Review of WWE: No Mercy 2004

Introduction

WWE`s No Mercy 2004 was one of the biggest PPV`s (Pay per view) ever in the US of A. Staged in 2004 in the Continental Airlines Conference Centre, New Jersey, a huge arena with a full-house and giant video screens, this major wrestling event is something of an annual celebration. Ultra loud, ultra-dumb and ultra-violent (this carries an 18 certificate and rightly so) it`s difficult to imagine who this `entertainment` is for. It`s far too violent for children, with heads being split open against steel steps (or so we`re supposed to believe) and bones broken with agonised groans and growls, and yet it`s far too close to pantomime for fully grown adults - surely?

On the other hand, these large-scale gladiatorial battles have proved popular since the Roman times and maybe some of man`s most primeval instincts are being satisfied in these hammy, poorly acted blood-baths. One thing`s a cert. They`re hugely popular and `No Mercy 2004` will sell by the bucket-load.

So what can I say other than offer up a dispassionate overview of its content and quality?

After a great deal of hollering, shouting and head-banging, things kick off to a lively start with Eddie Guererro and Luther Reigns, a couple of guys used to pumping iron.

This is followed by a `cruiserweight` championship with a couple of lesser-built gentlemen, Spike Dudley and Nunizo, with half a dozen false endings before it`s conclusion.

Paul London vs. Billy Kidman has a great deal of shouting and threatening before and after the bout and judging the audience`s reaction was extremely well received.

Next up is a WWE Tag Team Championship with Rene Dupree & Kenzo Suzuki vs. Rob Van Dam & Rey Mysterio.

Match 5 in the Best-of-5-Series for the US Championship is next up with Booker T vs. John Cena and offers up more of the same.

And so it goes on…

Big Show vs. Kurt Angle

Six-Person Intergender Match with Rico, Charlie Haas, & Jackie vs. Dudley Boyz & Dawn Marie. This one is especially amusing as earlier on in the proceedings we get treated to a dire verbal slanging match between Dawn-Marie and Miss Jackie which is so wooden that you almost feel it must be knowingly so. But it isn`t. Here, the macho men fights are interspersed with some good old-fashioned lady cat fighting, though it`s still a little too violent to be enjoyable.

Last Ride Match for the WWE Championship with JBL vs. Undertaker. The Undertaker constantly rolls his eyes back into his sockets to give himself a zombie appearance and this adds to the slight comedic feel. It doesn`t last long though as this is a particularly bloody and brutal match which culminates in JBL throwing the zombie-man into his own hearse. As if! Not one for the kids.

Video

This is a recently broadcast Pay per View extravaganza with global syndication. It`s a big event with budget to match and has been captured with some style. Steadicam, techno-crane and multi-camera fixed positions relay every nuance of the action to the homes of it`s bloodthirsty fan-base. The digital-video transfer is of a very high standard and the NTSC to PAL transfer is barely noticeable.

Audio

Audio here is what you`d expect from a recently broadcast `sporting` event - and this is a relentlessly loud soundtrack. There`s heavy music, thundering commentary and growls and roars aplenty, as well as some catty purrs from the female contingency. Fine if you like that sort of thing - and technically flawless other than the occasional peaking as people scream into microphones not made for screaming.

Features

There are three trailers for individual bouts which are standard format stuff. There`s also a WWE `exclusive` interview with Wrestler Booker-T which lasts for 10 seconds and is hammier than a baddie in pantomime. There are a couple of other interviews too, equally bad, as well as some so-called behind the scenes `home movie` footage which is equally stagy and wooden. In short - more of the same sort of patronising nonsense dished up elsewhere on this disc.

Conclusion

`No Mercy 2004` is a celebration of mindless violence. This isn`t Giant Haystacks live from Loughborough Town Hall on a Sunday afternoon, surrounded by silver-haired ladies with horn-rimmed spectacles giving verbal support. This is the 21st Century American alternative - and I`m genuinely struggling to think of anything positive to say of it. It`s like the Jerry Springer show without the bouncers on hand to cool down the action. Every battle is preceded with a great deal of muscle flexing and mouthing off - stirring the bloodthirsty audience into a fever of excitement. The moves are carefully choreographed and the blows and holds look like they must hurt. Yet it`s also horribly hammy and cringingly corny and I can`t help wondering what appeal this has for a European audience less used to hollering and whooping. For fans of the `sport`, I feel sure that this offers up all the right ingredients. For me though it just left me feeling queasy.