Raw Preview 10.06.08

onight's Raw follows the explosive No Mercy Pay-Per-View which saw several title holders successfully defend their titles. Raw's very own Chris Jericho managed to defend his title in a grueling ladder match against his rival, Shawn Michaels. Both men were reaching the belt at the top of the ladder, but Jericho managed to knock HBK down to the mat and retain his belt. He had a bit of help from Cade in the process, but HBK took him out with Sweet Chin Music. During the match, Jericho appeared to sustain some sort of knee or leg injury. Now will Jericho's health and title status be in question when Raw hits the air? How will Shawn Michaels respond to the loss and to Cade's interference in the match?

One superstar with his eyes on the prize after No Mercy is Batista. The Animal was able to defeat JBL in a #1 Contender Match, putting Batista as the next opponent for Jericho's title. JBL delivered an enigmatic speech about politics and economic struggles after his loss, then watched as his limo was vandalized. Cryme Tyme along with the divas and Sgt. Slaughter all partied it up on, in and around JBL's limo to his dismay. Meanwhile, Batista will head into Raw as the top opponent for Chris Jericho. Will Jericho be ready for The Animal? What will Batista have to say to Y2J?

Finally, No Mercy saw Rey Mysterio battle Kane in what has been a feud running the course of several months. Kane had been carrying a mysterious burlap sack with him to matches, asking the question "Is he alive or is he dead?" to anyone who'd listen. It was later revealed that Kane was carrying a Rey Mysterio mask in that sack. Kane claimed he took out Mysterio, crushing his soul, but Rey made his way back to Raw to take on Kane. In this match, Raw's GM Mike Adamle added a Kane-suggested stipulation. Should Rey lose the match, he also must lose his mask in the ring. Rey was able to win this match due to Kane getting disqualified. It seems as if the feud has not ended though. Will these two continue their fight on tonight's episode of Raw?

Also expect more from Team Priceless, Manu and Randy Orton as well as announcements from Raw GM Mike Adamle. Raw gets under way on USA at 9PM EST tonight!

2008 No Mercy Results

2008 WWE No Mercy Results are now here. The Pay-Per-View has officially ended with several great title defenses, grudge matches and much more. Triple H, Chris Jericho, Matt Hardy and Beth Phoenix all had their respective titles on the line tonight. Who won and lost? Let's review the match by match recaps and results from tonight's big WWE event!

WWE No Mercy Results 2008

Mark Henry vs. Matt Hardy
ECW Title Match

For weeks, Mark Henry had taunted ECW Champ Matt Hardy, stating that Hardy never officially beat him for the ECW title. At No Mercy, Hardy put his title on the line against the World's Strongest Man. In this match, the action got fast and furious towards the finish! Mark Henry attempted to squash Matt Hardy under his weight, but Matt moved out of the way. Henry tried to slam Matt into the corner, but Matt was able to elbow his way out, then hit the Side Effect. After a near fall on Mark Henry, Matt went to finish him with the Twist of Fate. Henry countered the move and delivered a huge splash onto Matt. Despite all of the attempts by the World's Strongest Man, the ECW champ Matt Hardy kicked out of a pinfall, then surprised Henry with the Twist of Fate to pin him!

Winner: Matt Hardy defeats Mark Henry via pinfall to retain the ECW title.

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Candice Michelle vs. Beth Phoenix
WWE Women's Title Match

Beth Phoenix put Candice out of action months ago, during their matchup on Raw where Candice suffered a broken clavicle. Candice was back on Raw several weeks ago and immediately given #1 Contender Status amongst WWE Divas to face Beth Phoenix at No Mercy.

In tonight's Women's title match, Beth was able to hold on to her title despite a near loss thanks to boyfriend, Santino Marella. At one point in the match, The Glamazon countered a Russian leg sweep and went to the top rope. Candice was able to get up off the mat, then shake the rope, causing Beth to lose balance and become hung up. This allowed Candice to deliver a drop kick to the back of Beth's head. Just as Candice pinned Beth, Santino pulled Phoenix outside the ring. Candice delivered a dropkick to Santino through the ropes. Beth managed to get Candice to the outside, then knocked her down and tossed her into the ring. Santino almost cost Beth the match when his arm was stuck in the ropes. Beth was able to hold on as she hit her vicious finisher on Candice and scores the pinfall victory.

Winner: Beth Phoenix wins via pinfall over Candice Michelle to retain the WWE Women's title.

---

Rey Mysterio vs. Kane

For the past few months, WWE Superstar Kane has been terrorizing the Raw roster, specifically Rey Mysterio and Evan Bourne. Kane had a burlap sack containing a Rey Mysterio mask and claimed he had crushed Rey's soul. However, Rey returned to action and went after Kane to continue their feud. In this contest, Rey Mysterio had the added stipulation that if he lost, he would have to remove his mask.

During the match, Kane repeatedly worked to wear down Mysterio and tear his mask off in the process. Mysterio held on to keep the mask on his face as he fought back. The two superstars were both on the outside and the ref proceeded with a double countout. Both men were able to re-enter the ring, with Mysterio gaining momentum. Mysterio jumped off the top rope delivering a splash on Kane, but only could get the 2 count on Kane. Mysterio climbed to the top rope but Kane delivered a right hand to his jaw, then went for a pin. Mysterio kicked out at 2 1/2. Kane then whipped Mysterio into the ropes but Rey moved away. As Kane stumbled to the ropes, Mysterio was able to hit a 619 to the back of Kane's leg. With Kane slightly stunned on the outside, Rey went for a baseball slide into him. Rey continued his momentum as he went for a dive onto Kane from the ropes. However, Kane had a steel chair from nearby and smashed it into Rey. The ref promptly called for the DQ giving Rey the victory!

Winner: Rey Mysterio wins due to disqualification of Kane.

---

Batista vs. JBL
#1 Contender Match

The two superstars from Raw both claimed they deserved the top spot as #1 Contender for the World Heavyweight title. To settle things fairly, GM Adamle set up a match between the two at No Mercy, with the winner getting that title shot.

JBL attempted to wear down the Animal with a submission hold from behind. Batista got to his feet and did a back body drop. With both men down on the mat, the ref started his double count. JBL and Batista got to their feet to exchange punches in the center of the ring. Batista hit a quick clothesline on JBL, then whipped him to the corner for a body splash. With Batista in control, he went for a spear attempt but JBL blocked it. Batista recovered to hit a Spinebuster then the trademark Batista Bomb, followed by the pinfall. Batista will now challenge for the World Heavyweight title.

Winner: Batista wins via pinfall over JBL to become #1 Contender for the World Heavyweight title.

---

Undertaker vs. Big Show

At the last Pay-Per-View, Unforgiven, Undertaker attempted to claim Vickie Guerrero's soul for her past sins against him. However, Big Show was in the ring and ambushed Undertaker, then beat him down. Over the following weeks, Undertaker began to stalk La Familia and eventually took out Vickie Guerrero over a week ago.

Undertaker attempted to go Old School against the giant Big Show at one point, but Show grabbed Taker and delivered a vicious chokeslam off the rope. As Big Show awaited the Undertaker to get back to his feet, Taker suddenly grabbed Show by the throat. Big Show responded by grabbing Undertaker around the throat as well. Show tried for another Chokeslam, but this time the Deadman countered it and hit a DDT. Undertaker had a near pinfall, and eventually both men got back to their feet.

The superstars wound up fighting in the corner of the ring, where Undertaker landed repeated punches on Show. The referee instructed Undertaker to back out of the corner. The momentary distraction allowed Show to grab Undertaker and smash him face first into an exposed steel since the turnbuckle cover was off. Big Show delivered a huge right hand to Undertaker sending him to the mat, then delivered a knockout hit to the back of Taker's head. Referee Charles Robinson called for the bell giving Big Show a knockout victory.

Winner: Big Show defeats Undertaker when the referee called for the bell due to a knockout.

