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Before this match, there was an entertaining segment involving MVP, Ted DiBiase Jr., Cody Rhodes, Manu, C.M. Punk, and Kofi Kingston that was entertaining, and a couple of too-brief filler matches in which Batista totally dominated JBL and Big Show won via TKO stoppage over Undertaker. But I’d rather skip right to the meaty dual main event matches, to shine a sconce on the real interesting matches tonight.

The first of these was a SmackDown match involving Triple H defending the WWE Title against Jeff Hardy. These two rarely hook up, but it’s always been memorable when they do and tonight’s match was no exception. Lots of fast-n-furious near-falls, reversals and such that really kept a person guessing at the finish, and Jim Ross was in top form on the announcing duties, really doing great at putting Hardy over as a legit threat to Triple H’s title reign.

The final minute or two is what put the match over the top and made this, in my opinion, the best match of the night. Great 17-minute match.

WINNER: Triple H retains the WWE Title

RATING: 9.1 (out of 10)

The Kane-Mysterio match was the first match of the night to really get the PDAs blazing with IMs. Kane has been threatening to unmask Mysterio for several weeks now.

So it was a bit disappointing that the match ended suddenly with what looked like a brutal chairshot on Mysterio by Kane, delivered while Rey was in the air, in the middle of a jump.

Not sure if this one’s storyline or a legit injury-accident in the midst of a match, but that kind of uncertainty seems to be what they were going for. For the eleven minutes it lasted, though, the match had some juice, which is saying something considering Kane is not one of my favorite workers by any stretch of the imagination.

WINNER: Rey Mysterio by DQ

RATING: 7.7 (out of 10)

Ever since pairing with Santino Marella for comedy, Beth Phoenix has been able to get far more over with WWE audiences than she ever did as an anonymous powerhouse woman wrestler. Therefore, her title retaining win tonight against Candace Michelle is completely understandable.

Despite being a brief, four-minute match - not much longer than the normally give on Raw for a women’s title match - the action was fairly consistent and high-energy, which is important for the appeal of these matches.

Now that the Glamarella storyline seems to be headed toward break-up mode, it’s unlikely the mismatched pair will be selecting any Bugaboo strollers anytime soon, although if they did “settle down” for a life full of rugrats, that’d be a top-notch choice of stroller.

Anywho, the match was short but fun. A nice change-of-pace match, but nothing special.

WINNER: Beth Phoenix retains Women’s Title

RATING: 5.0 (out of 10)

For an opening match, the ECW Title match between current champ Matt Hardy and challenger Mark Henry was, at least, more entertaining than an infomercial for the best acne treatment. Hardy and the ECW Title have received a lot of positivity recently; Hardy pinned Triple H on the MyNetwork debut of SmackDown, and this win over Henry solidifies and legitimizes Hardy’s place as ECW champion.

The match was under 10 minutes, though, and opened the show, so it’s not like ECW is gaining that much respect; but at least with the strap on Hardy, they’re getting better than the lumbering performances recent super-heavyweight ECW champs have been able to produce.

WINNER: Matt Hardy retains the title

RATING: 7.5 (out of 10)

It wouldn’t surprise me at all of No Mercy turned into the most “blah” PPV the WWE puts on this year. Lacking its top star in the main event match is only the least of the WWE’s problems going into No Mercy 2007. The undercard doesn’t look that promising, either. By the time it’s all done, WWE may realize it overspent on wholesale clothing playing off the promotion of No Mercy 2007.

The biggest undercard match is Batista vs. The Great Khali in a Punjabi Prison match. While the gimmick isn’t a bad one, having it be a one-on-one affair between two stiff plodders is not great booking. Batista’s a bit too big to be perceived as an overmatched underdog against Khali, and without a more athletic, energetic participant, this one could get ugly.

CM Punk versus Big Daddy V has some David vs. Goliath potential, but the feud was hastily constructed and poorly built. Underwhleming heat will equal PPV apathy, and can only be spiced up by the potential, post-suspension return of previous champ John Morrison. Also, I’ve just never cared for, or bought into, any incarnation of Viscera. He was far more effective as comic relief on Raw.

Finlay vs. Rey Mysterio inspires apathy, as Rey-Rey has lost some heat since his return to action and Finlay is one of those superstars who I blame for the downfall and “craptacular” status of SmackDown. Not interesting, not convincing, shallow character, not fun to watch. Demote him out of the company and let him go wrestle or TNA or some other minor league promotion. How this match made it on a PPV card - any PPV card - is beyond me.

Candice Michele vs. Beth Phoenix might turn out OK, but Beth Phoenix’s “Glamazon” gimmick is simply annoying, and not in a good way. The feud, again, is poorly built and has little to no heat behind it.

Triple H versus Umaga also inspires yawns. Umaga has been overpushed and is a one-dimensional heel that lacks the depth of character for long-term appeal; he strikes me more as the next Viscera, more than the next Andre the Giant. And Triple H simply is a shadow of his former self since his return. That is he being promoted in a storyline almost identical to one used earlier this year to promote Cena is … disappointing, to say the least.

Uhhh, was there even a tag match scheduled? I vaguely recall something about a couple of rednecks versus a couple of cruiser-weights… whatever.

Hope springs eternal, but tonight’s PPV is looking dismal so far. We’ll know more in a couple hours.

As a native Minnesotan and Minnesota Viking fan, it only took four words to get Mr. Kennedy over with me as a heel. The first night he appeared on SmackDown and was introduced, the ring announcer included these four words: “…from Green Bay, Wisconsin…”

Nothing gets the blood of a Viking fan boiling more quickly. And Ken Anderson, whose ring persona is “Mr. Kennedy,” didn’t disappoint, playing the classic heel while stealing a bit of his gimmick from classic boxing announcer Michael Buffer, grabbing the mic from Harvey Finkleman and re-announcing himself to the crowd in Michael Buffer style.

It helps that Mr. Kennedy is a good talker on the mic, cutting sharp heel promos and enjoying the boos, taking his heel sensibility from classic Minnesota wrestler, Jesse “The Body” Ventura, who always liked to say he was just “telling it like it is.”

It also helps that Kennedy can wrestle a solid match. He does this while delivering solid basics in the ring, showing a decent understanding of ring psychology, which was prominently on display in his now-classic SmackDown feud with Undertaker. He doesn’t require a special outfit or ring entrance to demand attention; it’s all pretty straight-forward with Mr. Kennedy, because it works without the extras. His only gimmick is to get in front of the camera and “be an ass.” Which is how the best heels get over.

What I like about Mr. Kennedy’s potential is that he’s more of the cocky ass than the cowardly type. I’ve never been a fan of in-ring heels like Triple-H, who go around talking like they’re completely unbeatable, but whine like little girls when someone builds a match that stacks the deck against them. I’ve always thought true cocky heels were easier to hate; they never back down, quake in their boots or complain because they’re just too overconfident to ever worry that things might not turn out in their favor.

That’s the kind of heel Mr. Kennedy tends toward, and it’s a lot more appealing. Wise up, WWE: Make Mr. Kennedy the new WWE champ in Cena’s absence. He’s the kind of heel who can not only earn boos, but sell WWE product, from Mr. Kennedy t-shirts to personalized pens.