Advertising may hold hint of what's to come at No Mercy
By TJ MADIGAN -- Calgary Sun
Steady build-up for tomorrow night's No Mercy event but little is
being leaked on the storyline.
Match outcomes are expected to be finalized in booking meetings this
afternoon, although the WWF may already have hinted the results when
advertising a house show taking place a week after the pay-per-view.
In promotions for next Saturday's non-televised event in Kentucky, they
listed Angle/Tazz for the WWF title and Rock/Austin for the WCW title.
I'm pretty sure Angle won't be winning back the belt tomorrow but this
indicates the plan -- at least at some point -- was to have Kurt walk out as
champ, with Rocky retaining his WCW belt against Chris Jericho.
Speaking of Y2J, don't be surprised if he makes a full-fledge heel turn at
the PPV.
A bad-guy-Jericho has been the long-term goal for many months and this may
be the perfect opportunity to do it. There was an internal struggle at a
scripting meeting last week as writers argued the Rock/Jericho match should be
saved until they can give it a stronger build-up. No alternative plan was
developed to justify delaying the feud, which is why the angle was rushed for
No Mercy tomorrow.
As a whole, the pay-per-view looks solid -- be ready for a massive RVD face
push -- but don't expect anything earth-shattering unless Vince McMahon has a
major swerve up his sleeve.
* The Undertaker needed 13 stitches in his head following a misguided
chair-shot from Booker T. at the matinee show on Sunday. He didn't miss any
ring time because of the mishap. William Regal suffered a torn biceps at the
same event, which explains his non-wrestling role on TV this week.
Rob Van Dam continues to legitimately hurt his opponents with his
controversial full-contact style. Looks real? Yes, but only because it IS
real. Jericho needed five stitches over his right eye following a stiff Van
Dam kick last week and Angle's nose was busted open by RVD on Thursday's
Smackdown.
* Looks like WWF management finally realized its announcing team is a
little stale. WWF currently has a listing on HotJobs.com advertising openings
for on-air talent. To apply, you must have relevant experience, possess
knowledge of WWFE programming and have a degree in journalism.
Unless you're female, in which case a big chest will probably suffice.
* Another name change for the December pay-per-view. Following the
terrorist attacks, Armageddon was dropped in favour of the less-controversial
Payback. Based on schedules released last week, though, it looks like the
final name for the event will be WWF Vengeance.
* Jim Ross' weekly injury update noted Triple H will be returning in a
matter of weeks, followed by the returns of Rikishi (late 2001) and Chris
Benoit (early 2002). Hardcore Holly will be out of action for about five
months but is expected to remain active as a trainer for the second Tough
Enough series.
* The first wrestling diva to grace the cover of Playboy, Rena Mero (a.k.a.
Sable), is back in the spotlight with a small role in the just-released Chris
Kattan comedy, Corky Romano.
Mero (wrestling as Sable) became a WWF crossover-celebrity before quitting
in 1999 and filing a $100-million dollar lawsuit against the company, alleging
sexual harassment, breach of contract and unsafe working conditions. The case
was settled out of court.
* Triple H, William Regal, Kurt Angle, Steph, Trish Stratus, Big Show,
Booker T. and Lita will all be in L.A. next Wednesday to tape the special WWF
edition of NBC's The Weakest Link. The show will air here on Monday, Nov. 12.
Mick Foley will be recording Celebrity Who Wants to be a Millionaire the
following day.
* Don't forget, Calgary fans can catch No Mercy at 6 p.m. tomorrow night on
pay-per-view or alternatively on the big screen at Famous Players theatres.
We'll report any backstage happenings next week.
* On a final note, we'd like to send our best wishes to Helen Hart and her
family at this time. Our thoughts and prayers are with her.
