No Way Out
February 17th, 2002
Bradley Center
Milwaukee, Wisconsin
 
Sunday Night Heat:
 
1. Diamond Dallas Page defeats the Big Bossman by disqualification at 3:19.
 
Actual Show:
 
We see the opening video for No Way Out.
 
Your hosts are Jim Ross and Jerry “The King” Lawler.
 
The New World Order come down to the ring and Kevin Nash says that they’re here to set the record straight as they came here earlier today and received a lot of heat from the boys, and he says that the stares they got were frightening just because of a reputation they have and in the last few weeks, words have been thrown at them like “poison” and “cancer”. He says that some people have used profanity in describing them though they wish to say it hurts their feelings, and he says that they’ve done nothing wrong and they just want a fair chance and a clean slate as they want to prove to everyone that no one does it like them. Scott Hall says that they aren’t the bad guys as they’re a bunch of marks and fans and they want to work with the great WWF Superstars, and he says that they might get some autographs and take pictures as they might also get to drink beer with the boys. He says that they don’t want trouble because they’re just like everyone here as “Hollywood” Hulk Hogan says that he couldn’t agree more and they are just like everyone. He says that they are not here to kill the WWF but to make it better and they want to give the fans what they want, and he says that it’s up to the fans and the boys if they get a chance though there is one man who gave them a chance and that’s Vince McMahon. He says that he wants to thank Vince for the opportunity and they won’t let him down as he says God Bless Vince McMahon and the fans, and he finally says God Bless America as the three men embrace and head to the back.
 
Return #1: We last saw Scott Hall on WWF PPV back at In Your House: Good Friends, Better Enemies in 1996 as Razor Ramon as he would last until May when he would leave after participating in the Curtain Call, and he would make his WCW debut on the 5/27 Monday Nitro coming out through the crowd and saying that WCW was about to have a war. He would form the Outsiders with Kevin Nash and together with Hulk Hogan, they would form the New World Order as the Outsiders would win the tag titles on numerous occasions while Hall would also win the US Title and TV Title. However, Hall’s personal problems continued to get worse and at one point, they were incorporated into his character throughout 1998 as he would come out with a drink and appeared to be constantly drunk. He would end up leaving WCW in 2000 and would make a few appearances with ECW until they closed at the start of 2001, and he would spend time in Japan before re-signing with the WWF as he makes his PPV return here under his real name.
 
Return #2: We last saw Kevin Nash on WWF PPV back at In Your House: Good Friends, Better Enemies in 1996 as Diesel as he would leave in May after participating in the Curtain Call, and he would sign with WCW and made his debut on the 6/10 Monday Nitro joining Scott Hall as the Outsiders. They would form the New World Order with Hulk Hogan at Bash at the Beach and the Outsiders would win the tag titles on numerous occasions, and Nash would also win the WCW Championship 5 times as he would be the one to end Goldberg’s Streak at Starrcade 1998. He would also work as the booker of WCW for a brief time as he would bounce between face and heel while also winning the tag titles with other partners, and he would last until February 2001 when he lost a match to Scott Steiner and was forced off TV until WCW closed in March. He would take time off until his contract with Time Warner expired at the end of the year and he would re-sign with the WWF, and he makes his PPV return here under his real name.
 
Return #3: We last saw Hulk Hogan on WWF PPV way back at the 1993 King of the Ring as he would transition to acting and would film the TV series “Thunder in Paradise”, and he would sign with WCW in 1994 and would win the WCW Title in his first match against Ric Flair at Bash at the Beach. He would hold the title for over a year as he feuded with Flair, the Dungeon of Doom, and Vader before losing the title to the Giant at Halloween Havoc 1995, and he would continue to feud with Giant and the Dungeon along with the Four Horsemen before taking some time off. He would return at Bash at the Beach and turned heel as he joined the Outsiders to form the New World Order and he would take the nickname “Hollywood”, and he would win the WCW Title on 5 more occasions while remaining the top heel of the company feuding with Sting, Goldberg, Lex Luger, and others. In 1999, he would turn face and return to the red and yellow though would appear more sporadically as Vince Russo wanted to keep him off TV, and in 2000 he would join the Millionaire’s Club and feuded with Billy Kidman following some comments Hogan made about Kidman. Hogan would make his last appearance at Bash at the Beach 2000 due to a controversial angle involving Jeff Jarrett and Russo, and he would end up suing WCW for defamation of character because of comments Russo made without Hogan’s knowledge. He would spend time healing his body and also made a one-time appearance with Jimmy Hart’s XWF before re-signing with the WWF, and he would make his PPV return here as “Hollywood” Hulk Hogan.
 
The Buildup: On the 1/21 RAW, Ric Flair cut a promo on defeating Vince McMahon the night before until Vince came out and said everyone in the WWF lost last night as he was about to do something even he would regret, and on the 1/24 Smackdown Vince spent the evening talking to himself in the mirror as he said Flair had infected the WWF with a cancer. He vowed to kill the WWF himself by injecting a dose of poison as he spun his chair around to reveal the letters “nWo”, and on the 1/28 RAW Flair tried to reason with Vince and even showed a tribute video of the WWF’s history, and Vince said he wouldn’t bring the nWo in if Flair signed his half of the company over to him. On the 1/31 Smackdown, Flair announced that he was going to do what was right and sign his half of the company over to Vince, and at the end of the night Flair was prepared to do so only for Steve Austin to interrupt and convince Flair to change his mind. Flair and Vince would brawl with Austin giving Vince the Stunner and Flair would tear up the contract, and on the 2/4 RAW Vince confronted Flair who said he wouldn’t sell out the fans and over the next week, we would see vignettes hyping the arrival of the nWo consisting of the original three men of Hogan, Hall, and Nash.
 
We see a shot outside the Bradley Center.
 
1. The APA win a Tag Team Turmoil match.
 
Participants: The APA, Scotty 2 Hotty and Albert, Lance Storm and Christian, the Dudley Boyz (w/ Stacy Keibler), the Hardy Boyz (w/ Lita), and Billy and Chuck
 
Eliminations:
1. Scotty pinned by Christian at 2:57.
2. Storm pinned by Jeff at 6:12.
3. D-Von pinned by Matt at 10:52.
4. Matt pinned by Billy at 12:22.
5. Billy pinned by Bradshaw at 16:38.
 
