Tape Reviews
WWF No Mercy 2001
By Peter Kostka
Feb 14, 2003, 15:45

Hey, how are ya? This week we get to the PPV that I was supposed to do last week, but real life, work, yadayadayada changed that and I did WWF Most Memorable Matches of 2000 instead. But now I�m back on the regular schedule and ready to unveil my Wrestlemania Trifecta *fanfare* next week.

Couple of points before we begin:

- I know it�s kind of late, but I�d also like to send my condolences to the family of Curt Henning, who died Monday in a hotel room in Tampa, Florida. He was a favorite of mine growing up as Mr. Perfect and he will be missed. Check out what other TSM writers thought of Curt: Peter Ramon Jared Hawkins and Retro Rob

- Correction from last week: Slickster, from the TSM Forums, wrote in to clarify the reason for the �Title can change hands on a DQ� rule Commissioner Foley put in for Rock/Benoit:

On the 7/17/00 edition of RAW, Rock attacked Benoit, E+C, and Shane McMahon with a chair backstage, throwing Benoit into a soda machine and some lockers before ultimately giving him a Rock Bottom on the hood of a limousine.

That same week on SmackDown, Commissioner Foley put in the 'titles can change hands via DQ' stipulation to prevent Rock from losing control during the match and just beating Benoit down without regard for the DQ rule.

Thank you for that. Let�s get to this week�s tape.

WWF No Mercy 2001

Remember the Invasion? You know, that huge, historic, money making storyline that pitted wrestlers from the 3 major companies in North American wrestling that smarks and marks alike salivated over after Vince bought WCW and ECW went out of business? Well, welcome to the PPV before the Alliance was finally brought out behind the shed and collectively shot in the head. In one of the most boneheaded moves ever, the WWF�s �brains� rushed through the angle in 4 or so months when it could have gone strong for YEARS. For those who forgotten, the Alliance was a, well, alliance of wrestlers from both WCW and ECW led by the McMahon siblings, who sold their stock in their father�s company to purchase them. Of course, backstage politics and Vince�s sick desire to destroy WCW once and for all turned the Alliance into a group of jobbers whose only real �stars� were WWF wrestlers (Austin and, uh, Austin) with the exceptions of Rob Van Dam, who got over on his own uniqueness and Booker T to an extent.

Oh yeah, the show. Rob Van Dam got his first shot at the main event here with a triple threat match with Austin and Angle and Chris Jericho gets the opportunity to finally �win the big one� against the Rock. I�ll get into the setup for these matches later. Let�s get to it.

- We are LIVE from St. Louis, Missouri at the Savvis Arena with Jim Ross and Paul Heyman at the mike.

- Opening match: The Hardy Boyz (C) (w/Lita) vs. Lance Storm and The Hurricane (w/Ivory and Mighty Molly) (WCW tag team title match)

Background: Not much that really mattered. There�s too much hotness surrounding the ring here (actually, you can�t have enough hotness in my book.)

Hurricane and Jeff mix it up a bit to start and Jeff gets a hiptoss and tags Matt. The Hardyz hit a double wheelbarrow suplex for a two count. Lance comes in on a blind tag and they hit a double-team neckbreaker on Matt for 2. Lance works over Matt and tags Hurricane, but Matt ducks a clothesline and puts them both down and tags Jeff. Jeff cleans house, but Ivory grabs his boot and Storm knocks him out of the ring. Lance holds him as Hurricane goes for a dive, but Matt clotheslines him down and baseball slides Storm. Molly helps Hurricane don his cape and he wipes out the Hardyz and his own partner. Back in, Jeff becomes the Freak in Peril and the Wonder Twins get a few two counts. Jeff takes Storm down with a corkscrew and he tags Hurricane, who tries to stop Jeff from tagging, but he kicks him down and hot tags Matt. Matt clotheslines them down and hits a neckbreaker on Hurricane for 2. The Hardyz hit Poetry in Motion on Storm, but Hurricane avoids the attempt on him and rolls up Matt for 2. Matt slams him and hits the Yodeling Legdrop for 2. Matt goes for the Twist of Fate, but ducks a Storm clothesline and gets double superkicked. Jeff breaks the pin and flips Storm out. Molly comes in, but Lita spears her down and Ivory tosses Lita. Jeff legdrops Ivory, but Storm locks in the single leg crab. Lita goes up and hits a rana on Storm and Hurricane falls victim to the Twist of Fate/Swanton combo for the pin.