---

Jeff Hardy vs. Triple H
WWE Title Match

Triple H has been on a roll since arriving to Smackdown, as he successfully defended his WWE title against Great Khali, then outlasted his opponents in a Championship Scramble. Despite this, Jeff Hardy was a second away from capturing a winning pinfall at the Scramble, so Jeff won a Fatal Fourway on Smackdown to get the title shot at No Mercy.

In a great back and forth contest, both The Game and The Enigma put on a great show in the ring! At one point, HHH was able to hit the Spinebuster on Jeff and waited for him to stand back up. As Jeff got up, HHH went for the Pedigree, but Jeff was able to counter it sending Triple H to the corner of the ring. Jeff hit Whisper in the Wind from there, but only a two count pin. Hardy then tore off his shirt and went to the top rope for a Swanton Bomb, but missed. Again HHH kicked Hardy and went for the Pedigree. This time, Jeff countered with Twist of Fate and a pinfall. However, Triple H smartly reversed the pin and stole the three count to retain his WWE title!

Winner: Triple H wins via pinfall over Jeff Hardy to retain the WWE title.

---

Shawn Michaels vs. Chris Jericho
World Heavyweight Title
Ladder Match

These two superstars have been feuding for months in all sorts of matches involving blood and injury. Tonight they faced off for one of the biggest prizes in WWE, the World Heavyweight title. Not only that, but it was under the match Shawn Michaels requested, the all-time classic Ladder match.

In tonight's final match at No Mercy, once again Y2J and HBK put it all on the line as they tried to be first to climb the ladder and grab the belt. At one moment, Y2J was able to pin Shawn Michaels underneath the ladder. However, as Jericho climbed the ladder HBK was able to push it over causing Jericho to fall to the outside. Jericho seemed to legitimately hurt his knee at this point in the match, clutching at it in pain. With Jericho on the outside and the ref checking his condition, HBK began to climb the ladder. Jericho was able to get into the ring at the last moment to make a save, preventing HBK from grabbing the belt.

From here, Jericho got Michaels tangled in the ropes, then began climbing the ladder. HBK got free and began to climb the other side. The two battled on the top of the ladder, and Jericho fell upside down, getting caught in the rungs. All of a sudden his sidekick, Lance Cade rushes to the ring. Michaels jumps off the ladder at Cade and hits him with Sweet Chin Music. Meanwhile, Y2J is back at the top of the ladder and clutching for the belt. Michaels furiously rushes up the other side, and both men grabbed for the belt at once. All of a sudden, Jericho pushed Micheals off the ladder, causing him to hit the mat. Y2J grabbed the World Heavyweight belt and retained his championship, despite what looks like a serious injury.

Winner: Chris Jericho wins the Ladder Match over Shawn Michaels to retain the World Heavyweight Championship.

---

No title changes tonight as everything stays in tact. Some great matches and entertainment with all of the current champions holding on for the wins. Mysterio also saved his face literally, while Undertaker seemed to be put out of comission by the Big Show. Stay tuned for Monday Night Raw at 9PM EST on USA Monday evening, as it will be full of reprecussions and fallout from tonight's event!

2008 No Mercy Predictions

At WWE's 2008 No Mercy Pay-Per-View, fans will see a total of 4 title matches mixed in with several grudge matches with stipulations. Triple H defends his WWE title against the Enigma, Jeff Hardy in a one-on-one contest. World Heavyweight Champion, Chris Jericho, will put his title on the line against Shawn Michaels in what could become a classic Ladder Match. Also on the card, Batista locks up with JBL in a match to determine the next #1 Contender for the World Heavyweight title. Undertaker will do battle with Big Show in a match to extract revenge for Unforgiven sins. Matt Hardy and Beth Phoenix also defend their respective titles. Finally, No Mercy could see the WWE unmasking of Rey Mysterio. Mysterio faces Kane in a grudge match with the stipulation added just this past week on Raw. Should Rey lose, he also loses the right to keep his mask on.

Here's a match by match analysis of No Mercy with predictions for the 2008 PPV.

Mark Henry vs. Matt Hardy
ECW Title Match

Mark Henry is right about one thing. Matt Hardy never officially beat him to win the ECW title. Instead Hardy outlasted the other competitors in Unforgiven's ECW Championship Scramble, scoring the final pinfall of the alloted time to become new champ. Henry is the World's Strongest Man. This match has the potential for a title change, but Hardy wouldn't have this short a title reign. To give Hardy more credibility he'll need a win, or some sort of DQ by Henry. The feud will continue regardless of the result, because right now there's really nobody else in line for the title. Potentially, a guy like Jack Swagger is next, but that remains to be seen. For now, Hardy will pick up the win either by his trademark move, Twist of Fate, or by a Henry/Atlas DQ.

Prediction: Matt Hardy retains the ECW title by pinfall or due to a Henry/Atlas disqualification.

---

Candice Michelle vs. Beth Phoenix
WWE Women's Championship

It seems strange that Candice would be thrust back into the Women's title picture this fast. She recently returned to action after being out longer than expected with her broken clavicle injury. According to rumors, WWE hasn't been thrilled with Candice's in-ring skills since her return. This match probably has the greatest potential for a title change, because Candice is one of the "flagship" divas WWE has to offer. She recently appeared at WWE's Smackdown Your Vote events as an ambassador of the WWE divas. Let's go out on a limb here and say Candice scores a big upset win, possibly due to Santino Marella being at ringside. You'll recall that last week Beth told Santino to not cost her anymore victories.

Prediction: Candice Michelle defeats Beth Phoenix to become the new Women's Champion.

---

JBL vs. Batista
#1 Contender Match

In this match, the winner becomes the new #1 Contender for the World Heavyweight Championship. A lot may depend on who wins that match later in the night. It's also unclear where the #1 Contender gets their title shot. Is it at the next PPV, or on Raw the following night, or a week later? All that tossed out, I would find it hard to believe JBL wins this match in any way, unless he cheats. Batista has the advantage, the power, the more talent, and should win this contest. There's also the possibility for one of those "double wins" where both men pin each other and set up a Triple Threat match for the future. Let's go with Batista in this one to become new #1 Contender.

Prediction: Batista wins via pinfall over JBL to become new #1 Contender.

---

Rey Mysterio vs. Kane

Should Rey Mysterio lose this one, he also loses his mask. Raw GM Adamle added this stipulation last week on Raw, saying Rey will have to "de-mask" in the middle of the ring. Rey's had that mask on since the start of his WWE career, although he has been de-masked during his WCW days. Due to the repeated attacks and carnage Kane has displayed on Raw, it makes sense for Rey to pull off the win here, not the mask. Possibly Evan Bourne is at ringside, but a Rey win seems most likely, preserving his Lucha Libre status.

Prediction: Rey Mysterio defeats Kane to keep his mask on.

---

Undertaker vs. Big Show

This feud will go on past this match, so it's hard to see Undertaker getting any sort of victory here. He may seem to have the terror in the heart of Show and La Familia, as well as put Vickie away from the action. But now it's time for the massive Big Show to deliver the first chokeslam, or possibly injury Undertaker enough to keep him out of action. Rumors have said Undertaker is having trouble with his knee injuries, so a legit beatdown to put him on the sidelines may seem like the best scenario.

Prediction: Big Show wins over the Undertaker and possibly puts him out of action.

---

Jeff Hardy vs. Triple H
WWE Title Match

Triple H and Jeff Hardy engaged in a series of trash talk in the ring weeks ago, despite their respect for one another. HHH told Jeff he's always just one step or move away from winning the big one. Jeff said that if he had the family like Triple H does, maybe he'd have more title opportunities. Despite the exchange, both men have been victim to Vladimir Kozlov in weeks past. We are most likely moving towards a Vladimir Kozlov vs. Triple H showdown, or even a Triple Threat match for the WWE title with Hardy involved. Due to the fact Kozlov keeps meddling, why wouldn't he meddle here? Let's assume some sort of DQ here with Kozlov playing a part in it.

Prediction: Double DQ/Draw or countout due to Vladimir Kozlov interference. Triple H retains WWE title.