The Buildup: On the 1/28 RAW, Billy, Chuck, and Jazz defeated the APA and Trish Stratus in a 6-person tag match, and on the 2/4 RAW Tazz and Spike Dudley defeated the APA and Billy and Chuck in an Elimination match to retain the tag titles. On the 2/14 Smackdown, Billy and Chuck defeated the APA in a match as the Dudleyz and Storm and Christian petitioned to Ric Flair for the next title shot as Flair made this match.
 
Analysis: We kick off this PPV with a big turmoil match. These six teams were looking to get a shot at the tag titles at WM and they face off here to see who will get that shot. The Hardyz, APA, Scotty, and Albert get good pops from the crowd while the Dudleyz, Billy, Chuck, Storm, and Christian had solid heat as heels. Scotty and Albert start the match with Storm and Christian as Scotty and Storm lock up with Storm hooking a headlock, and he knocks Scotty down and Scotty leaps over him as Storm blocks a hiptoss and Scotty gets a shot in before flipping over Storm. He ducks a shot and hooks a rollup for a two count as he knocks Storm down and tags Albert who hits a press slam on Storm, and he trips Christian up and does a giant swing as Storm gets a shot in only for Albert to reverse a whip and he hits a pump kick for a two count as Christian breaks it up. Albert hits a headbutt on Christian and Storm rakes Albert’s eyes as Christian hotshots him on the top rope and Storm hits a dropkick for a two count, and Christian tags in and they pound on Albert who hits a double clothesline as Scotty gets the hot tag and he fires up on both men. Christian ducks a shot and hooks a full nelson on Scotty as Storm charges only for both men to backdrop Storm over the top to the floor, and Scotty hits a back elbow though Christian ducks a shot only for Scotty to block the inverted DDT by pounding on Christian. He hits a superkick on Christian for a two count as Storm breaks it up and he throws Scotty to the outside, and Albert knocks Storm down and whips Christian into the corner as he whips Storm into Christian only to miss a charge. They hit a double clothesline which sends Albert and Storm over the top to the floor as Scotty gets in the ring and hits the bulldog on Christian, and he does the Worm as Storm gets in the ring though Scotty catches a superkick attempt and he knocks Storm down. Christian hits the Unprettier on Scotty which gets the three and Scotty and Albert are eliminated as the Hardyz come out next, and they pound on Christian and Storm as Matt hits a Side Effect on Storm and Jeff slides under Christian. The Hardyz hit a double team on Christian and Matt hits a slam on Christian as he goes up to the middle rope only for Storm to kick him to the mat, and Storm tags in and he stomps on Matt repeatedly as he hits a legdrop to the back of the head for a two count. Matt tries to battle back only for Storm to hit a jawbreaker and a dropkick for a two count as Christian tags in, and he pounds on Matt who tries to battle back only for Christian to catch him ducking with a kick though Matt hotshots him on the top rope. Jeff gets the hot tag and hits a clothesline on Storm as he knocks Christian down and trips Storm up before hitting a legdrop to the groin, and Christian gets a shot in on Jeff who hits a flying clothesline on Christian and he ducks a shot before hitting a Russian legsweep on Storm. He hooks a rollup for a two count as Christian breaks it up and Matt knocks him to the outside while Storm reverses a whip and trips Jeff up, and he hooks the single leg Boston crab on Jeff until Matt breaks it up and gets a kick in as he looks for the Twist of Fate only for Christian to get a kick in. He holds Matt for behind only for Matt to avoid the dropkick from Storm who hits Christian by mistake, and Matt gets a kick in and hits the Twist of Fate on Storm while Jeff goes up top and hits the Swanton which gets the three and Storm and Christian are eliminated. The Dudleyz come out next and the two teams brawl as the Hardyz whip Bubba into the corner and hit Poetry in Motion, and D-Von nails Matt who reverses a whip into the corner and the Hardyz attempt Poetry in Motion though Bubba pulls Jeff to the mat by his hair. D-Von knocks Matt to the outside and whips Jeff into the corner though Jeff catches him with a boot to the face, and D-Von hits a powerslam on Jeff for a two count and tags Bubba who pounds on Jeff and hits a spinebuster. He hooks a submission on Jeff until Matt breaks it up and D-Von comes in as he pounds on Jeff in the corner, and he chokes Jeff with his knee and hits a spinning back elbow for a two count as Bubba tags in and he pounds on Jeff. He hits a slam on Jeff and goes up to the middle rope only for Jeff to get a shot in as he goes up himself and attempts a superplex, but Bubba pounds on him and shoves him to the mat as he sets himself on the middle rope only to miss the senton. Matt gets the hot tag and hits a pair of clotheslines on D-Von as he ducks a shot and kicks at Bubba before hitting a DDT, and D-Von reverses a whip into the corner and Matt catches him with a boot to the face as he goes up to the middle rope and hits a legdrop for a two count as Bubba breaks it up. Jeff hits a dropkick on Bubba and the Hardyz hit a double team as Jeff clotheslines D-Von over the top to the floor, and Matt gets a kick in and looks for the Twist of Fate only for Keibler to get in the ring and she pulls at Matt’s hair. Lita gets in the ring and hits a spear on Keibler as she pounds on her on the mat and Bubba knocks Matt down, and he grabs Lita by the hair until Matt gets a shot in only for Bubba to counter a whip and he hits the Bubba Bomb on Matt. Lita goes up top and hits a hurricanrana on Bubba who gets sent to the outside as Jeff goes up top, and he hits a somersault senton onto Bubba on the floor as D-Von pounds on Matt who escapes an inverted suplex attempt. He hooks a rollup which gets the three and the Dudleyz are eliminated as D-Von knocks Matt down and goes outside, and the Dudleyz hit the 3-D on Jeff on the floor as they head to the back and Billy and Chuck come out next. Matt knocks Chuck to the floor and pounds on Billy in the corner until Chuck nails him from behind and whips him into the other corner, but Billy misses a charge in the corner and Matt hits a hooking clothesline on Chuck as he gets a kick in on Billy. Billy blocks the Twist of Fate and Chuck hits the Jungle Kick on Matt as Billy hits the Fameasser which gets the three and the Hardyz are eliminated, and the APA come out last as Chuck stomps on Faarooq repeatedly while Billy and Bradshaw brawl on the floor. Bradshaw rams Billy into the steps and Chuck pounds on Faarooq in the corner as he rams the knee into the ribs, and he whips Faarooq into the other corner and Faarooq catches him with a back elbow as he goes up to the middle rope and hits a flying tackle on Chuck for a two count. Bradshaw tags in and pounds on Chuck as he rams him into the buckle and gets a knee in before pounding on Chuck in the corner, and Chuck reverses a whip into the other corner and hits a clothesline on Bradshaw before hitting a discus punch. Bradshaw reverses a whip and Chuck ducks a shot as Bradshaw catches him on a crossbody attempt and he hits the fallaway slam, and Faarooq tags in and they hit a double tackle on Chuck for a two count as Billy gets in the ring and hits a neckbreaker on Faarooq. Chuck stomps on Faarooq repeatedly and Faarooq tries to battle back until Chuck gets a knee in and stomps on him while Billy chokes him on the ropes, and they stomp Faarooq to the outside and Chuck goes outside as he pounds on Faarooq and throws him back into the ring. Billy stomps on Faarooq repeatedly and hooks a submission on as Faarooq tries to battle back only for Billy to get a kick in, but Faarooq catches him in a spinebuster and Bradshaw gets the hot tag as he knocks Chuck down and hits a big boot. He whips Chuck into the corner and splashes him as he whips him into the other corner and splashes him again, and he throws Chuck over the top to the floor as Billy gets a shot in from behind and he whips Bradshaw into the corner. Bradshaw avoids a charge and hits the Clothesline from Hell on Billy which gets the three and the APA win the match. The match itself was good as all 6 teams worked hard and put on a solid turmoil match. All 6 teams were hitting their strides as teams and still had good chemistry though it was a bit weird for the APA to win as it seemed like Billy and Chuck were the fresher team, and even more weird that the Hardyz looked the best of all the teams. The crowd was into the match and did pop for the APA when they won. The APA win the turmoil and get the title shot at WM as all 6 teams move on. Grade: 2.5
 
