No Way Out
February 23rd, 2003
Bell Centre
Montreal, Quebec, Canada
 
Sunday Night Heat:
 
1. Rey Mysterio pins Jamie Noble (w/ Nidia) at 4:35.
 
Actual Show:
 
We see the opening video for No Way Out.
 
Your hosts are Jonathan Coachman and Jerry “The King” Lawler for RAW, and Michael Cole and Tazz for Smackdown.
 
Replacement: Coachman is replacing Jim Ross, who was injured by Eric Bischoff on RAW 6 nights ago.
 
1. Chris Jericho forces Jeff Hardy to tap out at 13:00.
 
Temp. Farewell: This is Jeff Hardy’s last WWE PPV until 2006
 
The Buildup/Replacement: On the 1/20 RAW, Rob Van Dam defeated Jeff in a match and Jeff attacked him afterwards out of frustration and later that night, Jericho fought Test and attempted to hit him with a chair only for Test to move and Jericho would accidentally hit Stacy Keibler with the chair. On the 1/27 RAW, Jeff lost a match to Booker T and again attempted to attack him afterwards only for Booker to fight him off, and later that night Jericho attempted to apologize for what happened last week only for Christian to tell him that Test should’ve been a man and taken the chair shot himself. Jericho agreed and badmouthed Test until Michaels interrupted and said he would face Jericho like a man as he fought both men off, and on the 2/3 RAW Test demanded Jericho apologize for what happened to Keibler though Jericho again refused and Christian would shove Test into Keibler. Later that night, Jeff attacked Rob Van Dam and Kane during a match only to be beaten down and Michaels would come out as he tried to motivate Jeff who refused his advice and tried to attack him only for Michaels to give him Sweet Chin Music. On the 2/10 RAW, it was announced Jericho would face Test in a match at the PPV as Test defeated Christian in a match and Christian attacked him afterwards as he then stalked Keibler only for Jeff to make the save, and later that night Jeff had a backstage confrontation with Michaels and would lose a match to Jericho. On the 2/17 RAW, Jeff and Michaels defeated Jericho and Christian in a No-DQ match despite Michaels being handcuffed to the post for most of the match, and it was announced that Jeff would replace Test in this match.
 
Analysis: We kick off this PPV with a pretty big matchup. Jericho was still having issues with Shawn Michaels and was set to face Test, but instead he will now face Jeff who was floating in the midcard and looks to get a big win here. Jeff gets a good pop from the crowd while Jericho gets a mixed reaction from the crowd. The two men lock up to start with Jericho backing Jeff into the corner and he gives a clean break as they lock up again with Jericho taking Jeff to the mat with a headlock, but Jeff escapes and works the arm until Jericho turns it around and flips Jeff to the mat as Jeff nips up and takes control. Jericho rolls through and nips up as he slaps Jeff in the face and Jeff fires up on him before hitting a backdrop, and he pounds on Jericho who reverses a whip and Jeff hits a headscissors on Jericho before pounding on him in the corner. He stomps on him until Jericho holds the ropes on a whip and he hits a clothesline on Jeff as he hits a back suplex and rams Jeff into the buckle, and he pounds on Jeff in the corner and whips him into the other corner only to miss a charge as he tumbles over the top to the floor. Jeff fakes Jericho out with a slingshot plancha and gets a kick in as he hits a springboard twisting senton onto Jericho on the floor, and he stomps on Jericho and throws him back into the ring as he hits a double slingshot moonsault on Jericho for a two count. He pounds on Jericho who holds the ropes on a whip and he slides outside to regroup only for Jeff to hit a baseball slide, and Jeff goes outside and runs the barricade as Jericho avoids a dive and Jeff lands on his feet only for Jericho to hotshot him on the steps. He throws Jeff back into the ring and kicks at him as he hits a delayed suplex and a low dropkick before hoisting him up for a slam, but Jeff hooks a small package for a two count and Jericho hits a dropkick as he hits a snapmare and hooks a submission on. Jeff fights to his feet and tries to break the hold only for Jericho to yank him to the mat by his hair and he pounds on him in the corner, and he whips Jeff into the other corner only to miss a charge and he rams his shoulder into the post as Jeff fires up on him. Jericho reverses a whip and Jeff hits a flying clothesline as he knocks him down repeatedly and Jericho reverses a whip, and Jeff catches him ducking by driving his knees into Jericho’s face for a two count and Jericho counters a whip as he ducks a shot and hits a standing enzurgiri for a two count. He stomps on Jeff and whips him into the corner as he hits the running bulldog only for Jeff to get his knees up on the Lionsault, and Jeff gets a kick in and hits a DDT on Jericho for a two count as he gets a kick in and Jericho reverses a whip into the corner. Jeff goes up top and hits Whisper in the Wind on Jericho for a two count as he kicks at him until Jericho avoids an enzurgiri and hooks the Walls of Jericho on, and Jeff reaches the ropes to force a break and Jericho pounds on him as Jeff backdrops him over the top with Jericho landing on the apron. He knocks Jeff down and goes up top only for Jeff to run up top and hits an armdrag on Jericho as he goes up top again and hits the Swanton Bomb for a two count, and he pounds on Jericho as the ref tries to get in between them and Jericho trips Jeff up only for Jeff to hook a small package for a two count. He pounds on Jericho in the corner and whips him into the other corner as Jericho attempts a springboard only for Jeff to hit a dropkick, and he hits a reverse Twist of Fate on Jericho and goes up top only to miss the Swanton and Jericho hits the Lionsault for a two count. He stomps on Jeff who escapes a back suplex attempt and hooks a rollup for a two count as Jericho ducks a shot, and he hits a sleeper slam on Jeff and uses the ropes for leverage for a two count as he stomps on him. He goes up top only for Jeff to crotch him on the top rope and he pounds on Jericho as he goes up himself, but Jericho counters a hurricanrana with a powerbomb off the top and he hooks the Walls of Jericho back on as Jeff taps out and Jericho wins the match. The match itself was good as both men worked hard and put on a solid match though it was a bit disappointing. Jericho was hitting his stride by this point while it was clear Jeff was struggling and getting sloppy, and they did have good chemistry as Jericho gets the clean win in his home country. The crowd was into the match and Jeff, but they did pop for Jericho when he won. Jericho gets the win over Jeff and both men move on. Grade: 3
 
