No Mercy (2001)
The 2001 No Mercy was a professional wrestling pay-per-view event produced by the World Wrestling Federation. It was the fourth No Mercy and took place on October 21, 2001, at the Savvis Center in St. Louis, Missouri. It was the final No Mercy event held under the WWF name as the promotion was renamed to World Wrestling Entertainment in May 2002. It was also the final No Mercy held before the introduction of the brand extension in March 2002.
The main event was a Triple Threat No Disqualification match—a match involving three competitors against each other and it would be decided only through pinfall or submission. The match was contested for the WWF Championship. Stone Cold Steve Austin defended the title against Kurt Angle and Rob Van Dam. Austin pinned Van Dam after a Stone Cold Stunner to retain the title.
The undercard featured The Rock versus Chris Jericho for the WCW Championship, The Undertaker versus Booker T, Dudley Boyz versus Big Show and Tajiri for the WWF Tag Team Championship, Christian versus Edge in a Ladder match for the WWF Intercontinental Championship, Torrie Wilson versus Stacy Keibler in a Lingerie match, Test versus Kane and Hardy Boyz versus Lance Storm and The Hurricane for the WCW Tag Team Championship.
Production
Background
was first held by the World Wrestling Federation as a United Kingdom-exclusive pay-per-view in May 1999. 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. The 2001 event was the fourth event under the No Mercy name and was held on October 21 at the Savvis Center in St. Louis, Missouri.Storylines
No Mercy featured professional wrestling matches that involved different wrestlers from pre-existing feuds, plots, and storylines that were played out on Raw and SmackDown!—World Wrestling Federation's television programs. Wrestlers portrayed a villain or a hero as they followed a series of events that built tension, and culminated in a wrestling match or series of matches.The predominant rivalry heading into the event was between Stone Cold Steve Austin, Kurt Angle and Rob Van Dam. At Unforgiven, Angle defeated Austin to win the WWF Championship. On the October 4 edition of SmackDown!, Van Dam defeated Angle to earn Austin a WWF Championship match against Angle. On the October 8 edition of Raw, Austin defeated Angle to win the WWF Championship, with the help of the WWF Commissioner William Regal, who turned on Angle and the WWF by helping Austin in winning the title. As a result, Regal joined The Alliance. On the October 11 edition of SmackDown!, the WWF CEO Linda McMahon fired Regal from his position of WWF Commissioner and replaced him with a new Commissioner. Later that night, Van Dam lost a match to Chris Jericho after interference by Austin. As a result, Van Dam confronted Austin. The new Commissioner was revealed to be Mick Foley, who appeared at the spot and announced that Austin would defend the WWF Championship against Van Dam and Angle in a Triple Threat match at No Mercy. On the October 21 edition of Heat, Foley announced that the Triple Threat match would be contested under no disqualification rules.
Another major rivalry heading into No Mercy was between The Rock and Chris Jericho over the WCW Championship. On the October 8 edition of Raw, WCW Owner Shane McMahon announced that he would team with Rob Van Dam against Jericho and The Rock in a tag team match. Van Dam pinned The Rock after Jericho accidentally nailed The Rock with a chair shot. After the match, The Rock confronted Jericho in a backstage segment where Jericho attacked The Rock. On the October 11 edition of SmackDown!, Jericho defeated Van Dam to become the #1 contender for the WCW Championship at No Mercy.
At Unforgiven, Christian defeated Edge to win the WWF Intercontinental Championship. Edge's eye was badly injured in the match. On the September 27 edition of SmackDown!, Edge tried to attack Christian during his Intercontinental Championship match against Bradshaw but Christian escaped. On the October 1 edition of Raw, Edge interrupted Christian and X-Pac while they were insulting the fans and insulted both of them. This led to Christian and X-Factor attacking Edge, until Acolytes Protection Agency rescued Edge from the attack. On the October 4 edition of SmackDown!, Edge and the APA defeated Christian and X-Factor in a six-man tag team match. On the October 8 edition of Raw, it was announced that Christian would defend the Intercontinental Championship against Edge in a Ladder match at No Mercy. On the October 18 edition of SmackDown!, Alliance Commissioner William Regal added Christian as the newest member of The Alliance.