Michael Cole interviews Ric Flair, who says that the New World Order set the place upside down and he doesn’t believe what they said earlier tonight, and he says that the dressing room wants to teach them respect if they get out of line as the Undertaker walks up to him. Taker says that Flair should worry less about the nWo and about himself as he’s watching him and Flair needs to keep that in mind.
 
2. Rob Van Dam pins Goldust with the 5-Star Frog Splash at 11:03.
 
The Buildup: Beginning on the 1/21 RAW, Goldust would cut promos saying he was focusing on a rising star that he simply referred to as “him”, and on the 2/4 RAW it was revealed that RVD was the star Goldust was talking about as he attacked RVD after his match and gave him the Shattered Dreams. On the 2/11 RAW, RVD attacked Goldust during his match with Rikishi and later that night, Goldust cut a promo on RVD challenging him to a match at the PPV, and on the 2/14 Smackdown RVD attacked Goldust after his match and gave him the 5-Star Frog Splash.
 
Analysis: Our next match on the card is a pretty interesting matchup. Goldust has been watching RVD for the last month and now the two men face off here to settle their issues. RVD gets a big pop from the crowd while Goldust got a mixed reaction from the crowd. Goldust wastes no time and clotheslines RVD over the top to the floor to start the match as he goes outside himself and hotshots RVD on the apron, and he throws RVD back into the ring only for RVD to catch him with a spin kick and he kicks at Goldust before pounding on him. He rams the shoulder into Goldust’s ribs repeatedly in the corner and hits a snapmare as he hits a spinning legdrop and a cartwheel moonsault for a two count, and he kicks and pounds on Goldust who holds the ropes on a whip and he slides outside to regroup only to head up the aisle. He heads back to ringside though continues to stall until he trips RVD up and pulls him outside before pounding on him, and RVD reverses a whip and sends Goldust over the barricade into the crowd as he kicks him in the head and rams him into the barricade. He drapes Goldust across the barricade and leaps onto the apron as he hits a spinning legdrop to the back of Goldust’s head, and he pounds on Goldust and throws him back into the ring as he gets a shoulder in only for Goldust to catch him with a knee which sends him to the floor. Goldust goes out to the middle rope and drives the elbow into RVD’s head as he rams him into the apron and pounds on him, and he throws RVD back into the ring and hits a butt slam for a two count as he whips him into the corners and catches a kick attempt. He pounds on RVD and puts him on the top rope as he goes out to the apron and holds him down against the post, and RVD falls to the mat and Goldust rolls back into the ring as he hits an axehandle on RVD and slingshots him into the ropes with RVD falling onto Goldust’s knees. Goldust drops a knee on RVD for a two count and slingshots him into the ropes again as RVD falls onto Goldust’s knees again, and he drops a fist on RVD and hooks a submission on as he slams down on RVD’s back and goes back to the submission. He slams down on RVD’s back again and goes back to the submission only for RVD to catch him with a pair of knees to the groin, but Goldust recovers and hits a clothesline on RVD for a two count as RVD blocks a hiptoss and hooks a backslide for a two count. He hits a superkick on Goldust and fires up on him as Goldust reverses a whip and RVD hits a spin kick, and he pounds on Goldust in the corner and whips him into the other corner as he does a front roll and hits a monkey flip. He leaps up top and hits a side kick on Goldust for a two count as he hits a slam and the Rolling Thunder for a two count, and he stomps on Goldust who catches him ducking with an uppercut though RVD recovers with a somersault legdrop. He goes up top only to miss the 5-Star Frog Splash and Goldust hits a stiff DDT for a two count as he looks for the Curtain Call, but RVD escapes and hits a spin kick for a two count as Goldust recovers and stomps on RVD repeatedly. He pounds on him in the corner and RVD reverses a whip into the other corner as Goldust catches him with a boot to the face, but RVD blocks a running bulldog by sending Goldust to the mat and he catches a kick attempt as he hits another spin kick. He goes up top again and he hits the 5-Star Frog Splash on Goldust which gets the three and he wins the match. The match itself was good as both men worked hard and put on a solid match. RVD was hitting his groove by this point while Goldust was getting back into a groove, and they had good chemistry as RVD gets the clean win. The crowd was into the match and popped for RVD when he won. RVD gets the win over Goldust and both men move on. Grade: 2.5
 
We see Steve Austin walking backstage as he runs into the New World Order and they mention that this is Austin, and Scott Hall says they don’t want trouble and they have a gift as he hands him a 6-pack of beer and Austin just says “What”. Hall says that they heard he likes to drink beer and Austin says he’s not thirsty as Hall says he can save it for later, and Austin takes the beer and thanks them only to toss the beer aside and he walks past them.
 
