We opened up with a pretty good video package highlighting the Orton-Mysterio and Taker-Angle feuds which put over the No Way Out theme for the Road to Wrestlemania as well like always. WWE videos are normally really good and this one was no exception. The pyro then went off and Michael Cole & Tazz welcomed us to the final PPV before Wrestlemania. Cole then started running down the history of the arena in relation Billy Graham, Tito Santana, and of course, the McMahons because they are really the ones who matter, right?
WWE Cruiserweight Championship
Nine-Man Match
Gregory Helms (c) Vs. Scotty 2 Hotty Vs. Brian Kendrick Vs. Paul London Vs. Funaki Vs. Super Cray Vs. Psicosis Vs. Nunzio Vs. Kid Kash
This was a pretty good match and a vast improvement on the match from the Rumble which I thought was just a spot fest match with botched moves galore. The only real problem I had here was that with so many men in the match and going at it 1-on-1, the cameras definitely didn't catch even fifty percent of the match's high spots including the first half of what I guess was a Helms German Suplex off the apron. It was still a very good match and a true high-flying match which didn't get overly spotty as each one was sold well. This reminded me of the 4-Way X Division match from Against All Odds (though that one was better) in that the stipulation didn't please me (here, I wanted elimination style), but they really told a great story through the stipulation and made it credible, in my opinion. It did seem like a random Battle Royal at times, but with the amount of people in the match, that was expected. I was happy that we finally got to see some Mexicools-Shooting Stars interactions which I hope will lead to a Wrestlemania match with MNM. That probably won't happen, but at least I got something I wanted! I also loved how WWE didn't tease any problems with either team as in the past, they seem to jump the gun and break up tag teams too quickly, but both teams here have been together for some time and are gaining momentum. The Helms story was great as well with him trying to keep his belt while not incurring the wrath of everyone involved until it finally hit the fan. The faces on Nunzio, Funaki, & Scotty 2 Hotty when they saw Helms in the ring was just classic. This was probably one of the better multi-man Cruiserweight matches WWE has done especially since in the past, they tend to go for the spots that involve all men and never really do as many near-fall teases as there should be. Yes, there was a huge spot here with the Shooting Stars doing crossbodies (which was dumb as Nunzio and Funaki watched them for at least forty-five seconds before hand), but we also got a lot of near-falls. A lot of near-falls. They even did a very good false finish with Helms left in the ring alone with Super Crazy, but still not getting it.
WWE put a lot of time into this match and really buckled down for crazy spots and made it make sense to the audience. It really paid off here in what has to be one of the best PPV openers WWE has had in months. In the end, Kash hit the brainbuster on Psicosis, but Super Crazy saved his partner with a Moonsault (putting over tag team psychology in a singles match, great!) to Kash and then Helms hopped in to steal it perfectly. The match went exactly how it should have and really the only thing holding it back was the cameras not being able to catch all the action, but then again, it's not their fault because it's really just impossible to catch it all. Also, where the hell was Jamie Noble? I know he wasn't in on the beat down on SmackDown!, but neither was Kash and they said it was supposed to have all Cruiserweights. Man, if this had Jamie Noble, it might have been a Match of the Year contender.
Winner: Gregory Helms
Star Wrestler: Gregory Helms
Helms was amazing in this match to me and the level of cowardice he showed as well as his aggressive offense really put over what we can hope to expect from his title reign. It was just a great thing to add to the match and really put him over without burying anyone. He's really the best Cruiserweight champion in a long time, I'd say, since WWE is finally putting some time into the division as well as making a true star in that division. This was just great and a hopefully a good indication of things to come.
After the match, Helms stood at the top of the ramp and gloated his win as the all the losers looked pissed in the ring. They then all hopped out to chase down Helms as he ran off continuing this good storyline that's really giving us our first real Cruiserweight Champion since probably Chavo Guerrero in 2004.
