Top 8 No Way Out Matches

Since I'm pretty much caught up on all WWE PPVs, I need something else to do with my time. I've never really tackled a Top 10 kind of list before, so I thought I'd give it a try. Instead of 10, however, I wanted to go for 8. A lot of people go for 10, but 8 just seems right to me. It can be in a list of the greatest things or the most hated things. It just fits. With that in mind, here's my first Top 8 list.

We're not too far away from Fastlane, WWE's penultimate PPV event before WrestleMania. Before Fastlane, the classic February PPV was No Way Out. Starting in 1998, and continuing to be a yearly tradition after 2000, No Way Out has put on many classic wrestling encounters. The goal for this list was to look at my favorite 8 matches to watch in the No Way Out catalog. The only stipulation I have for PPV lists like this is to have one entry per PPV, just to add some variety. On with the list...


Number 8: Jeff Hardy vs. Chris Jericho (No Way Out 2003)

I'll get things started with a simple opener. Jeff Hardy was on his way out from the company for the first time early in 2003, so I like that this was his PPV swan song against an opponent like Jericho. In Montreal, a place where Jericho can actually get some cheers while being a complete tool, this match served as a hot way to get the crowd going, as their back and forth action had the audience cheering for both sides. It kind of reminded me of a WCW Cruiserweight match, so it played to Jericho's roots in wrestling, while also utilizing Hardy's high-flying move set. There's nothing overly complex with this match. It's just a fun opener where their chemistry works really well.

Number 7: John Cena vs. Kurt Angle (No Way Out 2005)

I'll go on record to call this the gem of No Way Out. Like it or not, this match was probably the beginning of Super Cena. They did a good job of calling this a miss match situation. Everyone was building up Cena as an underdog, thinking he had no shot at beating Kurt Angle and going on to Mania. The match is a pretty good way to get Cena over as a credible Mania main eventer. Showcase Angle's wrestling abilities and give Cena the comeback victory. Cena really kicks it into a higher gear, pretty much Hulking up towards the end. By the end of the match, there were probably a lot of fans that said "if Cena can beat Kurt Angle, then he probably could take the WWE Championship from JBL at WrestleMania." Whether you like the formula or not, this is one of the first executions of that formula and not a bad way to introduce it.

Number 6: Batista and Undertaker vs. John Cena and Shawn Michaels (No Way Out 2007)

You don't get much more star studded for a tag team match. This match pitted the two WrestleMania 23 main events against each other, and for a PPV main event that was made 2 weeks before the show, this worked REALLY well. Every match in the ring was a dream match. Cena vs. Undertaker, Batista vs. Cena, Michaels vs. Batista, and Undertaker vs. Michaels. Add the psychology of whether they can trust their partners, the fact that neither team has an advantage, the momentum is always switching, and the ending adds a huge level of depth to one of the Mania main events. It's a great way to end a show on a note of uncertainty. You want to see the shows heading into Mania to see how the storyline progresses. You want to see how bitter and personal it can get. Because by the time you get to WrestleMania, tension and anticipation needs to be at an all-time high. This match got the build to Mania 23 on the right path.

Number 5: Edge vs. Vladimir Kozlov vs. Triple H vs. Big Show vs. Jeff Hardy vs. Undertaker (No Way Out 2009)

I really wanted to include only one Elimination Chamber match on the list, and this one is the best entry. Looking at that list alone, 5 of the greatest modern era performers are featured in this match. And at the time, these were the 6 most over and developed talents in the main event scene. It only made sense to include them in a match for the WWE Championship. This match really boils down to a lively Seattle crowd, the shock of the first elimination, and the final two men fighting for the opportunity to walk into The 25th Anniversary of WrestleMania holding the richest prize in the industry. It's a Chamber match that keeps me entertained every time I watch it, and definitely the most star studded opening match in No Way Out history.

Number 4: Triple H vs. Cactus Jack (No Way Out 2000)

The story told in this match picks up from an amazing Street Fight between the two at the Royal Rumble, and adds a bigger stipulation. The Game put his belt on the line against Cactus Jack's career. From there, it's a great Hell in a Cell match that played to the strengths of the both competitors and the gimmick of the match itself. From the door being locked to prevent Cactus from escaping and jumping from the cell, to the flaming barbed wire 2 x 4, to Cactus falling through the cell and breaking through the ring, this match showed just how much Triple H wanted to keep his title and retire Cactus Jack, while also showing what Jack was willing to do to keep his career and headline WrestleMania as WWE Champion. Something had to give. That's quality storytelling, and if it wasn't for the obvious fact that Mick Foley went on to have a few more matches after this "retirement" match, this match would be higher ranked.

Number 3: Kurt Angle vs. Undertaker (No Way Out 2006)

This is one of the best main event matches I have ever seen on a PPV that had little to no actual build for it. There was no intense, bitter hatred for the other. There was no major stipulation added like a Hell in a Cell or a Street Fight, nothing like that. It was just two guys fighting for the World Heavyweight Championship. Kurt Angle wanted to keep his title, and Undertaker wanted to take it. Simple story, but the result is an epic match that could have main evented WrestleMania. There's near falls, multiple finishers, in-ring and out of ring psychology, and your standard crash through the Spanish Announce Table. The controversial ending also didn't conclusively settle things. It left the door wide open for a match down the road. True, that match didn't happen, but you could tell that there was a thought of "he won by the skin of his teeth" among the audience, the commentators, and the two competitors.

Number 2: Stone Cold Steve Austin vs. Triple H (No Way Out 2001)

This might be the match most people were expecting to be the number one choice, since it usually is on most lists. But this is my list and my opinions. The three matches work, the rivalry was insanely personal, and it features two of the all-time greats. I'm not questioning that. But where the match JUST falls short of being the top spot is in the actual moment. This match should bring full closure to the feud and it doesn't. They're fighting in a regular match, a Street Fight, and a Steel Cage match, and it's another match that has a "winning by the skin of your teeth" ending. The moment is there for an epic conclusion, but that doesn't come. Immediately after the match, the loser beats up the winner. So, in my opinion, nothing was really solved in this moment. The video package helped sell me on the conclusion more than the match did. It's still a great match with obvious chemistry from Stone Cold and Triple H, but wrestling is also about creating a moment and this is just a great match, not a great moment with the proper payoff.

Number 1: Brock Lesnar vs. Eddie Guerrero (No Way Out 2004)

THIS is a great mach with the great moment and the proper payoff. Despite the Goldberg interference, this is still an amazing underdog story of a former addict fighting for the greatest prize in wrestling history and winning it. Kudos to both Eddie Guerrero and Brock Lesnar for selling this match so well. There's chain wrestling, power moves, submissions, in-ring psychology, and insightful commentary. This match is just pouring with emotion and storytelling and is one of my favorites to watch. It's a match I will openly admit to shedding a tear for each time I watch it because you can just feel that raw, emotional moment of Eddie Guerrero getting handed the torch and rewarded for all of his hard work over the years. And that is why this is the definitive No Way Out match, in my opinion.

Are there any that I'm forgetting? Is there one on this list that you think isn't deserving of a top spot? Well, let me know in the comments and also suggest what type of wrestling countdown you'd like to see me do next.


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