411’s WWE No Way Out Report 02.23.03

WWE No Way Out Report 02.23.03
Live from Montreal
Announcers are Coachman/Ross and Cole/Tazz
Report by Widro

JR is not there.

Chris Jericho vs. Jeff Hardy
Back and forth stuff to start. Hardy takes early control. Jericho with a short clothesline and belly to back. Crowd is HOT. Flying to the floor. Into the ring, Jeff gets a rollup for 2. Jericho up with a quick attack. Crowd is hot for something, might not be the match right now though. Jericho slows things down with a rear chin lock. Jericho with some stiff chops on Jeff in the corner. Crowd calls out “2” for every near fall. DDT by Jeff for 2. Back and forth until Jericho gets a top rope powerbomb and then locks in the Walls of Jericho. Jeff taps.
Winner: Jericho

After the match, Jericho wont let go, and HBK comes down to make the save. Christian comes down as well, but HBK clears them both out.

Kurt Angle gives Team Angle a pep talk backstage.

World Tag Team Titles
Regal and Storm (c) vs. Kane and RVD
RVD and Storm start it out tonight. Tag to Kane and the faces have control on Storm early. Kane with a military press on Storm and drops him. Storm pokes the eye of RVD and brings him to the corner with Regal and they make the tag. But RVD quickly retakes control. Storm and Regal double team and Storm takes control on RVD. Hot tag to Kane and he clears house a bit. All four men in the ring, and Kane is blinded as Storm pulled his mask over his face, and mistakenly choke slams RVD, who is then pinned.
Winners and STILL champs: Storm and Regal

After the match, RVD is all pissed, Kane pleads his case. RVD just walks away.

Josh Matthews interviews Matt Hardy with Shannon Moore about losing weight and Mattitude. Matt runs into Jeff backstage and says he should have still been a Mattitude follower or else he wouldn’t lose so many matches. Jeff slaps him.

WWE Cruiserweight Title
Billy Kidman (c) vs. Matt Hardy w/Shannon Moore
Matt hates the ice and snow. Matt takes hot tea with milk and sweetener. Kidman with some arm drags to start. Matt pulls Kidman into the STEEEEL ringpost on the apron and Kidman flies to the floor. Matt follows and puts Kidman in the ring and gives him elbow to the throat while standing on the floor. Matt controls in the ring. Matt covers for 2 after a neckbreaker. Matt in full control. Kidman with a desperation enziguri after a kipup and both men are down. Beautiful dropkick by Kidman sends Matt to the floor. Kidman follows up with a PLANCHA to the floor. Matt back in, Kidman goes up top, but Matt blocks and hits a reverse Russian legsweep for 2. Side effect by Hardy for 2. Kidman knocks Shannon off the apron as he gives Matt a bulldog. Brings Matt to the corner, and goes for the Shooting Star Press, but Matt moves and Kidman gets all mat. Matt hits the Twist of Fate! But Kidman kicks out!! Matt goes up for a superplex, but falls off, and Kidman is still up top. Shannon pops into the ring and crotches Kidman, then Matt hops up and hits the Twist of Fate from the top rope and Matt gets the pin.
Winner and NEW cruiserweight champ: Matt Hardy

In the back, Benoit and Brock are over a fallen Edge, who is out and hurt on the cement. Steph is also there shrieking.

Big Show w/Paul Heyman vs. The Undertaker
Brawling begins on the floor near the announce position. Taker has control early, but Big Show takes control and Big Show with a cool vertical suplex for 2. Taker fights back from his knees. I don’t know if its because he’s next to the Big Show or what, but Taker looks in great shape. Bear hug by the Big Show and Taker is fighting out of it. Taker gets out of it, but Show catches Taker with a sidewalk slam. Taker fights back with some big blows. Taker goes old school and walks the top rope and flies onto Show. Show isn’t going down. Taker goes for a chokeslam (he had earlier been blocked) and again Show blocks. Back and forth, DDT by Taker. Show back up and goes to work. Taker gets the dragon sleeper, but Heyman goes up on the apron and Taker chases him off. A Train comes down out of no where, and distracts Taker as well. Finally Big Show hits a chokeslam and covers Taker. But Taker gets Show with the Triangle choke. And Show submits.
Winner: Undertaker

After the match, A Train hits Taker with the derailer and stands over him.

Backstage, Vince warns Bishchoff and Morley that no one interfere in the match against Austin, specifically looking at Morley.