After the match, Jericho keeps the hold on Jeff until Shawn Michaels runs down to the ring and attacks Jericho, but then Christian runs down to the ring and nails Michaels from behind as he pounds and kicks at him along with Jericho. Michaels ducks a double clothesline attempt and catches both men ducking with a double DDT as he clotheslines Jericho over the top to the floor and hits Sweet Chin Music on Christian.
 
We see Team Angle in their dressing room as Kurt Angle says that he’s going to prepare them for tonight as they are in Canada which is full of jealous people who have no Olympic heroes, and he says that the crowd might say “You Suck” but the fans suck because they are champions and he will be damned if they lose tonight as Lesnar will get a taste of what’s coming at WrestleMania and he has an idea to give them an early advantage.
 
We see a limo arrive to the arena as Evolution step out of it and head inside as we see Steve Austin’s truck parked behind them.
 
We see a shot outside the Bell Centre.
 
2. Lance Storm and William Regal defeat Rob Van Dam and Kane when Regal pins RVD at 9:20 to retain the World Tag Team Championships.
 
Temp. Farewell: This is William Regal’s last PPV until 2004
 
The Buildup/Title Change: On the 1/20 RAW, Chief Morley forced referee Nick Patrick to admit he made a mistake at the Rumble and demanded the Dudley Boyz forfeit the titles, but they refused and were beaten down by Storm and Regal as Morley made an impromptu title match and Regal and Storm would regain the titles. On the 1/27 RAW, Regal and Storm defeated the Dudleyz in a tables match to retain the titles thanks to 3-Minute Warning and Morley, and on the 2/17 RAW this match was made as RVD defeated Storm in a singles match.
 
Analysis: Our next match on the card is our first title match of the night. Storm and Regal won the tag titles back the night after the Rumble and look to have a successful defense here against RVD and Kane, who have been rolling as a team and look to become champions. RVD and Kane get a big pop from the crowd while Regal and Storm had solid heat as heels. RVD starts off the match with Storm and they lock up with RVD hooking a headlock and he knocks Storm down, and he flips over Storm’s back and attempts a monkey flip though Storm does a cartwheel out of it and RVD ducks a shot. Storm avoids a legsweep only for RVD to hit it on the second attempt and he hits a spinning legdrop on Storm, and then he hits a spin kick on Storm and Regal tags in as he goes behind RVD and trips him up before working the leg. He transitions to the arm as RVD rolls through and does a nip up as he takes control of the arm until Regal rolls through, and he works RVD’s arm and whips him into the corner as RVD leaps over him and catches a kick attempt before hitting a spin kick. He hits a split-legged moonsault on Regal for a two count and kicks at him as he whips Regal into the corner and hits a monkey flip, and Kane tags in and drops an elbow on Regal for a two count as Regal catches him ducking with a kick only for Kane to hit a sloppy slam dropping Regal on his head and knocking him out. Kane gets a two count with Storm breaking it up and he pulls Regal into his corner as he tags in only for Kane to pound on him, and he rams Storm into the buckle and whips him into the other corner as he hits a press slam and throws Storm into the corner. He pounds on him and hits a short clothesline for a two count as he hoists Storm up and hits a running powerslam, and RVD tags in and looks for the Rolling Thunder though Storm rolls outside to regroup with Regal and RVD hits a somersault senton onto Storm on the floor. He kicks at Storm and throws him back into the ring as he hits a slingshot legdrop to the back of his head for a two count, and Storm rakes the eyes and rams RVD into the buckle as Regal tags in though RVD battles back and slings Regal into the ring. He kicks at Regal in the corner and rams the shoulder into the ribs twice as he catches Storm with a back elbow and he rams the shoulder into Regal’s ribs again, and he does a backflip and ducks a shot as he hits a springboard side kick on Regal and goes up top only for Storm to shove him into the barricade. He throws RVD back into the ring and Regal hits a half nelson German suplex on RVD though Kane breaks the pin up and Storm tags in, and he stomps on RVD repeatedly and pounds on him on the mat for a two count as he rams him into the buckle and pounds on him in the corner. He hits a dropkick on RVD for a two count and tags Regal who drops a knee on RVD for a series of two counts, but RVD escapes a full nelson and attempts a sunset flip though Storm tags in and he kicks RVD in the back of the head. He hits a DDT on RVD for a two count and then hits a snapmare as he hits a legdrop on RVD for a two count, and he hooks a submission on RVD who fights to his feet only for Storm to get a shot in though RVD escapes a suplex attempt. He hooks a rollup for a two count and Regal tags in as he prevents RVD from tagging and hooks a front facelock on, and Storm pulls Kane to the floor as RVD escapes with an armdrag though no one is there to tag as Regal pulls him back. RVD catches him with a spin kick and Kane gets the hot tag as he goes up top and hits a flying clothesline on Regal, and he knocks Storm down twice and hits a backdrop as he hits a big boot on Regal and splashes both men in the corners. He hits a big boot on Storm and a sidewalk slam on Regal for a two count with Storm breaking the pin up, and Kane knocks Storm down and grabs Regal by the throat only for Storm to jump on his back and twist his mask around to blind him. RVD tags in and goes up top as he hits a side kick on Regal only for Storm to shove RVD into Kane who grabs him by the throat, and he hits the Chokeslam on RVD which allows Regal to get the three and he retains the titles for his team. The match itself was decent as both teams worked hard and put on a basic title match. Regal and Storm were hitting their stride as a team as were RVD and Kane, and they had decent chemistry despite the brief scare for Regal and the champs retain after some miscommunication. The crowd was into the match and RVD and Kane, but are not happy when Storm and Regal win. Storm and Regal retain the titles over RVD and Kane though this issue isn’t over yet. Grade: 2.5
 