Not a bad opener. 6/10

- RVD arrives and William Regal confronts him about Vince McMahon�s interest in him. Rob knows nothing about it and won�t apologize for frog splashing Austin on Smackdown. Vince arrives at the arena and promises to make an impact while he bosses around Michael Cole.

- Test vs. Kane

Background: In the WWF�s never-ending quest to get Test over, he was put with the Alliance and teamed with Booker T. They were feuding with Kane and the Undertaker, so singles matches were set for this show.

JR is in full Hoss love mode here. Slugfest to start and Kane clotheslines Test in the corner three times. Test takes control, but is powerslammed for 2. Kane puts his head down and Test kicks him, but gets dropped onto the ropes. Kane presses him out and they slug it out on the outside. Kane argues with Nick Patrick, allowing Test to nail him with the belt (right in front of Patrick, but he doesn�t call for the DQ, since he�s the evil Alliance referee, you see). Back in, Test works over Kane in the corner and hits a delayed vertical suplex for 2. Kane clotheslines him down, but misses an elbow. Test hits an elbow of his own for another 2. Another slugfest and Test hits a sidewalk slam, but misses the top rope elbow. Kane neckbreakers him down and hits a backdrop suplex for 2. Kane blocks a pumphandle and hits a sidewalk slam for 2. Do these guys know more than 4 moves? Kane clotheslines him out (whee, more scintillating action on the floor!) Kane goes into the post and Test delivers the BIG BOOT! He gets a two count (he MUST be superhuman in order to kick out of a devastating move like that!) Kane ducks another boot and chokeslams him for 2. Slugfest AGAIN, and Kane powerslams Test, but Test avoids the top rope clothesline and pumphandles him for 2. Test goes up and hits the elbow, but Kane won�t stay down. Test goes out for a chair, but gets it dropkicked back into his kisser. Kane picks it up, but Patrick takes it away. Kane slaps the goozle on Patrick, then Test, but he low blows him and hits another BIG BOOT for the pin. Kane takes his frustrations out on Patrick by chokeslamming and powerbombing him.

Gotta love those Hosses! Repetitive, slow and too long. 2/10

- Coach tries to interview Austin, but he doesn�t want to talk, relaying to Debra what he wants to say to Coach and having her relay it to him instead. Debra cleans it up for the children in the audience. Stacy gives Matt a sneak peek of her lingerie and he approves.

- Lingerie Match: Stacy Kiebler vs. Torrie Wilson

Background: These two ladies used to be friends in the Alliance, but when Torrie started dating Tajiri (a WWF wrestler) she became an outcast. Stacy kissed Tajiri during a match, which set Torrie off. Stacy then became the �Duchess of Dudleyville�, aligning herself with the Dudley Boyz. They put Torrie through a table and we get this match.

Torrie is wearing a rather simple red bra and panties set and she attacks Stacy before she could disrobe. Stacy does some cartwheels to avoid hiptosses, but Torrie clotheslines her down. Torrie runs into a foot and Stacy disrobes, revealing a very nice black teddy and a cat-o-nine-tails, which she uses to spank Torrie and the ref. Torrie takes her down and they roll around the ring and over the referee (Paul: �I want to be Jack Doan when I grow up!�) Stacy chokes Torrie in the corner while JR admires the flexibility of Stacy�s garment (Paul: �You�re admiring the flexibility?! I ought to take you out more often.�) Torrie sunset flips Stacy and they trade gratuitous looking pinfalls. Torrie whips Stacy into the corner, but Stacy locks in a headscissors. Stacy goes up, but Torrie snapmares her down and gets a two count. Stacy reverses a whip and Torrie hits a handspring elbow for the pin.

There was a match going on? I�m sorry; I was uh....getting some Kleenex. I have a cold you see *cough*. 3/10

- Cole talks to Angle about the main and Vince wishes him luck. Lilian talks to Christian about the next match and he breaks out the cheap heat tactics by insulting Mark McGuire and the Cardinals.

- Edge vs. Christian (C) (Ladder match for the Intercontinental title)

Background: Christian did his long awaited turn on his brother the month previous (and getting one of the coolest entrances in WWF history in the process) then defeated him for the IC title at Unforgiven via a chair assisted low blow. A few weeks ago, Edge got a call that his mother was in an accident, but it was a ruse by Christian and he attacked Edge with the help of the Alliance, which Christian had joined. A ladder match was set up for the PPV, since these two are very familiar with ladders.

