No Mercy (2017)

No Mercy was a professional wrestling pay-per-view (PPV) event and WWE Network event, produced by WWE for their Raw brand division. It took place on September 24, 2017, at Staples Center in Los Angeles, California.[1] It was the thirteenth and final event under No Mercy chronology.

No Mercy
Promotional poster featuring Brock Lesnar and Braun Strowman
PromotionWWE
Brand(s)Raw
DateSeptember 24, 2017
CityLos Angeles, California
VenueStaples Center
Attendance16,106
WWE Network event chronology
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Mae Young Classic Finale
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Hell in a Cell
No Mercy chronology
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2016
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Final

Eight matches were contested at the event, including one on the Kickoff pre-show. In the main event, Brock Lesnar defeated Braun Strowman to retain the Universal Championship. In another marquee match, Roman Reigns defeated John Cena. On the undercard, Dean Ambrose and Seth Rollins defeated Cesaro and Sheamus to retain the Raw Tag Team Championship and Alexa Bliss defeated Bayley, Emma, Nia Jax, and Sasha Banks in a fatal five-way match to retain the Raw Women's Championship.

Storylines

The card consisted of eight matches, including one on the Kickoff pre-show, that resulted from scripted storylines, where wrestlers portrayed villains, heroes, or less distinguishable characters in scripted events that built tension and culminated in a wrestling match or series of matches, with results predetermined by WWE's writers on the Raw brand.[2][3] Storylines were produced on WWE's weekly television shows Monday Night Raw and 205 Live, the latter of which is cruiserweight-exclusive.[4]

At SummerSlam, Brock Lesnar defeated Braun Strowman, Roman Reigns, and Samoa Joe in a fatal four-way match to retain the Universal Championship.[5] Lesnar's victory celebration with his advocate Paul Heyman was interrupted by Strowman, who attacked Lesnar with a Chokeslam and two Running Powerslams. Later in the show, a Universal Championship title match between the two was scheduled for No Mercy.[6] The following week, Lesnar and Heyman issued a warning to Strowman.[7] On the September 4 episode, after Strowman defeated Big Show in a steel cage match, he also warned Lesnar before throwing Big Show through the cage.[8] In a confrontation the following week, Lesnar attacked Strowman with a German Suplex but Strowman quickly performed a Chokeslam and Running Powerslam on Lesnar, raising the title over Lesnar.[9] In a split-screen interview on the final Raw before No Mercy, Lesnar thanked Strowman for being a "great challenge", stating that is when he is at his best.[10]

On the August 21 episode of Raw, John Cena made his return to the Raw brand due to his status as a free agent and called out Roman Reigns, who was the reason Cena came to Raw. Reigns came out to confront Cena, but they were interrupted by The Miz and Samoa Joe, resulting in a tag team match, in which Cena and Reigns defeated Miz and Joe.[6] The following week, Cena and Reigns had a contract signing for a match at No Mercy. Cena immediately signed the contract while Reigns was more reluctant. After a heated worked shoot argument about Reigns being the new "John Cena" and the two not respecting each other, Luke Gallows and Karl Anderson interrupted, but lost an impromptu tag team match against Cena and Reigns.[7] The following week, Reigns confronted Cena, who had just defeated Jason Jordan, and wondered why a rookie gave the sixteen-time world champion a hard time. Reigns tried to goad Cena into a fight, but Cena refused and Reigns left, claiming that Cena did not back up his own words.[8] The following week, Reigns defeated Jordan. Cena confronted Reigns, stating that Reigns also had a hard time defeating Jordan.[9] On the final Raw before No Mercy, Reigns insulted Cena for being absent and compared him to The Rock, whom Cena had criticized for leaving WWE for Hollywood several years ago.[10]

