- No Way Out kicked off with a Hardcore Championship match, as Raven
defended his title against the 7-foot-2, 500-pound Big Show. As the Big Show
walked to the ring, he was attacked by the mysterious female ninja who has
helped out Raven in recent weeks. Big Show went to attack the woman, but
Raven ran up the ramp to meet his foe. As the match began, a popcorn vendor
came out from the crowd to attack Raven, and the vendor scored a two-count,
taking advantage of the 24-7 rule! After the pinfall was broken up, the
vendor -- revealed to be Crash -- continued his assault on the champ, as did
Hardcore Holly, Steve Blackman and Billy Gunn! In fact, Billy Gunn pinned
Raven to win the Hardcore Title! But Billy didn't escape in time. The melee
continued in the ring, and Raven soon regained his title from Billy Gunn!
But still the match continued! Down to the ring ran the mystery woman,
followed closely by Molly Holly! Moments after they were knocked from the
ring, the Big Show gave Raven a huge chokeslam onto a trash can, winning the
Hardcore Championship!
- Winner and New Champion: Big Show
• Intercontinental Championship: Chris Jericho vs. X-Pac vs. Chris Benoit
vs. Eddie Guerrero
- Prior to the match, Lilian Garcia interviewed Chris Benoit and Eddie
Guerrero. The two Radicalz said they would co-exist in the Fatal Fourway
match. Intercontinental Champion Chris Jericho was definitely the underdog
in this match, as Benoit, Guerrero and X-Pac are all his sworn enemies.
Indeed, as the match began, Jericho was the target of numerous double-teams
and triple-teams. Despite his four-month absence due to injury, X-Pac showed
no signs of ring rust in the bout, nearly winning the title on several
occasions. The Radicalz' apparent alliance almost worked early on, as Benoit
locked X-Pac in the Crossface in the middle of the ring. But Jericho knocked
out Guerrero and broke up the submission hold. Moments later, Guerrero
almost won the title with a frog splash on X-Pac, but Y2J again broke up the
fall. The Radicalz' alliance quickly disintegrated, however, and Guerrero
and Benoit had a fist fight in the middle of the ring. As the match wore on,
it was every man for himself. As Guerrero went for a frog splash, he was met
by Benoit on the top rope, where the Wolverine delivered a massive
superplex! The crowd chanted "Y2J" as Jericho rolled Benoit into the Walls
of Jericho. As Guerrero ran in, Y2J let go and put Latino Heat in the
devastating move! Then X-Pac ran in and suffered the same fate! X-Pac's
buddy, Justin Credible, came down to save his friend from the move -- and in
the process, helped Benoit earn a two-count on Jericho! As the action
spilled out of control, Jericho hit a Lionsault on Guerrero for two. X-Pac
then hit the X-factor on Jericho, until Benoit broke up the fall. Benoit
then hit a top-rope diving headbutt onto Guerrero, but was met with a
spinning heel kick by X-Pac for his troubles. As X-Pac celebrated, Jericho
rolled him up and shockingly retained his Intercontinental Title!
- Winner and Still Champion: Chris Jericho
• Mr. McMahon and William Regal talked in the locker room. Mr. McMahon told
Regal that the Stephanie/Trish match was Regal's idea. Mr. McMahon said that
Stephanie was daddy's little girl, and Trish was his good friend. He told
Regal that he was confident that Regal would know what to do, and when the
time was right, Regal would know exactly what to do.
• At WWF New York, European Champion Test said he hoped Stephanie and Trish
would beat the heck out of each other.
• Stephanie McMahon-Helmsley versus Trish Stratus
- Stephanie speared Trish as the match began, and both women looked
determined to prove that they were the dominant female in the World
Wrestling Federation. Stephanie dominated the attack early on, nailing Trish
with a snap mare, and pulling Trish's hair out by the roots! The women
continued their fight outside the ring, where Stephanie jumped off the
guardrail and hit Trish with a clothesline! As Stephanie tried suplexing
Trish to the outside, Trish reversed the move and snapped Stephanie's neck
on the top rope. Trish then brought Stephanie into the ring and slapped the
taste out of her mouth, before nailing Stephanie with a bulldog! Trish could
only earn a two-count after that, however. After Stephanie punched Trish in
the face, Trish hit Stephanie with a DDT, but again, Stephanie kicked out.