---

Shawn Michaels vs. Chris Jericho
World Heavyweight Title
Ladder Match

I've said it several times before, even though HBK is one of the fan favorites, WWE just isn't rewarding him with a major title anymore. That won't change here, even though this is "his match". Jericho will probably have Cade at ringside to help out, and manage to pull down the belt. Cade might even knock out HBK at ringside, allowing Y2J to pull off the belt. Either way, it's hard to see HBK taking this one, so expect Y2J's title reign to continue as well as his trash talking about how he's the best around, and HBK can't beat him.

Prediction: Chris Jericho wins the Ladder Match to retain his World Heavyweight Championship.

---

This should be an exciting Pay-Per-View for No Mercy 2008. Expect maybe one title to change at most here, either ECW or Women's title. Otherwise, titles should stay put for the next PPV. The matches here should set up the future title and feud pictures. Be sure to check back here after 11PM EST on Sunday night for all the results and recaps of the No Mercy matches! Enjoy!

Smackdown Recap 10.03.08

Smackdown Recap from Green Bay, WI

Tonight's Smackdown marked the debut of the television program on its new channel, MyNetworkTV. To kick off the big premiere, Smackdown featured a Champions Night theme, with Champions facing Champions. The main event was a Triple Threat match featuring WWE Champ, Triple H vs. World Heavyweight Champ, Chris Jericho vs. ECW Champ, Matt Hardy.

Rey Mysterio, Batista & Jeff Hardy vs. Kane, JBL & MVP
All-Star Eight-Man Tag Team Match

Jeff Hardy was able to deliver the win as he hit the Swanton Bomb off the corner on MVP, then scored the pinfall.

Winner: Rey Mysterio, Batista & Jeff Hardy win via pinfall over Kane, JBL & MVP.

---

Santino Marella vs. Shelton Benjamin

Prior to the match, Santino came out and revealed the "Honk-A-Meter", and informed everyone he is the greatest champion on planet Earth. During the matchup, R-Truth appeared in the crowd. Truth began to rap and get the crowd going, which distracted Shelton. Santino took advantage by getting a quick roll-up pinfall on Shelton.

Winner: Santino Marella wins via pinfall over Shelton Benjamin.

---

Smackdown GM Vickie Guerrero is missing from the show due to her injuries sustained from Undertaker's attack last week. Due to this, Big Show is acting General Manager. Since he's in charge, Show makes a handicap match as he puts Chavo Guerrero vs. Mark Henry & Great Khali.

Chavo Guerrero vs. Mark Henry & Great Khali
2 on 1 Handicap Match

This contest was an easy win for the large duo of Henry and Khali. Khali got the easy win by using his nerve hold to wear Chavo down, then pinned him.

Winners: Mark Henry & Great Khali win via pinfall over Chavo Guerrero.

---

Big Show does a promo to hype up his "impending destruction of Undertaker" at No Mercy. All of a sudden, the lights in the arena go out and Undertaker appears in the ring. Big Show runs away as The Deadman stays in the ring.

CM Punk, Primo & Carlito vs. Manu, Cody Rhodes & Ted Dibiase

In this six man tag match, Punk teamed with the brand new WWE tag champs against Manu and the World Tag Champs from Raw. Punk was able to win this match for his team as he hit the "Go To Sleep" on Ted Dibiase.

Winners: CM Punk, Primo & Carlito win via pinfall over Manu, Cody Rhodes & Ted Dibiase

---

Michelle McCool vs. Beth Phoenix
Divas Lumberjack Match

In this matchup, the two current diva champions from Raw & Smackdown faced off. WWE Divas Champ, Michelle McCool took on WWE Women's Champ, Beth Phoenix in a Divas Lumberjack Match. Various divas from Smackdown, Raw & ECW surrounded the ring to attack or toss the competitors back in the ring. McCool was able to gain the win for Smackdown as she hit the Wings of Lover finisher on The Glamazon.

Winner: Michelle McCool wins via pinfall over Beth Phoenix.

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Triple H vs. Chris Jericho vs. Matt Hardy
Triple Threat Champions Match

In the main event, each brand's major champion was on display in the ring trying to represent for their brand. Smackdown's WWE Champ, Triple H, battled Raw's World Heavyweight Champ, Chris Jericho and ECW Champ, Matt Hardy in a three way contest. Triple H represented for his brand as he was able to get the Pedigree on Matt Hardy.

After the victory, Vladimir Kozlov came down to the ring and attacked Smackdown. Smackdown left the air once again with Kozlov standing tall and Triple H layed out.

Winner: Triple H wins via pinfall over Matt Hardy to win the Triple Threat Match.

---

Will Mysterio "Face" the Fans at No Mercy?

(Will Mysterio be unmasked this Sunday?)

An interesting stipulation was added to the No Mercy grudge match between WWE Superstars Kane and Rey Mysterio. Should Rey Mysterio lose this match, Mysterio will have to "de-mask" in the ring, showing his face worldwide to the fans. Rey is the only remaining superstar who wears some sort of mask or face paint. ECW's the Boogeyman has been MIA for weeks, even though his mugshot still appears on the ECW intro video. Boogeyman didn't actually wear a mask in the ring, just enough face paint to serve as one. The Big Red Machine, Kane, was well known as a masked man at one time, but ditched it to face the fans and reality. And with No Mercy approaching the speculation grows whether Mysterio will be the final superstar to lose his symbolic mask.

When Rey signed his contract with the WWE in 2002, Vince McMahon requested that Mysterio wear his mask for matches once again. In Mexico, a wrestler could be fined or even have their license suspended in Lucha Libre by the Box y Lucha Commission for this; there, once a wrestler loses his mask, they cannot traditionally regain it. (info source: Wikipedia.org) Rey, who started wrestling at just age 14 in Mexico, still has a babyface, making him appear much younger than he actually is at age 33, and he's always been beloved by fans. So it's doubtful he'll be put into any WWE horror films, like Glenn Jacobs aka "Kane" has been. (See No Evil)

If Kane wins at No Mercy, the mask removal won't be anything new for Mysterio. Rey's been unmasked for interviews before, such as this Unmasked Mysterio interview on video at YouTube from a while ago. He also removed his mask in the ring once before, but that was in the days when WCW was its own wrestling organization. The WCW match occurred at Superbrawl IX, where Mysterio fought in a "Hair vs. Mask" stipulation. His tag team partner was Konan and they took on "The Outsiders", Kevin Nash and Scott Hall. When Mysterio and Konan were defeated, Mysterio finally removed his mask in the ring in front of fans. According to Wikipedia, Rey phoned his uncle afterwards to express disappointment in removing his mask, a symbol of culture and his luchador wrestling status.

See Rey UNMASKED in WCW Match, SuperBrawl IX!

Many speculate Kane has nothing to really lose in this match. Judging by the carnage Kane has unleashed on Mysterio and Evan Bourne in weeks past, it seems in Rey's favor to pull off some sort of win at No Mercy, so he won't have to pull off the mask.

2008 No Mercy Theme - "All Nightmare Long" by Metallica Lyrics

The theme song for No Mercy 2008 Pay-Per-View comes from long-time hard rock band, Metallica. Metallica may be best known for their song "Enter Sandman" among many other greats. "All Nightmare Long" is the No Mercy theme and it is part of Death Magnetic CD available at Amazon.com.

You can also Download All Nightmare Long Mp3 at Amazon.com for 89 cents.

Here's the full lyrics for "All Nightmare Long" by Metallica...

All Nightmare Long
No Mercy 2008 Theme
by Metallica

Luck. Runs. Out.
Crawl from the wreckage one more time
Horrific memory twists the mind
Dark, rugged, cold and hard to turn
Path of destruction, feel it burn
Still life
Incarnation
Still life
Infamy

Hallucination
Heresy
Still you run, what's to come?
What's today?

'Cause we hunt you down without mercy
Hunt you down all nightmare long
Feel us breathe upon your face
Feel us shift, every move we trace
Hunt you down without mercy
Hunt you down all nightmare long, yeah
Luck. Runs.

You crawl back in
But your luck runs out

1, 2.

Luck... Runs... Out.

The light that is not light is here
To flush you out with your own fear
You hide, you hide, but will be found
Release your crypt without a sound

Still life
Immolation
Still life
Infamy

Hallucination
Heresy
Still you run, what's to come?
What's today?

