WWE Extreme Rules 2018
Pittsburgh, PA
PPG Paints Arena
7/15/18
Pittsburgh, PA
PPG Paints Arena
7/15/18
Kick Off Match #1
Andrade Cien Almas w/ Zelina Vega def Sin Cara via Pinfall
I was glad to see this match got added to the card as Almas and Vega always bring up the quality of any show they are on. It's always great to see the sexy little latina Zelina Vega and I like that she does the tranquillo pose with Almas now. I really like this new head scissors piledriver looking move that Sin Cara has started doing and hope to see it in WWE 2K19. Almas took a nasty bump on the apron and then Sin Cara followed that up by attempting a hurricanrana off the top to the floor but it didn't work the way he wanted and instead both guys took a crazy bump to the floor. This was a fun little match to get the crowd excited but other than the two nasty bumps nothing else too spectacular happened in this match, but it was fun for what it was. Rating: **1/4
Andrade Cien Almas w/ Zelina Vega def Sin Cara via Pinfall
I was glad to see this match got added to the card as Almas and Vega always bring up the quality of any show they are on. It's always great to see the sexy little latina Zelina Vega and I like that she does the tranquillo pose with Almas now. I really like this new head scissors piledriver looking move that Sin Cara has started doing and hope to see it in WWE 2K19. Almas took a nasty bump on the apron and then Sin Cara followed that up by attempting a hurricanrana off the top to the floor but it didn't work the way he wanted and instead both guys took a crazy bump to the floor. This was a fun little match to get the crowd excited but other than the two nasty bumps nothing else too spectacular happened in this match, but it was fun for what it was. Rating: **1/4
Kick Off Match #2
SAnity def New Day (Tables Match)
This was a fine match, but I feel with more time and with a stipulation that wasn't so anti-climactic like a tables match these two trios could have a far better match, although this match wasn't as anti-climactic as some other table matches. When there are tag team table matches I much prefer the elimination format rather than the one person goes through and it's over format. I like that instead of doing the overdone tower of doom spot they turned it into a really cool double foot stomp devastation device. It felt like it took EY forever to climb up to the top so the finish could be seen coming a mile away, but still a decently fun match. Rating: **1/2
SAnity def New Day (Tables Match)
This was a fine match, but I feel with more time and with a stipulation that wasn't so anti-climactic like a tables match these two trios could have a far better match, although this match wasn't as anti-climactic as some other table matches. When there are tag team table matches I much prefer the elimination format rather than the one person goes through and it's over format. I like that instead of doing the overdone tower of doom spot they turned it into a really cool double foot stomp devastation device. It felt like it took EY forever to climb up to the top so the finish could be seen coming a mile away, but still a decently fun match. Rating: **1/2
Match #1
The B-Team def The Deleter of Worlds (c) via Pinfall (Raw Tag Team Championship)
Not sure if I would have chosen this match to go on first as it was a paint by numbers match that you could see on Raw, but the big moment was obviously the B-Team picking up the titles and that was fun but other than that nothing much to say about the match. Interested to see where the Raw tag division goes from here, hopefully, it will involve either AOP or the Revival. Rating: **
Backstage Kurt Angle gave Brock Lesnar an ultimatum, either he shows up on Raw tomorrow, agree on a deal for when he will next defend the universal championship next or if he chooses to opt out of the above options then he will be stripped of the championship.
The B-Team def The Deleter of Worlds (c) via Pinfall (Raw Tag Team Championship)
Not sure if I would have chosen this match to go on first as it was a paint by numbers match that you could see on Raw, but the big moment was obviously the B-Team picking up the titles and that was fun but other than that nothing much to say about the match. Interested to see where the Raw tag division goes from here, hopefully, it will involve either AOP or the Revival. Rating: **
Backstage Kurt Angle gave Brock Lesnar an ultimatum, either he shows up on Raw tomorrow, agree on a deal for when he will next defend the universal championship next or if he chooses to opt out of the above options then he will be stripped of the championship.
