WWE No Mercy 2016: Match Card, Potential Spoilers, Predictions and More

WWE No Mercy 2016 will not deliver on all the history-making moments it's on the brink of producing, but it will create ample material for headlines.

John Cena will not tie Ric Flair to become one of only two men to have ever held 16 world titles. Alexa Bliss won't win the first championship of her career on Sunday's SmackDown-exclusive pay-per-view. 

But No Mercy will mark the end of Dolph Ziggler's time in WWE.

In order to secure one last shot at The Miz's Intercontinental Championship, The Showoff used his career as a bargaining chip. A loss at the PPV means he must retire early.

That will be No Mercy's best and most talked-about match. 

Randy Orton and Bray Wyatt are sure to create memories in their battle. Cena, AJ Styles and Dean Ambrose are guaranteed to compose a stirring main event. Heath Slater, Baron Corbin and Carmella will make their marks, too.

But we will look back at No Mercy years from now as the night Ziggler walked off into the sunset.

News, Potential Spoilers

Is Ziggler really going to walk away from the ring on Sunday? 

Backstage rumblings suggest that he may do just that. According to Bryan Alvarez of Wrestling Observer Live (h/t Marc Middleton of Wrestling Inc), there is talk of Ziggler going down at No Mercy.

Middleton also noted that MLW Radio reported WWE officials may be considering moving Ziggler to a behind-the-scenes role.

And where No Mercy could spell the end for Ziggler, it may just be the beginning of the Carmella vs. Nikki Bella rivalry. 

SmackDown general manager Daniel Bryan said of the bout on Tuesday's Talking Smack: "I'm not convinced that we're even going to get a finish." One has to wonder whether that is Bryan hinting at what will unfold on Sunday or just a way to hype up the feud.

When Wyatt takes on Orton, he will be without his right-hand man.

Erick Rowan will be on the injured list. Jason Powell of ProWrestling.net reported Rowan "underwent surgery to repair a torn rotator cuff on Tuesday." 

Whether Sister Abigail, who Wyatt has spoken of several times, shows up is another matter.

Orton trapped The Eater of Worlds in a shipping crate on Tuesday's SmackDown, only to find later that he had vanished. WWE.com's recap of the show credited the mysterious Abigail with his escape: "Hidden camera footage revealed Wyatt seemingly speaking with Sister Abigail (she could not be seen), saying that she knew she would come."

Match Card

• Baron Corbin vs. Jack Swagger (Pre-show)
• Curt Hawkins vs. TBA
• Nikki Bella vs. Carmella
• Randy Orton vs. Bray Wyatt
• The Miz vs. Dolph Ziggler (Intercontinental Championship; Ziggler's career is on the line)
• Heath Slater and Rhyno vs. The Usos (Tag Team Championships)
• Becky Lynch vs. Alexa Bliss (Women's Championship)
• AJ Styles vs. Dean Ambrose vs. John Cena (WWE World Championship)

Predictions

Match	Winner	Stipulation/Championshp	Notes
Baron Corbin vs. Jack Swagger	Corbin	N/A	Corbin needs to regain momentum after stalled Kalisto feud. This will be better than expected.
Curt Hawkins vs. TBA	Hawkins	N/A	Hawkins will make re-debut, likely against an enhancement talent.
Nikki Bella vs. Carmella	Carmella	N/A	This is a chance to elevate Carmella.
Randy Orton vs. Bray Wyatt	Wyatt	N/A	Wyatt needs a big win in the worst way.
The Miz vs. Dolph Ziggler	The Miz	Intercontinental Championship, Ziggler must retire if he loses.	The Miz has been on a roll in and out of the ring. The match will be an emotional sendoff for Ziggler.
Heath Slater and Rhyno vs. The Usos	The Usos	Tag Team Championship	Slater and Rhyno's Cinderella run will end. WWE has been focusing more on The Usos of late.
Becky Lynch vs. Alexa Bliss	Lynch	Women's Championship	Major opportunity for Bliss, but this promises to be first of many successful title defenses for Lynch.
AJ Styles vs. Dean Ambrose vs. John Cena	Styles	Triple Threat, WWE World Heavyweight Championship	Potentially great match. Cena is looking to match Flair's world-title record. Styles has defeated Cena on two PPVs this year.

Breakdowns of Top Matches

The Miz vs. Ziggler

Ziggler is just 36, but his career has been a frustrating one. It's not hard to imagine that he would want to focus more on his stand-up comedy or simply take a break from WWE.

His departure, which WWE has teased heavily in recent weeks, is probable. Bleacher Report's Matt Camp predicted The Miz will retire The Showoff on Sunday, believing the champ should hold on to the title until WrestleMania next year:

Thanks to the high stakes of the match and the fact that it could be Ziggler's swan song, this bout promises to be a stunner. Expect The Showoff and The Miz to deliver a show-stealing performance.

Orton vs. Wyatt

In what is poised to be the first of many battles, Wyatt will emerge the victor.

The New Face of Fear badly needs some signature wins on his resume. Wyatt has failed to topple Cena, Roman Reigns, Undertaker and others. Having him fall to Orton and lose this feud would make it hard to see him as a contender moving forward.

This bout should get weird, as evidenced by the buildup, during which The Viper ventured into Wyatt's smoky lair and locked him inside a shipping crate. WWE will get creative with this one, perhaps delving into Wyatt's supernatural powers. 

Lynch vs. Bliss

It's too early for Bliss to take the reins of the women's division. It's too early for Becky Lynch to drop the belt. 

This will be a test for The Lass Kicker as champion, but the match is more important for Bliss. The recent NXT draftee has far more to prove. She could cement her status as someone SmackDown should build around by tearing the house down on Sunday.

Bliss has largely been in multiple-wrestler contests since moving to SmackDown in July. On a less crowded stage, she is set to show off her potential.

Lynch will outlast her, but Bliss will impress along the way.

Triple Threat Main Event

This is going to be a thrill ride.

Cena has long been one of WWE's clutch in-ring performers. Styles is in the midst of an MVP-caliber year. And Ambrose has grown more compelling and intense since losing the WWE World Championship at Backlash. 

There will be plenty of animosity to feed off here, as each man has bad blood with the others.

The possibility of Cena earning world title No. 16 will add drama to the action, but he won't get to that magic number. Expect WWE to milk his chase of history longer. Cena will eventually wear the crown again, but he is more likely to seize it on a bigger show.

Styles will survive somehow, presumably pinning Ambrose and knocking him out of the title picture for the time being.