No Way Out (2008)

**No Way Out (2008)** was a professional wrestling pay-per-view event produced by World Wrestling Entertainment's (WWE) SmackDown brand, which took place on February 17, 2008 at the Thomas and Mack Center in Las Vegas, Nevada. This was the tenth No Way Out pay-per-view event.

Including one match on the *Countdown* pre-show, there were eight matches on the event card, including a double main event. The first main event was Brock Lesnar versus Umaga in a Samoan Strap match for the WWE Championship. The second was Randy Orton versus John Cena to determine the number one contender for the WWE Championship, with the winner to challenge for the title at WrestleMania XXIV. Other featured matches on the undercard included Bret Hart versus Chris Masters, Martin versus Matt Hardy in a Ladders are Legal match, and Rey Mysterio versus Mr Kennedy.

## Featured matches background

#### **WWE Champion Brock Lesnar vs. Umaga (Samoan Strap match)**

Following Lesnar's successful title defence over Umaga at Royal Rumble, on the February 1 episode of *SmackDown*, Armando Estrada announced that General Manager Theodore Long had granted Umaga another title match to take place at No Way Out. Estrada announced that Umaga had self-exiled from civilisation to enhance his training in preparation for his rematch. The following week, it was announced that the wrestlers would compete in the first ever Samoan Strap match for the WWE Championship. Umaga and Estrada returned on the February 15 episode of *SmackDown*, and assaulted Lesnar during an in-ring interview with the strap.

#### **Randy Orton vs. John Cena (WWE Championship number one contender's match)**

As The Undertaker won the 2008 Royal Rumble match, and elected to challenge Edge for the Raw brand's World Heavyweight Championship at WrestleMania XXIV, SmackDown did not have a main event set for WrestleMania. As Orton and Cena were the final two SmackDown wrestlers in the Royal Rumble match, Theodore Long announced that the two would have a match at No Way Out to determine who would challenge for the WWE Championship at WrestleMania. After trading insults in the ring on the February 5 episode of *SmackDown*, the two wrestlers agreed to wait until No Way Out to settle the score.

#### **Bret Hart vs. Chris Masters**

The long-standing animosity between Bret Hart and Mr McMahon reignited in the early months of 2008. On the January 14 special 15th Anniversary episode of *Raw*, the two had words following Hart's unsuccessful title match against the World Heavyweight Champion Edge. While McMahon did not screw Hart out of this particular match, he said he could screw Hart again anytime he wanted. On the January 18 episode of *SmackDown*, following Hart's victory over Chavo Guerrero to qualify for the Royal Rumble match, McMahon was seen watching the match in his office. During the Royal Rumble match, McMahon would make an appearance at ringside, distracting Hart, allowing Mr Kennedy to eliminate him. Hart chased McMahon backstage. On the February 1 episode of *SmackDown*, Hart challenged McMahon to a match at WrestleMania XXIV, to which McMahon accepted, but only if Hart could defeat Chris Masters at No Way Out. On the February 15 episode of *SmackDown*, Masters and Randy Orton defeated Hart and Matt Hardy in the main event.

## Results

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 (c) - refers to the champion(s) heading into the match
P - indicates the match took place on the Countdown pre-show

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