At SummerSlam, Sasha Banks defeated Alexa Bliss to win the Raw Women's Championship for a record tying fourth time.[5] The following night on Raw, Alexa interrupted Sasha's victory celebration to demand a rematch for the following week and teased Sasha by pointing out that Sasha had lost all her previous three championships in her first title defense.[6] In the rematch, Alexa recaptured the championship. After the match, Nia Jax congratulated Alexa, but then attacked her, indicating her desire for a title match.[7] The following week, Sasha invoked her rematch clause for No Mercy. Nia and Emma, however, both confronted and demanded from General Manager Kurt Angle a championship match. Angle scheduled Nia and Emma to face Alexa and Sasha in a tag team match where if they won, they would be added to the title match at No Mercy. Nia and Emma subsequently defeated Alexa and Sasha to make the Raw Women's Championship match at No Mercy a fatal four-way match.[8] The following week, Sasha defeated Emma with Alexa and Nia on commentary.[9] On the final Raw before No Mercy, Nia faced Alexa in a non-title match. Alexa tried to leave the ring, but was stopped by Sasha and Nia defeated Alexa. After the match, Sasha, Alexa, and the returning Bayley attacked Nia. Later that night, Bayley was added to the championship match, making it a fatal five-way match at No Mercy.[10]

At SummerSlam, Dean Ambrose and Seth Rollins captured the Raw Tag Team Championship from Cesaro and Sheamus.[5] The following night on Raw, The Hardy Boyz (Jeff Hardy and Matt Hardy) congratulated Ambrose and Rollins and challenged them to a non-title match that Ambrose and Rollins won.[6] The following week, Cesaro defeated Rollins after being distracted by Sheamus, and Ambrose defeated Sheamus after Rollins got involved.[7] Cesaro and Sheamus then invoked their rematch clause for No Mercy.[8] On the September 11 episode, a tag team match pitting Cesaro and Sheamus against Gallows and Anderson never started when both teams got into a brawl with Ambrose and Rollins, who were supposed to provide commentary. In an ensuing eight-man tag team match, Ambrose, Rollins, and The Hardy Boyz defeated Cesaro, Sheamus, Gallows, and Anderson.[9] The following week, Cesaro and Sheamus accused Ambrose and Rollins of using each other, to which both Ambrose and Rollins and then Gallows and Anderson came out. Cesaro and Sheamus won an ensuing triple threat tag team match between the two teams.[10]

At SummerSlam, Finn Bálor, wrestling in his "Demon King" persona, defeated Bray Wyatt.[5] A couple of weeks later on Raw, Wyatt, who was not involved in the match, caused Bálor's elimination from a battle royal to determine the number one contender for the Intercontinental Championship.[7] The following week, Bálor addressed Wyatt's interference before he was confronted by Wyatt, who said that it was not Bálor, but the Demon King who defeated him at SummerSlam, and challenged "the real Finn Bálor" to a match at No Mercy, which Bálor accepted.[8] On the September 11 episode, after Wyatt defeated Goldust, he attempted to wipe off Goldust's face paint, but Bálor came to the rescue and Wyatt retreated.[9] The following week, Goldust, as Dustin Rhodes, was granted a rematch with Wyatt, but was unsuccessful. Afterwards, Bálor appeared on the TitanTron. He said that man had created demons, and asked Wyatt which one was more dangerous, and said Wyatt would find out at No Mercy.[10]

On the SummerSlam Kickoff pre-show, Neville defeated Akira Tozawa to recapture the WWE Cruiserweight Championship.[11] On the following episode of 205 Live, Tozawa was unsuccessful in a championship rematch. After the match, Enzo Amore, who was moved to the cruiserweight division, debuted on 205 Live and confronted Neville.[12] After Amore, Cedric Alexander, and Gran Metalik won a six-man tag team match against Noam Dar, Drew Gulak, and Tony Nese, Neville informed the winners that they had qualified for a fatal five-way elimination match, which also included Nese and The Brian Kendrick, the following night on 205 Live.[8] Amore won the match after last eliminating Alexander, and earned a title opportunity at No Mercy.[13] The following week on Raw, after Braun Strowman attacked Amore, Neville came out and performed the Red Arrow on Amore.[10] The following night on 205 Live, a confrontation between Amore and Neville ended with Amore attacking Neville with a low blow.[14]

On the September 18 episode of Raw, Intercontinental Champion The Miz interrupted General Manager Kurt Angle, who was advertising No Mercy's two headlining matches. Miz complained that he was without a title defense for the second straight pay-per-view. Angle then scheduled a fatal four-way match involving Jeff Hardy, Matt Hardy, Elias, and Angle's (storyline) son Jason Jordan to determine Miz's challenger for No Mercy. Miz criticized Jordan's entry into the match, calling Angle a poor father and demanded for The Miztourage (Bo Dallas and Curtis Axel) to be added as well. After Jordan also insisted on this, Angle agreed, making it a six-pack challenge that Jordan ultimately won. After the match, The Miztourage and Miz attacked Jordan.[10]

