WWE’s 25 Greatest Pay-Per-Views of All Time
By Tim Sherry
credit: wwe.com
13. No Way Out – 2001
The 2001 No Way Out pay-per-view was not just a success because it was the home of 3 of that year’s best matches, but because it so beautifully set up what would eventually be one of the greatest pay-per-views of all time, Wrestlemania 17. Most of 2001 fired on all cylinders for the WWE. Having arguably the best and most accomplished roster of all time, the company flourished and churned out great show after great show while delivering some of the best story lines in history. If Wrestlemania was the most important show that year, then No Way Out deserves a lot of its credit.
Much like a few of the other shows that have cracked this list, No Way Out was the story of 3 brilliant bouts. There was the Intercontinental Championship 4-way match between Chris Jericho, Chris Benoit, Eddie Guerrero, and X-Pac which managed to pack about 30 minutes of action into a 12-minute match. There was the main event for the WWF Championship in which The Rock won his 6th title of that kind in an intense back and forth battle with Kurt Angle. And then, of course, was the consensus 2001 match of the year contested in 3 Stages of Hell Match between Steve Austin and Triple H. It was a bloody war between two of the biggest stars of the Attitude Era in their prime.
Obviously there were impressive matches at No Way Out 2001 but where the show excels was how it set the stage so perfectly for Wrestlemania. So many of the matches on this night in Las Vegas were parlayed into “The Show of Shows”. The triple threat tables match with the Dudley Boyz, Edge and Christian, and Kane and The Undertaker wet the fans appetite for TLC 2 at Wrestlemania. Triple H used his stunning, victorious performance to propel himself into a match with The Undertaker. And The Rock’s title win set the stage for his rematch with Austin which turned into one of the biggest swerves in WWE history. No Way Out was pro wrestling booking at it’s very finest.