3. Tazz and Spike Dudley defeat Booker T and Test when Test taps out at 7:16 to retain the WWF Tag Team Championships.
 
The Buildup: On the 1/21 RAW, Spike, Tazz, and Rob Van Dam defeated Booker and the Dudley Boyz in a 6-man tag match, and on the 2/10 Sunday Night Heat Test defeated Spike in a match and on the 2/11 RAW, Booker defeated Tazz as he and Test laid Tazz and Spike out. On the 2/14 Smackdown, this match was announced as Spike defeated Booker in a match.
 
Analysis: Our next match on the card is our first title match of the night. Spike and Tazz have been rolling as tag champions and face a tough challenge here in Booker and Test, who were back together as a team and look to become champions again. Spike and Tazz get a good pop from the crowd while Booker and Test had solid heat as heels. Test wastes no time and attacks Tazz on the outside to start the match as he throws him into the ring and Booker rams Spike into the steps, and Test gets a knee in and pounds on Tazz in the corner as he stomps on him repeatedly and chokes him with his boot. He continues to stomp on Tazz and rams him into the buckle as he pounds on him in the corner and whips him into the other corner, but Tazz catches him with a back elbow and hits a clothesline on Test as Spike tags in and goes up top before hitting a missile dropkick on Test. He dropkicks Booker in the knee and Test gets a kick in as he hoists him up for a powerbomb only for Spike to pound on him and knock him down, and he knocks Booker to the outside and Test presses Spike up only for Spike to escape as he attempts a sunset flip. Tazz knocks Test down and Spike hooks the sunset flip though Booker distracts the ref and Spike only gets a two count, and Test hits a clothesline on Spike and pounds on him on the mat as Booker tags in and they hit a double team on Spike for a two count. Booker pounds on Spike and hits a clothesline as he knocks Tazz off the apron and holds Spike from behind while Test pounds on him, and he chokes Spike on the ropes and whips him into the corner as he splashes him and whips him back into the other corner before splashing him again. He knocks Tazz off the apron and hits a slam on Spike only to miss an elbow as Spike fires up on Test who reverses a whip into the corner, and Spike hits a headbutt to the ribs of Test who blocks the Dudley Dog by crotching Spike on the top rope and Spike falls to the floor. Booker stomps on Spike repeatedly on the floor and throws him back into the ring as Test gets a two count and Booker tags in, and he pounds on Spike and gets a kick in as he hits the scissors kick and then he does the Spinaroonie before getting a two count as Tazz breaks it up. Booker puts Spike on the top rope and pounds on him only for Spike to get a kick in and he hits a tornado DDT on Booker, and Tazz gets the hot tag and ducks a shot as he hits a series of clotheslines on both men until Booker gets a kick in. Tazz counters a DDT with a Northern lights suplex for a two count as Test breaks it up and Tazz ducks the big boot, and he pounds on Booker in the corner until Test ducks a shot and hooks a full nelson on Tazz as Booker charges only for both men to backdrop him over the top to the floor. Tazz goes behind Test who escapes with a headbutt as Spike comes in and gets a kick in before hitting the Dudley Dog, and Booker pulls Spike out of the ring and hoists him up only for Spike to slide off his shoulder and he rams Booker into the post. Tazz gets a two count and Test catches him with a back elbow as he trips Tazz up and uses the ropes for leverage for a two count when the ref catches him, and Test argues with the ref and they exchange shoves with Tazz hooking the Tazzmission on Test who taps out and Tazz and Spike retain the titles. The match itself was decent as both teams worked hard and put on a basic title match. Spike and Tazz were gelling well as a team while Booker and Test still looked good as a team, and they had good chemistry as Tazz and Spike get a clean title defense. The crowd was into the match and popped for Spike and Tazz when they won. Spike and Tazz retain the titles over Booker and Test as both teams move on. Grade: 2
 
Jonathan Coachman interviews the Rock, who says that 10 days ago he was attacked by Taker from behind and Taker tried to end his career, and he says that this was all because Taker felt disrespected and Taker has no idea how to be disrespected by him. He says that for 10 days, all he thought about was coming here and whipping Taker’s ass as he says that tonight, Taker is a dead man walking if you smell what he is cooking.
 
4. William Regal pins Edge after a shot with brass knuckles at 10:35 to retain the WWF Intercontinental Championship.
 
Stipulation: A pair of brass knuckles would be on a pole and whoever retrieved them first could use them
 
The Buildup: On the 1/21 RAW, Edge got his rematch for the IC Title against Regal though lost by DQ when he was caught using the brass knuckles and he would take out several referees out of frustration, and on the 1/24 Smackdown Edge would attack Regal after his match until escaping security by heading through the crowd. On the 1/28 RAW, Regal would lose a match to Rob Van Dam by DQ and Edge tried to attack him again, but Regal and the Dudley Boyz would beat Edge and RVD down, and on the 1/31 Smackdown Edge and RVD defeated the Dudleyz in a tag match despite Regal getting involved. On the 2/4 RAW, Edge attacked Regal during his match with Rikishi and busted him open, and on the 2/7 Smackdown Regal and the Dudleyz defeated Edge, RVD, and Rikishi in a 6-man tag as Regal attacked Edge with the knuckles and put him in the Regal Stretch on the ramp. On the 2/14 Smackdown, this match was announced with the stipulation included as Edge attacked Regal after his match.
 
