Dean Simon's Thoughts On No Way Out 2006

When I was first asked to actually contribute to the site, I agreed to do a couple based on what I've been watching lately. I wanted to see a newer pay-per-view since I don't watch them too often (If I want to see a match, I download it. I'm not going to pay $40 for a mediocre card.) so I wound up renting No Way Out of 2006. Here's my review.

The first match on the card is a cruiserweight tornado match for the title, a rematch from the Royal Rumble. Now I'd rather see a one-on-one match but these showcases are nice every now and then. However, this is just a repeat of what was a pretty good spotfest at RR. Helms, who I'm loving as a heel and the champ, is going in as champion this time around and he leaves, as well. Not a bad match but pretty bland. And no Jamie Noble. I suppose not even former Ring of Honor champions can get a break in the company. Unless you have Cancer. Then they don't fire you no matter how much you suck.

Next up is JBL vs Lashley with Fit Finlay coming out in the beginning with some girl to show that he's a heel. I suppose having the words, "I love to fight" at the beginning of your entrance doesn't cut it. Might I add that I'm loving this feud between Lashley and Finlay? The two are both decent brawlers and are putting on a nice, vicious ring veteran vs blue chipper storyline. But as JBL came in, Finlay ducked out and the real match started. Another decent match for the beginning of the show. JBL, though still lacking much talent, has enough charisma to stand on. Lashley, however, needs to show off his wrestling skills instead of power moves. Come on buddy, I know you have it in you. JBL wins. And rightfully so.

After a promo for Wrestlemania, Batista comes out in a suit and glasses to comment on the main event and talk about how he's feeling better and ready to return to the ring. Nice to see his mic skills haven't gone down since he's been out and I have to admit, I'm missing the guy. I don't want him as champion but I wouldn't mind seeing Batista vs Angle or Batista vs Orton. Not at all.

For the next match, Matt Hardy comes out with surprise partner TATANKA to take on MNM. Oh man, did you guys miss Tatanka too? Me neither. I didn't mark out when he was in the Royal Rumble and I didn't when he showed up on Raw a few months back. He's looking better than he did then but who cares? Just put him in a stable with Animal and Goldust and get it over with. Hardy and Tatanka won but it doesn't matter since the titles weren't on the line.

Next up, Chris Benoit took on Booker T in a nice match for the United States Championship. This match is really underrated and could have been the best, if not for the main event. It's a shame Booker got injured and the best of 5 series went off course to include Randy Orton for god knows what reason. Maybe I'm the only one but I find Sharmell really annoying and it only hinders how I feel about Booker. He has the talent to be in the main event. He's a good heel and funny enough to be a face but when Sharmell around, they're nothing but annoying. Yeah yeah, "Please tell me he didn't just say that." That's about as funny as Gene Snitsky's "It wasn't my fault" and Batista's, "Are you talking to me?"

Overall, it was a nice match with Booker T almost pulling off the Houston Hangover. Man, I love that move, I wish he would use it as a finisher during PPV matches. Also, Chris Benoit should stop using vertical suplexes ala Eddie Guerrero. I don't care if he's doing it as a tribute. I don't care that he did them before Eddie. He's not good at it. Stick with the triple Germans. Or learn how to do vertical suplexes the way Shane Douglas did with the roll through. Now those were awesome. Anyway, Chris Benoit won and becomes the new US champion. He may be adding prestige to the title but it's about time he drops it to someone else and becomes world champion again. Wait, he already did that first part. The next step is yours, Benoit.

Next up is Randy Orton vs Rey Mysterio for the title shot at Wrestlemania. Now this match might have meant something at the time but by now, we know both these guys were in the match at WM. So what was the point of it? The match was pretty slow and boring with surprisingly no heat for either of them but a nice finish with Randy going for an RKO only to get a dropkick and Randy ducking the 619 to give Rey a schoolboy. There you go. Orton won. Rey doesn't deserve a title shot. That's the way it should have went.

You guys notice how the audience was dead when Rey won at Wrestlemania? Me too.

And finally, it's the main event between the champion Kurt Angle and the Undertaker. Now unless you're as a dumb as a rock, you can pretty much figure out who will win this match. But even though it was obvious, it didn't make it any less exciting. Rather than the power and dominating style Taker usually sticks with, he went with a ground wrestling style against Kurt, who can obviously hold his own. A really great match between the two with Taker using key locks, guillotine chokes, triangle chokes, and dragon sleepers to wear him down. Normally, a spot like an Angle Slam through a table is the high point of a match but not in something like this. A reason I like ROH so much is you won't hear a pop for many submission moves in the WWE but by the end of the match, the crowd was into it, marking out for Angle reversing a choke slam into a victory roll and ankle lock only to have Taker reverse it into a triangle choke. The match ended with Angle rolling over while in a third triangle choke to pin Taker's shoulders to the mat. A nice finish to a great match that let both guys look strong in the end.

Overall, a good pay-per-view with two great matches and no filler. Extras include three backstage segments setting up Booker T/Boogeyman and Mark Henry/Batista (let's hope that doesn't happen) and an interview with Angle. Nothing to write home about.