10 Underrated WWE Pay-Per-Views That Deserve A Rewatch

It has been almost 16 years since WWE presented Unforgiven 2006.

Unforgiven was rarely a pay-per-view to savour, but on this particular year WWE put on an event that, for something that wasn't one of the 'big four' of Royal Rumble, WrestleMania, SummerSlam or Survivor Series, ranks right up there.

There was so much to enjoy, including John Cena and Edge's WWE Title TLC match, D-Generation X meeting the McMahons and Big Show in a zany Hell in a Cell bout and the perfect send-off of Trish Stratus, who won the Women's Title from best friend/rival Lita in the last match of her full-time career (in her hometown of Toronto, no less).

The undercard was also nothing to sniff at, with Jeff Hardy and Johnny Nitro's Intercontinental Title showdown setting the pace, Kane and Umaga having themselves a monster fight, the Spirit Squad retained their Tag Team Titles over The Highlanders and Randy Orton and Carlito demonstrating why many saw them as the future of the business.

If you haven't seen it, you really ought to. If you have seen it, trust me when I tell you it's worth a re-watch.

As are the following 10 WWE pay-per-views.

10. No Mercy 2006

WWE.com

A few week's after the Raw boys and girls knocked it out of the park with Unforgiven, the Smackdown crew did the same at No Mercy.

What looked to be a humdrum card on paper turned out to be shockingly consistent and frequently very entertaining.

The show kicked off with Matt Hardy winning a solid non-title match over Cruiserweight Champion Gregory Helms. The perfect choice for an opener, since both know how to put a match together and the show was taking place in their home state of North Carolina.

That was followed by a shockingly good WWE Tag Team Title match between Paul London & Brian Kendrick (c) and KC James & Idol Stevens. The challenges had little steam going into the bout, but the champs brought them up to their level and ensured it was a good showing.

MVP then had his much-hyped in-ring debut, a routine and somewhat unimpressive squash match victory over Marty Garner. That was sort of the point, mind you, since MVP's original character was of a spoilt and overhyped athlete that talked a big game but rarely backed it up.

Mr. Kennedy then got a disqualification victory over The Undertaker in a surly back-and-forth battle. Kennedy really looked something special back then, and his series with the Deadman did much to raise his stock to the point that he didn't feel out of place in main event scenarios.

Rey Mysterio beat Chavo Guerrero in their Falls Count Anywhere grudge match. It wasn't their best match together (probably not helped by Rey desperately needing knee surgery), but it was a fun, arena-wide brawl and something different on the show.

Chris Benoit then returned unannounced from a sabbatical and had a typically hardnosed war with William Regal.

And in the main event, King Booker retained the World Heavyweight Title in a very good four-way also featuring Batista, Bobby Lashley and Finlay.

9. Backlash 1999

WWE.com

While WrestleMania XV was a bit of a mess, WWE got it right with the next month's Backlash (which was originally billed as being Backlash: In Your House).

It was nice, first of all, to see Jim Ross return to a pay-per-view broadcast proper, having been enlisted to call the action in Rock/Austin 'Mania event while while still recovering from a bout of Bell's Palsy.

First on the agenda was The Brood taking on the Acolytes & Mideon, which came about after the would-be vampires were kicked out of the Ministry of Darkness. It was a good match (if a little long for what it needed to be) and set the tone.

The Hardcore Title match between Al Snow and Hardcore Holly was also, perhaps, a little on the long side but at least it was inventive and rarely dull, featuring some nasty bumps and weapon shots before the Snowman beat the Alabama Slammer for the belt.

The Godfather versus Goldust for the Intercontinental Title was short and inoffensive and over with the crowd, even if it wasn't exactly a high point for the once-prestigious championship.

The Tag Team Title number one contender's match between the New Age Outlaws and Jeff Jarrett & Owen Hart was tag team formula fun to a tee.

The Big Show and Mankind then had a belter of a Boiler Room Brawl. The one between Foley and The Undertaker gets more praise, but this one was more concise, equally as brutal and really should get more love.

DX imploded when budding headliner Triple H downed X-Pac in a good, long match before The Undertaker saw off Ken Shamrock in an intriguing styles clash that, while disjointed, had its moments.

Saving the best for last, Steve Austin retained his WWE Title over The Rock in their usual great match, featuring all the overbooking and Sports Entertainment absurdity that helped define the Attitude Era.

8. Judgment Day 2005

WWE.com

Judgment Day 2005 was another SmackDown affair that looked so-so on paper but turned out very enjoyable indeed.

In the main event, John Cena retained his WWE Title against JBL In a brutal and bloody I Quit match. The first real test for Cena since winning the big one, he put it all on the line to deliver a worthy show-closer and start his reign on a high note.

