WWE No Mercy 2017: Best Finishes for Brock Lesnar vs. Braun Strowman and More
The finish of a match is of the utmost importance.
It can shape a specific story for the weeks and months to come. It can also elevate or bury a certain Superstar or extinguish fan interest in the ongoing program.
A strong finish breeds rematches and intensifies excitement. A bad one ruins chances for a future contest, eliminates the need for the continuation of specific storylines and lowers the stock of the Superstars involved, whether their performances deserve as much or not.
The fall is a tumultuous period for WWE as fans are busy watching football, heading back to school or catching up with the everyday life they neglected during the summer.
The product is hardly at its hottest, but that has not stopped the company from presenting a show with two legitimate WrestleMania-quality main events, one of which may have the future of the top babyface in WWE riding on it.
Sunday night, on the WWE Network, the significance of quality finishes is enhanced by the desire to drive in new viewers, drum up interest in the product and the necessity to put the future of the promotion in the position to succeed.
Intercontinental Championship Match: Jason Jordan vs. The Miz
1 of 7
Jason Jordan winning the title here would be a massive mistake on the part of WWE Creative.
It would hotshot his push, and worse yet, it would serve as evidence of the company's desire to shove him down the throats of its passionate fanbase.
That never goes well.
The Miz needs to retain the title here while WWE Creative attempts to build more heat for Jordan. The best way to do that is for Miz to get his ass kicked, then sneakily retain a title that should rightfully belong to the other guy.
The company can achieve that by properly utilizing Curtis Axel and Bo Dallas.
Booking a disqualification where either guy punches Jordan and the referee calls for the bell does no one any favors. Instead, using one to manipulate the referee's attention, the other to interfere and The Miz to score the tainted victory makes the champion look like a cowardly champion who relies on his backup to retain his title.
After Jordan bumps them around to set up the finish, he looks like a world-beater whose title aspirations were ruined only by the outside interference.
Fans leave thinking Jordan could have legitimately won the title and are irritated that his win was undone by the underhanded methods of the heel trio. It is solid booking that will get Jordan over faster than by having him run over Miz for the title.
Cruiserweight Championship Match: Enzo Amore vs. Neville
2 of 7
On a cruiserweight roster that includes Superstars such as Cedric Alexander, Rich Swann, Brian Kendrick and TJ Perkins, Enzo Amore is the No. 1 contender and will challenge Neville for the Cruiserweight Championship Sunday night in The City of Angels.
Amore has adopted the persona of someone who openly cheats to camouflage the fact that he cannot beat his opponents straight up, then attributes it to his fighter's personality.
He can attribute it to whatever he pleases but one thing he cannot do is beat Neville.
Under any circumstances.
If Amore wins the title, it devalues every other competitor who has tried, and failed, to dethrone The King of the Cruiserweights. Superstars like Austin Aries, Jack Gallagher, Rich Swan and Akira Tozawa have been unable to permanently knock Neville from his perch.
It is completely unbelievable that Amore, even through cheating, could conceivably beat Neville.
Which makes it all the more terrifyingly real an option.
The best finish for the cruiserweight title match Sunday night would see Neville return the low blow dealt to him by his top contender on this past Tuesday's 205 Live and tap him out to The Rings of Saturn.
Amore saves a little face having been hampered by a kick below the belt while Neville retains his title. It is effective booking that sets up any potential rematch WWE Creative may want to present, whether it should or not.
Finn Balor vs. Bray Wyatt
3 of 7
The rivalry between Finn Balor and Bray Wyatt should have come to an end at SummerSlam, when the former dusted off his Demon persona and defeated The Reaper of Souls in dramatic and decisive fashion.
Since WWE Creative had nothing planned for either Superstar, Wyatt went on one of his rambling promos and suggested Balor could not beat him man to man, and a third match between the competitors was born.
Even if all desire to see them square off died with Wyatt's defeat on August 20.
Balor is better than some meaningless midcard program but, unfortunately, he has been stuck in that deep dark abyss since returning from injury after WrestleMania. He has flirted with the main event, but a lack of creative direction has hurt his ability to break through the proverbial glass and compete for the Universal Championship he never truly lost.
Wyatt, on the other hand, is a caricature whose contributions to shows at this point are rambling promos with no rhyme or reason. He was given a WWE Championship reign earlier this year for no reason other than to transition it to Randy Orton, and his post-WrestleMania programs have been dreadfully boring.
Sunday night, he loses to Balor in a match that neither should be in but one has to win.
The best finish would see the Irishman go over clean, delivering the Coup de Grace and moving on to...whatever underwhelming storyline WWE Creative does, or does not, concoct for him.
Fatal 5-Way Match for the Raw Women's Championship
4 of 7
The inclusion of Bayley in the Raw Women's Championship match Sunday night opens up a plethora of storytelling opportunities.
