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WWF NO MERCY UK

Okay everybody, this is my first review, and something I'll have a few more of up in the next 2 weeks or so. I bought a bunch of old tapes at a local Movie Gallery today, and will post review on them when I get around to it. This particular show, however, I did not mean to buy. There are about 3 (American) PPVs in the last 5 years that I have not seen. No Way Out of Texas from 1998 is one. Revenge of the Taker from 1997 is another. And there is also No Mercy 1999. When I was looking at the tapes, many of them weren't in their original boxes. So this tape was in a box that said "No Mercy 1999". No more, no less. No description, nothing. So I buy it, only to get home, put it in, and find out the WWF (stupidly) also had a UK only PPV that year called No Mercy. I was pretty pissed. Anyway, on with it. I should also tell you that I have no clue when in the year this took place, so I will have to piece this together by what's going on with who. I also know none of the matches.

We open with Raw clips showing the formation of the corperate ministry. Hmmm...is Vince a member yet? He's not in the clips.

We are in Manchester, England, with Jim Ross and Jerry "the King" Lawler, and 17,126 screaming fans. Sadly, nobody showed up at WWF london for the show.

Opening Promo: Shane McMahon comes out the No Chance/Ministry mix, with the Ministry (Triple H, Undertaker, Farooq, Bradshaw, Mideon, Viscera, Chyna, and Paul Bearer). Shane declares them the greatest force in WWF history. He then outlines their goals for the evening. Their first three victims this evening will be those blood guzzling freaks, the Brood. The Brood defected from the Ministry, so tonight the Acolytes and Viscera will teach them what loyalty's all about. Once they're done with those three, it's on to the Big Red Retard. Yes tonight, Kane will be cooled off by the red hot...Mideon. MIDEON? Then, onto X-Punk. Shane is going to un-retire the European title for one night only, and give him a title shot. Finally, the triple threat WWF title match tonight between Undertaker, Steve Austin and Triple H will now be no holds barred, so the C.M. can interfere alllll they want. (I *think* I know when this is now. They didn't say if Austin or Taker were champ right now, but based on the fact that Mideon isn't Euro champ yet, I just need to know if X-Pac/Kane are the tag champs.)

We cut to the announcers, as Jim Ross explains that Stone Cold is a huge underdog, and will problably walk out of here tonight no longer the champ (Well it's not between Over the Edge and King of the Ring). Whatever. Can anyone tell me if the WWF title has ever changed hands anywhere besides the U.S. and Canada?

Match 1: Tiger Ali Singh v. Gillberg. Singh is from "The continent of Asia". After JR tells us Singh has lived a life of luxury and never worked a day in his life, he gets on the mic to tell us...the same thing. He was using that "I'm not a taxicab driver" thing even back then? He says his people are better than the British because they are "More richer, more powerful, and better looking". More richer? Apparently grammer doesn't matter in that part of the world. Gillberg than makes his entrance. Ross:"Goldberg". King:"You mean Gillberg?" Ross:"Yeah...well, what's the difference?" Gillberg is Lightheavyweight Champ, but this is non-title. Gillberg chokes on the smoke in his entrance. Finally, after (6:02) of entrances and mic time, the match is underway. Gillberg attacks Singh in the corner to start. Punch, punch, punch, you get the point. Tiger then escapes, and nails the press slam. But Gillberg is a machine! He gets up and hits one of the ugliest bodyslams I've ever seen, followed by the spear. He the does makes mean faces on the ropes, ala Goldberg, and his hit by a reverse neckbreaker from Singh for the pin at (1:28). At least the crowd was into it. Most of the time I could hear them over the machine doing the "Gill-Berg" chants.

Austin, considerate company man that he is, arrives at the building 30 minutes after the show starts. If they really wanted to get the WWF title off him, they would schedule his match first, and he would forfeit, because he is never there for the opening match.

Highlights are aired recapping the Brood joining the Ministry, then refusing to follow Taker's orders to beat on each other, and their resulting departure from the Ministry.

