5 Things We Learnt From WWE No Mercy 2017

The latest Raw exclusive PPV is now in the history books and it certainly didn’t fall short of expectations with the majority of matches delivering great quality, showcasing the fantastic roster that the WWE proudly boasts. While there were plenty of talking points and moments to reflect on such as the revelation that Asuka will debut at TLC, what were the five main things we learnt from the show?

 

5. The man stepped up

The feud between Finn Balor and Bray Wyatt has been underwhelming, to say the least, with neither seemingly gaining much from it, but their match at No Mercy was certainly the highlight of the rivalry so far. Balor was out to prove that ‘the man’ was just as strong as his Demon and that is exactly what he did, earning another victory against the Eater of Worlds that will hopefully wrap up this feud so both men can move on.

 

4. The women deliver

Anytime you have a match with five competitors there is a high chance that things can get messy and as a result, the matches can be poor. Thankfully, that was far from the case at No Mercy as the Fatal Fiveway match for the Women’s Championship was one of the highlights of the show.

Every single wrestler got a chance to shine and they all worked brilliantly off each other, with Nia Jax, in particular, having a standout match, once again showcasing how good she is in the powerhouse role. Seeing Alexa Bliss retain was a smart move by WWE with Asuka’s debut around the corner and this victory should only inflate her character’s ego, making Bliss even more entertaining. Hopefully, WWE cannot begin to utilise everyone on their roster and perhaps start some feuds away from the championship to keep developing the division.

 

3. The main event letdown

While No Mercy was stacked with brilliant matches right from the opener, one match that did let the WWE Universe down was, unfortunately, the main event, which in the end will hurt how most people look back upon the show. After building the match up to be a battle between two monsters, everyone was expecting pure carnage, perhaps a few table spots, some real destruction.

Sadly, that did not come to be. Instead, it was a short match that proved to be of very few moves, something we have come to expect from Brock Lesnar in recent years. Both men traded their signature moves with Braun Strowman taking a trip to Suplex City, but in the end, it would take just one F5 to finish off the Monster Amongst Men, just like it did for Samoa Joe.

The ending of the match felt very abrupt and whilst I anticipated a short match I just expected and hoped for better. Protecting finishing moves is something WWE needs to start doing again (a point I will come on too), but just one F5 finishing off Strowman after how he has been built is bizarre. It doesn’t protect him and after all, only one of the two men have a long future with the company and WWE will now need to quickly recover his momentum.

 

2. Passing of the torch

The other main event match between John Cena and Roman Reigns did not provide disappointment, but instead offered up WWE’s latest ‘passing of the torch’ moment as Cena was defeated cleanly, before raising Reigns’ hand to show he is now ready to take on his role.

The match itself was very enjoyable with the atmosphere providing a big fight feel to this blockbuster encounter and both men gave it their all to create a match that lived up to the hype. However, there was one element of the match that left me frustrated, which came in the finish. Just like the main event, it felt very abrupt and out of nowhere, with Reigns kicking out of back to back AA’s, something that should never happen, before nailing Cena with a Spear that won him the match. There needs to be greater consistency with finishers and how many can be kicked out of, because it takes you out of the moment and hurts the product in the long run.

 

1. Toothless Aggression

In what was certainly the match of the night, The Bar once again proved why they are the best tag team in WWE right now as they brought their physical and hard hitting style to the current champions, Dean Ambrose and Seth Rollins. The back and forth action in this match was simply brilliant to watch and had the fans on the edge of their seats throughout, with all four men displaying excellent in-ring chemistry.

Of course, Cesaro losing his front teeth in a bloody mess provided an even more intense feel to the match and some of the visuals provided, with a bloodied Cesaro locking in a crossface, were fantastic. It showed how much both teams wanted to win, which in turn makes the championships a bigger deal, and whilst the champions defended, Cesaro and Sheamus looked great in defeat. Special props need to be given to the Swiss Superman, continuing through an injury like that must have been difficult and it just shows why he is one of the very best in the world.