WWE No Mercy (October 2006)

Original Airdate: October 8, 2006

From Raleigh, North Carolina; Your Hosts are Michael Cole and John Bradshaw Layfield

Opening Match: Gregory Helms v Matt Hardy: Helms is the WWE Cruiserweight Champion, but this is non-title. Feeling out process to start, with Helms able to get control, and put a beating on him in the corner. Vertical suplex, but Hardy reverses, and hits a backelbow to setup an elbowdrop for two. Clothesline sends Helms over the top, and Matt dives after him with a plancha! Inside, Hardy tries a ten-punch count, but eats a hotshot into the top turnbuckle, and Helms hits a kneeling neckbreaker for two. Matt tries getting to the top rope, but ends up getting Russian legswept down, and Gregory covers for two. He grounds Hardy in a double-underhook, and a double knee facebuster gets two. Back to the mat with an overhead clutch, but Hardy fights free, and hits an inverted DDT. Slugfest goes Matt's way, and he starts mounting a comeback. Bulldog gets two, and a bodyslam sets up a 2^nd rope flying legdrop for two. Twist of Fate, but Helms counters with the Nightmare for two. Another Nightmare gets two, and a third Nightmare sets up a trip to the top, but Matt nails him on the way down. Hardy with the Side Effect for two, and another Effect is worth two. Uranage sets up a flying moonsault, but Greg lifts the knees to block. He goes for the shining wizard, but Hardy counters with a schoolboy for two. Twist of Fate, but Helms backdrops him, and shines his wizard for two! They fight to the top, and Matt ends up getting crotched on the ropes, with Helms then diving off the top with a flying shining wizard for two! Nightmare, but Hardy blocks, and a reversal sequence ends in Hardy hitting the Twist of Fate at 13:08! This really got going in the home stretch. ***

WWE Tag Team Title Match: Paul London and Brian Kendrick v KC James and Idol Stevens: Stevens I recognize as a young Damien Sandow, but James I'm not familiar with. He looks like a cross between Tommy Rich and Dolph Ziggler. London starts with Stevens, as some fan in the front row holds up an apt 'who are they?' sign. You said it, brother. The champs dominate Stevens with quick tandem stuff, which pleases manager Ashley Massaro, and we're treated to her bouncing around with glee. London ends up taking a bump from the top rope to the floor to turn the tide, and the challengers cut the ring in half. Paul fights off a double team to get the tag to Brian, and Kendrick comes in hot! He looks to finish James with Sliced Bread, but Stevens cuts him off, so London nails him with the tope - Roseanne Barr the door! James superplexes Brian, but misses a charge, and Kendrick hits a well executed tornado DDT for two - count broken when Michelle McCool puts KC's foot on the ropes! Ashley beats her down on the outside as a result, and London saves Brian from a double team - James eating Sliced Bread at 9:36. Technically proficient, but not particularly engaging before the hot tag. * ½

Montel Vontavious Porter v Marty Garner: This is MVP's debut. Garner is an old school enhancement guy from the mid-90s, but I have no idea what he's doing here in 2006. He also looks like a scrawny Bradley Cooper - though that wouldn't have meant anything back in 2006. Was Barry Horowitz busy, or something. This is just a squash match, with Porter destroying him, and finishing with the Playmaker at 2:30. DUD

