WWE Extreme Rules 2022

By Steve Ward

WWE returned to the birthplace of extreme, Philadelphia, PA, for Extreme Rules live from the Wells Fargo Center. While the Undisputed Universal Champion, Roman Reigns was noticeably absent from the card, the show was loaded with several “extreme” matches including two of the six contested for championship gold. One would have to wonder if the show would bend the rules of the PG rating with Vince McMahon no longer at the helm on a night where WWE claims to go extreme. Another glaring question for the evening was whether the “white rabbit” (presumed to be Bray Wyatt) would make his debut/return.

Good Old Fashioned Donnybrook Match

Imperium (Gunther, Giovanni Vinci, &Ludwig Kaiser) vs. The Brawling Brutes (Sheamus, Ridge Holland, & Butch)

Winners: The Brawling Brutes via pinfall

The bitter feud that has continued to escalate since Walter and Sheamus battled for the Intercontinental Championship at Clash at the Castle last month, came to a head tonight. Both men rallied their factions together for a “Good Old Fashioned Donnybrook Match” which was essentially a free-for-all brawl. Before the chaos of this match ensued, it should be noted that The Brawling Brutes entrance was interrupted by a brief video featuring the enigmatic “white rabbit.” Following a hard-hitting brawl that exceeded 20 minutes, Gunther received a devastating shot with a shalalee at the hands of Sheamus that subsequently allowed him to seal the victory.

WWE Smackdown Women’s Championship Extreme Rules Match

Liv Morgan (c) vs. Ronda Rousey

Winner: Ronda Rousey via submission

Ronda Rousey found herself in a position to try and regain her Smackdown Women’s Championship that she lost at Money In The Bank when Morgan cashed in her briefcase on Rousey after she was injured in her title defense. Rousey looked out of place in this match as soon as weapons were introduced and unfortunately Liv Morgan didn’t look much more comfortable as her most significant highlight was a well-executed senton from the top rope that put Rousey through a table. Moments after that thunderous blow, Morgan found herself tied up on the mat in the most unique submission hold I’ve seen her unleash that lead to Morgan losing consciousness.

Strap Match

Karrion Kross w/ Scarlett vs. Drew McIntyre

Winner: Karrion Kross via pinfall

Karrion Kross made his shocking return to RAW (following a very dismal and poorly booked first run on the main roster) just before Clash at the Castle. Upon his return, Kross immediately placed McIntyre in his crosshairs. The two combatants were bound together by a 13-foot leather strap in this bout with the winner to be declared by scoring a pinfall or submission. The closing moments of the match saw McIntyre seemingly poised for a potential victory as he sized up Kross for The Claymore. Scarlett intercepted McIntyre and sprayed him in the eyes with pepper spray leaving him vulnerable as he was blindsided with the Kross Hammer allowing Karrion Kross to seal the victory with a pinfall.

RAW Women’s Championship Ladder Match

Bianca Belair (c) vs. Bayley

Winner: Bianca Belair

Bayley made her return at Summerslam with her new running mates Io Sky and Dakota Kai, collectively called Damage Ctrl, as they confronted Belair following her successful title defense over Becky Lynch. Fast forward to tonight where they meet head-to-head in a Ladder Match where the first competitor to scale the ladder and retrieve the title suspended above the ring would be the victor. Belair was able to overcome a spirited effort by the former champ and interference by Damage Ctrl as she hit the KOD on Bayley clearing a path for her to ascend to the top of the ladder and retrieve her title.

“I Quit” Match

Edge vs. Finn Balor 

Winner: Finn Balor

This bitter feud ignited after Edge was unceremoniously booted from the faction he created, Judgment Day, when he thought he was introducing Finn Balor as the newest member only to have him supplant him as leader. Tonight, this feud came to a head in an “I Quit” Match where one wins by making his opponent mutter the words, “I Quit.” Edge was seemingly moments from forcing Balor to quit as he had him in a crossface with the aid of a hockey stick until the rest of the Judgement Day came to his aid. The odds were then evened as Rey Mysterio and Beth Phoenix came to The Rated R Superstars aid. The Judgement Day was able to regain the advantage once again after disposing of Rey Mysterio and Ripley delivering a vicious blow with brass knuckles to the back of Beth Phoenix’s head. With Edge being held down, Ripley positioned Phoenix’s head on a chair for the con-chair-to. Edge was forced to say, “I Quit” and still watched as Ripley delivered the crushing chair shot to his wife’s head.

Following the match, The Miz was again confronted by the Flyer’s mascot Gritty backstage and was offered a t-shirt. This time The Miz attacked Gritty and as he stood over the mascot berating him, he was attacked from behind by Dexter Lumis who subsequently choked him out and walked away with Gritty.

