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Ranking all of Sunday’s WWE No Mercy 2017 matches from worst to first.
Sunday’s WWE No Mercy 2017 pay per view was, for lack of a better term, a mixed bag. But that’s essentially been par for the course when it comes to this year’s annual PPV events. Now, let’s not get it twisted, No Mercy was not nearly as bad as Fastlane or Battleground, but when it’s all decided, it might not be able to match shows such as WrestleMania or Great Balls of Fire. But all in all, it was a solid showing from the red brand and the results bode well for Raw’s future.
Like most of these shows, there were some highlights, some low lights, and some matches that were kind of right in the middle. And it has to make one wonder if the creative team could just tighten up the screws a little bit, than this could’ve been a tremendous show. The talent is there, that’s obvious. But now it’s time for the WWE’s bookers to step up and make some intriguing story lines that can start to carry the company throughout the remainder of 2017. Based on what happened at No Mercy, there’s a definitely a solid canvas to work with.
Ahead we rank all seven of No Mercy’s matches from worst to first.
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7. Enzo Amore vs Neville
Wow. Where to even begin with this one? You know, for a show that was very steady all along in terms of quality, this match stuck out like a sore thumb. On paper, the result seemed pretty obvious. Neville, the two-time and reigning Cruiserweight champion went into No Mercy as the astounding favorite. After all, over the course of his two title reigns, he’s held the belt for 232 days while thwarting off challenges from the likes of Austin Aries, Jack Gallagher, Rich Swann, Akira Tozawa, and TJP. There was no chance that Enzo Amore, former tag team partner and recent addition to 205 Live would have a shot, right?
Well there goes that typical, illogical WWE booking again as Enzo, a guy who has about as much talent as one of Neville’s toes, walked out of Los Angeles as champion. And if the booking wasn’t bad enough with Amore flopping around ringside for the better part of 11 minutes, he managed to have a bad match with Neville. That’s a rare feat alone. And to have the ending go down the way it did with the “baby face” kicking the heel in the groin and scoring the pinfall was ridiculous on so many levels it would be extremely difficult to explain.
Enzo has done virtually nothing to score such a huge win. Even more, he wasn’t even able to put on a somewhat decent match. The level to which he was outclassed was massive, and he showed that more and more each second this farce went on. Hopefully this is a quick title reign for Amore because I’m not sure how much more of what we saw last night the WWE fans can take.
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6. Roman Reigns vs John Cena
For a match that had such a big build up and anticipation, the John Cena/Roman Reigns match was pretty disappointing. Not that the match was bad, but it was just okay. However, when a match is being promoted as one of the most epic clashes of the year, “just okay” doesn’t cut it. The hype wasn’t necessarily either superstars fault though. Reigns and Cena have been two of the most strongly booked superstars in the company since Hulk Hogan and The Ultimate Warrior, so even though they’re disliked by the majority of the fans (Reigns more so than Cena), it still captured that big fight feel.
And maybe that was the reason the action inside the ropes suffered. It seemed like the two of them were trying to make themselves look as strong as possible and because of that, all in-ring psychology was avoided. What we were left with was an attempted highlight reel style sport-fest of a match as opposed to a smartly constructed one between a legend and a guy trying to take his spot. You know, the way it should’ve been
However, the biggest problem from this match was the intensity, or lack thereof. For two guys who spent the weeks leading up to the match throwing verbal haymakers at each other, none of that animosity seemed to show in their attacks. In fact, the opening minutes of the bout that saw Cena jabbering with the crowd and then attempting to leave made absolutely no sense. And the finish? Come on. If they were going for symbolism with Cena hitting four AA’s yet failing to get the win yet one Reigns spear ends the battle, they failed miserably. Will these two get a chance to go again at some point? Probably. But if they do, they, along with the booking team, better get their acts together first.
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5. The Miz vs Jason Jordan
So here’s the point in this article where the matches of No Mercy get good. It’s actually tough putting this match in the five spot, because it was by the slightest of margins and honestly, this could be up a couple spots depending on what fans prefer. Because truthfully, this was a solid battle between Miz and Jordan and a very worthy Intercontinental title pay per view bout. The action played out in a smart way with the typical baby face energy from Jordan running into the dirty tactics of the heel champion. The baby face battles back and almost beats the odds only to come up short due to illegal activity. On paper, good stuff.
The only reason this match suffered is because even though there was a perfect baby face versus heel narrative, the crowd didn’t see it that way, as they cheered The Miz vehemently especially when he picked up the victory. And there’s one simple reason for that. The fans don’t seem to like Jason Jordan. Like, not even a little. So even though the match itself was good, the whole thing seemed a bit odd. Jordan’s post-match interview essentially spotlighted that as he attempted to get a pop by talking trash about his conqueror. However, the whole thing felt contrived, and even a bit lame.
Jordan’s current situation isn’t all his fault. Think about it. He was brought to RAW via trade from SmackDown Live where he and Chad Gable as American Alpha were as cold as ice. Now on the red brand, he’s the fictional son of Kurt Angle which is for one, silly, and two, gives him preferential treatment. Not exactly the best way to book a baby face. Jordan needs a heel turn fast or this, unfortunately, will continue to be more of the same.
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4. Brock Lesnar vs Braun Strowman
That’s right, the two main event matches from No Mercy do not crack the top three. However, where Reigns and Cena failed, Strowman and Lesnar did not. This match brimmed with intensity from all involved, including Paul Heyman who played the shocked advocate perfectly. Strowman’s beat down of Lesnar through the opening minutes was almost as surreal as the number of beatings he’d laid on “The Beast” over the past month, which made Lesnar’s come back attempts all the more riveting.
