wrestling / Columns

411 Roundtable Preview: WWE Extreme Rules 2015

April 25, 2015 | Posted by Sean Garmer
Image Credit: WWE

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Introduction

This year’s edition of WWE Extreme Rules emanates from Chicago Illinois. This show also features the first ever WWE World Title defense for Seth Rollins as he takes on Randy Orton in a Cage match where the RKO is banned. The one night a year where WWE goes extreme also features John Cena vs. Rusev in a Russian Chain match, Roman Reigns vs. Big Show in a Last Man Standing, and Luke Harper vs. Dean Ambrose in a Chicago Street Fight as well. Hell, we even have a “Kiss My Arse” match between Dolph Ziggler and Sheamus. WWE probably will wait until some time on Sunday to announce that Daniel Bryan will not be available, but for now the Intercontinental Championship is still listed as on this show as well. This is historically one of those PPV’s that either hits a home run or winds up being very underwhelming for WWE. What will be the result this year? We have to wait and see on that one. However, I think the 411 staff doesn’t need to wait anymore to give their predictions and thoughts on the PPV happening on Sunday night.

The Staff

Wyatt Beougher, Wrestling Article Writer, MMA Fact or Fiction Organizer,

Gary Vaughan, Wrestling 2 the MAX Podcast

Dino Zee, Wrestling Article Writer

Eric Palmer, WWE SmackDown Reporter

Mike Hammerlock, The Wrestling Zone 8-Ball

Daniel Wilcox, Music Zone Reviewer

Kevin Pantoja, WWE NXT Reporter, Wrestling Video Reviewer

Paul Leazar, Wrestling 2 the MAX Podcast

Sean Garmer, Wrestling 2 the MAX Podcast, WWE Roundtable Organizer, Games Top 5 Organizer, Co-operative Multiplayer Podcast,

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(Champions) Tyson Kidd & Cesaro w/ Natalya vs. New Day w/ Xavier Woods
Pre-Show Kickoff Match: WWE Tag Team Championship Match

Wyatt Beougher: I think this is the part where I’m supposed to complain about the Uppercats being stuck on the pre-show again in spite of continuing to be one of the more consistently entertaining acts on the roster, but honestly, enough people actually watch the pre-show on the Network now that I think it’s cool that they’ll get that showcase. Would it be nice if they could defend their titles in the main event of RAW or Smackdown on a not-infrequent basis? Sure, but I’m just glad that the tag titles have been defended on every PPV so far this year – that, in and of itself, feels like a step forward. With the New Day looking like they’re in the process of a heel turn and Cesaro and Kidd rumored to be turning face based on the positive reaction they received overseas, it wouldn’t surprise me to see Cesaro break out the Big Swing in this match, which is always fun. While putting the belts on the New Day would certainly help them gain momentum as they transition into the stable they should’ve been since their debut, I personally think it’s too early – let them try their mild chicanery in this match, only for it to fail, so that when these two teams meet again with the titles on the line, they can go full heel and win the titles that way.

Winner: The Uppercats via European Uppercut followed by a Sharpshooter

Gary Vaughan: I have faith in this tag match, purely through the the talent in it. We should expect to see a great variety of high flying and power based action throughout the bout. This could make things for the New Day, but there is little chance they will beat our current tag champs. Kidd and Cesaro still have momentum on their side.
Winner: Cesaro & Kidd

Dino Zee: I’m not convinced that WWE is firmly behind Cesaro and Kidd, and I have a sneaking suspicion that they’re loving this slow burn heel turn for The New Day. So, it would make some sense to give New Day the belts, right? I don’t think so. I think another crushing loss, coupled with more fan backlash that sees the heels getting cheered, will only help push New Day closer to the edge. You can only clap for so long before you snap. Snap, snap-snap. Snap, snap-snap.

Winners: And STILL WWE Tag Team Champions, Cesaro and Tyson Kidd!

Eric Palmer: I freaking hate New Day. Not in a heel heat way, but in a “change my channel to see if there’s anything better to watch…like a TLC show” kind of way. The WWE has given us no reason to care for these guys, which sucks more when you consider they’re all pretty damn talented. I really really really want that heel turn to come, but I don’t think it happens this night. I think Tyson Kidd and Cesaro retain in a match we’ve seen a number of times this year, maybe add in an extra Kofi Kingston dive.

Winners: And STILL WWE Tag Team Champions, Cesaro and Tyson Kidd!

Mike Hammerlock: Yet another pre-show for the tag belts. It only feels like this division is an afterthought because it is. Sad, because there’s talent in that ring. I think New Day is officially a heel team now, which is good. Cesaro and Kidd, who curiously still lack a team name, are heels too. Theoretically, I dig heel on heel violence. Opens up a lot of match possibilities when both teams are taking shortcuts. Does it matter who wins? Will dignity be their reward? No, it will not. Since the WWE doesn’t seem to care, I’m guessing New Day wins based on them having something like a storyline.

Winner: New Day

Daniel Wilcox: I like what the company is doing with both teams, and I really like the fact that we haven’t rushed into the Lucha Dragons challenging for the straps when there’s a chance we can build that up into something of a money-match. I don’t think any reported Kidd/Cesaro face turn is a long-term plan, rather just something to appease a run of hotbed crowds and because it’s convenient for this match. The best course of action here is for the champions to retain cleanly , leading to the New Day cementing their heel turn on Raw by decimating the Lucha Dragons.

Winners: And STILL Tag Team Champions, Tyson Kidd and Cesaro

Kevin Pantoja: You know, I had a harder time picking the winners of this than I thought I would. Had this been straight up face New Day, it would be an easy win for Tyson Kidd and Cesaro, since those guys were going nowhere. However, with the New Day slowly building towards a full on a heel turn, it’s possible they win here since they have an angle to work with. I was very close to picking them, but I think they lose here, which the crowd will enjoy, and it officially sends them over the edge. Plus, Kidd and Cesaro have been doing good work with the belts and I don’t think they should lose them until it’s time for the Lucha Dragons. Oh who am I kidding? Judging by the way they’ve been booked lately, the WWE doesn’t care about the tag division and will probably flip a coin to see who wins.

