Question: What are brutal, bloody and blockbuster?

Answer: Those are just three words that can describe this year’s No Mercy card, which features what will now be a history-making moment to determine a new WWE Champion and a Punjabi Prison Match for the World Heavyweight Championship.

Since its inception in 1999, No Mercy has been no stranger to brutal, bloody and blockbuster matches. From tournament finals to Hell in a Cell to Unification Matches, the October staple has seen its share of classics.

1999 and 2000 – Canada vs. Cameron, Acts I & II

While it wasn’t the first match in No Mercy history -- that would be Mideon vs. The Godfather – the finals of 1999’s “Terri Invitational Tournament” was the place where the world truly took notice of The Hardys and Edge & Christian for the first time. In the final match of a series to determine which team would earn Terri’s managerial services, The Hardys and Edge & Christian battled in the first-ever Tag Team Ladder Match in WWE history, one that stole the show. Setting the stage for their future battles in Triangle Ladder Matches and TLC Matches, both teams produced multiple cringe-worthy moments during the contest. While it was The Hardys who won the match and Terri’s services, both teams received a standing ovation after proving that they had truly arrived.

The two teams battled once again at No Mercy the following year, this time over the World Tag Team Championship. Edge & Christian got their revenge, donning masks and moonlighting as The Conquistadors to take the gold from Matt & Jeff Hardy.

2001 – End of an empire

The WCW Championship defended inside a WWE ring? As unbelievable as it sounds, the WCW Title became a part of WWE after WCW was acquired in 2001. That year’s No Mercy saw the final pay-per-view defense of the WCW Championship, as Chris Jericho defeated The Rock to win the gold. For Jericho, the victory over WWE’s Most Electrifying Superstar was a harbinger of bigger things to come – namely beating The Rock and “Stone Cold” Steve Austin in the same night to become Undisputed WWE Champion just two months later.

2002 through 2005 – Deadman’s Curve

Undertaker may be 15-0 at WrestleMania, but The Phenom has struggled to a 1-5 record at No Mercy. Four years in a row, The Deadman came to No Mercy to do battle in one of his better specialty contests; unfortunately, from 2002-2005, he did not record a win.

In 2002 and 2003, it was then-WWE Champion Brock Lesnar who vexed The Phenom. In ’02, Undertaker took Brock through Hell in a Cell, a match Lesnar had never seen but The Phenom had endured twice. No matter, as a powerful F5 off the Cell roof helped Brock retain the gold. One year later, a Chain Match would be The Deadman’s undoing; Brock once again retained the gold, but not without some help from Mr. McMahon.

The Phenom returned to challenge for the WWE Title in 2004, taking on JBL in a Last Ride Match. Once again, though, interference helped the champion retain; this time, it was Heidenreich who cost Undertaker the bout, helping JBL subdue The Deadman with a cloth soaked in an ether-like substance.

Finally, in 2005, it seemed Undertaker couldn’t miss. While he had to face two men – Randy Orton and his father, WWE Hall of Famer Cowboy Bob Orton – he did so in his ultimate signature match, a Casket Match. Unfortunately, two heads were better than one in this contest, as father and son entombed The Phenom, later lighting the casket on fire in an attempt to vanquish Undertaker once and for all.

2003 – A McMahon never quits…or do they?

While the first part of the above title is usually true, The McMahon Family had no choice but to quit in 2003. Why? Well, because when Mr. McMahon met then-SmackDown General Manager Stephanie McMahon, the loser would have to say “I Quit.” Showing the ruthless aggression that made him a billionaire and the king of sports-entertainment’s greatest empire, Mr. McMahon mercilessly brutalized his daughter, much to the chagrin of wife Linda. In the end, it was Daddy’s Little Girl who was forced to say “I Quit,” handing the match to Daddy Dearest and vacating her General Manager title in the process.

2005 – Guerrero’s Goodbye

Eddie Guerrero was one of the most popular Superstars in WWE history. Before his tragic passing in November 2005, Guerrero made his final pay-per-view appearance at No Mercy. In his home state of Texas – and on his birthday, no less – Latino Heat challenged his new amigo Batista for the World Heavyweight Championship. Unfortunately, Eddie’s No Mercy swan song was a sad one; while Guerrero wrestled a clean match, The Animal scored a cleaner victory thanks to a spinebuster. Regardless, the two combatants shook hands, and when the pay-per-view broadcast ended, Batista surprised his buddy by acknowledging his birthday, leading the capacity crowd in Houston in a chorus of “Happy Birthday.”

And so it goes...

These are just a few of the memorable moments from No Mercy’s past, which also includes the final match of the United States Championship Best of Five Series between Booker T and John Cena (2004), the crowning of the first-ever WWE Tag Team Champions (2002), a World Heavyweight vs. Intercontinental Championship Unification Match (also 2002), numerous other championship matches and more.

What will come this year? Who will make history and become the new WWE Champion? Will Batista or The Great Khali escape the Punjabi Prison as the World Heavyweight Champion? Will Triple H defeat Umaga to stay undefeated at No Mercy? The world will know all these answers this Sunday.