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You will have noticed that despite the majority of WCW's main event crew (who were available to WWE in 2001) being booked on these cards, the focus of the storyline is younger talent such as Rob Van Dam, Edge, Christian and Billy Kidman.
Fresh main event stars such as Booker T, Chris Jericho and Kurt Angle are also heavily featured as well as stalwarts, The Rock, Stone Cold and Ric Flair.
The previous weeks of storyline have seen veteran talents such as Sabu, Sandman and Lex Luger depart to make way for the young guns.
Unforgiven 2001 is in the books and the build is now focused on No Mercy 2001, which at the time was universally regarded as a woeful card, bereft of originality, which ultimately led to the Invasion being brought to an abrupt end just four weeks afterwards. This version of the Invasion as stated previously will possess much greater staying power and will not culminate until WrestleMania X-8.
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The journey to No Mercy will see the WWF debut of Sting, a full 13 years before he appeared for the company in the real world.
A reduction of titles has also seen added importance added to the belts that remain.
Champion roll call: (as of September 23, 2001)
WWF Champion - Stone Cold
IC Champion - Edge
European Champion - Edge
Hardcore Champion - Rob Van Dam
WWF Tag Team Champions - The Dudley Boyz
WCW Champion - Kurt Angle
US Champion - Kurt Angle
Cruiserweight Champion - Billy Kidman
Let's get to the post-Unforgiven Raw as SK re-books the build to No Mercy!
September 24, 2001 - Monday Night Raw
The Rock confronted Stone Cold and demanded a rematch with him at No Mercy. Eric Bischoff interjected and stated if Rock and a tag team partner of his choice can beat Stone Cold and Goldberg in the main event, then he gets his title bout.
Billy Kidman and Raven beat Kurt Angle and Tazz in a tag team match. Raven challenged Angle to a US title match on next week's Raw.
Ric Flair defeated Billy Gunn in a Lumberjack match.
Rob Van Dam partnered The Rock in the main event tag team bout versus Stone Cold and Goldberg. Rock pinned Stone Cold to win the match and the WWF title shot.
September 27, 2001 - SmackDown
Edge and Christian defeat DDP and Kevin Nash in tag team action. Post-match, DDP queries why Christian is content to remain in Edge's shadow, with his older brother having won the King of the Ring and holding both the IC and European belts.
Eric Bischoff announced that Kurt Angle would defend the WCW title versus Goldberg at No Mercy.
Raven pinned Angle in the main event to win the United States title.
October 1, 2001 - Monday Night Raw
Edge defended the IC belt versus Tajiri. Christian interfered and cost his brother the belt and announced that he had found a new home with the Alliance, who unlike Edge, supports his career.
Raven beat Billy Gunn to defend the US title. Post-match, the Big Show returned and choke-slammed Raven.
Eric Bischoff announced that Goldberg would challenge Kurt Angle for the WCW World title at No Mercy.
Rob Van Dam beat Scott Steiner in the main event.
October 4, 2001 - SmackDown
Trish Stratus and Lita beat Torrie Wilson and Stacy Keibler.
DDP and Kevin Nash beat Rob Van Dam and The Rock, when DDP pinned RVD. DDP challenged RVD to a Hardcore title match at No Mercy.
The Undertaker confronted Goldberg backstage and said he won't make it to No Mercy.
Billy Kidman beat Matt Hardy.
Goldberg beat The Undertaker in the main event.
October 8, 2001 - Monday Night Raw
Edge beat Ric Flair. Post-match, Christian brutalised his brother and stood tall, holding both of Edge's titles aloft.
Vince McMahon appeared and announced that the Women's Championship had been re-activated and invited the Alliance to choose three female performers to compete in a six-way bout with three WWF women to crown a new champion at No Mercy.
Stone Cold pinned Kurt Angle in a non-title WWF Champion vs WCW Champion main event bout which saw boatloads of interference from both teams.
The lights went out and Sting appeared in the rafters looking down on the Alliance and WWF forces.
October 11, 2001 - SmackDown
Paul Heyman questioned Eric Bischoff on what Sting's appearance on Raw means for the Alliance. Bischoff states that Sting has always walked alone and there is no telling where his allegiances lie.
Scott Steiner battered Kurt Angle backstage and stole his WCW World title.
The Dudley Boyz and Chris Jericho beat the Hardy Boyz and RVD.
Steiner chucked Angle's belt off of a bridge.
The Rock beat DDP.
In the show closing angle, Angle smashed through Steiner and threw him off the bridge into the water below.
October 15, 2001 - Monday Night Raw
Kurt Angle declared he had recovered the WCW World title from the river last week but can't say the same for Steiner. Goldberg appeared and said that Angle is only holding that belt for him and at No Mercy, he will lose that title for good.
Sting was again seen looking down from the rafters.
Goldberg beat Billy Gunn.
The Hardy Boyz beat Chuck Palumbo and Sean O'Haire and challenged the Dudleyz to a cage match at No Mercy.
Rock pinned Christian in the main event.
October 18, 2001 - SmackDown
Sting appeared in the ring. He did not say a word and left. Eric Bischoff confronted him as he left ringside but Sting did not speak.
Kevin Nash attempted to talk to Sting but was also met by a wall of silence.
Sting was later seen leaving the arena on his own.
Goldberg and Stone Cold teamed up to face The Rock and Kurt Angle in the main event. Goldberg accidentally speared Austin causing the Rattlesnake to stun him.
Alliance forces jumped in to separate the pair and when Team WWF ran in, the bout was ruled a No Contest. Stone Cold and Goldberg stare each other down post-match.
No Mercy 2001 - October 21, 2001
Winners on the No Mercy card emboldened below:
WWF Championship - Stone Cold vs The Rock
WCW Championship - Kurt Angle vs Goldberg
European Championship - Edge vs Christian
United States Title - Raven vs Big Show
Hardcore Title - Rob Van Dam vs DDP
Cruiserweight Championship - Billy Kidman vs Crash Holly
Women's Championship - Jazz vs Francine vs Trish Stratus vs Lita vs Jacqueline vs Torrie Wilson
WWF Tag Team Championship - Dudley Boyz vs Hardy Boyz (Cage Match)
Sting appeared at ringside during the main event circling the ring. When Rock pinned Stone Cold to win the WWF Championship, Sting walked away.
Goldberg pinned Kurt Angle to win the WCW World title for the first time in three years, after Scott Steiner interfered.
Christian ended his brother's reign as European Champion.
ECW's Jazz debuted and won the re-established WWF Women's Championship.
The Hardy Boyz defeated the Dudleyz to become Tag Team Champions.
Stone Cold's loss would lead to significant developments over the coming weeks as allegiances are tested like never before in the WWF versus Alliance war!
Once again, I must thank everyone for the kind feedback I have received for part 1, part 2 and part 3 of this series. It has been very much appreciated. This is an extremely fun exercise and I hope most of you agree that the rebooked version of the storyline is superior to the original, which took place in 2001.
