Triple H & The Rock winners at No Way Out
By JOHN POWELL -- SLAM! Wrestling
With his No Way Out title win, The Rock will go on to the WrestleMania main event...or will he?
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A simple question. How do you close come to ruining a perfectly good
pay-per-view main event? A simple answer. Have a 7'2" tall, 500-pound
uncoordinated ox carry out a pointless run-in. Such was the case at the
WWF's No Way Out pay-per-view airing from the Thomas and Mack Center in Las
Vegas, Nevada. Challenger, The Rock, and WWF World Heavyweight Champion,
Kurt Angle, were wrestling a dynamic match when from out of nowhere The Big
Show stuck his nose in. It was bad enough that The Rock and Angle had to
follow a ferocious, bloody contest between Triple H and Steve Austin. To
have The Big Show put a noticeable pause in their momentum almost sabotaged
what The Rock and Angle had put together. To make matters worse, the
conclusion of the match came off as very awkward too.
At approximately seven minutes into the main event, The Big Show (with his
entrance music announcing his arrival to everyone involved) choke slammed
Angle, The Rock and the official. As mysteriously as he came in, The Big
Show left. No explanation was offered by the announce team as to why Big
Show decided to do what he did. Angle covered The Rock but there was no
referee to slap the count. He was being carried out by two of his
colleagues. When one of the officials remembered that there was a WWF World
Title match going on, he clambered into the ring to assume control.
The People's Champ rolls up Kurt Angle after a second Rock Bottom.
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The Rock, who surprisingly didn't make one reference to himself during his
short pre-match promo (Whew!), cracked Angle upside the head with the title
belt. Angle kicked out. What followed next was The Rock and Angle escaping
each other's finishing moves. Angle popped out of the People's Elbow and
was able to make his way to a corner so he could remove the turnbuckle pad
exposing the steel bolt underneath. Angle hit his Olympic Slam. The Rock
powered out of that. Angle was thrown into the bolt and The People's Champ
caught him with a Rock Bottom. Though viewers couldn't see because of the
positioning of the camera, Angle was said to have lifted his shoulder off
the mat before the three count was laid down. The referee appeared to have
made a judgment call in order to save the finish of the match turning what
should have been a three count into a two count. So, The Rock gave Angle
another Rock Bottom taking the WWF World Heavyweight Title from Kurt
Angle.
Look what Triple H found behind the announcers' desk. His trusty sledgehammer.
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Commentator and WWF Vice-President Jim Ross confirmed that The Rock would
be going to WrestleMania to face "Stone Cold" Steve Austin as many insiders
and fans had speculated would happen. What could cast some doubt over
J.R.'s statement are The Big Show's run-in, which could possibly indicate
that he feels he should be in the WrestleMania main event and not Austin,
and the fact that Austin lost his No Way Out bout with Triple H earlier in
the broadcast. Could we be seeing a four way match or a mini WWF World
Heavyweight Title tournament at WrestleMania? It's too early to say.
WrestleMania is still more than a month away and anything can happen
between now and then.
Austin and Triple H's Two-Out-Of-Three-Falls event on the show can only be
described as extraordinarily cruel. Both competitors didn't fare too well
in the "ungimmicked", first fall portion of the match, however, they sure
did go all out after that. Triple H and Austin flubbed many of their moves
leading up to the first fall. In the final sequence, Triple H climbed up to
the top rope looking to deliver an axe-handle or some such move. With Stone
Cold standing mid-way in the ring, there was no way Triple H could've leapt
that far. Triple H landed on his feet, received a kick to the gut and a
Stunner. Austin collected the first fall at 12 minutes and 22 seconds.
Steve Austin smears his own blood on the announce table.
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From this point on, things got real ugly. Austin suplexed Triple H not
once but twice on the steel rampway. Breaking a television monitor over The
Game's head, Austin threw three or four steel chairs into the ring. As
Triple H lay prone on the canvas, Stone Cold beat him over and over again
with a steel chair. Swiping it from underneath the announce table (What?
Are J.R. and Lawler the keepers of the plunder now?) Austin brought a 2x4
wrapped with barbed-wire into the ring and used it on Triple H's head.
In a unkind spot, Triple H was backdropped from J.R. and Lawler's table
through the one used by the Spanish announce team. Like Austin, Triple H
pulled out a sledgehammer out from it's hiding place behind Lawler and
J.R.'s desk. That announce team is sure hardcore. Back in the ring, Austin
failed at a Stunner and Triple H dropped him with a sledgehammer to the
head and a Pedigree winning the second fall at 28 minutes and 11
seconds.
