WWF: No Way Out 2000 [VHS]

okay event for what it was this event would have probaly been a 3 star event if it was not for the hell in a cell

Thanks to an online download, I was able to check out No Way Out 2000 which was the final stop on the Road to WrestleMania and for those that like to keep track of this sort of thing, this was the second No Way Out event after the initial 1998 event. This event was following in the aftermath of the Royal Rumble with unsettled business involving not only The Rock & The Big Show but also Triple H & Cactus Jack. One other big story was the PPV debut of four former WCW performers known as The Radicals in Chris Benoit, Dean Malenko, Perry Saturn & Eddie Guerrero.Intercontinental Champion Chris Jericho vs Kurt Angle. At this time, Angle was the new European Champion while it should be noted that during this time also, Jericho had formed an alliance with Chyna. Jericho started off with momentum causing Angle to retreat to outside before coming coming back with a series of suplexes. Angle was able to target Jericho's arm with moves such as armbars and arm ringers before both men went back & forth before one man's use of a belt not only lead to Chyna getting involved but also an argument between the referees that would come to past later on. This was a good quality wrestling match as you would expect from both men.WWF Tag Team Champions The New Age Outlaws vs The Dudley Boyz. This was a dream match for that time as one of the best tag teams in WWF was facing off with the best tag team from ECW with the Dudleys looking for revenge for being put through a table on the previous SmackDown. However due to that attack, Billy Gunn had suffered an injury which became a focal point here making this match short with Road Dogg wrestling a handicap match before the Dudleys were able to make history to win their first of many championships in the WWF/E.Mark Henry vs Viscera. This match was off an angle between Mark Henry & Mae Young and to be honest, the less said about that angle along with this match, the better but at least this kept short as well.Edge & Christian vs Hardy Boyz. After being attacked by the Dudleys, Terri made her return in the corner of the Hardys with the added fact that she paid for the Acoltyes Protection for the night with the APA watching the entrance. These two teams were more well known for having their series of Ladder matches dating back to the previous No Mercy event all the way to adding the Dudleys in a few months to the birth of TLC matches. This was a tag team wrestling clinic with both teams trading momentum by using the strategy of cutting off one member of the team, building up for the hot tag but one moment to check out would be Edge catching Jeff Hardy in mid-air with the spear months before that spot was a sight in the Ladder/TLC matches. However, the moment of this match was when Terri got involved and who she decided to help out that shocked all four of the competitors before the APA did their service as well.Tazz vs Big Bossman. This lasted less than a minute with Tazz being attacked by Albert after having the tazz mission applied with the aftermath lasting longer in which Albert & Bossman beat Tazz down only for Tazz to keep fighting back till he was finally put down.No Holds Barred: Kane vs X-Pac. This was the build up for months between these two with the feud getting more personal with Tori turning on Kane that lead to the return of Paul Bearer. Kane was dominate from the start of the match by overpowering and beating down X-Pac all over the arena. X-Pac was able to use undermining tactics along with Tori's interference to get the momentum in his favor. Paul Bearer & Tori were also able to get involved with each party returning the favor before a set of steel steps made the difference in this short but brief brawl.Too Cool & Rikishi vs Radicals. It should be noted that Eddie Guerrero was still injured at this time with a dislocated elbow from weeks before so this team of the Radicals consisted of Chris Benoit, Dean Malenko & Perry Saturn as Eddie Guerrero served the cornerman of the team before some "moral support" was enough to send Eddie back to the dressing room. Rikishi was supporting an injured an injured ankle which was the focal point of this match as each member of the Radical team was able to attack the injury with Malenko always being the man to stop the other team's momentum by attacking Rikishi's ankle. However, the action was able to get out of control before one man was just clearly over matched. This was a fun match with everyone stepping up their game along with the storytelling of Rikishi's ankle.The Rock vs Big Show. After the ending of the Royal Rumble & many weeks of campaigning from the Big Show (including video footage), he gets his one on one match with The Rock with the WrestleMania title shot on the line. Rock started things off with a slap before taking the fight to the Big Show. Show was able to get regain control by using his size and power with both men taking it to the outside while also bringing a chair into the match. However, it was a mistiming with the referee that lead to a series of events that brought a referee for an earlier match to get involved in a way nobody expected before one person made his return in way that not only shocked the crowd, the announcers but especially The Rock.Hell In A Cell: WWF Champion Triple H vs Cactus Jack. It was Triple H's Title vs Mick Foley's Career as Mick Foley would end his career if he didn't win the title here. Weeks prior to the match, Cactus had vowed that he was going to climb to the top of the Cell and crash onto Triple H but early on, there was a notice that the Cell door had more locks than usual to ensure that it wouldn't happen. Both men started brawling here before Triple H was able to take control using the steel steps and a chair to dish out punishment to Cactus while also using the Cell as a partner. Cactus was able to recover off of one mistake that lead to Triple H being busted open before using the chair himself by delivering an elbow drop from the top to the floor with chair in hand. However, Cactus was able to find a way out of the Cell with a mistimed steps through before making the hole bigger. They took it to the announce table where a piledriver was given on top of it with no give before Cactus was able to get his hands on a barbed wire 2x4 that had the reaction Triple H gave when seeing it only for it to cost Cactus at one point in knocking him off the Cell through the announce table. The two made it to the top of the Cell which lead to the Barbed Wire 2x4 to be set on fire before Cactus took another dangerous fall that sealed his career. This wasn't on the level of their Rumble Street Fight but certainly told a great story of Cactus not giving up without a fight.Overall, this event set the Road to WrestleMania with some quality matches, storyline developments as well as shocking results with the only negative being some of the short matches that were pointless such as Henry/Vic or Tazz/Bossman while another note should be that the opener and the main event have been released onto DVD so I'd give this event a 3.5 but will boast this up to a 4 as I recommend seeing this online or the Network.

