No Way Out 2012 » Matches » John Cena vs Bigshow (Steel Cage Match, If Big Show loses, John Laurinaitis will be fired.)

As the saying goes, desperate times call for desperate measures, and it’s hard to argue that Big Show was anything other than desperate when he jumped ship to People Power and allowed John Laurinaitis to save his own job a mere six days after Big Johnny callously terminated the giant on Raw SuperShow.
Big Show’s appearance at WWE Over the Limit was meant to herald the death bell for Laurinaitis’ much-maligned movement, but the giant planted his signature WMD against the face of John Cena instead, helping Mr. Excitement retain his job and keep People Power chugging along. And with The World’s Largest Athlete reinstated by a grateful Laurinaitis and Cena looking to settle the score, it’s only right that the two should face off one-on-one at No Way Out, and even more so that they should do so inside the confines of a steel cage.
Cena and Big Show have, it should be noted, a more contentious history than the WWE Universe might remember. The giant famously chokeslammed Cena through a spotlight at Backlash 2009, and The World’s Largest Athlete clashed with The Cenation Leader over the United States Championship at WrestleMania XX (Cena won that contest, relieving the giant of the title). Big Show had worked prior to Over the Limit at keeping the WWE Universe in his good graces, but as the giant announced on Raw SuperShow the night after Over the Limit, he seems to feel his efforts have been unreciprocated.
Show claimed that Cena and the WWE Universe were not qualified to judge him, and his decision was made for love of the business and the security of his new, "ironclad" contract. He did what he had to do, despite the steepness of the price.
The price may yet get steeper, though. With Cena’s nemesis still running the show, and with a 7-foot wrecking ball at his disposal to boot, Cena is looking to make Show answer for his actions. After all, as the other saying goes, what goes around comes around, and The World’s Largest Athlete might well find it’s time to pay the piper when he meets Cena one-on-one.

SRC- WWE.com

No Way Out 2012 » Matches » Santino Marella vs Ricardo Rodriguez (US Championship - Tuxedo Match)

Six days after he stripped away Ricardo Rodriguez’s dress shirt to expose Alberto Del Rio’s personal ring announcer as a closet Justin Bieber fan, United States Champion Santino Marella will tie up with Rodriguez in a special Tuxedo Match at No Way Out. The rarely seen stipulation match, a non-title bout requested by The Milan Miracle, will square away some of the bad blood that has developed in recent weeks between two of WWE’s most lighthearted Superstars.

Described by Marella as “one of the most electrifying matches in sports-entertainment,” Tuxedo Matches require both competitors to enter the fray in full penguin suits. The objective is to strip the other man of his outfit. For a rivalry that has featured plenty of laughs and more than a tinge of humiliation, the Tuxedo Match is a wholly appropriate venue for Marella and Rodriguez to settle the score.

Though many ring announcers over the years, from WWE Hall of Famer Howard Finkel to Tony Chimel, have found their way into such lapel-shredding encounters, it remains to be seen whether this stipulation actually better suits Rodriguez than it does Marella. At the very least, Del Rio’s golden-voiced second has experience running the ropes in wingtip shoes.

After the two quarreled on Raw SuperShow over who was the better ring announcer, The Milan Miracle and Rodriguez finally locked up on the May 25 SmackDown. Though the action was largely one-sided — the United States Champion won after hitting The Cobra — Rodriguez, who was dressed in a full tuxedo, demonstrated flairs of athleticism, including a high leap frog.

What appeared to begin as a somewhat friendly competition, however, took a turn for the sinister on the May 28 Raw, when Marella faced Del Rio in a Non-Title Match. After Del Rio made short work of Marella, forcing the U.S. Champion to tap to his Cross Armbreaker in less than a minute, Rodriguez added insult to injury by repeatedly belting the winner’s name directly into Marella’s ear.

That humiliation prompted this tweet from @MilanMiracle the following day: “@RRWWE made a big mistake rubbing in what del rio did, he jumped me and got the best of me yes, not you, if u want a piece of beef, u got it!”

The normally jovial Marella appears to have been pushed to his breaking point. Luckily for Rodriguez, now that his boss has been yanked from the No Way Out lineup due to injury, the ring announcer will have only his match on which to concentrate – his own. Though he appeared wholly overmatched the last time he faced Marella, Rodriguez is, if nothing else, persistent.

For all of his accidents, comical run-ins and mishaps, beneath Rodriguez’s almost huggable exterior is a very real mean streak that has bubbled to the surface on occasion. Is it possible that Rodriguez, tired of being the butt of a joke and frustrated with his lackluster performance against Marella on SmackDown, has upped the intensity of his training and will step into No Way Out in peak form? And will Marella, who has suffered an attack by Big Show in recent weeks, be at the top of his game when the bell rings?

