No Way Out (2004)

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No Way Out (2004)
Details
Promotion	World Wrestling Entertainment
Brand (s)	SmackDown!
Date	February 15, 2004
Venue	Cow Palace
City	San Francisco, California
Attendance	11,000[1]
Pay-per-view chronology
Royal Rumble (2004)	No Way Out (2004)	WrestleMania XX
No Way Out chronology
No Way Out (2003)	No Way Out (2004)	No Way Out (2005)

No Way Out (2004) was the fifth annual No Way Out pay-per-view event produced by World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE), and starred their SmackDown! brand. It took place on February 15, 2004 at the Cow Palace in San Francisco, California.^[2] The official theme song was "Crossing Borders" by Rey Mysterio.^[3]

The main event was for the WWE Championship between Brock Lesnar and Eddie Guerrero, which Guerrero won by pinfall after performing a Frog Splash.^[4] The main match on the undercard was a Triple Threat match for a WWE Championship match at WrestleMania XX between Kurt Angle, The Big Show, and John Cena, which Angle won after forcing Cena to submit with the Ankle lock.^[5]

Contents 1 Report 1.1 Background 1.2 Event 1.3 Aftermath 2 Results 3 See also 4 References 5 External links

[edit] Report

[edit] Background

After winning a 15-man Royal Rumble match on the January 29, 2004 episode of SmackDown!, Eddie Guerrero earned a WWE Championship match at No Way Out against the WWE Champion, Brock Lesnar.^[6] Outside of the angle concerning Guerrero's place as the number one contender, the WWE Champion, Brock Lesnar, was involved in a feud with the Raw brand's Goldberg.^[7] The feud between Lesnar and Goldberg began at the 2004 Royal Rumble. After Lesnar successfully defended his WWE Championship against Hardcore Holly, Lesnar interfered in the Royal Rumble match, attacking and eliminating Goldberg.^[7][8] On the January 26, 2004 episode of Raw, Goldberg went on to defeat Jonathan Coachman, and after the match, he told WWE cameras that Lesnar was "next".^[9] Lesnar responded by calling Goldberg a "wannabe" Brock Lesnar, on the January 29, 2004 episode of SmackDown!^[6] The following week on Raw, Steve Austin gave Goldberg a front row ticket for No Way Out.^[10] That Thursday, on the final SmackDown! before No Way Out, the feud between Guerrero and Lesnar continued. As Michael Cole hosted an interview with Guerrero, Lesnar intervened and attacked Guerrero. The fight continued until Lesnar retreated from the ring; Guerrero then danced around the ring with Lesnar's WWE Championship belt.^[11][12]

The then-General Manager of SmackDown!, Paul Heyman, needed to determine a number one contender for the WWE Championship at WrestleMania XX,^[13] so on February 5, 2004, announced that a Triple Threat match would take place at No Way Out between The Big Show, Kurt Angle, and John Cena.^[13] On the following week's SmackDown!, the final episode before No Way Out, Kurt Angle was scheduled to wrestle in a tag team match with Eddie Guerrero against the Big Show and Brock Lesnar, but was found kayfabe unconscious before his match. Cena replaced Angle, and he and Guerrero won the match after Guerrero rolled Lesnar into a pin.^[12]

In February 2004, Rey Mysterio produced his own song, "Crossing Borders", which was No Way Out's official theme song. A storyline was created in which Chavo Guerrero became jealous of all the attention that Mysterio had been receiving. As a result, Paul Heyman set up a match between the two at No Way Out for the WWE Cruiserweight Championship.^[13] The following week on SmackDown!, Rey Mysterio was accompanied by Jorge Paez, a professional boxer and childhood friend of Mysterio who was featured in his "Crossing Borders" music video, to his match against Tajiri.^[14] Mysterio defeated Tajiri but was attacked by Chavo Guerrero after the match. Chavo Guerrero, Sr. then intervened and helped his son attack Mysterio until Paez came into the ring and knocked Guerrero, Sr. out with a left hook.^[12]

