10/5/08 No Mercy

Star rating key:
(negative stars) = Huh?! (BS finish; most squash matches)
DUD = Boring match (or could not enjoy the match)
1/4* to 3/4* = It had watchable moments.
* to *3/4 = Average match.
** to **3/4 = Above average match.
*** to ***3/4 = Great match; usually saved for PPVs
**** to ****3/4 = Match of the year candidate
***** = The rarest of all matches. A classic.
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10/5/08 No Mercy:
Matt Hardy vs. Mark Henry (ECW Title): Very solid match with great chemistry. Nice counters and a hot crowd boost the rating. The right person won in this one. ***

Beth Phoenix vs. Candice Michelle (Women's Title): Again, a very solid match with the predictable interference from Santino. Very good finish at the end with a counter into the Glam Slam. **1/4

Rey Mysterio vs. Kane (If Rey loses, he loses his mask): Another very entertaining match with an extremely hot crowd. Great spots from Rey, including an excellent flipover counter into a DDT and several high-flying moves. Rey took a sick chair shot at the end, but it resulted in a crappy DQ finish. If it was a clean finish, the rating would have been higher. ***1/4

Batista vs. JBL (#1 Contender's Match for World Heavyweight Title): It was a pretty straightforward match. Batista got in most of the offense. Nice amount of impact moves and the crowd enjoyed it. *1/4

The Big Show vs. The Undertaker: Great counters and impact moves. Great false finish on the Big Show chokeslam. The Taker counter into a DDT was pretty nice. Not a bad finish with the KO ending, but it was still a bit disappointing. **1/2

Triple H vs. Jeff Hardy (WWE Title): Nice basic wrestling to start, a telltale sign for a pretty long match. It was an epic encounter, with Hardy so close to winning the belt at least 3-4 times. The crowd was the loudest and most intense of the night. Unbelievable action at the end, with Hardy basically hitting every move he knew and countering HHH's Pedigree to get one last shot. The ending was fantastic because it kept so consistent with the storyline about how Hardy was so close to the brass ring, and yet so far. The match went about 18 minutes, which was about right. The crowd (rightfully) seemed confused at the end and it sets the stage for a future rematch. Obviously, if Hardy had really won, this would have gotten a higher rating. ****1/4

Chris Jericho vs. Shawn Michaels (Ladder Match; for World Heavyweight Title): This was yet another match-of-the-year candidate. both men beat the crap out of each other, and Jericho legitimately cracked a tooth during the match (just see his face after the match and it's obvious). There were a ton of big spots in the match, as every ladder match is, but the two sickest ones were the suplex onto the announce table and the fall Y2J look from the top of the ladder to the floor. I'm amazed Y2J didn't really blow his knee out. Lance Cade interference was minimal and acceptable. The finish was unique, with both men grabbing one half of the belt in a tug-of-war. ****1/4