Fight Pit Match w/ Special Guest Referee Daniel Cormier

Seth Rollins vs. Matt Riddle

Winner: Matt Riddle via submission

These two men decided to take their personal rivalry into the Fight Pit, a doorless steel cage with shelves on top that would be lowered over the ring with the ropes removed. Additionally, a winner would only be crowned by pinfall or submission meaning escape would not be an option. Late in the contest, Riddle landed a senton from the top of the Fight Pit and moments later cinched in a triangle choke to solidify the victory.

As Riddle exited the arena, the lights faded to black as a creepy rendition of “He’s Got The Whole World In His Hands” echoed through the arena. After people dressed as characters from the Firefly Funhouse were illuminated around the arena, Bray Wyatt made his long-awaited debut/return to WWE to close the show.

WWE Extreme Rules 2021

By Steve Ward

WWE returned to pay per view this evening as Extreme Rules emanated from the Nationwide Arena in Columbus, Ohio. This evening’s card featured only six bouts - rather slim for a pay per view - with only one contested under the show’s moniker. The aforementioned lone Extreme Rules match would be the main event where Roman Reigns defended the WWE Universal Championship against “The Demon” Finn Balor. Another disappointing facet of the card was the lack of star power as the WWE seemed set on reserving marquee matches for their return to Saudi Arabia for next month’s Crown Jewel event where Brock Lesnar will likely make his in-ring return following his return at Summerslam.

The New Day vs. A.J. Styles, Omos, & Bobby Lashley

Winners: The New Day via pinfall

Rather than book a return bout for the WWE Championship, WWE elected to place Bobby Lashley and new champion (following his cash-in of the Money In The Bank briefcase two weeks ago) Big E on opposite sides of a six man tag team encounter. The closing moments of the bout saw dissonance ensue between Styles and Lashley which ultimately cost their team the match. Lashley was sizing up Big E for a spear as Styles blind-tagged himself into the match. Styles then attempted a Phenomenal Forearm only to have Lashley follow suit and blind tag himself in. Styles missed the attempt and Lashley then attempted a spear only to have Bug E sidestep him making Styles the unfortunate recipient. Big E took advantage of the chaos and executed the Big Ending on Lashley for the win.

Smackdown Tag Team Championship

The Usos (c) vs. The Street Profits

Winners: The Usos via pinfall

The Street Profits gave The Usos a run for their money, however, Jimmy and Jey used effective teamwork to first neutralize Angelo Dawkins outside the ring before they turned their attention to Montez Ford. First, Ford received a super kick to his injured ribs buckling him in half before The Usos delivered simultaneous splashes from opposite turnbuckles to seal the victory.

RAW Women’s Championship

Charlotte Flair (c) vs. Alexa Bliss

Winner: Charlotte Flair via pinfall

This match came to fruition after Flair’s recent appearance on Alexa’s Playground where the champ ridiculed Bliss’ current persona to the point Alexa snapped and assaulted Charlotte. Bliss appeared poised to score the upset in this contest until she missed a late attempt at the Twisted Bliss. Charlotte responded with a kick to the face followed by the Natural Selection to secure the victory.

United States Championship Triple Threat Match

Damien Priest ( c ) vs. Jeff Hardy vs. Sheamus

Winner: Damien Priest via pinfall

Sheamus was scheduled to receive an opportunity to regain his title which he lost at Summerslam in a singles match tonight until a loss to Jeff Hardy this past Monday transformed this into a triple threat affair. Jeff Hardy appeared moments from victory late in this bout after he landed a Swanton Bomb on Priest who was attempting a pinfall on Sheamus. After a couple failed pinfall attempts, Hardy became the recipient of a Brogue Kick to the face from Sheamus which effectively knocked him out of the match. Priest next capitalized and rolled up The Celtic Warrior for the pinfall to retain his title.

Smackdown Women’s Championship

Becky Lynch (c) vs. Bianca Belair

Winner: No contest

After “The Man” made her miraculous return at Summerslam to defeat Belair in less than a minute and reclaim championship gold, Belair found herself with a rematch this evening for the title. Lynch spent much of the early going of the match baiting Belair into a game of cat and mouse as she continued to escape to the arena floor before finally returning to the ring where she attempted to slow down the tempo of the match. Belair turned the momentum back in her favor shortly thereafter until Becky turned her attention to her arm. Lynch cinched in the Disarm Her only to have Belair reverse the submission attempt and hoist her up for the KOD. Before she was able to finish the move, Sasha Banks rushed the ring and laid waste to both women leading to a no contest.