[edit] Event

Before the event went live on pay-per-view, Tajiri, Sakoda, and Akio defeated Ultimo Dragon, Billy Kidman, and Paul London in a six-man tag team match aired on Sunday Night HEAT.^[15] The event's first aired match was a WWE Tag Team Championship two on three, mixed Handicap tag team match featuring the team of Rikishi and Scotty 2 Hotty against the team of the Basham Brothers and Shaniqua.^[15][16] After back and forth action between the two teams, Hotty attempted to perform the Worm, but was clotheslined by Shaniqua. Shaniqua and the Bashams then had control over the match until the Bashams were clotheslined over the top rope by Hotty. Rikishi performed the Samoan Drop and Rump Shaker on Shaniqua before pinning her, and Rikishi and Hotty therefore retaining the WWE Tag Team Championship.^[16][17] Next was a Blindfold match between Jamie Noble and his on-screen girlfriend at the time, Nidia.^[5][15] Noble had to wear a blindfold, which allowed Nidia to perform many antics on her boyfriend. After much humiliation, Noble finally got a hold of Nidia, but then tripped onto the second rope. After recuperating, Noble applied the Paydirt on Nidia, forcing her to submit.^[5][15][16]

The third match of the night was a tag-team match between The World's Greatest Tag Team (Shelton Benjamin and Charlie Haas) and the APA (Bradshaw and Faarooq).^[15][17] After a back and forth match, Bradshaw appeared to have the advantage after delivering a Clothesline from Hell on Haas, but was then superkicked and pinned by Benjamin.^[5][17] After the match, Goldberg was seen arriving at the arena and being escorted to his seat by arena security. In the ring, Paul Heyman cut a promo on how SmackDown! was the better brand. He was then joined by Brock Lesnar as he promoted the main event match and told everyone how Goldberg was scared of attacking Lesnar. He told Goldberg, "Sit there and be the bitch that you are";^[5] Goldberg immediately jumped over the barricade into the ring, where Lesnar speared Goldberg. Goldberg recuperated and performed his Jackhammer slam before being escorted out of the arena by security.^[5] This was followed by a match between Hardcore Holly and Rhyno. In a brawling encounter, Holly was gored out of the ring by Rhyno, but eventually recuperated and pinned Rhyno after an Alabama slam.^[5][17]

The fifth match was between Rey Mysterio and Chavo Guerrero for the WWE Cruiserweight Championship.^[15] Mysterio was managed by Jorge Paez and Guerrero was managed by his father, Chavo Guerrero, Sr. After back and forth action, Paez attacked Guerrero, Sr., causing the referee to order Paez to return backstage. The two combatants continued to spar in the ring until Guerrero rolled Mysterio into a roll-up while holding Mysterio's tights and pinned Mysterio to win the WWE Cruiserweight Championship.^[5][18] The next match was a Triple Threat match between The Big Show, John Cena, and Kurt Angle for a WWE Championship match at WrestleMania XX. Most of the match was controlled by the Big Show, as he squashed Cena and Angle. After all three combatants performed their finishing moves on each other, Show was Angle slammed to the outside of the ring. Angle then applied an Ankle lock on Cena, forcing him to submit, and Angle therefore won a WWE Championship match at WrestleMania XX.^[5]

The main event was a WWE Championship match between Eddie Guerrero and the defending champion, Brock Lesnar.^[17] Brock Lesnar did not show any effect from the Jackhammer he received earlier in the event, as he dominated most of the match. As Lesnar performed the F-5 on Guerrero, he knocked down the referee, thus no official present to officiate the match. As Lesnar went to retrieve the WWE Championship to use as a weapon against Guerrero, Goldberg reappeared and speared Lesnar. As Goldberg left, the referee regained consciousness and Guerrero attempted a pin fall, which Lesnar kicked out of. Guerrero then performed a DDT on Lesnar onto the title belt. Guerrero then kicked the belt out of the ring, and after a frog splash the top turnbuckle, pinned Lesnar to win the WWE Championship.^[5][16]

[edit] Aftermath

Other on-screen talent

Role:	Name:
Commentator	Michael Cole[19]
	Tazz[19]
	Josh Matthews[19] (Sunday Night HEAT)
Ring Announcer	Tony Chimel[19]
Referee	Tony Garea[19]
	Brian Hebner[19]
	Jimmy Korderas[19]
	Nick Patrick[19]
	Charles Robinson[19]