Trish then climbed to the top rope and locked Stephanie in an illegal choke
hold! But Stephanie slammed Trish off the top rope! Stephanie then threw
Trish to the outside, where she drove her face-first onto the announce table
three times! Stephanie then threw a pitcher of water onto Trish! Back in the
ring, Trish went for a hurricanrana, which Stephanie reversed into a
powerbomb, again for a two-count. Stephanie then stripped Trish of her
pants, and spanked her! Stephanie continued ripping at Trish's clothes and
choking her adversary. With both women down, William Regal ran to the ring
and put Trish on top of Stephanie, but when the ref got to two, Regal
second-guessed himself, and he put Stephanie's foot on the bottom rope!
Trish got mad and slapped Regal. The goodwill ambassador responded by
knocking Trish out! Stephanie then covered Trish for the win!
- Winner: Stephanie McMahon-Helmesly
• Backstage, Mr. McMahon stopped William Regal and screamed at him! "I
thought you knew what I wanted," screamed the owner! Mr. McMahon said that
he and Trish would now face Regal and Stephanie for RAW!
• Two Out of Three Falls: Steve Austin versus Triple H
* FIRST FALL *
- This match was the culmination of years of bad blood and brutal attacks.
After over a month of not being able to touch each other, Stone Cold Steve
Austin and Triple H absolutely tore into each other! The Game went for the
Pedigree early on, but Austin countered with an armbreaker. The fight then
spilled to the outside, where Austin drove Triple H into the ringsteps and
ringpost. Back in the ring, the Game again went for a Pedigree, but his arm
was still hurting after being driven into the ringpost, so Triple H couldn't
hold Austin. Stone Cold continued his assault on the Game, focusing on the
left arm. The Rattlesnake then hit a Lou Thesz Press for a near-fall. When
Austin went for an elbow from the second rope, the Game kicked Stone Cold
right in the face, snapping Austin's neck. The Game followed up with two
swinging neckbreakers. Triple H centered his attack on Austin's neck, which
was surgically repaired one year ago. The Game also assaulted Austin's
oft-injured knees. The Rattlesnake tried to battle back, but Triple H bore
down on Austin's knees with a painful figure-four leglock. Austin finally
reversed the figure-four, but the Game got to the ropes, and the battle
continued. The Rattlesnake battled back with fists and fire, hitting another
Lou Thesz Press for another near-fall. Austin then went for a Stunner, which
Triple H countered, but Stone Cold did manage to hit the Game with a
clothesline. The Game then countered another Stunner attempt into a
neckbreaker, and yet another Stunner into a roll-up, for a near fall. The
Game then hit Austin below the belt, but Austin finally hit a Stunner and
pinned Triple H to win the first fall!
- First Fall Winner: Steve Austin
• Two Out of Three Falls: Steve Austin versus Triple H
* SECOND FALL: STREET FIGHT *
- The street fight started outside the ring, as Stone Cold twice suplexed
Triple H onto the steel ramp. Stone Cold also broke a television monitor
over Triple H's head! The Rattlesnake threw two chairs in the ring, as
Triple H tried to leave the ringside area through the crowd. Stone Cold
wouldn't allow it, however, and the two men battled among the fans in Las
Vegas! Back in the ring, Triple H tried to hit Austin with a chair, but
Austin kicked the Game away. Stone Cold then hammered the Game with a chair
repeatedly, hitting Triple H over the head, on the back, on the knees --
everywhere! Amazingly, the Game then kicked out of a pinfall attempt! The
Game again tried to escape through the crowd, but Austin brought him back to
the ringside area. Austin then reached under the announce table and pulled
out a 2x4 wrapper in barbed wire, much like the one Mick Foley used to
attack Triple H at last year's No Way Out! But Triple H gained control of
the barbed-wire bat and hit Austin right in the face, busting the
Rattlesnake open! Triple H attacked the bloody Rattlesnake atop the
announcer's table. The Game then went to give Austin a Pedigree onto the
announce table, but Austin countered and backdropped the Game through the
Spanish announcer's table! The Rattlesnake then assaulted the Game with a
beer can! But back in the ring, Triple H almost took Austin's head off,
knocking Stone Cold in the head with the ring bell. Shockingly, Austin
kicked out at two! The Game followed up with a neckbreaker onto a steel
chair, but again, Austin kicked out of the pinfall. Stone Cold then locked
Triple H in a sleeper, but the Game escaped by suplexing Austin onto the
chair. The Game then tried to give Austin a Pedigree onto the chair, but
Stone Cold instead backdropped Triple H over the top rope, all the way to
the outside. Outside the ring, Austin creamed Triple H with a steel chair,
and then hit him in the head with the steel ring steps! Those massive shots
were enough to bust Triple H wide open! The Game then reached under the
announcer's table and grabbed a sledgehammer! Triple H was about to hit
Austin, but Stone Cold punched the Game in the gut, causing him to drop the
sledgehammer. Back in the ring, the Game nailed Austin in the face with the
sledgehammer! After a Pedigree, Triple H pinned Austin to win the second
fall.