Mr. Kennedy v Undertaker: Kennedy is the WWE United States Champion, but this is another non-title match. Undertaker tries to trap him in the corner early, but Kennedy manages to avoid it, and stick and move. He runs into a big boot, however, and Undertaker rams him shoulder-first into the corner, but Kennedy bails to the outside to avoid the ropewalk forearm. Undertaker follows to send him into the steps, and he works the arm/shoulder on the way back in. Kennedy bails again, so Undertaker follows out to post him, but Kennedy bails for a third time when 'Taker tries to bring it back in. He's not a fast learner, is he? Ropewalk forearm, but Kennedy manages to slam him off the top to block. He hammers Undertaker in the corner, but a shot to the shoulder takes the pep out of his step, and 'Taker hits the ropewalk forearm. Reverse STO gets two (it's weird seeing that spot these days without a turnbuckle involved), and a cross corner clothesline gets two. Big boot in the corner misses, however, and Undertaker gets shoulderblocked off of the apron into the barricade. Kennedy tries to dive off the apron after him, but gets caught, and rammed into the post again. This match has been really aimless thus far, and just feels like it's puttering along, going through the motions. Kennedy manages to catch him with a DDT for two on the way back in, and this time he's able to follow-up with a straddling ropechoke for two. You know it's dull when I'm seriously contemplating starting a 'boring' chant eleven years later, and to a computer monitor. Kennedy with a corner big boot for two, and a pair of elbowdrops gets two. Undertaker slugs back to knock him to the apron for the guillotine legdrop - which the camera crew catches at a neat angle that accentuates the move. Kennedy shrugs it off and hits a piledriver for two, then tries to finish with a cobra clutch, but Undertaker's arm stays up at the third drop. He starts powering up, so Kennedy tries shifting to a chinlock, but that gets him side suplexed. Slugfest ends in Undertaker hitting the jumping clothesline, and he starts mounting his comeback. Snake-eyes and a big boot setup a legdrop for two, but Kennedy blocks the chokeslam by holding onto the referee. That allows him a swinging neckbreaker for two, but an enzuigiri misses, and Undertaker nails the chokeslam on the second go around. Give the crowd credit, they're into this. Last Ride, but Kennedy escapes, and drives Undertaker's face into an exposed top turnbuckle. Clothesline follows to setup a flying somersault senton splash, but it only gets two! Kennedy gets desperate, and brings in the title belt to use as a weapon, but a tug-of-war with the referee stops that effort, and Undertaker uses it himself - getting disqualified over it at 20:31. Seriously? A cheap DQ finish after twenty minutes? In case the rest of this block of text didn't make it obvious, I found myself largely bored with this one. I doubt I was the only one. ½*

Falls Count Anywhere Match: Rey Mysterio v Chavo Guerrero: They slug it out to start, with Chavo taking control, but running into a dropkick. Rey tries another, but Guerrero dodges, and hooks a somersault cradle - only for Mysterio to slug his way out of the pinning predicament. They fight to the top rope, where Chavo tries to superplex him to the outside, but Rey blocks, and both men end up falling down to the floor. Mysterio recovers first with a dropkick out there, but Guerrero plants an uppercut on him, and whips his ass into the barricade. They brawl over to the entrance set, where Chavo tries a powerbomb, but Rey hooks onto a piece of the set to block, then takes him down with a rana for two! They fight over to the crowd, where Guerrero drops him across a guardrail, but gets reversed into another one. Mysterio fires back with a flying legdrop off of the rail for two, and a headscissor takedown follows as they brawl through the crowd. Rey tries a wheelbarrow bulldog out there, but gets smacked into the rail instead, and Chavo covers for two. He grabs Rey in wheelbarrow position, and starts swinging him around like a big dick, knocking over chairs with his head. That's no way to treat your dick, Chavito. They fight up the stairs in the stands, with Chavo dominating, but Mysterio fires back, and manages to knock him down the steps. Back to the ground level, Rey comes off the rail with a flying seated senton, but eats a clothesline. They're literally touring the entire arena with this brawl! They get over to an exit to the concourse area, and Rey swings around a stair railing with a kick, then sends Guerrero into a barricade! Rey then climbs onto a landing and dives with a flying bodypress for the pin at 12:11. This was much better than their rudderless SummerSlam opener, with lots of intensity. What was especially neat about this one is that most times when guys brawl into the crowd it's basically all punch-kick, but these two were actually working spots! The ending was a little sloppy, but given the circumstances, it's forgivable. Not great wrestling in the traditional sense, but a fun car crash of a match. *** ¼

