The 2004 No Mercy was the seventh
No Mercy professional wrestling
Professional wrestling is a form of theater that revolves around staged wrestling matches. The mock combat is performed in a ring similar to the kind used in boxing, and the dramatic aspects of pro wrestling may be performed both in the ring o ...
pay-per-view
Pay-per-view (PPV) is a type of pay television or webcast service that enables a viewer to pay to watch individual events via private telecast.
Events can be purchased through a multichannel television platform using their electronic program guid ...
(PPV)
event
Event may refer to:
Gatherings of people
* Ceremony, an event of ritual significance, performed on a special occasion
* Convention (meeting), a gathering of individuals engaged in some common interest
* Event management, the organization of eve ...
produced by
World Wrestling Entertainment
World Wrestling Entertainment, Inc., d/b/a as WWE, is an American professional wrestling promotion. A global integrated media and entertainment company, WWE has also branched out into other fields, including film, American football, and vario ...
(WWE). It was held exclusively for wrestlers from the promotion's
SmackDown!
''WWE SmackDown'', also known as ''Friday Night SmackDown'' or simply ''SmackDown'', is an American professional wrestling television program produced by WWE that as of currently airs live every Friday at 8 p.m. ET on Fox. Fox Deportes simulc ...
brand division. The event took place on October 3, 2004, at the
Continental Airlines Arena
Meadowlands Arena (formerly Brendan Byrne Arena, Continental Airlines Arena and Izod Center) is a closed indoor arena facility located in the Meadowlands Sports Complex in East Rutherford, New Jersey, United States. The arena is located on N ...
in
East Rutherford, New Jersey
East Rutherford is a borough in Bergen County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2020 U.S. census, the borough's population was 10,022, reflecting an increase of 1,109 (+12.4%) from the 8,913 counted in the 2010 census. . Eight professional wrestling matches were contested on the event's
card Card or The Card may refer to:
* Various types of plastic cards:
**By type
***Magnetic stripe card
*** Chip card
*** Digital card
**By function
***Payment card
****Credit card
**** Debit card
****EC-card
****Identity card
****European Health Insur ...
.
The
main event
In sports, a card lists the matches taking place in a title match combat-sport event. Cards include a main event match and the undercard listing the rest of the matches. The undercard may be divided into a midcard and a lower card, according to ...
was a Last Ride match, where the objective was to
place an opponent in a hearse located on the entrance stage and drive them out of the arena.
WWE Champion
The WWE Championship is a world heavyweight championship created and promoted by the American professional wrestling promotion WWE, representing the Raw brand division. It is one of two world titles on WWE's main roster, alongside SmackDown's ...
John "Bradshaw" Layfield
John Charles Layfield (born November 29, 1966), better known by the ring name John "Bradshaw" Layfield (abbreviated to JBL), is an American retired Professional wrestling, professional wrestler and Gridiron football, football player. He is curre ...
(JBL) defeated
The Undertaker
Mark William Calaway (born March 24, 1965), better known by the ring name The Undertaker, is an American retired professional wrestler. Widely regarded as one of the greatest professional wrestlers of all time, Calaway spent the vast majority ...
in this match to retain his title. Two predominant bouts were featured on the
undercard
In sports, a card lists the matches taking place in a title match combat-sport event. Cards include a main event match and the undercard listing the rest of the matches. The undercard may be divided into a midcard and a lower card, according to ...
; in respective
singles matches,
John Cena
John Felix Anthony Cena ( ; born April 23, 1977) is an American part-time professional wrestler, actor, and former rapper. He is currently signed to WWE. Widely regarded as one of the greatest professional wrestlers of all time, he is tied w ...
defeated
Booker T Booker T or Booker T. may refer to
* Booker T. Washington (1856–1915), African American political leader at the turn of the 20th century
** List of things named after Booker T. Washington, some nicknamed "Booker T."
* Booker T. Jones (born 1944) ...
to win the
WWE United States Championship
The WWE United States Championship is a professional wrestling Professional wrestling championship#Location-specific championships, championship promoted by the United States, American professional wrestling promotion, promotion WWE, currently de ...
, and
The Big Show defeated
Kurt Angle
Kurt Steven Angle (born December 9, 1968) is an American retired professional wrestler, Wrestling at the 1996 Summer Olympics – Men's freestyle 100 kg, Olympic gold medalist in American freestyle wrestling, and former Collegiate wrestling, ...
.