Match 2: Acolytes & Viscera v. The Brood. Man does Bradshaw look funny here compared to today. He's so...skinny. Big cheers for the Brood. Gangrel v. Viscera to start. Gangrel tries two clotheslines off the ropes to start, but Vis doesn't budge. Gangrel goes for a third, and Viscera catches him and nails a bodyslam. Gangrel gets up and tries to suplex Viscera (idiot), and Vis reverses to a suplex of his own for a 2 count. Edge gets tagged in to a huge pop, and he and Gangrel proceed to take turns dropping elbows on Viscera. Eventually, Vis decides he's had enough, and simply sits up and walks over to the corner to tag in Bradshaw. Bradshaw comes in and hits a couple reverse elbows on Edge, before Edge nails a standing dropkick. Both men are down, but Bradshaw gets to his feet first, and is ready to finish Edge when Christian comes off the top rope with a missile dropkick. Farooq then comes in with a clothesline from behind on Edge, followed the Spinebuster With Authority on Christian, then one on Edge for a Bradshaw 2 count. Farooq tagged in by Bradshaw, and he immediatly goes to the other corner to taunt the Brood. With the ref distracted, Viscera slams Edge into the ringpost, and Bradshaw hits him with an absolutely vicious shot to the head with the steps. Edge is bleeding almost immediatly. Vis rolls him back in, and Farooq covers for a two count. Farooq then goes for a suplex of some kind, but Edge counters to a DDT and tags Christian. Christian goes for a cross body on Bradshaw, but is of course got and is the victim of a fallaway slam. Christian then rolls out of the ring, where Farooq is there to meet him. He then slam his head into seemingly every nonmoving thing at ringside. He rolls Christian back in, Bradshaw goes for a pin, but Christian gets his foot on the ropes at 2. Christian then begins fighting back, comes of the ropes with a forearm smash. And again. On the third try, Bradshaw catches him in a bearhug. Christian punches out, comes of the ropes again, and runs right into a big boot. Viscera is then tagged in, and hits a sidewalk slam, but Edge breaks up the pin. Viscera then yells at the ref, and let me say, he has one of the scariest voices I have ever heard. Vis then turns around, and steps on Christian's throat. He then turns to bark at the ref some more, so Christian tries to sneak up from behind and take him down, but Viscera cathes him in a samoan drop, with Edge breaking up the ensuing pin attempt once again. Farooq is then tagged in, and puts Christian in a sleeper hold. Christian counters with a facebuster, and both men are down. Farooq manages to get to his corner first, and tags in Bradshaw, who then pulls Chritian back to prevent the hot tag. He pulls Christian up and nails a sick clothesline, which I thought was the Clothesline From Hell, but nobody made a big deal out of it, so I guess that's not his finisher yet. Anyway, Edge breaks up another pin after the lariat. Bradshaw nails a powerslam, Edge makes the save. Farooq is tagged in, his a backbreaker for the Edge save. Farooq is picking Christian up off the mat when Christian rolls him up in a cradle out of nowhere for 2. Shane and Mideon then come out, but stay in the entrance way for now. Bradshaw comes in and sets Christian up for a superplex, but Edge knocks Bradshaw off the ropes, enabling Christian to get a tornado DDT in, and make the hot tag to Gangrel. Gangrel nail both Acolytes with reverse elbows and knocks Viscera off the apron with a clothesline. He then hits Farooq with a knee to the gut, but runs right into a big boot from Bradshaw that misses totally, leaving Gangrel to sell a hit that didn't connect. Bradshaw picks him up for a fallaway slam, but Edge dropkicks Gangrel's back creatinga pinning predicament that gets a 2 count. Edge and Gangrel then double suplex Bradshaw, followed by a Christian frog splash and a double DDT off the top rope by Christian and Gangrel, but Bradshaw still kicks out at 2. Then, with the ref out of the ring trying to break up a brawl, Mideon runs down, DDTs Gangrel on the concrete, and Bradshaw hits him with the Clothesline From Hell for the pin at (15:04) I guess that was his finisher after all. This was a hot match, and I had forgotten just how cool the Brood was. After the match Shane tells us that's one down, three to go.

A vignette airs showing us that Steve Blackman is indeed a martial arts expert.