We then went backstage where Booker T and Sharmell were shown arguing with Teddy Long saying that Booker isn't 100% and Long is siding against them. He then said that he is the greatest US champion ever. Really, Booker? You've only had about two real title defenses since November or whenever you stole the belt. I know heels are supposed to put themselves over, but the fans should never be able to answer a claim that with a legitimate "Yeah, right!" I don't see how in any promotion at any time, you could consider a champion who gets people to sub for him as the greatest. Anyway, he went on to try and change Long's mind, but Long observed how Booker looks 100% now and looked like it when Booker took out Benoit on Friday, so he should be 100% now. Sharmell then began to beg on her knees dangerously close to Teddy's crotch and I loved Booker's comedy here. "Look what you're making my wife have to do." Of course, Long countered it with some good lines too like "It's not appropriate for you to be down there." This is probably the first Booker T/Sharmell segment I'm enjoying in a long time. Booker then got down on one knee to beg for Long like his wife. Long finally got them to shut up and told him that if he doesn't defend against Benoit, he will forfeit the title. Booker and Sharmell then acted like someone just reminded Booker T of how much an "honor" it was to be a five-time WCW champion and they flipped out as the pretty entertaining scene ended with Booker looking like he's going to cry.
Kristal then popped up for some reason I don't know and she put over Wrestlemania being close, but then Finlay walked in. Yes! Yes! Yes! This is exactly what No Way Out needs: a fun Finlay squash match to make up for the dreaded Lashley squash match to come. He talked about how he's Irish and wants to fight, but has no fight tonight. He then said he will have to pick a fight and picked Kristal up! What the hell? His music then hit and he came out with Kristal on his shoulder. This is going to be great! This type of heel rules especially when it's a guy with the workrate of Finlay. In the ring, he put her down and made his move towards Kristal, but Lashley came running out and they started to go at it pretty well with Finlay getting the upper-hand as JBL makes his entrance I guess for his match. Finlay was really taking it too Lashley and he sold Lashley's offense probably the best of anyone yet in WWE. JBL then hopped in the ring hoping to get Lashley hurt, but Lashley recovered with a suplex which Finlay sold well too and now it's down to JBL and Lashley with the bell being rung!
John Bradshaw Layfield Vs. Lashley
I thought this was a surprisingly good match that came out of nowhere. It probably wasn't good by other people's standards, but by the pure surprise of it and with what they had to work with, I'd say it was decent to good. As my good friend Matt Green said, it was better than it had any right to be. JBL is no bad worker by any means, but he's also someone who can't carry anyone (look at the Batista series) and Lashley is just a green worker by any standards. JBL did it though and he actually carried Lashley to a very fine match that really showed how over JBL is as a heel as well as Lashley as a face. The heat in this match was incredible and at one point, JBL got so much heel heat I was thinking that this was the biggest crowd reaction for just simple heel shit to happen in WWE in months. Good for both of these guys and I hope JBL shuts up some more of his critics. The guy will never be a five-star caliber worker, but he definitely doesn't deserve most of the criticism he gets. Anyway, I really enjoyed the match and Lashley looked the best he has looked since coming to WWE. The Finlay lead-in to the match helped it a lot too as it set the stage as to what kind of match we were going to get. The lead-up to the bulk of the match was all right with nothing overly fancy happening, but some decent back-and-forth action going. When JBL took control of the match, I think we saw a very good side of Lashley in terms of selling and JBL in terms of playing heel. JBL really did lay into Lashley well and really helped solidify Lashley as a star.
The comeback Lashley made was all-right, but I think the repeated belly-to-belly suplexes really hurt him as the first and second ones got huge pops, but the third and fourth ones didn't even get a peep out of the audience. Plus, the fourth one came so long after the original three that it seemed out-of-place. That just shows you how green he is, but when that's the only thing Lashley really did wrong in the match, it shows you how well JBL carried him. After that spot though, JBL got busted on the eye which looked really great in a way that was inadvertent. I wish the match had gone on longer after he was busted open, but since it was inadvertent, I can't really complain. Nice color for the match though and it really put over Lashley to make someone bleed with a freakin' suplex! Oh, I also forgot about the diving clothesline into a powerslam which was a very good spot for the transition of the match. JBL basically went to the top for a diving clothesline (surprising, I know) and Lashley countered it into a powerslam after JBL dove off. Very good spot there. In a very well-done ending, Finlay, who I had literally forgotten about, popped up and threw Tony Chimel into the ring. It seemed random at first, but as the ref went to check him, Finlay popped up on the apron and laid Lashley out with a shillelagh (Irish club) into the throat of all places. JBL then popped off the ropes and delivered the Clothesline From Hell to picked up the win in a match that didn't kill JBL's credibility like last month and really put over Lashley. Two matches in a row for WWE. Are the McMahons still in charge or did I miss something?
