Every once in a while, a pay-per-view event comes from out of nowhere to rank among the greatest ever produced by a given wrestling promotion. That was the case when WWE rolled into Las Vegas, Nevada, for its No Way Out pay-per-view in 2001. With two huge main events and a plethora of talented wrestlers making up the rest of the card, there was reason to believe that the show would be damn good. Few could have expected that it would be as damn good as it turned out to be. From the opening Hardcore Championship match to Stephanie McMahon's emotional showdown with Trish Stratus, even the matches fans expected to be more style than substance shocked with their quality. Rarely, if ever, does WWE present a show that excels from beginning to end. On that Sunday night nearly 15 years ago, they did just that. Prior to that evening's broadcast, there had been five February pay-per-view extravaganzas. There have been three times that number since. None have reached the legend that the 2001 show has, making it the greatest WWE production in that particular month. But why? What did that show do so much better than the others? Enjoy a stroll down memory lane with this look back at the 10 reasons No Way Out 2001 is the finest February show in WWE annals.
Erik Beaston is a freelance pro wrestling writer who likes long walks in the park, dandelions and has not quite figured out that this introduction is not for Match.com. He resides in Parts Unknown, where he hosts weekly cookouts with Kane, The Ultimate Warrior, Papa Shango and The Boogeyman. Be jealous.