No Mercy grossed over US$700,000 ticket sales from an attendance of 10,000, and received 240,000 pay-per-view buys. This event helped WWE increase its pay-per-view revenue by $6.2 compared to
the previous year.
Production
Background
No Mercy was first held by
World Wrestling Entertainment
World Wrestling Entertainment, Inc., d/b/a as WWE, is an American professional wrestling promotion. A global integrated media and entertainment company, WWE has also branched out into other fields, including film, American football, and vario ...
(WWE) as a United Kingdom-exclusive
pay-per-view
Pay-per-view (PPV) is a type of pay television or webcast service that enables a viewer to pay to watch individual events via private telecast.
Events can be purchased through a multichannel television platform using their electronic program guid ...
(PPV) in May 1999.
A second
No Mercy was then held later that same year in October, but in the United States, which established
No Mercy as the annual October PPV for the promotion.
The 2004 event was the seventh event under the
No Mercy chronology and was held on October 3 at the
Continental Airlines Arena
Meadowlands Arena (formerly Brendan Byrne Arena, Continental Airlines Arena and Izod Center) is a closed indoor arena facility located in the Meadowlands Sports Complex in East Rutherford, New Jersey, United States. The arena is located on N ...
in
East Rutherford, New Jersey
East Rutherford is a borough in Bergen County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2020 U.S. census, the borough's population was 10,022, reflecting an increase of 1,109 (+12.4%) from the 8,913 counted in the 2010 census. . Like the previous year, it featured wrestlers exclusively from the
SmackDown!
''WWE SmackDown'', also known as ''Friday Night SmackDown'' or simply ''SmackDown'', is an American professional wrestling television program produced by WWE that as of currently airs live every Friday at 8 p.m. ET on Fox. Fox Deportes simulc ...
brand
A brand is a name, term, design, symbol or any other feature that distinguishes one seller's good or service from those of other sellers. Brands are used in business, marketing, and advertising for recognition and, importantly, to create an ...
.
Storylines
The event featured eight
professional wrestling matches
Many types of wrestling matches, sometimes called "concept" or "gimmick matches" in the jargon of the business, are performed in professional wrestling. Some gimmick matches are more common than others and are often used to advance or conclude a ...
that involved different wrestlers from pre-existing
scripted
''Scripted'' is the debut studio album by American rock band Icon for Hire. It was released on Tooth & Nail Records on August 23, 2011, and went on to break the label's new artist record for albums sold during the first week of release.
Backgr ...
feuds,
plot
Plot or Plotting may refer to:
Art, media and entertainment
* Plot (narrative), the story of a piece of fiction
Music
* ''The Plot'' (album), a 1976 album by jazz trumpeter Enrico Rava
* The Plot (band), a band formed in 2003
Other
* ''Plot' ...
s and
storylines. Wrestlers portrayed either a
villainous or
fan favorite gimmick as they followed a series of events which generally built tension, leading to a wrestling match. All wrestlers were from the
SmackDown!
''WWE SmackDown'', also known as ''Friday Night SmackDown'' or simply ''SmackDown'', is an American professional wrestling television program produced by WWE that as of currently airs live every Friday at 8 p.m. ET on Fox. Fox Deportes simulc ...
brand – a
storyline division in which WWE assigned its employees to a different program, the other being
Raw
Raw is an adjective usually describing:
* Raw materials, basic materials from which products are manufactured or made
* Raw food, uncooked food
Raw or RAW may also refer to:
Computing and electronics
* .RAW, a proprietary mass spectrometry dat ...
.
The
main event
In sports, a card lists the matches taking place in a title match combat-sport event. Cards include a main event match and the undercard listing the rest of the matches. The undercard may be divided into a midcard and a lower card, according to ...
featured
WWE Champion
The WWE Championship is a world heavyweight championship created and promoted by the American professional wrestling promotion WWE, representing the Raw brand division. It is one of two world titles on WWE's main roster, alongside SmackDown's ...
John "Bradshaw" Layfield
John Charles Layfield (born November 29, 1966), better known by the ring name John "Bradshaw" Layfield (abbreviated to JBL), is an American retired Professional wrestling, professional wrestler and Gridiron football, football player. He is curre ...
(JBL) defending the title against
The Undertaker
Mark William Calaway (born March 24, 1965), better known by the ring name The Undertaker, is an American retired professional wrestler. Widely regarded as one of the greatest professional wrestlers of all time, Calaway spent the vast majority ...
in a
Last Ride match
Many types of wrestling matches, sometimes called "concept" or "gimmick matches" in the jargon of the business, are performed in professional wrestling. Some gimmick matches are more common than others and are often used to advance or conclude a ...
