No Way Out Recap

Last year, when WrestleMania opponents were forced to team together against the other brands WrestleMania main event, Triple H turned on John Cena. Would Shawn Michaels do what his D-Generation X partner did to Cena a year ago? Did Cena learn anything from his experiences last year? Was Batista able to forgive the Undertaker for choke slamming him a few weeks ago? Does the Dead Man care about his partner? Why was this battle of WrestleMania main events free last year and $40 this year? In other news, for the first time in 2007, a WWE title changed hands on a PPV. Which champion or champions left this show without their ten pounds of gold?

The Hardys & Chris Benoit vs MNM & MVP - For those wondering, this is the sixth consecutive PPV to feature some variation of MNM vs. the Hardys. MNM unsuccessfully tries to give Benoit the Snapshot but with the help of his teammates he counters the move and makes Mercury tap out to the Crippler Cross Face. Winners: The Hardys and Chris Benoit

Cruiserweight Open Match: Cruiserweight Champion Gregory Helms vs Daivari vs Scotty 2 Hotty vs Funaki vs Jamie Noble vs Shannon Moore vs Jimmy Wang Yang vs Chavo Guerrero - This match is fought under gauntlet rules where there are always only two men in the match at one time. After a man is eliminated another wrestler comes out from the back. Scotty beat Daivari. Helms then beat Scotty, Funaki, and Shannon Moore. Jimmy Wang Yang then beat Gregory Helms to ensure that for the first time in over a year, someone other than Gregory Helms would be the champion. Yang beat Jamie Noble but then lost the match to Chavo Guerrero who used the Frog Splash to get the win and the title. Winner and new champion: Chavo Guerrero

The Boogeyman & Little Boogeyman vs Finlay & Little Bastard - When the Boogeyman went after Little Bastard with his worms, Finlay used the shillelagh on Little Boogeyman to get the win. Winners: Finlay & Little Bastard

King Booker vs Kane - King Booker missed the axe kick and Kane hit the choke slam to get the win. Winner: Kane

WWE Tag Team Championship: Champs Paul London & Brian Kendrick vs Deuce & Domino - Deuce & Domino tried to hit Kendrick with the doomsday device but missed. Kendrick then rolled up Deuce to get the win. Winners: Paul London & Brian Kendrick

ECW World Championship: Champion Lashley vs Kennedy - After a ref bump, Mr. Kennedy grabbed a chair and hit him with it. Lashley gained control of the chair but when he used it the ref regained consciousness and disqualified the champion. After the match, Lashley went crazy and beat down Kennedy with the chair. Winner: Mr. Kennedy by DQ

- The trailer for Steve Austin’s movie is shown. Michael Cole then interviewed Vinnie Jones. Jones is also in The Condemned and cut a heel promo insulting Austin.

- The Diva Talent Contest was hosted by the Miz. It starts with the ECW’s Divas performing their Extreme Expose. Jillian starts to warm up and the Miz insults her. Jillian then starts to insult the other Divas until a huge cat fight erupts. After the fight, Ashley came out and unveiled her Playboy cover. She then disrobed and her boobies had the Playboy logo on them. The Miz declared her the winner.

Non-Title Match: World Tag Team Champions Shawn Michaels and WWE Champion John Cena vs World Heavyweight Champion Batista and the Undertaker - And the wrestler to turn against their partner was (drum roll please) …. Batista. Batista gave the Undertaker a spine buster which allowed Michaels and Cena to each hit their finishers on the Dead Man. Cena pinned Undertaker after hitting him with the FU. I guess this was payback by Batista for that surprise choke slam on RAW the Undertaker gave him a few weeks ago. Winners: John Cena & Shawn Michaels

What does this event mean for future?
Absolutely nothing. This was a total throwaway show designed to pad the PPV schedule to get from the Royal Rumble to WrestleMania 23. The main events for that show were set up before this event and nothing except for a potential Lashley vs Kennedy rematch looks likely to come out of this event.

An era ended as Gregory Helms lost the Cruiserweight title. Can anyone remember a great title defense he has had in the past year? His best matches were against non-cruiserweights. Hopefully this title can mean something again with Chavo Guerrero as the new champ.

As far as the tag team scene goes, the London-Kendrick era has become a very predictable formula. Lose several non-title matches and then finally escape with a victory when the titles are on the line. Deuce and Domino appear ready to join the ranks of Idol Stevens & K.C. James, the Gymini, and Kid Kash & Jamie Noble as a team that appeared to be the next champions only to disappear into oblivion.

Overall Thoughts
I felt like I was in a time machine and it was set to the mid-‘90s. Just like then, the real drama of the PPV came down to whether or not Shawn Michaels could save an otherwise dreadful show. Prior to the main event, the show was filled with the horrible things that made me remember the days of Doink and Dink and the Hogan vs. Zeus feud. If you missed this show you made a wise decision.

Match Results

• The Hardys & Chris Benoit beat MNM & MVP
  
• Gauntlet Match for the Cruiserweight Title: Chavo Guerrero beat Champion Gregory Helms, Scotty 2 Hotty, Funaki, Jamie Noble, Jimmy Wang Yang, Daivari, and Shannon Moore
  
• Finlay & Little Bastard beat The Boogeyman & Little Boogeyman
  
• Kane beat King Booker
  
• WWE Tag Team Titles: Champs Paul London & Brian Kendrick beat Deuce & Domino
  
• ECW Title: Mr. Kennedy beat Champion Lashley by DQ
  
• John Cena & Shawn Michaels beat Undertaker & Batista

_{Photo: © 2006 World Wrestling Entertainment, Inc. All rights reserved. Batista can be seen every Friday night on the CW Network show Friday Night SmackDown}