20 Best WWE Matches Since 2000
8. Steve Austin Vs. Triple H (No Way Out 2001)
Before the Two-Man Power Trip, came Steve Austin vs. Triple H. This was the culmination of the ultimately disappointing "who ran over Stone Cold?" angle, and while setting Triple H as the mastermind behind Rikishi's failed heel turn felt desperate, it resulted in an outstanding match.
This was a savage brawl, and one of the best fights of Stone Cold's later career. As a Three Stages of Hell match, the first fall was a straightforward wrestling match that should've favoured The Game's calculating style, but saw Austin go one-up.
In the second, Austin and Hunter fought a violent Street Fight. While not quite as nasty as The Game's war with Cactus Jack at the 2000 Royal Rumble, the duo left little on the table, and in a role reversal, Triple H took the pinfall in an environment that should have played more to Austin's strengths.
The third? A steel cage match. The score was even, and with both men feeling the toll of the previous falls, the pace started to slow. Both men were already bleeding profusely, and with a number of weapons still in the ring from the second fall, the fight continued. They kicked-out of each others' finishing moves before both reaching for their preferred weapons - Austin with a barbwire 2x4, and Triple H with his trusty sledgehammer. Both swung, both connected, and by sheer luck, Triple H landed on Austin when they fell.
Hunter may have fluked his way into a victory, but he and Stone Cold killed it at No Way Out 2001.