Titles Most Likely to Change Hands at WWE Extreme Rules 2018
Extreme Rules isn't normally one of the most noteworthy pay-per-views of the year, but the crowning of a new champion always spices up an event.
At the moment, the card for Extreme Rules 2018 isn't fleshed out, but there are already hints at what titles may be in danger of changing hands on the lineup.
Based on the trajectory of current storylines, the mettle of the contenders, and the need to shake things up every once in a while, a few championships stand out as potentially going to a new wrestler by the end of the night.
Let's take a look at how some of WWE's titles could be changing hands at Extreme Rules 2018.
The Champions Who Will Stay on Top
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Before we get into which titles could go in another direction, let's address the belts that aren't at much of a risk at this event.
It goes without saying that Braun Strowman's Money in the Bank briefcase and the viable contenders of Roman Reigns and Bobby Lashley aren't within reach of the Universal Championship with Brock Lesnar not being in the arena.
This is also true for the Cruiserweight Championship, as 205 Live has seen no representation in the most recent few events. If Cedric Alexander isn't booked, Hideo Itami or anyone else will have to win the title on a future Tuesday night or another pay-per-view, instead of in the PPG Paints Arena.
The WWE Championship will be defended, but it's so unlikely Rusev will dethrone AJ Styles, that it isn't even worth discussing in detail. It simply isn't going to happen, even if the event does take place on Rusev Day.
When it comes to the Intercontinental Championship, the smarter bet isn't for Seth Rollins to win back the title, but for Dolph Ziggler to drop it to Drew McIntyre somewhere down the line.
History has shown that heel partners have a finite time as allies before one of them turns on the other, so the clock is already ticking on McIntyre's ascension coinciding with Ziggler's downfall.
Lastly, Alexa Bliss will be sitting pretty by the end of the night after retaining the Raw Women's Championship against Nia Jax.
To give the title back to Jax would negate any purpose to the Money in the Bank cash-in, which is being used to set up Bliss dropping the title to Ronda Rousey at SummerSlam once the 30-day suspension has passed.
While other titles may also be safe, these four are as good as guaranteed to stay put.
The Raw Tag Team Championship
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In the past few months, the Raw tag team division has descended into a landscape of jokes and jobbers.
While this is bad for the credibility of the belts themselves, it has opened up a possibility for the titles to be on the line at Extreme Rules between two comedic acts.
The Deleters of Worlds haven't had a stellar run since winning the titles at the Greatest Royal Rumble and have even lost quite a bit of audience support over the past few weeks.
This is magnified when compared to The B-Team's rise, as the crowd loves to get behind the lovable idiots more so than even the champions.
Since Matt Hardy and Bray Wyatt aren't firing on all cylinders, it's possible WWE management decide to go with the flow and put the titles on Bo Dallas and Curtis Axel, if not just for the sake of getting one cheap pop out of the fans in attendance.
The decision will depend on whether the response The B-Team has been getting resonates more with WWE officials than the original intended plans for The Deleters of Worlds, who could have easily lost favor recently with their inability to captivate the WWE Universe.
All roads eventually lead to The Authors of Pain anyway, so it won't matter if Akam and Rezar decimate The Deleters of Worlds or The B-Team—they're all losers who will put over the monsters sooner or later.
The SmackDown Tag Team Championship
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Just as the Raw tag titles could be in jeopardy, SmackDown's may be in some danger, too.
There is a different dynamic in the blue brand's match, however, as The Bludgeon Brothers have been consistently booked strongly for months, with few knocks against them.
They also will have much more difficult competition in Team Hell No, made up of two former world champions and top stars.
Daniel Bryan and Kane not only have impressive singles careers but were also tag team champions in their own right, which proves WWE has shown a willingness to invest in that group in the past.
Their popularity may be the perfect catalyst to bring attention to the SmackDown Tag Team Championship in an otherwise crowded environment where the belts haven't been given too much screen time.
On the other hand, that popularity could be why WWE does not put the belts on Kane and Bryan, who don't need another reign together.
This could all just be a ploy to get heat on Harper and Rowan, give Bryan something to do at Extreme Rules that doesn't involve the WWE Championship, and reunite a tag team for a few weeks of random fun, rather than a sign that new champions are coming.
It's possible, but it's not something fans should hold their breath for.
The SmackDown Women's Championship
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One of the two titles that are much more likely to change hands is the SmackDown Women's Championship.
Carmella's run has lasted long enough that if she were to drop it, it won't seem too soon, and she's up against someone she shouldn't be able to overcome.
With some help from James Ellsworth, Carmella was able to retain against Asuka, but The Empress of Tomorrow will be ready for outside interference this time around.
The title change seems like a no-brainer, given Asuka's previous undefeated streak, but it hinges on two things: WWE's thoughts on Asuka's true value, and Survivor Series.
Asuka hasn't been doing so well since WrestleMania, but a title win at this event would help undo those losses and reestablish her as one of the most dangerous women in WWE once more.
If WWE views Asuka in that way, she'll have the belt around her waist by the end of this night. If she's no longer a priority, Ellsworth will help Carmella retain in some fashion.
Survivor Series is perhaps a bigger factor, despite it being further away.
Since it's clear Ronda Rousey will take the Raw title from Alexa Bliss and likely hold that championship until WrestleMania, she'll be facing SmackDown's women's champion in November, assuming WWE follows the champion vs. champion protocol from last year.
Whoever WWE wants to book against Rousey will be the next champion after Carmella, with the two most probable candidates being Asuka and Becky Lynch.
If The Lass Kicker is set to lose to Rousey, Asuka will be overlooked here, but if The Four Horsewomen of WWE and The Four Horsewomen of NXT will be kept apart until closer to WrestleMania, Rousey will take down Asuka at Survivor Series, meaning Carmella has to lose at Extreme Rules.
The United States Championship
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In many cases, it's not the size of the dog in the fight, but the size of the fight in the dog that determines the winner.
When facing Shinsuke Nakamura, though, Jeff Hardy's bite better be more forceful than his bark if he wants to hold onto the United States Championship for much longer.
These two were originally scheduled to face each other on SmackDown before Nakamura's injury postponed the match, which could take place at Extreme Rules instead.
Since Nakamura lost so many attempts at the WWE Championship, it would make sense for that string of bad luck to be reversed with a United States title win here.
It's not the big one, but it's still a championship, and it will go a long way in rebuilding Nakamura's credibility, as well as taking the title off a beaten-up Charismatic Enigma, who could likely use the rest.
Going forward, Nakamura could feud with Randy Orton, Tye Dillinger, Daniel Bryan, Rusev and any others willing to risk a Kinshasa.
If this title change doesn't happen on an episode of SmackDown before Extreme Rules, it will happen at the pay-per-view itself.
Anthony Mango is the owner of the wrestling website Smark Out Moment and the host of the podcast show Smack Talk on YouTube, iTunes and Stitcher. You can follow him on Facebook and elsewhere for more.