Winner: John Bradshaw Layfield
Star Wrestler: John Bradshaw Layfield
JBL did an amazing job in this match and I think really put a lot of criticism he gets to rest. He carried Lashley well and made him a star despite not even winning. This makes JBL look strong heading into Wrestlemania as well as sets up Lashley and Finlay for Wrestlemania which is a good, strong match because it gives Lashley a strong opponent that can show him the ropes, but not someone who's going to be crushed by a loss to Lashley. Plus, Finlay already made Lashley look just as well on Friday Night in the tag match so I see nothing wrong with it. Back on point, JBL really sold well for Lashley as well as kept the quality of the match going with his offense including some top rope action from a pretty big man. Hopefully with this little feud done and not costing JBL any heat (especially since he got some of the best he's had in months in this match), he will go onto Wrestlemania to have a worthwhile match and not get Big Show-disease like I talked about in my predictions. I think it's also pretty funny that everyone, including myself, made a big fuss about Boogeyman squashing JBL and killing his heat when JBL had some of the biggest heat since his feud with Batista here.
After JBL and Finlay made their triumphant exits, Lashley left with WWE keeping the cameras on him. I think they expected the crowd to give him a lot of respect or something around the level of Benoit at Rumble 2003, but it definitely didn't work at all. They then showed a commercial for the Bret Hart DVD on the Fanatic series on PPV. God, I didn't even know they still did that PPV series. Anyway, a Wrestlemania ad then came on with that "amazing" song. That is literally the worst PPV theme song since the Neurotica one at King Of The Ring 2002, but then again, it's not like there's a lot of good music out there today anyway. Well, at least until May hits and the new Red Hot Chili Peppers album comes out!
Tony Chimel then introduced the special guest of the night, which I don't think anyone knew about, and it turned out to be Batista! Meh, I think we should have seen it coming (I didn't though) since his hometown of D.C. is only a short trip away from Baltimore. His music hit and he came out with a completely shaved head and looked like he was in cloud nine to be back even if not as a wrestler. The crowd didn't really pop as much as I thought they were going to, but it's still very nice to see Batista. He's no Chris Benoit in the ring, but he's not someone who stinks up the ring or on the mike either. Batista then got on the mike and talked about how it's the thrill of a lifetime every time he comes down the ramp. He said he doesn't want to take up too much time, but he's here for three reasons. First is because he wants to see Angle versus Undertaker. You and me both, Big Dave; you and me both. Second is that he misses the SmackDown! crowd. He said they have no idea how hard it is to watch the show at home and not be here. He then stated it's good to be back, but the third reason is that his torn tricep isn't torn anymore and he will be back sooner rather than later. He went on to talk about how he wants the title and wouldn't mind facing either of the guys in the main event, but they need to know that he will be back and will re-claim the title. Pretty fun segment simply as it's nice to see Batista doing well and it killed some time without using the words "squash, bra," or "panties." Batista then went around hugging the crowd and the staff out there before making his exit on a high note unlike last time.
We then went backstage and saw Angle watching the TV. Orton then walked in and chatted about how Batista's going to be champ again, but the person Batista goes up against won't be Undertaker or Angle, rather him. He then said he will get the respect he deserves even from Angle, and he ran down Angle for giving Mysterio words of encouragement. Angle then replied that he's not focused on Orton tonight, but Undertaker and walks right out. Hmm, I kind of enjoyed that as it was short and sweet and put over Orton as desperate for attention and Angle focused right on Taker.