Josh Matthews interviews Matt Hardy, who says that he lost 10 pounds in 2 weeks because Mattitude is a frame of mind and can make the impossible possible, but then he sees Jeff Hardy and walks over to him as he says that if Jeff had more Mattitude, he wouldn’t lose all the time and Jeff slaps him in the face before walking away.
 
Debut: Josh Lomberger grew up a wrestling fan and was a contestant on the first season of Tough Enough, making it to the final five though he would not win the competition and he would be signed by WWE in the summer of 2002. He would become a commentator on Velocity and backstage interviewer on Smackdown under the name Josh Matthews as he makes his PPV debut here.
 
3. Matt Hardy (w/ Shannon Moore) pins Billy Kidman with the Twist of Fate off the top rope at 9:34 to win the WWE Cruiserweight Championship.
 
The Buildup: On the 1/25 Velocity, Kidman defeated Matt by DQ and on the 1/30 Smackdown, Kidman defeated Moore in a match despite Matt’s interference only for Matt to attack Kidman after the match, and on the 2/6 Smackdown Kidman defeated Matt in a match and Matt vowed to drop 10 pounds to qualify as a Cruiserweight and to challenge for the Cruiserweight Title. On the 2/13 Smackdown, Matt continued his attempt to lose weight as he lost 8 pounds though he would lose a match to Rey Mysterio which he attributed to dehydration, and on the 2/20 Smackdown it was revealed Matt had made the weight limit to earn a title match at the PPV as he and Moore defeated Kidman and Mysterio in a match when he pinned Kidman.
 
Analysis: Our next match on the card is our second title match of the night. Kidman has been rolling as Cruiserweight Champion and faces a tough challenge here in Matt, who had made the weight limit within 2 weeks and looks to become champion. Kidman gets a good pop from the crowd while Matt was pretty hot as a heel. The two men lock up to start with Matt hooking a headlock as he goes behind Kidman and works the arm, and Kidman hits a back elbow only for Matt to hit an armdrag and they lock up with Kidman working on the arm. Matt turns it around and hits a slam on Kidman who ducks a shot and he hits a pair of armdrags on Matt, and he pounds on Matt who reverses a whip and Kidman hits a hurricanrana on Matt before pounding on him. Matt reverses a whip and both men counter a hiptoss with Matt sending Kidman over the top and Kidman lands on the apron, and Matt gets a shot in and whips Kidman into the post as he goes outside himself and he rams Kidman into the apron. He throws Kidman back into the ring and drapes him across the apron as he drives the elbow into Kidman’s throat twice, and he returns to the ring and gets a two count as he hits a back elbow and a legdrop on Kidman for a two count. He hits a slam on Kidman and drops a fist on him for a two count as Kidman tries to battle back and Matt catches him ducking with a shot, and he hits a neckbreaker on Kidman for a two count and hooks a submission on as Kidman fights to his feet only for Matt to get a shot in. Kidman slides under Matt who ducks a shot though Kidman blocks the Side Effect and hooks a rollup for a two count, and Matt rakes the eyes and hits a sleeper slam for a two count as he chokes him in the ropes and slams down on his back for a two count. He stomps on Kidman and hooks a front facelock on as Kidman fights to his feet and gets a series of knees in to break the hold, and he hooks a sleeper on Matt who escapes with a back suplex into a side slam for a two count and he grabs the leg. Kidman nips up and hits an enzurgiri on Matt as he fires up on him and ducks a shot before hitting a pair of clotheslines, and he hits a sitdown spinebuster on Matt for a two count and whips him into the corner only for Matt to hit a clothesline. He goes up to the middle rope and hits a legdrop on Kidman for a two count as he gets a kick in though Kidman blocks the Twist of Fate, and he hits a dropkick that sends Matt to the outside and then Kidman hits a slingshot plancha onto Matt on the floor. He throws Matt back into the ring and goes up top only for Matt to catch him coming in with a kick and he looks for the Twist of Fate, but Kidman trips him up and hooks a rollup for a two count as Moore gets on the apron and Matt shoves Kidman into Moore. He ducks a shot and hits the Side Effect on Kidman for a two count as Kidman escapes a back suplex attempt, and he kicks Moore off the apron while hitting a tornado bulldog on Matt and he pulls Matt to the corner before going up top. Matt avoids the Shooting Star Press and hits the Twist of Fate which spikes Kidman into the mat for a two count, and Matt pounds on him on the mat and puts Kidman on the top rope as he goes up himself only for Kidman to knock him to the mat. Moore grabs at Kidman’s leg and Kidman kicks him to the floor as Matt gets a shot in and goes back up himself, and he hits the Twist of Fate off the top rope on Kidman which gets the three and we have a new champion. The match itself was good as both men worked hard and put on a solid title match. Kidman was hitting his groove by this point while Matt was also getting into a groove as well, and they had good chemistry as Moore makes the difference and helps Matt win the title. The crowd was into the match and Kidman, but are not happy when Matt wins. Matt gets the win over Kidman and is the new Cruiserweight Champion as both men move on. Grade: 2.5
 
We see officials, Brock Lesnar, Chris Benoit, and Stephanie McMahon finding Edge unconscious backstage and they check on him.
 