Eddie Guerrero went on to retain the WWE Championship at WrestleMania XX, defeating the number one contender, Kurt Angle.^[20] Eddie Guerrero lost his WWE Championship to John "Bradshaw" Layfield four months after this event at the The Great American Bash, after Faarooq was "fired" and the APA was split up.^[21][22] Guerrero failed to recapture the title in a steel cage match on an episode of SmackDown! on July 16, 2004, against JBL.^[23] During the Raw and Friday Night SmackDown! Eddie Guerrero Tribute Shows, this event was the main highlight of Eddie Guerrero's career, as it was the event where he won his only World Championship.^[24][25] The Big Show went on to feud with John Cena over the WWE United States Championship.^[26] At WrestleMania XX, John Cena defeated the Big Show for the United States Championship after he delivered an FU to Show.^[27][28] Goldberg and Brock Lesnar continued their feud up to a match at WrestleMania,^[29] which Goldberg won.^[27] After their match, Goldberg and Lesnar were released from the company.^[7][8]

After No Way Out, Rey Mysterio continued to feud with Chavo Guerrero over the WWE Cruiserweight Championship. On the February 26, 2004 episode of SmackDown!, SmackDown! General Manager Paul Heyman announced a Cruiserweight open at WrestleMania XX for the Cruiserweight Championship, involving Mysterio.^[29] On the March 11, 2004 episode of SmackDown!, Mysterio was involved in an Eight-man tag team match where, Guerrero attempted to interfere, however, Mysterio retaliated and was able to win the match. After the match however, he and his tag team partners were involved in a brawl involving the Guerreros.^[30] At WrestleMania, Guerrero retained the Cruiserweight Championship, last eliminating Mysterio.^[27]

After the Draft Lottery, Rico was drafted to SmackDown! and began a feud with Charlie Haas, as his former partner, Shelton Benjamin, was drafted to RAW. On the April 15, 2004 of SmackDown!, Rico defeated Haas via count out after Rico kissed Haas, causing Haas to intentionally disqualify himself.^[31] They were then forced to become tag team partners, however, to face the WWE Tag Team Champions, Rikishi and Scotty 2 Hotty, on the April 22, 2004 edition of SmackDown!, where they defeated Rikishi and Hotty via pinfall, to become the Tag Team Champions.^[32]

[edit] Results

Numbers in parentheses indicate the length of the match.

• Sunday Night HEAT match: Tajiri, Akio, and Sakoda defeated Billy Kidman, Paul London, and Ultimo Dragon (5:35)^[19]
  • Tajiri pinned Dragon after a Powerslam from Sakoda.^[17]
• Rikishi and Scotty 2 Hotty defeated The Basham Brothers (Doug and Danny) and Shaniqua in a Mixed Handicap match to retain the WWE Tag Team Championship (8:16)^[19]
  • Rikishi pinned Shaniqua after a Rump Shaker.^[5]
• Jamie Noble defeated Nidia in a Boyfriend vs. Girlfriend Blindfold match (4:23)^[19]
  • Noble forced Nidia to submit with the Paydirt.^[33]
  • Noble was blindfolded throughout the match because Nidia, his ex-girlfriend, suffered from blindness and Noble exploited that in earlier storylines.^[5]
• The World's Greatest Tag Team (Shelton Benjamin and Charlie Haas) defeated The APA (Bradshaw and Faarooq) (7:21)^[19]
  • Benjamin pinned Bradshaw after a superkick.^[5]
• Hardcore Holly defeated Rhyno (9:54)^[19]
  • Holly pinned Rhyno after an Alabama Slam.^[33]
• Chavo Guerrero (w/Chavo Guerrero, Sr.) defeated Rey Mysterio (w/Jorge Páez) to win the WWE Cruiserweight Championship (17:21)^[19]
  • Guerrero pinned Mysterio with a roll-up after Chavo Sr. pushed Mysterio off the top rope.^[33]
• Kurt Angle defeated The Big Show and John Cena in a Triple Threat match (12:18)^[19]
  • Angle forced Cena to submit with the Ankle Lock to earn a shot at the WWE Championship at WrestleMania XX.^[5]
• Eddie Guerrero defeated Brock Lesnar to win the WWE Championship (30:07)^[19]
  • Eddie pinned Lesnar after a Frog Splash.^[33]
  • Goldberg, who was in the front row seat earlier, interfered late in the match by spearing Lesnar.^[5]

[edit] See also

• WWE No Way Out

[edit] References

[edit] External links

• Official No Way Out 2004 Website