Match 3: Steve Blackman v. Droz. Blackman comes out to cheers louder than anything I ever remember hearing him get until his Hardcore champ badass period. Pretty much the only people in the building to react to Droz's entrance are King and JR, as they wonder where Prince Albert is. Two years later, and Albert is still no where to be seen, unless you count Jakked/Metal. Before the match starts, Blackman poses on the turnbuckle to huge cheers. Does Britain just love this guy or something? I just don't get it. There must be something Britain and CRZ aren't telling us. Anyway, the match starts with a tieup, and Droz pulls away and nails some rights to take Blackman down. Many, many stomps in the corner follow, and then somechoking via the ropes. Blackman pulls himself up, only to be measured up and nailed with an elbow to be sent back down. Droz picks him back up and drops him with a belly to back suplex that gets a 2 count. Droz then stands over the Lethal Weapon and talks some shit, so Blackman kicks him the face with what Ross calls "those magical, magical feet!". Several kicks to various body parts follow, and a spinning heel kick to Droz's face gets Blackman a 2 count. Droz then rolls out, and runs his mouth at some fans. Blackman sends him onto the announce table with a baseball slide. He goes to do something, but Droz pokes him in the eye. Blackman comes back with some knife edge chops and the action went back to the ring. Blackman nails a hiptoss, followed by an irish whip into the corner. He then charges, only to be met with a reverse elbow from Droz, followed by an inverted atomic drop and a clothesline. Droz then stomps on Blackman in the corner, and chokes him with his boot. As Blackman stands, Droz goes for a splash but Blackman moves out of the way and Droz goes down. Blackman goes up top, but the big elbow misses, and both men are down. Both men get to their feet at 6, and Blackman gets a rollup for 2. Then a northern lights suplex for 2. A Droz powerslam gets a 2 count. Droz applies a sleeper. Arm falls once...arm falls twice...arm doesn't fall again! The crowd is eating this up! Blackman elbows his way out, comes of the ropes, and is hit by a knee to the gut from Droz. Droz drops an elbow for 2. He then throws Blackman out to the floor and drops and elbow from the apron. He rolls him back in, and Blackman kicks out at 2. Droz goes up top for something, but those magical feet act up again and kick him in the face on the way down. Blackman gets a shoulderblack off the second rope, the locks on a submission hold I could best describe as and armbar, with a sleeper/chinlock being applied with the legs. Anyone who can help me out with name please do. Oh yeah, Droz taps out at (14:32).

Beaver Cleavage skit. Don't even get me started.

The sound of skidding cars can mean only one thing. Mankind makes his way to the ring to the loudest pop of the night so far. Ross begins talking about Foley's friends, The Union. Foley gets on the mic, and, in true Foley fashion, gets a cheap pop by mentioning the championship Manchester soccer team. He then starts talking about matches early in his career against the British Bulldog, and wishes Davey Boy well in dealing with his personal problems. He then says that tonight in his match with Billy Gunn, he will take away the only thing Mr. Ass has going for him, his good looks. He will make sure he doesn't...have a nice day!

Earlier today, some fans made predictions for the big title match. Why did 5 of the 8 pick Taker or HHH? Don't they know nothing important ever happens on these shows?

Match 4: Mideon v. Kane. If this isn't a sure-fire, can't miss, show stealer of a matchup, I don't know what is. Kane comes out with a big pop and a tag title belt, confirming what I thought. This show takes place between Backlash and Over the Edge 1999. Kane no sells some Mideon punches to start, then nails some rights of his own, followed by a choke in the ropes. Whip into the ropes leads to a big boot for Kane. Bodyslam + legdrop=2 count! Hogan must be outraged at that disrespect to his finishing combo. Kane then charges the corner, but Mideon moves, and Kane rams his shoulder into the post. Mideon then works the hurt arm with an arm ringer, but Kane escapes with a clothesline. Kane then comes off the ropes with the Big Elbow Drop That Never Hits, and both men are down. Both men to their feet at 5, and Mideon hits a jawbreaker, followed by a rake of the eyes. Kane then blocks a right and hits one of his own. Again. Now a reverse elbow on Mideon, and Kane goes up top for the clothesline, and then nails the chokeslam before the Corparate Ministry run in at (4:13) for the Kane DQ win. Viscera, the Acolytes, Shane, and Mideon beat up on Kane before X-Pac comes out with a kendo stick to chase them away. Shane then declares the Ministry 2 for 2, despite the fact that Mideon lost. Another boring match, but the crowd again loved it for some reason.

