WWE NXT is back with their No Mercy premium live event on Sat., Sept. 27. It will be the brand’s thrd time using the old main roster PPV name. The show comes our way from FTL War Memorial Auditorium in Fort
Lauderdale, Florida at 7 p.m. Eastern.
This year’s No Mercy will feature four title bouts, a Weaponized Steel Cage match, and take place in the midst of a war with partner promotion TNA… which has a streaming special tomorrow night! That and everything else that goes down at No Mercy will stream live on Peacock here in the U.S., and internationally on Netflix.
In this post, we’ll give you everything you need to get ready for the show, with a quick recap of how we got to every match, and thoughts & predictions from our motley crew of NXT-following Cagesiders on each.
Let’s get to it.
Oba Femi (c) vs. Ricky Saints for the NXT championship
After losing a feud with Ethan Page for the North American title, fka Ricky Starks beat Josh Briggs to earn a shot at the dominant Femi. It will be the 11th defense for the champ; his last one ending indecisively when an NXT/TNA fight broke out during his match with TNA World champ Trick Williams this past Tuesday.
Geno Mrosko: T Pick:
Sean Rueter: The bookies like Ricky, and I think he could be the guy. But the end of The Ruler’s reign shouldn’t come on a PLE that seems to have flown under the radar for a lot of wrestling fans. Pick: Oba Femi
Claire Elizabeth: If Ricky Saints wins where Je’Von Evans failed, I riot. Okay okay okay I’m not gonna riot, but I will complain about it on the internet. I have never believed in Saints once, not in AEW, not even back on the indies when he was in Extra Talent-ed with Aaron Solow, and I don’t believe in him here and now. Pick: Oba Femi
Marcus Benjamin: Ricky got the heartfelt bio on television. That’s usually a good sign that he’s coming out on top. If Ricky doesn’t defeat Oba after Je’Von came so close, one wonders who ultimately gets the W against The Ruler. Even if it is No Mercy, I’m going out on a limb and picking the challenger. Pick: Ricky Saints
Jacy Jayne (c) vs. Lola Vice for the NXT Women’s championship
At Heatwave, pro MMA fighter and Instagram sensation Vice beat Kelani Jordan and Jaida Parker in a Triple Threat to earn a shot at the title. Jayne had been riding high as a double champion. But she lost the TNA Knockouts title to Ash By Elegance at last month’s PLE, and got knocked out by the #1 contender on the go home episode of NXT.
Geno Mrosko: Jayne has had one of the more underwhelming title runs in recent memory and there’s no reason to think they won’t end it here. They’ve long toyed with the idea of giving Vice the ball, and now it’s time to see if she can run with it. Pick: Lola Vice
Sean Rueter: Jayne proved doubters like me at least partially wrong with her title run(s), but it does feel like a good time to end her second one, too. Mostly because this is a prime candidate for a TNA run-in, and Lola seems tailor made for a big role in the ESPN era. Not sure she’s where she needs to be as a character, but that’s what WWE (and AAA) are for. She certainly has all the other assets. Pick: Lola Vice
Claire Elizabeth: It’s time for Jacy Jayne’s awkward poser butt to take her weird little interpretive dance promos and find the door. Lola’s more than capable of kicking her head off and carrying the women’s division on her ample… shoulders. Pick: Lola Vice
Marcus Benjamin: Despite what I said about opposite momentum, this feels like Lola’s moment. Fatal Influence is down one person and always coming apart at the seams. Lola’s got the backhand to bust it wide open. Pick: Lola Vice
Jordynne Grace vs. Blake Monroe
The Glamour and The Juggernaut hit it off after Monroe arrived from AEW earlier this year, but the former Mariah May showed her true colors when she cost Grace the NXT Women’s title at Evolution. They haven’t stopped trying to tear each other apart since, and Blake’s win at August’s Heatwave event didn’t change that. The powers-that-be at NXT decided to put them in a Weaponized Steel Cage match.
