No Way Out (1998 TV Special) User Reviews

This one's funny to watch from a retrospective standpoint

[nickroosa · 7/10 · 22 July 2005]

A fan of the WWE today, in 2005, wouldn't even began to recognize the WWF that was 1998. Not that many guys on this tape are around today: HHH, JBL, Kane, Rock (he's still in the RAW intro, so I guess he counts), and that's really it.

As for the stars of today and where they were in 1998...Chris Benoit? In WCW. Rey Mysterio? Ditto, as was Eddie Guerrero, Chris Jericho, Booker T, and Big Show. John Cena? Probably in college. Batista? I'd say a bouncer. Kurt Angle? Trying to make a living outside of wrestling. Edge? In the Canadian and Northeast independents, teaming with Christian. In other words, if you're looking for these guys on the '98 version of No Way Out, you're out of luck.

What you do get on this show: a great main event between the makeshift team of Steve Austin, Owen Hart (RIP), Cactus Jack, and Terry Funk against the pre-DX team of HHH and the New Age Outlaws, along with Savio Vega. You also get pre-JBL Bradshaw taking on Jeff Jarrett; take a look at Bradshaw on this tape and look at JBL today and you almost can't connect the two. (Jarrett's defending the NWA North American title on this show; today he runs NWA:TNA.) And you see the Rock, pre-Hollywood and a member of the Nation of Domination, with the CLASSIC old Intercontinental championship belt. I miss that belt; imagine how great Carlito (probably in middle-school back in '98, as young as he is) would look with the old I-C belt. Now that would be COOL! Is this show worth buying? For workrate, not really. For a solid waste of 2 1/2 hours and to see how the WWF (not WWE) did things back in 1998, then get this tape, and also get the '98 Royal Rumble and WrestleMania 14. After writing this review, I almost feel nostalgic and want to see this show myself...

No Way out of Texas

[amanwhorocks · 6/10 · 25 May 2014]

1. The Headbangers Vs. Marc Mero/Artist Formely known as Goldust - Sable finally turn on Mero, she looks really scary. 7/10

2. WWF Light-Heavyweight Title Match: Pantera Vs. Champ-Taka Michinoku - There was some high fly action, but i don't know, something was missing. 7.5/10

3. Quebecers Vs. The Godwinns - And so what? 6/10

4. WWF NWA North American Title Match: Champ-Jeff Jarrett Vs. Bradshaw - DQ ending, pity when we are in Texas. But Jarrett isn't bad performer... 6.5/10

5. Faarooq/Mark Henry/Kama/D lo Brown/The Rock Vs. Ken Shamrock/Ahmed Jonhson/Chainz/DOA Shamrock over Rock:) But shame, he was Intercontinental champ and lost almost everything. 6.5/10

6. Vader Vs. Kane - Yes Vader with moonsault and cheating strategy, even Vader Bomb and Kane kicked-out everything and get clean victory! Legend was born! (I'm sorry a little bit for Vader) 8.5/10

7. Owen Hart/Mankind/Stone Cold Steve Austin/Terry Funk Vs. Triple H/Road Dogg/Billy Gunn/Savio Vega - Austin scored again, no surprise. 7.5/10

Effective filler show

[bh_tafe3 · 6/10 · 2 November 2009]

There was no title match on this show, in fact WWE CHampion Shawn Michaels, who had suffered a career ending back injury the month before, did not compete at all on the PPV.

The night started off with a barely passable tag team match won by the Headbagers (Mosh and Thrasher) over the team of Goldust and Marc Mero. Mero was fading fast in the WWE and Goldust with Luna didn't go anywhere. Not the best way to start a PPV.

Next up saw WWE Light Heavywight Champion Taka Michinoku retain the title winning a decent match against Pantera. Even at this early stage, it was obvious that the WWE's attempts to build a little man division was not really working.

Next was another dull tag match which saw the Godwinns (Henry and Phineas) defeat the Quebecers (Jacques Rougeau and Pierre Oullet). I remember being so sick of the Godwinns by early 1998 and I think there were plenty of fans who agreed with me.

For a brief period in 1998 the NWA North American Championship found its way onto WWE PPVs. Jeff Jarrett was the NWA champion at that time and he was appearing regularly in the WWE. Now here's some trivia, his opponent that day was Justin Bradshaw, who would later go onto have one of the longest WWE Title runs ever as JBL. This was his first shot at a singles title on PPV and he won by DQ after interference from Jarrett's manager Jimmy Cornette. Not much of a match.

There was a lot going on in our next match, a ten man war of attrition which saw the good guys Ken Shamrock, Ammed JOhnson and the Disciples of the Apocalypse (Chaniz, Skull and 8-ball) defeat the Nation of Domination (Farooq, The Rock, D Lo Brown, Kama Mustafa and Mark Henry). The story here was that Shamrock was feuding with the Rock over the Intercontinental Championship, Johnson had been feuding with the Nation for years and there was growing tension between the leader of the Nation Farooq and The cocky young Rock. Anyway this match broke down several times before the big finish which saw Shamrock put the Rock into the ankle lock, forcing him to submit. After the match, The Rock and Farooq shoved each other and the Rock stormed off. Farooq called him back and the Rock grudgingly returned to the ring in a show of solidarity and so the tension had resided for now.

The next match saw Kane continue his destructive pillaging of the WWE's mid card, as he defeated Vader without too much trouble here. Vader actually left on a stretcher after being hit with a wrench. NOt a great match.

This led us into the fun main event which saw the good guys Steve Austin, Owen Hart, Cactus Jack and Chainsaw Charlie defeat D-Generation-X and friends (Triple H, Savio Vega, Road Dogg Jesse James and Bad Ass Bill Gunn) in a fun match with some elements of a streetfight thrown in. It was entertaining and ended with Stone Cold stunning Jesse James to get the pin. Styone Cold then stunned Gunn for good measure and then hit Chyna with one too after she got in his face.

Wow, Shawn Michaels may need more help than just his DX buddies if he wanted to retain his title at Wrestlemania in a month. This was a good little filler show that effectively bridged the gaps to one of the biggest and most important PPVs in WWE history.

Another great event

[ab-2 · 8/10 · 23 February 2000]

You will probably only see such great events in the WWF. This video picksup right after the royal rumble. I watched this and I was amazed. There is a Hardcore fight, a lightheavyweight fight, and a 8-man tag match. If I were you I would either rent or buy this video

Very Entertaining

[garethwynwilliams · 16 February 2000]

This is'nt the best Wrestling show i've ever seen , but it definitely is'nt the worst either . It has a few bad matches , but the main event, and a few others , more than make up for it . We see tremendous athleticism in the Taka Mitchinoku V Pantera Match , a first look at Kane in his match against Vader , and mayhem in the survivor series type match . If you're a Wrestling fan , you might consider watching this .