SRC- WWE.com

No Way Out 2012 » Matches » Layla vs Beth Phoenix (Divas Championship)

At No Way Out, WWE Divas Champion Layla will have the opportunity to extend her pay-per-view winning streak to three, but to do so she’ll have to topple the Diva who pinned her on the June 11 edition of Raw SuperShow, Beth Phoenix.
The championship bout, a rematch from WWE’s Over the Limit pay-per-view last month, holds much intrigue for the Divas division, which The Glamazon dominated for more than half a year. As impressive as Phoenix’s time atop the division was, however, the absence of one Diva during that period – Layla – was particularly noticeable.
The beautiful Brit scored an important victory over The Glamazon in May, just one month after triumphantly returning from knee surgery that put her out of action for nearly a year. Though Layla will look to bolster her reign (which is her first) on June 17, Phoenix will be on a quest to recapture the championship gold. Her 204-day run with the title – the second longest reign in the history of the Divas division – ended dubiously as Phoenix suffered a severe ankle sprain en route to losing to Nikki Bella on the April 23 Raw SuperShow.
Though Phoenix was originally slated to face Bella at the following weekend’s Extreme Rules event, The Fabulous Firebird was deemed medically unfit for competition. Her injury paved the way for Layla to make her surprise – and victorious – comeback, in which she dethroned Bella.
The Over the Limit match will undoubtedly be fresh in the mind of both Divas when they step into the ring at No Way Out. In fact, it was her familiarity with Phoenix’s offense that enabled Layla to skirt past The Fabulous Firebird in the first place. The back-and-forth encounter saw Phoenix use her trademark powerhouse attack and Layla leverage her speed and agility.
More noteworthy, perhaps, was that Layla amazingly managed to escape The Fabulous Firebird’s patented Glam Slam before connecting with her Lay-out neckbreaker for the win.
“I was scared … I’ve been hit with it a few times,” Layla said of the Glam Slam in a post-match WWE.com exclusive video. While conceding her win was unlikely to quiet the outspoken and ever-confident Phoenix, Layla also described Phoenix’s tactic of targeting Layla’s newly healed knee during the match as “cheap.”
Since losing that bout, however, The Glamazon appears intent on reasserting her presence in a division that was once hers to dominate. On the first Raw following Over the Limit, Phoenix made short work of a game Kelly Kelly, and on the June 11 edition of Raw, she won a mixed-tag match by pinning Layla with the Glam Slam. Will the outcome be the same at No Way Out?

No Way Out 2012 » Matches » Sheamus vs Dolph Ziggler (World Championship)

Just six days before his No Way Out title showdown against World Heavyweight Champion Sheamus, Alberto Del Rio found himself not medically cleared for action, thanks to a concussion he received during a match with The Great Khali on the June 8 edition of SmackDown.

With time of the essence, a new No. 1 contender for The Celtic Warrior was promptly established on Raw SuperShow. That Superstar would be none other than Dolph Ziggler, an ultra-dangerous competitor on a mission to prove himself.

Ever since his tag team loss on the May 28 edition of Raw, the determined Ziggler has been on a quest to show he truly belongs among the elite. However, despite his obvious drive and incredible talent, he would ultimately come up short in back-to-back outings against the first-ever Irish-born World Heavyweight Champion within a week – both on SmackDown and Raw.

So why exactly should The Celtic Warrior respect his latest pay-per-view challenger?

The answer can be found, not at the finish line, but in the race itself. In both intense encounters against The Great White, Ziggler demonstrated exceptional ability, nearly toppling one of the best Superstars who the squared circle has to offer at every pass. Though it’s true that he didn’t win, The Showoff did exactly what he set out to do: He brought his tremendous skills center stage.

Will it pay off in the long run? A former World Heavyweight Champion himself, Ziggler knows how it feels to get to the top of the mountain and, without question, has shown the capability to get there again.

But, defeating Sheamus involves a lot more than besting the luck of the Irish. Since defeating Daniel Bryan for the World Title in 18 seconds at WrestleMania XXVIII, the intense three-time World Champion again overcame the submission specialist in a grueling 2-out-of-3 Falls Match at Extreme Rules and triumphed in a Fatal 4-Way encounter at WWE Over the Limit against the likes of Del Rio, Chris Jericho and Randy Orton. The Celtic Warrior loves to fight and looks impressive doing it week in and week out.

Will Ziggler make an elite explosion at the expense of The Celtic Warrior? Find out this Sunday, at 8 ET/5 PT, only on pay-per-view.