Winner: Tyson Kidd and Cesaro

Paul Leazar: This really should be on the main show, but whatcha gonna do? I’ve really been digging the way The New Day is being handled right now. They were one of the more interesting parts of the last episode of RAW, and I hope that continues into the future. The Brass Ring Club should get the victory here though. You can keep them with the belts while you continue The New Day’s build to being full-on heels, building up the Lucha Dragons and the Prime Time Players some more, and wait for The Uso’s to get back to being fully healthy so we can get this division back on the right track again.

Winners and STILL WWE Tag Team Champions: Cesaro & Tyson Kidd

Sean Garmer: WWE have done a great job of letting this heel turn for the New Day be slow and feel organic. I think the best way to do that is to have Cesaro and Kidd win here and then we see New Day go full heel at some point before PayBack.

Winners AND STILL WWE TAG TEAM CHAMPIONS: Cesaro and Tyson Kidd

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(PROBABLY NOT HAPPENING) (Champion) Daniel Bryan vs. Bad News Barrett
Intercontinental Championship Match

Wyatt Beougher: Can we just take a minute to consider that all of the joking that internet wrestling fans do about the IC title being cursed might actually be true? This time last year, Wade Barrett had just returned to in-ring action with his Bad News character, was insanely over, and won a widely-praised tournament for the right to face IC Champion Big E at Extreme Rules. Barrett won and it looked like the WWE was finally going to do something positive with the IC championship AND make up for Barrett’s awful run the last time he was champion, but NOPE – Swagger tossed Barrett into a barricade and separated his shoulder, putting him on the shelf for several months. Since that time, the belt has bounced back and forth between Miz, Dolph Ziggler, Luke Harper, Barrett, and now Daniel Bryan, who has not been cleared to compete on Sunday and may miss up to five weeks. That’s two of the five men who have held the title since last year’s Extreme Rules who have sustained fairly serious injuries, and none of the five of them has been able to capitalize on the momentum that Barrett had going into Extreme Rules last year. If Bryan can’t wrestle on Sunday, I’m not sure if they just have him forfeit the belt to Barrett or do a short match that ends in a surprise rollup (since they probably don’t need that for the Divas title match this month) or if Barrett gets added to another match that then becomes for the Intercontinental title. Either way, it’s a shame, as I would love to see what these guys could do in the ring together when both of them are healthy. Ultimately, I have no idea how this is going to play out, but I believe that if Bryan is going to miss five weeks (and two PPVs), they’re going to find a way to get the belt onto Barrett.

Winner and NEW WWE Intercontinental Champion: Bad News Barrett via Bullhammer

Gary Vaughan: Daniel Bryan is not in great health at the moment. His future hangs in the balance, which leads me to expect Bryan to lose. I just have a hard time believing Bryan will retain with his health in the shape that it’s in. Expect Barrett to win in a shady fashion.

Winner: Bad News Barrett

Dino Zee: This is a match I’m looking forward to, as it should deliver in spades. After sending the important members of the midcard into a giant ladder match at Mania, we have an IC Title match build on the former champion being angry about losing his belt, and the new champion wanting to prove he’s earned the strap. No stealing the title, no incompetent buffoonery, just a simple match to prove who is the best. And while it’s no secret that I love Daniel Bryan, I have a bad feeling that this match is going to be the way to justify the injury rumors, and we’re going to see a new champion crowned, so Bryan can rest up a bit. Bummer.

Winner: And NEW Intercontinental Champion… Bad News Barrett!

Eric Palmer: If the dirtsheets are right, and Daniel Bryan is going to be out five weeks, then this match is probably not going to happen. Going back to WWE’s past with Bryan, I could see them going with him vacating/forfeiting the title to Barrett in this one. Which is a shame, considering these two usually work well together.

Winner: Bad News Barrett (if any)

Mike Hammerlock: Will this match even happen? If it does Barrett ought to win, because whatever they had planned for Bryan it doesn’t seem like he’s physically up to doing it. Even better have a complete nonsensical finish that causes the belt to be held up by the Authority so that we can have an IC title tournament that culminates at Payback. Makes more sense than banking on Bryan’s suspect health or Barrett once again playing the role of IC Jobber Champion.

Winner: Abeyance

Daniel Wilcox: At the time of writing, reports seem to suggest that this match isn’t going to take place due to Daniel Bryan not being fit enough to compete. The main concern has to be Bryan’s health, and he should prioritise that by not rushing back into the ring before he is ready, both physically and mentally. In the event Bryan does compete, the smart money is on a title retention after a competitive ten-minute match. These guys had a tremendous outing on pay-per-view at Summerslam a few years back, so we know they can put on a potential show-stealer. I think the most-likely scenario here is Barrett cutting a promo, attempting to claim a forfeit win, and then being interrupted setting up and impromptu match with a mid-card babyface, most likely Neville. One way or another, Barrett loses.

Winner: Not Bad New Barrett

Kevin Pantoja: I do not see this match taking place. What I see happening instead is Daniel Bryan is forced to forfeit the title, but as Bad News Barrett cockily gets it, Neville shows up. Considering he pinned Barrett on Smackdown, he gets an instant title shot. Part of me would love to see Neville win the gold here, but I sense Barrett retains through nefarious terms and Neville puts up a great fight, leading to a program between the two. Knowing the WWE though, even if this happens, Barrett will get bitched out as Champion, lose a bunch of non-title matches and if Neville dethrones him, it won’t mean much. It’s unfortunate too because everyone that I just mentioned can flat out go in the ring.

Winner: Bad News Barrett

Paul Leazar: Seeing as this match isn’t happening anymore officially, I’m not sure what the WWE will do with this spot. D-Bry vacates the championship via promo, only to have Bad News Barrett follow with his own promo claiming the championship, only to have somebody from the Authority make a match to fill the vacancy leading to different match as they have been promoting an Intercontinental Title match all the way to this last week on RAW? Who knows, but I can only hope that they give this spot to Neville, and let him be a fighting champion so that he can do what he does best. Wrestle.