- Second Fall Winner: Triple H
• Two Out of Three Falls: Steve Austin versus Triple H
* THIRD FALL: CAGE MATCH *
- There was literally "No Way Out" as the cage lowered for the third and
deciding fall of this amazing battle. As the fall began, Triple H bounced
Austin's head off the sides of the cage. The Game then picked up the
barbed-wire bat and brutally raked it across Stone Cold's face! The
Rattlesnake then got control of the barbed wire, and raked it across the
Game's face! Moments later, Triple H gave Austin a DDT onto a chair. But
Stone Cold got a sudden burst of adrenaline, and Stone Cold went wild,
punching out the Game, cursing him on every blow! The Game then tried to
climb out of the cage to escape the Rattlesnake, but Stone Cold caught him.
The two slugged it out on the top rope, and Austin drove the Game's head
into the cage. Austin threw the Game from the top rope, but the Game kicked
out yet again. Stone Cold then went for a Stunner, but the Game reversed it
into a Pedigree! But again, Austin kicked out! Stone Cold then picked up the
barbed-wire bat, just as Triple H picked up the chair. The Game scored
first, nailing Austin over the head. Triple H then went for another
Pedigree, but Austin reversed and sling-shotted the Game into the cage.
Austin then hit a Stone Cold Stunner, but the Game kicked out! The Game then
picked up the sledgehammer, just as Austin picked up the barbed-wire bat.
The two hit each other at the same time, knocking each other out cold! But
Triple H was lucky enough to fall on top of the Rattlesnake -- and an
unconscious Triple H pinned an unconscious Stone Cold to win the fall and
the match! After the match, both men were very slow to get up. When they
did, Austin gave Triple H a thunderous Stunner!
- Third Fall Winner: Triple H
- Match Winner: Triple H
• Steven Richards versus Jerry Lawler
- According to a pre-match stipulation, Steven agreed to let Kat get naked
if he lost to Lawler. If he were to beat Lawler, then Kat would become
property of the Right to Censor. Tazz joined J.R. on commentary for the
match. Steven Richards -- who was accompanied to ringside by Women's
Champion Ivory -- looked more focused than ever against Jerry Lawler, who
was seconded by The Kat. The King was dressed in leopard-skin tights in
honor of his shapely friend. Steven denounced Lawler as a "pervert" as the
match began, but it was The King who got the early advantage with a number
of right hands. An irate Richards ripped his shirt off in anger, as it
seemed he could not gain an advantage against Lawler. Outside the ring, The
Kat slapped Ivory, and Richards knocked Lawler into the ringpost. Back in
the ring, Steven missed an avalanche, and Lawler capitalized, repeatedly
punching Richards in the corner before assaulting him with a bulldog,
earning a two-count. The crowd chanted for puppies as Steven gained
advantage. The leader of the Right to Censor brought a chair into the ring
as Ivory distracted the ref. But Lawler hit Richards with a low blow and
then two consecutive DDTs. When Lawler went for the pin, however, Ivory
distracted the ref. As Kat distracted the ref, Lawler bodyslammed Ivory.
Richards had the presence of mind to grab Ivory's Women's Championship, but
when he went to hit Lawler, The King ducked. Steven then grabbed King, and
Kat grabbed the Women's Championship. But when she went to hit The King, she
accidentally hit Lawler, and Steven pinned The King for the win. After the
bout, the Right to Censor wrapped Kat in a burlap sack and took her away.
- Winner: Steven Richards
• Tag Team Championship Table Match: Dudley Boyz vs. Kane/Underatker vs.
Edge/Christian
- Prior to the match, the Undertaker and Kane said that this match wouldn't
be about the Tag Team Championship -- it would instead be about pain and
suffering. Edge & Christian were uneasy about getting in the ring at first,
what with the imposing presence of the Undertaker and Kane standing before
them. E&C avoided the initial skirmish as the Dudleyz battled Kane & Taker.
D-Von was soon knocked right off the ramp! Edge & Christian set up a table
at ringside as the fight moved to the ringside area. Kane & Taker grabbed
E&C and knocked their heads off the announcer's table! Indeed, Kane & Taker
completely dominated the five-time champions from the get-go! The Dudleyz
soon got back into the match, nailing Taker & Kane with massive chairshots!