. The buildup to the match began after
SummerSlam
SummerSlam is a professional wrestling pay-per-view (PPV) and livestreaming event, produced annually since 1988 by WWE, the world's largest professional wrestling promotion. Dubbed "The Biggest Party of the Summer", it is considered WWE's secon ...
, where JBL defeated Undertaker in a
singles match via
disqualification to retain his championship.
On the August 19 episode of ''SmackDown!'', JBL wore a neck brace, to signify that he was recuperating from a
chokeslam
A chokeslam is a type of body slam in professional wrestling, in which a wrestler grasps an opponent's neck, lifts them up, and slams them to the mat. It is common in televised wrestling because it is simple and relatively safe, yet looks powerf ...
that Undertaker gave him on top of his limo. On the August 26 episode of ''SmackDown!'',
Orlando Jordan
Orlando Ruben Jordan (born April 21, 1974) is an actor/stuntman and retired American professional wrestler. He is best known for his tenure in WWE on its SmackDown brand, where he was a one-time United States Champion and for his time with Impa ...
, JBL's chief of staff, defended the WWE Championship for JBL against Undertaker.
Undertaker won the match via disqualification following interference from JBL;
as a result, JBL retained the title. On the September 9 episode of ''SmackDown!'',
SmackDown! General Manager Theodore Long
Theodore Robert Rufus Long (born September 15, 1947) is an American former professional referee and manager known for his work for WWE and WCW serving as an on-screen authority figure. Long began his career in the National Wrestling Alliance and ...
announced that Undertaker would get another opportunity for JBL's title at No Mercy in a Last Ride match.
One of the featured matches was contested for the
WWE United States Championship
The WWE United States Championship is a professional wrestling Professional wrestling championship#Location-specific championships, championship promoted by the United States, American professional wrestling promotion, promotion WWE, currently de ...
, in which
Booker T Booker T or Booker T. may refer to
* Booker T. Washington (1856–1915), African American political leader at the turn of the 20th century
** List of things named after Booker T. Washington, some nicknamed "Booker T."
* Booker T. Jones (born 1944) ...
defended the title against
John Cena
John Felix Anthony Cena ( ; born April 23, 1977) is an American part-time professional wrestler, actor, and former rapper. He is currently signed to WWE. Widely regarded as one of the greatest professional wrestlers of all time, he is tied w ...
. At SummerSlam, Cena defeated Booker in the first match of a "
best of five
There are a number of formats used in various levels of competition in sports and games to determine an overall champion. Some of the most common are the ''single elimination'', the ''best-of-'' series, the ''total points series'' more commonly kn ...
" series.
On the August 26 episode of ''SmackDown!'', the second match was won by Booker, to even the series one-to-one.
On August 27 at a ''SmackDown!''
live event
A house show or live event is a professional wrestling event produced by a major promotion that is not televised, though they can be recorded. Promotions use house shows mainly to cash in on the exposure that they and their wrestlers receive du ...
, Booker defeated Cena to win the third match. On the September 16 episode of ''SmackDown!'', Cena defeated Booker in the fourth match, making the series even at two wins apiece.
On the September 23 episode of ''SmackDown!'', it was announced that the final series match would be scheduled at No Mercy.
The other featured preliminary match was
Kurt Angle
Kurt Steven Angle (born December 9, 1968) is an American retired professional wrestler, Wrestling at the 1996 Summer Olympics – Men's freestyle 100 kg, Olympic gold medalist in American freestyle wrestling, and former Collegiate wrestling, ...
versus
The Big Show in a singles match. The buildup to the match began on the September 9 episode of ''SmackDown!'', where a
Lumberjack match
Many types of wrestling matches, sometimes called "concept" or "gimmick matches" in the jargon of the business, are performed in professional wrestling. Some gimmick matches are more common than others and are often used to advance or conclude a ...
was scheduled between Angle and
Eddie Guerrero
Eduardo Gory Guerrero Llanes (October 9, 1967 – November 13, 2005) was an American professional wrestler. He was a prominent member of the Guerrero wrestling family, being the son of first-generation wrestler Gory Guerrero. Eddie Guerrero is ...
.
The match ended in a no contest when Big Show returned after a five-month absence by interfering in the match, chokeslamming both Angle and Guerrero in the process.
