10 Reasons No Way Out 2001 Is WWE's Greatest February PPV Ever

5. The Stakes

One of the beautiful things about No Way Out 2001 is the fact that every match had something at stake. In other words, none of the matches were meaningless. Many of the bouts had championships attached, the allure of gold fueling the competitors. The titles were the ultimate prize for the Superstars in those bouts but for others, pride and vengeance were at stake. That was the root of the Triple H vs. Steve Austin clash. Well over a year in the making, it was the culmination of a program that began at Survivor Series 1999 when The Game conspired with Rikishi to have The Texas Rattlesnake run over before that night's main event. Then there was the war between Stephanie McMahon and Trish Stratus. Yes, war. Go watch it on the Network. Their match was fought over the attention and affection of Vince McMahon. For Stephanie, she wanted to prove that she was still Daddy's Little Girl. For Trish, she wanted to show her rival that Daddy was her new meal ticket. Jerry Lawler squared off with The Right to Censor's Steven Richards, with The Kat becoming a member of the yuppie censorship-driven faction if The King lost. He did. Rather than throwing a match on the card that the bookers knew was a bathroom break for fans to catch their breaths, they hit them in the face with meaningful matches at every turn, keeping them invested for the duration of the three-hour show. Watching a hot crowd enjoying the action unfolding before their eyes always makes for a much more fun experience for the viewers at home and that was certainly the case with No Way Out.