
WWE Championship: Triple H vs. Jeff Hardy
Andrew Gray says: For some reason, WWE has made Vladimir Kozlov a major part of this feud, which leads me to believe that Kozlov will feud with Triple H for the WWE Championship after Sunday’s show. Either that, or Kozlov will cost Trips the title, and they’ll feud without the title in the picture - but that would be a terrible way for Hardy to finally win the WWE Championship. I guess they could set up a Triple Threat Match for Cyber Sunday too.
And let’s not forget about the “incident” at the Nashville airport. For someone who has 2 strikes against him for Wellness Policy violations, I’d be a little more careful about how much I drink before boarding an airplane. I loved how Hardy tried to play it off as no big deal in a recent interview with Kevin Eck of the Baltimore Sun:
“That was extremely blown out of proportion. So many wrestlers drink at times, and I had been drinking a lot that night. I’m not going to lie — I’ve been on planes a lot drunker than that. There was nothing rude done; I wasn’t violent or anything like that. I guess I was stumbling boarding the plane or something, and somebody must have just said that I was drunk, because I was asleep on the plane. This is Southwest, you know, open seating and everything. The first thing I remember is just waking up and security — it wasn’t police, it was security — saying, ‘Mr. Hardy, you have to get off the plane. We feel you’ve had too much to drink.’ Matt got up and was like, ‘What’s the problem?’ They were like, ‘He’s had too much to drink.’ I go, ‘I was asleep. I’ll wake up in Raleigh. I’ve been like this before.’ But I just cooperated and left the plane.”
Being stumbling drunk and passing out on an airplane isn’t something to shrug off – and it’s hardly a good way to represent the company for which you work.
“Can I have your autograph, Jeff?” asks a young fan.
“KjHfffbRDdjklsEWkAJGsfgjfjasjkafafaf” replies the rainbow-haired warrior.
If I were Vince McMahon, I wouldn’t trust him enough to make him WWE Champion.
Winner: Triple H
D.J.B. says: Listen, I'm as big a Hardy mark as most. People can shoot it down, oh it's just cause they're from North Carolina, or it's the Cham Pain connection. Firstly, I'm from South Carolina, secondly, I think Cham Pain could murk their asses. Seriously though, listen to the crowd reactions. Look at the merchandise and crowd signs. What two individuals right now dominate? Matt Hardy and Jeff Hardy.
The build for this match has involved Vladimir Korncob way too much and that just means that WWE will again overlook the guy who sells their tickets and their merch. It may set up for another match down the road, but it's going to end up leaving several fans with a bad taste in their mouth and turning Triple H heel unless Korncob pulls off the heel good enough, consistently enough.
Winner: Schmoz finish-Triple H
World Heavyweight Championship Ladder Match
Andrew Gray says: This feud has lost its sizzle ever since HBK beat him last month - and having them face off in tag matches 2 weeks in a row on “Raw” doesn’t help build anticipation either. Neither does having the “one-night” return of DX overshadow your PPV main event.
Essentially, the fed’s banking on the championship being on the line and the ladder stipulation making up for any lost heat. But it’s always the personal feuds that draw. Luckily for WWE, the rest of the card is pretty solid.
HBK doesn’t need to win the World Heavyweight Championship at this point in his career. Plus, there has to be some concern within the company about how much longer Michaels is going to be wrestling for – he’s banged-up and can’t stay healthy. But that’s what happens when your wrestling at the age of 43, and you don’t take steroids like Triple H does.
Winner: Chris Jericho
D.J.B. says: My thing is, I don't want Michaels to get hurt. I wonder how he's going to be, but I don't question how he'll be in the match itself. This could very well be a four star match, but considering I wan't watching the night this ladder match was announced, and haven't really watched since then, I don't know what's went down. Except ratings. Any reason CM Punk shouldn't get involved?
He won the Money in the Bank ladder match. He lost his rematch on a fluke. He won't get involved though, it makes too much sense. Michaels doesn't need the belt. A heel needs that belt, but they could use Michaels to transition it to JBL, but that would contradict my previous pick, so I'm going Y2J.
Winner: Chris Jericho
ECW Championship: Matt Hardy vs. Mark Henry
Andrew Gray says: Like the Michaels-Jericho feud, here’s another one that’s lost some of its lustre since Hardy won the belt. I hope the belt stays with Hardy, though – he could easily transition into a feud with John Morrison, The Miz, Mike Knox, or Gavin Spears (gulp). But I don’t think that’ll happen. My guess is they’ll put the title back on Henry to set up the final rematch between the two at Survivor Series (with some No. 1 Contender vote-in gimmick at Cyber Sunday in between).