WWE Universal Championship Extreme Rules Match

Roman Reigns (c) w/ Paul Heyman vs. “The Demon” Finn Balor

Winner: Roman Reigns via pinfall

After Finn Balor’s championship opportunity was spoiled recently on Smackdown by The Usos, he reintroduced his Demon persona for his return to pay per view. Late in the match Balor appeared poised to score the upset multiple times. First, Balor attempted the Coup de Grace only to be thwarted by The Usos. Moments later, Balor, after disposing of The Usos, again found himself on the top rope ready to attempt the Coup de Grace before the top rope mysteriously snapped and caused Balor to fall to the canvas injuring his leg. As The Demon got back to his feet, he was met with a spear from The Tribal Chief putting an end to his title hopes.

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WWE Extreme Rules 2020

By Steve Ward

The latest pay-per-view installment of the “Quarantine Era” aired live from the WWE Performance Center in Orlando, Florida as we were presented with Extreme Rules…correction…The Horror Show at Extreme Rules. Yes, you read that correctly…the WWE decided to rename the event by prefacing the normal Extreme Rules moniker with “The Horror Show.” While I understand this is likely tied to the main event where Bray Wyatt challenged Braun Strowman for the Universal Championship, this name certainly could open WWE up to some ridicule. For instance, if this show doesn’t deliver, well, it will be considered a “horror show” - just not for the reason WWE intended. After last night’s Impact Wrestling Slammiversary show saw the debuts/returns of Gallows & Anderson, Eric Young, EC3, Heath Slater, Alex Shelley, and Chris Sabin, WWE had a lot to live up to in the eyes of the less than casual fan. Tonight’s show featured six matches and was headlined with the aforementioned Wyatt Swamp Fight between Bray Wyatt and Universal Champion Braun Strowman.

Smackdown Tag Team Championship Tables Match

Cesaro & Shinsuke Nakamura vs. The New Day (Big E & Kofi Kingston) (c)

Winners: Cesaro & Shinsuke Nakamura

An ongoing feud between these teams culminated this evening in a Tables Match for the Smackdown Tag Team Championship. Following a rather pedestrian match, the ending came in spectacular fashion. Two tables were stacked on top of each other outside the ring as Cesaro found himself jockeying for position with Kofi on the top turnbuckle. As it appeared that Kofi was going to escape disaster, Nakamura met them on the ring apron and delivered a brutal kick to Kingston’s back. This allowed Cesaro to power bomb Kofi through both tables solidifying their victory.

Smackdown Women’s Championship

Nikki Cross vs. Bayley (c)

Winner: Bayley via pinfall

Riding the heels of a 282 day stretch as the Smackdown Women’s champion (and currently half of the Smackdown Women’s Tag Team Champions with Sasha Banks), Bayley put the title on the line against the underrated Nikki Cross this evening. Bayley was in dire straits late in the bout after she received a neck breaker to the arena floor. After the women returned to the ring, Banks handed her Boss ring off to Bayley who viciously punched Cross in the stomach and followed it up with a face plant to retain her title.

MVP was scheduled to challenge Apollo Crews for the United States Championship, however, Crews failed a “pre-match physical.” The announce team cited this was from an injury sustained a month ago at the hands of MVP’s cohort Bobby Lashley, however, one has to wonder if perhaps he entered the venue with a fever or other Coronavirus symptoms. Nonetheless, MVP proceeded to walk down to the ring, pick up the newly designed United States Championship, and proclaim himself the new champion by forfeit.

Eye for an Eye Match

Rey Mysterio vs. Seth Rollins
Winner: Seth Rollins

This had to be one of the most ridiculous stipulations I’ve ever heard of…at least when Abdullah the Butcher was “electrocuted” at the conclusion of the infamous Chamber of Horrors Match in WCW back in the early ‘90s, they made it appear somewhat realistic albeit comedic at the same time. Anyway, Rollins pressed Mysterio’s face into the corner of a ring stair allegedly inflicting an eye injury a few weeks back. That coupled with the ongoing inclusion of Rey’s son Dominic being targeted by the Monday Night Messiah, we have arrived at this match. The announce team actually said the winner would be declared by removing one of his opponent’s eyes - really??? This match was one of the worst I’ve ever seen. The two men spent the majority of the bout trying to puncture out the other’s eyes with various tools, pens, and edges of ring stairs. The conclusion finally came after Rollins pressed Mysterio’s eye into the edge of a ring stair until after the referee put it, it was hanging out. Following this I personally hope the rumors are true that Rey’s contract is up because it would be nice to see such a legendary competitor used in a promotion like AEW where his talent would be respected and he would be utilized as something more than a sideshow attraction.