Analysis: Our next match on the card is our second title match of the night. Regal defeated Edge at the Rumble to become champion after using the brass knuckles and now Edge gets his rematch here with the knuckles on a pole. Edge gets a good pop from the crowd while Regal was pretty hot as a heel. Edge wastes no time and attacks Regal on the floor to start the match as he pounds on him and rams him into the announce table, and he continues to pound on Regal and throws him into the ring as he ducks a shot and catches Regal ducking with a kick. He hits a clothesline and a suplex on Regal before going up for the pole only for Regal to pull him down though Edge pounds on him, and he whips Regal into the other corner and hits a backdrop as he pounds on him on the mat for a two count. He looks to go for the pole only for Regal to nail him from behind and he climbs up the pole though Edge pulls him back down, and he pounds on Regal in the corner and whips him into the other corner as he hits a dropkick and pounds on him. Regal reverses a whip and sends Edge over the top with Edge landing on the apron as he climbs up the pole only for Regal to grab him, and Edge hotshots him on the top rope and trips him up as he pulls him outside and pounds on him before ramming him into the steps. He sends Regal over the barricade into the crowd and he goes into the crowd as well as he stomps on Regal and pounds on him, and he hops the barricade and rolls back into the ring as he climbs up the pole though Regal rolls back into the ring and grabs at Edge who kicks him away twice. He hits a missile dropkick on Regal for a two count and Regal counters a whip as Edge goes behind Regal who turns it around, and he hoists Edge up and drops him on the top rope as he stomps on him repeatedly and hooks an abdominal stretch on while using the ropes for leverage. Edge escapes the hold with a hiptoss and sends Regal over the top to the floor as he climbs the pole only for Regal to shove him off into the barricade, and he hits a double underhook powerbomb on the floor and throws him back into the ring as he hooks the Regal Stretch on and we see Edge is bleeding from the mouth. Edge reaches the rope to force a break and Regal hits another double underhook powerbomb for a two count, and he climbs up the pole only for Edge to crotch him on the top rope and Regal falls to the apron as Edge climbs up himself. Regal gets a shot in and pulls him down to the apron as he attempts a powerbomb only for Edge to barely get off a hurricanrana that sends both men to the floor, and Edge rolls back into the ring and tries to climb as Regal gets on the apron and they trade blows with Regal taking control. He knocks Edge to the mat and climbs up the pole as he grabs the brass knuckles only for Edge to climb up behind him and hit a back superplex, and both men crawl for the knuckles with Regal kicking them out of the ring as Edge ducks a shot and hits the Edge-o-Matic for a two count. Edge gets a kick in and Regal escapes the Edgecution as he gets a knee in only for Edge to hit the spear and he goes outside, and he grabs the knuckles and gets back in the ring as Regal pulls out a different pair of knuckles from his tights and he nails Edge in the ribs and face with them which gets the three and he retains the title. The match itself was good as both men worked hard and put on a solid title match. Edge was hitting his groove by this point as was Regal and they had good chemistry as Regal steals the win after Edge gets too preoccupied with the knuckles. The crowd was into the match and Edge, but are not happy when Regal wins. Regal retains the title over Edge and both men move on. Grade: 2.5
 
Lilian Garcia interviews Kurt Angle, who says that his confidence has nothing to do with Stephanie being the ref as he believes she will be a fair referee, and he says that he is far superior to Triple H in every way as he is an Olympic Gold medalist by being the best and he wants Triple H to understand that he would’ve been a lousy father though he will be Triple H’s daddy tonight.
 
We see the buildup to the next match.
 
5. The Rock pins the Undertaker with the Rock Bottom at 17:25.
 
The Buildup/Title Change: On the 1/24 Smackdown, Taker would cost Rock a chance to earn a title match at No Way Out and on the 1/28 RAW, Taker cut a promo on Rock talking about Maven eliminating him in the Rumble and he vowed to make Rock respect him. On the 1/31 Smackdown, Rock and Triple H defeated Taker and Kurt Angle by DQ as Rock would put Taker through the announce table with the Rock Bottom after the match, and on the 2/4 RAW this match was announced as Taker and Chris Jericho defeated Rock and Steve Austin in a tag match after Taker hit Rock with a lead pipe. On the 2/7 Smackdown (taped 2/5), Rock would cost Taker the Hardcore Championship to Maven and later that night, Taker attacked Rock backstage and chokeslammed him onto his limo before giving him the Tombstone on the roof.
 
Analysis: Our next match on the card is our first of the three main events. These two men have been going at it for the last month with Taker nearly taking Rock out a few weeks ago and now Rock comes here looking for revenge. Rock gets a huge pop from the crowd while Taker was pretty hot as a heel. Rock wastes no time and fires up on Taker to start the match as Taker reverses a whip and Rock ducks a shot before hitting a flying clothesline, and he pounds on Taker in the corner and Taker reverses a whip into the other corner as he grabs Rock by the throat though Rock escapes by pounding on Taker. Taker hits a big boot on Rock for a two count as he pounds on him and drives his knee into the back of Rock’s head, and he knocks Rock down and stomps on him as he drives his elbow into the back of his neck and Rock tries to battle back. Taker gets a shot in and drives the elbow into the back of Rock’s head as Rock catches him ducking with a swinging neckbreaker, but Taker recovers first and knocks Rock down as he stomps on him repeatedly and chokes him on the ropes. He pounds on Rock in the corner and hits a back elbow before hitting a headbutt as he chases the ref out of the ring, and Rock again battles back only for Taker to hit a sidewalk slam for a two count as he hooks a submission on Rock. Rock fights to his feet and breaks the hold until Taker gets a pair of knees in as he drives the elbow into the back of Rock’s head, and he stomps on Rock repeatedly and Rock holds the ropes on a whip as he avoids a boot from Taker who crotches himself on the top rope. Rock pounds on Taker and knocks him over the top to the floor as he goes outside himself and pounds on Taker, and he rams Taker into the steps and gets a knee in as he rams Taker into the announce table and then he clears off the table. He pounds on Taker who blocks a ram into the steps and he catches Rock with a back elbow as he rams him into the steps, and he hoists Rock up and crotches him on the barricade as he chokes him with his boot on the floor and he knocks Rock over the barricade into the crowd. Taker climbs over the barricade and they head through the crowd as Rock reverses a whip and sends Taker into a door, and he pounds on Taker who blocks a ram into the door and he gets a shot in before ramming Rock into the door. He drags Rock through the crowd and sends him over the barricade back to ringside as he throws him back into the ring, and he drapes Rock on the apron and drives the elbow into his throat as he drives his knee into Rock’s head. Taker gets on the apron and hits a legdrop to the back of Rock’s head for a two count as he pounds on him on the mat for a two count, and he goes back to the submission on Rock who fights to his feet and escapes the hold as he pounds on Taker who catches him ducking with a DDT for a two count. He hooks a bearhug on Rock and grinds down on him as Rock fights out of the hold by pounding on Taker and hits another flying clothesline, and the two men trade blows with Rock taking control as both men counter a whip and Rock gets a kick in before hitting a DDT. He nips up and hits a spinebuster on Taker as he looks for the People’s Elbow only for Taker to grab him by the throat, and Rock hits a low blow on Taker and pounds on him in the corner until Taker counters a whip by grabbing Rock by the throat and he hits the chokeslam for a two count. Taker goes outside and sits on his motorcycle as the ref goes outside and confronts him only for Taker to shove him into the steps, and he grabs a lead pipe from the motorcycle and gets on the apron as Ric Flair runs down to the ring and pulls Taker back to the floor. He pounds on Taker who no-sells his shots and he hits a big boot on Flair as he brings the pipe into the ring, and Rock ducks a swing and hits another spinebuster on Taker as he hooks the Sharpshooter on and the ref rolls back into the ring. Just then, Vince McMahon runs down to the ring and gets on the apron as Rock releases the hold and throws Vince into the ring, and he pounds on Vince in the corner until Taker gets a shot in as he hoists Rock onto his shoulder only for Flair to get in the ring with the pipe. He hits Taker in the head with it and slides out of the ring as Rock hits the Rock Bottom on Taker which gets the three and he wins the match. The match itself was pretty good as both men worked hard and put on a solid match. Both men were hitting their stride by this point and they still had good chemistry as Flair ends up costing Taker the match. The crowd was into the match and popped for Rock when he won. Rock gets the win over Taker and both men move on. Grade: 3.5
 