On September 22, a match between Apollo Crews and Elias was scheduled for the No Mercy Kickoff pre-show.[15]

Event

Other on-screen personnel
Role: Name:
English commentators Michael Cole
Corey Graves
Booker T
Vic Joseph (Cruiserweight match)
Spanish commentators Carlos Cabrera
Marcelo Rodríguez
German commentators Carsten Schaefer
Tim Haber
Calvin Knie
Ring announcer JoJo
Referees John Cone
Darrick Moore
Chad Patton
Rod Zapata
Interviewers Renee Young
Charly Caruso
Mike Rome
Pre-show panel Renee Young
Sam Roberts
Jerry Lawler
David Otunga
Raw Talk panel Renee Young
Jerry Lawler

Pre-show

During the No Mercy Kickoff pre-show, Elias faced Apollo Crews. Elias performed "Drift Away" on Crews to win the match.[16]

Also during the pre-show, it was advertised that NXT's Asuka would make her main roster debut at TLC: Tables, Ladders & Chairs.[16]

Preliminary matches

The actual pay-per-view opened with The Miz defending the Intercontinental Championship against Jason Jordan. In the end, Bo Dallas distracted the referee, allowing Curtis Axel to attack Jordan. Miz then executed the "Skull Crushing Finale" on Jordan to retain the title.[17]

Next, Bray Wyatt fought Finn Bálor. Before the match, Wyatt attacked Bálor. As officials tendered to Bálor, Wyatt called him a coward, which prompted Bálor to return to compete and the match began. In the end, Bálor executed the "Coup de Gráce" on Wyatt for the win.[17]

After that, Dean Ambrose and Seth Rollins defended the Raw Tag Team Championship against Cesaro and Sheamus. During the match, Cesaro accidentally hit his mouth on the ring post, damaging his front two teeth. In the end, Sheamus attempted the "Brogue Kick" on Ambrose, but Ambrose avoided and Sheamus accidentally performed the "Brogue Kick" on Cesaro. Rollins then performed the "Ripcord Knee" on Sheamus, which was followed by Ambrose performing "Dirty Deeds" on Sheamus to retain the title.[17]

In the fourth match, Alexa Bliss defended the Raw Women's Championship in a fatal five-way match against Nia Jax, Sasha Banks, Emma, and Bayley. In the end, Bliss performed a Snap DDT on Bayley to retain the title.[17]

Afterwards, John Cena fought Roman Reigns. Cena performed an "Attitude Adjustment" on Reigns for a near-fall. Reigns performed a "Superman Punch" on Cena for a near-fall. Cena executed a Super "Attitude Adjustment" on Reigns for another near-fall. Reigns performed a Spear on Cena through an announce table and scored a near-fall. Cena performed two consecutive "Attitude Adjustments" on Reigns for another near-fall. In the climax, Reigns executed a "Superman Punch" and a Spear on Cena to win the match. Afterwards, Cena showed respect and endorsed Reigns.[17]

In the penultimate match, Neville defended the WWE Cruiserweight Championship against Enzo Amore. In the end, Amore retrieved the title and acted as if he was going to use it as a weapon, but the referee confiscated the belt. As the referee was returning the belt to ringside officials, Amore performed a low blow on Neville and pinned Neville with a roll up to win the title.[17]

Main event

In the main event, Brock Lesnar defended the Universal Championship against Braun Strowman. Lesnar performed a German Suplex on Strowman, but Strowman immediately performed a Chokeslam and a Running Powerslam on Lesnar for a near-fall. Lesnar applied a "Kimura Lock" but Strowman touched the ropes to break the hold. Strowman performed two Running Powerslams on Lesnar for a near-fall. Lesnar then performed an "F-5" on Strowman to retain the title.[17]

