Extreme Rules is the pay-per-view that gives fans everything that we used to see on the regular in WWE.
Stipulations feel long forgotten and a thing of the past, until this event rolls around. Extreme Rules 2018 boasts matches featuring Tables, a Steel Cage, a 30-minute Iron Man match and James Ellsworth in a Shark Cage…obviously!
WWE seem to be taking their time with Almas and I think a feud with Sin Cara was the right choice. Whilst I would love a former NXT Champion to be thrust into the main event for SmackDown, it’s just never likely. The pre-show’s are very rarely entertaining these days. I don’t want to say the pre-show is a “demotion” for Superstars but I think it was a good spot for Almas to build himself up for the time being before moving onto bigger things. Almas oozes charisma, he’s great in the ring and with Zelina Vega by his side, you would be mad not to watch the pre-show.
This match was as exciting as it could be. The match didn’t deliver as well as it has done previously on SmackDown LIVE but they performed to a decent enough standard. The question is, where will Almas go next?
I was very surprised that SAnitY would be debuting on the main roster pay-per-view on the pre-show. It’s been weird with SAnitY coming up to SmackDown. It was announced they were coming but their debut was put on hold for some time. They made a thunderous impact a few weeks ago when they attacked The New Day and left the former tag team champions in debris after putting them through tables.
This match was never dull in terms of action and I think most fans would have expected some impressive spots, which they delivered on. Considering it was on the pre-show, the match felt rushed. It felt as if this match had a lot more to give. It was definitely extreme but if they had more time it could have been such a stronger bout. It was a victory SAnitY needed after a few early main roster defeats.
We crowned new Raw Tag Team Champions as The B-Team captured the gold. I can’t hate on The B-Team, even if I wanted to. They’re hilarious. I think a lot of people did actually expect The B-Team to bag the win at Extreme Rules. Dallas & Axel have plenty of experience when it comes to professional wrestling. They have been loyal servants to the WWE and have agreed to portray whatever the company has asked of them. No matter how ridiculous or humiliating it has been. This win proves that hard work and dedication does pay off.
Up next we had Finn Balor vs Constable Baron Corbin. I’m not sure how I feel about the new Constable of Monday Night RAW. I do like Baron Corbin and I feel he had a great image prior to this new gimmick we’re seeing. He had to shave his head, that was a given. Wrestling in a waistcoat and trousers though? I’m not really sure about that. Stephanie McMahon’s personally appointed man sought to prove he was bigger, better and more of a deal than former Universal Champion Finn Balor in a match that has been building for weeks.
It wasn’t a bad match. It feels like both Balor and Corbin are in a tough spot right now. They performed well together and it almost looked telepathic at times. They knew exactly what the other one was going to do before it happened. It was poetry in motion. The match was a lot better than people thought it would be.
Balor needed this win. Finn has been on the losing end of some high profile matches in recent months. Corbin’s new role as Constable and on-screen associate of the McMahon’s will still generate heat and a loss for him was to be expected. That being said the feud looks poised to continue and with Finn not getting close to the Universal Championship any time soon. It can’t be that bad a thing, right?
The SmackDown Live Women’s Championship match was poor, first and foremost. It really is a contender for one of the worst title matches of the year. The only real thing we have to go on in this match is that it made sense from a story point of view. It feels like we’ve seen too much of the shark cage in the last two years. This, Enzo and Chris Jericho. I just don’t really understand it. However, I do understand that Ellsworth is key to Carmella and undeniably adds to her character. I don’t mind Carmella portraying the coward and winning by any means necessary. I think it can be a great angle. It worked with Seth Rollins during his first big title run.
However, there will come a point where WWE will have to cut Ellsworth loose again. People talk about a Women’s Revolution that is currently being overshadowed by a loser. It devalues the competition and it devalues the title they are competing for. There shouldn’t be any longevity with this and the fact it’s happening with Asuka is a sad story.
The match had one focus and that was Ellsworth. The sole focus was him escaping the cage and getting his ass kicked by Asuka. The title wasn’t even in the equation. Nobody was thinking about it. Everybody was thinking about “What’s Ellsworth going to do?” “How is he going to escape?”. The title isn’t a bit-part player. Things drastically need to change.
Jeff has spent most of his title reign as the United States Champion issuing open challenges but he finally met his match when he came up against Shinsuke Nakamura. Am I shocked? Yes. Am I happy? Yes! This is all story-line development and that is what wrestling is all about. Ask any of them. They tell stories. Shinsuke Nakamura finally winning a title is the right move. A lot of people have accused Shinsuke of being a flop since his debut to the main roster. I wouldn’t say he’s a flop. I would say he’s been booked poorly. Nakamura was stale. Shinsuke has always delivered in the ring and a heel turn injected some new life into him. The return of Orton as well is a welcome one and it’s very exciting to see where things are going to go.