Winner: Mark Henry
D.J.B. says: The number one championship on the number one show is held by Matt Hardy who took it from Mark Henry in a scramble match. Matt Hardy takes pride in being champion, and fans know that. That's exactly why he should lose the championship back to Henry at No Mercy. Make him work to get it back at Survivor Series or Armageddon. You're killing two birds with one stone, allowing Hardy to get in another title chase and have a dominant heel champion playing keep away, and you're adding prestige to the belt by letting people know how hard guys are fighting for it. I could be off on this, and moneywise taking the belt off Hardy right now may not be the smartest thing, but arguments can be made either way. I will stick by my gut feeling and go with the incredibly large Texan.
Winner & NEW ECW Champion: Mark Henry
Number One Contender’s Match: Batista vs. JBL
Andrew Gray says: Here’s the early favourite for “Worst Match of the Night.” I have to pick Batista to win to stay consistent with my belief that WWE wants to put the belt back on the Animal at some point. As much as the JBL marks want the belt back on their chubby leader, it’d be counterintuitive for JBL to win. We all know the next heel to hold the title will be Randy Orton.
Winner: Batista
D.J.B. says: "Raw" is dying. This is proof. How many times can these two battle it out for the top spot? Build new contenders. I'd rather see CM Punk work any version of Charlie Haas' character in a soap-on-a-rope on a pole match than watch JBL's fat ass work Batista one more time with a shot at gold on the line. Either give JBL the belt outright or give him the fucking headset, put him in the booth and put some pants and a shirt on the fat bastard. Get over it Donnie.
Winner: Batista
Big Show vs. Undertaker
Andrew Gray says: Edge really needs to come back to “SmackDown!” I’m missing the weekly making-out-with Vickie Guerrero segments. I mean, come on - if Big Show were to make out with Vickie, that’d just be gross.
Oh yeah, the match. It should be a good one with two of the best big men in the business going at it. I expect they’ll try to draw this feud out at least until Cyber Sunday, which means Show should pick up the victory with help from Chavo and Vickie.
Winner: Big Show
D.J.B. says: Undertaker-Big Show is nothing new to the old school fan base of wrestling but for those that haven't been watching over the last five or more years it is something new. Either way it offers something exciting, new and a definite change of pace. I believe maybe the return of Edge will have nothing to do with this, and Edge will continue sitting at home. I still believe The Big Show will emerge victorious.
Winner: Big Show
Women's Championship: Beth Phoenix vs. Candice Michelle
Andrew Gray says: As much as I don’t want to see it happen, I wouldn’t be at all surprised if Candice Michelle went over here. They need to do something to get the fans behind her return. And it’s not like WWE is going out of their way to protect Beth - Kelly Kelly . . . Kelly pinned her a couple weeks ago. I’ll still predict that Beth retains, though, because Glamarella needs two champions, baby!
Plus, these two fought each other last year at No Mercy, and Beth beat her in 4 minutes and 32 seconds (gotta love Wikipedia). So I expect the same result this year.
Winner: Beth Phoenix
D.J.B. says: The Glamazon vs. the Ceramic Candice. If Beth Phoenix loses this match God help us. I hope for her personally that Candice doesn't get hurt again, but alone in the ring with Beth Phoenix this early back from her return, watch out.
Winner: Beth Phoenix
Rey Mysterio vs. Kane
Andrew Gray says: I really hope Kane wins because I’ve always wondered what Rey would look like without that mysterious mask covering his face. But alas, I don’t think WWE is smart enough to see the marketing potential in such a scenario. Just imagine how many more Rey Mysterio faces would sell than Rey Mysterio masks? It’s a merchandising goldmine!
Winner: Rey Mysterio
D.J.B. says: I really hate to say this, but I don't care. I hope Mysterio wins so he doesn't take off his mask, because after that all us Mysterio "haters" will get lumped on even more because Mysterio will be useless and headed to a new company with his mask again.
Winner: Mysterio
Extras
1. Chyna vs. Jeff Jarrett in the first (and hopefully last) Good Housekeeping Match for the Intercontinental title in 1999.
2. “Stone Cold” Steve Austin makes his return after neck surgery in a no-holds barred match against Rikishi in 2000. I totally forgot about this.
3. Kurt Angle (with Stephanie McMahon in his corner) vs. The Rock for the WWF title at the 2000 PPV (Part 1; Part 2).
4. Current UFC Heavyweight Brock Lesnar vs. Current WWE Dead Man The Undertaker in a Hell in a Cell Match at No Mercy 2002 (Part 1; Part 2).
5. Chris Benoit and Kurt Angle vs. Edge and Rey Mysterio for the WWE tag team titles in the same year (Part 1; Part 2; Part 3).
6. Eddie Guerrero’s last PPV match: Guerrero vs. Batista for the World Heavyweight Championship at No Mercy 2005 (Part 1; Part 2; Part 3).
7. MVP vs. Tha O Show’s Marty Garner from No Mercy 2006.
8. Triple H defeats Randy Orton for the WWE Championship; Triple H defends the title against Umaga; and Triple H loses the title to Randy Orton all in the same night at No Mercy 2007.
1 comments: on "Tha O Show's WWE No Mercy Preview"
That was a really good show last night, particularly the main events.
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