Tag: no way out

February 23, 2004 Observer Newsletter: No Way Out with Brock Lesnar vs. Eddie Guerrero

Posted on by Dave Meltzer

A lot of history came together, as a member of one of pro wrestling’s most famous families broke a life long size barrier to international superstardom in what is country’s oldest major wrestling arena, and among the business’ all-time most historical buildings.

A few years ago, even though he was as talented as any wrestler in the business, Eddy Guerrero would have been just about the last person anyone would think would ever win a WWF heavyweight championship. Quite frankly, he wouldn’t have even been considered as a possible main eventer due to his size, the same tag line about him that has been said literally since he was a skinny 19-year-old wrestling in Juarez. And even with his newfound popularity, Guerrero had never even headlined a PPV show until 2/14, the night he captured the WWE championship from Brock Lesnar at the Cow Palace.

The win capped 50 years since the first time a Guerrero had challenged for a world heavyweight title, when Eddie’s father, Salvador “Gori” Guerrero, challenged Lou Thesz at Arena Mexico in 1954.

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February 25, 2002 Observer Newsletter: Hulk Hogan vs. The Rock set up for WrestleMania

Posted on by Dave Meltzer

After a very disappointing PPV show, Hulk Hogan put on his best mic performance of his career while going back-and-forth with The Rock to set up the main event at Wrestlemania. What had at first seemed like a huge match on paper for the biggest show of the year, suddenly became a dream match transcending generations as the two went verbally toe-to-toe before an entranced crowd in Chicago.

The handshake, staredown, and heads toward the camera were reminiscent of the famous face-offs in the recent WWF promotional video, most notably last year’s Austin vs. Rock match, which holds the company’s live gate and the all-time overall revenue records for pro wrestling. Then it got a little silly, as after an attack of Rock by Hogan, Scott Hall and Kevin Nash, he was put in an ambulance. Supposedly Hogan drove a forklift into the ambulance where Rock was locked in, leaving him with unspecified serious injuries in a scene that seemed right out of an action movie.

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March 5, 2001 Wrestling Observer Newsletter: No Way Out review, WCW shake ups, more

Posted on by F4W Staff

The uncertainty of the future of WCW became more apparent this week as all long-term plans changed one more time stemming from record low ratings last week as well as the near collapse of the company sale.

After both Nitro and Thunder last week drew record low ratings (2.05 and 1.52 respectively), Eric Bischoff made the decision late in the week to significantly re-write the largely completed Nitro for 2/26 and bring back Booker T. This completely went against the long-term angle of having all the top babyface stars (Hulk Hogan, Bill Goldberg, T, Sting, Kevin Nash and possibly Diamond Dallas Page at one point) put on the shelf and to be brought back en masse for the new beginning when the storyline aspect of the new owners taking over takes place to try and get strong start-up momentum and turn the company around.

This all took place with the realistic backdrop of the sale of WCW to Fusient Media Ventures almost falling apart in mid-week when examination of the latest expenses and loss revealed a more severe downturn in the business than the prospective new owners were expecting as well as problems with the new ownership group from the TBS side. 

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March 6, 2000 Wrestling Observer Newsletter: WWF No Way Out review, Mick Foley retires, more

Posted on by Dave Meltzer

Unlike most other wrestlers of similar fame, to do a career retrospective on Mick Foley is best saved for an examination probably years down the road.

He was the classic overachiever, who defied all the odds, and was possibly the single greatest influence inside the ring on styles changing in the business of the past ten years. In a career destined, because he wasn’t that great athletically and didn’t have what was believed to be the right look and physique, for being mid-card for life, he ended up when his career came to a close, as one of the five biggest stars in North America, and even as a best-selling author. In the end, he went out, with the glory but without the storyline ego, putting over the world champion twice on PPV in his own specialty matches, and even in a tag match on television and in every angle over the final weeks of his career. Hunter Hearst Helmsley long since earned his spot as the top heel in the industry today, but if he is remembered some day as one the top heels in history, he owes a lot of it to the credibility Foley gave him these last two months. In many ways, from hard work, to unselfishness about making others look good, to being a student of the game and probably truly loving pro wrestling more than nearly anyone else, enough to give his body, and perhaps parts of his brain, to it willingly and happily, whether big money was involved or not, and not for the selfish glory of bragging about scars in the bar to get over to nobody, but more to satisfy his own vision of what he wanted his role in something greater to him, this business, to be, he should be admired like few if any wrestlers of our generation.

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