Temp. Farewell: This is Edge’s last PPV until 2004
 
We see the buildup to the next match.
 
4. The Undertaker forces the Big Show (w/ Paul Heyman) to pass out at 14:08.
 
The Buildup: On the 1/23 Smackdown, Taker cut a promo demanding that Show face him only for Show to force Taker to face A-Train who Taker defeated by making him tap out, and on the 1/30 Smackdown Heyman said that he had given Show the night off though he would have newcomer Brian Kendrick present Taker with a singing telegram on behalf of Show only for Taker to destroy Kendrick. On the 2/6 Smackdown, Heyman presented Taker with a giant crate that he claimed was a gift from Show, and Brother Love would come out of it and tried to convince Taker to forgive Show only for Taker to give Love the Tombstone. On the 2/13 Smackdown, Heyman would present Taker with another gift which was revealed to be Chris Kanyon dressed as Boy George and he would attack Taker who battled back and he would destroy Kanyon, and on the 2/20 Smackdown this match was made as Show presented two more gifts to Taker. Taker would open one to find a puppy and when he opened the second one, Show would attack him from behind and hit the Chokeslam.
 
Analysis: Our next match on the card is a pretty big matchup. Show has been toying with Taker since Taker came back last month and now Taker finally gets his hands on Show as he looks for revenge. Taker gets a big pop from the crowd while Show was pretty hot as a heel. Show stalls on the floor to start the match as Taker goes outside and he ducks a shot before pounding on Show, and he gets on the apron and jumps off only for Show to catch him and he rams Taker’s back into the post. He whips Taker into the barricade and throws him into the ring only for Taker to catch him coming in with a baseball slide, and he drapes Show across the apron and drives the elbow into his throat twice as he gets on the apron and hits a legdrop. He brings a chair into the ring and scares the ref only for Show to punch the chair back in Taker’s face and he whips Taker hard into the corner, and he chokes Taker with his boot and pounds on him as he whips him into the other corner only for Taker to catch him with a boot to the face. He pounds on Show and kicks at him as Show reverses a whip into the corner only to miss a charge and Taker attempts a slam, but Show falls on top of him for a two count and he stomps on Taker before pounding on him and he rams the shoulder into Taker’s back repeatedly in the corner. He hits a suplex on Taker for a two count and drops a series of elbows on him for a two count as Taker tries to battle back, and he charges at Show who catches him in a bearhug and grinds down on him until Taker fights out of the hold. He pounds on Show who catches him in a sidewalk slam for a two count and he pounds on Taker before sending him to the outside, and Taker rolls back into the ring and Show hits a series of headbutts which busts Taker open as he pounds on him. He hits another pair of headbutts on Taker and pounds on him as Taker battles back and he stomps and pounds on Show in the corner, and he splashes Show twice and grabs him by the throat though Show blocks the chokeslam and hits a headbutt. Taker ducks two shots and hits the flying clothesline on Show for a two count as he grabs the arm and goes up top, and he hits Old School on Show and grabs him by the throat again only for Show to grab Taker by the throat. The ref gets hit by mistake and Taker hits a low blow on Show as he hits a DDT for a two count and he looks for the Last Ride, but Show shoves him off and hits a spinebuster on Taker for a two count as he whips him into the corner and hoists him onto his shoulder. He hits Snake Eyes and a clothesline on Taker for a two count as Taker escapes a slam attempt and hooks the Dragon Sleeper on Show, but Heyman gets on the apron and distracts the ref as Taker scares him to the floor and A-Train runs down to the ring. Taker knocks him to the floor and hits a dive onto A-Train and Heyman on the floor as he rolls back into the ring, and he grabs at Show who grabs him by the throat and hits the Chokeslam for a two count as Taker quickly hooks a triangle choke and Show passes out to give Taker the win. The match itself was good as both men worked hard and put on a solid match. Taker was getting back into a groove since returning while Show was in a groove as well, and they had decent chemistry as Taker gets the win by making Show pass out. The crowd was into the match and popped for Taker when he won. Taker gets the win over Show though this issue isn’t over yet. Grade: 2.5
 
After the match, Taker goes outside and brings the chair into the ring only for A-Train to get in the ring and he takes the chair from Taker, and he grabs Taker by the throat and hits the Derailer as he stands over him and checks on Show.
 
We see footage from moments ago of Edge being taken away on a stretcher.
 
We see Eric Bischoff and Chief Morley in Bischoff’s office as Bischoff is warming up and he says that he is ready, and Morley says that they have an army of guys ready to back Bischoff up and he asks what kind of match Bischoff will make. Bischoff says that they could do a no-DQ match or a Lumberjack match as Vince McMahon comes in, and Vince says that he was impressed with Bischoff last week and he sees this as a match between the toughest S.O.B. in Austin versus the Karate King in Bischoff. He says that he sees it as a one-on-one match with no interference and he says that if anyone gets involved in the match, he will fire them on the spot and he reminds Bischoff he has no way out as he leaves.
 
