Welcome to the second instalment of Tybo Talks 2003, this month we are talking No Way Out
If you want to read my Tybo Talks… Royal Rumble 2003 CLICK HERE!
The idea was simple, with the ease of access to pretty much all of WWE’s back catalogue on the WWE Network I thought it would be cool to change it up a bit and do some classic review and drop them on the day they were held. Where better to start than 15 years ago. The plan is to review every PPV of 2003 while watching all Raw and Smackdown episodes in between.
Now before I go any further, I’m not really going to explain the matches move for move. No one needs that, the PPV is on the WWE Network. This is going to be my thoughts on the booking and general thoughts about the matches and the event.
The Stats
This is the fourth annual No Way Out PPV
Venue – Bell Centre. Montreal, Quebec, Canada
Attendance – 15,100
Theme Song – “Bring Me to Life” by Evanescence
Fun Fact: This is the first WWE PPV that was held in Montreal after the ‘Montreal Screwjob’ in 1997
The first interesting thing about this PPV is that there is no opening vignette hyping the event. Although the stage looks awesome with the huge chains and padlock like the logo. The event starts at the commentary table. Where we find out JR is not there, so it will be ‘The King’ and Coach commentating for Raw.
Chris Jericho vs Jeff Hardy
It feels like Jeff is treading water a lot recently, he has no real feuds or storylines he is involved with. He even attacked Shawn Michaels to ‘get noticed’ and ended up being his new best friend. It’s strange seeing him trying to find his feet when Matt is over on Smackdown and is 100% into his V1 gimmick.
FunFact: This match was meant to be Jericho vs Test after Jericho hit Stacy Keibler with a chair, but Test and Stacy missed a Raw so Test was switched for Jeff Hardy.
This whole match seems like a bit of a none-feud, Jericho has been going back and forward with Michaels, and with Jeff being his new buddy this seemed like a way to carry that on without having Jericho vs Michaels. The match itself is standard, Jeff gets a beatdown for 90% of the match and hits one or two big moves. The match ended with one of the most painful looking ‘Walls of Jericho’ I had seen in a while. Winner: Chris Jericho
FunFact: This would be Jeff Hardy’s last WWE PPV until Unforgiven 2006
Michaels attacks Jericho after the match, seemingly setting up their Wrestlemania match.
Backstage: Teases the appearance of Stone Cold Steve Austin showing his pickup truck.
Raw World Tag Team Championship
Lance Storm & William Regal (c) vs RVD & Kane
RVD and Kane have been partners, opponents, partners again. Kane threw RVD out the Royal Rumble and a month later they are getting a Tag Team Championship match. That makes sense…
Fun Fact: RVD debuted at last years No Way Out PPV.
I honestly can’t say enough good things about Strom and Regal, they don’t get the credit they deserve for being a perfect heel partnership. The technical ability of both guys who know their craft inside out and their ability to make every move they execute look aggressive is something missing from today’s product.
There is a moment in this match where Kane clearly knocks out Regal with a slam, and he is groggy for the remainder of the match. The finish of the match focuses on Kane and RVD not being on the same page when Kane ends up Choke-slamming RVD after Strom shifted Kane’s mask. Winners: William Regal & Lance Storm (Still World Tag Team Champions)
Backstage: Josh Matthews asks Matt Hardy about cutting weight for the Cruiserweight Championship. Matt sees Jeff and eats a huge slap.
Cruiserweight Championship
Billy Kidman (C) vs Matt Hardy
Hardy has been telling everyone that he has cut enough weight to compete for the Cruiserweight Championship in just one week (he is apparently now under 215lb, this was the weight limit of the division in 2003) The build to this match has been great and has got the Cruiserweight Championship looking like a legitimate title. Matt is killing it with his V1 gimmick, and the addition of his ‘MF’er’ Shannon Moore just tips it over the edge.
As you would expect this match is a slower pace to most Cruiserweight Championship matches, but Kidman’s athleticism is amazing to watch, every move he hits seems to be executed perfectly. After a lot of false finishes, Matt hits a huge ‘Twist of Fate’ off the ropes. Winner: Matt Hardy (New Cruiserweight Champion)
Backstage: Edge has been attacked and is out cold. He was a part of Team Lesnar in tonight’s match, so Benoit is distraught.
Undertaker vs Big Show
This one is four months in the making. Four months ago, Undertaker had just walked out of a brutal Hell in a Cell match with Lesnar and was attacked by Big Show, and thrown off the stage resulting in ‘Taker being out for three months.
Fun Fact: This sabbatical was due to Undertaker’s (then) wife Sara being pregnant with their first child.
Big Show had not been at Smackdown for the last three weeks but sent ‘presents’ to Undertaker. First was a singing telegram (Brian Kendrick’s debut), the second was ‘Brother Love’ (Bruce Prichard’s gimmick in the early 90s) and third was Kanyon dressed as Boy George.
FunFact: Brother Love (Bruce Prichard) was the original manager of The Undertaker in his PPV debut at Survivor Series 1990.
