Here�s a look at what the pay per view was all about and what the outcomes of the matches and storylines mean for Wrestlemania.
Cruiserweight Champion Gregory Helms vs. Scotty 2 Hotty vs. Paul London vs. Brian Kendrick vs. Sho Funaki vs. Super Crazy vs. Psicosis vs. Nunzio vs. Kid Kash
This was a good match between some very talented cruiserweights and I was happy to see the show open with such high energy. Helms refused to enter the ring so the match went on without him until the end when he jumped in and pinned Psichosis to retain his title. I wasn�t thrilled with the fact that Helms didn�t wrestle but it�s his new character, I guess, to be cocky and uncooperative. Kash, despite a broken hand that was reinjured last week, put on a great show as did Paul London, in particular. The rest were almost as good, taking some risks and getting the cow doing. Helms retains his title and moves on to a new feud, presumably with Kash as soon as Kash is closer to 100%.
JBL with Jillian Hall vs. Bobby Lashley
It�s time for JBL to dump Hall. She has no place with him anymore and nothing really to do. JBL worked hard and it was easy to see who the veteran was. Lashley will be a good wrestler in time but, right now, he needs a lot of work. Still the match was OK. JBL bled heavily around in his eye the hard way (Meaning he didn�t intentionally set out to bleed and that he was injured in some way during the match.) Fit Finlay interfered in this one for JBL so we may see the two team up more than just as a one time thing on the last Smackdown show. I would rather see JBL vs. Finlay because both are good brawlers. JBL won after Finlay interference in a passable match.
At this point, Batista showed up and came out to his ring entrance. He looked great. The crowd was hot for this surprise guest. He spoke a bit to the fans about coming back to reclaim his belt when he is healed and said he came to watch Angle vs. the Undertaker live.
We then saw Batista leave and go backstage where he spoke to some of the guys � notably Rey Mysterio - on the roster who greeted him warmly. I loved it. It was great to see Batista and to hear him talk about returning.
WWE Tag Team Champions MNM (Joey Mercury & Johnny Nitro, with Melina) vs. Matt Hardy & Tatanka
Tatanka was Hardy�s �mystery partner�. It sure isn�t looking great in WWE for Matt Hardy after all he went through to get back there. This was a non-title match so immediately you had to know that the tag champs would be losing and they did. Tatanka pinned Mercury for the win. Not a great match. It was, at best, a mismatch with Hardy and Tatanka.
U.S. Champion Booker T with Sharmell, vs. Chris Benoit
Booker teased that he was still injured and couldn�t wrestle but that turned out to be just that � a tease. He and Benoit delivered a good match as usual, hitting all their signature spots, with Sharmell interfering. The problem was, we have seen this match so many times that there wasn�t much the two could do to make this match feel or seem special. However, Benoit make Booker tap in about 19 minutes and is our new US champion!
Rey Mysterio vs. Randy Orton - Winner receives World Title match at Wrestlemania 22
Vicki Guerrero, the late Eddie Guerrero�s wife, and their daughters, as well as Chavo Guerrero, Eddie�s nephew, were all at the show and seen on camera several times. It was kind of eerie to see, to be honest.
Rey and Orton put on a good match with a load of near falls but the end saw Orton win by holding the ropes and pinning Rey. As I said a few times, Rey would not be going to Wrestlemania in the main event and this is why. The plan has been for Orton to be Angle�s opponent for a while and WWE didn�t veer from their plans. Rey now lost his title shot.
After the match, he was consoled by Vicki and Chavo, telling him that he hadn�t let them or Eddie�s memory down and he tried his best. Rey was visibly upset and was knocking things over and punching the wall as he walked backstage.
This match seems like it may have been changed. The impact of Rey�s loss, having the Guerrero family there in the back and at ringside, and the whole build up of Orton tearing Eddie down the way he has ended abruptly and without much crowd reaction.
At any rate, Orton will now go on to main event Wrestlemania, not Rey as was implied when Rey won the Royal Rumble.
Personally, I think that stinks.
World Champion Kurt Angle vs. The Undertaker
I didn�t know what to expect having not seen UT work much lately but these two put on a great match. I knew Angle had it in him but wasn�t certain about Undertaker. Well, he still does. They pulled out all the stops and wrestled an exciting fast paced match with very little stalling or rest holds. The match went for about 30 minutes and wasn�t boring at all.
The end was convoluted as both men thought they won when Angle pinned UT after a triangle choke attempt by Taker. When Angle�s name was called as the winner, Undertaker became furious and cornered Angle saying, "I've got your number, I'm not through with you yet", before the show ended.
This leads me to wonder whether we will see a three way match between Undertaker, Orton, and Angle at Wrestlemania since clearly the feud between Angle and Undertaker is far from over especially after that somewhat tainted victory Angle got on Taker. It will be interesting to see if WWE continues with their plan of Orton vs. Angle for the big show or if they add Undertaker into the mix. After tonight, I would rather see a three way match because Undertaker really pulled off some realistic and exciting moves and Angle and he worked very well together. I am not so certain that Orton and Angle could do any better at Wrestlemania alone.
I will have more on the Wrestlemania line up soon.
The show was a solid effort but didn�t quite live up to expectations going into Wrestlemania. The cruiserweight and main event matches were good and the appearance of Batista was unexpected and added excitement. They also formally announced Bret Hart�s induction into the Hall of Fame in April. I will have a ton of news about Bret and the Hall of Fame, plus much more in my next column coming up.
I am sad to report that Mike "Johnny Grunge" Durham passed away on February 16. He was 39. The cause of his death seems to have been breathing problems stemming from sleep apnea but the official word has not been given. His wake and funeral will be Tuesday and Wednesday at Ward�s Parkway Chapel, 1000 Forest Parkway, Forest Park, GA.
In lieu of flowers, the family is asking that donations be made to Michel Durham Memorial Fund at:
Bank of America GA7-083-01-01
500 North Lake Drive
Peachtree City, GA 30269
(770)631-3200
He left behind two sons, ages eight and three.
Durham was better known as one half of the Public Enemy tag team along with his late partner Ted "Rocco Rock" Petty. They had a near cult following in ECW and also appeared in several other promotions as PE.
I will have more details in my regular news column.
Until then, enjoy the shows and please visit the forum. I am on my way there now!
Patty
My favorite No Way Out pay per view was the 2004 one. You can check it out here.
Last year's No Way Out ppv was good as well. You can see highlights here.
