WWF No Mercy, St. Louis, MO
A request! Test is representing the WCW/ECW Alliance here, having switched sides and paired up a lot with Booker T in a feud with Undertaker and Kane. Test made the challenge for this match and here we are, one of my favorite still largely under the radar minor gems of this time period.
Jim Ross, on commentary with Paul Heyman, notes Kane first appeared in the WWF in Oct. 1997 at the Badd Blood PPV in St. Louis. This show is ALSO in October, in St. Louis! How do you like that?! Same building, formerly Kiel Center and at this point Savvis Center and later Scottrade Center and now Enterprise Center.
Test jumps on Kane right off and Jim gets to say “smashmouth” really quickly. Kane takes the early advantage, and catches Test in a powerslam trying to mount a rally. Kane elevates Test and drops him over the top rope somewhat clumsily. Then he presses Test and just CHUCKS that dude out to the floor. Out on the floor, Test grabs the ring bell and hits Kane with it. WCW referee Nick Patrick doesn’t care.
This really is just a good old-fashioned big boy slugfest. Back and forth they go, simple brawling, throwing their weight into stuff. Test hits a side slam but misses the flying elbow, and Kane comes back with a reverse neckbreaker.
Kane with a big boot and a clumsy bit in the corner and then a back suplex. Test goes for a pumphandle slam, but Kane elbows out and hits a side slam of his own for two.
Back out to the floor, and Kane winds up shoved into the post, then Test hits THE BOOT. That only gets two once they’re back in the ring. Test sets for the BOOT again, but Kane ducks and catches Test with the CHOKE SLAM, out of the GOOZLE. Kane can’t capitalize quickly enough for that to be the finish, as Test gets a shoulder up RIGHT before the three count.
Kane hits a powerslam and heads up top, where he misses a flying clothesline. Pumphandle powerslam from Test gets TWO! And the crowd is loving it. Test back up again and this time hits his flying elbow, and AGAIN it’s just two.
Frustrated Test gets a chair, but Kane dropkicks it back at him. This is one of those things that doesn’t look very good if you’re honest but you appreciate the effort of them trying to do it at all so you don’t say anything.
Finish is well-done. Kane wants to use chair, Nick Patrick won’t let him, Test winds up going low with Patrick shoved away and unable to see the foul, and then the FOOT for the win. Patrick counts with his left arm, having banged the right elbow on his fall.
Big win for Test! He’d get the IC belt from Edge a couple weeks later, lose it back at Survivor Series BUT win a year of immunity in a battle royal that night, and then by the end of 2001 he was losing to Hurricane on Heat.
It’s a good match. It overstates it and sets you up for disappointment to say it’s GREAT!!!! but it’s a much better and more energetic match than “Kane vs Test, up second on a PPV” might lead you to expect. A nice big fella match with a couple kinda clunky spots. There are still people that will defend Test as having been someone with main event potential, but he really just wasn’t. He couldn’t talk and what’s more is he had no unique charisma about him otherwise, which can help cover for not being able to talk. He was Big Tall Guy With Some Athleticism #1092. I’m not saying he sucked, but the idea he could’ve been The Guy is IMO preposterous. He no more could have been The Guy than Adam Bomb or Dan Spivey; he was better than Bomb but not as good as Spivey. He actually might’ve done well as a tag guy in Japan.
Tape Machines Are Rolling 
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