No Way Out (2002)

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This article is about the 2002 WWF pay-per-view. For other uses, see No Way Out.
No Way Out
Bradley Center[2]
Attendance15,291[3]
Buy rate575,000[4]
Pay-per-view chronology
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Royal Rumble 		Next →
WrestleMania X8
No Way Out chronology
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2001 		Next →
2003

The 2002 No Way Out was the fourth

Bradley Center in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. It was the final No Way Out promoted under the WWF name as the promotion was renamed to World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) in May. It was also the final No Way Out event held before the WWF introduced the brand extension
in March.

Eight professional wrestling matches were scheduled on the event's card. In the main event, Chris Jericho defeated Stone Cold Steve Austin to retain the Undisputed WWF Championship. In other prominent matches, Kurt Angle defeated Triple H to become the number one contender for the Undisputed WWF Championship, and The Rock defeated The Undertaker in a singles match.

This event is notable for the onscreen WWF debut of the New World Order (nWo), a dominant faction in World Championship Wrestling (WCW), which the WWF had acquired in March 2001. This iteration of the nWo consisted of the faction's three original members, Hollywood Hogan, Kevin Nash, and Scott Hall, with this also being their respective returns to the WWF. Coincidentally, No Way Out has the same three-letter abbreviation as the faction.

Production

Background

Bradley Center in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.[1][6][2]

Storylines

The biggest storyline for No Way Out was when

Scott Hall, and Kevin Nash, the three original members of the nWo in World Championship Wrestling
, appearing as McMahon's hired guns.

After defeating

Kane, Austin retaliated by assaulting Jericho then finished off Jericho with the Stone Cold Stunner
then poured beer all over him.

Semifinals Final
      
1 Stone Cold Steve Austin Pin
4 Booker T 9:16
Stone Cold Steve Austin 10:27
Kurt Angle Pin
3 Kurt Angle Pin
2 The Rock 9:21

After winning the 2002 Royal Rumble match,

Maven defeated Angle and The Undertaker
by disqualification, Angle and Taker manhandled Triple H while Stephanie announced herself as the guest referee in the match between Triple H and Kurt Angle at No Way Out.

On the January 24, 2002 episode of SmackDown!, The Rock mocked The Undertaker for his quick elimination by Maven during the Royal Rumble match at the Royal Rumble. The Undertaker's interference led to The Rock losing to Kurt Angle in the Semi-finals tournament to challenge for the Undisputed championship at No Way Out.[7] On the February 4, 2002 episode of Raw, during a tag team match, The Undertaker grabbed a steel lead pipe from his motorcycle and nailed The Rock in the head with it, allowing Chris Jericho to score the pinfall win. Three days later on SmackDown!, The Rock retaliated by hitting him with a chair and helping Maven win the WWF Hardcore Championship; however The Undertaker performed a Tombstone Piledriver on The Rock onto the hood of a limousine in revenge.[8] A match was made between the two at No Way Out.[9]

Event

Other on-screen personnel
Role: Name:
English commentators Jim Ross
Jerry Lawler
Spanish commentators Carlos Cabrera
Hugo Savinovich
Backstage
interviewer
 Michael Cole
Lilian Garcia
Jonathan Coachman
Ring announcer Howard Finkel
Referees Mike Chioda
Jack Doan
Brian Hebner
Earl Hebner
Jim Korderas
Theodore Long
Chad Patton
Tim White
Stephanie McMahon
(#1 Contender's Match)

Before the event aired live on pay-per-view, a dark match took place in which

Big Boss Man by disqualification
.

Preliminary matches

The event began with the

Scott Hall spoke briefly before Hollywood Hulk Hogan
explained that the nWo did not want to kill the WWF but to be given a chance.

The first match was a

The APA (Faarooq and Bradshaw
) eliminated Billy and Chuck after Bradshaw pinned Gunn following a Clothesline from Hell to win the match.

