SmackDown Live’s second brand-exclusive pay-per-view, No Mercy, is almost here. After the success of Backlash earlier this month, No Mercy promises to be a worthy follow up with a pretty stacked card. With a number of high-stakes matches at the PPV, rumours have been flying around over the last few days.
The main event has a huge triple threat match with AJ Styles defending his title against John Cena and Dean Ambrose. The other big matches include the SmackDown Women’s Championship match and the Intercontinental Championship match amongst a host of exciting match-ups.
Let’s take a look at the rumours ahead of this Sunday’s PPV.
5: Carmella beats Nikki Bella after cheating
Carmella and Nikki Bella have been feuding ever since Carmella attacked Nikki from behind before their match on an episode of SmackDown Live in August. The ‘Princess of Staten Island’ has repeatedly interfered in Nikki’s matches and has even pinned her on a couple of occasions including the women’s 6-way for the SmackDown Women’s Championship at Backlash.
Carmella will face Nikki Bella in a one-on-one match at No Mercy and SmackDown GM, Daniel Bryan, has already said that he’d considered making this one a No DQ match. Conventional wisdom going into the match would suggest that Nikki Bella will leave with the win this Sunday, especially with her getting pinned by Carmella a few weeks ago.
However, we are hearing that WWE are considering giving the win to Carmella to cement her as a heel on SmackDown’s women’s division and as a threat. This will, of course, lead to at least another match between the two and it could be No DQ.
4: Luke Harper returns to assist Bray Wyatt
Bray Wyatt is in one of the most important matches in his career this Sunday at No Mercy. Bray has lost so many important matches over the years that his match with Orton this Sunday is a must win. Orton wasn’t passed as fit to compete at Backlash which saw him get replaced by Kane in which match which he lost. Think about that for a second. One of the top heels on SmackDown Live lost to Kane. In 2016.
With Luke Harper returning at a house show earlier this week and Eric Rowan injured again, recent backstage talk suggest that Luke Harper could return to television this Sunday and help Bray Wyatt vanquish ‘The Viper’.
3: Dolph Ziggler to retire?
Dolph Ziggler came out on SmackDown Live last week and begged The Miz for another shot at the Intercontinental Championship. Miz finally agreed after Ziggler put his career on the line and reports backstage suggest that there is a strong possibility that Dolph will lose this Sunday.
But will Ziggler actually retire? Rumours suggest that he’ll either be kept off television for a while to get repackaged or he will transition into a backstage role as a producer so that he can concentrate on outside interests like political commentary and his stand-up comedy career.
2: AJ Styles retains the WWE World Championship
The main event of No Mercy 2016 is a huge triple threat match between AJ Styles, John Cena and Dean Ambrose. The latest round of rumours ahead of the PPV suggest that Styles will retain his championship this Sunday with Ambrose and Cena going off television for a while.
Dean Ambrose will take a break from the WWE and go off to film a WWE Studios film. Cena is supposed to leave soon after to film his reality show on Fox, American Grit. In the meantime, AJ Styles will continue as the top star on the blue brand. However, who will be his next challenger?
More on that next.
1: Samoa Joe debuts
We are hearing that with Ambrose and Cena going off SmackDown Live television soon, former NXT Champion Samoa Joe will get called up to the main roster for the blue brand and will debut either this Sunday after the match or on the SmackDown afterwards.
With SD Live’s roster depleted because of Ambrose and Cena’s breaks, it’s the perfect time for Samoa Joe to step up and fill the void. Joe has impressed fans with his performances down in NXT and is more than ready to step up and right into SmackDown Live’s title picture. Joe and Styles also have a storied history in TNA which can be played upon here.
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