'Cause we hunt you down without mercy
Hunt you down all nightmare long
Feel us breathe upon your face
Feel us shift, every move we trace
Hunt you down without mercy
Hunt you down all nightmare long
Luck. Runs.

You crawl back in
But your luck runs out

Then you crawl back in
Into your obsession
Never to return
This is your confession

Hunt you down without mercy
Hunt you down all nightmare long
Feel us breathe upon your face
Feel us shift, every move we trace
Hunt you down without mercy
Hunt you down all nightmare long, yeah
Luck. Runs.

You crawl back in
But your luck runs out

Your luck runs out...

---

Download All Nightmare Long Mp3 at Amazon.com for 89 cents.

Metallica's Death Magnetic CD at Amazon.com

See the lineup of 2008 No Mercy matches here!

Smackdown Preview 10.12.07

Tonight's Smackdown is sure to include fallout from this past Sunday's "No Mercy" Pay Per View which featured several Smackdown stars in action. Batista, Great Khali, Rey Mysterio, Finlay, Matt Hardy and MVP all were part of the big event.

Tonight's show will feature a great main event worth checking out, when the Brothers of Destruction reunite to take on the current tag team champs, Matt Hardy and MVP. How will Kane and Undertaker do upon reuniting as tag team partners? Are they ready to take back the tag team titles? Also, will Matt Hardy and MVP be able to get along and win against these two awesome forces? Even thought it will be a non-title event, it's still sure to offer a great match.

Also look for Rey Mysterio to continue to try to extract revenge on Finlay, his opponent at No Mercy. Finlay faked injury at the event and there was no clear winner in the match. Mysterio fell for the trap which allowed Finlay to spring up and attack Rey. What will Rey have in store for Finlay this week on Smackdown?

And finally, there is sure to be carryover effect from the Punjabi Prison match in which Batista and Great Khali fought at No Mercy. Batista, despite falling 10 feet from the cage wall, managed to escape and retain his World Heavyweight title. Will Khali go after the Animal yet again on tonight's show?

Check out all the action on Smackdown which airs at 8PM EST on the CW netowkr. Check local listing for coverage.

Does HBK Deserve a Title Shot?

Cyber Sunday makes for a great concept and it seems that WWE should make more of their Pay Per Views this style. Fans pay for the events either by purchasing a ticket or ordering the Pay Per View, so why not let fans select the style and types of matches? However, the recently announced Raw title match for Cyber Sunday seems to throw the WWE title picture for a bit of a loop. It also speaks a lot about the lack of consistency in WWE title challenges and feuds lately. Fact of the matter is, usually WWE title rivalries carry on for a bit, not just for one Pay Per View or a few shows. For some reason the WWE has recently had superstars return from injuries and immediately become #1 contenders. It may very well be due to the suspensions, firings, resignations and many big injuries superstars have sustained lately.

One example would be Rey Mysterio, even though he won a contender's tournament on Smackdown, he was put into title contention with Batista and Khali rather quickly. Now we have Shawn Michaels who simply showed up in surprising fashion on Raw, then attacked Randy Orton. Michaels is now part of the 3 man vote for Orton's PPV opponent along with Mr. Kennedy and Jeff Hardy. Whoever the fans choose of the 3 men will face Orton for the title. It's premature to second guess the fans here, but you'd have to believe HBK will win the popular vote. What makes less sense about now is why Triple H is excluded from that list of names of possible opponents. Unless he's out of action for a while, it would seem his name should be on that list along with HBK and maybe Mr. Kennedy or Umaga. I'd have to lobby for Mr. Kennedy in this one and not due to any favoritism or anything against HBK or Jeff Hardy. Jeff Hardy has his title and HBK deserves his revenge. But for HBK to get a title shot just for returning, after it took Triple H a good 2 months to get one (and probably Cena's injury) speaks volumes to the inconsistency of how WWE title matches are set up or decided lately.

How do you feel about this? Should Shawn Michaels be receiving a title match at No Mercy rather than HHH? Or would it make more sense to do a non-title match involving Michaels vs. Orton where the fans decide the type of grudge match (cage, street fight, last man standing, etc)?

WWE Raw Recap 10.08.07

Raw recap from Grand Rapids, MI:

Raw opened with Chairman Vince McMahon strutting down the ramp to the ring. Vince McMahon told the crowd he made good on his word as a new WWE champ has been named and there were 3 WWE title matches last night. Vince then had them cut to the footage of last night's No Mercy matches involving Triple H. First Triple H beat Randy Orton for the WWE title, then later he successfully defended against Umaga. Vince then put Triple H in a Last Man Standing match between Orton and HHH. Orton ended up winning the WWE title back to close the event.

Vince then said history would be made tonight on Raw and asked every superstar on the roster to come out and shake the hand of the new WWE champion. Vince said Orton's first title defense is at the next Pay Per View, Cyber Sunday where fans will make the match decisions via the internet. Just then, HHH's music came on and The Game came down to the ring looking angry.

Triple H said just like Orton did last night he is invoking his rematch clause tonight. Vince said he didn't think this was in HHH's best interest but then announced a match. Triple H will face Randy Orton and his tag-team partner tonight, Umaga in a handicap match.

---

Jim Ross discussed last night's No Mercy event and said WWE.com has all the latest.

Beth Phoenix, Melina & Jillian Hall vs. Candice Michelle, Mickie James & Maria

A six diva tag match featuring the new Women's champ, Beth Phoenix. Melina attacked Maria early to start the match off, but Maria escaped to tag in Mickie. Micke used a baseball slide dropkick on Melina then tried to climb the corner to punch her. Beth Phoenix came over on the apron and yanked Mickie down. With Mickie stuck in the ropes Melina began to kick and attack her. Phoenix came in to continue the assault.

Beth tagged in to stretch Mickie out down on the mat, then Melina returned to beat Mickie up even more. Mickie eventually escaped a double team by Jillian and Melina and was able to tag Candice in. Candice started attacking Jillian, dropping her down to the mat . Candice tried a bridge pin but Phoenix came in to attack her. With Jillian and Candice alone in the ring, Jillian whipped Candice to the corner. Jillian went for a springboard move at Candice, but Candice got on her shoulders and then took her down for a quick pin!

Winners: Candice Michelle, Mickie James and Maria win via pinfall over Beth Phoenix, Melina and Jillian Hall

---

Footage shown of the hottest selling action DVD, Stone Cold Steve Austin's The Condemned (Widescreen Edition).

William Regal and Coach shown talking in an office backstage. Coach noted that Regal has redecorated the office. Coach discussed getting attacked by Cena and how now Coach has to walk using a cane. Coach remarked about the pics Regal had in his office of various British "queens". Vince McMahon entered the office and discussed the welfare of his son Hornswoggle. Regal said he's taking a nap right now but everything is fine. Regal then yelled at Coach as his assistant to look after Hornswoggle. Regal told Coach to go check on Hornswoggle in the closet, and Coach came back saying he was nowhere to be fine. Regal ordered Coach to go find him.

Jim Ross discussed the Cyber Sunday PPV which will be October 28 in Washington DC. A promo commercial was shown of various past matches that fans voted to happen at the event. Included in the footage were a cage match between Ric Flair and Randy Orton and a divas lingerie match.

---

Ad shown for Friday's Smackdown where Undertaker and Kane will team up to go against Matt Hardy and MVP.

Footage shown from last week where Val Venis interrupted Santino's movie critic show in the ring. Venis insulted Marella in front of Maria, prompting Marella to attack him, setting this match up.

Marella rolled under the bottom rope before the match even started. Marella asked for the mic and hugged Lillian, introducing her to the crowd. Marella then groped Lillian and told Venis he can't fight him tonight, but has another opponent for him. Snitsky's music came on as he came down to the ring.