Reception

The show has received mixed critical reception, with general praise being directed at the matches, in particular the tag team match, with criticism being directed towards the booking of Lesnar/Strowman, in addition to the conclusion of Neville's title reign. Cesaro in particular received critical praise from both fans and fellow wrestlers for his toughness after losing his two front teeth,[17] and reportedly received a standing ovation upon returning backstage after his match.[18]

Dave Meltzer, speaking on the Wrestling Observer Radio, called the main event "a huge disappointment", and said that the match went against Strowman's character and performance strengths, referring to his SummerSlam and Great Balls of Fire matches in particular. Despite the negative aspects of the show, including partner Bryan Alvarez comparing the Lesnar/Strowman "wrestling match" to their well received "car crash" Summerslam encounter, Meltzer called No Mercy "a good show."[19]

Aftermath

WWE released a statement on Cesaro's medical condition stating "Cesaro's teeth were pushed up into his upper jaw by about 3 to 4mm... the next step is most likely removing the teeth and then having some implants made"[20]

Immediately after No Mercy on Raw Talk, John Cena said that Roman Reigns had earned his respect and it was now up to Reigns to continue his momentum forward. He also confirmed that he would be taking some time off. The following night's Raw opened with a segment of Miz TV with Reigns as The Miz's guest where Reigns also said that Cena had earned his respect. Miz said that despite Reigns' victory, he was the one with a championship as he retained his Intercontinental Championship against Jason Jordan. After some arguing, a match between the two was scheduled where Reigns defeated Miz, but after the match, Miz and The Miztourage attacked Reigns. Also that night, Jordan teamed with Matt Hardy in a winning effort over The Miztourage.[21] Dean Ambrose, Seth Rollins, Cesaro, Sheamus, and Braun Strowman were then intertwined in this new rivalry between Reigns and Miz, resulting in The Shield reuniting and taking on the team of The Miz, Strowman, Cesaro, and Sheamus at TLC: Tables, Ladders & Chairs in a 4-on-3 handicap Tables, Ladders, and Chairs match.[22] Kane returned and was added as the fifth member of The Miz's team at TLC.[23]

Enzo Amore had General Manager Kurt Angle sign a no-contact clause, which meant that if any cruiserweight laid their hands on Amore, they could not challenge for the WWE Cruiserweight Championship. Later, Amore's championship celebration was interrupted by the entire cruiserweight division. Amore claimed that he made 205 Live relevant, supported by the fact that they were being featured for the first time as the main event of Raw. Neville said that Amore had made a joke out of the entire division and attacked Amore in spite of the no-contact clause.[21] Immediately after Raw on the WWE Network, Braun Strowman came out and powerslammed Amore and let the entire cruiserweight division each take a shot at him. On 205 Live, Amore said that due to the no-contact clause, none of the cruiserweights could challenge him for the title. Neville also explained that he knew that he risked his title rematch, but did not care and would do it again. Neville then faced Ariya Daivari, who tried to befriend Amore, and Neville won by disqualification after Amore attacked Neville with his crutch and continued to attack him after the match.[24]

Also on Raw Talk, Alexa Bliss said that she had retained the Raw Women's Championship against the entire women's division with the exception of Alicia Fox and Mickie James, who she felt were not worthy to be considered title contenders, especially James, who she said was too old. She also said she looked forward to ending Asuka's undefeated streak. The following night on Raw, James confronted Bliss about her comments on Raw Talk. After Bliss restated her comments, James attacked her and a Raw Women's Championship match between the two was scheduled for TLC.[25] Also in the women's division, Sasha Banks and Bayley teamed up and defeated Emma and Nia Jax.[21] Emma then earned the right to face Asuka at TLC.[22]

Finn Bálor was interviewed backstage. He thanked Bray Wyatt for their No Mercy match and said he would now focus on regaining the Universal Championship. However, later in the show after a match with Goldust, as Bálor stood in the center of the ring celebrating, the lights went out and a child began singing Wyatt's song, "He's Got the Whole World in His Hands".[21] A rematch between Bálor as his newly created demon and Wyatt, embodying "Sister Abigail", was made for TLC.[23]

