Welcome to the SLTD PPV Rewind, a retrospective column looking back at the PPVs of 2006, a decade after they happened. This time, it’s the No Way Out.
Cruiserweight Open For The Cruiserweight Championship
Gregory Helms Vs. Scotty 2 Hotty Vs. Paul London Vs. Brian Kendrick Vs. Funaki Vs. Psicosis Vs. Super Crazy Vs. Nunzio Vs. Kid Kash
Holy clusterfuck, Batman. Clearly playing off the success of the Cruiserweight Open at the Royal Rumble, here’s another but this time, all Smackdown Cruiserweights are eligible in order to further the rivalry versus the outcast champion, Gregory Helms.
Very fast paced, a lot of individual moments for each competitor including tag team spots between Londrick and The Mexicools. Stuff like this makes me excited for the upcoming Cruiserweight Tournament on the Network. I recommend this is you’re into this kind of match, which I am.
Gregory Helms steals the win after Super Crazy hits a moonsault onto Kid Kash who was attempting to pin Psicosis. Good opener.
3/5
Kristal is backstage with some very odd microphone holding skills; holding it to the side of her face so her cleavage is very much dead centre of the frame. Coincedence? I think not. Finlay interrupts, looking for a fight, picks up Kristal, takes her to the ring, Bobby Lashley makes the save only for a wild JBL to appear, leading to….
Bobby Lashley Vs. JBL
Lashley showcases a lot of his strength and athleticism in this match, including a rather awkward looking stalling suplex. JBL was nearing the end of this run, and you can tell. He slowly became a cowardly figure as opposed to the no-nonsense champion he was twelve months prior.
Very generic, slow paced match between two big men, which often resembled two cars driving into each other at times. JBL gets the win after Finlay distracts with a shillelagh leading to a clothesline from hell and Lashley’s undefeated streak being broken – Maybe there should have been a bit more story to this.
2/5
WWE Tag Team Champions – MNM Vs. Matt Hardy & Tatanka
So, this is a non-title, open challenge/challenge for Matt Hardy to find a tag team partner which ended up being Tatanka. Bit of a let down, crowd didn’t really know who Tatanka was.
Extremely standard fare, nothing spectacular here. I guess this kind of stuff is what became issue with single branded PPVS, filler matches that, while they give more people a spotlight, are a bit of a waste of time. Hardy & Tatanka win after a samoan drop and twist of fate in stereo.
2/5
United States Championship – Booker T Vs. Chris Benoit
Coming off their best of seven series, both men have ANOTHER match for the United States Championship. I like both men as much as the next guy but this could have and should have been something new.
After much backing away from an ‘injured’ Booker T, we get a solid, as expected bout from both. The story of this one was well executed with Benoit focussing on Booker’s injury ultimately making him tap to the Crossface after applying a sharpshooter for a considerable amount of time.
3/5
Rey Mysterio’s Wrestlemania Match On The Line – Rey Mysterio Vs. Randy Orton
Typically speaking, I’m not a huge fan of the “putting Wrestlemania match on the line” storyline. It’s an excuse to fill that month or two gap begin someone winning the Rumble and their Championship match at Wrestlemania. They’ve done it with Rey, Reigns and probably more that I can’t recall.
Orton played the cocky villain superbly during this rivalry; yes it exploited Eddie’s death and I wish they’d gone another way about it but it was perfect for Orton. Rey was the usual underdog, playing the wounded well after Orton targeted his arm throughout.
A solid showing from both with heightened drama towards the end. Orton wins after a roll up with the ropes, which left the crowd deadly silent. Not all is lost kids, Teddy Long lets Rey go to Mania anyway, essentially undermining this entire match and stipulation.
Maybe it should have just been a case of, if Orton wins, he goes to Mania AS WELL AS Rey. Furthers the underdog story then.
3/5
World Heavyweight Championship – Kurt Angle Vs. Undertaker
This should have been a Wrestlemania match. Have Orton worm in way in and cheat to win the World Heavyweight Championship beforehand and the Angle gets obsessed with breaking the streak. Would have been much better than the Mark Henry match.
Extremely physical and technical, showcasing both’s pure ability and skill. I believe that this is the point Taker began to care for/ensure top quality matches. A pure wrestling clinic that makes this PPV worth watching.
Angle wins after expertly bridging out from Taker’s Hell’s Gate submission, giving Kurt the 1,2,3.
4/5
Final Thoughts:
Solid matches and a fantastic main event. Give it a go and just skip over the middle card lull.
17/30 – C
Follow me on Twitter – @ALFarrand
SLTD Wrestling brings you all the greatest wrestling content. from blogs, to podcasts to exclusive Predictions and Fantasy Leagues.
Recent Comments