Faced with the obstacle of having to strip John Cena of the WWE Title, No Mercy became something of a debacle in its linearity. Starting with a match between Triple H and Randy Orton for the title, Triple H would win to solidify his place as champion. After this, Triple H would honor his previous match with Umaga. In another grueling match, Triple H would defeat the Samoan Bulldozer in his second match of the night. Just as Triple H's night seemed complete, he was forced into one last match: A Last Man Standing against Randy Orton, the man he beat just a few hours ago. After both men threw out most everything in their arsenal, Orton finally stood victorious after an RKO through an announce table. Although HHH would not walk out of the night with the title, his three match effort remains incredibly impressive considering the circumstances.