WWE No Mercy 2017: Assessing The Potential Of All 7 Matches
5. Dean Ambrose & Seth Rollins Vs. Sheamus & Cesaro - WWE RAW Tag Team Title Match
Good as their first meeting was - and it was f*cking good, an uplifting and exciting story of the full reconciliation of two brothers - it was not without one suspension of disbelief-stretching flaw.
Dean Ambrose spent far too long selling Sheamus' Brogue Kick to setup Seth Rollins' face in peril spot. It's a devastating and protected storyline move, but Ambrose had barely suffered an onslaught before it was struck. Through no fault of their own, a bloody beach ball also emerged as a talking point at the midway juncture; Cesaro ostensibly had to turn face to put a stop to the farce, which, sadly, has lived as long in the memory as the superb work itself. A match like this is virtually guaranteed to be very good, provided the LA crowd affords all four men proper respect. That said, it's a test. Fans might view it as an interlude before the two major matches, and reserve their energy accordingly. Rollins and Ambrose no longer have the novelty factor on side, nor the dramatic shortcut of their tentative peace treaty - but these are four very talented men in there. They woke up a dead RAW crowd in a throwaway, impromptu Triple Threat match on this week's RAW. A match of genuine meaning could - and should - be something truly special.
It's a harder show than most to steal. That should be enough to motivate each man into the performance of which they are more than capable.
Maximum Star Rating Ceiling: ****1/2