Results

No. Results Stipulations Times[16][17][26]
1P Elias defeated Apollo Crews (with Titus O'Neil) Singles match[27] 8:35
2 The Miz (c) (with Bo Dallas and Curtis Axel) defeated Jason Jordan Singles match for the WWE Intercontinental Championship[28] 10:15
3 Finn Bálor defeated Bray Wyatt Singles match[29] 11:35
4 Dean Ambrose and Seth Rollins (c) defeated Cesaro and Sheamus Tag team match for the WWE Raw Tag Team Championship[30] 15:55
5 Alexa Bliss (c) defeated Bayley, Emma, Nia Jax, and Sasha Banks Fatal 5-Way match for the WWE Raw Women's Championship[31] 9:40
6 Roman Reigns defeated John Cena Singles match[32] 22:05
7 Enzo Amore defeated Neville (c) Singles match for the WWE Cruiserweight Championship[33] 10:40
8 Brock Lesnar (c) (with Paul Heyman) defeated Braun Strowman Singles match for the WWE Universal Championship[34] 9:00
  • (c) – refers to the champion(s) heading into the match
  • P – indicates the match took place on the pre-show

References

  1. "WWE No Mercy 2017 tickets available now". WWE. April 24, 2017. Retrieved June 19, 2017.
  2. Grabianowski, Ed. "How Pro Wrestling Works". HowStuffWorks. Discovery Communications. Archived from the original on November 18, 2013. Retrieved March 5, 2012.
  3. "Live & Televised Entertainment". WWE. Archived from the original on February 26, 2009. Retrieved March 21, 2012.
  4. Steinberg, Brian (May 25, 2016). "WWE's 'Smackdown' Will Move To Live Broadcast On USA (EXCLUSIVE)". Variety. Retrieved May 25, 2016.
  5. Powell, Jason. "Powell's WWE SummerSlam 2017 live review: Brock Lesnar vs. Braun Strowman vs. Samoa Joe vs. Roman Reigns for the WWE Universal Championship, Jinder Mahal vs. Shinsuke Nakamura for the WWE Championship, Sheamus and Cesaro vs. Dean Ambrose and Seth Rollins for the Raw Tag Titles". Pro Wrestling Dot Net. Retrieved August 20, 2017.
  6. Powell, Jason. "8/21 Powell's WWE Raw Live TV Review: Brock Lesnar and Braun Strowman confrontation. John Cena and Roman Reigns vs. Samoa Joe and The Miz, the night after SummerSlam edition". Pro Wrestling Dot Net. Retrieved August 21, 2017.
  7. Keller, Wade. "KELLER'S WWE RAW REPORT 8/28: Sasha defends against Alexa, Cena vs. Reigns contract signing, Lesnar returns to answer Braun attack". Pro Wrestling Torch. Retrieved August 28, 2017.
  8. Powell, Jason. "9/4 Powell's WWE Raw Live TV Review: The Miz vs. Jeff Hardy for the Intercontinental Championship, Braun Strowman vs. Big Show in a cage match, John Cena vs. Jason Jordan". Pro Wrestling Dot Net. Retrieved September 4, 2017.
  9. Keller, Wade. "KELLER'S WWE RAW REPORT 9/11: Lesnar & Heyman respond to Strowman, another Reigns-Cena promo, Bray-Balor, more". Pro Wrestling Torch. Retrieved September 11, 2017.
  10. Keller, Wade (September 18, 2017). "KELLER'S WWE RAW REPORT 9/18: Final No Mercy hype including interviews with Lesnar and Strowman". Pro Wrestling Torch. Retrieved September 18, 2017.
  11. Powell, Jason. "08/20 Powell's WWE SummerSlam Kickoff Show coverage: New Day vs. The Usos for the Smackdown Tag Titles, Akira Tozawa vs. Neville for the WWE Cruiserweight Championship, Matt Hardy, Jeff Hardy, and Jason Jordan vs. Miz, Bo Dallas, and Curtis Axel". Pro Wrestling Dot Net. Retrieved August 20, 2017.
  12. Weir, Allan (August 24, 2017). "8/22 WWE 205 LIVE REPORT: Detailed results and analysis of the show". Pro Wrestling Torch. Retrieved August 26, 2017.