Winner and NEW WWE Intercontinental Champion: If we get any sort of match out of this, Neville!

Sean Garmer: I actually wouldn’t be surprised if something like what Paul describes happens. However, I’ll just say they have the match happen but it ends quickly and Barrett picks up the win with a Bull Hammer.

Winner AND NEW INTERCONTINENTAL CHAMPION: Bad News Barrett

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Dean Ambrose vs. Luke Harper
Chicago Street Fight

Wyatt Beougher: So the joke going around right now is how this match is basically the WWE’s version of Looper, with Harper essentially representing the future version of Ambrose. If WWE were a little more pop culture-savvy, that would mean that Ambrose attempts something high-risk at the end of the match that backfires, but still ultimately succeeds at what he’s trying to do (and before you go crying spoilers, Looper came out over two-and-a-half years ago – you have no excuse for not watching it yet). WWE booking being what it is, Ambrose will probably win this match, even though right now, Harper has significantly more upside based on recent booking. I know Ambrose is beloved by the IWC (and a fair bit of the mark crowd as well), but hear me out here – since the Shield has broken up, name me one thing Ambrose has done that was legitimately awesome and not the least bit corny. Go ahead, I’ll wait. Nothing, right? To make matters worse, he’s been booked like the most interchangeable WWE midcarder this side of Kofi Kingston and the Miz. He just wrestled Adam friggin Rose on RAW two weeks ago, for crying out loud! A year ago, I would’ve been salivating for this matchup because Harper is basically the best big man in the business when the WWE actually lets him cut loose and Ambrose was such a dynamic, unique performer in the ring. Now, though? Harper is still awesome but he barely gets to showcase it because he loses more often than not, and Ambrose’s ring work has devolved into punches, kicks, spamming the rebound clothesline, and occasionally hitting the Dirty Deeds (on those rare instances when he wins). Hopefully this match is like Ziggler/Harper from TLCS (and that none of the rest of this card resembles that one in any way, shape, or form) and steals the show, because both guys have it in them.

Winner: Dean Ambrose via Dirty Deeds on a foreign object

Gary Vaughan: This could be the match of the night. Look for both of these guys to tear each other apart in a ballet of violence. Harper, as talented as he is, has not been scoring too many wins lately. So, the trend will continue; even if a surprise like Rowan getting involved happens.

Winner: Dean Ambrose

Dino Zee: Here we go! This should be the match of the night, from where I’m sitting. Both have been meandering for months- Ambrose since Bray Wyatt interrupted his feud with Rollins, and Harper since losing the Intercontinental Title- and have, through each other, found something to do again. Thank goodness for powerbombs through ladders, am I right? Oh, I should be careful, the Safety First! crew wouldn’t like that. Both men can brawl, both men can deliver, and while I personally think Dean needs this more than Harper, I’m thinking the big man walks away with the win.

Winner: Luke Harper

Eric Palmer: I’d like to think this where Ambrose FINALLY gets a big Pay-Per-View (or “special”) win, but at the same time, I feel like they could be grooming him for a surprise Money in the Bank win. While I’m rooting for the latter myself, I also think Harper has huge potential in WWE. He plays his character damn near perfect and can outperform almost anybody on any given night. This match should have some great brawling, some awesome spots. I’m expecting it to open, and possibly steal, the Extreme Rules Pay-Per-View. I think Harper gets the win via Ambrose being an idiot and screwing himself over again.

Winner: Luke Harper

Mike Hammerlock: Finally, Dean Ambrose wins again at a PPV. I feel bad for Harper, who kind of dominated the ladder match WrestleMania. He deserves better. Yet if Ambrose were to lose here, his viability officially dies. As an aside, shouldn’t Harper have campaiged for a Louisiana Swamp Fight?

Winner: Dean Ambrose

Daniel Wilcox: This is another match with show-stealing potential. I’m a big fan of both Luke Harper and Dean Ambrose, but both guys have spent the majority of 2015 meandering through the mid-card, picking up wins often enough to remain credible, but not enough to suggest there’s a particular long-term goal in place for either. I think the crowd will be hugely into this match, so it’s their chance to go out there and impress. Look for both guys to pull off some crazy stunts in this match. The Street Fight stipulation gives them the freedom to do pretty much whatever they want, hence my feeling that this could be the match we’re all talking about Monday morning. The winner’s a coin-toss, but we’ll give it to the face on the basis that this should open the show, and you want to keep the crowd hot.

Winner: Dean Ambrose

Kevin Pantoja: So, Dean Ambrose has to finally win on Pay-Per-View here right? Right? I mean, the guy hasn’t won a singles PPV match since September of 2013. Luckily for him, Luke Harper has even less direction than he has. They should tear it up and have a fun brawl that has show stealing potential. I would like to see Luke Harper get a push since he’d be a much better choice as a big upper tier heel than Big Show or Kane, but it’s Dean’s time to win.

Winner: Dean Ambrose

Paul Leazar: I am really looking forward to this match as well. It’s got a clean and simple build, and I really can’t wait to see what these two are going to do to each other. Luke, however, is filling the same role as Dolph is in his match. Luke has the working boots, and is here to make Dean look hella awesome in what should be a tremendously violent match-up.

Winner: Dean Ambrose

Sean Garmer: I hope these two get the time to go out there and whoop up on each other. I wouldn’t be surprised at all to see Erick Rowan show up here and try to get involved, perhaps we get a Wyatt Family reunion out of this. However, Ambrose is a guy used to adversity. I think he still picks up the win by hitting Dirty Deeds on a chair since that seems to be his favorite weapon.

