Every No Mercy PPV Main Event, Ranked From Worst To Best
Mia Walsh
Published Mar 27, 2026
No Mercy was originally introduced in WWE's Attitude Era with two editions in 1999. The first one was in Manchester, England in May and five months later it returned in its traditional October slot. No Mercy was a full-time premium live event until 2008, and it returned for two more editions in 2016 and 2017. However, No Mercy is returning in 2023 as an NXT premium live event.
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There have been a plethora of high-level main events featuring some of the all-time greats to grace a WWE ring. Surprisingly, John Cena has never main evented No Mercy. The majority of main events at No Mercy have been memorable, but others have been lackluster.
13 Brock Lesnar Vs. Braun Strowman - No Mercy 2017
Brock Lesnar defended the Universal Championship against Braun Strowman at No Mercy 2017. Unfortunately, it was a sluggish match, and not many fans were expected to see the two super heavyweights go toe-to-toe.
The Monster Among Men threatened to take Lesnar's championship away from him as he executed a couple of Running Powerslams. Lesnar weathered the storm, and he retained the Universal Championship with an F-5.
12 Bray Wyatt Vs. Randy Orton - No Mercy 2016
Surprisingly, AJ Styles, John Cena, and Dean Ambrose's triple threat match for the WWE Championship opened up No Mercy 2016. The main event featured Bray Wyatt and Randy Orton. Unfortunately, Wyatt and Orton's series of matches didn't click, but this was a good match between the pair.
Both men enjoyed spells of dominance, and Orton attempted an RKO, but the lights went out. Luke Harper made his return, and Wyatt seized the opportunity to finish off Orton with his patented Sister Abigail.
11 Brock Lesnar Vs. The Undertaker - No Mercy 2003
For the second consecutive year at No Mercy, Brock Lesnar and The Undertaker closed out the show in a WWE Championship match in 2003. It was a Biker Chain match with the chain erected at the top of the pole. This was a decent WWE Championship match, but there was a lot of interference.
Undertaker was close to becoming a five-time WWE Champion, but Mr. McMahon interfered, and he pulled Lesnar off the top rope. Lesnar clocked Undertaker in the head with a chain, and he managed to remain WWE Champion.
10 JBL Vs. The Undertaker - No Mercy 2004
JBL's WWE Championship reign was in jeopardy as he defended the title against The Undertaker in a Last Ride match. This was a brawl between the pair, and The Undertaker executed the Tombstone Piledriver onto the steel steps with JBL's head split open.
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Undertaker didn't stop there and he Chokeslammed JBL through the broadcast table. However, Undertaker was aiming to place JBL in the hearse at the top of the ramp, but Heidenreich intervened. JBL went on to retain the WWE Championship with Undertaker placed inside the hearse.
9 King Booker Vs. Batista Vs. Finlay Vs. Bobby Lashley - No Mercy 2006
King Booker was scheduled to defend the World Heavyweight Championship against Bobby Lashley at No Mercy 2006, but SmackDown General Manager Teddy Long added Batista and Finlay into the mix to make it a fatal 4-way match. This bout was better than many expected it to be.
Batista's head was split open, and he was close to reclaiming the World Heavyweight Championship as he laid out Finlay with the Batista Bomb. Furthermore, Lashley Speared Batista and Booker picked up the scraps by pinning Finlay to retain the gold.
8 Steve Austin Vs. The Undertaker Vs. Triple H - No Mercy 1999 (UK)
The inaugural No Mercy event took place in Manchester, England in May 1999 with Steve Austin defending the WWE Championship against the Corporate Ministry's The Undertaker and Triple H. It was a glorified handicap, but Undertaker and Triple H couldn't co-exist as they both wanted to leave Manchester as the new WWE Champion.
There was fighting on the outside of the ring, and even Paul Bearer and Chyna had an interaction on the outside when Undertaker and Triple H failed to co-exist. The ending was chaotic with the Corporate Ministry interfering, but the Texas Rattlesnake found a way to retain the WWE Championship.
