No Mercy is an event that has a longer history than most WWE pay-per-views. It was around for the majority of the 2000s before getting replaced in October by Hell in a Cell. However, the show returned in 2016 and 2017, adding to an impressive legacy. The PPV dates back to 1999.
There were actually two different No Mercy events in 1999. The famous one in Cleveland that October was preceded by a show in the United Kingdom that May. For this list, we're ranking all 13 editions of the event in history.
13 No Mercy 1999 (UK)
The list fittingly begins with the inaugural No Mercy. It took place on May 16, 1999, in Manchester, England. Unfortunately, it wasn't a good show. The only notable thing to happen was the main event featuring three future Hall of Famers: Triple H vs. Steve Austin vs. The Undertaker.
The thing with UK exclusive PPVs was that the crowd was always hot. They didn't get to see WWE live as often so they popped for everything. That means the wrestlers didn't always put in their best effort because they didn't need to. That is clear all over this show.
12 No Mercy 2004
SmackDown exclusive pay-per-views in the mid-2000s were often a slog to get through. The roster just wasn't strong enough to warrant major events every few months. That was incredibly clear in 2004. This show put the focus on some folks that weren't all that impressive. Luther Reigns, anyone?
Even the matches involving big stars (JBL vs. The Undertaker, Big Show vs. Kurt Angle, Booker T vs. John Cena) left a lot to be desired. Most of the rest of the show featured wrestlers that the fans barely had a connection with and it made for a woeful night.
11 No Mercy 2007
Better known as the night Triple H wrestled in three WWE Title matches. John Cena vacated the title due to injury and it was handed to Randy Orton. HHH then beat Orton in the opener, defended the title successfully against Umaga, and then lost it back to Orton in a Last Man Standing main event.
Only that last match was any good. This show also featured the always ridiculous Punjabi Prison match. They didn't even get the obvious part right, booking CM Punk to lose via DQ in under two minutes to Big Daddy V in Chicago.
10 No Mercy 2006
For a SmackDown exclusive show, this was lucky enough to boast a handful of bright spots. Chris Benoit vs. William Regal, Matt Hardy vs. Gregory Helms, and the main event are all strong matches.
But a lot of this card left fans cold. Mr. Kennedy vs. The Undertaker was a drag and audiences weren't clamoring for yet another Rey Mysterio/Chavo Guerrero encounter. This show also had some of WWE comedy at its worst with The Miz's birthday segment.
9 No Mercy 2005
It's another SmackDown exclusive iteration of No Mercy. 2005 was headlined by a major confrontation between Batista and Eddie Guerrero, in what ended up being Guerrero's final pay-per-view match. There's also a solid US Title match and JBL vs. Rey Mysterio is pretty good.
Hardcore Holly vs. Mr. Kennedy lasts nearly 10 minutes for some reason. The 2005 version of the Legion of Doom dully opened things. It was also hard to care about some of the other stuff like the Cruiserweight Championship match.
8 No Mercy 2003
2003 was a strong year for SmackDown, though not as good as 2002. But the former still managed to have some impressive shows. On this night, John Cena and Kurt Angle had their first major meeting and it was arguably their best match ever together.
The event benefited from being bookended well. It featured a hot opener between Tajiri and Rey Mysterio and a big deal of a main event between Brock Lesnar and The Undertaker. The rest of the show was passable, keeping it from ranking higher.
7 No Mercy 2000
This was a big deal because it marked the first pay-per-view match for Stone Cold Steve Austin since the previous November. He spent that match trying to end Rikishi's career, but it was a return nonetheless. Chris Jericho vs. X-Pac in a Steel Cage was a solid undercard outing.
The real highlights came at the end of the night. Chris Benoit and Triple H put on an underrated classic that helped solidify the former as a big star. Then, Kurt Angle beat the Rock in the main event to win his first WWE Championship, doing so just 11 months into his career.
6 No Mercy 2017
For the only time in its history, No Mercy was a Raw exclusive event in 2017. The big selling point was a clash between Brock Lesnar and Braun Strowman for the Universal Championship. It was ultimately a disappointment and nobody enjoyed Enzo Amore vs. Neville.
Thankfully, the rest of the show was strong. John Cena and Roman Reigns had their only ever singles match. Alexa Bliss, Bayley, Sasha Banks, Emma, and Nia Jax nearly stole the show with a wild Women's Title contest. That honor belonged to an incredible outing where Dean Ambrose and Seth Rollins beat The Bar. It was also the night where Cesaro gruesomely had his teeth driven several inches into his gums.
5 No Mercy 2008
We're getting into the elite territory now. This was the final No Mercy for nearly a decade and it went out with a bang. A lot of the undercard is stuff that you wouldn't mind skipping, but you simply must watch the final two matches.
First, there's Triple H battling Jeff Hardy for the WWE Championship. Hardy came unbelievably close to winning the title and it was a major part of his journey to the top. Then, Chris Jericho bested Shawn Michaels in a World Heavyweight Title fight that is still considered one of the greatest Ladder Matches in history.
4 No Mercy 1999 (US)
No Mercy moved to the United States in October of 1999 and was a much better show than what the UK audience got. One thing stands out above the rest from this event and that is the Ladder Match. It was arguably the best match all year.
It made Edge, Christian, and the Hardy Boyz into stars and still gets played in highlight videos today. This show also features Chyna's historic Intercontinental Title victory and a very good Triple H vs. Steve Austin battle.
3 No Mercy 2016
When the brand split returned in 2016, so did No Mercy. And it began with the best opener in this show's history. AJ Styles defended the WWE Championship against Dean Ambrose and John Cena. It was a huge deal and got the show off to an outstanding start.
Viewers were also treated to an emotionally-charged Intercontinental Title match between Dolph Ziggler and The Miz. The main thing holding this show back from ranking higher was a weak ending. Alexa Bliss vs. Naomi and Bray Wyatt vs. Randy Orton turned out to be a disappointing way to wrap things up.
2 No Mercy 2001
The Invasion provided us with some really good shows because of how much talent was in the company. No Mercy 2001 was positively affected by it. Just think about how wild the idea of a main event where Kurt Angle, Rob Van Dam, and Steve Austin battled in a triple threat match was. But that's what this show had.
It also saw The Rock and Chris Jericho put on their greatest match together. Throw in a Ladder Match between Edge and Christian, a fun WCW Tag Team Title match, and a few more notable things and you've got a great show.
1 No Mercy 2002
Sometimes, a show can be great even if it isn't consistently strong. No Mercy 2002 has a few hiccups on the card, like a boring Triple H vs. Kane Chain Match, but it also features two of the best matches in history.
Brock Lesnar beat The Undertaker in a bloody war inside Hell in a Cell. They've never come close to besting this night against one another. SmackDown also crowned their first Tag Team Champions, as Chris Benoit and Kurt Angle defeated Rey Mysterio and Edge in one of the finest tag matches you'll ever see.