Winner: Dean Ambrose

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(Champion) Nikki Bella w/ Brie vs. Naomi
Divas Championship Match

Wyatt Beougher: On the bright side, the Divas are getting a singles match for the championship on the actual PPV portion of the card. On the down side, the vast majority of the booking for the division since #GiveDivasAChance became a thing has been largely the same, they’ve just gotten slightly more time and slightly fewer distraction rollups. The most mystifying thing about this match, to me, is that they turned Naomi heel, and then for some reason decided that they couldn’t do a heel-heel match for the championship, so they made the Bellas face without actually turning them. Excuse me while I go and take some Excedrin Migraine…alright, I’m back. So now the heel champion is wrestling face, the face challenger is kayfabe injured and off shooting a movie for a few weeks, and the other face challenger is now a heel – got all that? Good, because I’m not sure I do, and I’m also not sure how much of Nikki Bella’s in-ring improvements are going to carry over if she goes full-on face while she’s in the ring. I think the biggest reason why she seems so much better in the ring since Summerslam is because she’s basically being herself, and face Bellas are, almost without exception, awful. When it comes to Naomi, to me, she’s the main roster Alexa Bliss – she’s very athletic, seems willing to learn, and has a great deal of potential, but I just don’t think she’s quite put it all together yet. Maybe this match will be her coming out party, and another in a streak of solid title defenses for Nikki. I’ve gone back and forth on the finish of this match, as prior to Bryan’s injury, I figured this would be the match where a title actually changed hands, but then I waffled because Paige really isn’t going to be gone all that long, so Naomi just seems like a placeholder challenger and they could lengthen Nikki’s reign without really doing any major damage to the division. Since I think the IC title is going to end up going home with someone other than Bryan on Sunday, I’ll say Nikki keeps her title here.

Winner and STILL WWE Divas Champion: Nikki Bella via Rack Attack

Gary Vaughan: it’s time to Give Divas a Chance and I think they will get it in this match. I expect the Divas to have plenty of time to give us an NXT level women’s match and I believe both Divas will try hard to do that. This feud needs more time to heat up, so I think Brie will keep the Divas title wrapped around her sister’s waist.

Winner: Nikki Bella

Dino Zee: The Poison Parade is here! The Poison Parade is here! Seriously, I think these are my two least favorite women in the whole division. Great athletes, not so great wrestlers. But Nikki’s improved! At least that’s what I’ve been told. I really don’t care about this match, and I’m sorry for that. But like I said, I really don’t like either of these divas, and I think Naomi may be my least favorite diva in history. Her nonsensical heel turn doesn’t change anything. Let’s go Nikki!

Winner: And STILL Divas Champion… Nikki Bella!

Eric Palmer: Nikki Bella has improved tremendously in the ring since she started. I actually think she could be one of the more talented main-roster divas they have right now. I usually enjoy her matches with Paige, but Naomi does add a different style to the matchup. Naomi is obviously athletic as hell, but she’s also really sloppy in the ring and delivers promos that make even the Bellas cringe. The match has potential, but I’m far from excited about it.

Winner: Naomi

Mike Hammerlock: T vs. A. Given modern culture, you’ve got to figure A wins. Get with the times. Half the pop songs made in the past year are overt references to the female posterior. This is way more socially relevant than U.S. vs. Russia. On a separate note, why isn’t this the Kiss My Arse match? Come on Vince, think like a heterosexual.

Winner: Naomi

Daniel Wilcox: While I like the Naomi heel turn and indeed the reasoning behind it, having her go up against Nikki Bella for the title does cause issues in terms of who exactly the fans are going to be getting behind. A hot Chicago audience isn’t exactly going to be enamoured with anyone involved here, so both competitors are likely going to have to put on a good match in order to get the crowd involved. Naomi and Nikki are perfectly capable of doing that, but five minutes isn’t going to cut it. Whether they get credit for it or not, WWE has given the Divas a little more in terms of television time in recent, although there is still a long way to go. I would assume Nikki Bella retains here, before facing a fresh challenger (cliché I know, but there are number of women in NXT that are ready now), while Naomi will likely feud with Paige once she’s back on television. Having two serious women’s feuds running simultaneously and paying them serious attention can only do good things for the credibility of the division.

Winner: And STILL Diva’s Champion, Nikki Bella

Kevin Pantoja: I don’t understand what is going on with the Divas division? I understand turning Naomi heel but are the Bellas suddenly faces? Why doesn’t Naomi have new music? Why is Brie Bella still okay with Nikki treating her like shit in the Fall? Whatever. I’m still not sold on heel Naomi and think it would be a shame if the work that Nikki has done as a heel is tossed aside because she’s become very good at the role. I don’t see Naomi winning here, or at least, I really don’t want her to.

Winner: Nikki Bella

Paul Leazar: Well, the WWE has done a right good job of mucking up this one right? Paige wins the battle royal, only for Naomi, the last remaining face Diva people might actually give a crap about turns heel by attacking her, and we have The Bellas just being the Bellas. However the hell the WWE is going to try and make sense of this might be a fun car wreck to see in the future, but with the giant mess they’ve made, just leave the belt on Nikki until you can figure out what you want from this feud WWE.

Winner and STILL WWE Divas Champion: Nikki Bella

Sean Garmer: There is no excuse for WWE not to give the Divas at least ten minutes to show what they can do here. Even though it makes no sense for WWE to do it while Paige is gone, I’ve enjoyed Naomi’s heel turn. The problem is we now have magically tweener or face Bellas that, at least in Nikki’s case, no one wants to cheer. Regardless, I’ll be hoping for the best here and I just don’t see Naomi getting the win on her first attempt. Nikki wins with some help from Brie and her Nikki Big Forearm.