I loved this dominant, angry, giant gimmick of Big Show, they should never have flip-flopped him so much over the years and made him into a joke. Undertaker almost walks into this one as the underdog, getting man-handled, suplexed and bearhugged. Undertaker turns it around, even trying a Last Ride (imagine that) but out comes A-Train, for seemingly no reason. Undertaker takes out both guys, even wins the match by using the triangle choke (Hells Gate) for the first time. Winner: Undertaker
Big Show and A-Train beat down ‘Taker after the match, this is the set up to their Wrestlemania match.
Backstage: Vince walks up to Eric Bischoff and Chief Morley and says if anyone interferes in his match with Austin, they will be fired!
Team Angle (Kurt Angle, Shelton Benjamin & Charlie Haas) vs Brock Lesnar and Chris Benoit (Edge is out)
This was obviously meant to be a 3-on-3 match but with Edge out, it’s a handicap match. Do Lesnar and Benoit even need Edge?
FunFact: It was never actually revealed (or really mentioned) who attacked Edge before the match.
Edge actually suffered a series neck injury and needed spinal fusion surgery.
Lesnar is a machine, and he already beat Benjamin and Haas single-handed on the Smackdown before this PPV. I would usually be pretty annoyed with the WWE Champion and Tag Team Champions all in one none-title match, but with Lesnar being Mr Royal Rumble 2003, I would be far more annoyed if this was Angle vs Lesnar when they are set to wrestle at Wrestlemania.
Team Angle is so good together, they are a perfect fit for a faction and Benjamin and Haas help Angle get over as a solid heel. This whole match is full of near-perfect ground-based technical wrestling, every time Angle and Benoit are in the ring together it is nothing short of magic. The finish is Benoit eventually getting Haas to tap to the cross-face. Winners: Brock Lesnar and Chris Benoit
*Match of the Night* *Hidden Gem*
World Heavyweight Championship
Triple H (C) vs Scott Stiner
‘Evolution just passed you by’ Evolution is now in full force on Raw, and no one is safe. Over the last few weeks, Stiner has taken more than one 4-on-1 beatdowns. Although this is a re-match from Royal Rumble they are clearly making Stiner look strong as he has been destroying Triple H before Evolution’s involvement.
I am a fan of Stiner, he is an absolute monster, but he is unfortunately not the best wrestler (when has that ever held anyone back) Triple H carries the bulk of this match, just like their match at Royal Rumble.
Their matches are always a slower pace than most, which is not always a bad thing but, in this case, there seems to be no real connection or chemistry between the two guys. The most energetic thing that happens in the match is Flair losing his mind over Triple H taking a beating.
As you would expect Evolution get involved and in the confusion Triple H hits a Pedigree and retains his championship. Winner: Triple H (Still World Heavyweight Champion)
Eric Bischoff vs Stone Cold Steve Austin
A desperate Bischoff has 30 days to ‘turn Raw around’ or Vince is going to fire him. Bischoff’s idea was simple, get ‘The Rattlesnake’ back in WWE. Bischoff even goes to Texas to personally as Austin to come back. JR then informs Bischoff that Austin will, in fact, be at No Way Out, but he wants to wrestle Bischoff.
*Glass Smashes* This is the biggest crowd pop I have heard in months. Stone Cold is back in the WWE.
Austin dives on Bischoff and does every vintage Stone Cold move he has in his setlist, working the crowd like an absolute champ. Austin hits the Stunner, makes Bischoff kick-out, another Stunner, another ‘kick-out’, one last Stunner and finally a pin. After the match, Austin celebrates longer than the match lasted. Winner: Stone Cold Steve Austin
The Rock vs Hulk Hogan
Rock vs Hogan was easily one of the best matches of 2002, and WWE is trying to catch lightning in a bottle once again with Rock vs Hogan II. This match is happening because Vince wants to kill Hulkamania. Vince announced that the match would be Rock vs Hogan, Rock had been away shooting a movie so when Rock showed up (via satellite) we got ‘Hollywood’ Rock.
This reminds me a lot of The Miz’s ‘Must See’ gimmick, only Miz does it better, yeah I said it.
This match starts with a whole lot of nothing, with far too much showboating and the Rock being a heel. When the match does get rolling there is no real build on moves, it’s all a bit hit and miss. Hogan gets some momentum and the lights go out. The referee is ‘out cold’ so The Rock hits Hogan with a chair and Vince is looking on loving every second. This is a strange finish to go with and feels like no-one really knows exactly what’s happening, and nothing is really explained. Winner: The Rock
After the match, Vince is back in the ring taunting a beaten and bloody Hulk Hogan to close the show.
Overall
This was not the best PPV, which isn’t all that shocking as a lot of feuds are waiting to really kick in till Wrestlemania, we all know the PPV before Wrestlemania isn’t needed.
This PPV had the potential to be great but just didn’t deliver. There was no match that stood out as an instant classic. Match of the Night would have to go to Team Angle vs Team Lesnar, If your looking for a great technical match that you probably forgot about, I would highly recommend this hidden gem.
The Rock vs Hulk Hogan rematch was poor compared to their match at Wrestlemania, which was nothing short of amazing. The saving grace of this PPV was the long-awaited return of Stone Cold, but even that didn’t need to be a ‘match’ if you can call it that.
Tybometer 2003
Royal Rumble – 3.5/5
No Way Out – 2/5
Tybo Talks 2002 will be back for Tybo Talks Wrestlemania X8
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