10 Things WWE Raw Can Learn From No Mercy 2016

For the second PPV in a row, AJ Styles bent the rules to win. While introducing a steel chair to a Triple Threat isn’t technically cheating, it is certainly not the norm.

He wasn’t the only one to do that at No Mercy. Baron Corbin set up his finish with Jack Swagger with a rake of the eyes, something that was most definitely against the rules. In a change from the norm, though, neither of these matches made the men involved look weak.

We’ve seen talent on Raw cheat to win time after time, and they've been hurt by it. SmackDown managed to avoid that. In AJ Styles' case, a lot of that is down to the performer himself. It’s hard for Styles to look weak when he is so good at what he does. In fact, any chance to put some heat on him with the fans needs to be grasped with both hands because most people’s natural reaction to him is to cheer.

For Baron Corbin, it felt like the classic example of a heel outsmarting a babyface and not necessarily due to the babyface being stupid. He took advantage of the situation and came out on top.

Unlike having other talent interfere or wrestler’s walk away from matches, SmackDown’s use of cheating enhanced those involved and continued the feuds they were involved in. It’s a world of difference from making them look like weak cowards.