On the September 16 episode of ''SmackDown!'', Big Show was given two contracts to choose from; one contract to face Guerrero and one contract to face Angle. Smackdown General Manager Theodore Long announced that Luther Reigns and Mark Jindrak will be banned from ringside and if anyone interferes in the match they will be Fired.
Big Show signed the contract with Guerrero's name on it. After signing it, Angle and his associate
Luther Reigns
Matthew Robert Wiese (born September 22, 1971) is an American former professional wrestler and actor. He is best known for his tenure in WWE, where he performed on its SmackDown brand under the ring name Luther Reigns.
Professional wrestling care ...
, threw Guerrero out of the ring and offered Big Show a handshake.
Big Show, however, tore up Guerrero's contract and signed the one with Angle's name on it to face him at No Mercy.
Event
Before the event went live on
pay-per-view
Pay-per-view (PPV) is a type of pay television or webcast service that enables a viewer to pay to watch individual events via private telecast.
Events can be purchased through a multichannel television platform using their electronic program guid ...
,
Mark Jindrak
Mark Robert Jindrak (born June 26, 1977) is an American businessman, former professional wrestler, and actor. He is best known for his appearances with World Championship Wrestling (WCW) and World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) as Mark Jindrak and ...
defeated
Scotty 2 Hotty
Scott Ronald Garland (born July 2, 1973) is an American professional wrestler who was most recently signed to WWE as a trainer at the WWE Performance Center. He also competed under the ring names "Too Hot" Scott Taylor (1991–1999) and Scotty 2 ...
in a match taped for ''
Heat
In thermodynamics, heat is defined as the form of energy crossing the boundary of a thermodynamic system by virtue of a temperature difference across the boundary. A thermodynamic system does not ''contain'' heat. Nevertheless, the term is al ...
'', one of WWE's secondary television programs.
Preliminary matches
The first match was between
Eddie Guerrero
Eduardo Gory Guerrero Llanes (October 9, 1967 – November 13, 2005) was an American professional wrestler. He was a prominent member of the Guerrero wrestling family, being the son of first-generation wrestler Gory Guerrero. Eddie Guerrero is ...
and
Luther Reigns
Matthew Robert Wiese (born September 22, 1971) is an American former professional wrestler and actor. He is best known for his tenure in WWE, where he performed on its SmackDown brand under the ring name Luther Reigns.
Professional wrestling care ...
. In the early stages, both competitors took the advantage over one another. Reigns controlled most of the match, as Guerrero tried to avoid Reigns' assaults. Guerrero won the match after attacking Reigns with a
baton
Baton may refer to:
Stick-like objects
*Baton, a type of club
*Baton (law enforcement)
*Baston (weapon), a type of baton used in Arnis and Filipino Martial Arts
*Baton charge, a coordinated tactic for dispersing crowds of people
*Baton (conductin ...
taken from a security guard.
The next match was for the
WWE Cruiserweight Championship between
Spike Dudley
Matthew Jonathan Hyson (born August 13, 1970) is an American retired professional wrestler best known for his tenure in World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) as Spike Dudley. Prior to WWE, Hyson began performing as Spike Dudley in the 1990s with E ...
and
Nunzio
James Maritato (born March 12, 1972) is an American professional wrestler, best known for his work in Extreme Championship Wrestling (ECW) and World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) under the ring names Little Guido and Nunzio. A high-school footb ...
. The match began with Nunzio performing a
pescado on Spike. The match saw interference from
D-Von Dudley
Devon Hughes (born August 1, 1972) is an American retired professional wrestler. He is currently signed to WWE, where he works backstage as a producer. Hughes wrestled for Extreme Championship Wrestling (ECW) from 1995 to 1999 and for the WWF/E f ...
as he pushed Nunzio off the top rope. The match ended when
Johnny Stamboli
Jonathan Hugger (born April 20, 1977) is an American professional wrestler. He is best known for his appearances with World Championship Wrestling under the ring name Johnny the Bull, for World Wrestling Entertainment under the ring name Johnny ...
tried to prevent interference from D-Von, allowing
Bubba Ray to crotch Nunzio on the ring post, allowing Spike to pin him to retain the title.
The next match was between
Billy Kidman
Peter Alan Gruner Jr. (born May 11, 1974) is an American retired professional wrestler, better known by his ring name Billy Kidman. He is currently employed by WWE as a producer.