Match #2
Finn Balor def "Constable" Baron Corbin via Pinfall
Finn Balor is a guy that I go back and forth on whether I like him or not as sometimes he can put on some really great matches that I love but at other times his matches are above average at best. While this match was better than I expected it to be it was still just slightly above average match, both men put on a good effort and nothing was technically wrong but other than the roll-up out of nowhere (which I did like) nothing stood out. I actually think Corbin was the star of the match as he had a few moments where he shined as the heel character. Rating: **1/2
Before the next match, we see The Bludgeon Brothers attacking Team Hell No backstage and seemingly injuring Kane by bludgeoning his knee with their mallets, so it looks like Bryan may have to find a new partner for the tag title match later on in the show.
Finn Balor def "Constable" Baron Corbin via Pinfall
Finn Balor is a guy that I go back and forth on whether I like him or not as sometimes he can put on some really great matches that I love but at other times his matches are above average at best. While this match was better than I expected it to be it was still just slightly above average match, both men put on a good effort and nothing was technically wrong but other than the roll-up out of nowhere (which I did like) nothing stood out. I actually think Corbin was the star of the match as he had a few moments where he shined as the heel character. Rating: **1/2
Before the next match, we see The Bludgeon Brothers attacking Team Hell No backstage and seemingly injuring Kane by bludgeoning his knee with their mallets, so it looks like Bryan may have to find a new partner for the tag title match later on in the show.
Match #3
Carmella (c) w/ James Ellsworth (In A Shark Cage) def Asuka via Pinfall (Smackdown Women's Championship)
Remember at the beginning of the year when Asuka won the Royal Rumble and was undefeated and was having really good matches, well that has all gone to waste as this feud with Carmella has put Asuka in a comedy role dealing with Ellsworth rather than having competitive matches and that sucks. This match was all about the shenanigans of Ellsworth and the comedy that surrounds anything that he does. I love the Carmella character and her pairing with Ellsworth, but it can still be entertaining without taking up space in the title picture as there are more deserving women like Becky Lynch who would be great in that spot against Asuka.
I really felt this should have been the time to take the title of Carmella and set Asuka up for something big at SummerSlam, but it looks like we are getting another match between these two (most likely a handicap match), but hopefully, they can do a title switch on Smackdown and still have time to set up something meaningful for the second biggest show of the year. There is nothing much to talk about match wise as there wasn't anything done in the match that didn't involve Ellsworth in the cage. Rating: 1/2*
Wow, this has to be one of the worst opening hours of a PPV ever. This match didn't even last ten seconds as Nakamura low blowed Hardy and as soon as the bell rang Nakamura hits the Kinshasa for the win. After the match, Randy Orton returns and this is supposed to be a big deal, but for a guy that has been with the company for sixteen years a two-month absence isn't long enough for anyone to miss this guy especially when the person coming back guarantees that your going to have at least one boring match on each show that he is on. Orton stares down Nakamura and then shows he can play the same game that Nakamura plays as he stomps on Jeff Hardy's balls. Rating: DUD
Finally, after sitting through four hours of wrestling (counting Kick Off) we have a match on this show that actually delivered a match above 3 1/2 stars. I liked this match as both men were working on a body part of the other that would hinder them from being able to hit their signature moves which would come into play later on when Rusev wasn't able to fully apply the Accolade and had to modify the move. I have to wonder if this means a split with Rusev and Aiden as Aiden pretty much was the reason Rusev lost. I kind of hope the feud between AJ and Rusev continues until SummerSlam and there they have an even better match than this one. Rating: ****
This match should have been better than it was but during most of the first half they were scoring pinfalls just for the hell of it and wasn't telling much of a story. If I were Ziggler I would be somewhat upset at McIntyre for costing me a fall, I mean sure he was able to capitalize on the beating but what if he hadn't been able to and ended up losing the match by that one fall McIntyre cost him. Once McIntyre gets ejected the constant pinfalls slow down and the match really starts picking up and becomes what we would expect of a Rollins vs Ziggler match. I didn't really care for the tied finish as that feels like an overdone trope and would've just preferred if that final fall had actually happened in the match proper instead of during over time. Overall this was really good but had the chance to be a classic and it didn't even come close to being that. Rating: ***3/4
With the title staying on Ziggler hopefully, this means that Rollins is moving up to the main event picture to feud over the Universal Championship as he deserves it after the year he has had.