MNM Vs. Matt Hardy & Tatanka
I can't believe this was non-title. I really thought it was for the titles, and I see no reason to not give MNM another successful title defense under their belt. Then again, it gives WWE a way to put Hardy over without hot-shotting the belts. Anyway, like the rumors said, Tatanka turned out to be the mystery partner and the crowd could literally, literally, literally care less. This match wasn't bad by any standards, but it was really just bland as hell because of Tatanka. It's not that Tatanka is a bad wrestler in any way, shape, or form, but he is really just such a generic gimmick wrestler with the Tomahawk chops among other things, especially the pause he does after each chop for a crowd pop that really never came. MNM and Hardy did a lot of good in this match and they easily had some massive chemistry. At this point, I'd kill for a Hardy Boyz-MNM match and with Jeff on the outs with TNA, Matt really needs to convince him to go to rehab and make his return back to WWE. At least Hardy will be used at that point. The match started off really well with Joey Mercury and Matt Hardy especially the beat down Mercury started it all off with. Hardy and Tatanka did do some nice tag team moves especially what would be a leg sweep slam like the Mexicools do only these guys did it in reverse; very cool, but not enough to cover up for Tatanka. Thankfully, Tatanka was the face-in-peril so I didn't have to suffer through a hot tag with him, and I loved the set-up to this spot as Tatanka had Matthews on the outside, but Melina gave him a thumb to the eye and Nitro followed it up with a nice dropkick from the apron. Uber teamwork there even from Melina. The face-in-peril was nothing special as they didn't do much to Tatanka nor did Tatanka sell anything overly well. Hardy's hot tag on the other hand was amazing with MNM selling off the wall for him and Hardy hitting a unique Bulldog/Clothesline combo to both of them and then mixing things up with an elbow drop instead of a leg drop. Had this been a Handicap match or someone to the likes of Hardcore Holly or Orlando Jordan (not great workers, but not bland like Tatanka), this match would have been ten times better. In the end, Tatanka and Hardy hit their finishes onto MNM and Tatanka picked up the win. I didn't see much of the logic in that especially since Tatanka got the win, not Matt. Putting MNM down for three for Tatanka just does not sit well for me. Matt Hardy? Yes. Tatanka? Hell, no. I don't really mind MNM losing as it was a non-title match and it doesn't take much credibility away from them, but Tatanka picking up the win? Even more, we better not see the re-match happen at Wrestlemania. I pay the big bucks to see the big matches and big stars, not the has-beens from the 90s who are coming back simply because WWE is feeling "gimmicky."
Winners: Matt Hardy & Tatanka
Star Wrestlers: Joey Mercury
From the opening to the end, Mercury really impressed me tonight in the way he tried to carry Tatanka, the aggressive offense he used from the get-go, the goofy selling to accompany the goofy Tatanka chops, and the serious death looks he gave as he took stuff from Hardy. Nitro was good in this match as well as Hardy, but Mercury really shone here tonight from the get-go. It's no wonder why MNM is one of the best things about SmackDown! and in time, I could see them surpassing America's Most Wanted as the best tag team in the world today. Hell, I could even see MNM surpassing Marufuji & KENTA as the best tag team of this decade if MNM continues on this great stretch they've got going. That'd take a long time, but it could happen. It's no wonder why Mercury gets this nod. If only Tatanka would drop most of the gimmicked stuff and adopt a real offense, I think the match would have actually had a chance to be called good.
We then got the typical aftermath stuff of the faces staring down the heels, though it didn't make much sense as the faces won this one. A video then played hyping up Wrestlemania with highlights from Wrestlemania and that shitty theme song once more. God, you equate wrestling with rock, not pop. Tazz & Cole then hyped up the US title match and we got the build-up video of the match.
Benoit and Booker then came out and Booker got on the mike. Yes, he's going to vacate the belt! Yes, we might get Finlay-Benoit (still) or Regal-Benoit! Yes, I'm marking out! Anyway, Booker asked for Long to come out and told Benoit he could beat him any day of the week when he's healthy and was even up three-to-zero in the series they had, but he's not healthy tonight. Teddy Long then came out with the Playa strut and Booker said they are going to make it official and he is going to forfeit the title, which people didn't really seem to like. Booker went to leave the ring after Sharmell pleaded with him, but Benoit, of all people, got on the mike and started chanting "Coward" to which the crowd picked up on as well. He then said that there is no way he'll accept that title by forfeit and told him to get in the ring and take defeat like a man. Benoit really needs to get more mike time. Not as much as anyone else, but for stuff like that: short, simple, to the point, and it puts himself over with honor. Sharmell then blamed it all on Benoit with that high-pitched whine and slapped Benoit. She then went on to continue slapping him and stated how Booker is more of a man than he is and how the US title means everything to him. Naturally, Booker T then jumped in and took down Benoit and we get no replacement match. No, we have to go through another Booker T-Benoit match which is bound to be the worst one yet because Booker literally isn't 100%. Goody.
