The pay per view after WrestleMania used to be almost as good as Mania itself. In recent years that has not been the case. This pay per view has done absolutely nothing to buck that trend. Extreme is not what it used to be. Before you say anything this has nothing to do with it being a PG era. Saying it does is a cop out. At the end of the day WWE booking has been hit or miss at best. WrestleMania itself was booked extremely (pun intended) well.
Don’t get us wrong, most of the actual matches on this card were ok, but this writer would be hard pressed to say all of that equaled a good pay per view. Couldn’t help but think, “ok… what was the point of that?” at the end of almost every match. Lets take a look at the results.
Neville def. Bad News Barrett (Kickoff Match)
This match was added to the card due to Daniel Bryan being injured. Let’s all hope Bryan is back soon. We are all starting to worry about his long term health he seems to be snake bit as far as injuries are concerned. In any event, Neville not surprisingly gets the win after the Red Arrow. Neville has been gaining a ton of momentum as of late and it is obvious that WWE is behind him.
The same cannot be said for Bad News Barrett on the other hand. He has to hold the record for most loses while holding a title. He almost never wins. They should put Barrett in a match against Kane that way at least ONE of them will finally win a match.
The Verdict: B-
Another great win for Neville. Another terrible lost for Barrett.
Dean Ambrose def. Luke Harper in a Chicago Street Fight
This match was exactly what you would think it would be: two guys beating the hell out of each other. The time both Ambrose and Harper spent wrestling in the Indies have served them well. This match had shades of CZW (to a watered down degree) written all over it. The bit where Harper jumps in a truck and drives off with Ambrose hanging out of the passenger side window was brilliant. Harper and Ambrose disappear for a match or two before coming back to the arena. Ambrose hits Dirty Deeds on a bunch of steal chairs for the win.
The Verdict: B
As entertaining as this match was we are left thinking what’s next? TLC match at the next pay per view? Or was this the end of this highly competitive feud? Furthermore, what was the point of this to begin with? Did it further Harper or Ambrose? What do you think? Let us know your thoughts on this match by tweeting us @wresting_vavel
Dolph Ziggler def. Sheamus (Kiss Me Arse Match)
This is one of the dumbest match stipulations WWE has ever come up with. That said, it served its purpose. This match was designed for Sheamus to loose. Sheamus looses and then refuses to kiss Ziggler’s Arse. Ziggler gets a big win and Sheamus gets a ton of heat for not following through with the stipulation. The booking of this match is old school wrestling 101.
The Verdict: B-
It may have been wrestling 101 but that doesn’t mean it was all that interesting to watch.
The New Day's Big E & Kofi Kingston def. Tyson Kidd & Cesaro to win the WWE Tag Team Championship
Before we get started this writer just has to say, CALLED IT! Been saying New Day had to win this match from the minute it was announced. These four competitors match up very well against each other. This was definitely one of the better matches on the card. There were bodies flying everywhere, including a highly impressive diving spear through the ropes by Big E.
The Verdict: B
The bad guys won and they should have. Look for the Lucha Dragons to defeat New Day for the titles very soon. This match was designed to eventually put of the Lucha Dragons. At this point Kidd and Cesaro are not the heels WWE wants them to be. The New Day on the other hand is.
United States Champion John Cena def. Rusev (Russian Chain Match)
Why is it seemingly impossible to have a chain/strap match were they competitors don’t have to hit the corners? This is one of the worst gimmicks in wrestling. This match was overly convoluted and downright boring. They should have just followed the model they set during their match at Mania.
The Verdict: D+
The best part about this train wreck is they are going to do it again at the next pay per view this time in an “I Quit Match”. Gee, wonder who is going to win that?
Divas Champion Nikki Bella def. Naomi
Naomi somehow managed to not win this match. Before you ask, yes this writer is surprised, even though he shouldn’t be. The Divas division is in total disarray. Creative doesn’t know who is a heel and who is a face and normally dealing in shades of grey is fun, but not so much when it comes to the Divas. Let’s leave that topic for later. This match was ok but Nikki and Naomi have had been matches on Raw. Naomi is obviously working as a heel here but Nikki gets the win after getting help from her sister Brie. Sarcastically yes, that makes total sense.
The Verdict: C
Eh, whenever they take five steps forward with the Divas they end up taking ten steps back a week later.
Roman Reigns def. Big Show (Last Man Standing Match)
This match had the potential to be terrible. That said it was actually the best match on the card. Big Show and Reigns went at each other with reckless abandon. They attempted to destroy each other and managed to destroy most of the arena in the process. Reigns may be away from the title picture but Creative is doing their best to keep him strong.
Big Show’s Chokeslam onto two tables was impressive, but Reigns Spear through the barricade, then through the Spanish announce table took the cake. Big Show would not stay down. It took Reign literally burying Big Show under the announce table and standing on it to finally get the win. Great job by both superstars.
The Verdict: A
If you only watch one match on this pay per view it should be this one. You’ll be glad you did. As fun as this match was, let’s hope this is the end of the Big Show/Reigns feud. Reigns needs to branch out and take on new challenges.
WWE World Heavyweight Champion Seth Rollins def. Randy Orton (Cage Match, with the RKO banned)
When Rollins and Orton are in the ring together magic usually happens. This match wasn’t exactly magic, but it was fun nonetheless. The problem with this match and with every cage match for that matter is the cage itself; its limiting. Also the end of this match was slightly overbooked. Having J & J, and Kane all get involved was a bit much. It was a welcome change to see Kane assault both Rollins and Orton. The finish of this match though… ugh.
The Verdict: C
The match itself was fine, but the finish (Orton hitting Orton with the RKO and climbing out of the cage) was silly. It was clearly designed to further this feud, but why bother insulting the viewer’s intelligence? Just have Rollins climb out of the cage. Leave the added “He used the RKO but its banned” mess out of it.
Extreme Rules Grade: C+
WWE should probably go back to calling this pay per view Backlash instead of Extreme Rules. This event managed to do little to end any of the ongoing conflicts. This show was more Monday Night Raw than a pay per view, but that has been par for the course when it comes to “The WWE Network Era”. Look for this card to be the exact same card at next month’s Payback Pay Per View minus the match stipulations.