Down comes the steel cage for the third and final fall. Austin and Triple H
used the barbed-wire 2x4 and the steel cage on each other. Stone Cold
kicked out of the Pedigree. Triple H escaped the Stunner. Austin, holding
the 2x4, and Triple H, holding the sledgehammer, swung and connected
with each other simultaneously. Triple H fell on top of Austin to score the
third fall. Austin then Stunned Triple H from behind.
The next WWF pay-per-view is WrestleMania on April 1st.
WWF No Way Out Results
Raven (champion) versus The Big Show (challenger) (WWF Hardcore Title
Match)
As Big Show lumbered through the curtain, the silent but deadly Ninja
woman attempted to whack him with a 2x4. Crash Holly, dressed as a popcorn
vendor jumped in as did Steve Blackman, Hardcore Holly and Billy Gunn.
Since when did Billy Gunn become "hardcore"? Doesn't he still have a beef
with RTC? The Ninja was caught off by Molly Holly. Gunn Fame-Assers Raven
to win the belt at 3:22. Raven pins Gunn at 4:12 to take the belt back. The
Big Show choke slams Raven at 5:04 to win the title. Before leaving, Big
Show choke slammed everyone. A confounding debacle.
Winner: ...and new WWF Hardcore Champion...The Big Show at 5 minutes
and 4 seconds.
Match Rating: 3 / 10.
X-Pac (challenger) versus Chris Jericho (champion) versus Eddie
Guerrero (challenger) versus Chris Benoit (challenger) (WWF
Intercontinental Title Match)
This bout will probably be forgotten in the post No Way Out hype though
it was a darn skillful and well wrestled bout. Lots of cool little spots
throughout to marvel at. Justin Credible did a run-in for X-Pac at 6:55 to
lay a double team on Chris Benoit. Benoit was pushed as a face by the
announce team so it may just be a matter of time before the Radicals are
split up. Benoit and Guerrero turned on each other many times. Jericho does
a neat roll-up in the confusion to retain the title.
Winner: ...and still WWF Intercontinental Champion...Chris Jericho
at 12 minutes and 16 seconds.
Match Rating: 7.5 / 10.
Vince McMahon and Stephen Regal chat. McMahon blames the forthcoming
Stephanie and Trish match on him. McMahon tells Regal..."You'll know what
to do when the time comes." Regal has no bloody idea what McMahon
means.
Test is hanging out at WWF New York and enlightens us with his
scintillating remarks about the Stephanie - Trish feud. Test? Nash? Who can
tell the difference?
A Raw Is War commercial airs (in case you didn't know when it was on)
as well as one for the new WWF CD (in case you didn't know it was on
sale).
Trish Stratus versus Stephanie McMahon
Sure, it wasn't as bad as I thought it would be. Still, these two have
no business being in the wrestling ring. I dread the day a non-wrestler
gets seriously hurt in one of these throwaway, time-waster bouts. Trish
gets her shorts pulled down (she's wearing a g-string) and spanked by
Steph. Regal appears at 7:27 to plug the ref. He places Trish over Steph.
Changing his mind he places Steph's leg over the rope so the pinfall is
halted. Regal punks the ref again and has it out with Trish. Trish slaps
him. Regal takes her down with a clothesline move and puts Steph on top of
Trish for the pin.
Winner: Stephanie McMahon at 8 minutes and 31 seconds.
Match Rating: 2 / 10.
Vince McMahon is upset with Regal's decision backstage. It will be
Vince and Trish against Regal and Steph on Raw. Great. That'll be a
barnburner to be sure. You just know that Linda is bound to show up. Whoopie.
Steve Austin versus Triple H (Two Out Of Three Falls
Match)
Winner: Triple H at 39 minutes and 28 seconds.
Match Rating: 9 / 10.
Jerry Lawler versus Steven Richards
Way bad and cheesy to boot. No nudity either. Lawler is wearing his
leopard skin outfit. Ouch! The Cat mistakenly hits Lawler with the WWF
Women's Title knocking him out. Richards pins him. Right To Censor puts The
Cat in a bag and carries her off.
Winner: Steven Richards at 5 minutes and 32 seconds.
Match Rating: 3 / 10.
The Undertaker, Kane (challengers) versus The Dudley Boys (champions)
versus Edge, Christian (challengers) (WWF Tag Team Title, Tables
Match)
Meng and Rikishi attack Taker and Kane at 10:46 to take them out of the
match. The Dudleys 3-D Christian through a table to keep their straps.
Winners: ...and still WWF World Tag Team Champions...The Dudley Boys
at 12 minutes and 8 seconds.
Match Rating: 7 / 10.
The Rock (challenger) versus Kurt Angle (champion) (WWF World Heavyweight
Title Match)
Winner: ...and new WWF World Heavyweight Champion...The Rock at 16
minutes and 55 seconds.
Match Rating: 7 / 10.
Total Event Time: 2 hours and 41 minutes.
Overall Event Rating: 8 / 10.