WWE United States Championship
Booker T (c) Vs. Chris Benoit
This was way better than I thought it would be and it was a very good match. I really need to give Booker T a lot of praise here because he did pull out all the stops and looked like he was making up for the past three months with all the bullshit with him not defending his title. It was a good match, but I could see how people wouldn't like it. For instance, in the middle with the Sleeper Hold and mat-work, it was very slow, but didn't drag to me as it made sense and both men sold it completely well. I loved the transitions of the match as well from aggressive in the opening, to slow in the middle, to the counters in the end. Told a story pretty damn well as well as really sold Booker as a heel for the possum work he did leading up to this match and during this match. I know a Regal-Benoit match would have been ten times better, but this was really one of the best matches these two have had and I applaud both men for doing it. Had we not gotten so many Booker-Benoit matches before this, I think I would have rated this one a bit higher, but we didn't so I'm not going to. One thing I loved though was Booker busting out the Houston Hangover for the first time since I believe Wrestlemania XIX three years ago and that's the exact same kind of workrate Booker brought to the table here: all guts and no glory (in that he lost). Another thing I noticed is that Benoit seems to be the only one who really knows how to set-up the Scissors Kick well as we never see the gut kick followed by thirty seconds of bullshit before the move connects; it's all very situational and makes the finisher itself look a lot more believable and impressive in that it comes out of nowhere. I swear if I ever see someone like Christian sit there ducked over for a minute again and not counter it, I will cry. I also loved the Sharmell bump if not only for the fact that I hate Sharmell, but also for the clear-cut reason that it made sense to finally tease something between the two as well as prevent another match from ending or involving Sharmell directly interfering. In the end, Benoit locked in the Sharpshooter and then went right to the Crossface for the much deserved win that really came a month or two too late, but was still after a good match.
Winner: Chris Benoit
Star Wrestler: Booker T
I give Booker T a lot of criticism, but he really gave a good effort here and cut out a lot of the stuff I would normally criticize him for. He really carried his on in this match well as opposed to other matches where Benoit was the clear-cut star. He had a nice offense, stayed right on Benoit, used some nice mat-working, played heel very well, didn't rely on Sharmell at all (and we even got to see her get bumped), et cetera. Personally, Chris Benoit was the better worker, but Booker really surprised me enough to get this nod. This match was nothing great, but Booker T hasn't impressed me this much since Wrestlemania XIX 3 years ago. Good job, Booker.
Backstage, Rey Mysterio jumped onto Chris Benoit who celebrated and moved on to get congratulations from the whole locker room including oddly enough, Pat Patterson. What the hell is he doing there? He ended up with Chavo and Vickie and then talks to Rey (who walked back to get some more praise I guess) and they put over the Eddie storyline some more. I know one argument people have is that if the family is all right with it, then we should be too. That's bullshit. It's my opinion and my opinion is that it's wrong and just a cheap way to get over two stars who don't need help getting over. They then showed the build-up for Mysterio-Orton and we went right into a match with the most immoral build-up in recent memory. WWE has the chance to justify it tonight though and while it could really go either way, I only see it ending with Orton standing tall.
Number One Contendership For WWE World Heavyweight Championship
Rey Mysterio Vs. Randy Orton
Now, the night before, I was dead-set that if Orton won it (which he did and we all knew he would); it would totally kill the PPV. With that said, the PPV had been really good up until now and really hadn't gone overkill with the Eddie Guerrero mess like we all expected it to do. The Guerreros weren't even at ringside, thank God. Here, Orton won in what I thought was a good match and it did nothing to defer my high opinion of the card. Man, I feel a little dirty saying that.
Orton and Rey-Rey put on a good match, like they should, and they really had a lot of chemistry that I thought was accentuated well in cliche spots they did overly well. For instance, the classic Cruiserweight wheelbarrow spot they did was literally the crispest, cleanest, and most effective one I've seen in WWE in at least two years. I don't want to blast other people saying they suck because they can't do one spot, but I will praise Orton and Rey for making such a cliche spot stand out and it really didn't end there. Even the 619 looked amazingly well and was set-up in perhaps the best way possible in the past few months (a dazed heel falling into the ropes through no fault of Rey's doesn't fly to me). Bar the Eddie shit, this one told a great story which really tells me that they didn't need Eddie in this storyline at all. This is one of those matches that really told a great story and could have done it without any build-up or commentating. Actually, I'd have preferred it without the commentating for the repeated Guerrero mentions. I'm not running down Cole since I know it's one of the McMahons on his headset telling him to, but for God's sake, how many times can you mention the name Eddie Guerrero in a five minute interval? That really hurt the match especially since neither Orton nor Rey were doing anything to invoke such a thing. Orton did one thing to mock Eddie the whole night which was directly after a huge Eddie chant erupted into the arena and Orton already had good heat up until that point. This storyline was really not needed at all and the match these two had proved it.