Winner AND STILL WWE Divas Champion: Nikki Bella

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Dolph Ziggler vs. Sheamus
Kiss My Arse Match

Wyatt Beougher: While I would prefer they added Barrett to the Harper/Ambrose match and make it for the Intercontinental title, I feel like this match is probably the more likely recipient of the added participant and possibly the added stakes. Stupid stipulation aside, this should be the best match on the show in a walk, as Ziggler is at his best when he’s bouncing off of bigger guys and Sheamus, especially as a heel, is at his best when he’s laying waste to smaller guys. The finish of this match is going to tell us a lot about how WWE officials feel about Bryan’s future, I think, as if there are two matches and Barrett and Ziggler both win, I would expect Dolph to become the top face in the IC division and feud with Barrett (and possibly Sheamus). If Sheamus and Bryan both win, then that’ll probably be your top IC title feud, and if it becomes a three-way match and Dolph wins the title, The result could go either way, but I like Dolph to win this, only to be immediately destroyed by Sheamus to get him further heel heat.

Winner: Dolph Ziggler via Ass Roll Stinkface after a Ziggler Splash in the corner

Gary Vaughan: Ziggler love runs rampid in the wrestling universe, but will that propell him to victory on Sunday? No, it will not. Sure, as always, Ziggler will give all he has to make this match awesome. His only issue is that Extreme Rules is the perfect time and place for Sheamus to pull out every Heel move possible to earn him a victory with tremendous heat from the crowd.

Winner: Sheamus

Dino Zee: I always knew that I hated Face Sheamus and loved Heel Sheamus, but the last few years had caused me to forget just how much I loved the big jerk. His return and new direction have been nothing but entertaining for me. Taking out guys who are basically internet favorites, and doing so while claiming to be a “real man” has been really fun to watch. And sure, it’d be fun to see him get his immediate comeuppance at the hands of Wrestling’s Second Best DZ, but I think we’re going to give the big fella some more heat, and he’s going to walk away with a big win in what should be a really fun match, stupid stipulation notwithstanding.

Winner: Sheamus

Eric Palmer: Sheamus has been great since his return. While I don’t care for the look, his moveset was one that always played better to a heel persona (ex: tying opponent in the ropes and hitting forearms). While his promos the last few weeks have all been the exact same one over and over, his matches have been pretty damn good. While the stipulation is incredibly stupid, especially in this “PG-Era,” the match itself should be great.

Winner: Sheamus

Mike Hammerlock: Good chance this steals the show. Who wins could be based on whose ass they most want to air. Dolph’s derriere could register well with the female audience. However Sheamus’ mud flaps could have us proclaiming, “There is none more white!” Can you even view his ass directly or is it so porcelain that you’ll go blind. I suspect we’re about to find out.

Winner: Sheamus

Daniel Wilcox: A peculiar stipulation to attach to this match, but I’m not convinced at this point that we’ll see them actually deliver on it. And frankly, I’d rather they didn’t. Before all those shenanigans however, I expect Sheamus and Dolph Ziggler to put on one of the best matches of the evening as these guys have matched up extremely well together in the past and their styles compliment each other very well. One way or another I see this feud continuing after Extreme Rules, possibly as part of the Intercontinental Championship scene, and as such I think the underdog face takes the first victory here. Sheamus won’t go through with the ass-kicking though, but instead will get his heat back in a post-match beatdown.

Winner: Dolph Ziggler

Kevin Pantoja: There is potential in this match to be the best on the card, but the stipulation is so ridiculous that it’s hard to take serious. I can just imagine Vince McMahon laughing his head off when he came up with the idea. Obviously, Sheamus isn’t going to lose with his new heel persona. Hopefully, there is some way that Dolph loses and doesn’t actually have to pucker up and kiss Sheamus’ white ass. Maybe he’s out cold and Sheamus just shoves his face into his ass? I don’t know. Whatever. Sheamus wins.

Winner: Sheamus

Paul Leazar: I really love these guy’s matches, but I don’t see anybody getting their arse kissed in this match on TV PG show. Course for all we know, the WWE could bring out a donkey and make Dolph kiss that with the way they like to think sometimes. At any rate, Dolph is here to make the still fresh off of his return Sheamus look good, so after what should be a terrific match, Sheamus will be the one with his hand raised after the match.

Winner: Sheamus

Sean Garmer: I think this has some big time potential to be one of the most memorable matches on the night. We still don’t know how they are gonna do this match and that’s something intriguing in itself. I like Wyatt’s idea to extend the feud because there really isn’t a whole lot for Sheamus to do with Bryan going on the shelf again. I could see Dolph winning to really piss off Sheamus, but this really isn’t an Extreme Rules match. I’m gonna assume regular rules apply here and Sheamus gets pissed and smashes Ziggler’s head into something he shouldn’t and gets DQ’ed.

Winner: Dolph Ziggler (via DQ)

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Roman Reigns vs. Big Show
Last Man Standing Match

Wyatt Beougher: More like “Last Fan Awake” match, amirite? All kidding aside, the feud that just won’t end continues here, and unless Reigns wins, the WWE’s new golden boy is going to look like a chump. My best guess? Reigns eats the Knockout Punch but becomes the first wrestler to survive it (unless you count the half-assed one Show hit on Brock at the Rumble last year) and then puts show down with the Spear. Or, because this is Extreme Rules and this seems like the most likely “garbage brawl through the crowd in a poor homage to ECW” match on this year’s card, maybe he hits him with a Superman Punch off of something elevated.

Winner: Roman Reigns via 10-count (after the Spear)

Gary Vaughan: Be prepared for maybe the most lack luster match of the night. We’ve seen this match too many times and I kind of think the crowd might get a little quiet during this bout. Who knows, it might be awesome. What I do know is Reigns will be the last man standing.

Winner: Roman Reigns

Dino Zee: The Poison Parade is here! The Poison Parade is here! Can we please just vote Big Show vs. Roman Reigns as the Worst Feud of the Year? That’d be great. Look, I’m not a Big Show hater- in fact, I love the guy. And even Roman Reigns, while I’m not his #1 fan, I don’t think the guy is a totally useless lunk, either. But this feud has done nothing for either man, and it’s just boring match after boring match. And now we’re going to take one of my favorite stipulations and hand it to this feud? For fuck’s sake, can we just get Reigns a feud that will produce intriguing matches that people will talk about?