On the September 27 edition of SmackDown!, Booker T and Test defeated The Brothers of Destruction to win the WCW Tag Team Championship. On the October 4 edition of SmackDown!, Booker T defeated Kane after interference by Test. Booker T and Test assaulted Kane after the match until The Undertaker rescued him from the double-team assault. On the October 8 edition of Raw, The Undertaker cost Booker T and Test the WCW Tag Team Championship against the Hardy Boyz. After the match, Booker T challenged The Undertaker to a match at No Mercy. During a match between Lita and Mighty Molly, it was announced that The Undertaker accepted Booker T's challenge to a match at No Mercy. On the October 11 edition of SmackDown!, Booker T and Test interfered in Kane's WWF European Championship match against The Hurricane and attacked him after the match, causing The Undertaker to come out and rescue Kane from the attack. After the match, Test challenged Kane to a match at No Mercy.
On the October 11 edition of SmackDown!, the Dudley Boyz defeated Big Show and Spike Dudley to retain the WWF Tag Team Championship. After the match, the Dudley Boyz attacked Big Show with the WWF Tag Team Championship belts and suplexed Spike on a table outside the ring. On the October 15 edition of Raw, the Dudley Boyz defeated Big Show in a Handicap match. After the match, Tajiri rescued Big Show by attacking the Dudley Boyz. On the October 18 edition of SmackDown!, Commissioner Mick Foley announced that the Dudley Boyz would defend the WWF Tag Team Championship against Big Show and Tajiri at No Mercy.
On the September 24 edition of Raw is War, Alliance member Stacy Keibler confronted her partner, Torrie Wilson in a backstage segment asking her if she was involved with Tajiri, a WWF wrestler. Torrie told Stacy that no one needed to interfere in her personal matters. Later that night, Stacy and Torrie managed Tazz and Tajiri for their match respectively. Tazz won when Tajiri was distracted by a fight between Stacy and Torrie outside the ring. On the October 1 edition of Raw is War, Tazz and Stacy defeated Tajiri and Torrie in a mixed tag team match. On the October 4 edition of SmackDown!, Torrie defeated Stacy in a bikini contest. After the contest ended, Stacy attacked Torrie. This led to a Lingerie match between the two at No Mercy.
Event
Before the event aired live on pay-per-view, a pre-show of Sunday Night Heat was held. Acolytes Protection Agency defeated Chris Kanyon and Hugh Morrus in a tag team match. Bradshaw pinned Kanyon after delivering him a Clothesline from Hell. In the main event of Heat, Billy Kidman defended the WCW Cruiserweight Championship against Scotty 2 Hotty. Kidman pinned Scotty with a backslide and put his feet on the ropes for leverage to retain the Cruiserweight Championship.Preliminary matches
As Sunday Night Heat concluded, the Hardy Boyz defended the WCW Tag Team Championship against Lance Storm and The Hurricane. The Hardy Boyz were accompanied by Matt Hardy's girlfriend Lita, while Storm and The Hurricane were accompanied by Ivory and The Hurricane's kayfabe sidekick Mighty Molly. The Hurricane and Storm double-teamed the Hardy Boyz for most of the match while the Hardy Boyz countered through their high-flying attacks. Near the end of the match, Lita battled Ivory and Mighty Molly. Jeff attacked Ivory but Storm attacked him from behind and applied a Canadian Maple Leaf. Lita performed a Lita-canrana on Storm, giving the advantage to the Hardy Boyz. Matt delivered a Twist of Fate to The Hurricane and Jeff finished The Hurricane with a Swanton Bomb, allowing Matt to pin The Hurricane to retain the WCW Tag Team Championship.The match that followed was between Test and Kane. Kane dominated Test in the early goings through an elbow drop, Corner clotheslines and a Powerslam. The action spilled out to the outside of the ring, where Test nailed Kane in the head with a ring bell in front of the referee Nick