In the other major match, former WWE Tag Team Champion partners turned enemies Rey Mysterio and Eddie Guerrero clashed in a heated and compelling outing that was markedly different from their other meetings.

In another grudge match, Booker T got a victory over Kurt Angle, who had been targeting Booker's wife Sharmell for weeks with some, erm, rather lewd behaviour. Typically decent bout from two pros.

Elsewhere, new tag champs MNM beat Charlie Haas & Hardcore Holly in a lively opener and Paul London eked out a Cruiserweight Title defense against the ever-dependable Chavo Guerrrero.

There's not much to see with Big Show versus Carlito or Orlando Jordan defending the United States Title against Heidenreich, but they're brief interludes and don't do enough damage to drag the show down.

7. Vengeance 2005

WWE.com

It took a little while to truly get going, but once it get going Vengeance 2005 turned into one hell of a pay-per-view. And it continued a hot streak that had also seen the aforementioned Judgment Day, as well as ECW One Night Stand, go down within a month-long period.

There were three blockbuster matches on offer, starting with Shawn Michaels taking on Kurt Angle in a WrestleMania 21 rematch.

Another classic, the sequel was likewise stuffed with excellent wrestling and nailbiting near-falls, ending when The Heartbreak Kid hit a mid-air Sweet Chin Music to tie the score.

After that was John Cena (also freshly drafted to Raw along with Angle) defending his WWE Title against Christian and Chris Jericho in a lively triple threat match.

And finally, Batista put a definitive end to his series with Triple H inside Hell in a Cell. The Animal got his third straight pay-per-view victory over The Game in what was a vicious and dramatic match.

The supporting card wasn't bad, with Edge versus Kane, Carlito versus Shelton Benjamin (IC Title) and Victoria versus Christy Hemme all playing their part in making the show an easy watch.

6. TLC 2009

WWE.com

A sleeper show coming in the WWE dead zone that is December, TLC 2009 had some very good, star-heavy matches and major happenings.

It kicked off in exemplary fashion, as Christian retained his ECW Title against Shelton Benjamin in a thrilling Ladder Match. Captain Charisma and the Gold Standard are both experts of the genre and lived up to their promise here.

The Intercontinental Title match between John Morrison and Dolph Ziggler didn't have much of a story going into it, but the work was customarily good.

Michelle McCool and Mickie James did have a story to work with in their Diva's Title bout and they turned in a fine match that, thankfully, wasn't programmed as the 'cool down' match (as the women often were in this era).

Sheamus then upset John Cena in a Tables Match to win his first WWE Title. They'd have better matches down the road, but this wasn't too bad at all and the shock title change certainly got people talking.

The Undertaker and Batista were well acquainted by this point and had no problems clattering one another in their high-impact Chairs Match.

Kofi Kingston's big singles match with Randy Orton was disappointing and ended in defeat for him, but it also showed that he could hang at The Viper's level.

And in the main event, DX downed JeriShow in a hectic TLC match strewn with big bumps.

5. Backlash 2007

WWE.com

No simple WrestleMania 23 retread, Backlash 2007 featured only two direct rematches while presenting fresh rivalries and progressing old ones.

It began with The Hardys defending their World Tag Team Titles against Lance Cade & Trevor Murdoch in a good, competitive clash of styles.

Melina then retained her Women's Title against Mickie James in a really good match that was, thankfully, given the time to develop. These two always had chemistry with one another.

Chris Benoit then retained his United States Championship over MVP. A better match than their 'Mania effort, MVP looked more assured here and, taken as part of their lengthy spring series, it's an even better match and a key part of the story they were telling between rookie and veteran.

Mr. McMahon teamed with Umaga and son Shane to thwart Bobby Lashley and become ECW Champion. Really, match quality is irrelevant here, because the humour of Vince winning the belt totally overshadows it.

As it was, it was an entertaining and well-worked match.

Match of the Night honours went to Batista and The Undertaker, who followed up their cracking 'Mania match with a tremendous Last Man Standing affair. Just a knockdown, dragout hoss fight between two big bulls. The finish, though inconclusive, was spectacular.

And in the main event, John Cena overcame the odds (duh) and managed to get past Shawn Michaels, Edge and Randy Orton in an intricate and action-packed four way.

Not a dud on the whole show, Backlash 2007 is lowkey one of WWE's better pay-per-views of the era.

4. Fully Loaded 2000

WWE.com

WWE were absolutely on fire in 2000, with a loaded roster and superior creative resulting in previously unseen popularity.

They were firing on all cylinders but, peculiarly, their pay-per-views didn't always come off as well as they would have hoped (WrestleMania 16 and King of the Ring spring to mind).

Thankfully, Fully Loaded was a show that delivered from top to bottom, with a stacked triple-header of main events.

