WWE No Mercy 2016 Matches: Updated Predictions for Each Match at Event
On Sunday, in the Golden 1 Center in Sacramento, California, SmackDown Live presents its second brand-exclusive pay-per-view, No Mercy, a returning show that has not aired since 2008, when Shawn Michaels fought Chris Jericho in a classic ladder match.
SmackDown will be hoping to live up to that legacy, as well as follow September's Backlash, which was an excellent show that felt a bit lacking in star power. SmackDown has Randy Orton cleared, John Cena back for a little while and their champions crowned, which could lead to a bigger show.
As of Thursday, this is how the No Mercy card looks:
- Kickoff: Baron Corbin vs. Jack Swagger.
- Curt Hawkins make his in-ring return.
- Nikki Bella vs. Carmella.
- Heath Slater and Rhyno (c) vs. The Usos for the SmackDown Tag Team Championships.
- Becky Lynch (c) vs. Alexa Bliss for the SmackDown Women's Championship.
- Randy Orton vs. Bray Wyatt.
- The Miz (c) vs. Dolph Ziggler for the WWE Intercontinental Championship.
- AJ Styles (c) vs. John Cena vs. Dean Ambrose for the WWE World Championship.
This card is similar on the surface to Backlash's, featuring three rematches (though Orton vs. Wyatt was ruled a loss by forfeit and did not happen) and another bout between Styles and Ambrose with Cena now in the mix. However, there has been more time to build this card, with more personal stories and a more complete card.
The following are predictions for No Mercy based upon how the matches have been built up over the past month of SmackDown Live and WWE's potential future plans for these performers.
Baron Corbin vs. Jack Swagger
1 of 8
Baron Corbin has been on a tear since July's draft, destroying Kalisto and Apollo Crews with almost unnerving ease. Jack Swagger, who recently moved from Raw to SmackDown, has now stepped into the Lone Wolf's path.
Swagger is looking to show he is a new man rather than the wrestler who had been jobbing out to much of the roster over the last few months. Corbin is not interested in Swagger's rebuilding process, but he is interested in hurting the All-American American, especially after Swagger defeated Corbin by submission on his SmackDown Live debut when the referee misinterpreted Corbin's fight to get to the rope as tapping out.
Corbin needs to keep being built up more than Swagger needs to become a new face of the brand. This does not mean WWE will give him the win here, though. WWE has shown a tendency to book feuds that go back and forth. In order for Corbin vs. Swagger to be a real rivalry, Swagger still needs his definitive victory.
He will likely get it here, causing Corbin to go on a tirade. This sets up Corbin as a more unstable element when around Swagger, while the latter becomes a more believable, credible rival. While I still expect Corbin to win the feud, that'll come after this opening round.
Prediction: Jack Swagger wins definitively to begin his rebuilding on SmackDown.
Curt Hawkins vs. ?
2 of 8
When WWE first decided to split up the roster into two brands, it must have quickly realized it didn't have enough depth for two unique rosters, so it went on a search for veteran talent to bring back. One of the wrestlers contacted was WWE journeyman Curt Hawkins.
Hawkins never found serious success during his time in WWE, only capturing the WWE Tag Team Championships once, with Zack Ryder. He did have some fun moments as a personality, particularly when he was allowed to let loose with partner Tyler Reks.
Now he is back in the company with a Chuck Norris facts-style gimmick. The company has dragged out his debut until No Mercy, and it is unlikely this gimmick is sustainable. Much like Jinder Mahal on Raw, Hawkins is around to put over young talent with an over-the-top persona.
Since it took so long to debut Hawkins, he should immediately be placed in a feud with someone without direction such as Apollo Crews. That way, he could have a great match to start his new run and begin putting over SmackDown's burgeoning Superstars.
If Hawkins is facing a real performer on the roster and not a local competitor, he will lose to prove his bravado is false, likely then freak out and beat down his opponent to show he is a heel.
Prediction: Apollo Crews defeats the returning Curt Hawkins.
Nikki Bella vs. Carmella
3 of 8
When Nikki Bella returned to WWE at SummerSlam this year, she confidently took the win for her team by defeating Carmella. The Princess of Staten Island took this personally, as she felt Nikki had stolen her spotlight, beginning to repeatedly attack Nikki from behind.
This rivalry reached its first turning point when Carmella eliminated Nikki in the six-woman elimination championship match at Backlash. Bella attacked her conqueror immediately following, which helped cost Carmella the win and the title.
These two have been at each other's throats for a while, and it has been refreshing to have such a strong feud between women without a championship on the line. Nikki is still the No. 2 woman on SmackDown, though, so it is unlikely Carmella comes out on top in this feud.
With Carmella already holding multiple pinfall and submission wins over Nikki, it's hard to imagine the former taking the victory here. Bella is set to take back a win in a fair contest. This shouldn't be the last time they face off, though.
Prediction: Nikki Bella wins to gain some measure of revenge on Carmella.
Heath Slater and Rhyno (c) vs. The Usos (SmackDown Tag Team Championships)
4 of 8
At Backlash, the SmackDown Live Tag Team Championships Tournament concluded, with Heath Slater and Rhyno defeating The Usos after Jimmy and Jey had already faced The Hype Bros earlier in the night. While it was a feelgood story for Slater, who finally got his WWE contract, he may have gotten on the bad side of the wrong team.
The Usos recently turned heel, showing a more violent nature, which includes targeting the legs of their opponents. As if they were not already top performers in WWE, they now seem comfortable doing anything if it means gaining victory—especially to get championship gold.