1.) WWF Intercontinental Championship Match: Kurt Angle vs Chris Jericho (c) w/ChynaAngle is out first and cuts a hilarious promo on the Hartford Whalers. No cannot tell me that Angle wasn't a joy on the mic during his rookie year in the company. Nonetheless, Chyna and Jericho are out next with Jericho insulting Angle before getting the match underway. The first half of the match rolls back and forth at a quick pace. Angle tries to damage Jericho's left shoulder early on and stays focused on it for most of the match. Half way through, Angle counters a clothesline from Jericho into an Olympic Slam for a nearfall. Angle out of frustration attempts to use Jericho's championship as a weapon on him, but Jericho counters it into a Walls of Jericho but Angle makes it to the bottom rope. The fight creeps to the outside where Angle attempts to use his European Championship to hit Chyna with, but she blocks it. Jericho pushes Angle who accidentally collides with Chyna into the steel steps. Jericho gets Angle back in the ring and goes for the Lionsault, but Angle cheats and uses the IC Championship as a shield, causing Jericho to collide face first into it. The ref never sees it, tending to Chyna, but rolls back in the ring to make the fall, giving Angle the win. Tremendous opening match that saw Angle become the first and I believe only Eurocontinental Champion.__________________________________________________________________________________________________2.) WWF Tag Team Championship Match: The New Age Outlaws (c) vs The Dudley BoyzThe Dudleyz rush the ring attacking the Outlaws to get the match underway. The Dudleyz make consistent tags, working over Road Dogg and Gunn for a good sum of the match. As the end draws, Bubba Ray pulls Gunn off the apron and down to the floor and hits him in the shoulder with a lead pipe. Back on the inside, D-Von and Bubba successfully hit a 3D on Road Dogg for the win. Short but fun match with the Dudleyz winning their first of many Tag Team Championships in the company. Road Dogg and Billy are seen arguing after the match. Billy would disappear from TV shortly after this to have surgery on a torn rotator cuff. This would be the last PPV the New Age Outlaws were a part of until 2014.__________________________________________________________________________________________________3.) Mark Henry vs VisceraThis match all took place after Viscera had attacked Mae Young on a previous Raw. At this point in WWF, no one wanted to see 2 big men at the size they were go at it in the ring. That should've been kept and left in 1994--not brought into 2000. The fans made no bones about stating their disapproval at the match as a "boring" chant is heard by the fans. Mae Young runs into the ring to check on Mark, but gets knocked down by Viscera because of it. Vis attempts to splash Mae, but Henry knocks him with a shoulder tackle. One bodyslam later and the match is thankfully later.