WWE NO MERCY 10/09/2006 PPV results

My bi-monthly dose of WWE Smackdown! as I don't follow the weekly TV episodes other than reading reports on the internet.

Matt Hardy beat Gregory Helms with the Twist of Fate
JBL might have just called it right, as this was an EXCELLENT singles match! Probably the best I’ve seen that didn’t involve any gimmicks! Like JBL said, despite being the opener, this match could have closed the PPV as well! WWE definitely needs more matches as quality as this one, only with a title on the line to enhance the atmosphere.
Kudos to Helms also for coming up with a new spot to apply the Shining Wizard, as he crotched Hardy on the ropes, than dove off the corner with a rear diving-Shining Wizard!
Match Rating: ****1/2

WWE Tag Team Championship: Paul London & Brian Kendrick [C] with Ashley beat KC James & Idol Stevens with Michelle McCool when Kendrick pinned Stevens after London hit a shooting star press.
My first look at James & Stevens, and they really do look like a pair of indy workers. London & Kendrick even carried most of the action and kept the match entertaining when they were in control as the challengers really didn’t have any stand out offense. The closing spot of the match was really cool as Kendrick hit the Sliced Bread #2, than London jumped off Kendrick’s back with an SSP leading to Kendrick making the cover to retain the titles.
Match Rating: ***

MVP beat Marty Gardner with a modified neckbreaker
Well this was pointless. MVP looks like Flash Funk, but nowhere near as entertaining. He used the old Elix Skipper Play of the Day neckbreaker finisher in this useless filler match they could have had on Smackdown.
Match Rating: DUD.

US Championship: Mr. Kennedy [C] beat the Undertaker by disqualification when ‘taker hit Kennedy with the US title belt.
Why would the Undertaker get himself disqualified when the referee warned him to his face that he would be disqualified if he hit Kennedy with the belt? And why would the ‘taker get angry at the ref for disqualifying him, when again, the referee warned him to his face that he would? Did he think Charles Robinson was BLUFFING?!? A lousy ending to what was turning into a long, but solid match that had a lot of heavy strikes and some good mat work.
Match Rating: **1/2

Falls Count Anywhere: Rey Mysterio beat Chavo Guerrero with Vicky Guerrero with a cross-body dive off a staircase on Chavo.
Well, they lived up to the hype of fighting all over the arena, but I’m not a big fan of all out brawls right in the audience, even if they did innovate some spots like Rey’s guillotine on the guardrail out in the audience, and Chavo whipping Rey’s head left and right into the audience’s chairs and the guardrail. But I just couldn’t get into it and the finish where Rey hit a cross body off a 6-foot flight of stairs on Chavo for the win felt really anti-climactic. Rey should have wanted to beat on Chavo more instead of picking up the win than trying to attack Chavo again.
Match Rating: *1/2

Chris Benoit beat William Regal with the Crippler Crossface.
Benoit is BACK! And we finally see these two mat grappling greats have a match on Pay Per-View after weeks of Velocity matches earlier this year, and again adding another top notch match to the list! These two are never afraid to stiff each other, as evident by the fact that both men bled the hard way in this one! Regal actually got busted open from a HEADBUTT from Benoit, and Benoit was bleeding from the mouth from Regal’s stiff strikes. These two NEVER fail to entertain when they are in the ring together.
Match Rating: ****

Fatal Four-Way World Heavyweight Title Match: King Booker [C] with Sharmell beat Lashley, Batista & Finlay when he pinned Finlay.
Great match as expected since you had four capable guys in there, and the ending was rather predictable since it was obvious Booker would retain by stealing someone’s pinfall like what he did here, pinning Finlay after Batista hit the Batista-bomb only to be taken put by a spear from Lashley, leaving Booker open to pin Finlay. This was good, but not really the best as far as fatal-four ways go. It would have been a lot more interesting if they made it elimination rules, as I was surprised how only Finlay took advantage of the no disqualification rule in this one.
Match Rating: ***

Overall, I’d say this was a solid PPV, with one definite Match of the Year candidate that didn’t have to rely on any gimmicks.