Prior to her untimely injury during the build to SummerSlam, it appeared certain that Sasha Banks would turn on her, with frustration over championship success reaching its peak. That did not happen, and The Boss got a fourth title reign out of the ordeal, courtesy of her win over Alexa Bliss at that event.
Now Bayley is back, muddying the waters and creating a messier championship picture for her friend to try to navigate.
Could The Boss see Bayley as another hurdle in her way back to the title and finally turn, setting up a high-profile story between the two as the Road to WrestleMania approaches?
Then there is Bliss, the champion, who has found herself opposite Nia Jax.
Former friends and associates, their relationship came to a crashing halt when Jax left her lying in the center of the ring. A clean victory over Little Miss Bliss has her rolling into the match.
Emma is...there. So underutilized and mishandled has she been that on Monday, the final show before No Mercy, her involvement was relegated to a tweet.
That leaves Bliss, who is the perfect heel champion to build around and the ideal foil for the incoming Asuka.
The best finish would see the following: Bayley and Banks take each other out of contention, Nia Jax flattens Emma with a Samoan Drop and Bliss slides in to conveniently score the pinfall victory and retain her title.
The rivalry between Bliss and Jax continues, and Bayley and Banks' dissension intensifies.
Raw Tag Team Championship Match: Seth Rollins and Dean Ambrose vs. The Bar
5 of 7
Seth Rollins and Dean Ambrose captured the Raw Tag Team Championships on August 20 at SummerSlam, defeating Sheamus and Cesaro. Since WWE Creative cannot tell a story involving titles that do not revolve around contractual rematches, they will meet again Sunday in a match that has the potential to steal the show.
Rollins and Ambrose paid off their story at SummerSlam, proving they could reunite and be as good as ever. Just a month into their title reign, it is entirely too early to justify switching the titles, no matter how awesome Sheamus and Cesaro may be.
The potential for interference by The Hardy Boyz, Luke Gallows and Karl Anderson is high given the intertwining nature of the teams in the weeks leading into No Mercy.
No matter what does or does not happen regarding those two teams, Rollins and Ambrose will retain.
A knee to the face from The King Slayer and Dirty Deeds from The Lunatic Fringe to Sheamus should be an adequate finish to get everyone past this program and on to whatever WWE Creative has in store for them next.
John Cena vs. Roman Reigns
6 of 7
The most anticipated match on the No Mercy pay-per-view is the showdown between Roman Reigns and John Cena. A legitimate WrestleMania-worthy headliner pitting the top two babyfaces of this era against each other, it will bring to an end weeks of intensely personal jabs taken at one another in in-ring promos.
Before the best finish can be determined, the question of Cena's availability beyond No Mercy must be addressed.
If Cena hangs around, there is a greater likelihood that he wins or there is a screwy finish that prompts a rematch. If his filming schedule dictates he leaves after Sunday's show, Reigns wins.
For the strength of the company going forward, Reigns should win either way.
A victory in a rematch does not carry the same weight that beating Cena would.
It would make Reigns look like he needs a second opportunity to pick up the definitive win, much like Cena did with The Rock. The franchise star's victory over The Great One at WrestleMania 29 did not mean nearly as much as it would have a year earlier because the extravagance of the match was gone.
If the endgame of this program is for Reigns to go over, he must win Sunday night.
Pinning Cena after a spear would be definitive and serve as an announcement to the world that after years of toying with his push, Reigns is now THE guy.
Universal Championship Match: Brock Lesnar vs. Braun Strowman
7 of 7
The protection of Braun Strowman should be at the heart of Sunday's main event for the Universal Championship.
Brock Lesnar will successfully retain his title, but it will be how he does it, how it affects Strowman, that will be of the utmost importance.
Strowman should pummel Lesnar, mercilessly beat him down. He should manhandle The Beast Incarnate as he has on every occasion since SummerSlam. Strowman's impressive strength makes him the perfect opponent for Lesnar, who has not met his match from a physical standpoint until The Monster Among Men dominated him on August 20 at the summertime spectacular.
Like The Hulk battling Thanos, Lesnar will have to get over the fact that he can be beaten and find a way to fell the monstrous No. 1 contender or risk losing control of the WWE Universe.
He will.
A finish that sees Lesnar deliver his third F-5 of the night for the pinfall victory would allow Strowman to look like a world-beater. He would be the competitor who pushed Lesnar to the brink and only lost after an unprecedented third F-5.
A beaten, battered, maybe even bloodied Lesnar limping to the back, the winner of this battle, is the type of visual fans need to continue their support of Strowman's rise to the top of the card while recognizing Lesnar as the biggest badass in sports entertainment.
.jpg?w=600 "WWE Raw Results & Grades 🔠")