They fight on the ramp to start and Christian gets thrown into the steps and barrier. In the ring, Edge hits a BAAAAACK body drop and kicks him in the leg a few times. Christian bails and Edge tries to bring him back in by the hair, but Christian drops his throat on the rope. Christian retrieves the ladder, but Edge baseball slides it into him. Edge tosses him into the crowd and they fight at the hockey boards. Christian goes into them and gets backdropped back to ringside. Edge slingshots him into a ladder, but it didn�t look that good, more like Edge leans back and Christian kind of hops into the ladder. Edge sets another ladder up between the steps and barrier, but gets flapjacked onto it. They fight on the ladder and Christian crotches himself on the rungs. Christian rolls into the ring as Edge tries to bring a ladder in and he legdrops one end down, causing the other end to snap back in Edge�s face. Christian brings it in and climbs, and Edge pushes it over, but Christian lands on his feet and clotheslines Edge down, then rams the ladder into his gut in the corner. Christian goes out for a chair and climbs the corner over Edge, but he catches him and flips him onto the ladder. Edge leans the ladder on the ropes and hits an Electric Chair Drop onto it (sits Christian on his shoulders and tosses him face first onto the ladder). Christian reverses a whip, sending Edge into it and slingshots his face into the ladder. Edge gets another ladder as Christian climbs, sets it up next to him and hits an Edge-o-Matic off the ladder. Edge climbs and Christian returns the favor with a diving reverse DDT. Christian goes out for 2 chairs and prepares Edge for a one man Conchairto, but Edge shoves the chair back into his face. Edge gets a third ladder and lays it between the two chairs and puts Christian on it. He goes up and hits a splash off the top onto his brother. Edge climbs, but Christian recovers and shoves him off with another ladder. He sets it up and climbs, but Edge spears him off. They both climb, but the ladder tips over and deposits them on the floor. Christian crawls back in and climbs, but Edge gets his revenge with a chair low blow and puts it on top of the ladder, then lays Christian�s head on it. He gets another chair and climbs a ladder and vanquishes his brother with a one man Conchairto on top of the ladder. Christian flops to the mat and Edge grabs the belt to win.

Well, the Conchairto was cool, but there weren�t that many really unique spots in this match. Can�t fault the effort of these two, though. 7.5/10

- Spike Dudley, having gotten dumped by Molly and put through a table by his brothers on Smackdown, gets drunk at WWF New York and hits on some chick.

The Dudley Boyz (C) vs. The Big Show and Tajiri (WWF Tag team title match)

Background: To tell you the truth, I had totally forgotten this match was on the card, so there probably wasn�t much build-up in the first place.

Tajiri takes down Buh Buh to start but he knocks him down and tags D-Von. D-Von slugs away, gut Tajiri takes him down with a kick and a standing moonsault. He puts on a facelock and tags in Show who sends D-Von into the corner and delivers a few butt bumps. D-Von thumbs him in the eye, but Show clotheslines the hell out of them anyway. They bail, but Tajiri follows them out with a dive. Back in, Show sidewalk slams D-Von for 2 and tags Tajiri. Buh Buh comes in on a blind tag and Bubba Bombs him. The Dudleys work him over and hit a double team flapjack for 2. D-Von hits the chinlock as Show rallies the crowd. Tajiri breaks and D-Von goes upstairs, but he kicks him down. Show tags, but the ref was distracted with Buh Buh, which allows the Dudleys to hit the Wassup while the ref is busy with Show. Buh Buh goes for a powerbomb, but Tajiri turns it into a DDT and hot tags Show. Show is a FATASS AFIRE, wipes out the D-Von and avalanches Buh Buh in the corner. He tries the chokeslam, but D-Von clips him. Tajiri comes in on a blind tag and goes up, but Buh Buh slams him down. Tajiri fights off D-Von and puts him in the Tarantula. The Dudleys try the 3D, but Tajiri rebounds off the ropes with a handspring elbow. He readies the MIST~! but it hits the ref by mistake. D-Von knocks Tajiri out and Show hits the chokeslam on Buh Buh, but the ref is still wiping the mist away. Rhyno runs down and delivers a GORE, GORE, GORE!!!!! on Show, taking him out of the match. Tajiri hits an enziguri on D-Von and hits the BIG KICK for 2. He tries a rollup on Buh Buh, but he holds onto the ropes, ducks a clothesline, and hits the 3D for the pin.

Not a bad tag match. 5.5/10

- Rhyno talks to Regal, saying he did that to make people respect the Alliance. Too little, too late. Shane and Test fire up Booker for his match against Taker.

