor Jorge Páez saved Rey. Rey said Jorge would be in his corner. When Chavo heard this, he promised to take Rey’s championship and mask. Chavo also said his dad would beat up Jorge, but Chavo Sr. looked worried about this.

The Match: They do chain wrestling while Chavo rips at Rey’s mask. Chavo regroups because Rey gains the advantage, and he slaps Rey when he returns. Rey answers with a springboard headscissors and a victory roll, so Chavo responds with a gorilla press. Now, Mysterio fends off holds and nails the 619, but Chavo Sr. prevents the West Coast Pop. Páez knocks Senior out for his interference, so the ref ejects Jorge, to the fans’ chagrin. Meanwhile, Mysterio lands a springboard plancha and a springboard leg drop. He avoids Chavo’s tornado DDT, but Chavo scores a super gutbuster.

Chavo focuses on Rey’s ribs after the move. He fights off Rey’s body press and pin attempts while using a modified half crab and a seated ab stretch. Chavo adds a tilt-a-whirl gutbuster and a top wristlock, but Rey rallies. Rey does a springboard headscissors that sends Chavo into the post. A springboard crossbody and a DDT on the apron follow, but Chavo fires back with a sit-out gourdbuster. Next, they fight on the turnbuckles. Chavo goes after the mask again, so Rey drops him down for a moonsault. Rey continues with a 619 after shaking off Chavo’s Gory Bomb, but Chavo turns a springboard senton into another half crab. Eventually, Rey pushes him away and climbs, but Chavo Sr. wakes up. He shoves Rey off the top rope, and Chavo rolls Mysterio up with a handful of tights.

Thoughts: This was great. They had a hot crowd and took them for a ride. There was a section in the middle where they almost lost their way, but they pulled it around. My only gripe is Jorge Páez was a non-factor. He might as well have not been there. Why did they eject him so early?

Winner: Chavo Guerrero (New Champion) (17:21)

The Chavos celebrate backstage, but Josh Matthews wants Chavo’s thoughts about his big victory. Chavo says he beat the odds and defeated Rey Mysterio. Then Chavo notices they are in front of Eddie’s locker room. Chavo points at the door and says he is a winner, unlike the man in that room. Eddie will always be a loser because he is an addict. Chavo says the addiction means Eddie has a monkey on his back, which causes him to be a loser. Chavo asks if Josh knows what losers win. He says they win nothing, and Eddie is close to failing again. Chavo says he is the real Guerrero.

Now, it’s time for Angle vs. Cena vs. Big Show in a #1 contender’s contest. Cena does his usual rap once Angle and Big Show arrive. John says Angle is out of his mind if he thinks Cena hit him with a chair. He isn’t a dude who hits from behind. Cena isn’t Kurt’s right hand. He wouldn’t beat him. If he has beef, he’d smack him in the face. Afterward, Cena says the man who attacked Angle is standing next to Kurt. He is 500 pounds and smells like crap. So, Cena suggests they throw that whale into the bay to swim with the fishes. This isn’t a three-way dance. It’s Cena serving two bitches. Cena calls No Way Out his house. After all, look at the chain and lock. The people hang from Cena’s words, but Angle and Show can swing from his cock.

Triple Threat #1 Contender Match: Kurt Angle vs. John Cena vs. The Big Show

Storyline: After the 15-man Royal Rumble, Heyman called Smackdown the land of opportunity. He promised to name a #1 contender for Mania. Meanwhile, Heyman tried to bench Cena because the FCC was cracking down on profanity. Paul E. wanted to make Big Show the #1 contender, but Angle felt he should get the honor. Angle and Big Show argued until Heyman booked Angle vs. Big Show in a #1 contender’s contest. Cena ignored his benching and insulted Angle and Big Show with a rap. They begged Heyman to add Cena to the encounter when they heard it. Heyman obliged. Next, Heyman scheduled Angle & Eddie vs. Big Show & Lesnar, but someone jumped Angle backstage. Cena took his place in the bout despite being a suspect in the attack. During the fight, Angle returned with a chair. He laid out Big Show and Cena.

The Match: Cena wants to let Angle and Show wrestle, but Kurt makes John face Big Show. Show hurls both men around and breaks up a pin when Angle suplexes Cena. Then Show pushes Angle into Cena, knocking John to the floor. Cena returns after Show gives Angle a side slam, but Show floors John with headbutts and leg drops. Now, Angle grabs Show’s foot and brings him to the apron. Kurt tries a German off the side of the ring. Cena stops it, so Kurt shoves Cena into the ref and nails a low blow on Big Show. The shot leads to Angle and Cena fighting back and forth. They keep Big Show at bay before Angle lands rolling Germans on Cena. Kurt covers John, but Big Show interrupts and takes control.