As a wrestler, Kidman is best known for his work with World Champi ...
and
Paul London
Paul Michael London (born April 16, 1980) is an American professional wrestler and actor. He is best known for his time with WWE.
After being trained at the Texas Wrestling Academy, London began competing for Ring of Honor where his high risk ...
. The start of the match saw London perform a running
springboard moonsault
A moonsault, moonsault press, or back flip splash is a Professional wrestling aerial techniques, professional wrestling aerial technique. It was innovated by Mando Guerrero. Much of its popularity in both Puroresu, Japanese and professional wrestl ...
on Kidman. Kidman took control once back in the ring, as he focused on London's lower back. London attempted to perform a
powerbomb
A powerbomb is a professional wrestling throw in which an opponent is lifted (usually so that they are sitting on the wrestler's shoulders) and then slammed back-first down to the mat. The standard powerbomb sees an opponent first placed in a sta ...
but Kidman countered with a
sitout facebuster
A facebuster, also known as a faceplant, is generally a Professional wrestling throws, takedown move in professional wrestling in which an attacking wrestler forces their opponent down to the mat face-first without involving a headlock or Professi ...
for a
near-fall. The match concluded when Kidman executed a
Shooting star press on London for the win.
The fourth match was for the
WWE Tag Team Championship
WWE (formerly the WWF, the WWWF, and Capitol Wrestling) has maintained at least one primary tag team championship for its male performers since 1958 (except for a two year interim between 1967 and 1969). During periods of brand division, separate ...
between
René Duprée
René Emile Goguen (born December 15, 1983), better known by his ring name René Duprée (; ja, レネ・デュプリ, Rene Dyupuri) is a Canadian Professional wrestling, professional wrestler currently signed to Pro Wrestling Noah where he is a ...
and
Kenzo Suzuki
is a Japanese professional wrestler. He is perhaps best known for his appearances with New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW) and in the United States with World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE), where he was a one-time WWE Tag Team Champion in the lat ...
and
Rob Van Dam
Robert Alexander Szatkowski (born December 18, 1970) is an American professional wrestler and actor better known by his ring name Rob Van Dam (frequently abbreviated to RVD). He is best known for his tenures in Extreme Championship Wrestling ...
and
Rey Mysterio
Óscar Gutiérrez (born December 11, 1974), better known by his ring name Rey Mysterio, is an American professional wrestler. He is currently signed to WWE, where he performs on the SmackDown brand. Widely regarded as one of the greatest profes ...
. The match began with Van Dam and Duprée gaining the advantage. Mysterio was tagged in the match and performed a
diving headbutt
Aerial techniques, also known as "high-flying moves" are maneuvers in professional wrestling using the ring's posts and ropes as aids, in many cases to demonstrate the speed and agility of smaller, nimble and acrobatically inclined wrestlers prefer ...
, a
tornado DDT
In professional wrestling a DDT is any move in which the wrestler has the opponent in a Grappling hold, front facelock/inverted headlock and falls down or backwards to drive the opponent's head into the mat. The classic DDT is performed by putti ...
and a
seated senton
Strikes are offensive moves in professional wrestling, that can sometimes be used to set up an opponent for a hold or for a throw. There are a wide variety of strikes in pro wrestling, and many are known by several different names. Professional wre ...
on Suzuki. Mysterio performed the
619
__NOTOC__
Year 619 ( DCXIX) was a common year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar. The denomination 619 for this year has been used since the early medieval period, when the Anno Domini calendar era b ...
on Suzuki and attempted the
West Coast Pop but Duprée pulled Mysterio off the ropes. Suzuki pinned Mysterio using the ropes to retain the title.
Main event matches
The first main match was between
Kurt Angle
Kurt Steven Angle (born December 9, 1968) is an American retired professional wrestler, Wrestling at the 1996 Summer Olympics – Men's freestyle 100 kg, Olympic gold medalist in American freestyle wrestling, and former Collegiate wrestling, ...
and
The Big Show. The stipulation is that Mark Jindrak and Luther Reigns were banned from ringside and if anyone interferes in the match they will be fired. For the duration of the match, The Big Show, who stood at squashed Angle. Angle was intentionally counted out but General Manager
Theodore Long
Theodore Robert Rufus Long (born September 15, 1947) is an American former professional referee and manager known for his work for WWE and WCW serving as an on-screen authority figure. Long began his career in the National Wrestling Alliance and ...
ordered Angle to continue the match or Angle would never wrestle on SmackDown! again. After Angle returned to the ring, Big Show continued to squash Angle. Angle retrieved a
steel chair
A folding chair is a type of folding furniture, a light, portable chair that folds flat or to a smaller size, and can be stored in a stack, in a row, or on a cart.
