WWE No Mercy 2017 Matches: Final Picks and Predictions for Entire Match Card
Sunday night, the Superstars of Raw will invade Los Angeles' Staples Center for No Mercy, a pay-per-view headlined by two WrestleMania-quality main events.
First, John Cena and Roman Reigns will clash in a match with nothing at stake but pride and bragging rights. The two biggest babyfaces on the roster, they will set aside championship aspirations and career goals to prove which industry icon is the best.
Speaking of industry icons, universal champion Brock Lesnar will defend his title against the rapidly ascending Braun Strowman.
The Monster Among Men has proved Lesnar's physical superior. Sunday night, he will look to leave the champion prone one more time and take his title from him in the most important match of his young career.
Those two contests highlight a loaded card featuring some of the most talented stars in the industry.
Ahead of Sunday's enormous pay-per-view offering, find out which Superstars you can expect to leave The City of Angels with their arms raised in victory with these final picks and predictions.
WWE Kickoff Match: Apollo Crews vs. Elias
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With zero background between the Superstars involved, it is difficult to determine exactly what WWE Creative has in store for this match.
Does Apollo Crews pick up a big win for Titus Worldwide despite appearing on television only once recently in what was a one-sided victory over everyone's favorite loser, Curt Hawkins?
Or does Elias build some momentum after a No. 1 Contender's match loss Monday night, in which he was not pinned or submitted but showcased some impressive athleticism with a leap from the mat to the top rope?
The sinister songster is a much hotter commodity and more of an engaging performer than Crews, whose contributions to Raw have included playing second fiddle to manager Titus O'Neil. A win for Elias would provide him a foundation to build on, with Raw lacking credible heels beyond Braun Strowman and The Miz.
Prediction: Elias.
Intercontinental Championship Match: The Miz vs. Jason Jordan
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It is far too early in his run for Jason Jordan to win the Intercontinental Championship.
The former NXT tag team champion has not been accepted by fans. Nor has his character been developed enough to believe a championship reign will suddenly spark interest in the young athlete.
So generic and uninteresting has Jordan's character been that The Miz's innate ability to get babyfaces over through strong promo work has not been enough to generate Jordan the type of reaction the company would have hoped for.
Putting the title on Jordan Sunday night would be yet another example of WWE Creative shoving a Superstar down the throats of the audience before he is even remotely ready for that spot.
Jordan has shown ability between the ropes, most notably against John Cena and Roman Reigns. Until his character meets his skill set, he will be greeted with the fan apathy that will doom any championship reign management tries to force him into.
Unfortunately, that will not stop officials from pulling the trigger on Jordan.
After being laid out and verbally attacked by Miz on Monday, Jordan will score the victory and his first singles title regardless of the consequences.
Prediction: Jordan wins the Intercontinental Championship.
Raw Tag Team Championships Match: Seth Rollins and Dean Ambrose vs. The Bar
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At SummerSlam, Seth Rollins and Dean Ambrose put aside all past differences and defeated Sheamus and Cesaro to capture the Raw Tag Team Championships. Sunday night in Los Angeles, the former Shield members will look to continue their winning ways when they defend against The Bar in a rematch of their thrilling championship encounter on August 20.
It is entirely too early for Rollins and Ambrose to lose the titles, especially given how much work went into getting them to that point.
This is simply a rematch to make up for WWE Creative's inability to develop an engaging story for its tag team division now Ambrose and Rollins have reunited. There is always the possibility Karl Anderson and Luke Gallows interfere or The Hardy Boyz make an appearance.
Regardless of what happens, fans should expect a strong effort from the four Superstars involved and a successful title defense by The Lunatic Fringe and The Kingslayer.
Prediction: Rollins and Ambrose retain.
Cruiserweight Championship Match: Enzo Amore vs. Neville
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Enzo Amore could beat Neville for the WWE Cruiserweight Championship.
This, despite the fact Amore's entire character is predicated on his inability to beat anyone with skill.
Yes, he has ripped off Eddie Guerrero's lying, cheating and stealing ways and finds himself one low blow or eye rake away from capturing his first singles title.
Based on booking trends, though, that does not appear likely to happen Sunday night.