5. Brock Lesnar and Chris Benoit defeat Team Angle (w/ Paul Heyman) in a handicap match when Charlie Haas taps out at 13:17.
 
Note: This was supposed to be a 6-man tag with Edge teaming with Lesnar and Benoit, but after he was found unconscious backstage it was changed to a handicap match.
 
The Buildup/Title Change: On the 1/23 Smackdown, Benoit defeated Haas and Edge defeated Benjamin as Angle chewed them out for their losses, and later that night Lesnar did an interview talking about his goals including winning the title at WM. In the main event, Angle defeated Rey Mysterio in a match and attacked him afterwards until Edge and Benoit made the save and the three men laid Angle out, and on the 1/30 Smackdown Angle chewed into Team Angle for not helping him last week though in the main event, Team Angle would defeat Benoit and Edge to earn a tag team title shot the next week. On the 2/6 Smackdown (taped 2/4), Team Angle defeated Los Guerreros to win the WWE Tag Team Championships and in the main event, Angle defeated Benoit in a non-title match and Team Angle attacked him until Edge and Lesnar made the save. On the 2/13 Smackdown, Haas defeated Edge in a singles match as this match was made and later that night, Lesnar defeated John Cena and gave him the F-5 into the post injuring his leg as he challenged Angle to a match next week and he would fight Team Angle off. On the 2/20 Smackdown, Angle forced Lesnar to run the gauntlet and he would defeat Team Angle before getting Angle himself, but Heyman would get involved and Team Angle beat down Lesnar until Benoit and Edge made the save.
 
Analysis: Our next match on the card is a pretty big handicap match. This match was supposed to be a 6-man with Lesnar and Benoit teaming with Edge to face Team Angle, but now that Edge has been taken out Lesnar and Benoit are forced to go it alone. Lesnar and Benoit get a big pop from the crowd while Team Angle were red hot as heels. Benoit starts off the match with Benjamin and they lock up with Benjamin backing Benoit into the corner and he gives a clean break, and they lock up again with Benjamin getting a knee in and he works the arm until Benoit trips him up. He hooks a headlock on Benjamin who whips him off and Benoit knocks him down as he pounds on him, and he whips Benjamin hard into the corner and continues to pound on him until Benjamin gets a knee in and he pounds on Benoit. Haas tags in and pounds on Benoit as he rams him into the buckle as he stomps on him in the corner and Benoit reverses a whip into the other corner, and he hits a backdrop on Haas and knocks him down as he rams him into the buckle and tags Lesnar who stomps on Haas repeatedly in the corner. He rams Haas into the buckle and rams the shoulder into the ribs repeatedly in the corner as he hits a suplex and pounds on him, and he hits a hiptoss on Haas out of the corner and challenges Angle who drops to the floor and Haas gets a shot in on Lesnar. He pounds on Lesnar who reverses a whip and he gets a kick in as he hits a press slam on Haas and he kicks at Benjamin, and he hits a press slam on him as Angle gets in the ring only for Lesnar to scare him back out of the ring and he rams the knee into Haas in the corner. He rams Haas into the buckle and pounds on him as Haas counters a whip with a kick and Angle gets a knee in from the apron, and he hooks a sleeper on Lesnar who pulls him into the ring and Angle climbs onto his back as Benoit knocks Haas down. Benjamin gets in the ring and hits a superkick on Lesnar as Haas stomps on him and Angle tags in as he gets a shot in, and he hooks a submission on Lesnar who fights to his feet with Angle on his back and he rams him into the corner though Angle takes him back to the mat. He grinds down on Lesnar who again fights to his feet with Angle on his back and he rams Angle into the corner to break the hold, and Benoit gets the hot tag and hits a pair of clotheslines on Benjamin as he knocks Haas down and he kicks at Benjamin. He whips him into the corner and hits a backdrop as he gets a kick in on Haas and suplexes him onto Benjamin, and he ducks a shot and hits a German suplex on Angle as he ducks a shot and hits a trio of German suplexes on Benjamin. He goes up top and Haas grabs at Benoit’s leg as Benoit kicks him to the floor only for Angle to run up top and he hits a belly-to-belly superplex on Benoit, and Lesnar hooks a sleeper on Angle from the apron only for Benjamin to knock him to the floor and he stomps on Benoit repeatedly. He hits a legdrop on Benoit’s arm and hooks a short-arm scissors on as Haas tags in and he stomps on Benoit repeatedly, and he whips Benoit into the corner and Benoit catches him with a boot to the face only for Haas to catch him in a belly-to-belly suplex for a two count. Angle tags in and stomps on Benoit repeatedly as Haas gets a shot in from the floor and Angle hits a snapmare before hooking a front facelock on, and Benoit fights to his feet and escapes the hold as he avoids the knee and hooks a rollup on Angle for a two count. Angle gets a kick in only for Benoit to counter a suplex with a small package for a two count and he falls on top of a slam attempt for a two count, and he chops Angle who ducks a shot and he hits a German suplex on Benoit for a two count as Haas tags in and he stomps on Benoit. He hits a slam on Benoit and knocks Lesnar to the floor as Benjamin comes in and they hit a double team on Benoit for a two count, and Benoit battles back and knocks Benjamin down only for Benjamin to hit a drop toehold and he grabs the leg. Benoit hits an inverted enzurgiri though Benjamin keeps hold of the leg and he avoids the enzurgiri only for Benoit to kick him away, and Lesnar gets the hot tag and hits a pair of clotheslines on Haas as he kicks at Benjamin and hits a belly-to-belly suplex. Angle gets in the ring only for Lesnar to catch him in a belly-to-belly suplex and he shoves Haas into the corner, and he rams the shoulder into the ribs repeatedly and hits a clothesline on Benjamin as Angle gets a shot in. Lesnar escapes the Angle Slam and gets a kick in as he hoists Angle onto his shoulders only for Benjamin to hit a dropkick on Lesnar that sends Angle over the top to the floor, and Benoit tags in as Benjamin hits a clothesline on Lesnar that sends both men over the top to the floor. Benoit ducks a shot and hits a German suplex on Haas as Angle gets in the ring and Benoit ducks a shot, but Angle escapes a German suplex with a drop toehold and he hooks the Ankle Lock on Benoit who quickly escapes and he hooks the Crossface on Angle. Angle escapes by grabbing the leg and hooks the Ankle Lock back on Benoit who again escapes and hooks the Crossface back on Angle, and Team Angle break the hold up and Haas attempts a short clothesline only for Benoit to hook the Crossface on him. Benjamin tries to break the hold only for Lesnar to get in the ring and he shoves Benjamin to the outside, and Angle brings the belt into the ring though Lesnar gets a shot in as he hoists him onto his shoulders and hits the F-5 while Haas taps out and Benoit and Lesnar win the match. The match itself was very good as both teams worked hard and put on a solid handicap match. Lesnar and Benoit looked good as a team while Team Angle were hitting their groove as a unit, and they had great chemistry as Lesnar and Benoit overcome the odds and get the win to give Lesnar momentum heading to WM. The crowd was into the match and popped for Lesnar and Benoit when they won. Lesnar and Benoit get the win over Team Angle as these issues aren’t over yet. Grade: 3.5
 