Slater and Rhyno's story was great leading up to Backlash, but it has fallen by the wayside since. Slater has barely spoken over the past couple weeks. Still, it would be surprising to see WWE kill its angle almost right away. The Usos vs. American Alpha is a major feud on the side that does not need championship gold to be relevant.
In order to ensure the whole SmackDown tag team roster is being utilized in the coming months, it makes the most sense for The Usos to lose thanks to interference from American Alpha, who otherwise won't have even appeared on either of SmackDown's first two PPVs.
Prediction: Heath Slater and Rhyno retain the SmackDown Live Tag Team championships.
Becky Lynch (c) vs. Alexa Bliss (SmackDown Women's Championship)
5 of 8
Becky Lynch finally reached the summit in WWE at Backlash, as she defeated five other women in an elimination match to become the first SmackDown Live women's champion. Now she gets to feel what it is like to be at the top, and the first challenger stepping up to the plate is Alexa Bliss.
Bliss has made this match all about this unfamiliar position for Lynch, calling her a loser who always falls short when it matters most. She has attacked and belittled Lynch while also scoring victories over the new champion. It seems like the newcomer to WWE has Lynch's number.
Lynch is ready to run with SmackDown's Women's Championship for a while, fighting many of the top women on the roster. This feels like only the first chapter in a long run, and it should be given the long road it took to place Lynch in this spot.
While Bliss has high potential in WWE going forward, she is not quite ready for that spotlight just yet. For her, this match will be more about showing she deserves regular recognition. This should be a fantastic clash between two young stars who want to continue to prove their worth.
Prediction: Becky Lynch retains the SmackDown Live Women's Championship.
Randy Orton vs. Bray Wyatt
6 of 8
Two predators have been set loose on one another, and they are not holding anything back. At Backlash, Bray Wyatt made sure Randy Orton could not compete in their scheduled match. Orton answered by costing Wyatt his impromptu match against Kane.
Now the two are in the middle of a dangerous cat-and-mouse game that has seen both men get the upper hand along the way. While the mind games backstage have been one thing, we still have not seen these two clash in the middle of the ring.
The previous pay-per-view was supposed to start this feud off, but Orton's injuries got in the way of that. Now the rivalry truly hits second gear. These two explosive performers should make great foils for one another inside the ring. The first match will not decide the series, though, as WWE is inclined toward a best-of-three format for rivalries.
This round will likely go to Orton, especially since Wyatt technically won their match at Backlash by forfeit. Orton has been in need of a big win since his devastating destruction at Brock Lesnar's hands at SummerSlam, and a win here would certainly drive up his momentum. It could even propel Orton into championship contention before Wyatt re-enters Orton's radar to get his win back.
Prediction: Randy Orton takes the victory.
The Miz (c) vs. Dolph Ziggler (Intercontinental Championship vs. Career)
7 of 8
In September, The Miz was one of the hottest acts on SmackDown thanks to an engrossing promo on Talking Smack targeted at SmackDown general manager Daniel Bryan. His match against Dolph Ziggler at Backlash just felt like filler to continue Miz's Intercontinental Championship reign. Now it has become so much more.
These two veterans have faced each other many times, putting on their best matches together over the past month. While Miz has been on fire every week, Ziggler was the one who ignited this feud with the promo of his career, standing up to Miz and demanding one last chance to prove himself by putting his career on the line.
Now we have one of the most important matches of the year, as a decade-long career hangs in the balance alongside the Intercontinental Championship. These two men are putting on some of the best work of their careers, placing an exclamation mark on the end of their half-decade rivalry.
Speculation has long festered that Ziggler could be on his way out of WWE. He's not been used well over the past few years, and he seems to be finding avenues for work outside WWE, including working with Fox Business and doing stand-up comedy. This may be the best chance to give him a long break from the promotion and give Miz a major rub.
Regardless of the winner, this match could steal the show, with two men putting in their all with a powerful story attached. Miz seems the most likely winner, but a Ziggler win would not be a total surprise, particularly if WWE wants The Showoff to remain a top star on SmackDown for the foreseeable future.
Prediction: The Miz retains the WWE Intercontinental Championship and ends Dolph Ziggler's career.
AJ Styles (c) vs. John Cena vs. Dean Ambrose (WWE World Championship)
8 of 8
AJ Styles may be one of the best wrestlers in the world, but he has a tendency of getting on the bad side of the men he defeats. Now it is coming back to haunt him, as he must defend his WWE World Championship against both Dean Ambrose and John Cena in a Triple Threat on Sunday.
All three men have claims to being the best SmackDown has to offer. The brand's top three draft picks, they have all held the title Styles is carrying, and each man has managed to pin the other two. It would not be surprising to see any man walk out as champion.
That said, there is no way Styles loses SmackDown's top championship this early on in his run. He won the title back at Backlash, and it would be surprising if Styles weren't the top SmackDown champion all the way to WrestleMania next April.
Styles has been pulling out top-notch performances from everyone, which is exactly what you want in a top champion. Cena has also been putting on top performances these past few years, but he has too much on his plate to lead SmackDown and is likely to miss much of the rest of the year to tape Fox's American Grit. Ambrose, meanwhile, is a better performer when chasing gold rather than holding it.
This should be a great match between three men who have proven chemistry, with their clashes these past months among 2016's matches of the year. That should help to distract from an obvious result, with Styles probably stealing the win.
Prediction: AJ Styles retains the WWE World Championship.
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