 The main rivalry heading into the event was between Stone Cold Steve Austin and Triple H. The rivalry dated back to previous year's Survivor Series, when Austin was run down by a car in the backstage area and was sidelined for one year.At No Mercy, Austin competed against Rikishi in a No Holds Barred match as it was Rikishi, who had run down Austin with the car at Survivor Series.On the November 6 edition of "Raw is War", Austin competed against Rikishi and Kurt Angle in a Handicap match.