Snitsky vs. Val Venis

The two grappled with Snitsky taking control from the start. Snitskiy began attacking Venis' knee which Santino hurt last week. Snitsky tossed Venis to the corner for some abuse, then slammed him down center of the ring. After an elbow drop, Snitsky picked up Venis who began to fight back. Snitsky delivered a solid boot to Venis in the face knocking him down. Snitsky applied a hold on Venis then tossed him to the mat hard. A slam from the shoulders was used to finish off Venis in a relatively quick match.

Winner: Snitsky wins via pinfall over Val Venis.

Jim Ross said Evander Holyfield will be looking to make this Saturday night on pay Per View. Footage was shown of Holyfield's involvement in the Saturday Night's main event match, boxing with Matt Hardy. Holyfield was MVP's representative to fight Hardy, but ended up clocking MVP at the end of the match, leaving him face down on the mat. Holyfield will face Ibragimov as he looks to become Heavyweight boxing champ.

Footage shown from last week's Raw, the unfortunate injury to John Cena. Jim Ross said there will be a live interview with Cena, next.

---

Cryptic commercial with various numbers and music shown again. No word given by JR and Lawler on the ad's meaning, which many speculate is a promo for Chris Jericho.

John Cena was shown on the Titantron in a sling live from Tampa, Florida. Cena said he is 5 or 6 days off the surgery table and it will probably take 7 to 12 months to get back. Cena said his #1 focus now is getting better and back to the ring. Jerry Lawler asked Cena about Orton saying it was good Cena got hurt to avoid the Last Man Standing Match. Cena said Orton shouldn't just worry about Cena or HHH, but tonight Orton has to face all of the other Raw superstars. JR and Lawler wished Cena well on his recovery.

Randy Orton came down the ramp to the ring with the WWE belt on his shoulder then hoisted it up for the fans to see as Raw went to commercial break.

Triple H vs. Umaga and Randy Orton

Umaga and Orton stared out from the ring ready for HHH as he came down the ramp.

Triple H went at Umaga early then at Orton as he attacked from behind. Orton went for a quick RKO but HHH shoved him into Umaga, knocking Umaga out of the ring. HHH tried for a pin but Umaga got up to pull him out of the ring. Outside the ring, Umaga began to pummel HHH, attacking him viciously and tossing him back in. Orton began to attack HHH inside the ring hammering away at him. HHH's forehead began to bleed from the attack. Orton held HHH down allowing Umaga to drop a headbutt into HHH's gut. The 2 then attacked HHH in the corner. The doubleteam continued in the center of the ring, with Orton picking up HHH so Umaga could slam him backwards. Orton then told Umaga to climb the ropes, as Orton held HHH's legs.

Umaga got on the ropes, but HHH kicked Orton into the corner, causing Umaga to lose balance and fall. HHH gained major momentum and began to fight Orton. HHH was just about to go for the Pedigree, but Umaga attacked from behind. HHH was able to elude Umaga as he came at him with a clothesline. HHH pulled the top rope down, causing Umaga to spill out of the ring. HHH then focused on Orton again and got him set in the Pedigree. Umaga got back into the ring with a steel chair which he smacked across HHH's back causing a DQ.

After the bell, Umaga and Orton continued to attack HHH, with Orton delivering a RKO, then Umaga dragging HHH to the corner. Umaga did two hip splashes followed by a big splash onto HHH off the top ropes. Umaga then stood up HHH and delivered a Samoan Spike, causing HHH to fall to the mat completely beat up. Referees attended to HHH as the crowd chanted for him and he finally was helped to walk up the ramp. HHH shoved the refs away and began to walk up the ramp by himself then collapsed at the bottom of the ramp as Raw hit commercial.

Winner: Triple H wins over Umaga and Randy Orton due to disqualification.

---

Raw returned with 3 WWE refs helping Triple H up the ramp and backstage. Replay shown of what happened to Triple H in the handicap match. Refs shown backstage helping Triple H. Just then, Vince McMahon came running up asking what happened to Triple H. Vince then said whatever happened he better be the first wrestler out to shake Randy Orton's hand, even if it's on a stretcher.

Kendrick & London vs. The Highlanders

Footage shown from weeks ago on Raw when Highlanders interfered in Kendrick and London's match with Cade & Murdoch.

Early on London and Kendrick cleared the ring of the Highlanders then leapt over the top ropes onto them, crashing outside. Once back in the ring London took slight control until get distracting by Robby. The Highlanders began to doubleteam London, keeping him down on the mat as he struggled to escape. London finally escaped from Robby and tagged in kendrick. Kendrick began to use high impact quick movesaround the ring and went for the pin. Rorie entered to break things up, but was tossed from the ring. London jumped out onto him. Kendrick then ran at Robby in the corner. Robbie was able to dodge the move and slam Kendrick down, then put his feet on the ropes to get the pin.

Winners: The Highlanders win via pinfall over Kendrick & London.

2007 WWE Diva Search contest shown with interviews with the contestants. The next competition is the Search and rescue which will be on WWE.com tomorrow. Voting continues at WWE.com for the next diva where another diva has been eliminated.

Coach shown backstage looking for Hornswoggle. He came up to a WWE staff member backstage and described Hornswoggle to him. The man asked Coach what he's been smoking. Coach bumped into Cody Rhodes and Rhodes said he hasn't seen him either. Regal came up to Coach angry and asked where Hornswoggle is. Regal told Coach to try harder to find him.

---

Footage shown for the Encore presentation of No Mercy which will be all week long.

Lillian Garcia performer a pop/rock song "Quiero Vivir" with a band at the top of the ramp. The song comes from her new album of the same title. Quiero Vivir is available at Amazon.com.

As Lillian received praise from the crowd, Santino Marella came out onto the ramp. Marella said great performance then told Lillian and her band to "beat it". Marella said he'd give them some real music. Marella then sang a spoof of the Amy Winehouse song, "Rehab" about "The Condemned". Marella sang a chorus of "tried to make me watch the Condemned, I said No No No". Marella thanked the jeering crowd before exiting backstage.

---

Ad shown for next week's Raw saying Cody Rhodes will take on Hardcore Holly to earn his respect.

Mr. Kennedy vs. Jeff Hardy

Kennedy grabbed the mic from above and said he will prove to everyone he is the future of sports entertainment. Mr. Kennedy put Hardy into an early headlock, then Jeff reversed to wrap up Kennedy. Kennedy pushed off the ropes and began to knock Hardy down. Hardy gained momentum after eluding Kennedy and dropping him down to the mat. At one point Jeff Hardy speared Kennedy through the ropes and both men crashed outside the ring onto the floor. Kennedy tossed Hardy back in eventually, and then Jeff was able to dropkick Mr. Kennedy before he could enter. Jeff went up off the top rope and jumped at Kennedy. Kennedy moved and Jeff hit against the crowd barrier as Raw went to break.

Raw returned with Kennedy holding Jeff down on the mat, then putting him in a half Boston Crab. Jeff kicked his way out but Kennedy picked him up and whipped him to the corner. Jeff was able to kick his way out of things and climbed the corner ropes. Kennedy came over and dropkicked Hardy, causing him to fall from the ropes. Kennedy again put Hardy in the half Boston Crab until Jeff grabbed the bottom rope. Kennedy tried to go to the outside and grab Jeff's leg under the ropes, but Jeff kicked him into the crowd barrier. Kennedy was able to get back into the ring and knock Jeff down again, clipping his leg, but then failed at a pin.

Kennedy tried another pin but put his feet on the ropes and the ref noticed, stopping the count. Hardy was able to do a legsweep snapping Kennedy back to the mat. As Kennedy got to his feet Jeff went for the Twist of Fate. Kennedy countered and tried to get Jeff on his shoulders, but Jeff slid off and did a brain buster. Hardy then climbed to the top rope and went for the Swanton Bomb as Kennedy moved away. Kennedy tried to roll up Jeff for a pin, but Jeff reversed it and scored the pinfall victory!

Winner: Jeff Hardy wins via pinfall over Mr. Kennedy.