Show sends Angle into the post and focuses on Cena’s knee. Cena dazes Show with low dropkicks and a flying elbow strike. Angle adds a missile dropkick, and Cena plants Show with an FU, but Angle intervenes. John counters an Angle Slam into a DDT and covers Show, but Show secures a rope break. Angle scores an Angle Slam on Show, but it only gets two. Plus, Kurt hooks Cena in an anklelock. Big Show ceases it with a chokeslam, but Cena rolls Show up for another two. A chokeslam on Cena follows, so Angle puts Big Show in an anklelock. Show escapes, and Cena does a spinebuster and a Five Knuckle Shuffle on Angle. Big Show interrupts him with a chop block and evades Angle’s suplex, but Kurt dumps Show outside with an Angle Slam. Finally, Angle locks Cena in an anklelock with a leg grapevine for the win.

Thoughts: This was quite good. They had enough nearfalls and close calls to maintain the excitement. Also, I enjoyed the build to the finish. They did a great job establishing Kurt as the contender while making Cena seem strong. You can tell they were moving toward Cena becoming a main-event guy, but he wasn’t there yet.

Winner: Kurt Angle (12:19)

WWE Title Match: Eddie Guerrero vs. Brock Lesnar (c)

Storyline: Benoit jumped to RAW to go after the World Title, so Heyman created a 15-man Royal Rumble to determine a challenger. Eddie won despite getting attacked by the Chavos. Lesnar congratulated Eddie on the win but said he wasn’t afraid of Guerrero. Eddie said that was great, but people never give him a chance because of his size and personal demons. Brock agreed. He said Eddie wouldn’t beat him or his demons. The comment made Eddie snap and attack him. Meanwhile, Heyman went to RAW to warn Goldberg not to interfere in Brock’s business. He ate a spear for his troubles. On Smackdown, Brock mocked Eddie with a Mariachi band and a sombrero, so Eddie confronted him. Guerrero admitted he’s an addict, but the rush of the fans, his family, and the WWE title are his new addictions. Later, Eddie pinned Brock during a tag encounter.

The Match: Brock floors Eddie with takedowns, knockdowns, and suplexes while taunting him. Eddie keeps coming, but Brock drops him on his head on a blocked hurricanrana and says it’s torture time. More suplexes follow, but Eddie scores a hotshot. Now, he drags Brock to the post and rams his leg into it. Brock answers with a fisherman’s buster and grounds Eddie with a bodyscissors to stop the onslaught. Unfortunately for Brock, he crashes knee-first in the corner on a missed charge. The miss enables Eddie to use an STF and a Figure Four. Eddie mixes in a slingshot crossbody, a headscissors, and low dropkicks. Brock fights, but Eddie remains relentless.

Eventually, Brock catches Eddie with a spinebuster. He tries to subdue Guerrero with a crossface chickenwing and a sleeper hold. Eddie rallies, but he misses a missile dropkick. Lesnar capitalizes. He lands suplexes and locks Eddie in a gut wrench while telling him to die. When Eddie shows life, Brock turns a waistlock into rolling pin attempts. Undaunted, Eddie headbutts Lesnar to escape and performs the Three Amigos. The problem is that Lesnar evades the Frog Splash, and Lesnar hits the F5. The move clips the ref, so Brock grabs the title belt, but Goldberg returns! He spears Lesnar and leaves. Eddie crawls over and covers, earning two. Since that didn’t work, Eddie fetches the championship. His shot doesn’t connect, and Lesnar seeks another F5. This time, Eddie counters into a DDT on the gold! Eddie removes the evidence and nails the Frog Splash for the victory!

Thoughts: I loved this. Eddie’s win was such an amazing moment. They built the match with nice ebbs and flows and finished perfectly. My only gripe is it might have gone a little longer than it should have, but that didn’t ruin this. Also, I enjoyed the commentary during the closing moments. They did a fine job selling the excitement.

Winner: Eddie Guerrero (New Champion) (29:55)

Eddie leaps into the crowd to celebrate, but security pulls him back. Then Eddie collects his belt and hugs his mother and brother Mando. Eddie also asks for a fan’s flag. He stands on the announcer’s table and poses with it. After returning the flag, Eddie goes to the ramp. He kneels and lifts the championship over his head as the show ends.

The Good:

• The main event and Eddie’s win

• Angle vs. Cena vs. Big Show

• Mysterio vs. Chavo

The Bad:

• Underdeveloped matches on the undercard

Performer of the Night:

I have to give it to Eddie Guerrero. This was his night, and he put on an amazing performance.

Final Thoughts:

They only had three weeks to build this PPV, and it showed. Much of the undercard had little to no build. However, this show overcame those low expectations with good action. The marquee matches delivered, and some of the filler surprised me. Plus, the main event raises this program to another level.

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