We see the buildup to the next match.
 
6. Triple H (w/ “Nature Boy” Ric Flair) pins Scott Steiner with the Pedigree at 13:02 to retain the World Heavyweight Championship.
 
The Buildup: On the 1/20 RAW, Triple H claimed that Steiner wouldn’t get a rematch and Steiner confronted him only to be told he would face Batista, and later that night Randy Orton confronted Steiner about not winning the title and Steiner would shove him down. In the main event, Steiner defeated Batista by DQ when Orton got involved and Triple H would also come out as the four men beat down Steiner, and on the 1/27 RAW Steiner called out Triple H who came out with Flair, Batista, and Orton though Steiner would hold them off with a lead pipe. In the main event, Triple H and Batista defeated Kane and Rob Van Dam in a tag match and attacked them afterwards, and Steiner would come to out to make the save only for Chris Jericho to come out and help Triple H and his crew beat Steiner down. On the 2/3 RAW, Triple H cut a promo talking about his new group as he called Flair the greatest of all time, referred to himself as the current diamond of the business while calling Orton and Batista the future diamonds and he would officially call the group “Evolution”, and in the main event Steiner defeated Jericho to earn a title shot at the PPV. On the 2/10 RAW, Batista would defeat Tommy Dreamer in a match and Evolution would beat him and Booker T down until Steiner made the save, and on the 2/17 RAW Steiner and Booker T defeated Triple H and Batista in a tag match when Booker pinned Triple H.
 
Analysis: Our next match on the card is our third and final title match of the night. These two fought at the Rumble with Steiner winning by DQ and Triple H barely escaped with the title, and now they face off here as Steiner gets another chance to become champion. Steiner gets a good pop from the crowd while Triple H was red hot as a heel. The two men lock up to start with Steiner working the arm until Triple H gets a shot in and he rams Steiner into the buckle, and he pounds on Steiner in the corner who kicks at Triple H’s leg and they lock up with Steiner pounding on Triple H’s leg in the corner. Triple H turns it around and pounds on Steiner in the corner only for Steiner to turn it around and he pounds on Triple H, and he blocks an atomic drop attempt and hits a clothesline on Triple H as he drops an elbow on him and does a series of pushups. He grabs Triple H’s legs and hoists him up in the air before slamming him to the mat and he tears at the tape on Triple H’s leg, but Triple H kicks him to the mat only for Steiner to kick at his leg and he drops an elbow on the leg before pounding on it. He stomps on the knee and drops another elbow on it as he hooks a submission on and Triple H fights his way out of the hold, and Steiner kicks at the leg twice and goes outside as he rams Triple H’s knee into the apron and returns to the ring. He hits a modified suplex on Triple H and hooks the Figure-4 on only for Flair to reach in from the outside and rake Steiner’s eyes to break the hold, and Steiner goes outside and stalks Flair as he knocks him down only for Triple H to knock him off the apron to the floor with Steiner hitting the steps. Steiner tries to roll back into the ring only for Triple H to stomp him back outside and Flair chokes Steiner with his jacket, and Triple H goes outside and rams Steiner into the steps as he throws him back into the ring and hits a swinging neckbreaker for a two count. He pounds on Steiner on the mat and rams him into the buckle as they trade blows with Steiner taking control until Triple H ducks a shot and hits another neckbreaker for a two count, and he rams the shoulder into Steiner’s ribs repeatedly in the corner and they trade blows again with Steiner taking control until Triple H gets a knee in. Steiner reverses a whip and Triple H catches him ducking with a kick only for Steiner to catch him in a belly-to-belly suplex, and he pounds on Triple H in the corner and whips him into the other corner as Triple H catches him with a boot to the face. He hooks a rollup and uses the ropes for leverage though the ref catches him and Triple H shoves him hard twice only for the ref to shove him back, and Steiner gets a shot in and hits a backdrop on Triple H as he pounds on him in the corner and Triple H tries to reverse a whip. Steiner gets a knee in and hits a spinning belly-to-belly suplex for a two count as he stomps and pounds on Triple H in the corner, and he gets a kick in and whips Triple H inside out in the corner as Triple H sails over the top to the floor. Steiner goes outside and rams Triple H into the post as he throws him back into the ring and pounds on him on the mat, and he hits a belly-to-belly suplex on Triple H for a two count and puts him on the top rope as he goes up himself and hits a Samoan drop on Triple H for a two count with Flair breaking it up. Steiner hooks the Steiner Recliner on Triple H as Flair calls for someone with Randy Orton running down to the ring only for Steiner to knock him to the floor, and Steiner goes outside as Batista runs down to the ring only for Steiner to duck a shot and he hits a clothesline on Batista. He rams Batista into the steps and gets back in the ring as Flair gets on the apron and Steiner knocks him to the floor, and Triple H gets a kick in and looks for the Pedigree though Steiner escapes by pounding on Triple H and he clotheslines him over the top to the floor. Orton goes up top only for Steiner to get a shot in and he tosses Orton to the mat as he sends him over the top onto Batista on the floor, and the ref forces Evolution to the back as Triple H brings the belt into the ring and hits Steiner in the face with it for a two count. Triple H then gets a kick in and hits the Pedigree on Steiner which gets the three and he retains the title. The match itself was not that good as both men tried hard, but it just wasn’t in the cards as this was a bit worse than their match the previous month. Triple H was hitting his groove by this point though Steiner was still trying to get back into a groove, and they didn’t have good chemistry as Evolution helps Triple H retain the title. The crowd was in and out of it for the match and even sided with Triple H as they popped for him when he won. Triple H retains the title over Steiner and both men move on. Grade: 1.5
 