However, there is bad news. Sorry, but a WWE world title match lasting just over nine minutes doesn’t exactly scream classic. And yes, the two behemoths put a ton of material into that short amount of time but that didn’t diminish the fact that it was all over and done with in about 540 seconds. Lesnar’s days of 20-30 minute matches may be over but it seems like a bit of lazy booking to have his matches begin and end so quickly. And it’s not all Lesnar’s fault. Strowman is a monster of a man, and his in-ring cardio probably leaves a bit to be desired as well. However, considering that Lesnar’s three singles titles matches including his win over Goldberg at Wrestlemania have all been under 10 minutes, it leaves a huge void in the main event.
All in all, it was a solid match. Strowman proved that his hype is legitimate and at this pace, he will most likely be a world champion one day. However, Lesnar’s title reign suddenly seems like it’s on fumes. Considering how difficult of a time he had not just with Strowman but with Samoa Joe two months earlier, “The Beast Incarnate’s” time as champ may be coming to an end sooner rather than later.
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3. Finn Balor vs Bray Wyatt
Let’s get one thing out of the way first. This feud between Balor and Wyatt needs to end. Both guys are terrific workers and characters for the red brand but for a feud that’s really only been in full swing for about two months, it seems like triple that. The problem may be just how repetitive the whole thing has become. With talent of this level, both guys deserve some fresh material and if the booking team can’t come up with that in a feud between the two, then it’s time to find them both some fresh blood. They’ve already battled in consecutive pay per views, and if you watched Raw the night after No Mercy, you’ll see that it’s still in full swing.
However, any follow up matches in this rivalry will have their hands full trying to top this war that only last about 11 and a half minutes. You can add in another six to eight minutes due to Wyatt’s pre-match attack leaving “The Demon King” almost unable to compete. But Finn found inner toughness and came back to wage war with “The Eater of Worlds” and get a huge victory in what was a very good match. Remember that whole “intensity” thing that Reigns and Cena lacked? Balor and Wyatt certainly did not, despite the fledgling story line.
The one downfall to this match, unsurprisingly, had nothing to do with anything that happened inside the ring. The story as to whether Finn was to fight as himself or as “The Demon” was pointless and, honestly, took some buzz out of the match. For him to walk out himself and then get savagely attacked by Wyatt and only to then make a big comeback was a bit dry. But hats off to both guys for picking up the slack in a feud where they’re being done no favors to help get over.
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2. Women’s Fatal 5-Way Match
This match will have its detractors, no doubt about it. However, what Nia Jax, Bayley, Emma, Sasha Banks, and Alexa Bliss were able to accomplish in under ten minutes was nothing short of brilliant. With more time, maybe this match could’ve played out a little bit more, giving each woman some time to shine, but with what they were given, a lot has to be said about the future of the Raw women’s division. These fatal 5-way matches can be a bit of a gamble and there were some messy moments, but these superstars squeezed about 20 minutes of action into half that time and when it was all over each woman looked better than they did before they came in.
Nia Jax may have been the biggest story coming out of No Mercy. She looked like the star in the group and by about the mid-way point of this match, she had the majority of 16,000 in attendance at The Staples Center firmly on her side. Add in the teasing of a Sasha Banks/Bayley feud revival, an underrated performance from Emma, and another consistent showing from champion Alexa Bliss, and you have yourself a very effective match involving most of the red brands female division. Not too shabby for just ten minutes of in-ring time.
The match definitely did not lack in creativity as well. Between Nia’s double Samoan Drop and the double superkick/double powerbomb to the floor performed on “The Hybrid Athlete”, it was clear that the group knew that the clock was against them. It’s matches like this that help everybody involved. And with Asuka set to make her debut on Raw about a month from now at TLC, this match made it clear that “The Empress of Tomorrow” will have a roster full of willing and able women to take her on full force.
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1. Dean Ambrose & Seth Rollins vs Sheamus & Cesaro
You know, for a match that included one of the most horrific looking dental injuries in professional wrestling history, the Raw tag team championship match at No Mercy delivered in a way that no other match could that night. Over the course of nearly 16 minutes, Rollins, Ambrose, Cesaro, and Sheamus took the fight to each other in a manner that even topped their brilliant match last month at SummerSlam. It really had it all. Brilliant psychology, tremendous mat wrestling, perfectly timed high spots, and enough drama that kept The Staples Center buzzing for the entire match and even for a little while after.
Of course, the Cesaro injury needs to be addressed. After being catapulted into the pole behind the turnbuckle, he appeared to have smashed his two front teeth. That actually wasn’t the case. In fact, what really happened sounds so much worse. According to WWE.com, Cesaro actually had his teeth jammed three to four millimeters into his jaw. Ouch. One would think that would stop a match in it’s tracks but Cesaro took his “Swiss Superman” moniker to another level Sunday night. In fact, the injury almost seemed to make him stronger as fought like a man possessed for the final ten minutes.
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The chemistry between these two teams is endless and that was on full display at No Mercy. There is something very clearly special going on between these four men and with what Cesaro went through may be a recent to keep rolling on a feud that may have been looking for an end Sunday night. Unquestionably the match of the night and when 2017 comes to an end, look to see this war on many top ten best matches of the year lists. It was that good.