Winner: Roman Reigns

Eric Palmer: There’s literally nothing interesting about this match. I really do think Reigns has a ton of potential, but feuding him with freaking Big Show and Kane for half a year is not going to help him improve. He needs to be working with more guys like Rollins and Bryan if he wants to get better and accepted by the fans. It’s also painfully obvious who wins this one. Reigns with after Spearing Big Show through something.

Mike Hammerlock: As we all know, winning a Last Man Standing Match against Big Show is a sure fire recipe to make a guy a superface. Just ask Alberto Del Rio. It can’t miss. And I’m sure Chicago will rally behind Reigns just like Philly did at the Royal Rumble. Why not just set Reigns on fire so we can watch him burn for amusement? I’m starting to feel sorry for him.

Winner: Roman Reigns

Daniel Wilcox: As someone who prides themselves on generally having a positive outlook on this frustrating pseudo-sport, I can only be thankful that is surely the last chapter in a rivalry that has been trundling on for about four and a half months now. I don’t particularly dislike Reigns, but I am completely apathetic to Big Show. The stipulation should help them here, as they can use all the plunder and shenanigans they want to put on something enjoyable, and I expect them to do that. The best plan of action would be to go with the Brock/Reigns method of highlighting Reigns’ resilience before a late flurry eventually topples the giant. There’s something of a rebuilding job that needs to be done with Roman Reigns, and this has to be the first big step. Look for a Hollywood-style spot to be the pinnacle of plunder in the match, and Reigns to beat the count before moving onto something more progressive… like Kane.

Winner: Roman Reigns

Kevin Pantoja: Chicago is probably going to shit on this match. Big Show should not be a relevant part of big angles in 2015 but think about this for a second. Chicago is most likely going to be anti-Reigns. I guess the thought process is that if he’s facing Big Show, they won’t be pro-Show, while if he faced almost any other heel, they’d be pro-whoever that is. I guess they feel this is the best way to go. Regardless, Last Man Standing matches against Big Show are a tired idea. Alberto Del Rio, MVP and others have done it. Roman Reigns obviously wins here before moving on to hopefully, a better opponent.

Winner: Roman Reigns

Paul Leazar: I really want to know who is backstage who keeps thinking that putting Roman Reigns in matches with The Big Show is going to get this guy over. It boggles my mind that they think that putting Reigns in boring match after boring match with Big Show is getting him anywhere near the level they want him to be at. At any rate, hopefully Reigns puts this match to bed for good with something that’ll get us out of our seats because I don’t see the rest of the match doing it.

Winner: Roman Reigns

Sean Garmer: This is gonna be a fun watch to for the crowd because this possibly could get the Cena vs. Orton treatment where we get boring chants and this match sucks and all that type of chants. However, we should really think about this for a bit. Big Show is actually sort of decent in Last Man Standing matches and they usually get the crowd to accept his opponent by the end. WWE will be hoping for some magic here for Reigns, but I’m not too sure that is going to work. Reigns will Spear Big Show through something we haven’t seen yet and Big Show will be down for the count.

Winner: Roman Reigns

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(Champion) John Cena vs. Rusev w/ Lana
United States Championship Russian Chain Match

Wyatt Beougher: The only bad part about John Cena’s US Open Challenge is that, because that storyline has been used almost exclusively throughout the history of professional wrestling to put over new talent, it makes matches like this, against someone who is already established like Rusev, seem anticlimactic. Sure, there’s always the possibility that WWE just wanted to get a handful of good matches from Cena while he was champion to build the prestige of the belt back up before he passes it back to Rusev, but I think it’s far more likely that someone like Neville or another NXT debutee ends up winning the title from Cena. With that in mind, this match becomes more about seeing how strong they let Rusev look against Cena before the inevitable finish of a chain-assisted STF. For Rusev’s sake, I hope WWE learned from the post-Extreme Rules backlash last year and he gets to look significantly more competent than Bray Wyatt did against Cena.

Winner and STILL WWE United States Champion: John Cena via chain-assisted STF

Gary Vaughan: i’m a fan of chain matches and I hope this one reminds me of Why I do. Look for a great battle with near victories splashed in. Cena is keeping the US title relevant, thus he will retain Sunday. Rusev should have a great showing despite a defeat.

Winner: John Cena

Dino Zee: John Cena in a match that seems to favor his opponent? There’s no way he can overcome! Wait… wait… I’m being informed that yes, there is a way, and you can tune in on Sunday to see how it happens. Should still be a fun match. I’m thinking Sting/Nikita Koloff fun.

Winner: And STILL WWE US Champion… John Cena!

Mike Hammerlock: I cannot get enough of the picture from Monday of Rusev yanking back on Cena’s face with the chain. That was comedy gold. Has a Russian ever won a Russian Chain Match? Seems to me that it’s a tell the All-American Boy is going to win. Side questions, has any actual Russian ever participated in a Russian Chain Match and has any non-American ever fought the supposed Russian in a Russian Chain Match? I should have posed these questions to Sforcina. Anyway, there’s no actual question who’s winning this thing. Hopefully we get good theater along the way to Cena’s inevitable triumph.

Winner: John Cena

Daniel Wilcox: Both matches between John Cena and Rusev have been good affairs, but I feel that they can deliver at a higher level. Like a number of matches on this card, the stipulation doesn’t help the performers. It’s difficult to pull off a decent chain match when the vast majority of these matches are synonymous with blood and violence that isn’t a part of WWE’s current product. Furthermore, the “touch the corners” stipulation means good chunks of the match will be spent wandering round the ring when the audience knows the match isn’t about to end, but done right it can add an element of drama (see the Guerrero/Layfield match from ’05). In terms of the outcome, I can actually see this match going either way – Rusev clearly has a big upside and is the company’s current number two heel, but with Rollins on top, Rusev isn’t going to be moved into World Championship contention just yet. But he can lose here (without being pinned or made to submit) and move onto a number of other rivals whom he can go over. John Cena’s reign as United States Champion has been fun though, and both the title and its holder feel fresher as a result and I would lean towards a Cena victory here and The Champ moving on to his next foe. Look for Cena to use the chain to choke out Rusev in the STF before Cena hits the corners.

