WWE NXT No Mercy 2023 Preview: What We Expect From Each Match
Saturday night, WWE presents "WWE NXT" No Mercy from the Mechanics Bank Arena in Bakersfield, California. Seven matches have been announced for the card, including two championship rematches, and a PLE (pre-show) debut for Kelani Jordan. Let's take a further look at the card.
Perhaps the most enticing bout is that of Carmelo Hayes vs. Ilja Dragunov, which will see Hayes defend the "NXT" Championship against "The Mad Dragon." Following their rather physical faceoff at The Great American Bash, Hayes noted that he needed two months to recover, which prompted him to elevate his preparation routine for the rematch. Dragunov, on the other hand, is hungry for redemption after their first title match left him unfulfilled, and void of the "NXT" Championship. Without Trick Williams factored into the equation this time, the bout seems on track to be an intensified version of the "clash of techniques" that Senior Vice President of Talent Development Creative Shawn Michaels previously described.
After making a conscious effort to separate himself from Hayes, Williams now has the chance to secure championship gold of his own — that being the North American Championship. At No Mercy, Williams will challenge reigning champion Dominik Mysterio for the title, just two weeks after Mysterio attempted to recruit Williams for The Judgment Day. Fueled by the intent to boost his singles resume, this title match provides Williams with a prime opportunity to continue doing so, and capture his first WWE title in the process. With Mysterio's ties to The Judgment Day though, we can't rule out a special appearance from Damian Priest, Finn Balor, or Rhea Ripley. Dragon Lee will be the special guest referee for this North American Championship match.
NXT Women's Title Match, Heritage Cup, & More
Newly crowned "NXT" Women's Champion Becky Lynch will headline No Mercy, defending her title against Tiffany Stratton in an Extreme Rules contest. Leading up to their first meeting, Stratton was confident that "The Man" was no match for her. After Lynch unseated her on the September 12 "NXT," Stratton is now looking for vindication. Paired with a new ally in Kiana James, Stratton may have leverage heading into this extreme stipulation. Luckily for Lynch though, she's also equipped with some backup, as fellow Ireland native Lyra Valkyria helped Lynch even the odds a couple weeks ago.
Elsewhere, Brawling Brute Butch is aiming to gain possession of the "NXT" Heritage Cup, which is currently held by Noam Dar. Butch earned this shot after winning the Global Heritage Invitational. Per tradition, this Heritage Cup match will be conducted under British Rounds Rules — a concept that both competitors are familiar with. While Butch will be accompanied by Tyler Bate, Dar will have the entire Meta-Four (Oro Mensah, Lash Legend, and Jakara Jackson) squad with him, which may lead to a number of distractions.
The "NXT" Tag Team Championship will also be on the line at No Mercy, after The Family treated three teams to dinner and a shot at their tag gold. Now, Tony D'Angelo and Channing "Stacks" Lorenzo will defend against The Creed Brothers, OTM (Lucien Price and Bronco Nima), and Humberto Carrillo and Angel Garza in a fatal-four-way match. As per the rules of non-elimination four-way bouts, there will be no count-outs and no disqualifications, which can play in the favor of the champions, or be a detriment. No Mercy will also feature two non-title matches. Bron Breakker and Baron Corbin are eager to settle their rivalry once and for all by meeting one-on-one. Meanwhile, Kelani Jordan will face Blair Davenport on the kickoff show, marking Jordan's premium live event debut, albeit on the pre-show. This contest also comes on the heels of Dana Brooke's departure from WWE, after she previously served as Jordan's mentor.
Make sure to check out Wrestling Inc. this weekend for live coverage of "WWE NXT" No Mercy as well as all the latest news leading into the event.