It can be combined with a folding table.
Uses
Folding chairs are generally used f ...
but Big Show punched the chair onto Angle's face. As Big Show prepared to perform a
chokeslam
A chokeslam is a type of body slam in professional wrestling, in which a wrestler grasps an opponent's neck, lifts them up, and slams them to the mat. It is common in televised wrestling because it is simple and relatively safe, yet looks powerf ...
, Angle countered into an
ankle lock
A leglock is a joint lock that is directed at joints of the leg such as the ankle, knee or hip joint. A leglock which is directed at joints in the foot, is sometimes referred to as a foot lock and a lock at the hip as a hip lock. Leglocks are fe ...
. While Big Show reached the ropes to force Angle to break the hold, the
referee
A referee is an official, in a variety of sports and competition, responsible for enforcing the rules of the sport, including sportsmanship decisions such as ejection. The official tasked with this job may be known by a variety of other titl ...
was knocked down. Angle began targeting Big Show's knee and hit his knee with the chair. The match ended with Big Show chokeslamming Angle from the top rope for the win.
The second main match was for the
WWE United States Championship
The WWE United States Championship is a professional wrestling Professional wrestling championship#Location-specific championships, championship promoted by the United States, American professional wrestling promotion, promotion WWE, currently de ...
between
Booker T Booker T or Booker T. may refer to
* Booker T. Washington (1856–1915), African American political leader at the turn of the 20th century
** List of things named after Booker T. Washington, some nicknamed "Booker T."
* Booker T. Jones (born 1944) ...
and
John Cena
John Felix Anthony Cena ( ; born April 23, 1977) is an American part-time professional wrestler, actor, and former rapper. He is currently signed to WWE. Widely regarded as one of the greatest professional wrestlers of all time, he is tied w ...
in the final "best of five" match. In the early stages of the match, Cena and Booker fought at ringside. Cena took control as he performed a
One-handed bulldog and a
Five knuckle shuffle
Five Knuckle Shuffle may refer to:
* Signature move of professional wrestler John Cena
*"We Hate You (Little Girls)/Five Knuckle Shuffle", a single by Throbbing Gristle
* Masturbation, in British slang
{{disambiguation ...
. Cena attempted an FU but Booker countered with a
Book End for a near-fall. Cena was able to dodge a
Scissors Kick and executed the
FU to win the title.
Next was a
mixed tag team match
Much like the singles match, tag team professional wrestling matches can and have taken many forms. Just about any singles or melee match type can be adapted to tag teams; for example, hardcore tag team matches are commonplace. Tag team ladder ma ...
between
The Dudley Boyz
The Dudley Boyz (also known as Team 3D) are an American professional wrestling tag team that consisted of kayfabe half-brothers Bubba Ray Dudley (Mark LoMonaco) and D-Von Dudley (Devon Hughes). The team was also joined by various Dudley family me ...
(Bubba Ray Dudley and D-Von Dudley) and
Dawn Marie
Dawn Marie Psaltis (born November 3, 1970) is an American actress, nurse and a retired professional wrestler and professional wrestling valet. She is perhaps best known for her appearances with Extreme Championship Wrestling (ECW) and the Smac ...
versus
Charlie Haas
Charles Doyle Haas II (born March 27, 1972) is an American professional and former amateur wrestler. He is best known for his time in World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) from 2000-2009 and Ring of Honor (ROH) from 2010-2013. In WWE he was a me ...
,
Rico Constantino
Americo Sebastiano Costantino (born October 1, 1961) is an American police officer and retired paramedic, SWAT officer, bodyguard, professional wrestler and wrestling manager. He performed under the ring names Rico Costantino and Rico in World ...
, and
Miss Jackie. The match ended when Haas performed a
pointed elbow drop and tagged in Rico, who performed a moonsault for the win.