After dishing out a kick below the belt Tuesday night on 205 Live, Amore sealed his fate. As is typical of WWE Creative decisions, whoever stands tall before the pay-per-view is all but guaranteed to lose at the event.
Expect Neville to answer Amore's low blow with one of his own and successfully retain his title.
Prediction: Neville retains.
Finn Balor vs. Bray Wyatt
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It is an incredible indictment on the creative process within WWE that both Finn Balor and Bray Wyatt are kind of important but kind of not at the same time.
They are big enough stars to have world titles on their resumes but have been let down by WWE Creative so often they can never be taken seriously enough when surrounded by the likes of Roman Reigns, Braun Strowman, Brock Lesnar and even Samoa Joe.
At SummerSlam, Balor pulled The Demon persona out of mothballs and defeated Wyatt soundly and decisively. Why management thought the feud should continue past that beyond not knowing what to do with the Superstars is a mystery.
Thus, the winner of this match depends on which one WWE officials want to heat up heading into the fall.
Is Wyatt's spooky, supernatural character more valuable as Halloween approaches, or is Balor finally going to climb back into Universal Championship contention considering he never rightfully lost that title in the first place?
The latter seems more likely.
Prediction: Balor.
Fatal 5-Way Match for the Raw Women's Championship
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The Fatal 4-Way originally scheduled for Sunday's pay-per-view picked up a fifth competitor on the most recent episode of Raw when Bayley returned from injury and joined Sasha Banks and women's champion Alexa Bliss in clearing the ring of the otherwise unstoppable Nia Jax.
The hug-loving competitor's return muddied the title picture, leaving the outcome of Sunday's match slightly more unpredictable than it already was.
Emma is the afterthought of the bunch, not even appearing on the go-home episode of Raw. With that said, would it surprise anyone if she were to win the title just for the sake of shocking fans?
That is unlikely to be the case.
The Aussie will probably eat the pinfall or submission that determines the victor. With a greater story to be told between friends like Bayley and Banks costing each other title, expect Bliss to find the sneakiest way possible to retain her title and continue her budding rivalry with former accomplice Jax.
Prediction: Bliss retains.
John Cena vs. Roman Reigns
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To suggest John Cena vs. Roman Reigns is a WrestleMania-worthy main event is an understatement of massive proportions. The two most prominent stars of this era, they will battle in their first singles bout on what is, traditionally, a B-level pay-per-view.
At best.
Cena is a Superstar with one foot out the door, with his days as a full-time performer coming to an end. Reigns is the man specifically built to supplant him as the face of professional wrestling in North America. He is the guy and the Superstar around whom the entire WWE will be built if all goes according to plan.
That plan should include Reigns going over Cena in the co-main event of Sunday's show.
There have been a great deal of verbal attacks made by each man, but when it comes down to it, a win over Cena is the type of definitive victory Reigns needs to be taken seriously as the top guy in WWE.
He has beaten Triple H and The Undertaker at WrestleMania. It is only natural progression that he knocks off the flagship star in Los Angeles' Staples Center, home of Cena's first WWE Championship victory back in 2005.
A loss here but victory in a later rematch lacks the impact of a win in their first in-ring meeting. No matter how great the temptation to book Cena over Reigns, expect The Big Dog to take the victory and continue his march toward WrestleMania 34 and a showdown with the universal champion.
Prediction: Reigns.
Universal Championship Match: Brock Lesnar vs. Braun Strowman
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Braun Strowman's incredible rise to the top of Raw will culminate Sunday night in a Universal Championship opportunity against the reigning Beast Incarnate, Brock Lesnar.
After weeks of being portrayed as Lesnar's physical equal, Strowman will be asked to deliver the performance of his young career against a Superstar consistently involved in these high-profile bouts.
He will perform up to the moment, as he has numerous times before, but he will not defeat Lesnar for the title.
Lesnar's aura elevates every match he appears in. While he does not need the title to do that, it has been clear since he won the Universal Championship at WrestleMania 33 that the company has plans for his reign to extend well into the year, if not all the way to the following year's Showcase of the Immortals.
Abandoning those plans for a performer who, though great over the last year, is not a proven entity by any means would be a mistake.
Lesnar wins here, Strowman is thoroughly protected and The Beast Incarnate continues his march toward New Orleans and WrestleMania 34.
Prediction: Lesnar retains.
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