No Way Out 2012 » Matches » Brodus Clay vs David Otunga (YouTube PreShow)

Weeks after John Laurinaitis banned him from Raw SuperShow, the hard-hitting Brodus Clay will have a chance to take out his frustrations on the Raw and SmackDown General Manager’s right-hand man, David Otunga, at the free No Way Out Pre-Show Sunday. The Pre-Show event will stream live on YouTube.com/WWE, Facebook and WWE.com, starting at 7:30 ET/4:30 PT.
Despite the temptation to play up the humorous juxtaposition of Planet Funk vs. Harvard Law and boogie vs. the bowtie, the ill will between Clay and anybody associated with “People Power” is far from a laughing matter. On the May 28 Raw SuperShow, Laurinaitis’ “angry giant” ally, Big Show, demolished Clay before their scheduled match could get underway. During his rampage of destruction, Show speared The Funkasaurus outside the ring before repeatedly smashing his victim’s back with a piece of wood from the broadcast table.
It was with that scene in mind that Laurinaitis decided to move Clay to SmackDown and make him a permanent member of the blue brand’s roster. According to the GM, the move was intended to “protect” Clay from further attacks by The World’s Largest Athlete. The ban from Raw, however, has only served to infuriate The Funkasaurus, who vowed to treat all future opponents as though they are Big Show.
The once-jovial heavyweight in b-boy gear wasted no time showing his newfound mean streak, decimating an overmatched Derrick Bateman on last week’s SmackDown. As Clay tore through his opponent, announcer Michael Cole described Show’s May 28 attack as a “wakeup call” for The Funkasaurus.

Though Clay has already warned that he will be envisioning Big Show across the ring each time he enters the squared circle, one must wonder if Otunga is in for an even graver showdown, considering his close affiliation with Laurinaitis and Show. Clay’s upped intensity, however, does not necessarily mean that he will be able to cruise through the cagey Otunga.
The travel mug-carrying attorney has suffered several in-ring setbacks of late, but they’ve come against main event competition the likes of John Cena and World Heavyweight Champion Sheamus. While Otunga will clearly be outsized by Clay, the former Tag Team Champion has proven time and time again to be a cunning competitor.
Who will walk out of the No Way Out Pre-Show the victor? Will The Funkasaurus, in pursuit of a return to Raw and a match against Show, continue to chomp through opponents, or can Otunga use Clay’s inexperience and perhaps unfocused anger against him? The fate will be known Sunday.

No Way Out 2012 Matches » Christian vs Cody Rhodes (Intercontinental Championship)

On June 17 at No Way Out, two Superstars will collide in the squared circle at vastly different points in their respective careers. One is reflective and transformed as he returns to his roots. The other will do anything in his relentless pursuit to carve out a lasting legacy and claim what he believes is rightfully his.
When Intercontinental Champion Christian defends his illustrious title against Cody Rhodes at No Way Out, only one Superstar can emerge as the victor. Only one can stand at the top of the WWE mountain. Only one can be champion. But will Rhodes topple the proud titleholder and begin his third reign? Or will Christian add another successful title defense to his already impressive resume?
Throughout a career full of incredible and improbable moments, Christian’s stunning return last month at WWE Over the Limit and his subsequent victory over then-titleholder Rhodes was one of his most exciting and inspirational victories. It wasn’t just because the perpetual underdog again defied the odds and rose to the challenge; it wasn’t just because he returned to the ring after missing most of 2012 with injury. It was because the WWE Universe saw that the Christian of old – the beloved, hilarious and estimable Captain Charisma – was back.
He confirmed as much on SmackDown on June 8, after his “Peep Show” special guest Rhodes reminded the WWE Universe that it was he who brought glory back to the title that was then “stolen” from him. Rhodes declared that Captain Charisma was experiencing a “midlife crisis” and accused him of pandering to the WWE Universe. That’s when Christian interrupted and took control of the situation. He explained that he came to a moment of clarity while reflecting on his best friend, WWE Hall of Famer Edge.
The night before WrestleMania XXVIII, Christian inducted The Rated-R Superstar into the Hall of Fame. During Edge’s speech, Christian had a realization that hit him like a ton of bricks: Competing in WWE is a privilege, a privilege that could be taken away at any moment. Christian declared that he didn’t want to be remembered as an “annoying, whining, sniveling” scoundrel, but as a proud, noble champion and a truly great Superstar. He wants to be – like his best friend – a WWE Hall of Famer.
Rhodes is also looking to reach those lofty heights, but the jealous former champion is hardnosed and merciless in his pursuit.  He was able to successfully take back his title against Big Show at Extreme Rules. But can he do it again against an opponent as experienced, crafty and, now, positive-thinking as Christian?
What makes forecasting this match especially difficult is that both competitors can do it all. As two of WWE’s most well-rounded, athletic and versatile Superstars, Christian and Rhodes are each equally adept at high-flying moves and technical mat work. While their match at Over the Limit was exhilarating and their “Peep Show” exchange on SmackDown was riveting, their looming battle at No Way Out will take their rivalry – and possibly one of their careers – to another level.
Two of WWE’s best – Intercontinental Champion Christian and Cody Rhodes – lock horns with a renowned title on the line. No Way Out airs live on pay-per-view Sunday, June 17 from the IZOD Center in East Rutherford, N.J., at 8 ET/5 PT.

