No Mercy 2006 Review

Sunday, October 8th, 2006
RBC Arena
Raleigh, North Carolina

Follow me on Twitter: @WorkTheNetwork2

Matt Hardy vs. Gregory Helms

Considering where we are here tonight, I'd say that this is about as much of a no brainer to open the show as there is. They start off with a 50/50 beginning here to fit the theme that they are evenly matched. Hardy is able to clothesline Helms over the top rope and follows it up with a dive. Hardy goes up to the second rope, but Helms gets there before he can finish climbing and hits a side Russian leg sweep. Hardy is able to come back with an inverted DDT to slow Helms's momentum down. Hardy hits a bulldog and gets a 2 count. He comes back with the second rope leg drop and tries to follow it up with a Twist Of Fate, but Helms counters with a Vertibreaker. He follows it up with 2 more, but it still is not enough. Hardy comes back with some Side Effects and a moonsault, but Helms gets the knees up. Helms misses with the Shining Wizard, but Hardy ducks and rolls him up for 2. Helms hits the Shining Wizard this time, but Hardy is able to kick out. They battle up top and Hardy is able to headbutt him down. Helms recovers and crotches Hardy on the top rope. Helms climbs up and hits a Shining Wizard from the top but Hardy is able to get his foot on the bottom rope. Hardy is able to sneak in a Twist Of Fate and that is all. On a side note, when I went to the WrestleMania 23 Access, there was a booth where you could be an announcer and this was the match they gave me to call. They were determined to have a good match and they accomplished that here. 

Match Rating: ***1/2

King Booker and Queen Sharmell are with William Regal backstage and he wants him to get Finlay to be his ally tonight. 

WWE Tag Team Championship Match
KC James & Idol Stevens vs. Paul London & Brian Kendrick

The champions start out with the early advantage and are able to slow down the challengers early attempts to get something going. James and Stevens go out of the ring to regroup and get hit with stereo dives on opposite sides of the ring. London is climbing the ropes, but Michelle McCool distracts him and London is thrown all the way to the floor. The challengers isolate London for a little bit and when London gets his chance, Stevens pulls Kendrick off the apron so that he's unable to get the tag. London comes back with a kick and rolls under Stevens to make the tag. Kendrick has the hot tag and hits a series of dropkicks. James stops Kendrick, but London runs and takes care of Stevens. James hits a superplex on Kendrick and gets a nearfall. James misses Kendrick in the corner and Stevens ends up hitting James. We get some shenanigans and Stevens hits Kendrick illegally from behind, but Kendrick is still able to kick out. McCool again gets involved and seeminly has a wardrobe malfunction and Ashley is over to attack her. Kendrick hits Sliced Bread #2 and London hits a moonsault off of Kendrick's back for the victory. This felt kind of like a good TV match, as the challengers still need some work. Unfortunately, they never really got the opportunity to do so. 

Match Rating: ***

William Regal is looking for Finlay and runs into Vito jump roping. He pulls up his dress to wipe his face, which disgusts Regal and he runs into a condiment cart, getting ketchup and mustard all over him. 

Teddy Long is out in the ring with a big birthday present in the ring. It's Miz's birthday and he's brought out and JBL still hates him. Gosh, I wonder what it could be. Teddy says that Miz has been making advances towards Layla and brings her out here. Miz plays the role of every stupid rich suburban kid at a strip club and says his one birthday wish is him. She grabs a chair and sets him down and starts dancing. She starts stripping down and then blindfolds him. The big present opens and wouldn't you know it, it's Big Dick Johnson. Layla takes off the blindfold and Miz is disgusted. I'd say this was for an audience of one, but Michael Cole is legit laughing. Layla dances with him afterwards. This was on pay-per-view, folks. 

MVP vs. Marty Garner

After MVP gets his big entrance with the inflatable entrance, he grabs the mic and talks about how he is the MVP of SmackDown. The crowd is chanting "Power Ranger" at his ring attire. He brings out his opponent and it's good old Marty Garner. MVP slaps him and the ref calls for the bell. The crowd isn't really quite getting what they are going for here, but I appreciate it. I'm just not sure I would have put this right after the Miz segment. Garner leaps over MVP, but MVP hits a big clothesline and slams his head into the mat. He hits the Playmaker and that's all. It's still one of the worst finishers there is, but I appreciate the character development here. 

Match Rating: 1/4*

Back to William Regal in the locker room in a towel. He sees Vito and asks him if his father was a donkey. Regal's towel falls down on his way out and is running through the hallway. Teddy catches him and tells him that he better get dressed because he has a match tonight. 

Mr. Kennedy vs. Undertaker

Kennedy is a little feisty on the mic tonight, yelling at the crowd. Kennedy comes out swinging, but gets hit with a big boot by Taker. Kennedy tries to get away and rolls out of the ring, but it quickly backfires as Taker slams his hand on the steel steps. Taker continues to target the left arm and goes up for Old School, but Kennedy leaps on the second rope and arm drags him down to the mat. It doesn't last long and he hits Old School this time and follows it up with a flatliner. Behind the referee's back, Kennedy unties the top turnbuckle, but Taker hits a clothesline for a 2 count. Taker goes for a boot and misses and Kennedy is able to knock him off the apron into the barricade. Kennedy leaps off the apron, but Taker catches him and rams him into the ring post. Kennedy is able to catch him and lower the rope to dump him back out of the ring and this time finally gets a chance to get in some consistent offense. Since Taker is the Triple H of SmackDown, he's able to come back and hit a guillotine leg drop. Back in the ring, Kennedy hits a scary looking piledriver. Yeah, they shouldn't have allowed him to do that one. After a rest hold, they trade right hands until Taker explodes for a leaping clothesline. He comes back and hits Snake Eyes and a leg drop for another 2 count. Taker goes for the chokeslam, but Kennedy grabs the referee to get out of it. He hits a swinging neckbreaker, but that's not enough. Taker tries it again and this time he hits it. Kennedy escapes the Last Ride and hits Taker in the face with the exposed turnbuckle. Kennedy hits a clothesline and goes up top. He hits the Kenton Bomb, but Taker is able to kick out. Kennedy goes out and grabs the United States Championship. He and the referee battle over it until Taker is able to knock it out of his hand. Taker grabs it and hits him in the face for the ridiculously stupid finish. After the match, Taker hits the Tombstone and then hits one on Charles Robinson. Taker looked like he had no interest in putting Kennedy here, but Kennedy did look pretty good in my opinion. 