Geno Mrosko: They see a lot in Monroe but enough to beat Grace again? Yep! Pick: Blake Monroe
Sean Rueter: Really have no idea what their plans are for The Juggernaut these days, but I don’t think they involve three high-profile PLE losses in a row. Pick: Jordynne Grace
Claire Elizabeth: This is gonna be a slice of good friendly violent fun and honestly I would buy either woman winning here but my money’s on the stronger one. Pick: Jordynne Grace
Marcus Benjamin: I hate picking Jordynne if only because these two keep going back and forth with the 50/50 booking. Alas, that’s what we’re getting here. I can’t see Jordynne losing again and in such a violent match. It will show how far Blake is willing to go in front of an audience unfamiliar with her AEW exploits. Pick: Jordynne Grace
Ethan Page (c) vs. Tavion Heights for the North American championship
Taking the belt from Ricky Saints and winning their Falls Count Anywhere rematch gave Page momentum, and he’s used it to establish himself as the Greatest North American — and making sure we know he comes from Canada. That doesn’t sit well with former U.S. Olympic Team member Heights, and the issue between them has led to a Mixed Tag Match won by Page & Chelsea Green, a Flag Match won by Heights, and now this championship bout.
Geno Mrosko: He’s actually not All Ego, he’s also plenty of skill and tradecraft. Pick: Ethan Page
Sean Rueter: Thinking this belt might not be going anywhere for a long, long, looong time. Pick: Ethan Page
Claire Elizabeth: They’ve made this about Canada vs. the United States, and I simply cannot think of anything that I’d trust the US to do better than Canada right now, and that includes representing the continent of North American inside of a wrestling ring. Pick: “All Ego” Ethan Page
Marcus Benjamin: Tavion’s come close but I don’t see him sealing the deal. Ethan is hot and they’re not ditching that fancy belt already. Pick: Ethan Page
Sol Ruca (c) vs. Lainey Reid for the Speed Women’s championship
The champ when the social media-exclusive series the title was created for ended, Ruca’s only had two five-minute time-limit defenses of the Speed championship since winning it in April. A WWE developmental system product from Alabama, Reid upset AAA’s Faby Apache and former Speed Women’s champ Candice LaRae in a quick tournament to determine who would be Sol’s third challenger in a the first Speed title match on PLE.
Geno Mrosko: Not yet. Pick: Sol Ruca
Sean Rueter: The seed’s been planted for a title change, but like the long-percolating ZaRuca split and feud, I think Chef Michaels is gonna keep the Fatal Influence recruitment drive thing going for a while. Pick: Sol Ruca
Claire Elizabeth: I like Sol Ruca a lot and I already want my three minutes back. Pick: Sol Ruca
Marcus Benjamin: Lainey Reid looked good against Candice LeRae. But Sol isn’t losing right now. Pick: Sol Ruca
Je’Von Evans vs. Josh Briggs
Coming off a loss to Ricky Saints in an NXT title #1 contender’s match, Briggs took his frustrations out on Evans. But the Young O.G. was itching for a fight himself coming off a loss to NXT champ Oba Femi at Heatwave. The fight didn’t go Je’Von’s way when the former NXT UK Tag champ hit him with a chain-wrapped fist. Now he and Josh will do it again.
Geno Mrosko: You can’t have him show up on SmackDown, show out, and then beat him with Josh Briggs. Pick: Je’Von Evans
Sean Rueter: Alright now, big fella. I like you alright, but the future you are not. Pick: Je’Von Evans
Claire Elizabeth: Je’Von just took Sami Zayn darn near to his limit and he didn’t have a bone to pick with him. Briggs don’t stand a chance. Pick: Je’Von Evans
Marcus Benjamin: This is good spot for Josh but he’s not getting a W over Je’Von Evans on any show, much less this one. Pick: Je’Von Evans
Now give us your picks! Then follow our coverage tonight and we’ll see how we all did.