In the main event,
John "Bradshaw" Layfield
John Charles Layfield (born November 29, 1966), better known by the ring name John "Bradshaw" Layfield (abbreviated to JBL), is an American retired Professional wrestling, professional wrestler and Gridiron football, football player. He is curre ...
faced
The Undertaker
Mark William Calaway (born March 24, 1965), better known by the ring name The Undertaker, is an American retired professional wrestler. Widely regarded as one of the greatest professional wrestlers of all time, Calaway spent the vast majority ...
for the
WWE Championship
The WWE Championship is a world heavyweight championship created and promoted by the American professional wrestling promotion WWE, representing the Raw brand division. It is one of two world titles on WWE's main roster, alongside SmackDown' ...
in a Last Ride Match. At the beginning, the Undertaker performed
Old School, a Chokeslam and a
leg drop
A leg drop or legdrop refers to an attack used in professional wrestling in which an attacking wrestler will jump and land his leg across a fallen opponent's chest, throat, face or head or in some cases, the groin/lower-abdominal area.
The mov ...
on the ring apron. JBL hit Undertaker with the steel steps and tried to put the Undertaker in the
hearse
A hearse is a large vehicle, originally a horse carriage but later with the introduction of motor vehicles, a car, used to carry the body of a deceased person in a coffin at a funeral, wake, or memorial service. They range from deliberately ano ...
but the Undertaker fought back. JBL executed a
diving shoulder block but The Undertaker applied a
triangle choke hold on JBL, leading JBL to submit to no effect. The Undertaker backdropped out of a
piledriver attempt on the steel steps and executed a
Tombstone Piledriver on the steel steps, causing JBL to bleed. The Undertaker chokeslammed JBL through a broadcast table. The Undertaker carried JBL to the hearse but
Jon Heidenreich
Jon Heidenreich (born June 28, 1972) is an American retired professional wrestler, better known simply as Heidenreich. He is best known for his tenure with World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) on its SmackDown brand where he was a one time Tag ...
came out of the hearse and covered his mouth with a soaked rag filled with chloroform. Heidenreich placed the Undertaker into the hearse and drove off. Inside the hearse, The Undertaker jumped out and attacked Heidenreich. JBL executed a
Clothesline from Hell
Strikes are offensive moves in professional wrestling, that can sometimes be used to set up an opponent for a hold or for a throw. There are a wide variety of strikes in pro wrestling, and many are known by several different names. Professional wre ...
and helped Heidenreich place the Undertaker back into the hearse. Backstage,
Paul Heyman
Paul Heyman (born September 11, 1965) is an American professional wrestling manager, former promoter, photographer, and executive. He is currently signed to WWE, appearing on the SmackDown brand as manager for Undisputed WWE Universal Heavyweight ...
drove the hearse to the parking lot, where Heidenreich drove a car into it, causing an inexplicable explosion, meaning JBL retained the title.
Reception
The
Continental Airlines Arena
Meadowlands Arena (formerly Brendan Byrne Arena, Continental Airlines Arena and Izod Center) is a closed indoor arena facility located in the Meadowlands Sports Complex in East Rutherford, New Jersey, United States. The arena is located on N ...
usually can accommodate 20,000, but the capacity was reduced for the event. This event grossed over $700,000 from an approximate attendance of 10,000 – the maximum allowed.
It also received 240,000 pay-per-view buys.
No Mercy helped WWE earn $24.7 million in revenue from pay-per-view events versus $18.5 million the previous year, which was later confirmed by
Linda McMahon
Linda Marie McMahon (née Edwards; October 4, 1948) is an American political executive, retired professional wrestler, executive, and performer. She served as the 25th administrator of the Small Business Administration from 2017 to 2019.
McMahon ...
, the
CEO
A chief executive officer (CEO), also known as a central executive officer (CEO), chief administrator officer (CAO) or just chief executive (CE), is one of a number of corporate executives charged with the management of an organization especially ...
of WWE, on November 23, 2004 in a quarterly result.
Canadian Online Explorer
Canoe.com is an English-language Canadian portal site and website network, and is a subsidiary of Postmedia Network. The phrase Canadian Online Explorer appears in the header; the name is also evidently a play on words on canoe (or ''canoë'' in ...
's professional wrestling section rated the event 5 out of 10.
The rating was the same as the
No Mercy 2005 event, which was marked as an "absolutely terrible" pay-per-view from WWE.
The standard match between Billy Kidman and Paul London was rated a 7 out of 10.
Additionally, the matches of Eddie Guerrero versus Luther Reigns, Spike Dudley versus Nunzio, Booker T versus John Cena, and the Last Ride match were all rated a 4 out of 10.
