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

2. The Miz Vs. Dolph Ziggler - No Mercy 2016 (****1/2)

Chris Jericho The Rock No Mercy 2001
WWE.com

Dolph Ziggler's career has been at a dead end for several years now, but 'The Show-Off' showed signs of recovery during an excellent feud with The Miz in 2016. Much of this was down to his opponent's fantastic heel work, but Ziggler showed plenty of fire himself, perfecting the "held back" narrative that had formed the basis of his character work for much of his babyface run.

He met Miz in an Intercontinental Title vs. career match at No Mercy, and while the stipulation made the outcome relatively predictable, it was the strongest singles bout of Dolph's career. Both men were at their best, and Ziggler was more over than he'd been in years, with the crowd desperate for his victory. If building investment in a beleaguered performer was the stipulation's intention, it was successful: Dolph may never be cheered so vociferously again.

Miz worked Ziggler's leg over throughout the match, but he couldn't grind his opponent down. Driven, determined, and hell-bent on saving his career, Dolph survived The Spirit Squad's interference to finally put 'The A-Lister' away, sending the crowd into raptures. A huge, cathartic moment to cap one of the year's best matches.

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Andy has been with WhatCulture for eight years and is currently WhatCulture's Wrestling Channel Manager. A writer, presenter, and editor with 10+ years of experience in online media, he has been a sponge for all wrestling knowledge since playing an old Royal Rumble 1992 VHS to ruin in his childhood. Having previously worked for Bleacher Report, Andy specialises in short and long-form writing, video presenting, voiceover acting, and editing, all characterised by expert wrestling knowledge and commentary. Andy is as much a fan of 1985 Jim Crockett Promotions as he is present-day AEW and WWE - just don't make him choose between the two.