This show was absolutely terrible overall and only had a smattering of bright spots. The fact that nine out of the twelve matches on the show were under 10 minutes is just ridiculous and the fact that it took me up until the semi-main event to get have a match rated over three and a half is also just as ridiculous. Except for one spot this had to be the most non-extreme Extreme Rules show you will ever watch. Thank god for AJ Styles and Rusev putting a great match as that is what saved this show from being rated an F. Show Rating: D-
Extreme Rules 2018 Match Rankings
12. WWE United States Championship
11. Smackdown Women's Championship
10. Raw Tag Team Championship
9. Raw Women's Championship
8. Andrade Almas vs Sin Cara
7. Kevin Owens vs Braun Strowman
6. Finn Balor vs Baron Corbin
5. SAnity vs New Day
4. Smackdown Tag Team Championship
3. Bobby Lashley def Roman Reigns
2. WWE Intercontinental Championship
1. WWE Championship
Carmella (c) w/ James Ellsworth (In A Shark Cage) def Asuka via Pinfall (Smackdown Women's Championship)
Remember at the beginning of the year when Asuka won the Royal Rumble and was undefeated and was having really good matches, well that has all gone to waste as this feud with Carmella has put Asuka in a comedy role dealing with Ellsworth rather than having competitive matches and that sucks. This match was all about the shenanigans of Ellsworth and the comedy that surrounds anything that he does. I love the Carmella character and her pairing with Ellsworth, but it can still be entertaining without taking up space in the title picture as there are more deserving women like Becky Lynch who would be great in that spot against Asuka.
I really felt this should have been the time to take the title of Carmella and set Asuka up for something big at SummerSlam, but it looks like we are getting another match between these two (most likely a handicap match), but hopefully, they can do a title switch on Smackdown and still have time to set up something meaningful for the second biggest show of the year. There is nothing much to talk about match wise as there wasn't anything done in the match that didn't involve Ellsworth in the cage. Rating: 1/2*
Match #4
Shinsuke Nakamura def Jeff Hardy (c) via Pinfall (WWE United States Championship)Wow, this has to be one of the worst opening hours of a PPV ever. This match didn't even last ten seconds as Nakamura low blowed Hardy and as soon as the bell rang Nakamura hits the Kinshasa for the win. After the match, Randy Orton returns and this is supposed to be a big deal, but for a guy that has been with the company for sixteen years a two-month absence isn't long enough for anyone to miss this guy especially when the person coming back guarantees that your going to have at least one boring match on each show that he is on. Orton stares down Nakamura and then shows he can play the same game that Nakamura plays as he stomps on Jeff Hardy's balls. Rating: DUD
Match #5
Kevin Owens def Braun Strowman via Esc...being thrown off the top of the cage (Steel Cage Match)
Kevin Owens def Braun Strowman via Esc...being thrown off the top of the cage (Steel Cage Match)
Seriously, yet another short match that was lazily booked. This match made both men look like complete idiots as KO took forever before he started climbing the cage when he had Braun handcuffed and then Braun cost himself the match when he threw KO off the cage and through the announce table. I feel like Vince told the agents to not worry about the matches on this show as the Hogan appearance coming up is the thing everyone will remember after the show anyway and nothing else matters, but for the hardcore fans that care about matches that will be the furthest from the truth. Before the stupidity with the handcuffs the match was once again just ok and nothing special which is the story of this entire PPV so far. Rating: **1/2
Match #6
Bludgeon Brothers (c) def Team Hell No via Pinfall (Smackdown Tag Team Championship)
This match starts out as a handicap match due to Kane being taken out earlier in the night. We get Bludgeons dominating for the most part with Bryan getting a few hope spots including moving out of the way of a suicide dive by Harper which caused him to hit Rowan. Kane then decides to hobble out in a walking boot and tries to get his team back in the match but it wasn't long before the leg gave out and Bludgeons capitalized taking Kane out for the rest of the match. Bryan tries to go against them on his own again but it's not long before he is hit with a powerbomb top rope clothesline combo and pinned. This is definitely in strong consideration for worst show of the year, it's not because of the match outcomes that the show is bad it's because of the lack of quality in the matches and all the quick sprints that have filled this show. Rating: **3/4
Match #7
Bobby Lashley def Roman Reigns via Pinfall