7 Batista Vs. Eddie Guerrero - No Mercy 2005
Batista and Eddie Guerrero clashed in an underrated World Heavyweight Championship match to close out No Mercy 2005. This was Latino Heat's final premium live event match before his untimely passing a month after in November.
Batista and Guerrero had good chemistry together, and the Animal had another strong performance. Guerrero was closing in on his second WWE World Championship with a Frog Splash, but Guerrero missed it, and Batista retained the championship with a Spinebuster.
6 Triple H Vs. Steve Austin - No Mercy 1999
Triple H and Steve Austin clashed in an Anything Goes match for the WWE Championship in the first North American edition of No Mercy in October 1999. The Game and Austin fought on the outside of the ring, and Triple H intended to hit Austin with his signature sledgehammer but Mr. McMahon took it away from Triple H.
The action spilled onto the outside, and Triple H bled profusely. The Rock came down the aisle with the sledgehammer that McMahon took away from Triple H, and he intended to hit the Game with it, but he accidentally nailed Austin in the sternum with it. Triple H removed Rock from the equation with a Pedigree, and Triple H took advantage to retain the WWE Championship.
5 The Rock Vs. Kurt Angle - No Mercy 2000
The Rock defended the WWE Championship against Kurt Angle in the main event of No Mercy 2000. The Olympic Gold Medalist was the reigning King of the Ring winner, and he had a superb debut year with Angle looking to add the WWE Championship to his collection.
Rikishi got pummeled by Steve Austin earlier in the night, but that didn't stop him from getting his nose in Rock's business. Rikishi accidentally hit Rock with the Savate Kick, and Angle laid out both Rikishi and Rock with the Olympic Slam which was enough to become the WWE Champion for the first time in his career.
4 Steve Austin Vs. Kurt Angle Vs. Rob Van Dam - No Mercy 2001
Steve Austin's WWE Championship was at stake in a triple threat match with Kurt Angle and his fellow Alliance member and Hardcore Champion Rob Van Dam as his challengers. The trio knocked it out of the park in a brilliant triple-threat match.
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Angle was dominating the bout but the Alliance stablemates combined to halt Angle's dominance. Mr. McMahon and his son Shane interfered in the match with Angle close to winning the WWE Championship with the Angle Slam, but Shane stopped him. Austin went on to retain the WWE Championship after he executed the Stunner on RVD.
3 Triple H Vs. Randy Orton - No Mercy 2007
Randy Orton began the night as WWE Champion but dropped the WWE Championship to Triple H in the curtain-raiser. Orton invoked his rematch clause and challenged the Game in the main event of No Mercy 2007 in a Last Man Standing match.
This was arguably the best match in Orton and Triple H's series. Orton connected with an RKO on the steel chair, and he executed an RKO on the broadcast table. Ultimately, Orton regained the WWE Championship as Triple H was unable to answer the count of 10.
2 Brock Lesnar Vs. The Undertaker - No Mercy 2002
The Hell in a Cell match is The Undertaker's specialty, and he went to war with Brock Lesnar at No Mercy 2002. Undertaker's hand was taped as it was broken, but the pair tore the house down in a brutal match.
Both men shed buckets of blood in the match, and in the closing stages Undertaker was looking to finish off Lesnar with a Tombstone but Lesnar countered it, and he retained the WWE Championship with an F-5.
1 Chris Jericho Vs. Shawn Michaels - No Mercy 2008
Chris Jericho and Shawn Michaels faced off in a ladder match for Jericho's World Heavyweight Championship. There's no surprise that these two ladder match specialists, put on a clinic in arguably the best match in the history of No Mercy.
Jericho took a nasty fall off the ladder, but he managed to regroup. Jericho and Michaels were at the top of the ladder with both men close to grabbing the World Heavyweight Championship. They were both pulling on the title, but Jericho headbutted Michaels causing him to fall off the ladder with Y2J retaining the title.