Recap of Sable beating Debra in an evening gown match on Raw, but Commisioner Shawn Michaels declaring Debra the real winner anyway and giving us a new Women's Champion.

Match 5: Tori v. Sable (w/ Nicole Bass). Sable says England makes her sick, so her private doctor told her not to wrestle tonight. Instead Nicole Bass will take her place, and Sable goes back to the locker room, so...

Match 5: Tori v. Nicole Bass. Tori punches Bass from behind to start, but it has no effect. Bass then simply hits a chokeslam and makes the pin with one foot at (:21) for the win.

Recap of the X-Pac/Shane feud, including the introduction of the Mean Street Posse, the Wrestlemania street fight, and the Triple H heel turn.

Michael Cole is with Shane. Shane has "Two words and two words only for you X-Pac: No Mercy."

Match 6, European Title: Shane McMahon v. X-Pac. Pac gets a huge pop from the crowd, making me wonder just when he started going downhill. Pac charges to start, and tosses Shane out over the top rope. X-Pac then stops to do the suck it gesture while the green pyro goes off in the ring. Shane then sneaks up behind Pac, who just throws him out again. Shane then tries to leave, but he gets half-way down the walkway to see the stooges (Ross says they're making their return, and the crowd seems surprised to see them, but I can't remember what they were returning from). They throw Shane back in the ring, where X-Pac hits two quick leg drops for 2. Chyna then comes out and takes out Patterson and Brisco, and distracts Pac, allowing Shane to clothesline him out. Chyna then beats on him outside while the ref is with Shane. Loud "X-Pac" chant. X-Pac makes it back in the ring at 9. Shane then hits a vertical suplex and forearm smash off the second rope for a 2 count. Shane then slaps Pac in the face, but he Pacs Up and slaps back. Pac firing away up Shane with rights, but Shane just hits a back elbow and goes to the chinlock. X-Pac fights out and hits a belly to back suplex. Both men get up at 8, and X-Pac hits two spinning heel kicks to Shane. Before X-Pac can get the pin, Shane hits the ref, knocking him out. Chyna then hits X-Pac with the European Title belt before he can hit Shane with the bronco buster. Shane goes for a cover, and for some reason the ref counts it instead of DQ'ing Shane for hitting him. Pac kicks out at 2. Triple H then comes out to see Shane miss a bronce buster try on X-Pac. X-Factor on Shane, but Chyna is on the apron with the ref. HHH then comes in and hits the pedigree on X-Pac for the Shane pin at (9:43). After the match, H and Chyna stomp on Pac in the corner, and Shane hits the bronco buster before Kane makes the save. Shane says that's 3 for 3, all that's left is Austin. Kane carries X-Pac out on his shoulders. Even though Shane is way better now then when this show took place, this was the best match so far.

Michael Cole is with Mankind (again? How much mic time does he need?) who begins saying that the Corporate Ministry doesn't hate him, but actually likes him when out of no where come Undertaker, the Acolytes, Mideon, and Viscera to tear apart the right kneee of Mankind. Foley left to get knee surgery shortly after this, so I guess they were building to that.

Match 7: Bad Ass Billy Gunn v. Mankind. You know what bugs me about this match? While I know the Rock will treat Billy like a total jobber, I'm afraid Foley might actually put him over. Billy gets a mic first, and talks but doesn't say anything. Actualle, he made no sense at all and I gave up trying to figure out what he was talking about. Mankind's music plays, but nobody comes out. Gunn says he should be the winner by countout. Just when the ref is about to start a count, Mankind's music of course plays for the third time tonight and out comes Foley. Gunn meets him outside in the aisle, and after some brawling throws him back in the ring to start the match. Gunn comes off the ropes with a dropkick, and stomps on the injured leg. Again. Again. Again. Again. Again. Finally, Foley just rolls out, but Gunn follows, and Mankind hits him with a clothesline. Billy reverses a whip into the railing, send Mankind over and into the crowd. They punch and kick a lot amongst the fans, before Foley throws him back over, then into the ring. Foley misses a legdrop, and Gunn puts him in a ringpost figue-four, with Foley hitting Gunn's head on the post to break. When Gunn gets back in, Mankind misses a lariat, and Gunn clips the knee. He then puts Foley in a figure-four that gets three 2 counts. Foley starts to roll it over, but Gunn grabs the ropes and Mankind starts screaming. Foley finally rolls it over, and the hold is broken. Foley then sends Gunn to the corner and hits him with a knee to the face. Foley goes out and grabs a chair, but the ref takes it away, so he just hits a double arm DDT, and it's time for the sock. Foley gets the claw on, but Gunn counters with a DDT onto the chair. Then a piledriver on the chair. Foley kicks out at 2, but the ref accidentally counts 3, and the timekeeper sees this and thinks it's over, so he rings the bell. They just ignore it though and move on. Gunn then hits a fameasser on the chair for the pin at (11:34). I have no clue why Gunn wasn't DQ'ed, and an only OK match wasn't helped by the awkward ending.

