Rather than capitalising on the two hottest feuds on the brand by placing one as the main event (despite the Presidential Debate going to affect its viewership), WWE decided to have Randy Orton vs Bray Wyatt, a lacklustre feud in many fans’ eyes, main event the show.
As expected, The Miz vs Dolph Ziggler and the triple threat for the WWE World Title were both incredible, and either of the two would have been a wonderful main event. Instead, WWE gave us a weak bout to close the show, only being partially saved by the return of Luke Harper.
Despite this booking misstep, WWE still provided fans with a stellar show, although as with any WWE PPV there was good and bad throughout. Which matches were considered good or bad? Let’s find out as I Analyse and Grade Each Match from the WWE No Mercy PPV.
Nikki Bella vs Carmella:
Grade: 6.5/10
This was a decent match for what it was meant to be, although nothing special as Carmella is still a little green in the ring. Despite her in-ring weaknesses sometimes, Carmella’s heel work was splendid, with the targeting of Bella’s neck a nice touch to a somewhat slow bout.
Nikki Bella’s babyface comeback was cut a little short due to the time restraints of the bout, and she hit her finisher out of nowhere which took some momentum out of the win. Never planned to be the match of the night, this was a good first PPV match for this rivalry.
The expected Bella win was a solid way to gain her some momentum after losing a lot in recent weeks to the Princess of Staten Island. Expect to see this feud continue over the next couple of weeks.
The Usos vs Heath Slater and Rhyno (Smackdown Tag Team Championships):
Grade: 7/10
Once again, this wasn’t a great match, but it did what it set out to achieve. The Usos’ heel work and trash talk throughout the bout was another great continuation of their strong work as of late with their refreshed act, although the clean loss here didn’t do them any favours.
Rhyno and Heath Slater are thankfully still very over with the fans, despite not being featured heavily heading into this bout. ECW and ‘He’s got kids’ chants could be heard in support of Beauty and the Man Beast, and the surprise of seeing them retain the titles was a good way to pop the crowd.
Overall, although this wasn’t a great match, it told a splendid story as the unlikely duo of Slater and Rhyno retained the titles against Jimmy and Jey, who despite losing have a refreshing act once again. Although Slater and Rhyno retained here to keep the fans happy, expect them to lose the gold soon.
Baron Corbin vs Jack Swagger:
Grade: 7/10
Some fans may have found this match a little boring due to the lacklustre build and lack of credibility from Swagger after tonnes of losses, but this was a hard-hitting brawl that allowed Corbin especially to shine.
The viciousness of the Lone Wolf was on full display here, with Corbin targeting Swagger’s left hand so he was unable to commence the Patriot Lock. Brutalising the Real American, Corbin looked dominant despite Swagger gaining the upper hand a few times.
Swagger was also protected in loss after Corbin raked his eyes behind the referee's back, which played into the story well. Overall, a better match than was expected between these two, as the high-octane, hard-hitting nature of the bout helped it fit in on the PPV.
A street fight/No DQ match for these two could be a great bout for future encounters.
The Miz vs Dolph Ziggler (Career vs Title, Intercontinental Championship):
Grade: 9.75/10
As much as I am tempted to give this match a 10/10, I think that grade should be saved for Wrestlemania or Summerslam classics. Nonetheless, this was a classic in its own right, and easily match of the night in addition to being a match of the year contender.
The emotion surrounding this bout was incredible, with the idea of Ziggler hanging up his boots toying with the fans’ hearts every time Miz went for a cover. Some near falls legitimately made me jump out of my seat, as Miz did everything he could to put the Show-Off away, but none of it was enough.
The heart and drive in Ziggler had the fans incredibly hot for him by the end of the match, and seeing Ziggler overcome everything Miz had done to beat him was a heart-wrenching moment, as he captured his fifth Intercontinental Championship to a thunderous ovation.
The high-stakes, drama and emotion here was top notch, as well as some splendid wrestling. All these factors combined to create a storytelling masterpiece that the fans enjoyed thoroughly, as these two men both had one of the best matches of their career.
Overall, one of the best matches this year, and my personal favourite alongside AJ Styles vs John Cena at Summerslam. Let’s hope WWE capitalise on Ziggler’s momentum, rebuilding him after this monumental win.
Alexa Bliss vs Naomi:
Grade: 4/10
In what should have been a high point of the night, Alexa Bliss’ match ended up being among the lowest. With Becky Lynch injured, a simple promo and win over an irrelevant babyface (in this case, Naomi) would have kept her momentum despite the cancelled title match.
Instead, Naomi was given a random and anti-climactic win over the number one contender Bliss. Rather than giving Bliss an impressive and dominant win, Naomi looked to be the better woman despite not being anywhere near the card before Lynch’s injury.
Nothing against Naomi, as I personally think she is underrated, but this should’ve been Bliss’ moment to gain some momentum after a cancelled bout. Once again, an injury leads to a win for the replacement superstar (Kane at Backlash).
Even when the bad booking decision is ignored, the crowd was dead for this bout, and it was easily worst of the night, despite the competitors’ efforts. Overall, a bad booking decision, alongside an, unfortunately, bad replacement match for the women’s division.
AJ Styles vs Dean Ambrose vs John Cena (WWE World Championship):
Grade: 9/10
Although it was odd to see an expected main event open the show instead, it didn’t take away from the anticipation and quality of the bout. The crowd was incredibly hot from the get-go, and the wrestling display as always with these three men was wonderful.
A number of awesome spots (Cena’s double German Suplex, Styles’ double DDT) led to thrilling encounters between all three men involved, rather than throwing one man to the outside and having two competitors face off. The constant fast-pace of the match aided it as well, as the crowd reacted to every near fall for each man.
The furthered tension between Ambrose and Cena was a nice touch throughout the bout as well, and both Cena and Ambrose were protected for a future title shot by the fact that they made Styles tap out, albeit at the same time.
Although some may complain Styles tapping made him look weak, his eventual pin and win on Cena regained his momentum despite the submission to two holds earlier on. The decision to have Styles retain rather than rush Cena’s moment was also appreciated by fans (including me).
Overall, a wonderful bout that kept all three men strong and provided an incredible opener for the show.
Randy Orton vs Bray Wyatt:
Grade: 6/10
This bout would have been fine for a mid-event match, but the main event? Slower, less hyped and overall worse than both the Intercontinental and World Title matches, this was a poor way to close the show.
Although the match wasn’t bad by any means, as the two men had chemistry, this was a weak choice for the main event no matter how much the Presidential Debate affects viewership. Luke Harper’s return did help save face for the main event to some extent, but it didn’t salvage a poor encounter in comparison to the earlier matches.
If the Intercontinental Championship match and Orton vs Wyatt swapped positions on the card, No Mercy would be considered a better PPV than it has been by fans, as a poor closing bout can sour fans’ opinion on a PPV.
On a positive note, despite it being due to interference, Bray Wyatt finally won a match on PPV! Although I can see Orton getting his win back at Survivor Series, let’s rejoice that Bray Wyatt finally won a PPV singles match for the first time since Battleground 2015, which was coincidentally due to Harper interfering as well.
Overall, despite Bray’s victory and Harper’s return, this was an underwhelming way to close the show, and a main event for the Intercontinental Championship bout would have been much better.
Grade for No Mercy as a Whole: 7.5/10
Thanks for reading! What did you think of No Mercy? Let us know in the comments below!
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