No Way Out 2006: Kurt Angle and The Undertaker Rescue SmackDown with a Classic

Nine wrestlers and fewer than ten minutes creates an impossible balance between speed and clarity. Helms wisely spends portions of the opener avoiding the center of the action while the challengers cycle through dives, pin saves, and signature offense. London and Kendrick provide the cleanest movement, while Kash and Noble-style submission exchanges briefly give the match shape before another body arrives. The crowd enjoys the chaos even when individual stories disappear. Helms' character is the organizing principle: survive, steal an opening, and escape with the championship. After Kash nearly finishes Psicosis, Super Crazy breaks the fall, and Helms ultimately catches Psicosis for the pin. It is energetic and useful, but the format prevents anything deeper from developing.

JBL gives Lashley the most traditional singles match of his early WWE run by forcing the younger wrestler to sell rather than simply overpower someone. Lashley throws the expected suplexes and shows enough explosive offense to keep the crowd behind him, while JBL slows the pace with elbows, boots, and a sleeper. The match becomes more interesting once Lashley starts stringing together belly-to-belly suplexes and appears ready for the Dominator. Finlay's arrival decides everything. He distracts the referee, uses the shillelagh, and gives JBL the opening for the Clothesline From Hell. Lashley takes his first singles loss without being beaten cleanly. The protection makes sense, though the interference keeps the match from producing a satisfying independent conclusion.

The pairing of Hardy and Tatanka feels temporary from the moment the bell rings, yet the match is more organized than that odd combination suggests. MNM isolate Hardy first and then Tatanka, using Melina's interference and quick tags to maintain control. Hardy supplies the cleaner comeback offense, while Tatanka's chops and power spots receive a warmer response than the setup promises. The finish is a coordinated burst rather than a fluke. Hardy hits the Twist of Fate on Nitro while Tatanka lands Trail's End on Mercury and scores the pin. The upset earns a good reaction and creates a future title opportunity. Still, ten minutes never gives the winners enough team identity to make the result feel like the start of something substantial.

Benoit and Booker work the match like the conclusion of a rivalry that has already spent months learning its own counters. Booker's attempt to forfeit the title before the bell establishes the cowardly heel position, and Sharmell's interference repeatedly gives him ways to avoid wrestling straight. Benoit responds by increasing the pace through German suplexes, the Sharpshooter, and the Crossface. The middle is patient rather than spectacular, but the closing sequence has the urgency the program needs. Booker survives multiple submission attempts and nearly steals another pin with Sharmell's help. Benoit finally catches the opening, traps Booker in the Crossface, and forces the submission. The clean title change gives the long series a satisfying endpoint.

Orton and Mysterio lean into the pressure surrounding Rey's WrestleMania opportunity rather than trying to overwhelm the audience with speed. Orton attacks the arm and hand after sending Mysterio into the ring post, forcing Rey to sell damage through his own comebacks. Mysterio's counters and near falls are good enough to keep the outcome uncertain, but the match remains slightly restrained because the real purpose is the finish. Rey misses the decisive opening, Orton traps him in a roll-up, and uses the ropes for leverage while the referee misses it. The stolen victory gives Orton the WrestleMania spot and leaves Mysterio devastated. The wrestling is good; the emotional aftermath is what makes the match memorable.

Angle and Undertaker build nearly thirty minutes around the idea that neither man's usual strengths are enough by themselves. Angle attacks the leg to create the ankle lock, while Undertaker uses striking, size, and the triangle choke to force Angle into unfamiliar defensive positions. The counters become increasingly intricate without feeling rehearsed for their own sake. Angle survives the chokeslam, Undertaker survives the Angle Slam, and both men repeatedly turn finishing attempts into submissions or near falls. The broadcast-table Angle Slam raises the physical stakes without breaking the match's logic. The finish is excellent: Undertaker traps Angle in the triangle, Angle rolls through into a jackknife cover, and the referee counts three while the hold remains applied. Both men leave protected.