Backstage, Vince McMahon told William Regal he expects everyone to be present for Orton's title ceremony. Vince asked where his son was, and Regal said he's taking an extended nap. Coach came running in saying he couldn't find him. Vince told Regal and Coach they better not be talking about his son. Vince left and Regal told Coach to make sure Hornswoggle is there. After Regal left Coach, a nearby blue chest opened and Hornswoggle popped out yawning. Coach went to grab Hornswoggle, and the leprechaun slammed the crate door on his hands. Hornswoggle then got out of the chest and grabbed Coach's cane. Hornswoggle began hitting the cane onto Coach's hurt leg, laughing.

Wrestlers began to line up at the top of the ramp for the Randy Orton title ceremony.

---

WWE Title Ceremony

Randy Orton came down to a ring decked out in red with Vince McMahon present. Vince shook his hand first and the fans began to chant "You Suck". Orton began to speak about his greatness as the new WWE champ. Orton said he has the perfect combo of size, speed, strength and skill. Orton said he can see a lot of jealous faces up on the ramp and that he will be WWE champ for a long, long time.

Orton told the wrestlers to put their feelings aside and come to the ring to say "Good Luck champ". Vince said it was time to start and then demanded to know where HHH is. Vince said HHH needs to be the first to the ring to shake hands. Vince said if HHH doesnt show up to the ring, Randy Orton will go backstage and drag him out to the ring. Orton began to head up the ramp towards the back. Just then the music of HBK, Shawn Michaels began to play from the speakers. Michaels came walking out from backstage as the fans went wild. HBK continued to walk towards the ring causing Orton to back up.

Orton scrambled to get into the ring and grabbed his WWE belt. Michaels slid under the rope and went at Orton. Orton charged at HBK with the belt, but Michaels speared Orton down. HBK began to punch away at Orton down on the mat, then got back up. As Orton stood up, HBK delivered a Sweet Chin Music Kick to Orton's face, causing the champ to fall face first on the mat. Raw went off the air with HBK standing in the ring looking at the fallen Randy Orton.

Reactions to No Mercy

An interesting PPV event last night as the WWE once again was forced to scramble due to injury and needing a new WWE champion. Lacking star power for the matches, Triple H became involved in not 2 but 3 title matches during the event. Some fans feel this was a bit too much of The Game for their liking. Due to the 3 matches, Randy Orton was able to finally take back the title at the end of the night, and is now the new WWE champion.

It's been a year since the title changed over, and it's been with a face, John Cena for that time. Now it will be held by the classic heel, Orton, who can cheaply call himself a 2 time champion. This does seem to taint the title and his reign just a bit, as title acquisition #1 was handed to him and not earned. Not to criticize Orton's win over Triple H in the Last Man Standing match either, but you've got to admit the Game was already battered and bruised from 2 other matches, making Orton's win look less convincing. This probably will spawn a HHH vs Orton feud for a good while now.

The rest of the event went pretty much as one could expect, with Beth Phoenix finally taking the Women's title. A 6 man tag match was thrown into the lineup which featured Mr Kennedy on one side and Jeff Hardy on the other. It might be speculated that Kennedy will start challenging for the IC title and eventually win it, as many WWE Champions have started out doing (Shawn Michaels, The Rock, Stone Cold, etc.).

Finlay and Mysterio had a no contest match meaning this feud will likely carry on for some bit of time. Same could be said for the CM Punk and Big Daddy V fights. Most likely Punk will become victorious during their next contest. What's especially interesting is Johnny Nitro aka John Morrison's continued absence from ECW. I haven't researched it much but possibly he was the 60 day suspension given out a month ago.

On another note concerning suspensions, Orton may or may not have been among those who were suspended,. His name was linked to the Signature drug/med company as a client in a Sports Illustrated report. You'd have to wonder if WWE really should have the title on him, especially with the Congressional hearings coming up. Not to accuse Orton, but WWE would want their "clean" stars

WWE No Mercy Results

Here's the official No Mercy match results with a new WWE champion decided! (On an interesting side note, WWE.com held a poll for who fans wanted to see with the WWE title after No Mercy. Val Venis lead the way with 39.89 % of the total votes. May have been a database error, seeing as Triple H was at only 12% and Snitsky was at 17%.)

WWE's No Mercy Results: (Sunday, October 7, 2007):

WWE Title Decision

No Mercy opened with Vince McMahon presenting Randy Orton as the new WWE Champion. Immediately Orton began boasting about how many WWE stars he has put on the shelf and how nobody can defeat him. Orton then announced he would defend the WWE title tonight. Triple H emerged from backstage and requested a shot at Randy Orton's title, eventually causing Mr. McMahon to ask for a referee and the match, Triple H vs. Randy Orton for the WWE title!

Winner: Randy Orton is the new WWE champion!

Triple H vs. Randy Orton
WWE Title Match

Orton held the belt for a very short time as Triple H won a hard fought match to take the title away! Triple H managed to roll up Orton in the small package style pin and grabs the victory along with the WWE title!

Winner: Triple H pins Randy Orton to become the new WWE Champion!

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Kendrick & London with Jeff Hardy vs. Cade & Murdoch with Mr. Kennedy

A match not announced until No Mercy was underway featuring the tag champs on one side and the Intercontinental champ Jeff Hardy on the other. Mr. Kennedy used a powerslam on Paul London to score the pinfall victory for his team.

Winners: Mr. Kennedy, Cade & Murdoch win via pinfall over Kendrick, London, and Jeff Hardy.

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Big Daddy V vs. CM Punk
ECW Title match

A match in which CM Punk faced his biggest and toughest opponent yet. CM Punk went up on the top rope and went for a leg drop, then Matt Striker entered the ring and attacked. The ref calls for the bell as Big Daddy V and Striker continued the attack Punk.

Winner: CM Punk retains ECW Championship due to disqualification

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Beth Phoenix vs. Candice Michelle
WWE Women's Title match

The Glamazon has been talking for weeks, as well as letting her actions speak to Candice Michelle. In this match, Phoenix was able to capitalize on her strength and size advantage, suplexing Candice to the mat for an easy pinfall victory.

Winner: Beth Phoenix defeats Candice Michelle via pinfall to become the new Women's Champion.

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Umaga vs. Triple H
WWE Title Match

Per orders of Mr McMahon, Triple H would go on with the scheduled match with Umaga, making it the second WWE title match of the night! Umaga went for the Samoan Splash on Triple H, but missed. Triple H was able to withstand the attack and got Umaga with the Pedigree for the victory!

Winner: Triple H wins via pinfall to retain the WWE title.

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Finlay vs. Rey Mysterio

Mysterio looking for some revenge after being attacked for several weeks by Finlay on Smackdown. In this grudge match, Finlay tried to use his typical tricks, removing the turnbuckle cover and trying to attack with his shalaleigh. Mysterio was able to knock Finlay off the side apron, causing Finlay to hit his head hard. Finlay was taken by medical staff on stretcher. As a concerned Mysterio looked on to check on him, Finlay sprang up from the stretcher to attack Mysterio, requiring the refs to pull him off!

Winner: No winner declared due to Finlay faking injury then attacking Rey Mysterio.

---

Great Khali vs. Batista
World Heavyweight Title
(Punjabi Prison Match)

Only the second time in WWE history that this match has been used, featured a tough battle between Khali and the Animal. Despite Batsita suffering a near ten foot fall from the wall of the Punjabi Prison, the Animal was able to overcome the odds and quickly climb out of the Prison before Khali.

Winner: Batista escapes the Punjabi Prison to retain the World Heavyweight Championship.

Randy Orton vs. Triple H
WWE Title Match
(Last Man Standing)

The Last Man Standing match originally scheduled still went down. An already worn down Triple H was thrust into his third match of the night. Orton was able to capitalize on this beating up the Game in a very bloody and tough match. Eventually, Orton was able to hit Triple H with an RKO outside on the announcer's table, leaving HHH down for the count and making Randy Orton the WWE champ for his second time of the night!

Winner: Randy Orton defeats Triple H in the Last Man Standing Match to become the new WWE Champion!

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The No Mercy event also included a "Pizza Eating Contest" between Matt Hardy and MVP, which saw Hardy take the win, then puke all over MVP. The WWE title changed hands twice on the same Pay Per View and Triple H received his first ever loss at a No Mercy Pay Per View, after fighting in 3 matches. Beth Phoenix is also the new Womens champion! Stay tuned to WWE.com and Monday Night Raw for more information.