RAW Women’s Championship

Asuka (c) w/ Kairi Sane vs. Sasha Banks w/ Bayley

Winner: No contest

In what was looking to be a nice recovery to the preceeding shit show of a match, a very competitive title bout ended in ludicrous fashion. As Banks stood with a title belt in hand poised to strike Asuka when she returned to her feet, Asuka sprung up and spewed the green mist - the only problem was Banks ducked and left the referee to receive the full brunt of it in his face. Bayley then proceeded to remove the referee’s shirt and put it on herself. After Banks took down Asuka and covered her, Bayley counted the pinfall and Sasha stole the title proclaiming herself champion.

WWE Championship

Drew McIntyre (c) vs. Dolph Ziggler

Winner: Drew McIntyre via pinfall

Ziggler found himself in this match after he promptly confronted the champ following his trade to RAW along with Bobby Roode for AJ Styles. Ziggler told McIntyre that he was owed a match based on their extensive history and that he would keep the stipulation for the contest a secret until the night of Extreme Rules. Before the bell rang, Ziggler announced that the match would be contested under extreme rules…for him only. Ziggler also stated that if McIntyre were disqualified or counted out, he would also relinquish the title. Ziggler put forth a solid effort despite the fact he stacked the deck against McIntyre, however, the defending champ took everything he had and finally closed the contest with a brutal Claymore kick to successfully retain his title.

Universal Championship Wyatt Swamp Fight

Bray Wyatt vs. Braun Strowman (c)

Winner: Bray Wyatt???

After Wyatt’s attempts to awaken Strowman’s dark side from his early days as a member of the Wyatt family to no avail, Bray revived his original cult leader persona in the fashion of Waylon Mercy. This set the stage for another cinematic pay per view main event in the form of a Wyatt Swamp Fight. Sadly, this did not come anywhere close to reaching the bar established by the Undertaker vs. AJ Styles clash at Wrestlemania - in fact it was just plain bad. The conclusion found Wyatt and Strowman fighting on a pier as Braun kicked Bray into the water thinking the fight was over. Next, a hand emerged from the water, grabbed Strowman by the throat, and dragged him into the swampy abyss. After the two struggled for a few moments, the face of The Fiend emerged from the water as the broadcast ended. Apparently, there was no winner - at least not in the traditional sense.

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WWE Extreme Rules 2018 Recap

This evening WWE presented Extreme Rules from the PPG Paints Arena in Pittsburgh, PA.  The card boasted ten matches with seven titles on the line. On a personal note, I understand that this is the “PG Era” of WWE but if you’re going to call a pay-per-view Extreme Rules then at least give us a TV-14 rating and a match or two that would pay homage to hardcore legends like Terry Funk, Mick Foley, Tommy Dreamer, and Raven. Nonetheless, this was an entertaining pay per view that saw some shocking title changes.  Without further ado, here’s the rundown of the card:

RAW Tag Team Championship
The Deleters of Worlds (Woken Matt Hardy & Bray Wyatt) ( c ) vs. The B-Team (Bo Dallas & Curtis Axel)
Winners: The B-Team via Pinfall

After several weeks of The B-Team impersonating the Deleters of Worlds and engaging in numerous singles matches, the rivalry finally came to a peak at Exreme Rules. This bout also presented us with the interesting dynamic of pitting real life brothers Bo Dallas and Bray Wyatt against each other. In the end, Hardy was shoved into Wyatt knocking him off the ring apron and leaving the disoriented Hardy susceptible. Bo Dallas hit the DDT as Matt Hardy’s feet were suspended on the ropes for the victory.

Finn Balor vs. Constable Baron Corbin
Winner: Finn Balor
Baron Corbin, sporting his new bald look, brutalized Balor for the majority of this match with several power moves and strikes. The match concluded with Corbin attempting the End of Days only to be rolled up in an inside cradle to lose by pinfall.

Smackdown Women’s Championship
Carmella ( c ) vs. Asuka
Winner: Carmella

This contest was a rematch of their meeting at Money In the Bank that ended with Asuka being distracted by the shocking return of James Ellsworth. To help eliminate the possibility of any outside interference, Ellsworth was suspended above the ring for this bout in a shark cage. Late in the match, Ellsworth picked the lock of the shark cage but when he attempted to climb down, his foot got caught leaving him hilariously hanging from the cage. In an attempt to free Ellsworth, the ring crew lowered the cage leaving Ellsworth exposed to several strikes from an unmerciful Asuka. While Asuka was distracted, Carmella snuck up behind her and shoved her headfirst into the steel cage allowing her to score the pinfall. After the match, Asuka not only assaulted the ring crew but also took her frustrations out on Ellsworth which culminated with him being placed in the Asuka Lock until he frantically tapped out.