Match Rating: ***

Falls Count Anywhere Match
Chavo Guerrero vs. Rey Mysterio

This one starts quickly, as you would expect from a bitter feud. After a little bit of standard action in the ring, they make their way to the entrance ramp. Rey is able to grab onto the steel arch over the entrance and uses it to hit a headscissors onto the steel and gets a 2 count. Chavo uses the hockey boards around the arena and drops Mysterio on them. Rey uses a steel guardrail and hits a guillotine leg drop for a 2 count. Chavo picks up Rey in a wheelbarrow position and starts swinging him into chairs and the hockey boards. They're into the arena seats now, but Rey is able to kick Chavo back down the steps. He hits the seated senton back into the floor section. Chavo throws Rey into a rail, but Rey is able to swing around the rail and hit a 619. Rey climbs up top of the rail to the steps and hits a dive to the floor. Chavo lands sort of awkwardly, which takes away from the pin attempt, especially since this is the finish. After the match, Rey continues to stomp on Chavo. Vickie gets in there and starts yelling at Rey to get out of here. This one was pretty good, but they didn't get a lot of time and it felt more like a TV main event. 

Match Rating: ***

William Regal vs. Chris Benoit

Everybody just kind of assumed that it would be Vito here, but then Benoit's music hits. They talk about Benoit wanting to take a sabbatical and to get off the road. This is going to get harder and harder, isn't it? The problem with this match is that Regal is continually portrayed as a joke no matter how much respect the announcers always show him. It's a shame he wasn't given a better run. We start off with some mat wrestling to start and in doing so, they have completely killed the crowd. I'm not saying I don't appreciate it, just saying that the buzz from the return is now gone here. Benoit wakes them up with some hard chops to the chest and a German suplex. Benoit hits the diving headbutt and Regal kicks out at 2. Benoit goes for a German off the apron, but Regal holds on and sends Benoit to the floor. Regal hits a running knee and gets a couple of 2 counts from it. We get some more submission wrestling until Benoit is able to hit a full nelson suplex. He gets him into the Crippler Crossface and that's all. I know a lot of it is due to the fact that it is Benoit, but I didn't enjoy this. It was nice not having to review matches of his for awhile. I have enjoyed some along the way, but it's getting closer to the inevitable and it's going to be a little bit of a rough ride. 

Match Rating: **

King Booker confronts Regal and asks if he accomplished his mission. Booker yells at him despite the fact that he's bloodied and fatigured. Finlay walks up and tells him that he came here to fight and take his World Heavyweight Championship. Booker blames Regal for this and slaps him in the face. Regal comes back and slugs him with a left hand. Booker is beside himself. 

Bobby Lashley and Batista are talking to each other about it being every man for themselves tonight. 

Fatal 4-Way For The World Heavyweight Championship
Finlay vs. Bobby Lashley vs. Batista vs. King Booker

Batista and Lashley double team Booker as Finlay wisely rolls out of the ring. Lashley is able to catch Booker on his shoulders, but he escapes, so Lashley hits him with a spinebuster instead. Finlay pulls Booker out of the ring to help him out. They double team Lashley outside the ring and drive him into the apron. They turn their attention to Batista know and Booker hits a crescent kick. Finlay quickly turns on Booker as he told him earlier he would. Finlay goes back to Batista and throws him into the steps. He goes back into the ring to work on Booker. Batista and Lashley both make their way back to the ring and Finlay does some submission holds on both. Lashley gets some momentum going, but Hornswoggle hits him with a low blow. That distracts Lashley and Finlay hits him in the head with the shillelagh. He goes for the cover, but Booker breaks it up. Batista hits a Jackhammer on Booker and it's down to Batista and Lashley. Batista charges and hits him with a Spear for a nearfall. They battle a little bit more and Lashley hits a spinebuster. I'm not sure where it happened, but Batista is busted open. Lashley clotheslines him over the top rope and then tosses Finlay out too. Booker hits the Book End from behind, but Lashley kicks out. He sets him up for the Scissor Kick, but Finlay hits him with a clothesline. Lashley throws Finlay into the corner shoulder-first. Batista comes and hits a spinebuster on all 3 opponents. He hits the Batista Bomb on Finlay, but then Lashley hits the Spear on Batista. Booker crawls over and pins Finlay to retain his title. This felt like a good SmackDown main event rather than something you would go out of your way to see. It was solid, but unspectacular. 

Match Rating: ***1/4

On one hand, this is probably a better show than you remember or would think. The problem is, there's a reason no one talks about it. Nothing important really happens and even though the in-ring work is solid throughout the entire night, it just felt like a free episode of SmackDown rather than something you have to pay $30 for. 

Overall Rating: 60%