I loved the apron to the outside spot which lead into the steel post swing which I'm seeing more in more in wrestling today from Jarrett to Joe. When Jarrett's doing it, you know it must be popular. Just an observation: you'd think after almost the 5th time of getting slammed into the post into a big match (most notably at Backlash 2003), Rey would just steer clear of it. I loved the psychology in the match though especially from Orton who went after a body part his normal offense doesn't really go for. That'd be like Benoit not going after the neck one match. He does do it, and the point is basically that when he doesn't, the emphasis is really added with the thought of "How the hell is he going to do it without the X or his X hold?" Rey in control was fun as well especially as it related to the match. You don't see faces take the control like that much in WWE. It's normally face in charge, heel does a cheating move or big move and switches momentum, heel in charge, face comeback, match finish; so it was a nice breath of fresh air especially considering that Rey's comebacks out of the arm-working were both placed well and added towards the ending excellently. The big spot of the match had to be the Electric Chair counter into a Sunset Slip from Mysterio to Orton which was sold beautifully by Orton. Not once did the thought of "How the hell did a guy shorter and skinnier than me pull that one off?" enter my mind until after the match. That is some freakin' storytelling right there.
The finish really, really, really hurt this match as Orton ducked out of the 619, rolled him up, grabbed the ropes, and stole the win. The reaction that Orton got when he rolled up Rey really showed that the crowd bought that as a legit finish which basically makes the cheating look like overkill especially when WWE hasn't done jack-shit to make Orton look credible in recent memory. Losing to Benoit over and over again and putting his feud with Taker on hold (or I guess) after a huge loss; those aren't necessarily things that really build someone up in my eyes. Would it have killed Rey's credibility/momentum? Yes and no. The crowd's pop before the rope grab showed the crowd bought it as a legit finish to a legit match, just like when Rey pinned Orton during the match. If the crowd buys finishes for different guys as legit, then I don't see anyone losing face in that situation. It does slow his roll a bit, like it would anyone, but it's Rey and he's been through much worse to come back strong. This was the guy who was squashed twice at the end of 2005 by Big Show/Kane and the crowd still buys into him! This was a very solid match and definitely pumped me up for their re-match (along with Angle), but the finish was definitely not needed and took away a lot of the story they helped make as well as the standing Orton had. Luckily, Rey walked out of this one scot-free in my eyes especially seeing as how he got the decision practically reversed the following Thursday.
Winner: Randy Orton
Star Wrestler: Both
Both guys were off-the-charts great here and with a clean finish and maybe five more minutes, I really think this could have been easily a strong contender for Match of the Year. Both men really covered up for the other's faults (especially Orton's selling for someone of Rey's size). This was really the first time watching Rey battle a guy way bigger than him without thinking how ridiculous it was that Rey was getting the upper hand and that's a compliment to both men. With chemistry like this, I'd really kill for a series to happen down the line, but then again, with the WWE storyline department having shit for brains, I take it back. Precision, selling, offense, defense, psychology, charisma; anything and everything you can use to praise a match should be in this one because bar the finish, there was not a damn thing wrong with it. Solid, solid match.
After the match, Orton got on the mike and said he's going to the main event at Wrestlemania. He then asked where Rey is going. Hmm, I like it. Very short and very effective. You can't say that about his other promos though. Rey was then shown in the ring looking like he's going to cry. The acting's pretty good, but I can't get over how chubby his face looks when he has his mask unhooked. Seriously, he looked like the chubby baby your friend had and you had to pretend like the kid wouldn't grow up to be a sumo wrestler. Whatever good acting Rey was doing, it was all killed to hell as the segment went on and he had to draw out what should have been a thirty second thing into probably two or three minutes. Tazz and Cole drove the point home which is okay because that's basically their job, but if you wanted to know of one segment gone too long, this would be the one. Honestly, it probably would have all been better if Orton had just won cleanly and it really would have made more sense too.
