NXT No Mercy (2023) — BrandWiki

NXT No Mercy (2023)

Overview

NXT No Mercy

promotion	WWE
brand	NXT
date	September 30, 2023
attendance	4,954‡R1R‡
venue	Mechanics Bank Arena
city	Bakersfield, California
wwenlast	Payback
wwennext	Fastlane
event	No Mercy
lastevent2	2017
nextevent2	2024
event2	NXT major events
lastevent3	The Great American Bash
nextevent3	Deadline

The 2023 NXT No Mercy was a professional wrestling event produced by WWE. It was the first annual No Mercy held for the promotion's developmental brand NXT, and the 14th overall. The event took place on September 30, 2023, at the Mechanics Bank Arena in Bakersfield, California and aired via WWE's livestreaming platforms. This was the first No Mercy held since 2017, the first to livestream on Peacock, the first to be held on a Saturday, and the first to not be available on traditional pay-per-view.

This was WWE's first livestreaming event in which the company was not owned and controlled by the McMahon family, as the company's sale to Endeavor was finalized on September 12, 2023, with WWE and Ultimate Fighting Championship merging to become divisions of a new entity called TKO Group Holdings. NXT No Mercy in turn marked WWE's first livestreaming event under TKO.

Seven matches were contested at the event, including one on the pre-show. In the main event, Raw

Production

Background

No Mercy was first held by the American professional wrestling promotion WWE as a United Kingdom-exclusive pay-per-view (PPV) in May 1999.[2] A second No Mercy was then held later that same year in October, but in the United States, which established No Mercy as the annual October PPV for the promotion until 2008.[3] No Mercy was discontinued in 2009, but it was reinstated in October 2016 following the reintroduction of the brand extension, which brought back brand-exclusive PPVs.[4] Following WrestleMania 34 in April 2018, however, No Mercy was discontinued as WWE ended brand-exclusive PPVs, resulting in the reduction of yearly PPVs produced.[5]

On July 27, 2023, WWE announced the return of No Mercy for their developmental brand, NXT. The 14th No Mercy was scheduled to take place on Saturday, September 30 at the Mechanics Bank Arena in Bakersfield, California, marking the first No Mercy to be held on a Saturday. In addition to the WWE Network in most international markets,[6] it was the first No Mercy to livestream on Peacock after the American version of the WWE Network merged under Peacock in March 2021. It was subsequently the first No Mercy to not air on traditional PPV as NXT events ceased airing on PPV beginning in 2022.[7][6]

From January 2023 there had been speculation that WWE had been placed up for sale.[8] Hours before WrestleMania 39 Night 2 began, CNBC reported via multiple sources that a deal between WWE and Endeavor, the parent company of Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) via Zuffa, was imminent. The deal involved a merger of WWE with the UFC into a new publicly traded company, with Endeavor holding a 51% stake.[9] The sale was confirmed the next day on April 3, 2023,[10] and was finalized on September 12, with WWE merging with the UFC to become divisions of TKO Group Holdings. NXT No Mercy was in turn WWE's first livestreaming event held in which the company was not owned and controlled by the McMahon family, and subsequently the first livestreaming event under TKO.[11]

Storylines

The card included seven matches that were the result of scripted storylines. Results were predetermined by WWE's writers on the NXT brand,[12][13] while storylines were produced on WWE's weekly television program, NXT, and the supplementary online streaming show, Level Up.

At NXT: Heatwave, during a celebration with Meta-Four backstage after Noam Dar won the NXT Heritage Cup, Dar received a letter from the Heritage Cup Committee. The letter stated that on the next episode, a global number one contender's tournament would start, and Dar would defend the Heritage Cup against the winner at No Mercy.[14] On August 23 during WWE The Bump, the rules of the "NXT Global Heritage Invitational" were explained. The tournament would be a round-robin style tournament featuring two groups with four wrestlers in each group.

Event

Pre-show

There was only match that took place on the pre-show and it was contested between Kelani Jordan and Blair Davenport. In the closing stages, Davenport delivered a double-stomp for a two-count. As Jordan was attempting a split-legged moonsault, Davenport got her knees up and delivered Flawless Victory and the Falcon Arrow for the victory. After the match, Gigi Dolin came down and attacked Davenport.[28]

Preliminary matches

The actual event opened with Baron Corbin facing Bron Breakker. In the opening stages, Breakker delivered a somersault plancha and a release Northern lights suplex for a two-count. Corbin then delivered a diving clothesline and a vertical suplex for a two-count. Breakker then delivered a double-knee gutbuster. Breakker then delivered the avalanche Frankensteiner and a military press powerslam for a two-count. Corbin then delivered a Death Valley Driver and the Deep Six for a nearfall. As Corbin was attempting the End of Days, Breakker countered it into an inside cradle for a nearfall. Corbin then delivered a chokeslam to Breakker onto the announce table, but Breakker immediately delivered a spear to Corbin on the outside. Mr. Stone then came out and attempted a diving crossbody to Breakker, but Breakker caught him and threw him onto the security team. Corbin then delivered the End of Days and pinned Breakker for the win.[28]

Next, "Dirty" Dominik Mysterio defended the NXT North American Championship against Trick Williams with Dragon Lee serving as the special guest referee. In the opening stages, Williams delivered a shoulder tackle and a running lariat for a two-count. Dominik then delivered a front dropkick and a knee strike for a two-count. Dominik then delivered a slingshot senton for a two-count. Williams then delivered a leg lariat, but as he was attempting a pop-up haymaker, Dominik countered it into a backslide pin for a two-count. Dominik then delivered the 619 to Williams, but accidentally superkicked Dragon Lee. Williams then delivered a leaping neckbreaker, but Lee was still down. Another referee then came down and counted the pin for a two-count. Dominik then feigned an accidental shoulder tackle to the second referee. As Dominik was attempting the Frog Splash, Williams moved out of the way and delivered a running jumping knee strike and pinned Dominik to win the title.[28]

