The scheduled main event from the Raw brand was supposed to be WWE Champion John Cena defending his title against challenger Randy Orton in a Last Man Standing match; however, on the October 1 episode of Raw, Cena legitimately tore his right pectoral muscle, and the match and the title were canceled and vacated, respectively.

brand had World Heavyweight Champion Batista defeating challenger The Great Khali in a Punjabi Prison match.

[5] The card consisted of eight matches which resulted from scripted storylines involving wrestlers from either Raw, SmackDown, or ECW — the three brand divisions to which WWE assigned its employees.

[6][7] The main rivalry leading into the event on the Raw brand was between John Cena and Randy Orton over the WWE Championship.

[9] Later in the night after the event went off the air, authority figure Jonathan Coachman made a rematch between the two at No Mercy in a Last Man Standing match.

On the October 1 episode of Raw, Cena legitimately tore his right pectoral muscle during a match with Mr. Kennedy, though the injury was blamed on television on a post-match attack by Orton.

[11] Although Cena's match against Orton was canceled, World Wrestling Entertainment Chairman Vince McMahon stated that there would be "a new WWE Champion crowned at No Mercy".

As a result, general manager Theodore Long scheduled Khali to defend the championship against both Batista and Kane in a triple threat match at The Great American Bash.

[13] The same week on SmackDown!, Khali demanded that his rematch for the World Heavyweight Championship at No Mercy would be a Punjabi Prison match.

This rivalry began when ECW authority figure Armando Estrada scheduled an "Elimination Chase to No Mercy", involving Elijah Burke, Tommy Dreamer, Kevin Thorn, and Stevie Richards.

Estrada, however, revealed that Big Daddy V was also a contender, and he quickly defeated Dreamer to earn the chance to fight Punk for the title.

Shortly after returning to WWE as a villainess, Phoenix won a battle royal to become the #1 Contender for Candice's Women's Championship.

[18] However, on the September 24 episode of Raw, Phoenix pinned Candice in a mixed tag team match, and as a result, she earned her another shot at the Women's Championship, which would take place at No Mercy.

[19] Before the event began and aired live on pay-per-view, a dark match was contested between Hardcore Holly and Cody Rhodes.

[1] The pay-per-view opened with no intro graphics, and an in-ring segment featuring Raw General manager William Regal and WWE Chairman Vince McMahon, who awarded the WWE Championship to Randy Orton due to John Cena's injury, causing Cena to vacate the title.

[21][22] After that, Jeff Hardy, Brian Kendrick, and Paul London faced Mr. Kennedy, Lance Cade and Trevor Murdoch in a six-man tag team match.

In the early stages of the match, all six men wrestled inconclusively until Kennedy executed a second rope rolling fireman's carry slam, known as a Green Bay Plunge.

[21][23] After this, a pizza eating contest between Matt Hardy and Montel Vontavious Porter (MVP) occurred in the ring.

While Triple H had his ribs iced, Vince McMahon stated that Randy Orton was invoking his rematch clause.

The referee began a count and reached ten before Triple H could rise; as a result, Orton won the match and regained the WWE Championship.

That same month, on the November 16 episode of SmackDown!, Montel Vontavious Porter (MVP) and Matt Hardy lost the WWE Tag Team Championship in a match against John Morrison and The Miz.

[34] The following month, at Survivor Series, Punk defeated Morrison and The Miz in a Triple Threat match to retain the ECW Championship.

[39] Candice Michelle used her rematch clause for the Women's Championship on the October 22 episode of Raw in a two out of three falls match against Beth Phoenix.

After Phoenix won the first pinfall, Candice failed to execute a move correctly from the top rope, causing her to fall on her neck, shoulder, and face.