We finally got a match that lasted longer than eight minutes which I was glad to see. This match never really kicked into that next gear that it needed to for any sustained amount of time, there were glimpses of them trying to turn it up and there were a few nice spots in the match like the toss over the top from Roman and the belly to belly on the announce table by Lashley but overall it never really clicked or felt like the big time match that it should have been. This was probably the best match of the night so far, but that is damning with faint praise. Rating: ***
Bobby Lashley def Roman Reigns via Pinfall
We finally got a match that lasted longer than eight minutes which I was glad to see. This match never really kicked into that next gear that it needed to for any sustained amount of time, there were glimpses of them trying to turn it up and there were a few nice spots in the match like the toss over the top from Roman and the belly to belly on the announce table by Lashley but overall it never really clicked or felt like the big time match that it should have been. This was probably the best match of the night so far, but that is damning with faint praise. Rating: ***
Match #8
Alexa Bliss (c) w/ Mickie James def Nia Jax w/ Natalya via Pinfall (Raw Women's Championship)
Alexa Bliss (c) w/ Mickie James def Nia Jax w/ Natalya via Pinfall (Raw Women's Championship)
This match was not that great as it felt like there were spots that were sloppy and it felt as if the women felt rushed and weren't hitting things as smoothly as they usually do, even the weapons in this match didn't want to cooperate as the chair stuck in the corner fell out and Alexa had to improvise and set it on a trash can instead. Ronda's role in the match was fine and kept the feud between her and Ronda heated up. The one person who didn't come out of this match without much shine was Nia as she felt like a complete afterthought in this match and was just used as a warm body to face Alexa until they can get to SummerSlam. Rating: **1/4
Match #9
AJ Styles (c) def Rusev w/ Aiden English (WWE Championship)Finally, after sitting through four hours of wrestling (counting Kick Off) we have a match on this show that actually delivered a match above 3 1/2 stars. I liked this match as both men were working on a body part of the other that would hinder them from being able to hit their signature moves which would come into play later on when Rusev wasn't able to fully apply the Accolade and had to modify the move. I have to wonder if this means a split with Rusev and Aiden as Aiden pretty much was the reason Rusev lost. I kind of hope the feud between AJ and Rusev continues until SummerSlam and there they have an even better match than this one. Rating: ****
Match #10
Dolph Ziggler (c) w/ Drew McIntyre def Seth Rollins (WWE Intercontinental Championship - Iron Man Match - 5-4 Falls)This match should have been better than it was but during most of the first half they were scoring pinfalls just for the hell of it and wasn't telling much of a story. If I were Ziggler I would be somewhat upset at McIntyre for costing me a fall, I mean sure he was able to capitalize on the beating but what if he hadn't been able to and ended up losing the match by that one fall McIntyre cost him. Once McIntyre gets ejected the constant pinfalls slow down and the match really starts picking up and becomes what we would expect of a Rollins vs Ziggler match. I didn't really care for the tied finish as that feels like an overdone trope and would've just preferred if that final fall had actually happened in the match proper instead of during over time. Overall this was really good but had the chance to be a classic and it didn't even come close to being that. Rating: ***3/4
With the title staying on Ziggler hopefully, this means that Rollins is moving up to the main event picture to feud over the Universal Championship as he deserves it after the year he has had.
This show was absolutely terrible overall and only had a smattering of bright spots. The fact that nine out of the twelve matches on the show were under 10 minutes is just ridiculous and the fact that it took me up until the semi-main event to get have a match rated over three and a half is also just as ridiculous. Except for one spot this had to be the most non-extreme Extreme Rules show you will ever watch. Thank god for AJ Styles and Rusev putting a great match as that is what saved this show from being rated an F. Show Rating: D-
Extreme Rules 2018 Match Rankings
12. WWE United States Championship
11. Smackdown Women's Championship
10. Raw Tag Team Championship
9. Raw Women's Championship
8. Andrade Almas vs Sin Cara
7. Kevin Owens vs Braun Strowman
6. Finn Balor vs Baron Corbin
5. SAnity vs New Day
4. Smackdown Tag Team Championship
3. Bobby Lashley def Roman Reigns
2. WWE Intercontinental Championship
1. WWE Championship