Next,

Goldust
. Van Dam executed a Rolling Thunder Senton on Goldust for a near-fall. After Van Dam missed a Five Star Frog Splash, Goldust executed a DDT on Van Dam for a near-fall. Goldust attempted a Curtin Call on Van Dam but Van Dam countered the move and executed a Spinning Heel Kick on Goldust for a near-fall. Goldust attempted a Bulldog on Van Dam but Van Dam countered the move and performed a Step Over Spinning Heel Kick on Goldust. Van Dam pinned Goldust after a Five Star Frog Splash to win the match.

After that,

Tazz and Spike Dudley defended the WWF Tag Team Championship against Booker T and Test
. Test pinned Tazz but the referee noticed Test using the ropes for leverage, voiding the pinfall. After Test argued with the referee, Tazz forced Test to submit to the Tazzmission to retain the title.

In the fourth match, William Regal defended the WWF Intercontinental Championship against Edge in a Brass Knuckles on a Pole match. Regal retrieved the brass knuckles but Edge knocked Regal off the top rope. Regal knocked the brass knuckles out of the ring to prevent Edge from using them. Edge performed a Spear on Regal and retrieved the brass knuckles whilst Regal pulled another pair out of his tights. Regal hit Edge with them and pinned Edge to retain the title.

Main event matches

In the fifth match, The Rock faced The Undertaker. Undertaker executed a Chokeslam on Rock for a near-fall. Undertaker threw the referee into the steel steps and retrieved a lead pipe from his motorbike. Ric Flair interfered, attacking Undertaker but Undertaker performed a Big Boot on Flair. Undertaker attempted to hit Rock with the pipe but Rock applied the Sharpshooter on Undertaker. Vince McMahon interfered, distracting the referee. Rock attacked Vince, which distracted the referee. Undertaker attempted a Tombstone Piledriver on Rock but Flair hit Undertaker with the pipe and Rock pinned Undertaker after a Rock Bottom to win the match.

Next,

Undisputed WWF Championship at WrestleMania X8 with Stephanie McMahon as special guest referee
. Angle attempted a Clothesline on Triple H but Triple H avoided the move, resulting in Angle knocking out Stephanie and Tim White replacing Stephanie as the referee. Angle attacked White and performed a low blow on Triple H whilst Stephanie returned to officiate. Angle applied an Ankle Lock on Triple H but Triple H countered the hold, resulting in Angle knocking Stephanie down again. After Angle missed a chair shot, Triple H performed a Pedigree on Angle and attempted a pin but Stephanie attacked White with a low blow. Triple H attempted a Pedigree on Stephanie but Angle hit Triple H with a chair and pinned Triple H after an Angle Slam to win the match.

In the main event, Chris Jericho defended the Undisputed WWF Championship against Stone Cold Steve Austin. Austin fought with Jericho in the entrance way, where Austin threw Jericho into the production trucks. Whilst the referee was distracted, Jericho performed a low blow and two Lionsaults on Austin for a near-fall. Jericho applied the Walls of Jericho on Austin but Austin touched the ropes, forcing Jericho to break the hold. After Jericho retrieved the title belt, the referee was knocked down. Austin performed a Spinebuster on Jericho onto the title belt and attempted a Stone Cold Stunner on Jericho but Jericho countered the move into a Breakdown onto the title belt for a near-fall. After the referee was knocked down again, Austin forced Jericho to submit to the Walls of Jericho. Austin performed a Stone Cold Stunner on Jericho but the nWo interfered, attacking Austin. Hall performed a Stunner on Austin whilst Jericho helped the referee. Jericho pinned Austin to retain the title. After the match, Austin fought with the nWo but Hall performed another Stunner on Austin and Hall spray-painted the initials "NWO" on Austin's back while Nash and Hogan held him down, as the event ended.

Aftermath

After his win over Stone Cold Steve Austin, Chris Jericho aligned with Stephanie McMahon (with whom he had been feuding over the past few years), in an attempt to take down Triple H, who had won back his title shot on the episode of Raw immediately following No Way Out. Jericho lost the Undisputed WWF Championship to Triple H at WrestleMania X8, and also failed to win a rematch on the March 25 episode of Raw, in the process forcing Stephanie to, in storyline, leave the WWF per the pre-match stipulation. The feud with Triple H continued, and Jericho would get revenge a month later when he interfered in Triple H's championship defense against Hollywood Hulk Hogan at Backlash and cost him the title. The two would feud in the following weeks until Judgment Day, when Triple H defeated Chris Jericho in a Hell in a Cell match.