Brock Lesnar and Chris Benoit vs. Team Angle
No replacement for Edge, so it’s a handicap match. Benoit and Benjamin to start. Hot tags to everyone early and some quick action. Triple team on Brock takes him down, and with him down, Kurt tags in. Sleeper on the back by Angle and he gets Lesnar to the mat. Lesnar gets up with Angle still on his back, and Lesnar gets out of the hold in the corner. Hot tag to Benoit with a snap suplex on Haas, German on Angle and German on Benjamin. 2 and 3 on Benjamin. Match breaks downa a bit and ends up with Benjamin and Benoit in the ring, and Benoit in bad shape in Team Angle’s corner. Angle in and goes to work on Benoit with a German for WHOOOOS from the crowd. Haas in, bodyslam, then knocks Lesnar off the apron. Benoit being beaten down. Match breaks down a bit, results in Benoit in the Ankle Lock, rolled into the Crossface, and back to the Ankle Lock and back to the Crossface until the rest of Team Angle breaks it up. Brock gets Angle up and F5 on Kurt. Benoit has Haas in the crossface and he taps as Brock went to cover Angle.
Winners: Brock and Benoit

World Title Match
HHH (c) w/Ric Flair vs. Scott Steiner
Steiner yells at HHH a bit, and they lockup to start. Steiner with a ten punch count along, and it seems this crowd is totally against Steiner. Steiner in control for a bit, and gets HHH into the figure four. With the ref’s back turned, Flair breaks it up to huge cheers. HHH talks to the ref and Flair chokes Steiner on the floor with his suit. Flair sends Steiner back in and HHH beats him down a bit. Steiner fights back and bit and gets hugely booed, HHH hits a neckbreaker for 2 to huge cheers. Steiner kicking out got huge boos. HHH and the ref argue some. Steiner sends HHH to the floor after brawling around the ring. Steiner controls on HHH in the ring again, and is getting gigantic boos. Wow this is just some crazy crowd reactions. Steiner with a top rope slam on HHH and covers, but Flair breaks it up again. Flair signals for the troops. Orton and Batista come down, but Steiner fights them off. HHH sets up for the pedigree, but Steiner sends HHH to the floor. Steiner attacks Orton. After all the chaos, the ref sends the rest of Evolution to the back. HHH covers Steiner as the chaos settles, but Steiner kicks out. HHH gets a pedigree then pins Steiner.
Winner and STILL champ: HHH

Bischoff walks backstage.

JR joins commentary.

Eric Bischoff vs. Stone Cold Steve Austin
Bischoff comes to the ring and offers to forfeit the match to Bischoff. Austin just attacks Bischoff and the crowd is RABID for him. Austin has jean shorts and those huge knee braces on. Austin beats down Bischoff in the corner. Takes off Bischoff’s gloves and then beats him a bit. Bischoff scurries to the outside, and Austin flows, and the brawl around ringside. Back into the ring, and Stone Cold Stunner! Covers, but pulls up at three. And does it again? Austin picks him back up and a huge AUSTIN chant breaks out. Another stunner by Austin. Covers again, but again picks up Bischoff. Then a THIRD stunner and Austin finally pins Bischoff.
Winner: Austin

The Rock vs. Hulk Hogan
Rock has a very very long intro movie with a long pan over the city, and then new theme music. Hogan gets a huge reaction. Hogan takes early control and Rock falls to the floor. Rock back in, and Rocky gets an early Rock Bottom! Hogan kicks out. Rock puts Hogan’s bandana on, and whips Hogan with Hogan’s own belt! Hogan hulks up early and takes down Rock. Hogan has the belt and he whips Rock! Rock with a DDT, then immediately gets up and takes in the moment as Hogan is on the mat. Rock locks in the sharpshooter. Hogan gets to the bottom rope. Rock gets the hold again, and Hogan is out. Arm raised once. And twice. But the third Hogan is up, and breaks the hold, sending Rock to the floor. Hogan follows. Brawling. Rock grabs a chair, goes to hit Hogan who moves and the chair hits the ring post. Hogan has the chair and brings it and the Rock into the ring. Rock gets a low blow behind the ref’s back. Rock up and gets a Rock Bottom then a spine buster. Then the People’s Elbow! Then does ANOTHER with Hogan-mocking mannerisms! Hogan kicks out at 3 and HULKS UP. Crowd is HOT for Hogan. Rock attacks Hogan but they have no effect as Hogan shakes his head. Finger point! Finger wag! Hogan beats on Rock. Big Boot. Big legdrop! Goes for the cover, but the lights go out. They come back on and the ref is out. Vince McMahon comes out looking confused and makes his way to the ring. Hogan taunts McMahon as he comes down, and the fallen ref gives Rock the chair, and Rock gets up and whacks Hogan with the chair. McMahon stays at ringside. Ref is still “out”. Rock waits for Hogan to get up and hits Rock Bottom on Hogan. The ref magically gets up and counts the pin.
Winner: Rock

McMahon raises Rock and the ref’s hand after the match. Rock and the ref leave, and Rock shakes McMahon’s hand. McMahon goes back to the ring. Hogan grabs onto Vince to get up, but Vince tosses him off. Vince takes off his dress shirt to reveal a Hogan shirt with stuff written on it like “sucks”. Then Vince rips the shirt off.