If we’re talking about stories, the cage match between Braun Strowman and Kevin Owens was great. KO took the fight to the monster, Strowman. When that didn’t work he resorted to cheap tactics such as handcuffs. His arrogance got the better of him as he fell victim and wound up in the grasp of arguably the most dangerous man in the WWE right now and paid the price.
The result says that Kevin Owens won but at what cost? Strowman got the last laugh. I think Owens winning was necessary given the way the story was unfolding on the flagship show. Losing would have hurt Owens, who like Balor has been on a bit of a losing streak in high-profile matches. This was booked perfectly because Strowman is protected. His unbridled fury and strength in full flow as he sacrificed victory to hurt Kevin Owens in the worst way.
It’s no surprise that this match went down a storm. Everything was executed perfectly. Kevin Owens lives for matches like these and it’s really what sets him apart from any other superstar in WWE right now. Massive credit to him for taking a huge fall on his second pay-per-view in a row.
The SmackDown Live Tag Title match was pretty disappointing as well. I was a big fan of Team Hell No the first time around and I was really excited when they unexpectedly reunited. WWE are looking at building the Bludgeon Brothers into a force to be reckoned with but they’ve missed a real opportunity here. Team Hell No have always been massively over. Anything Daniel Bryan related will be massively over. This was the chance to strike while the iron is hot and push the babyfaces.
Daniel Bryan’s in-ring return is just getting more sour by the bit. The anticipation to see Daniel Bryan at the top of the mountain again or in a match that actually has meaning and excitement is looking bleaker than ever.
I’ve gotta just nip this in the bud, quickly. Roman Reigns lost. He is human after all. I loved a lot of things about this match. The ending, most of all. Lashley using the spear is a great move and they made two great decisions. First, having Lashley use it to put Reigns away and secondly, Lashley going over in this match. Bobby Lashley needed to announce, remind and possibly introduce everybody to who he is and that he IS a big deal. Some fans may not remember him or have even forgotten about him. Beating the top star in the company is a great way to establish some credibility and legitimacy and put Lashley in the driving seat for a match with Brock Lesnar for the Universal Championship.
A defeat doesn’t hurt Roman Reigns. Reigns is bulletproof. Losing a match like this is what pro wrestling is all about. Doing favours, elevating people. This is what people wanted from John Cena and it never happened. For that I say, give Roman a break, for now at least.
The Raw Women’s Title Extreme Rules match had a few awkward moments. This didn’t need to be a great match though.This match was about planting the seeds for something special. This was a tease. Jax and Bliss didn’t need to put on a blockbuster match. This was all about Rousey jumping the guardrail and getting her hands on Alexa Bliss and their inevitable one-on-one showdown for the RAW Women’s Championship. If you take that into consideration as the foundations of this match and what it was looking to achieve, it was a total success.
AJ Styles and Rusev, What a great match. AJ Styles and Rusev took a disinterested crowd and had them buying into the excitement and late-match, near-falls that this title match showcased. I’ve talked about stories a lot in this article but that is a true testament to storytelling and the talent of these performers. It was obvious before the match begun that AJ Styles would be retaining but both guys did a fantastic job to make it seem like Rusev could actually walk away with the title on a couple of occasions. The superstars selling their own injuries to a point where they couldn’t even execute their signatures was unreal. AJ Styles is the cream of the crop, he continues to mesmerise us but Rusev deserves a lot of credit, he was top class.
For both of these stars looking forward, AJ Styles will be looking for a formidable opponent for SummerSlam. Meanwhile it looks that Rusev and Aiden English may go their separate ways.
I never thought I’d ever see the day. For the first time since SummerSlam 1992, the Intercontinental Championship was defended in a singles main event of a WWE pay-per-view.
This match was a bit hit and miss. It was a 30 minute match but both competitors looked out of it way too early. Then suddenly bursts of energy, sprints, high spots and near-falls aplenty. It was hard to take seriously at times. Along with the crowd that was intolerable as the fans in attendance mocked the clock, directing attention away from the superstars and putting it on themselves. It’s hard to call the match great when things like that happen. Fans pay a lot of money to be in attendance at pay-per-views so they have the right to count from 10 to 1 every single minute of a 30-minute Iron Man Match if they want to but, their shenanigans definitely ruined a well executed main event for the people watching at home.
Credit to WWE for closing the show with this match. Would they have preferred Reigns/Lashley in hindsight? Most likely.