10 WWE No Mercy 2017 Impulse Reactions

6. 5 Stars

Cesaro Sheamus
WWE.com

Over-delivering on wonky booking, a half-hearted comeback and awkward chemistry between all five, the Raw Women's Title match was a reminder of how good the division could be if the athletes in question were relied upon simply to wrestle.

As with WrestleMania 33's fatal four-way, Nia Jax's added value came to the forefront in spots she could be (at times, literally) carried through by her talented peers.

Kept fearsome and dominant, Jax was the constant looming threat the others had to concern themselves with, leading to inventive spots shoehorned in to keep her out. A kick-aided powerbomb to the floor was particularly breathtaking and brave for the relatively inexperienced star to take.

Such moments allowed for the others to soar, with Emma shaking off early nerves to show flashes of the performer that lit up NXT as both a bubble-popping babyface and self-obsessed sneak. Sasha Banks and Bayley again parted their friendship in failed quests to become Champion yet again, but Alexa Bliss escaped the chaos with a fall over 'The Hugger' to remain the leader of an increasingly motivated chasing pack.

It was unquestionably Nia's night though. Her bumps were memorable, and in set-pieces, she shone. A double samoan drop on Bliss and Banks drew awe from the live crowd, her legdrop nearfall on Sasha was the hottest two-count of the entire match.

Contributor
Contributor

Michael is a writer, editor, podcaster and presenter for WhatCulture Wrestling, and has been with the organisation nearly 8 years. He primarily produces written, audio and video content on WWE and AEW, but also provides knowledge and insights on all aspects of the wrestling industry thanks to a passion for it dating back over 35 years. As one third of "The Dadley Boyz" Michael has contributed to the huge rise in popularity of the WhatCulture Wrestling Podcast and its accompanying YouTube channel, earning it top spot in the UK's wrestling podcast charts with well over 62,000,000 total downloads. He has been featured as a wrestling analyst for the Tampa Bay Times, GRAPPL, GCP, Poisonrana and Sports Guys Talking Wrestling, and has covered milestone events in New York, Dallas, Las Vegas, Philadelphia, London and Cardiff. Michael's background in media stretches beyond wrestling coverage, with a degree in Journalism from the University Of Sunderland (2:1) and a series of published articles in sports, music and culture magazines The Crack, A Love Supreme and Pilot. When not offering his voice up for daily wrestling podcasts, he can be found losing it singing far too loud watching his favourite bands play live. Follow him on X/Twitter - @MichaelHamflett