William Regal v Chris Benoit: Benoit is a surprise opponent for Regal, making his return after five months on the shelf. Feeling out process to start, with Regal trying to stick to wrestling to avoid Chris' choppy fury. Chris holds his own through the hold exchanges, however, and manages to turn it into a slugfest, which he dominates with chops. Rolling German suplex is attempted, but Regal blocks the second alarm, so Chris headbutts him a bunch of times, and hits a release German to setup a flying headbutt for two. William is busted open hardway here from those headbutts, and Chris is able to block a vertical suplex out of the ring. He tries a German suplex OFF OF the apron, but Regal counters with a DDT ONTO the apron instead! Inside, it gets two, and he tries to hammer him, but Benoit engages the chops! Sharpshooter, but Regal blocks, and hits a high knee for two. Modified abdominal stretch is applied, but Chris manages to railroad him into the corner, then starts chopping his FACE! Okay, OUCH! Regal responds with a pair of suplexes, and a splash gets two. Regal Stretch, but Benoit starts to counter, so William gets the ropes to save himself before he can. Kneelift gets two, and Regal ties him up in a bow-and-arrow, but Chris slugs free. William keeps coming with a full-nelson, but Benoit reverses, then drops back with a dragon suplex! He quickly capitalizes on that with the Crippler Crossface, and we're done at 11:17. This was a really old school and STIFF match, with both guys bleeding hardway, and trading serious blows. ** ¾

Main Event: World Heavyweight Title Fatal Four-Way Match: Booker T v Batista v Finlay v Bobby Lashley: First fall wins it. Big brawl to start, with Booker and Finlay able to work together to take control of the match. They dump Lashley to the outside so they can double up on Batista, but Bobby comes back with a vengeance, and hits Booker with a spinebuster for two. Finlay pulls the champ out of harms way, so Bobby makes the dumb mistake of going after them on the outside, and gets clobbered. They should have introduced a female valet for Finlay, and called her Charmin. They go back to working Batista over, but Finlay turns on him with a short-clothesline once Batista is broken down. He pounds Booker, but Batista breaks up a pin attempt, so Finlay punishes him with a fujiwara armbar. Batista tries to escape with a Samoan drop, but Finlay holds onto the arm into an armbar, which he holds onto until Lashley shows up to break it. Finlay turns his attention to Bobby instead with a half-crab, but Booker saves with a superkick for two. Harlem Sidekick on Batista gets two, but the Animal fires back with a sidewalk slam for two. Lashley dumps them both over the top, then knocks a chair wielding Finlay down with a big boot. Backelbow and a clothesline lead to a press-gutbuster, but the Leprechaun runs in before he can finish. That allows Finlay to nail him with the whappin' stick, but Booker breaks up the count, and covers Lashley himself for two. Batista's back with a jackhammer on Booker, and he clears the ring of Finlay as well to leave him alone with Lashley. Batista with a spear for two, but a slam is countered with a spinebuster, and Batista is busted open somehow. Bobby keeps on him with an overhead suplex, and a clothesline sends Batista over the top. In comes Finlay, but Bobby dispatches him in short order - only to run into the Book End for two from the champion! Suplex, but Bobby counters with a cradle for two, so Booker puts the boots to him. Jumping double-ax gets two, but Finlay cuts off the Axekick. That allows Batista to come in and hit everyone with spinebusters, and Finlay eats a Batista Bomb - only for Lashley to spear the Animal before he can cover! Unfortunately, it knocks Bobby loopy too, and Booker crawls over to pin Finlay off of Batista's move at 16:53. Lots going on, but not my cup of tea overall, as I tend to appreciate matches that are more focused than chaotic. ** ½  

BUExperience: You could do worse. But then, you could also do a lot better. Not really worth wasting your time on this one.

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