25 Hidden Gem PPVs To Watch On WWE Network

20. No Mercy 2007

An injury suffered by John Cena just days before the No Mercy pay-per-view in October 2007 forced WWE Creative to complete rewrite the event. That led to Triple H ascending to the main event, assuming the role of lead babyface for the evening. With the advertised bout between Cena and Randy Orton no longer happening, crowning a new champion became the focal point of the broadcast. Orton was awarded the title early in the show, only to lose it to The Game in the night's opening contest. From there, Triple H would have to overcome the wrath of a Vince McMahon who certainly did not want to see his real life son-in-law with the gold. First, he had to defeat Umaga, which he did. Then, in the night's main event and the Cerebral Assassin's third match of the evening, he was forced to defend his newly won title for the second time, against former champion Orton in a Last Man Standing match. Unable to withstand such punishment, Triple H dropped the title, leaving it in the hands of the man who started the night with it some three hours earlier. It was epic storytelling confined to a single night that reintroduced The Game to the title picture and established Orton as the new face of Monday night Raw. The undercard was tolerable but it was the story that ran throughout the majority of the event that helped make No Mercy 2007 one of the 25 greatest hidden gems available on the WWE Network.
Contributor
Contributor

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.