In the first of the three, The Undertaker battered Kurt Angle in something of a disappointment (considering what they would do together later). But it's important to remembered that this was early in the Olympian's run and he would brush off the loss.

Triple H then just about survived his exceptional Last Man Standing match with Chris Jericho, with Y2J looking no worse off in defeat.

And The Rock retained his WWE Title over Chris Benoit (after a Dusty finish) in a match that is as good as it sounds on paper (if not a little bit better).

Other highlights were provided by Team Extreme's intergender six-person tag win over T&A and Trish Stratus, Perry Saturn's European Title win over Eddie Guerrero, Val Venis retaining the Intercontinental Title in an unsung cage match with Rikishi, best remembered for the Samoan superheavyweight doing a Superfly Splash off the top, Tazz beating Al Snow and Edge & Christian weaseling their way to a DQ victory over the APA.

3. No Mercy 2001

WWE.com

The Invasion storyline is (rightly) remembered as one of the biggest misses in wrestling history, a storyline with so much potential that, ultimately, fell flat.

One thing that was good about it, however, was that the pay-per-views from that period were all worth a watch, from Invasion right the way through to the Survivor Series.

Best of the bunch was No Mercy, which featured a Chris Jericho match and performance that must have went some way to convincing Vince McMahon to make him the first-ever Undisputed Champion just a couple of months later.

In it, he beat in an almost 25-minute thriller to capture the WCW World Title.

Though hard to follow, Steve Austin was up to the task, defending his WWE Title in a unique triple threat match against Kurt Angle and Rob Van Dam.

Another stellar outing was provided by Edge regaining the Intercontinental Title in a Ladder Match with kayfabe brother Christian.

As for the rest, Test versus Kane and The Undertaker versus Booker T were both watchable, as too was The Dudleys defending the WWE Tag Titles against the odd team of Big Show & Tajiri.

The Hardy Boys versus Lance Storm & Hurricane opener was a suitable way to warm up and, well, the Lingerie Match between Stacy Keibler and Torrie Wilson is sure to satisfy some of you filthy buggers.

I, on the other hand, watched it for the articles.

2. Vengeance 2003

WWE.com

The first (US-based) SmackDown exclusive pay-per-view of the initial brand split era, Vengeance ably demonstrated how full of quality the supposed 'B' show was back then.

The show opened with the finals of the United States Title tournament, with longtime frenemies Eddie Guerrero and Chris Benoit vying for the vacant strap. A combination incapable of being anything less than 'good', Latino Heat and the Rabid Wolverine brought it to each other for over twenty brilliant minutes that combined technical wrestling, high-flying, strong style and sports entertainment shenanigans.

Despite being a heel, Eddie was a popular winner on the night.

Jamie Noble's victory over Billy Gunn (with the stipulation that if Noble one he would get to spend the night with Torrie Wilson) and the APA Barroom Invitational brought the tone down slightly but neither were awful, while things really picked back up with The World's Greatest Tag Team's WWE Tag Team Title defense against Billy Kidman and Rey Mysterio.

Reuniting for this brief feud, the Filthy Animals looked mightily impressive and conspired to steal the show with Shelton Benjamin and Charlie Haas.

Sable's victory over Stephanie McMahon was watchable fluff.

Much better was The Undertaker's win over John Cena, a star on the rise who the fans were begging to turn babyface. A big performance from Big Match John and one that no doubt garnered him new supporters.

Mr. McMahon suffered for the cause in his shockingly good match with one-legged wonder Zach Gowen.

And Kurt Angle regained the WWE Title in his first big match back after neck surgery, getting the better of champion Brock Lesnar and Big Show in a wild and woolly triple threat.

1. No Mercy 2008

WWE

A show that, in a weird way, overachieved considerably, No Mercy 2008 was one of the better pay-per-views from what was a stellar year for them.

In the main event, Chris Jericho retained his World Heavyweight Title over Shawn Michaels in a bruising ladder match that, for all intents and purposes, put their long and personal feud to bed.

Jericho lost a tooth in the course of it, but he won't have minded given how the match turned out.

In another big title match, Triple H retained his WWE Title over Jeff Hardy in a slow-builder that really picked up towards the end and had fans biting on every false finish. The Charismatic Enigma looked ready to win the strap and, thankfully, wouldn't have to wait too much longer.

The Big Show scored a thunderous victory over The Undertaker, punching him out to win via TKO. Both men were motivated and had one of their best matches together here.

Everything else was worthwhile, from Rey Mysterio's Mask Match win against Kane to Matt Hardy defending the ECW Title against Mark Henry in a pair of well done David versus Goliath style matches.

Candice Michelle put in the effort before falling to Women's Champion Beth Phoenix and Batista mowed over JBL to become number one contender to the World Heavyweight Title.

As well he should.