That took the monsters out of the match momentarily, as the Dudleyz battled
E&C inside the ring. Edge & Christian then went outside the ring and grabbed
a couple of steel chairs, but Buh Buh Ray Dudley ducked when the duo went
for a con-chair-to. Edge then hit Christian with a chair by accident, and
the Dudleyz hit the "wassap!" headbutt on Edge! Buh Buh then told D-Von to
get a table! But when D-Von went for the table, he was bombarded by Kane and
the Undertaker. Back in the ring, Kane & Taker nailed Edge & Christian with
a pair of running powerslams. Kane & Taker then climbed to the top rope of
opposite corners, and hit E&C with a pair of monstrous clotheslines! The
Undertaker then put a table into the ring, as did Kane! All six men slugged
it out, with the four smaller competitors managing to knock Kane & Taker
from the ring. D-Von set up a table in the ring, and the Dudleyz signalled
that they would give Christian a 3-D through the table, but the Undertaker
stopped that. Taker was then about to chokeslam Christian through the table,
but he was hit with a low blow. Edge & Christian then tried to suplex the
Taker through the table, but Kane moved the table just in time. Kane & Taker
then hit E&C with a pair of chokeslams, and then hit the Dudleyz with two
more chokeslams! The crowd cheered wildly as Kane and Taker set up a pair of
tables. But as Kane & Taker both prepared to powerbomb Edge & Christian
through the tables, Haku and Rikishi ran to the ring to break up the
festivities. Kane & Taker fought with the Samoan warriors outside the ring
as Edge & Christian fought with the Dudleyz inside. As Christian pounded on
D-Von, D-Von hoisted Christian onto his shoulders, and Buh Buh and D-Von
gave Christian a monstrous 3-D through a table to retain their titles!
- Winners and Still Champions: Dudley Boyz
• Heavyweight Championship: Kurt Angle versus The Rock
- Prior to the match, Michael Cole interviewed The Rock. The People's
Champion simply said "tick, tock, tick, tock," and told Angle that his reign
as champion was over. The Rock stared down Angle with an intensity like
never before as the match got underway. As the Olympian talked smack to the
People's Champion, The Rock simply stared down Angle down. Rock pounded on
Angle as the match got underway, and Angle pounded right back. Early on,
Angle tried to put Rock in the ankle lock, but the People's Champion grabbed
the ropes. Angle then knocked Rock down with a belly-to-belly suplex and a
body throw. But Rock answered back with a body throw of his own. The Rock
then assaulted Angle with several right hands. Rock then put Angle in a
sharpshooter, but the Federation Champion was able to make it to the ropes.
Rock stayed in control, however, hitting a Samoan drop for a two-count.
Angle soon knocked The Rock down, and then went to the top rope, only to
have Rock knock him down. The People's Champion then hit the Federation
Champion with a top-rope superplex! Angle threw Rock over the top rope, and
the People's Champion looked to have hurt his ankle on the fall. But the
People's Champion nailed Angle with a DDT! Suddenly, the Big Show's music
played through the arena, and the 500-pounder walked to the ring. The Show
chokeslammed the referee, and then chokeslammed both Angle and Rock before
leaving the ringside area! Angle covered The Rock, but the referee was out.
After a few moments, Earl Hebner ran to the ring, but Rock was able to kick
out. Rock then went outside the ring to grab the Federation Championship.
With the referee distracted, the People's Champion nailed Angle in the face
with the title, but Angle kicked out! Still favoring his injured ankle, The
Rock went for Angle, but the Olympian knocked Rock down and snared him in an
ankle lock! Rocky suffered for nearly a minute until he finally made it to
the ropes, but the damage was done. Angle continued his assault on Rock's
ankle, but The Rock roared back. He soon caught Angle in a spinebuster and
hit the People's Elbow! But Angle kicked out at two, much to Rock's
surprise! The fight continued, and Angle hit Rock with a low blow. With Rock
down, Angle took off a turnbuckle pad, exposing the steel. Rock then went
for a Rock Bottom, but Angle reversed it, and knocked Rock's head into the
turnbuckle! Angle then hit an Olympic slam, but amazingly, Rock kicked out
of the pinfall! Moments later, Rock threw Angle sternum-first into the
exposed turnbuckle and hit a Rock Bottom for a two-count! After that, Rock
picked up Angle in a Rock Bottom and pinned Angle to become the first-ever
six-time World Wrestling Federation Champion!
