WWE No Mercy 2017: Assessing The Potential Of All 7 Matches
6. Alexa Bliss Vs. Nia Jax Vs. Emma Vs. Sasha Banks Vs. Bayley - WWE RAW Women's Title Match
WWE knows how to promote a multi-person match - so much so that the well is running dry in 2017. It's the perfect shortcut for a company with more hours to fill than imagination to fill them; the road agents are dab hands at extracting drama within this framework, the moving parts can be chopped and changed in the weeks prior to fill up TV time in assorted singles matches, and though usually booked to maintain a title run and protect the challengers, in the magic of the moment, chaos trumps predictability. That said, WWE clearly has no long-term clue with the hot potato that is the RAW Women's strap, so anything is possible.
Emma is rumoured as Asuka's first main roster opponent, so she needs a strong showing here to be taken seriously in the weeks to come. Alexa Bliss possesses the best facial expressions in the company, and the twists and turns a Fatal 5-Way match guarantees affords her the chance to showcase her awesome range and carry the dramatic heft. Booked into oblivion, the chemistry shared by Sasha Banks and Bayley remains immune to their lowly positioning, bell-to-bell. Their inevitable breakup adds another interesting wrinkle.
Poor, prematurely-promoted Nia Jax is a potential pivot here. She remains prone to error. One such positional error has the potential to trigger a disastrous domino effect in a match so convoluted. Fortunately, logic dictates that her four opponents will gang up on her early, hopefully via ringside furniture wreckage.
Maximum Star Rating Ceiling: ****