- The Undertaker vs. Booker T

Background: See Test vs. Kane

Booker attacks as Taker gets off his hog and whips him into the barrier. Taker clotheslines him down and tosses Booker in. He boots him down for a two count. Booker tries a comeback and forearms him down for 2. Booker pounds on him in the corner and hits some shoulderblocks, but rams it into the post on a final try. Taker rams it into the turnbuckles and works the arm. He puts on quasi-arm scissors and Booker rolls him up for 2. Taker takes him down with an armbar (oh geez, it�s Backlash �99 all over again), walks the ropes and hits a clothesline for 2. Booker bails and tosses Taker into the steps. He goes for the bell, like his partner did, but the WWF referees are champions of law and order so Tim White takes it away and they go into the crowd. They fight out there and Taker boots him down back at ringside, but goes into the post. Back in, Booker hits a missile dropkick for 2, kicks him down for another 2, and sidewalk slams him for yet another 2 count. Booker goes for the knee, but runs into a boot. He escapes a powerslam and hits a neckbreaker for 2. Booker goes up, but Taker lifts his foot. Slugfest and Taker boots him down for 2. Booker comes back with a spinkick for 2, but Taker hits a running DDT for another 2. Taker hits a legdrop for 2, but gets hotshot into the corner and Booker spinkicks him out. Booker drops down and gives the crowd a SPINAROONIE~! then scissor kicks Taker as he comes back in, but he gets his foot on the ropes. Taker ducks a clothesline and goes for the chokeslam, but Booker low blows and slugs away in the corner. Booker goes up and punches, but Taker lifts the finish of his Wrestlemania match with HHH and Last Ride�s him for the pin.

Well, Taker at least sold for a WCW wrestler a bit, you can give him that. Not a very good match but that�s mostly because Taker sucks. 4.5/10

- Coach tries to get some comments from Jericho, but he would rather go out and �win the big one.�

- The Rock (C) vs. Chris Jericho (WCW title match)

Background: During a tag match against RVD and Shane on RAW, Jericho accidentally hit Rock with a chair, causing Rock to get pinned by RVD. After the match, Rock wanted him to own up to his mistake, but Jericho wondered if he should have knocked the eyebrow off his face, triggering a brawl. A few weeks later on SD, Jericho beat RVD for a shot at the WCW title at No Mercy. Rock taunted Jericho about his inability to win the big match, which pisses him off. Jericho knows that to lose that stigma, he has to beat Rock.

They lockup a bit to start and Rock gets a go behind, but Jericho puts on a headlock and knocks him down. Rock armdrags him and works the arm, but Jericho does the same, dropping some knees on his arm. Rock reverses a whip and knocks him down, and Jericho says �fuck this�, slaps Rock and pounds away. He chokes Rock in the ropes and unleashes the chops. Jericho whip, but Rock holds onto the ropes and pounds on him, but puts his head down and Jericho kicks, but almost gets Rock Bottomed. He escapes and goes for the Walls, but Rock grabs the ropes so Jericho hits the springboard dropkick instead. Jericho lays in the boots on the outside and throws Rock into the steps. Back in, Jericho hits a reverse elbow off the top for 2 and stops a Rock rally for another 2 count. They chop each other for a while and Jericho hits a spinning heel kick for 2 and hits some backbreakers. He hits a senton and covers, but Rock rolls him up for a 2 himself. Rock puts him down with a forearm but Jericho hotshots him into the ropes as the crowd seems to be split 50/50 on whom to cheer. Jericho slams him and goes up, but Rock crotches him and hits a superplex. Both men are downed and the crowd counts along to Lil� Naitch�s count. They get up at nine and Rock hits a belly to belly and samoan drop for 2. Jericho clotheslines him down, but Rock kips up and knocks Jericho out of the ring while most of the crowd boos. Back in, Rock clotheslines and suplexes him down for 2 and sends Jericho out again. Back in, Rock gets another 2 and puts on the chinlock as he goes into heel mode, realizing the reaction he�s getting. Jericho escapes, but Rock blocks another dropkick and slingshots him into the corner. Rock puts him on top and goes for another superplex, but gets shoved off and eats a missile dropkick. Another double KO and the crowd counts along again, which I haven�t seen in a while. They slug away on each other and Jericho reverses a whip and hits a neckbreaker and hurricanrana for 2. Jericho hits more chops, flips out of a suplex and hits a Rock Bottom! Lionsault connects! ONE...TWO...NO! Jericho bulldogs him down and goes for a People�s Elbow, but Rock moves and Rock locks in the Sharpshooter. Crowd seems almost solidly behind Jericho now as he reaches the ropes. Rock goes out and clears the Spanish table, then drags Jericho out and Rock Bottoms him through it. Rock slides in and back out of the ring to break the count and beats on Jericho. Back in, Rock stalks him for the Rock Bottom, but Jericho escapes and runs into a spinebuster. Rock sets up the People�s Elbow, but Jericho grabs his leg and locks in the Walls of Jericho in an AWESOME counter. Rock crawls towards the ropes, but Jericho drags him back to the center of the ring. Stephanie McJuggs bounces down and slides a chair into the ring, chanting for Rocky since she hates Jericho more. Jericho goes after her and turns back into a DDT. Steph jumps back onto the apron and Rock flips her in and hits a Rock Bottom on her. Jericho grabs Rock and hits the Breakdown (a.k.a. the Stroke) onto the chair! The cover, ONE...TWO...THREE!! Jericho wins the title! He celebrates as Rock looks like he�s going to bean him with the chair, but gives it to him instead as if saying �You needed THIS to beat me.�

Awesome match, get the tape just for this one. The dumb finish keeps it from getting a 10. 9.5/10

- Stone Cold Steve Austin (C) vs. Kurt Angle vs. Rob Van Dam (WWF title match) NO DQ.

Background: Angle beat Austin for the title at Unforgiven, but lost it a few weeks later on RAW when William Regal joined the Alliance and bopped him with the belt. Meanwhile, Rob Van Dam was becoming the most popular Alliance member and Vince McMahon seemed to be scouting him for the WWF. A paranoid Austin was scared that RVD was going to screw him out of the title, but RVD assured him he was only looking out for RVD and if he beat Austin for the title, oh well.

Angle suplexes the shit out of Austin and RVD but they recover and stomp him out. Austin wants a piece of RVD, but they go back to Angle instead. Austin flips RVD the double bird, but he reciprocates and tells Austin exactly who he is. Angle comes back in with a legsweep on RVD and Austin beats on both. Angle blocks a kick and puts on the Anglelock, but RVD breaks it and kicks Austin down. He flips out of a suplex, kicks Angle down and hits Rolling Thunder for 2. Austin tosses Angle and hits a spinebuster on RVD for 2. Austin works the knee and drops Angle�s throat on the ropes as he tries to come back in. Austin puts on a single leg crab, but Angle breaks it and Austin backdrops him back out. He puts an STF on RVD and Angle breaks that and tosses Austin. They brawl, and Austin slingshots Angle into the post and wraps RVD�s knee around the post. Angle tosses Austin into the crowd and they fight some more. Back at ringside, RVD hits a plancha onto both of them. He tosses Austin back in and comes off the American table with a legdrop onto Angle. Back in, Angle catches a kick and suplexes RVD and hits an Anglesault. Austin tries to steal the pin, but Angle breaks. Angle slaps on the sleeper on Austin, and he whips Angle into the ropes, knocking RVD off the apron. Angle and Austin try Stunners and clothesline each other down. RVD goes up, looking for a Five-star, but hits nothing but canvas. Angle hits a German on RVD, but Austin breaks and hits the Stunner on Angle. RVD breaks that pin and hits a split-legged moonsault on Austin, but Angle breaks that and Angle Slams RVD. Austin breaks THAT pin and tosses Angle. He follows and chops away, then clears the American table. He sets up for a powerbomb, but Angle backdropps him onto the table. An RVD dive out onto Angle and everyone is out. Vince makes his way down and views the carnage while Angle tosses RVD back in and gets kicked down. RVD goes up, but Angle runs up the corner and hiptosses him down. Austin comes back in and Stuns Angle again, but he falls out of the ring. Instead of retrieving him, he preps for a Stunner on RVD, but Vince comes in and hits him with a chair. RVD goes up and hits the Five-Star, but Angle breaks the pin and breaks out the ROLLING GERMANS~! on RVD. Shane sprints down the aisle, breaks up the pin and tosses Angle. Vince sprints after him and they fight. Back in, Austin hits the Stunner on RVD for the pin to retain.

Very fast paced, well done triple threat. I would have given the title to RVD here since he was crazy over at this point, but that�s just me. 8/10

The Verdict: Well, nothing was TOO terrible and the last two matches are very well done, so not a bad PPV to get your hands on.

Final Score: 6.5/10 (Not an average)

Next 3 weeks: My Wrestlemania Trifecta, consisting of Wrestlemania 2000, Wrestlemania X-7 and Wrestlemania X-8

See you then.

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