Winner:And STILL United States Champion, John Cena

Kevin Pantoja: This has to be the end of this feud right? I mean, it started way back in January and this is the rubber match. What exactly makes it a Russian Chain match, as opposed to a normal Chain match is beyond me. I think the rivalry has been good but there is no way Rusev wins back the title here. John Cena has been doing great things with his open challenge and just got new merchandise with the US Title on it, so there’s no way he drops the title here. At least with the rules as they are, Rusev won’t get pinned again. The only real question coming out of this match is where Rusev goes next.

Winner: John Cena

Paul Leazar: Another match that I’m sure will be good because these two work very well together, but god do I hate the stupid rule about having to touch the four corners to win. I’m sure they’ll beat the bejebus out of each other, I’m sure we’ll have some fun spots with chain, and I’m sure that John Cena will get the victory here as much as I think giving the belt back to Rusev will keep him relevant in the WWE, and I only say that because the WWE has given us no clue on what the heck they have in store for Rusev with Cena’s attention being preoccupied with the US Title Open Challenges on RAW. At any rate, I’m sure we’ll get some crazy move with the chain from Cena, and we’ll get the “drama” of him dragging Rusev around the ring to touch the corners.

Winner and STILL WWE United States Champion: John Cena

Sean Garmer: I hate the touching the four corner type match, but this is really here so that Rusev doesn’t suffer another pin or submission from Cena on his way to no longer being involved in the US Title picture. I hope this is a good match and that Rusev looks strong in defeat.

Winner AND STILL WWE United States Champion: John Cena

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(Champion) Seth Rollins vs. Randy Orton
WWE World Championship Cage Match

Wyatt Beougher: Without the ability to surprise the fans with a Curb Stomp-into-RKO counter sequence, I have a feeling that this match isn’t going to be remembered as fondly as the Wrestlemania one. That said, Orton is more than capable in the ring and pretty much everything Rollins has done over the past year that hasn’t involved social media has been outstanding, so there’s a really strong chance that this match will be one of the highlights of the show. Since WWE cage matches really don’t prevent outside interference anymore, I expect this to devolve into a clusterfrag at some point, though hopefully it’s early enough in the match that it doesn’t play directly into the finish, as Rollins needs a relatively clean win in his first PPV title defense to keep his momentum going. While it makes no sense for Reigns to interfere to help Orton, since the rumors are that his next feud is going to be Kane, I would imagine he comes out and tries to get into the cage to set that up, but it might just end up being J&J Security who get involved and I think that could be a lot of fun, seeing them pinball around the ring selling Orton’s offense. The best part about this match, though? There is maybe a 0.00000001% chance that it’s worse than last year’s Extreme Rules cage match.

Winner and STILL WWE World Heavyweight Champion: Seth Rollins via Escape

Gary Vaughan: We will see both talents without their best weapons in this match; with RKO banned and the cage will keep J&J Security from saving Rollins. Despite all that, I believe this will be a great violent match. Rollins wulill retain and Kane will be the reason for it.

Winner: Seth Rollins

Dino Zee: This should be a fun match, that much is for sure. However, with Kane being placed as gatekeeper AND Orton’s finisher being banned, it almost makes you think that the deck is stacked way too hard against our hero, and there’s no way he can beat the odds! And so, since this is WWE, the pick for Orton to win seems like the smart one. However, I’m going to go with Kane doing one more thing to prove he supports The Authority, keeping Rollins the champion. It’s just too early to pull the plug on Rollins’ reign, even if it was one of those goofy 24 hour reigns that would be nullified the next night. And then Kane can get booted from The Authority in the coming weeks!

Winner: And STILL WWE World Heavyweight Champion… Seth Rollins!

Eric Palmer: This match is certainly an intriguing one. I do hope that it’s the end of the Rollins vs Orton feud, but knowing WWE, it won’t be. I like the stipulations added to it, and it’ll be kind of interesting to see how Kane’s role plays out. I really don’t want another Kane face turn, so I’m hoping that Orton punts Rollins before having Kane slam the door on his head and Rollins escaping or getting the pin. The feud hasn’t been anything special to this point, but I can’t remember the last time an Orton feud peaked my interest.

Winner: Seth Rollins

Mike Hammerlock: Four weeks ago Seth Rollins won the WWE title with what might be remembered as an all-time great WrestleMania moment. Since then all they’ve done is cut off his balls. I mean, he’s going to win here, no doubt due to some form of chicanery. Yet wouldn’t this match be so much more interesting if Rollins had spent the build to it laying everyone in his path to waste? You know, like if he was a legit and formidable champion? If they keep the overbooking in this one to a minimum, we could get a great match. Stylewise these two should be able to reach **** territory. Just wish I could erase the last month of WWE programming from my brain so I could better enjoy this.

Winner: Seth Rollins

Daniel Wilcox: Modern day Steel Cage matches are difficult to get right, and including the “Escape” stipulation further muddies the water as large portions of the match are made up of unnecessary climbing attempts. Furthermore, the idea that a Steel Cage is likely to keep any outside parties from interfering is proven to be a flawed ideal. All that said, Seth Rollins and Randy Orton are two of the most capable workers in the company and should be able to put together a good match here. I’m assuming this is the final encounter between these two, and I’m also assuming that the outcome is in little doubt. The banning of the RKO (kayfabe) and Curb Stop (non-kayfabe) is yet another obstacle for the talented pair to overcome in putting together a reasonable main event, but it’s something that can certainly be worked around. In addition, the Kane dynamic isn’t something that most people will get excited about, but it has been built up for a number of months and admittedly adds a little intrigue to an otherwise pedestrian rivalry. Randy Orton as a challenger is a logical step for Rollins’ reign but you’d have to assume that Roman Reigns and Brock Lesnar are the two main threats to Rollins’ WWE World Heavyweight Championship. Don’t be surprised if Orton’s next rival emerges here to cost him the match. Hopefully it’s not another hokey Bray Wyatt appearance, not because Orton/Wyatt wouldn’t be fun, but because it’s a cheap ending that has been done as recently as October’s Hell in a Cell pay-per-view.