  13. Moore, John (September 6, 2017). "9/5 Moore's WWE 205 Live Review: Brian Kendrick vs. Gran Metalik vs. Cedric Alexander vs. Tony Nese vs. Enzo Amore in a five-way elimination for a title shot at No Mercy, Drew Gulak vs. Akira Tozawa, TJP vs. Ariya Daivari". Pro Wrestling Dot Net. Retrieved September 7, 2017.
  14. Namako, Jasone (September 19, 2017). "WWE 205 Live Results – 9/19/17 (Enzo and Neville face off)". WresleView. Retrieved September 22, 2017.
  15. "WWE announces the No Mercy Kickoff Show match". Pro Wrestling Dot Net. Retrieved September 22, 2017.
  16. Powell, Jason. "09/24 Powell's WWE No Mercy Kickoff Show coverage: Elias vs. Apollo Crews". Pro Wrestling Dot Net. Retrieved September 24, 2017.
  17. Powell, Jason. "Powell's WWE No Mercy 2017 live review: Brock Lesnar vs. Braun Strowman for the WWE Universal Championship, John Cena vs. Roman Reigns, Dean Ambrose and Seth Rollins vs. Sheamus and Cesaro for the Raw Tag Titles". Pro Wrestling Dot Net. Retrieved September 24, 2017.
  18. http://www.wrestlinginc.com/wi/news/2017/0925/632531/wwe-star-received-standing-ovation-backstage-at-wwe-no-mercy/
  19. Alvarez, Bryan. "WOR: WWE NO MERCY, NEW JAPAN, BELLATOR, TONS OF NEWS AND MORE!". f4wonline.com. Retrieved September 26, 2017.
  20. "WWE Releases Gruesome Update On Cesaro's Busted Teeth | Fightful Wrestling". www.fightful.com. Retrieved September 25, 2017.
  21. Keller, Wade (September 25, 2017). "KELLER'S WWE RAW REPORT 9/25: Reigns on Miz TV in opening segment, Miz vs. Reigns booked, Matt Hardy & Jordan vs. Miztourage". Pro Wrestling Torch. Retrieved September 26, 2017.
  22. Keller, Wade. "KELLER'S WWE RAW REPORT 10/9: Shield reunion continues, Miz TV with Sheamus & Cesaro, TLC build up continues". Pro Wrestling Torch. Retrieved October 9, 2017.
  23. Powell, Jason (October 16, 2017). "10/16 Powell's WWE Raw Live TV Review: Braun Strowman vs. Roman Reigns in a cage match, the final push for WWE TLC". Pro Wrestling Dot Net. Retrieved October 17, 2017.
  24. Keller, Wade (September 27, 2017). "KELLER'S 205 LIVE REPORT 9/26: Enzo speaks about his beatdown on Raw and solidifies his heel character, Neville addresses attack". Pro Wrestling Torch. Retrieved September 28, 2017.
  25. Keller, Wade. "KELLER'S WWE RAW REPORT 10/2: Reigns challenges Miz for IC Title, Seth takes on Strowman". Pro Wrestling Torch. Retrieved October 2, 2017.
  26. "WWE No Mercy '17 Times". Internet Wrestling Database. Retrieved September 24, 2017.
  27. Benigno, Anthony. "Elias def. Apollo Crews". WWE. Retrieved September 24, 2017.
  28. Benigno, Anthony. "Intercontinental Champion The Miz def. Jason Jordan". WWE. Retrieved September 24, 2017.
  29. Benigno, Anthony. "Finn Bálor def. Bray Wyatt". WWE. Retrieved September 24, 2017.
  30. Benigno, Anthony. "Raw Tag Team Champions Dean Ambrose & Seth Rollins def. Cesaro & Sheamus". WWE. Retrieved September 24, 2017.
  31. Benigno, Anthony. "Raw Women's Champion Alexa Bliss def. Sasha Banks, Bayley, Nia Jax and Emma (Fatal 5-Way Match)". WWE. Retrieved September 24, 2017.
  32. Benigno, Anthony. "Roman Reigns def. John Cena". WWE. Retrieved September 24, 2017.
  33. Benigno, Anthony. "Enzo Amore def. Neville to become the new WWE Cruiserweight Champion". WWE. Retrieved September 24, 2017.
  34. Benigno, Anthony. "Universal Champion Brock Lesnar def. Braun Strowman". WWE. Retrieved September 24, 2017.
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