In the middle of the Invasion angle, WWE presented No Mercy in October 2001. Awful booking and a reluctance by Vince McMahon to put former WCW talent over his homegrown stars led to the failure of the concept but that did not stop the immensely talented roster from delivering a show that was enjoyable from start to finish. As the most over of the invading superstars, Rob Van Dam enjoyed a meteoric rise that culminated in him headlining the show, competing in a Triple Threat match for the WWE Championship against the feuding Steve Austin and Kurt Angle. Van Dam was hardly the only young star to make a major splash in the main event scene, though. Chris Jericho competed in his first legitimate shot at proving his worth as marquee attraction, battling The Rock for the WCW heavyweight title. The match, a hidden gem in its own right, featured two of the most gifted performers of their generation at their peaks, delivering as only they could. Sure, the finish involving Stephanie McMahon threatened to drag it down a notch but still, the contest was an instant-classic. Even the undercard, which featured the Hardy Boyz defending the WCW tag titles against Hurricane and Lance Storm, Stacy Keibler and Torrie Wilson rolling around the ring and wowing the male audience in a lingerie match, Kane battling Test in a war of the big men and Undertaker squaring off with Booker T, was thoroughly entertaining and made for a great night of professional wrestling.
Erik Beaston is a freelance pro wrestling writer who likes long walks in the park, dandelions and has not quite figured out that this introduction is not for Match.com. He resides in Parts Unknown, where he hosts weekly cookouts with Kane, The Ultimate Warrior, Papa Shango and The Boogeyman. Be jealous.
