No Way Out (2005) - Background

Background

The main feud heading into No Way Out was between John "Bradshaw" Layfield (JBL) and The Big Show. At the 2005 Royal Rumble, JBL defended his WWE Championship in a Triple Threat Match against Kurt Angle and Big Show. During the bout, members from Team Angle (Luther Reigns and Mark Jindrak) and JBL's Cabinet (Orlando Jordan and the Basham Brothers) interfered, and eventually the Cabinet helped JBL retain his championship by pinning Angle. Later in the evening JBL entered the office of SmackDown! General Manager Theodore Long, who immediately announced a Barbed Wire Steel Cage Match between JBL and Big Show at No Way Out. On the next edition of SmackDown!, Big Show defeated the Bashams in a handicap match. In the following weeks, JBL and his cabinet attacked Big Show, and Big Show did the same thing to JBL and his cabinet.

The main match on the undercard was the Number One Contender tournament final. It was first announced by General Manager Long on the February 3 edition of SmackDown!, and he booked some of the first-round matches for that night. The winner of the tournament would earn a main event spot challenging for the WWE Championship at WrestleMania 21. The first match of the tournament was The Undertaker versus Rene Dupree. The match ended in a double countout due to Reigns preventing the Undertaker from re-entering the ring. He did this at the request of Angle, who was scheduled to face the winner of that match if Angle won his. The double countout meant that neither man advanced in the tournament, thereby giving a bye in the semi-finals to the winner of the other qualifying match. The next first round match was Eddie Guerrero against Booker T. Booker won the match by pinfall, even after Guerrero had faked a knee injury to try to gain the advantage. The next first-round match in the tournament was John Cena versus Jordan, which Cena won. The next match was Angle against Rey Mysterio, which Angle won by forcing Mysterio to submit by using his Ankle Lock. Due to this win and the double countout the week before, Angle received a bye into the finals of the tournament. The following week, Cena had his semi-final against Booker, which he won after an FU. Cena and Angle faced off at No Way Out in the final match of the tournament.

The other main match on the undercard was the Undertaker versus Reigns. The match was made after Reigns interfered in the Undertaker's match during the Number One Contenders tournament. This interference cost the Undertaker his match, and his opportunity to challenge for the WWE Championship at WrestleMania. The following week, Reigns cut a promo on the Undertaker, and claimed that he wasn't scared of him. On February 17, the Undertaker faced Reigns' tag team partner, Jindrak, immediately after Reigns had defeated Nunzio and cut another promo on the Undertaker. The Undertaker pinned Jindrak after a Chokeslam and a Tombstone Piledriver. Reigns then hit the Undertaker with a television camera. The Undertaker, however, quickly recovered, sat up in the ring, and then stalked Reigns to the backstage area.