No Mercy Predictions

No Mercy comes this Sunday with the unfortunate news that WWE champ John Cena is out for 6 months to a year after a pectoral injury. This news and the fact that no title match has been announced as of this point, make it a tough event to predict. Any match could be changed or altered based on this news. Vince McMahon could easily emerge from backstage to set up a new stipulation on one of the matches, or to create a whole new match for the event. Randy Orton was the #1 contender for the title and has no opponent as of now.

Here's predictions for the WWE's No Mercy card based on this info:

Great Khali vs. Batista
(World Heavyweight Title)

Two men enter the bamboo structure, 1 man leaves, as World Heavyweight champion. Batista's been a champ for only a month so it's tough to see him losing this one. In addition, looking at the agility of both wrestlers, you'd have to believe Batista has the serious advantage to be able to climb out of this one, even though Khali will probably deal out some punishment.

Prediction: Batista gets beat up and bruised a bit but will escape the Punjabi prison to remain World Heavyweight champion.

Triple H vs. Umaga

Triple H is undefeated in Pay Per Views since his return. He defeated King Booker in singles action at his Summerslam return, then defeated Carlito in a No DQ match which was against his odds at Unforgiven. Triple H wins yet again, despite the Samoan Bulldozer looking for serious revenge. It's also possible more competitors get added to this match to make it for the WWE title.

Prediction: Triple H wins via pinfall over Umaga to continue the Game's winning streak at PPV's.

Beth Phoenix vs. Candice Michelle
(Women's Title)

Beth Phoenix looked poised to capture the title in her first attempt at Unforgiven. However Candice came up with one of the surprises of the event, beating the Glamazon to keep her title. To go out on a limb here, Phoenix captures the Women's title at this event, giving way to 2 title changes for the card (WWE also). It seems bound to happen.

Prediction: Beth Phoenix defeats Candice to become the new Women's champ.

Rey Mysterio vs Finlay

A grudge match added from Smackdown based on Finlay's repeated attacks of Rey. Finlay seems to have taken a role of helping wrestlers establish their path towards a title, as he gets put into matches with Kane, Matt Hardy and now Mysterio. Mysterio takes the win here although it wouldn't be surprising to see Finlay win with a DQ coming into play in this match.

Prediction: Rey Mysterio wins, either by pin or due to a DQ.

Big Daddy V vs CM Punk (ECW Title)

Punk has had the title just a short time like Batista. He was decimated in the ring by Big Daddy V a few weeks ago on ECW. Punk is a fighting champ and should pull out of this match somehow. Perhaps the Boogeyman interferes, or somehow V is counted out, but Punk will be leaving No Mercy still the ECW champ.

Prediction: CM Punk wins to retain his ECW title

WWE Title Decision

The No Mercy card is relatively easy to predict with the exception of the vacant WWE title. There's 4 names who seem poised to be wearing the belt and those would be Mr. Kennedy, Randy Orton, Triple H and Chris Jericho. Triple H already has a match, with the other 3 wrestlers not having any matches set up. The fair thing would be a Raw battle Royal (since Orton is the only true contender for the title), or some sort of mini tournament. There could also be a Triple Threat or Fatal Fourway set up. Maybe Vince says all the non title winners at No Mercy go into a Fatal Fourway as the main event with Randy Orton, etc.

It's incredibly tough to call here, because we've also seen Hornswoggle win a title and Vince McMahon win the ECW title. Wouldn't be surprised to see that come into play here. Anything is possible here but Orton is #1 contender and has been for weeks. Seems like he might be our next WWE champ.

Prediction: Randy Orton becomes new WWE champ, if not for some other major surprise at the event (Chris Jericho).

It wouldn't be surprising to see at least 1 more match added such as a Cruiserweight title match or a series of matches to determine the up for grabs WWE title. No Mercy makes for one of the most interesting Pay Per Views of the year due to the surprise factor over the WWE title.

Enjoy the event, and feel free to leave your comments on who will be next WWE champ (note: keep comments short or they won't be added).

No Mercy's Surprise Factor

One of the best things heading into this Sunday's No Mercy Pay Per View is the whole "surprise factor". The fact that the WWE title is now vacant and up for grabs with no match details makes for an exciting concept that could either draw in fans or turn them away.

From WWE.com:

"Details at this time are unclear. One thing is certain, however: There will be a WWE Championship Match this Sunday at No Mercy, and a new WWE Champion will be crowned."

As a fan, surprises are one of the best parts of WWE, the unexpected. The times when a wrestler makes a surprise return, or a title changes hands unexpectedly. One big example was Santino Marella winning the Intercontinental title in Italy, as nobody saw that coming.

Now you may be a fan of spoiler sites which is almost like opening your presents before Christmas and then re-wrapping them. You already know what you're getting, making it a lot less fun. It's always hard to understand why fans need to know who's going to win in advance, as it only makes the matches less worthwhile. Some people just don't enjoy the surprise element as much it seems and want to be first to know.

Now on the flipside of the "surprise factor" is the concept that maybe fans should know what they are getting when they pay for a ticket or Pay Per View on TV. It's understandable that injuries happen in sports all the time. You may buy a ticket to see the Los Angeles Lakers play because you're a huge fan of Kobe Bryant. Should Kobe become injured and you don't see him play, you're disappointed. The same can be said with the recent John Cena injury and now an unknown match awaits fans who are ticket holders or Pay Per View buyers.

The question seems open as to whether or not WWE has an obligation to let fans know how the WWE title will be decided prior to the show. Fans have purchased tickets already and many were in anticipation of the Last Man Standing main event featuring Cena and Orton. Now there will be no Cena in the main event, which may disappoint many ticket holders. However, that surprise factor just might work in the WWE's favor, as more people may purchase the Pay Per View program just to see what will happen and how the biggest title in the WWE is decided.

Smackdown Preview 10.05.07

Smackdown comes to us tonight just two days ahead of the next big WWE Pay Per View, No Mercy! There's sure to be plenty of action on tonight's show including the latest in several feuds heading into the event this weekend.

Tonight's main even features two participants from this weekend's Pay Per View in a "David and Goliath" style match up. On one side is Mr. 619 himself, Rey Mysterio, who's been on a bit of a roll since returning at Summerslam. On the other side is the imposing, former World Heavyweight Champ, The Great Khali. Will Rey Mysterio be able to overcome the odds and defeat the massive giant? Or will Khali once again destroy an opponent in the ring, sending a message to Batista for Sunday?

Mysterio and Khali's opponents for this Sunday should also be involved in Friday night's show, as Batista and Finlay will be preparing for their matches with each. Batista is facing a tough "Punjabi Prison" match with Great Khali this Sunday, as Finlay will be heading into one on one action with Mysterio. Will Finlay or Batista play a part in the main event?

The Cruiserwight title is also vacant, as Vickie Guerrero convinced Hornswoggle to give his belt up for safety reasons. With the belt now available will a new match be set for No Mercy to decide a new champ? Stay tuned to Smackdown for the answers.

Smackdown airs Friday night at 8PM EST on the CW network. Check local listings for coverage in your area.

Vote for Next WWE Champ

With John Cena becoming sidelined for up to a year, it leaves the WWE title open for many superstars to take at No Mercy this Sunday. The match format and participants have yet to be decided, but here's a vote in the meantime. Vote who you believe will be the new WWE champ as of this Sunday! Also see Commentary: The Next WWE Champ?

Who Will Be the Next WWE Champ?
	Randy Orton
	Triple H
	Mr. Kennedy
	Jeff Hardy
	Umaga
	Snitsky
	Chris Jericho
	Hornswoggle
pollcode.com free polls

Some may laugh at Hornswoggle's name above, but we all know anything is possible in the WWE! Also see Commentary: The Next WWE Champ?

Choosing a WWE Title Match

The news heard round the world this past Tuesday was that John Cena's reign as WWE champion has officially ended. Not by way of any wrestler really, but by way of the injury bug which has plagued many other superstars (Edge, Bobby Lashley, Undertaker, and Shawn Michaels to name four). It's been a historic title run of over 1 year for Cena, but now the title will officially go around a new wrestler's waist this Sunday at No Mercy.