Keeping with the trend, we went backstage and saw Rey still depressed and it looks like they are going to milk another five minutes out of this. Rey's shown with Chavo and Vickie saying he let him down. Rey's acting at this point was Razzie worthy, but really, Chavo stole the scene in what I hoped would be a turn for him. Yes, it would be dumb. Yes, it would be harping on the storyline more. However, what the hell else are they going to do with Chavo? I honestly give it two more months before the Eddie chants die out a little and Chavo comes out in a golf cart again. Rey hugged Vickie and Chavo and Chavo continued to steal the scene telling him it's ok like he's his father or something. Rey then walked past all the babyfaces who are just as depressed. That was actually kind of cool and followed the Benoit thing well, but the whole segment was just drawn out for time which they didn't need to do. The time could have been given easily to the match which would have made it better and don't get me started on that freakin' ending again.
We then went to a video package for the main event which highlights Angle's title reign thus far and the whole Taker drama including some magic that even David Blair must be shaking his head at.
WWE Championship
Kurt Angle (c) Vs. Undertaker
No one really cared about Taker's entrance which I found disturbing considering it's Taker. Like him or not, the guy is over like steroids in Stamford. I love how WWE tried to build some aura around him like it was 1997 by flashing to the crowd hoping to see lighters. I think my final tally of lighters I saw was about six as opposed to 1997 which even in a freakin' house show would have beat that number by the hundreds. Despite this though, the match had a definite "big match" aura to it which I attribute to the stunned silence of the crowd while the two got ready to lock up and the commentating of Michael Cole. He really got over the importance of the match and the power/accomplishments of both men in a very surreal way considering it was Cole. Of course, he then shat on it and said Angle never tapped out. Angle lost an Ultimate Submission match at Backlash 2001, Michael. How do you think he lost that one; by crying?
Anyway, anything you've heard about this match is probably right unless someone came up to you about ready to burst as they proclaimed, "Greatest match ever!" It was far from that, but definitely better than anything in 2006 I've seen including such great matches like Joe-Daniels-Styles, Taue-Akiyama, Edge-Flair, and of course, KENTA-Marufuji. I've still got at least another month to tout that one around before I overkill it so let me just have it! So many things made this match great, but one of the big things was the crowd. The pops, groans, screams, gasps; all added to the aura of the match and it was one of the first matches I've seen out of WWE in a while where it felt like even the people watching at homes were doing that. While I normally blast dueling chants, that's in situations involving heels-faces like AJ Styles-Samoa Joe and of course, Kurt Angle-John Cena. That's just idiotic and not only shows holes in the booking, but in the company as a whole. When it's in a face versus face match, there is no bigger testament to the match's legitimacy in that not one person came off weak or unsupported. This was a true face versus face match, and as one of the members of The Wrestling Roundtable said, sometimes this formula doesn't work (Backlash 2002), but when it does, it really, really does!
One of the things I liked most about the match had to be how it was a very standard Taker match for the first part, but they expanded on it so well and kept influences on it going into the end of the match that just made me literally squeal. Taker did his arm-working to set-up Old School and a few other moves (like his sweet flip-over arm drag that had Tazz marking out), opponent made the comeback, and Taker set after the neck for the rest of his offense. That is really the formula in a lot of Taker matches post-02, and while it's not bad, it didn't impress me here. As it went on, the imprints it left on the match did as well such as Angle still acting like his arm was injured towards the end of the match. Angle, out of all people on the card, really impressed me with the way he worked over the ankle and sold. Normally, it's "Neck, back, neck, back, neck, back....hmm, why not the ankle," but it was all about the ankle tonight and probably the best use of the submission move he's ever done. Like Angle's submission skills here, Taker also surprised me. I perked up for the first Triangle Choke, but it's really not like we haven't seen it before. What we haven't seen before is Taker continually locking that move on and jerking back and forth to drive home the point that it's a choke. Even more, when is the last time you saw Taker roll out of a submission hold into another one. Taker definitely looked like he had something to prove in this match, and as much of a mark I am for him, I think he did it.