The next match fatal four-way tag team match in which The Family (Tony D'Angelo and Channing "Stacks" Lorenzo) defended the NXT Tag Team Championship against The Creed Brothers (Brutus Creed and Julius Creed, accompanied by Ivy Nile), the team of Angel Garza and Humberto Carrillo, and OTM (Bronco Nima and Lucien Price, accompanied by Scrypts). In the closing stages, Humberto delivered a springboard crossbody to Julius for a two-count. As D'Angelo was attempting a bodyslam to Angel, D'Angelo's knee gave out and he was carried by the medical team backstage. Humberto and Angel then delivered Total Elimination to Stacks for a two-count. Brutus then locked in an ankle lock on Angel, but Humberto broke up the submission attempt with a superkick. D'Angelo then came back out and delivered a spinebuster to Humberto. All the teams then delivered quadriple avalanche suplexes to their opponents. Brutus then delivered the Brutus Ball to everyone on the outside, allowing The Family to deliver Bada Bing, Bada Boom to Price for the win.[28]

In the fourth match, Noam Dar (accompanied by Jakara Jackson, Lash Legend, and Oro Mensah) defended the NXT Heritage Cup Championship against Butch (accompanied by Tyler Bate) in a British Rounds Rules match. In the opening stages, Butch delivered a lariat to Dar. Dar then delivered a low crossbody and a draping DDT to Butch for a two-count. Burch then delivered a sliding knee and the Beats of the Bodhran, but Meta-Four distracted Butch, allowing Dar to deliver the Nova Roller to Butch to score the first fall (Dar 1: Butch 0). Dar then delivered a victory roll pin for a nearfall. Butch then delivered a superkick, a moonsault and the Bitter End to score the second fall (Dar 1: Butch 1). Dar then locked in a bodyscissors sleeper on Butch, but Butch countered it into a triangle choke. Dunne then delivered the X Plex to Dar for another nearfall. Dar then delivered a spinning back elbow and an apron brainbuster for a two-count. Butch then delivered a snap German suplex and a low roundhouse kick, but Mensah delivered an enzeguiri (unbeknownst to the referee), allowing Dar to deliver another Nova Roller, but Butch kicked out. Butch then delivered the Tyler Driver '97 and the Bitter End for another nearfall. Mark Coffey and Wolfgang then came out and attacked Bate. As the referee was distracted, Joe Coffey then came out and delivered All The Best for the Bells, allowing Dar to hit the Nova Roller on Butch and pin him to retain the title (Dar 2: Butch 1).[28]

In the penultimate match, Carmelo Hayes defended the NXT Championship against Ilja Dragunov. In the opening stages, Dragunov delivered a running boot to Hayes. Dragunov then delivered three knife-edge chops and another running boot for a two-count. Dragunov then delivered the Constantine Special and a senton for a two-count. Hayes then delivered a roundhouse kick, but Dragunov then delivered a step-up enzeguiri. As Hayes was attempting La Mistica, Dragunov blocked it and delivered a leaping headbutt, but Hayes then delivered a step-up enzeguiri and a springboard DDT/bulldog combination for a two-count. Dragunov then delivered two German suplexes and a running knee strike. Dragunov then delivered a powerbomb, a turnbuckle Death Valley Driver and the Coast-to-Coast for a nearfall. Dragunov then delivered a deadlift superplex, but as he was attempting the Torpedo Moscow, Hayes impeded it with a Codebreaker. Dragunov then delivered two H-Bombs for a two-count. Hayes then delivered a superkick and a cutter for a nearfall. As Hayes was attempting the Nothing But Net, Dragunov impeded it with a lariat and delivered a top-rope H-Bomb and pinned Hayes to win the title. After the match, Dragunov hugged Hayes.[28]

Main event

In the main event, Becky Lynch defended the NXT Women's Championship against Tiffany Stratton in an Extreme Rules match. In the opening stages, Lynch wore a helmet and started delivering headbutts to Stratton with the helmet. Lynch then delivered a flying haymaker for a two-count. Stratton then delivered a snap suplex to Lynch on the outside. Stratton then delivered a running hip attack and a running double foot stomp to Lynch for a two-count. Stratton then hit Lynch with a crowbar and a wrench. Lynch then hit Stratton with a sledgehammer. As Becky was attempting the Dis-Arm-Her, Stratton blocked it and delivered a side walk slam for a two-count. Lynch then delivered the Bexploder into a chair and a missile dropkick. Lynch then delivered a reverse DDT to Stratton onto a pile of Barbie dolls. Lynch then put Stratton's head into a trash can and delivered a leg drop. Stratton then delivered a spinebuster and a powerbomb to Lynch onto the steel steps. Lynch then used a fire extinguisher on Stratton and hit her with a barbed wire bat. As Lynch was attempting a powerbomb, Stratton countered it into a hurricarana and delivered a discus lariat. Stratton then delivered a cannonball senton to Lynch onto the announce table and a Swanton Bomb for a nearfall. Lynch then delivered the Manhandle Slam to Stratton for a nearfall. Stratton then delivered a rolling Death Valley Driver, but as she was attempting the Prettiest Moonsault Ever, Lynch moved out of the way and delivered the Manhandle Slam to Stratton onto a pile of chairs and pinned her to retain the title.[28]

NXT No Mercy (2023)

Production

Background

Storylines

Event

Pre-show

Preliminary matches

Main event

Reception

Aftermath

Results

NXT Global Heritage Invitational

External links

References