10 Best WWE No Mercy Matches Ever (According To Dave Meltzer)

At a time when WWE were supposed to be promoting an all out war between their native superstars and the Alliance's invading forces, the company decided to book a WCW Championship feud between two of their own wrestlers. A hair-brained idea, and one that perfectly encapsulates the home team's dominance throughout the botched angle, but The Rock vs. Chris Jericho was a good match regardless.

'Y2J' defeated Rob Van Dam to earn his shot, and they worked their company's textbook 'big theatre' style throughout, emphasising a slow escalation of drama. The momentum was broken when the Alliance's Stephanie McMahon hit the ring, first distracting Jericho, then attracting Rocky's attention, earning her a Rock Bottom for her troubles.

This act allowed Jericho to seize the advantage and put Rock away with his short-lived Breakdown finisher on a steel chair. He was the new WCW Champion, but Rocky was quick to recover, handing Chris the chair to let him know that his victory wasn't an honest one.

Jericho and Rock always meshed well, but again, the ****1/2 rating seems high, as there was little to distinguish this match from any of the era's other big matches. Still, the duo's combined star power helped compensate for the bout's more pedestrian phases.