The event was released on
DVD
The DVD (common abbreviation for Digital Video Disc or Digital Versatile Disc) is a digital optical disc data storage format. It was invented and developed in 1995 and first released on November 1, 1996, in Japan. The medium can store any kin ...
on November 9, 2004. The DVD was distributed by the label,
Sony Music Entertainment
Sony Music Entertainment (SME), also known as simply Sony Music, is an American multinational music company. Being owned by the parent conglomerate Sony Group Corporation, it is part of the Sony Music Group, which is owned by Sony Entertainment ...
.
Aftermath
Following No Mercy, the storyline between JBL and The Undertaker ended. JBL was then placed in a new angle against Booker T. On an episode of ''SmackDown!'', a six-man tag team match involving Booker T, Rob Van Dam, and Rey Mysterio taking on JBL, Kenzo Suzuki, and René Duprée was scheduled.
At the time, Booker T being a
villain
A villain (also known as a "black hat" or "bad guy"; the feminine form is villainess) is a stock character, whether based on a historical narrative or one of literary fiction. ''Random House Unabridged Dictionary'' defines such a character a ...
, congratulated JBL with the success that he has accomplished within the
company
A company, abbreviated as co., is a Legal personality, legal entity representing an association of people, whether Natural person, natural, Legal person, legal or a mixture of both, with a specific objective. Company members share a common p ...
in a segment backstage.
The tag team match got underway, and JBL was led to believe that Booker was going to betray his tag partners, as Booker warned both Van Dam and Mysterio not to interfere with him during the match.
The match concluded with Booker pinning JBL for the win, thus turning Booker into a
crowd favorite.
The following week on ''SmackDown!'', Booker defeated
Orlando Jordan
Orlando Ruben Jordan (born April 21, 1974) is an actor/stuntman and retired American professional wrestler. He is best known for his tenure in WWE on its SmackDown brand, where he was a one-time United States Champion and for his time with Impa ...
, JBL's associate, to earn the right to face JBL for the WWE Championship at
Survivor Series
Survivor Series is a professional wrestling pay-per-view (PPV) and livestreaming event, produced annually since 1987 by WWE, the world's largest professional wrestling promotion. Held in November generally the week of Thanksgiving, it is the sec ...
.
At Survivor Series, JBL defeated Booker to retain the WWE title.
On the October 21 episode of ''SmackDown!'', Paul Heyman requested that Theodore Long schedule a match between Heidenreich and the Undertaker at Survivor Series.
Long agreed to the match, but informed Heyman that in order for the match to take place, he had to get the Undertaker to sign the contract personally.
The following week, Heyman met the Undertaker at an undisclosed location where he pleaded his case about Heidenreich wanting to face the Undertaker in a match.
The Undertaker signed the contract and warned Heyman he would defeat Heidenreich at Survivor Series.
At the event, the Undertaker was successful in defeating Heidenreich.
Following his win at No Mercy, John Cena lost the WWE United States Championship to
Carlito Caribbean Cool
Carlos Edwin Colón Jr. (born February 21, 1979) is a Puerto Rican professional wrestler. He is best known for his time with WWE, under the ring name Carlito. He is currently making appearances for multiple promotions, including Qatar Pro Wrestlin ...
, who debuted on SmackDown!.
As part of the storyline, Carlito was given a bodyguard,
Jesús, who stabbed Cena in the
kidney
The kidneys are two reddish-brown bean-shaped organs found in vertebrates. They are located on the left and right in the retroperitoneal space, and in adult humans are about in length. They receive blood from the paired renal arteries; blood ...
while at a Boston-area nightclub.
On the November 18 episode of ''SmackDown!'', Cena captured the United States Championship after defeating Carlito for it.
Cena later debuted a "custom made"
spinner Technology
*Spinner (aeronautics), the aerodynamic cone at the hub of an aircraft propeller
* Spinner (cell culture), laboratory equipment for cultivating plant or mammalian cells
* Spinner (computing), a graphical widget in a GUI
* Spinner (MIT Med ...
-style title belt in December at
Armageddon 2004 in a Street Fight against
Jesús.
Results
Notes
References
*(2004). ''No Mercy
VD World Wrestling Entertainment.''
External links
Official website
{{good article
2004 in New Jersey
2004
2004 was designated as an International Year of Rice by the United Nations, and the International Year to Commemorate the Struggle Against Slavery and its Abolition (by UNESCO).
Events January
* January 3 – Flash Airlines Flight 6 ...
Events in East Rutherford, New Jersey
Professional wrestling in East Rutherford, New Jersey
2004 WWE pay-per-view events
WWE SmackDown