The nWo set their sights on Steve Austin and

Scott Hall at WrestleMania X8, while The Rock wrestled and defeated Hogan at the same event. Afterwards, Austin would continue to pursue the Undisputed title until he abruptly walked out of the company in June, and The Rock left for three months to make another film. Hogan was kicked out of the nWo after WrestleMania and, as mentioned above, later challenged Triple H for the Undisputed WWF Championship at Backlash and won it, tying him with Austin and The Rock for the record for most WWF Championship wins (which at that time was six and has since been broken twice; John Cena currently holds the record with 13). Scott Hall defeated Bradshaw
at Backlash, but was released less than a month later. Kevin Nash injured his biceps shortly after his debut and was relegated to a non-wrestling role within the nWo until July, when he suffered a torn quadriceps tendon in his first match back and missed the remainder of the year.

After losing to The Rock, The Undertaker would feud with Ric Flair, which ended with Undertaker picking up the win at WrestleMania X8.

The Dudley Boyz, and The APA
in the four teams elimination match.

Goldust entered the Hardcore division, where he would win the WWF Hardcore Championship
nine times.

No Way Out 2002 was the last No Way Out held under the WWF name, as the promotion was renamed to World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) in May.[10] It was also the last No Way Out held before the promotion introduced the brand extension in March, a storyline subdivision in which the promotion divided its roster into two separate brands, Raw and SmackDown!, where wrestlers were exclusively assigned to perform.[11]

Results

No.Results
Undisputed WWF Championship
21:33
(c) – the champion(s) heading into the match
H – the match was broadcast prior to the pay-per-view on Sunday Night Heat
Tag Team Turmoil
Draw Team Order Eliminated by
1 Scotty 2 Hotty and Albert 1
Christian and Lance Storm
2 Christian and Lance Storm 2 The Hardy Boyz
3
The Hardy Boyz (Matt and Jeff) (with Lita
) 		4 Billy and Chuck
4
The Dudley Boyz (Bubba Ray and D-Von) (with Stacy Keibler
) 		3 The Hardy Boyz
5 Billy and Chuck 5 The APA
6
Faarooq and Bradshaw
) 		Winners

References

  1. ^ a b Martin, Adam (2009-02-17). "No Way Out 2002 Results". WrestleView. Retrieved 2009-08-20.
  2. ^
    World Wrestling Entertainment
    . Retrieved 2009-08-21.
  3. ^ a b "No Way Out 2002". Pro Wrestling History. Retrieved 2009-08-20.
  4. ^ "WWE Pay-Per-View Buys (1993-2015)". Wrestlenomics. Retrieved January 26, 2021.
  5. ASIN B00RWUNSRS
    .
  6. ^
    Canadian Online Explorer. Archived from the original on July 19, 2012. Retrieved 2009-08-21.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link
    )
  7. ^ McCluskey, Sean (2002-01-24). "411's WWF Smackdown Report 1.24.02". 411mania. Retrieved 2008-03-25.
  8. ^ McCluskey, Sean (2002-02-07). "411's WWF Smackdown Report 2.7.02". 411mania. Retrieved 2008-03-25.
  9. ^ "411's WWF Raw Report 2.11.02". 411mania. 2002-02-11. Retrieved 2008-03-25.
  10. ^ "World Wrestling Federation Entertainment Drops The "F" To Emphasize the "E" for Entertainment". WWE. Archived from the original on January 19, 2009. Retrieved August 28, 2008.
  11. ^ "WWE Entertainment To Make RAW and SMACKDOWN Distinct Television Brands" (Press release). WWE. March 27, 2002. Archived from the original on April 17, 2010. Retrieved April 5, 2012.

External links

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