King and JR talk about the British Bulldog, and wish him a speedy recovery from all the problems he's facing.

Video look at how tonight's main event came to be. Same one that opened the show.

Match 8, No Holds Barred, WWF Title: Triple H (w/ Chyna) v. the Undertaker (w/ Paul Bearer) v. Stone Cold Steve Austin. H meets Austin in the entry, and the two brawl their way to the ring. Once inside, Taker "hits" Austin with two belt shots, but actually misses pretty badly. The first three minutes is brawling. Punch, kick, repeat. Finally, Taker is knocked out of the ring, and Austin hits the Thesz press on Triple H, broken up by Taker. Taker gets the rear chinlock on Austin as H kicks him in the gut. Austin then rolls out again for...you guessed it, brawling. HHH tries a vertical suplex on the outside, but Austin reverses for one of his own. Austin then tries to piledrive Taker, but gets hit with a backbody drop. H and Taker then take turns punching Austin back and forth with right hands until Taker rolls him back in and covers for a 2 count. Taker then comes off the ropes with a clothesline, and H comes in with a chair but the ref takes it away. Austin eventually gets it, and hits both men, covering HHH for a 2 count. After a ring post low blow on H by Austin, Taker stares down Austin, only to attempt a chokeslam on HHH, which Austin stops with another ring post low blow, this time to Taker. Undertaker and HHH get into a shoving match, resulting in Taker throwing H out of the ring. He then tries to chokeslam Austin, but HHH breaks that up. HHH and Austin then team up for a while on Taker, before HHH decides to give the high knee to Austin from behind to get a 2 count. Taker then sends HHH out, and goes for a tombstone on Austin, but Austin counters into a stunner, only for Taker to shove him off, right into HHH. H goes for a pedigree on Austin, but Austin counters and slingshots him right into Undertaker, who catches him and chokeslams him, but Austin breaks up the ensuing pin at 2. Austin then stuns Taker, but HHH pulls him off at 2. Austin then stuns HHH, but Taker makes the save at 2. The ministry then runs out and jumps Austin, but out come Kane, X-Pac, the Brood and Mankind to chase everyone off, leaving only Austin and Triple H in the ring. H hits Austin with a knee to the face, "facebuster" according to Ross, and then puts on a chokehold. Austin punches out, but Chyna comes in, so Austin stuns her. He then turns around, double bird for Triple H, stunner, and Austin retains at (18:27). After the match, Shane, H, and Chyna all get a Stunner, and X-Pac hits them all with a bronco buster. As Pac, Austin, and Earl Hebner share a drink, HHH and Shane wake up, so Austin stuns them both at once, and Shane then gets an X-Factor. Austin then stuns Triple H again to close the show.

Thoughts: Watching this makes me appreciate the Steve Austin who's on TV right now. He and the Undertaker were so beat up at this point, that they could do little but punch and kick. The main event sucked, and even a fast paced finish couldn't save it. Best match was Shane/X-Pac. Too bad it was a UK only show, so I knew nothing important would happen. Simply an episode of Raw is all it was. I still need to see the Austin/Triple H match I expected when I bought this tape.

Let me know how I did. Any other ideas or suggestions before I review the other tapes? Any mail or EZBoard comments are appreciated.

Bucs792
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