Patrick. Test began dominating Kane. He performed a Sidewalk Slam and attempted to perform a Diving Elbow Drop but missed it. Kane delivered a Neckbreaker to Test and regained momentum. However, Test quickly made a comeback into the match and attempted to hit a Pumphandle Slam on Kane but Kane countered it with a Sidewalk Slam. Kane clotheslined Test out of the ring. Test pushed Kane into the ring post followed by a Big Boot. Test started bleeding from the mouth. He attempted another Big Boot but Kane ducked the move and performed a Chokeslam for a near-fall. Kane attempted to hit a Flying Clothesline on Test but Test avoided the move and performed a Pumphandle Slam for a near-fall. Test followed with a Diving Elbow Drop to get another near-fall. Test brought a chair in the ring but Kane drop-kicked the chair in Test's face and tried to use it but Nick Patrick took it away. Kane tried to hit Patrick with a Chokeslam but Test prevented Kane from performing the move and delivered him a Big Boot to win the match. After the match, an enraged Kane chokeslammed Patrick twice and finished him with a Powerbomb.
The third match was a Lingerie Match between Torrie Wilson and Stacy Keibler. Both Divas wrestled wearing lingerie. The match became a catfight as both Divas viciously battled against each other. Torrie performed a Handspring Elbow on Stacy to pin her for the victory.
The fourth match was a Ladder match for the WWF Intercontinental Championship as Christian defended the title against Edge. Edge and Christian started fighting on the entrance rampway. Most of the early action occurred in the ringside until their fight reached the crowd. They returned to the ringside and started using ladder as a foreign object. Both Christian and Edge set up a ladder each and both of them started climbing their ladders at the same time. Edge and Christian started battling each other again as Edge kicked a chair into Christian's face. Edge set a third ladder in the ring. Edge propped up the ladder across two chairs and laid Christian on it. Edge performed a Diving Splash across the ladder on Christian. Edge climbed a ladder but Christian knocked him off through a ladder. Edge recovered and delivered Christian, a Diving Spear. Both men started climbing the ladder at the same time. The ladder fell and both men fell to the outside floor. Christian returned to the ring first and started climbing the ladder again. Edge low blowed Christian with a chair and climbed the top of the ladder to hit Christian with a One-man Con-chair-to on top of the ladder, causing Christian to fall down on the ring floor. Edge took advantage and retrieved the Intercontinental Championship belt to win the match and the championship.
The fifth match featured the Dudley Boyz defending the WWF Tag Team Championship against Big Show and Tajiri. As the match started, Dudley Boyz dominated Tajiri until Tajiri got momentum by performing Kicks on Dudley Boyz. Bubba Ray eventually performed a Bubba Bomb on Tajiri. Dudley Boyz continued to dominate Tajiri. At one point, Big Show tagged in but the referee did not see it. Dudley Boyz continued to assault Tajiri until Show tagged in and started dominating the match. He attempted to perform a Chokeslam on Bubba Ray but D-Von low blowed Big Show. Tajiri applied a Tarantula, on D-Von but Bubba broke the hold. Tajiri delivered a Handspring Back Elbow to Dudley Boyz. He tried to blow Bubba Ray with a green Poison Mist but Bubba Ray avoided it and the referee was hit instead. Big Show chokeslammed D-Von and attempted a pinfall but there was no referee to count the pinfall. Rhyno took advantage of the situation and interfered in the match. He hit Big Show with a Gore and left. Tajiri hit D-Von with an Enzuigiri and finished him with a Buzzsaw Kick for a near-fall. Since Big Show was knocked out, Dudley Boyz double-teamed Tajiri and hit him with the 3D, allowing D-Von to pin Tajiri to retain the WWF Tag Team Championship.