WWE’s Extreme Rules pay-per-view takes place tonight at the Royal Farms Arena in Baltimore, Maryland. The buildup for this show has been spotty for many of these matches, but especially the Women’s and Universal championships. Bayley and Alexa Bliss, who was somehow able to save herself from career destruction, were involved in the most atrocious non-wrestling segment I think I’ve ever seen, and after it was announced that Braun Strowman was injured, a new plan was quickly needed to get Brock Lesnar a new contender. I think this will be a show where the in-ring action is far superior to the buildup, but one can only hope.
Main Card
Match #1: Dean Ambrose vs The Miz- Intercontinental Championship match ; If Ambrose is disqualified he will lose the title
The Miz won the opportunity at Dean’s title by winning a fantastic triple-threat against Seth Rollins and Finn Balor early last month. He would win a title match against Dean on Raw a few weeks later by DQ, but of course did not win the belt. So really, the stipulation where Dean loses the title if he is disqualified does not do the match any favors at an event called Extreme Rules, but these two will make it work. They always do.
Winner: The Miz
Match #2: Rich Swaan and Sasha Banks vs Noam Dar and Alicia Fox
I love Sasha Banks, but this match should be on the preshow. Both Dar and Swaan are incredible wrestlers, but they have done nothing of interest for months now so this feels like a 205 Live feud thrown onto a Raw PPV. Banks has fallen from grace quite a bit, clearly not in the position she was in at WrestleMania or during her incredible program with Charlotte. Not expecting much out of it.
Winners: Sasha Banks and Rich Swaan
Match #3: The Hardy Boyz vs Sheamus and Cesaro- Steel Cage match for the Raw Tag-Team Championships
The Hardy Boyz are known for the ladder match, so when given the opportunity to pick the match at hand they choose…..a steel cage match. A match which limits their ability to fly in and out of the ring, and that favors Sheamus and Cesaro who are both brawlers. Weird.
Sheamus and Cesaro already fell to the Hardyz at Payback, but as they have since turned heel, the match will be different. However, I do worry about that, as Sheamus tends to play dirty while he’s heel. He’s been ok recently, but in the heat of a big match who is to say he won’t be reckless? I expect Matt and Jeff to pull through again, as the “Broken” gimmick is still in limbo and they need time to get things settled.
Winners: The Hardy Boyz
Match #4: Neville vs Austin Aries- Submission match for the Cruiserweight Championship
This one is going to be captivating. The pair have had excellent matches thus far at both Mania and Payback, and over the course of the buildup for this particular match, Aries bested Neville, forcing him to tap out for the first time since his rebranding. Not that Neville has needed much help in the ring, working with Aries has helped cement him as a true monster in the WWE as a whole. The two are both extremely technically sound, so I fully expect many different kinds of submissions both in the ring and on the outside area. Aries failed to win the NXT championship while down there, so perhaps tonight will be his first crowning moment in the WWE circuit.
Winner: Austin Aries
Match #5: Bayley vs Alexa Bliss- Kendo Stick On A Pole match for the Raw Women’s Championship
Alexa Bliss, in a “shocking” turn of events, defeated Bayley for the title in her hometown of San Jose at Payback. Bayley will of course be looking for revenge tonight, especially after being beaten down by Bliss at almost every turn since the title loss. The “this is your life” segment may impede the match a bit, as it is still fresh in everyone’s mind, but hopefully they’re able to tune the early onslaught by the fans out and focus on the task at hand. I fully expect Bayley to use the kendo stick at some point, but I think the match greatly favors Bliss.
Winner: Alexa Bliss
Match #6: Roman Reigns vs Finn Balor vs Samoa Joe vs Bray Wyatt vs Seth Rollins- 5-Pack Challenge for the Universal Championship
I haven’t been this excited for a match since AJ Styles and John Cena at Summerslam. The build has been a bit rushed, but the possibilities here are truly endless. The thought of Lesnar/Wyatt finally happening after it was thrown out a few years ago or Lesnar/Joe, a real dream match for me, is very exciting. Even within the match itself, you have Joe and Bray, Bray and Finn, Roman and Joe….so many different aspects that we have either rarely or never seen before.
Rumors about the match being made an elimination match have been thrown out there, which is another huge dynamic. These are all guys who know how to finish. All guys who are main eventers anywhere in the world and yet some would have to lay down sooner rather then later….it would be so exciting should they add that stipulation.
Roman winning is the easy choice, but it appears he won’t get a shot at Brock until Mania in New Orleans. Finn Balor, who is currently my favorite in all of wrestling, winning this one after what he went through last summer would be an incredible sight, but is also sort of predictable, what with Paul Heyman labeling him as his pick to win. So really, I’d like to see Bray Wyatt come away with it. I really think Brock and Bray could be fantastic.
Winner: Bray Wyatt
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