WWE No Mercy 2017: Preview, Odds, & Predictions

Baseball playoffs and the return of football be damned! The WWE is going to show No Mercy!

This is usually the WWE’s slowest time of the year — that inevitable lull between SummerSlam and Royal Rumble. It’s also a time of year when the WWE goes head-to-head with the NFL and, eventually, MLB postseason.

Whether they’re trying to get eyeballs during a busy time in sports or because they are looking to improve the quality of their shows, the WWE has a pretty stacked card coming to No Mercy in Los Angeles on September 24. It’s full of matchups that we don’t normally see on a B-level pay-per-view.

Fans certainly won’t complain about matches like Lesnar vs. Strowman and Cena vs. Reigns, both of which are worthy of headlining a Wrestlemania card. Instead, we get to open our presents early, hoping this trend continues for the coming months.

Let’s look at the matches that have been confirmed and predict some winners.

NO MERCY 2017: ODDS AND PREDICTIONS

NB:card is subject to change; one or two more matches may be added over the next week.

BROCK LESNAR (C) vs. BRAUN STROWMAN (Universal Title)

In a perfect world (i.e. one where I book WWE matches), I would have waited a bit longer on this explosive matchup.

Lesnar barely survived SummerSlam whilst being manhandled by Strowman for the better part of the match. Of course in dramatic fashion, Lesnar was able to retain his title and the feud of Monster vs. Beast was born!

In my humble pro-wrestling expert opinion, it would have been better to continue to build the tension of this feud a bit longer and put a matchup of this magnitude on a bigger card. Sometimes it’s nice to have a little foreplay instead of jumping right into the action.

My guess is that this feud will continue with Lesnar retaining once again at No Mercy. But there is a legitimate chance that he could drop the title to Strowman now, leading to another match at the TLC: Tables, Ladders & Chairs pay-per-view in Lesnar’s home state of Minnesota on October 22.

Lesnar’s schedule after No Mercy isn’t really clear. He has been known to take some time off at this time of year to work on his farm. He could reappear at Survivor Series in November instead of TLC.

Regardless of when he pops up again, I’m going with Lesnar retaining.

Predicted winner (and odds): Brock Lesnar (2/3)

JOHN CENA vs. ROMAN REIGNS

This could have easily been the main event at Wrestlemania 34. Better late than never. Both of these men have delivered great promo work leading into this big matchup, creating fantastic buzz. It wouldn’t surprise me if this match is positioned as the main event on this card.

Roman Reigns and John Cena are considered by fans as Vince McMahon’s chosen ones, but since defeating, and burying, The Undertaker at WrestleMania 33, Reigns has lost three straight pay-per-view matches, so he needs a win, and it needs to be big.

Nothing would be bigger than defeating “Big Match” John at this year’s No Mercy, thus sparking a winning streak heading into the Wrestlemania season.

Word on the street is that Cena is going back into the Hollywood protection program. It seems logical for Reigns to get the much-needed win here.

Predicted winner (and odds): Roman Reigns (1/3)

ALEXA BLISS (C) vs. SASHA BANKS vs. EMMA vs. NIA JAX (Women’s Championship)

Sasha gets a chance for revenge after Alexa Bliss surprisingly won the women’s title on an episode of RAW. There is a lot of booking going on in the women’s division; it’s hard to predict how these matches will go. It doesn’t do the women’s revolution any justice when their belt gets passed around like a doobie.

Regardless, Bliss is a great heel champion so it’s nice to see the belt around her waist; the question is for how long?

In what was originally rumored to be a straight one on one match between Bliss and Banks is now a fatal-four-way with Emma and Nia Jax added to the mix.

There is an argument to be made that Jax deserves and could end up with the title at No Mercy. There is also a potential swerve that could happen here with Emma winning the title (as we saw hinted recently on RAW). That said, I’m going with Bliss to retain.

Odds:

• Alexa Bliss: 3/2
• Sasha Banks: 2/1
• Nia Jax: 4/1
• Emma: 15/1

Predicted winner: Alexa Bliss

DEAN AMBROSE & SETH ROLLINS (C) vs. SHEAMUS & CESARO (Tag Team Championship)

Both these teams have some great chemistry so I’m okay with this SummerSlam rematch. Although this will no doubt be entertaining, I don’t see Rollins and Ambrose relinquishing the titles they just won. They are extremely over with the fans and I predict they’ll win and move onto a different feud.

Predicted winner (and odds): Ambrose & Rollins (1/4)

FINN BALOR vs. BRAY WYATT

Last time out, it was Bray Wyatt vs. The Demon, and that didn’t go well for Wyatt. Now Finn Balor will presumably put his demonic alter ego aside and will face “The Eater of Worlds” mano a mano.

This match will go one of two ways: either Wyatt will win at No Mercy, forcing a trilogy match at TLC, or Balor will win cleanly and both men will move on to better feuds. (I’m hoping for the latter.)

This is a hard one to call. My gut instinct says that Wyatt will win at No Mercy in order to remain somewhat strong before losing again at TLC. The WWE loves to keep Wyatt in middling purgatory.

Predicted winner (and odds): Bray Wyatt (1/1)

NEVILLE (C) vs. ENZO AMORE (Cruiserweight Championship)

The highlight of this match will be Neville. Anytime we get to watch the cruiserweight champ do his thing, it’s a positive. His opponent will be none other than Enzo Amore who, umm … does stuff? I get that he is over with the fans because he can cut a promo, but I’m not sure how he got a title shot. It must have been for all that “winning” he was doing.

This match now features one of the best in-ring technicians versus one of the worst in a match that’s pretty easy for me to predict.

There is no way Neville is going to job to Enzo Amore. Not yet, anyway. I would be shocked and puzzled if that were to happen at No Mercy. Even if the cruiserweight division is hurting and stale, putting the belt on the “realest guy in the room” would be a mistake.

Predicted winner (and odds): Neville (3/17)

RUMORED MATCHES

THE MIZ (C) vs JASON JORDAN (Intercontinental Championship)

Not sure why The Miz is an afterthought on WWE pay-per-views right now. He is the best performer on the RAW brand but right now the prestigious Intercontinental Title doesn’t seem to be getting much play.

The current buzz is that Miz will defend his title against Jason Jordan. Not sure how someone like Jordan gets a title shot after losing three matches in a row, including a pinfall loss to The Miz at SummerSlam in a six-man tag match. According to Sportskeeda, Jordan will be rewarded with a title shot based on his “strong showings” against Balor, Cena, and Reigns.

If this match happens, take The Miz to retain.

Predicted winner (and odds): The Miz (1/9)

HARDY BOYZ vs. ANDERSON AND GALLOWS

The WWE would love to have another tag-team match on the card so that they can include the Hardy Boyz on the pay-per-view. It appears that could happen with the rumored Hardys vs. The Club (Anderson and Gallows.) These teams have met before, but this time the winner could become the next contender for the Raw Tag Team Championship.

If Rollins and Ambrose are going to hang onto the title, my guess is Gallows and Anderson will win due to being heels. I don’t see the WWE going with the face team in the Hardyz versus another face team in Rollins and Ambrose.

But again, this is just a rumor for now.

Predicted winner (and odds): Anderson and Gallows (9/11)