United States Championship
Jeff Hardy ( c ) vs. Shinsuke Nakamura
Winner: Shinsuke Nakamura

Before the match even started, Nakamura nailed Hardy with a low blow as the referee handed the title to the ringside attendant. After the referee confirmed that Hardy wished to continue, he rang the bell. Nakamura wasted no time hitting the Kinshasa and quickly scored the pinfall victory to become new champion!

After being awarded the title, Randy Orton’s music echoed through the arena! The Viper came to the ring causing Nakamura to flee. After they engaged in a stare-down for a few moments, Orton turned to Hardy as he lay in the ring, grabbed his feet, and stomped him between the uprights!

Steel Cage Match
Braun Strowman vs. Kevin Owens
Winner: Kevin Owens

Kevin Owens thought he had the upper hand after he handcuffed Strowman to the ropes. As Owens began to climb the cage, Strowman broke free and chased him to the top. Strowman then choke slammed KO from the top of the cage and through the announce table!!! KO may have been rolled out on a gurney in a neck brace but he hit the floor first and won the match!

Smackdown Tag Team Championship
Bludgeon Brothers ( c ) vs. Team Hell No
Winners: Bludgeon Brothers

Following a backstage attack earlier in the evening at the hands of the Bludgeon Brothers that left Kane with an injured ankle, Daniel Bryan came to the ring by himself. After valiantly taking the fight to the Bludgeons for half of the match, Kane came to the ring in a walking boot. He was able to manage a couple choke slams but it wasn’t enough as in the end the Bludgeon Brothers were too much for Team Hell No.

Bobby Lashley vs. Roman Reigns
Winner: Bobby Lashley

Despite a Superman punch, Lashley turned the tides on Reigns to counter his spear with one of his own to earn the pinfall victory!

RAW Women’s Championship
Alexa Bliss ( c ) vs. Nia Jax
Winner: Alexa Bliss

Ronda Rousey was seated at ringside for this bout and unable to compete as a result of her “suspension” due to her actions the night after Money In the Bank. This match was contested under extreme rules which meant there were no rules. While Rousey did make her presence known late in the match, it wasn’t enough. The pinnacle of the match came as Nia Jax had Alexa positioned for the Samoan Drop only to have Mickie James come to the rescue with a chair shot to the back of Jax. Bliss then hit the DDT on Jax driving her head into a steel chair to set up the pinfall victory.

WWE Championship Match
A.J. Styles ( c ) vs. Rusev
Winner: A.J. Styles

Both combatants utilized an array of their signature moves-Rusev the Machka Kick and Accolade and A.J. the calf crusher and springboard 450 splash. Aiden English also did his best to try and ensure Pittsburgh would be celebrating Rusev Day, however, amongst his actions was the removal of the turnbuckle cover which eventually brought about Rusev’s demise. After Rusev was launched head first into the exposed metal turnbuckle and left in a daze, the match concluded as Styles hit the Phenomenal Forearm to earn the 1-2-3.

Intercontinental Championship
Dolph Ziggler ( c ) vs. Seth Rollins
Winner: Dolph Ziggler

This match was a 30-minute Iron Man match where the participant who scored the most pinfalls would leave victorious. The odds were stacked against Monday Night Rollins from the start as Ziggler was accompanied to the ring by Drew McIntyre. The first pinfall came after Rollins hit a Buckle Bomb on Ziggler. It didn’t take long for the second pinfall to come after Rollins took Ziggler out with a Curb Stomp. This was more than McIntyre could handle and he assaulted Rollins to make it 3-0 Rollins after a DQ. McIntyre was then ejected by the official, but before he left the ring, he unceremoniously hit Rollins with a Claymore Kick. In less than two minutes, Ziggler proceeded to tie Rollins at three with a series of super kicks and a Zig Zag. Pinfall seven was scored by Ziggler after he thwarted Rollins suicide dive attempt with a shot to the face followed by a pinfall with his feet on the ropes to make the score 4-3 in his favor. Rollins then won the next fall to tie the match at four with less than three minutes to go. Just before time ran out, Rollins landed another Curb Stomp, however, the clock expired before the referee could initiate his count. As Ziggler began to depart the ring, he was interrupted by RAW GM, and Pittsburgh’s own, Kurt Angle, who ordered the match be restarted under sudden death rules. After the match was restarted, McIntyre returned through the crowd to distract Rollins as Ziggler was able to finish him off with another Zig Zag to retain his Intercontinental Title.

-The Buckle Bomb with Steve Ward

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