Winner: And STILL WWE World Heavyweight Champion, Seth Rollins

Kevin Pantoja: At WrestleMania, Seth Rollins gave us an awesome moment when he cashed in Money in the Bank during the main event and left as the WWE World Heavyweight Champion. Since then, the booking of Seth has gone back to shit. He looks like a complete bitch when it comes to both Kane and Randy Orton, while also getting pinned by Roman Reigns on Smackdown this past Thursday. However, despite all of that, I can’t see Orton walking out with the gold. He beat Seth at WrestleMania, so it’s time for Seth to get his win back. I expect that even with the awful Kane as the guardian of the gate or whatever, there will be shenanigans which lead to Seth retaining.

Winner: Seth Rollins

Paul Leazar: I really enjoyed their match at Wrestlemania, so here’s praying that they can carry over some of that good stuff into this one to make us care some more about it, because the build on the go-home to RAW was a snooze-fest outside of the random RKO’s, which were more hilarious then interesting (especially because we all saw that RKO inside the cage coming from a mile away). I’m sure we’ll get plenty of shenanigans from Kane, J&J, and the rest of The Authority to make sure that Seth walks out of this with the championship because their isn’t anyway I see Randy walking out with the belt this early in what hopefully goes to the beginning of a long title reign for Seth.

Winner and STILL WWE World Heavyweight Champion: Seth Rollins via Escape

Sean Garmer: I bet this will be a pretty good match, especially with Kane getting involved multiple times in the match as well. I think in the end, Kane begrudgingly smashes the cage door in Orton’s face and let’s Rollins escape for the big win.

Winner AND STILL WWE World Champion: Seth Rollins

Overall Thoughts & PPV Interest Level (from 1 being the worst to 5 being the best)

Wyatt Beougher: My interest level for this PPV is a 2: The matches should all be good, but I’ll be spending the majority of the PPV either in airports or in the air, so I’m not going to get to watch the majority of the show until Monday evening. If I were getting together with friends and watching it like I’ve done the past four PPVs, I would’ve gone higher, but as it is, my concerns for Bryan’s health and travel schedule won’t allow me to give it any more than a 2.

Gary Vaughan: My interest in this PPV is a 3 My hope is that we get an above average show, because right now the card reads very average. All the stipulation matches should succeed. The best success for me would be for most of my predictions to be wrond and for WWE to surprise the heck out of us with some super creative finishes.

Dino Zee: My interest level for this PPV is a 4: I don’t think anything huge as far as storylines are concerned will take place, but this should still be a fun night filled with chaos. Sure, I’m not too hot on two of the matches, but that’s a personal thing. They might still deliver, who knows? At this point, there’s not much more I can ask for from WWE.

Eric Palmer: My interest level for this PPV is a 2: I think the build for this show has done a pretty poor job of getting me excited for this show. If it weren’t for Ambrose vs Harper and Sheamus vs Ziggler, I probably would rate this even lower. I legitimately forgot that this show is only a few days away as of this writing. I’m not expecting a great, or even a good show, but WWE has surprised me before. I hope they do so again, but I’m not getting my hopes up.

MIke Hammerlock – My interest level for this PPV is a 1: While I think this could be a perfectly acceptable wrestling card, the WWE weekly programming has become so terrible that I’m seriously considering not watching this show. It’s going to be three hours I never get back if it fails to deliver and that’s going to make me surly. Plus, Game of Thrones makes me happy. Maybe knowing I have GOT on my DVR will make it easier to slog through Extreme Rules if it flops. The crowd in Chicago should make it enjoyable. I have no doubt they will rain hate on Reigns, Cena and Orton, all of whom are supposed to be faces. Most over performer in the building may be Dolph Ziggler. Anyway, the WWE has beaten the interest out of me. They really harshed my post-WrestleMania buzz.

Daniel Wilcox – My interest level for this PPV is a 3: I don’t think this pay-per-view is going to have much in the way of long-term implications on the direction of the product so it’s not something I would consider must-see. With that said, there’s at least three or four matches here that have a lot of potential to be great. Your two main events of Rollins/Orton and Rusev/Cena should absolutely deliver considering the talent involved, irrespective of the potentially limiting stipulations. Ziggler/Sheamus and Ambrose/Harper are your two potential show-stealers, and as long as they each get ten minutes or so, they will deliver as well. Look for Reigns/Show to surprise a few people as well. In summary, there’s little here to interest me from a storyline perspective, but enough intriguing matches on the card that I know this will be a decent show in terms of in-ring quality.

Kevin Pantoja – My interest level for this PPV is a 2: I’d love to be more excited for this show but I can’t be. The card is actually pretty solid but the build has been pretty bad. Why should I be pumped for a Tag Team Title match, when the Champs and challengers both got punked out by Randy Orton? Why would I want to watch Sheamus vs. Dolph Ziggler if one dude has to kiss the other one’s ass? Am I supposed to take the WWE Champion seriously when he looks like a total bitch each week? Had the build been better, this would be easy to look forward to. Since it wasn’t, I go in with low expectations and hope to be surprised.

Paul Leazar : My interest level for this PPV is a 2: The build for this show has been boring to awful. The go home RAW really took a lot steam out of the sail for me about this PPV, but the wrestling on this show should be top notch, so hopefully that will make up for some extremely lackluster, and at times confusing, build towards this show.

Sean Garmer: My interest level for this PPV is a 3: I don’t think this PPV has been built very well, but the matches and stipulations have some intrigue in them. The wrestling show also make this entertaining to watch, but I’m not going to get myself too excited here either.

Well, that is all for this month everyone. Don’t forget to leave us your thoughts and predictions below in the comments and we will see you again in May for Payback.

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