News » Triple-H To Appear No Way Out 2012 PPV

It has been announced by WWE website that COO Triple H will appear at the upcoming No Way Out Pay-Per-View on June 17th. The reason for The Game's visit is to discuss the current situation involving Brock Lesnar, Paul Heyman and the various legal issues going on.

WWE reported on its website:

"For the first time since learning of Brock Lesnar’s lawsuit against WWE, COO Triple H will break his silence and publicly address a multitude of items – including his own future and the Lesnar litigation – at No Way Out on Sunday, June 17, WWE’s Breaking News mobile alert service reported Wednesday."

Of course, notice in the fine print above that Brock Lesnar is mentioned. That always brings up the idea that Brock will also show up one again, maybe accompanying Paul Heyman to the ring, or trying to sneak attack HHH from behind. There's been some question recently over whether Lesnar is in fact really done with WWE, or will be back to fight again. Others believe we'll see a HHH vs. Lesnar Summerslam match, which certainly couldn't hurt WWE right now.

For now, the WWE Universe will have to wait until June 17th to find out what The Game has to say, and whether or not Brock makes an appearance again.

What do you think will happen when Triple H shows up at the No Way Out PPV on June 17th? Leave your comments below!

No Way Out 2012 Matches » CM Punk vs Daniel Bryan vs Kane (Triple Threat Match - WWE Championship)

A deranged monster’s dark fury has added even more fuel to one of WWE’s most explosive rivalries.

Executive Vice President of Talent Relations and General Manager of Raw and SmackDown John Laurinaitis dropped a bombshell on the June 1 episode of SmackDown: WWE Champion CM Punk will defend his title at No Way Out in a Triple Threat Match against both Daniel Bryan and Kane.

The impetus behind this shocking announcement can be traced directly back to the nefarious actions of Bryan, himself. In recent weeks, WWE’s “Yes” man attempted to use Kane as a pawn in his ongoing conflict with the WWE Champion. The Big Red Monster is hardly the type to be exploited, however, and it wasn’t long before his fiery presence would intensify what was already an open – and volatile – hostility between Punk and Bryan.

In a battle between fierce competitors who have known each other for nearly 10 years, Punk barely fended off Bryan at WWE Over the Limit last month – getting the pinfall nanoseconds before tapping out to the excruciating pain of the “Yes!” Lock. Bryan’s near-victory against the long-tenured champion made it all but inevitable that he would get another opportunity at the greatest prize in WWE.

In his struggle to gain even the smallest advantage over The Best in the World, blinded by his desire for championship gold, Bryan sold his soul to the devil – actually, The Devil’s Favorite Demon. Tricking Kane to turn the monster’s fury against Punk, Bryan meddled with a force he couldn’t possibly control. On the May 18 episode of SmackDown, he repeatedly hammered Kane in the back with a steel chair before fleeing and leaving the WWE Champion to take the blame. The ploy worked in the short-term, as Punk sustained a brutal beating at Kane's hands, but Bryan must now face the music for his machinations.

The Big Red Monster refuses to bend to the will of any Superstar, and his fiery rage may consume both Punk and Bryan. The masked force of nature brings brutality, cold-bloodedness and raw power to a rivalry that, thus far, has been defined primarily by agility, technique and heart.

As if the terrorizing presence of Kane and the innate chaos of a Triple Threat Match weren’t challenging enough, Punk’s No Way Out title defense is exacerbated by a fourth individual, someone who likely won’t even be competing that night. AJ – the not-so-secret admirer of Punk and the unbalanced ex-girlfriend of Bryan – is a wild card in an already unpredictable situation. Will her infatuation with the champion or her abhorrence of the submission specialist come into play at the explosive pay-per-view? Maybe Punk’s greatest threat isn’t a “Yes!” Lock or a chokeslam, but a woman scorned.

As WWE Champion CM Punk’s reign nears 200 days, will it come crashing down in flames, or can The Second City Savior defend his title against two very different – yet equally dangerous – opponents? The only way to find out is to tune in to No Way Out, June 17 at 8 ET/5 PT – only on pay-per-view.