Ruthless Aggression Era Project: WWE No Mercy Review - October 19th, 2003

WWE No Mercy 

October 19th, 2003

Baltimore, Maryland 

WWE Champion: Brock Lesnar (since 9/18/03)

WWE United States Champion: Eddie Guerrero (since 7/27/03)

WWE Tag Team Champions: Los Guerreros (since 9/18/03)

WWE Cruserweight Champion: Tajiri (since 9/25/03)

Taz & Michael Cole welcome us in after the opening video package highlighting Steph/Vince and Angle/Cena and then introduce the Spanish announce team. 

1) Tajiri (c) vs. Rey Mysterio - Cruserweight Title Match 

I buckled up for this one. They do some limb work that is good, but inevitably this breaks down into spots and stuff. Great opening match type shit, though. Rey seems to be building a comeback when two “fans” try to run in and it distracts him and Tajiri hits a buzzsaw kick and pins Rey to retain. 

Match rating - ***

Backstage, Josh Mathews interviews Mr. McMahon… he says anyone who tries to interfere tonight in his match with Stephanie will be fired. 

2) Chris Benoit vs. A-Train

These two are just awesome together and this was no different. In this one, A-Train gets the upper hand early and dominates the Rabid Wolverine. Train tosses him around and Benoit’s mouth ends up busted open which is a great visual. After getting dropped head first on a chair, Benoit somehow manages to fire up and drop Train with some suplexes after a cross face attempt false finish. A-Train regains control momentarily and sets up a chair in the corner, he ends up accidentally kicking it when Benoit moves and his leg gets caught in it. This gives Benoit a target. Dragon screw into sharpshooter and Train has no choice, but to tap. 

Match rating - ***1/2 

Backstage, Heidenreich has Shannon Moore jacked up against the wall. Matt Hardy walks up. Heidenreich is pissed because “Little Jimmy” told him about them throwing his tape away. Hardy says it was misinformation and it was actually a “Best of Shannon Moore” tape that they threw away so Heidenreich lets Shannon go. 

3) Matt Hardy (w/ Shannon Moore) vs. Zach Gowen 

This shit ain’t fun no more. Gowen doesn’t die and it’s boring. Shannon interferes. Hardy plays chicken shit. Gowen gets his first ever win in WWE and also his lamest showing ever. Greeaaaatttt. 

Match rating - ** 

4) The Bashams vs. APA (Bradshaw & Farooq) 

This all stems from Bradshaw and the clothesline from hell he hit on Shanequa a few weeks back (I think). This happens and it isn’t Great. Near the end, after Bradshaw hits the last call on one of them Basham boys, Shanequa shows up with a bat while the ref is down off an unintentional Farooq bump and hits Bradshaw which allows the Bashams to get the upset victory. 

Match rating - *1/2 

Backstage, Shanequa says Bradshaw’s clothesline the other week caused her tits to swell and that doctors say IT MIGHT BE PERMANENT. Doug and Danny Basham are horny and gripping her waist. Shanequa says they’ve been doing such a good job and deserves a reward. Doug says “yes mistress” and they go to “whip it good”… what a segment. 

5) Mr. McMahon (w/ Sable) vs. Stephanie McMahon (w/ Linda McMahon) “I Quit” Match

If Stephanie loses, she is no longer Smackdown GM. This is a fucking mess. Horrible Vince melodrama. Cringy. Stupid. Gross. All the Things. I’m not recapping anything that happened in this shit because it is not worthy of such. Vince wins after Linda throws in the towel while her daughter is being choked. 

Match rating - 1/2*

After the match, Vince takes shit a step further and shoves his wife of 37 years, Linda McMahon to the mat and then proceeds to make out with Sable on the ring apron. Cameras shift to Cole & Tazz as they ponder the future of Smackdown without Stephanie as GM and emphasize how fucked everything Vince just did was. 

6) John Cena vs. Kurt Angle 

This match lowkey rocks. It is no masterpiece. It is no all timer, but it bangs. The street fighting dynamic against the Olympic gold medalist was awesome and these two worked it super well and made it the full story of the match. I say it a lot in these reviews, but it’s so easy to see why WWE saw so much in John Cena in these early years and pushed him toward what he would become. Unfortunately, it goes into Kurt formula and he wins with the ankle lock.

Match rating - ***

7) Eddie Guerrero (c) vs. The Big Show - United States Championship Match 

The build to this was phenomenal and set the stage for a story that was super easy to follow. Eddie’s back is all taped from the glass that cut him up on Smackdown. Show chops not only the chest, but also the back which cause blood to begin to drip from the bandages on the champion’s back. Eddie fights from underneath which is always good. It’s a little more one sided than I anticipated and Eddie ends up eating the loss and we have a new US Champion. Crowd was also kinda dead for this after Cena/Angle. 

Match rating - **3/4 

After the match, Chavo tries to comfort Eddie and remind him they are still tag champs, but Eddie isn’t having it, he wants his US Title back. 

Backstage, Big Show hoots and hollers about how he told everyone he would destroy Guerrero and now he’s done it and is our new United States Champion. 

8) Brock Lesnar (c) vs. The Undertaker - Biker Chain Match for the WWE Championship 

Off the jump, I’ll say this felt more like a TV main event than a PPV main event. A lot of the early time felt sort of wasted to kill time til the FBI interference and the build toward the grabbing of the chain by Taker. The crowd pops and wakes up huge for these moments, though. Taker gets the chain after fighting off interference, but once he does, Mr. McMahon shows up and crotches Taker on the top rope. DAMN. This allows Brock to scoop the chain and scoop the victory and retain the title. Vince flees the ring and it’s funny as fuck how scared he is of Taker even when he’s on his ass. 

Match rating - **1/2 

 

The show closes with Lesnar celebrating with the title.