We see Eric Bischoff walking backstage as he passes the RAW locker room and everyone laughs at him.
 
We see the buildup to the next match.
 
Jim Ross comes out to join commentary for the next match.
 
7. Stone Cold Steve Austin pins Eric Bischoff with 3 Stone Cold Stunners at 4:25.
 
Return: We last saw Steve Austin on PPV back at Judgment Day 2002 as he would continue to feud with Ric Flair and on the 6/3 RAW, he would make his last TV appearance by defeating Flair in a match where the loser would become the winner’s servant. He would walk out of the company the next week after learning he was to lose a KOTR qualifier to Brock Lesnar and the company would in essence bury him, and as the year turned it was rumored he and Vince had reconciled and he would make his return here.
 
The Buildup: On the 1/19 Heat before the Rumble, Bischoff declared that he would drop a bombshell which would shake RAW up and save his job, and on the 1/20 RAW Bischoff brought up how Austin wasn’t invited to the RAW 10th Anniversary despite being named RAW Superstar of the Year. He revealed that he was going to give Austin space in the RAW magazine to tell his side of the walkout last summer and that he was inviting Austin to be at the PPV, and on the 1/27 RAW Bischoff talked more about Austin walking out and that Austin has taken him up on the offer to speak his side in the RAW magazine while also stating the offer to be at No Way Out was still open. On the 2/3 RAW, Bischoff would head to San Antonio to sign Austin and would look for him at numerous locations though was unable to locate him, and that same night Vince confronted Morley and said Bischoff had a week left to impress him or he and Morley would be fired. On the 2/10 RAW, Bischoff confronted Jim Ross and threatened to fire him unless he could convince Austin to show up, and later that night Vince would show up and despite Bischoff trying to offer him HLA, Vince would fire Bischoff as General Manager. He would also force Morley to face the Dudleyz in a handicap match which he lost and he was fired as a result, and at the end of the night Vince was ready to name the new GM until Ross and Bischoff came out and Ross confirmed Austin would be at No Way Out. Vince would rehire Ross and said Bischoff would be rehired if he joined the Kiss my Ass Club though Bischoff refused and Vince would force Bischoff to face Austin in a match at the PPV in order to be rehired. On the 2/17 RAW, Bischoff re-hired Morley as Chief of Staff and suspended the Dudleyz as he announced he would host a karate exhibition that night against Ross, and in the main event Bischoff would defeat Ross by kicking a cement block into his head and he and Morley would beat Jerry Lawler down as they would drink beer to mock Austin.
 
Analysis: Our last match before the main event is a pretty interesting matchup. After walking out last summer, Austin finally makes his return to the company and looks to pick up where he left off as he takes on Bischoff, who begrudgingly wrestles here to save his job against someone he has bad history with. Bischoff was pretty hot as a heel as he tries to back out of the match and Austin gets a huge pop from the crowd. Austin wastes no time and hits a spear on Bischoff to start the match as he pounds on him on the mat and chokes him with his vest, and he stomps on him repeatedly in the corner and takes Bischoff’s gloves off as he rams him into the buckle and stomps on him repeatedly in the corner again. Bischoff rakes the eyes and kicks at Austin who no-sells it as Bischoff rolls outside with Austin following him and Bischoff tries to go into the crowd, but Austin grabs him and pounds on him as he grabs a fan’s drink and throws it at Bischoff before sending him into the barricade. He throws Bischoff back into the ring and gets a kick in as he hits the Stunner on Bischoff for a two count, and he gets a kick in and hits another Stunner on Bischoff for a two count as he gets a kick in and hits a third stunner on Bischoff which gets the three and he wins the match. The match itself was nothing more than a squash as Austin destroys Bischoff in 4 and a half minutes. The crowd was into the match and popped for Austin when he won. Austin gets the win over Bischoff though this issue isn’t over yet. Grade: 1
 
We see the buildup to the main event.
 