We see a shot outside WWF New York and we go inside where Mr. Perfect is as he says he should be having a great time, but he says seeing the people here in New York City makes it hard and he shows off his body to prove that he is perfect as he is a role model.
 
We see the buildup to the next match.
 
6. Kurt Angle pins Triple H with the Angle Slam at 14:39.
 
Special Guest Referee: Stephanie McMahon-Helmsley
 
Stipulation: If Angle wins, he takes Triple H’s WWF Undisputed Championship match at WrestleMania X8
 
The Buildup: On the 1/21 RAW, Triple H interrupted Chris Jericho and told him that he had never beaten him and he had two months to prove that he belongs in the main event of WM, but then Angle interrupted and said Triple H stole the Rumble from him as he and Jericho beat Triple H down until the Rock made the save. Later that night, Stephanie and Triple H would continue to have issues and in the main event, Triple H and Rock defeated Angle and Jericho in a tag match, and on the 1/24 Smackdown Triple H and Stephanie continued to have issues as both insinuated that they made a mistake in marrying each other. On the 1/28 RAW, Stephanie would accidentally cost Triple H a match against Booker T and he would force her away when she tried to apologize, and on the 1/31 Smackdown Jim Ross did an interview with Stephanie who continued to insist she and Triple H were fine as she said she was going to do something to prove their love for each other. In the main event, Triple H and Rock defeated Angle and the Undertaker by DQ as Angle would put Triple H in the Ankle Lock after the match repeatedly. On the 2/4 RAW, Triple H called Angle out only for Booker to come out and Triple H to defeat him by DQ when Angle got involved and he gave Triple H the Angle Slam, and Triple H would go after Angle who had security between them as Angle said he would face Triple H at the PPV with his WM Title shot on the line. Later that night, Stephanie brought Triple H out and said that they should renew their wedding vows though Triple H was clearly hesitant doing that in public, but then Stephanie broke down and revealed that she was pregnant as the two embraced each other. On the 2/7 Smackdown, Triple H and Stephanie met with a doctor who gave them the picture of the ultrasound of their baby, and Angle would come out with a stuffed gorilla which he said would be Triple H’s baby until Triple H attacked him. Later that night, Triple H confronted Vince about giving Angle a chance at his title shot and Vince would put Triple H in a handicap match against Angle and Jericho, and Angle and Jericho would defeat Triple H and Angle would attack Triple H from behind which caused Triple H to fall on top of Stephanie. On the 2/11 RAW, Triple H would receive a package from Linda McMahon which contained a videotape of an ad for a travel agency which had the doctor in it as it was revealed he was just an actor and Linda revealed Stephanie wasn’t pregnant, and at the end of the night Triple H and Stephanie were set to renew their vows only for Triple H to reveal he knew the truth and that their marriage was over as he gave Vince the Pedigree and shoved Stephanie to the mat. On the 2/14 Smackdown, Vince and Stephanie vowed to make Triple H’s life a living hell and later that night, Triple H and Maven defeated Angle and Taker by DQ and Angle, Taker, and Vince beat Triple H down as Stephanie revealed she would be the referee for the match at the PPV.
 