Besides all that, there were a bunch of little things in the match that really drove the point home that I was witnessing something truly great. First off, when Taker went into that table and the ref got up to eight, I really thought that was going to be it which would have been perfectly acceptable to me because of the way Taker sold it and took it, especially since it would have opened up for a re-match perfectly. The ref didn't count him out though as Angle grabbed the ref and told him he wanted to beat Taker fair. That really impressed me and sold the competitive spirit of the match to everyone. You don't have too many matches like that left in WWE. Secondly, Taker shoving Angle into the steps was all-right. I liked it going back onto the arm, but not too much. What really got me going was how Angle landed as he bounced off the steps and landed, throat first, into the table cover. I have no idea if that was intentional or not, but if it was, I would literally bow down in front of them right now. They managed to get over the psychology of two body parts in perhaps the most unique way I've ever seen. If it wasn't intentional, that just proves the point I made about JBL's blood earlier about how unintentional stuff can often lead to the best. Finally, there was no Mark Henry. Score one for WWE creative!
To cap this great match off, Angle and Taker traded submissions like crazy and made me suspect Taker could really go in a Submission-Only match. Eventually, Taker rolled out of the ankle lock and snapped on the Triangle Choke as Angle laid there lifeless. After what seemed like an eternity, Angle rolled through on it into a pinning attempt using a bridge that really came out of nowhere. I think the teases of someone tapping in this match really lead the crowd to believe that someone was going to, even if it wasn't in the match. No one did and I think that just watered everyone's mouth for the re-match and the tap-out that didn't happen. They tried to play a confusion spot at the end where Taker thought he won. No one bought it and it really came off as a comical because of the whole match. It wasn't enough to kill any part of the match, but if no one in the crowd bought it, why should we at home? Taker and Angle quickly covered it up with a stare-down at the end with Taker saying he's got Angle's number so it seemed to be all good as the match of 2006 so far ended and No Way Out went off the air.
Winner: Kurt Angle
Star Wrestler: Both
I've said it before, I'm saying it now, and I will say it again: in truly great matches, not one man is better than the other and that is literally what makes it great. Both guys stayed faces during the match. Both guys remained amazingly over in the match. Both guys drew the crowd into the match like no other match in WWE's past six months. I could literally go on and on. Taker and Angle did something really special here, folks, and if you missed out on it, I'd suggest getting off your lazy butt and looking for it now because matches like these are reasons we all became wrestling fans. It's just a pity they happen so infrequently in the "top promotion" today.
No Way Out definitely surprised me as I was expecting another B-Show with only two good matches, but in the end, I got not one bad match. I know a lot of people will call the Tag Team match bad, but from someone who hates tag team wrestling (or most of it); I really didn't have many problems with it. It was just bland and average. Nothing more and nothing less. The opening bout was definitely a fine match-up that actually furthered the only decent storyline SmackDown! has going. The Lashley-JBL bout was a surprise which probably bumps that up to a good rating. Booker T-Benoit had a very good match which definitely wasn't their best in recent memory, but definitely a testament to the skill of both to have such a good one after so many matches and while Booker T was injured. Mysterio-Orton was a very good match that would have made the jump to great or Match of the Year contender had it gotten more time and positively changed the ending which left a bad taste in my mouth (and others of course). Then, what ever bad taste I had, was completely blown away by the main event which is easily one of the best WWE main events in a long time and easily match of the year so far. No Way Out was surprisingly good, which I think a lot of people need to realize. Not just good, surprisingly good. For being a B Show with a horrid card on paper, they sure pulled off a lot of miracles on this card. I would easily say that this is the best WWE PPV since Summerslam 2005 and easily the best brand-only PPV since probably Vengeance or Taboo Tuesday 2004. Like I alluded to before though, it's one thing to have one good PPV. It's another to follow it up over and over again which WWE has proved time and time again that they can't.
Well, that's going to wrap it up for this very late review which I'm sure everyone disagrees with, but I could literally give a flying shit. You read the thing and stayed till the end, and that's all that matters to me. I'll be back starting weekly very soon although I haven't quite decided when I want to start back-up again since Raw is getting more abysmal each and every week. All I can say is that you'll see another review from me up tomorrow whether it be Raw or SmackDown! After rambling for so long, there doesn't seem much else I can say so I'll just thank you all for reading and invite you to come back soon. 'Till next time, guys, this is "Squared Circle Reviews" signing off and hoping you enjoy what you watch!
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