8. The Rock pins Hulk Hogan with the Rock Bottom at 12:36.
 
Return: We last saw Hulk Hogan on PPV back at Vengeance 2002 as he made his last TV appearance on the 8/8/02 Smackdown in a losing effort to Brock Lesnar and he was taken off TV after that, and he would take the time to deal with nagging injuries before returning last month and he makes his PPV return here.
 
The Buildup/Heel Turn: On the 1/23 Smackdown, Stephanie McMahon promised a surprise and that ended up being the returning Hogan who cut a promo on being back in what could be his last run, but Vince would interrupt him and said Hulkamania was dead as Hogan challenged him to a match and knocked him down. On the 1/30 Smackdown, Vince confronted Stephanie about her decision to bring Hogan back and then he would cut a promo insulting Hogan and claiming to have created Hulkamania while refusing to face him in a match, and he would announce Hogan would face Rock at the PPV as Rock appeared via satellite to accept the match while also running down Hogan. On the 2/6 Smackdown, Rock again appeared via satellite and talked about the match while continuing to insult Hogan, and later that night Hogan would cut a promo that Rock interrupted and he mocked Hogan who vowed to defeat Rock at the PPV. On the 2/20 Smackdown, Rock cut a promo about the fans booing him as he officially turned heel and later that night, Hogan and Rock have a confrontation as Rock continued to mock Hogan before offering a handshake only to spit in Hogan’s face.
 
Analysis: After a fairly long and interesting night of wrestling, we come to our main event. These two put on one of the greatest matches in WM history and now face off here in the anticipated rematch though both are very different from where they were last March. Hogan gets a huge pop from the crowd while Rock was red hot as a heel as he debuts his new epic entrance. Rock stalls on the floor to start the match and tries to sneak up on Hogan who quickly turns around and stops him, and he pounds on Rock who holds the ropes to avoid the big boot as he slides outside to regroup until Hogan goes outside and pounds on him. Both men roll back into the ring and Rock stomps on him coming in as he pounds on him though Hogan blocks a ram into the buckle, and he gets a back elbow in and rams Rock into the buckle repeatedly as he mocks Rock and knocks him over the top to the floor. Hogan pulls Rock onto the apron only for Rock to hotshot him on the top rope and he returns to the ring as he hits the Rock Bottom for a two count, and he puts on Hogan’s bandanna to mock him and he stomps on him as he takes off Hogan’s weightlifting belt and whips him with it repeatedly. He calls for a bottle of water and takes a drink from it only for Hogan to hit a clothesline and he grabs the belt as he whips Rock with it, and he pounds on Rock who ducks a shot and he gets a kick in as he hits a DDT on Hogan and nips up before stomping on him. He hooks the Sharpshooter on Hogan who reaches the ropes though Rock pulls him back to the center of the ring and keeps the hold on, and Hogan powers out of the hold and sends Rock to the outside as he rolls outside as well to regroup and Rock hits a clothesline on Hogan. He rams Hogan into the announce table and grabs a chair as he swings at Hogan who avoids it and Rock hits the post, and Hogan pounds on Rock and grabs the chair as he hits Rock in the back with it and both men return to the ring. Hogan winds up the chair though the ref stops him from using it and Rock hits a low blow before hitting a spinebuster, and then he hits a pair of People’s Elbows with the second one mocking Hogan for a two count as Hogan starts to hulk up. He no-sells Rock’s shots and pounds on him as he hits the big boot and legdrop for a two count when the lights go out, and when they come back on the ref is out and Hogan checks on him as Vince McMahon comes on the stage and distracts Hogan. The ref hands Rock the chair and he hits Hogan in the head with it which busts him open as Rock hits the Rock Bottom which gets the three when the ref quickly comes around and Rock wins the match. The match itself was decent as both men worked hard and put on a basic match that was nowhere near their WM match though in fairness, it wasn’t meant to be. Hogan was clearly slowing down by this point while Rock looked like he didn’t miss a beat and the heel turn has brought him new life, and they still had good chemistry as this was more about Vince screwing Hogan with the crooked ref. The crowd was into the match and Hogan, but are not happy when Rock wins. Rock gets the win over Hogan and both men move on. Grade: 2
 
After the match, Vince gets in the ring and celebrates with Rock and the ref as they head to the back only for Vince to return to the ring, and he takes his jacket off as Hogan struggles to his feet though Vince shoves him to the mat and takes his shirt off to reveal a mocking Hogan shirt. He poses for the crowd and mocks Hogan by doing his taunts before ripping the shirt off and he throws it at Hogan, and he heads up to the stage and continues to pose mocking Hogan as we go off the air.
 
Final Analysis: Overall, this PPV was a fairly decent show though it does feel a bit disappointing given the hype going into it. Looking at this show on paper, it had potential to be a big show especially given the star power on top with just Hogan, Rock, and Austin alone, but for some reason it just fell flat which isn’t good heading into WrestleMania. Triple H is still the man on RAW while Storm and Regal still rule the tag division and Matt now rules the Cruiserweight Division, and Jericho, Taker, Lesnar, Benoit, Austin, and Rock get big wins. In terms of the matches, the handicap match was the best while the rest ranged from good to below average as again, the top 3 matches underwhelmed aside from Austin/Bischoff which was meant to be a squash. 2003 has been an interesting year to this point as the build to WM has been weird in that we have a bunch of big returns though we are unsure where they are going, and we will see if this translates to a great WM or a disappointing one. As for this show, it is a decent show though again, it is a bit of a disappointment which is a shame given the run we’ve been on. Final Grade: C-