Analysis: Our last match before the main event is the second of our third main events. Triple H was dealing with Angle who wanted Triple H’s title shot as well as Stephanie which led to their marriage ending, and now he puts his title shot on the line against Angle with Stephanie as the ref. Triple H gets a good pop from the crowd while Angle and Stephanie were red hot as heels. Stephanie taunts Triple H as Angle hooks a rollup for a quick two count to start the match and then he hooks a small package for a quick two count, and he ducks a shot and hooks a rollup on Triple H who rolls through for a slow two count as he knocks Angle down and confronts Stephanie. Angle nails Triple H from behind and pounds on him in the corner as he stomps on him repeatedly only for Triple H to take him to the mat, and he chokes him on the mat and stomps on him in the corner as he chokes him with his boot and hits a pair of short clotheslines. He pounds on Angle who counters a whip with a back suplex and he charges though Triple H avoids him and Angle clotheslines Stephanie over the top to the floor, and Triple H ducks a shot and hits a back elbow on Angle as he pounds on him and hits a backdrop before clotheslining him over the top to the floor. More referees come out and help Stephanie to the back with one taking over the match as Triple H laughs at her only for Angle to hotshot him on the top rope, and he rolls back into the ring and pounds on Triple H who catches him ducking with a swinging neckbreaker for a two count. He pounds on Angle in the corner and blocks an atomic drop attempt as Angle ducks a shot and hits a pair of German suplexes, and Triple H tries to block a third one only for Angle to hit it for a two count and he pounds on Triple H before stomping on him in the corner. He sends Triple H to the outside and goes outside himself as he rams Triple H into the apron and throws him back into the ring, and he pounds on Triple H and hits a back elbow for a two count as Triple H gets a kick in and stomps on Angle repeatedly in the corner. Angle reverses a whip into the other corner and Triple H catches him with a boot to the face only for Angle to catch him in a belly-to-belly suplex for a two count, and he hits another belly-to-belly suplex for a two count and then he hits a third belly-to-belly suplex on Triple H for a two count. He pounds on Triple H and stomps on him repeatedly as he chokes him with his boot and Triple H tries to battle back, and Angle reverses a whip and hooks a sleeper on Triple H who tries to escape by ramming Angle into the corner twice. Angle keeps the hold on and brings Triple H to the mat only for Triple H to finally escape by sending Angle face first into the buckle, but Angle recovers first and pounds on Triple H in the corner until Triple H catches him in a powerbomb. He fires up on Angle who ducks a shot and Triple H hits the high knee as he pounds on him until Angle catches him ducking with a kick, but Triple H catches him in a spinebuster for a two count and pounds on Angle who reverses a whip and Triple H catches him ducking with the facebuster for a two count. Angle begs off and rolls outside to regroup as Triple H goes after him and chases him around and back into the ring, and Angle nails the ref from behind and Triple H ducks a shot as he hits a neckbreaker on Angle and checks on the ref. Angle hits a low blow on Triple H and then he hits the Angle Slam as Stephanie runs back down to the ring though Angle only gets a series of two counts, and he pounds on Triple H on the mat and looks for the Ankle Lock only for Triple H to shove him off into Stephanie in the corner. Triple H gets a kick in and hits a DDT though both Stephanie and the other ref are down as Triple H pulls up the other ref, but Angle nails Triple H from behind and sends him into the other ref who gets knocked through the ropes to the outside. He hits a German suplex on Triple H and goes outside as he brings a chair into the ring though Triple H ducks a swing and gets a kick in, and he hits the Pedigree on Angle as the second ref gets in the ring to make the count though Stephanie drops an elbow on the ref and she stomps on his groin. Triple H confronts her and looks to give her the Pedigree only for Angle to hit him in the back and the head with the chair, and then he hits the Angle Slam on Triple H which gets the three and he wins the match. The match itself was good as both men worked hard and put on a solid, but disappointing match. Triple H was slowly getting back into a groove while Angle was hitting his stride and they had good chemistry, but it didn’t hit the next gear that it could’ve and it was a bit shocking having Angle win given the story being told with Triple H. The crowd was into the match and Triple H, but are not happy when Angle wins. Angle gets the win over Triple H and is now seemingly heading to WrestleMania, but this issue isn’t over yet. Grade: 3
 
After the match, Angle and Stephanie head to the back as Triple H recovers and heads to the back himself, and we see Angle leave the arena gloating about going to WrestleMania as he gets in his car and drives off.
 
We see the Rock being worked on by the trainer as the New World Order come in and Hulk Hogan says that Rock is his son’s favorite wrestler, and he asks Rock for a picture which Rock agrees to and Scott Hall takes the picture as Hogan makes a snide comment about people’s taste. Rock then stops them from leaving as he says he was being a man taking a picture with Hogan and he says what they can do with the camera, and he calls Hall “Razor Ramon” and tells him to shine the camera up before handing it to “Diesel” as he does a mock horn and tells him to turn it sideways. He says that then he can give it to Hogan and tells him to eat his vitamins, say his prayers, and stick the camera up their candy asses before walking away.
 
We see Chris Jericho walking down the hallway.
 
We see the buildup to the main event.
 
7. Chris Jericho pins Stone Cold Steve Austin after a Stunner from Scott Hall at 21:33 to retain the WWF Undisputed Championship.
 
The Buildup: On the 1/21 RAW, Jericho cut a promo on defeating Rock the night before and having beaten everyone in the company only for Triple H to interrupt and say that Jericho’s never beaten him, but then Kurt Angle interrupted and complained about what happened at the Rumble as he and Jericho beat Triple H down until the Rock made the save. In the main event, Triple H and Rock defeated Jericho and Angle in a tag match and on the 1/24 Smackdown, Austin defeated Booker T and Angle defeated Rock to earn spots in a Number One Contender’s match. On the 1/28 RAW, Austin defeated Angle to become Number One Contender and Jericho tried to attack him only for Austin to give him the Stunner, and on the 2/4 Smackdown Jericho and the Undertaker defeated Austin and Rock in a tag match when he pinned Rock. On the 2/7 Smackdown, Jericho called Austin out only for MADTV star Will Sasso to come out impersonating Austin, but then the real Austin would come out and clear Jericho from the ring before giving Sasso the Stunner. On the 2/11 RAW, Jericho attacked Austin before his match with the Undertaker and then he attacked him after the match as he hit Austin with a beer cooler and mocked him by drinking beer, and on the 2/14 Smackdown Austin cut a promo saying he was addicted to the Undisputed Championship and vowed to win it at the PPV. Later that night, Austin confronted Jericho in his dressing room and forced him to share a beer as they shared a toast to their match with Austin splashing Jericho in the face with the beer, and later that night Austin would attack Jericho after his match and stood tall over him as he poured beer on Jericho.
 