Mr. McMahon delivered the bad news to fans on Tuesday night's ECW show. Fans in attendance were either booing or cheering emphatically. It's always a bit deplorable when anyone cheers a serious injury requiring surgery, but that is besides the point here.

So how to decide who competes for the WWE title?

Here's 2 scenarios for what may happen at No Mercy:

1) Triple Threat - They add Randy Orton to the Umaga vs Triple H match, making it a Triple Threat for the title. The reason being those seem like the top 3 guys who most deserve a title shot on the Raw roster right now. There isn't much more beyond them with the exceptions of maybe Jeff Hardy, but he has the Intercontinental Title. Mr. Kennedy fought and lost to Cena Monday night. So Triple H has been climbing the ranks lately. Umaga is a favorite of Vince and Coach. Of course Vince and Coach have been doing everything to screw HHH over the past few weeks, so this match idea could easily be dismissed.

2)A Raw Battle Royal is held, involving most of Raw's roster competing for the title. That's how Great Khali won the World Heavyweight title on Smackdown when Edge was injured. WWE.com in fact has a poll listing 24 wrestlers from the roster asking fans to vote for who they would like to see leave as the new WWE champ. A few names like King Booker, Hacksaw Jim Duggan and Ron Simmons seem a bit out of reason, but names like HHH, Orton, Umaga, and Mr. Kennedy seem on track. A battle royal makes more sense overall as it gives all of the superstars an opportunity at the belt.

Those 2 above scenarios make sense, but you never know with WWE, with the way surprises occur. Don't rule out someone from Smackdown coming over to Raw, such as Undertaker or Rey Mysterio to take the belt. It's also been highly speculated that Chris Jericho makes his return at No Mercy. Will Jericho somehow be thrust into championship contention in a battle royal or other match? No Mercy just got a bit more interesting, despite Cena's unfortunate circumstances.

News on No Mercy, Cena & Ashley

The latest news and updates regarding the WWE. First up, new Smackdown General Manager Vickie Guerrero has already used her new role to set up a match for No Mercy. In the match Rey Mysterio will do battle with Finlay, the fighting Irishman who has attacked him on Smackdown 2 straight weeks.

From WWE.com:

As a result of the persistent sneak attacks, Vickie Guerrero, wasting no time in making her mark as SmackDown’s Acting General Manager, announced that Finlay will face Rey Mysterio in the ring at No Mercy. No more talking, no more foreign objects or surprises. When the masked Superstar and the Irishman battle one-on-one at the pay-per-view, they’ll do so on a level playing field. And Rey will have twice as much motivation to overcome a relentless brawler like Finlay, as doing so might also shut JBL up in the process. (source: WWE.com)

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John Cena has been nominated for a UK Kids' Choice Award for Best Sports Personality. Cena says of the nomination:

“It’s a great feeling to be nominated. There are a lot of people who have different views on what I do – my set of ethics, my set of morals. I’m one of those guys who knows I’m in a position where I’m being watched, by all sorts of media, by all sorts of people. I do whatever I can to send whatever message I can to the youth," (source: WWE.com)

Cena will be competing with racer Lewis Hamilton, soccer star, David Beckham and middle-distance runner and double Olympic Gold Medalist Dame Kelly Holmes. You can vote for Cena for this award here at the Kids Choice Awards site.

Read the full WWE.com article about Cena's nomination here.

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As previously noted, WWE Diva Ashley Massaro's time on Survivor: China has come to an end, as she was voted off on this past week's show. Ashley speaks about her time on the show. Ashley told WWE.com:

"I was butting heads with the leader of our tribe [Dave] the whole time. He is just a tool,” she openly stated, “a jerk. Honestly, that was the biggest problem. [Dave] was extremely condescending and difficult. He is the most irritating person in the world. I’d love to get him in the ring one day."

With the way WWE works just maybe Ashley will get her wish. See Ashley's full story from WWE.com here.

Ashley Massaro & Punjabi Prison

Unfortunately, WWE Diva Ashley Massaro has been voted off Survivor China on just episode 2 of the show. Ashley received 6 votes, kicking her off the popular reality show. One other contestant received a single vote. No official word yet on Ashley's return to the Smackdown roster or WWE in general.

Read more info about Ashley here at cbs5.com.

Also see the CBS Survivor China site here


WWE.com takes an inside look at the "Punjabi Prison" match that The Great Khali and Batista are set to have at No Mercy. The imposing structure is discussed as well as details on how to win the match by escaping this prison.

From WWE.com:

"It’s almost ludicrous to explain that victory is achieved only by escaping the dual bamboo structures that form the Prison. That’s because the interior structure alone is 16 feet tall with four surrounding doors, each of which are manned by an official and raised open for 60 seconds when called for by a competitor. If you don’t exit through that particular outlet after a minute, however, it’s closed and padlocked for the remainder of the contest – and with it, probably all hope of avoiding The Great Khali’s freakishly long reach.

For the sake of argument, let’s just say that by some miracle you make it out of the interior structure. You still have to exit through the outer structure, which provides no doorways. That means your sole method of escape is to scale up and over a 20-foot barrier of bamboo, a coarse plant that’s far harsher than the cheap wicker baskets we commonly associate it with. Oh, and did we mention the razor-sharp spikes that await you up top?"

Read the full story here at WWE.com

Smackdown Preview 09.28.07

Tonight's Smackdown features the long awaited return of the Phenom, the Undertaker. Undertaker returns had been sidelined for over four months due to a malicious attack from Mark Henry. The attack also caused Taker to lose his World Heavyweight title, as Edge cashed in his "Money in the Bank" opportunity and was able to pin Taker. After defeating Henry in singles competition just 2 weeks ago at "Unforgiven", now Taker returns for another match against the World's Strongest Man. Will Taker dominate or will Mark Henry come away with the victory?

In addition, Batista and Khali are in preparation for their upcoming "Punjabi Prison match" at No Mercy, in under 2 weeks. Last week saw Khali gaining the upperhand and attacking the Animal. Batista was left knocked out in the ring with Khali standing over him. How will Batista respond on tonight's episode of Smackdown?

Last week also saw the big wedding ceremony between Teddy Long and WWE Diva Kristal. However, before they could officially be pronounced husband and wife, Teddy Long collapsed in the ring. WWE.com reported it was due to a Viagara pill, and that Teddy is in stable condition. Smackdown may hold more info as to Long's condition.

In addition, look for Rey Mysterio to avenge the attack Finlay gave him last week, and for Matt Hardy to continue to press MVP for a shot at the US title as they try to co-exist as tag team champs.

Tune in to Smackdown at 8PM EST on the CW channel for all the action!

Smackdown Preview 09.21.07

Friday's Smackdown comes on the heels of this past Sunday's Pay Per View, "Unforgiven" which saw a determined Batista regain the World Heavyweight title. With Batista tossing Rey Mysterio out of the ring and then making a statement to use a spinebuster and pin Great Khali, Batista starts his third title reign on Smackdown. However, there was another member of the Smackdown roster who would like that title back, the Undertaker. Taker returned to "Unforgiven" to defeat Mark Henry, the man who put him out of commission months ago. What will the fallout be from the Triple Threat match as Batista heads to No Mercy for a "Punjabi Prison" match against Khali? Will Undertaker make a statement to Batista?

Matt Hardy and MVP also retained their tag team titles, co-existing for yet another day. The question is when will MVP give Hardy a shot at the US Championship again? Be on the lookout for Hardy to continue to call out MVP for yet another title shot.

The big story of Smackdown is also the wedding of Teddy Long and WWE Diva Kristal. Last week the two had separate bashes, with dancers, strippers and friends all partying in seperate locker rooms/offices. Just when it seemed the couple was heading for a serious argument they started to celebrate and shrugged off their issues. Tune in to watch the big wedding and see how it goes down on Friday night!

Smackdown hits the air Friday night at 8PM on the CW Network. Check local listings for coverage in your area.