Analysis: After a long and interesting night of wrestling, we come to our main event. Jericho has been rolling as Undisputed Champion and faces a tough challenge in Austin, who Jericho had defeated at Vengeance to become champion and now Austin looks to become champion here. Austin gets a big pop from the crowd while Jericho was pretty hot as a heel. The two men have a staredown to start the match and they flip each other off as they lock up with Jericho backing Austin into the corner, and the ref forces a break and they lock up again with neither gaining an edge as they lock up a third time with Jericho getting a shot in. He gets a kick in and pounds on Austin as he grabs the arm until Austin knocks him down and he sends Jericho through the ropes to the outside, and Austin rolls outside and chases Jericho back into the ring as he hits a back elbow and he pounds on Jericho in the corner. He rams Jericho into the buckles repeatedly and hits a clothesline before hitting a pair of suplexes and he pounds on Jericho in the corner, and he continues to pound on Jericho who catches him ducking with a swinging neckbreaker and he stomps on Austin repeatedly. He pounds on Austin in the corner and hits a back elbow before going up top only for Austin to nail him coming in, and he clotheslines Jericho over the top to the floor and goes outside himself as he pounds on Jericho and rams him into the post. He rams Jericho into the steps and pounds on him as he throws him back into the ring and rams the shoulder into the ribs repeatedly in the corner, and he whips Jericho into the other corner only to miss a charge as he rams his shoulder into the post and he falls to the outside. Jericho comes off the steps with an elbow to Austin’s back and pounds on him as he rams him into the steps and they head up the aisle, and Austin pounds on Jericho and takes him to the entranceway as he rams him into the side of the trucks and then he rams him into one of the projectors. He drags Jericho down the aisle and rams him into the barricade as Jericho battles back and he hotshots Austin on the barricade, and he pounds on Austin and throws him back into the ring as he goes up top only for Austin to crotch him on the top rope. He pounds on Jericho and goes up himself as he hits a superplex and then he puts Jericho on the top rope again, and he goes up again and hits a second superplex on Jericho as he puts him on the top rope again and goes up himself before hitting a third superplex for a pair of two counts. He pounds on Jericho in the corner and whips him hard into the corners until Jericho reverses a whip into the corner only for Austin to hit a clothesline, and Jericho pulls the ref in between them and hits a low blow on Austin as he drops a trio of elbows on him and pounds on him on the mat. He chokes him with his boot and pounds on him in the corner as he whips him into the other corner and Austin ducks a shot, and he catches a kick attempt and trips Austin up as he looks for the Walls of Jericho only for Austin to flip him to the mat. Jericho pounds on Austin in the corner and rams the knee into Austin’s face repeatedly as he chokes him and pounds on him, and Austin catches him ducking with a kick and pounds on Jericho as he hoists him up and hotshots him on the top rope. Austin drops an elbow on Jericho for a two count and Jericho reverses a whip as he sends Austin through the ropes to the outside, and he goes outside and rams Austin into the barricade as he pounds on him and grabs a chair only for the ref to take it from him. Austin gets a kick in and pounds on Jericho who sends Austin into the barricade and he rams him into the announce table twice, and he throws Austin back into the ring and pounds on him in the corner as he hits a back elbow only to miss the Lionsault. Austin pounds on Jericho who reverses a whip and he hooks a sleeper on Austin as he takes him to the mat, and Austin fights to his feet and breaks the hold as he pounds on Jericho who reverses a whip though Austin avoids a dropkick as Jericho lands on the mat. Austin looks for the Walls of Jericho on Jericho and slingshots him into the corner as Jericho escapes a back suplex attempt, and Austin gets a kick in though Jericho blocks the Stunner only for Austin to hit a pair of clotheslines on Jericho. Jericho ducks a shot and Austin hits a spinebuster as he gets a knee in and he pounds on Jericho who reverses a whip only for Austin to catch him in a powerslam for a two count, and Jericho reverses a whip into the corner and hits the running bulldog on Austin as he hits a pair of Lionsaults for a two count. He stomps on Austin repeatedly and pounds on him in the corner as he whips him into the other corner only to miss a charge as he rams his shoulder into the post, but Jericho blocks a Lou Thesz press attempt by slamming Austin to the mat and he hooks the Walls of Jericho on. Austin reaches the ropes to force a break and Jericho goes outside as he grabs one of the belts and brings it into the ring, and the ref tries to take the belt away from Jericho as Austin nails Jericho from behind and the ref gets taken out as well. Austin pounds on Jericho who rolls outside to regroup and Austin goes after him as he throws him back into the ring, and he pounds on Jericho and hits a spinebuster onto the belt for a two count as he gets a kick in though Jericho blocks the Stunner by hitting the inverted Russian legsweep on the belt for a two count. He pounds on Austin in the corner and whips him into the other corner as he splashes him and whips him back into the other corner, but Austin avoids the bulldog as Jericho hits a clothesline on the ref and Austin trips Jericho up before hooking the Walls of Jericho on him and Jericho taps out though the ref is still down. Austin releases the hold and looks for the ref as Jericho grabs the belt only for Austin to get a kick in and he hits the Stunner, but then the New World Order run down to the ring and Austin fights them off as he tackles Hall to the mat and pounds on him until Hogan and Nash swarm him. Hall gets a kick in and hits the Stunner on Austin as they leave the ring and Jericho rolls back into the ring along with the ref, and Jericho goes for the pin as he gets the three and he retains the title. The match itself was good as both men worked hard and put on a solid title match. Both men were hitting their strides by this point and had decent chemistry though it did feel like they were off on this night, and it was more about the nWo getting involved and costing Austin the title. The crowd was into the match and Austin, but are not happy when Jericho wins. Jericho retains the title over Austin and both men move on. Grade: 3
 
After the match, Jericho heads to the back as the nWo get back in the ring and they assault Austin who tackles Hall to the mat and pounds on him, but Hogan drops an elbow on Austin and Nash gets a knee in as Hall pounds on Austin before getting a kick in and he hits another Stunner. Hogan goes outside and pulls out a pair of cans of spray paint as he gets in the ring and hands one of the cans to Hall, and Hogan and Nash hold Austin down as Hall sprays “NWO” on Austin’s back and we go off the air.
 
Final Analysis: Overall, this PPV was a fairly decent show with nothing that was outright bad, but nothing that was excellent either and was really just an average show. Coming off a pretty strong Royal Rumble, this show should’ve continued that momentum going into WrestleMania though instead it did seem that it didn’t hit the next gear to be a great show. Jericho is still the man while Regal, Tazz, and Spike retain their titles and the APA, RVD, Rock, and Angle get big wins, and in terms of the matches Rock/Taker was the best while the rest ranged from good to average and the show was mainly remembered for the debut of the New World Order. 2002 has been a good year to this point as it started strong, but we do stumble a bit here and we will see how the Road to WrestleMania continues on especially with the nWo now in the mix. As for this show, it is a fairly average show best remembered for the New World Order’s debut though sadly not much else. Final Grade: C