Bleacher Report - WWE

WWE Extreme Rules: Live Results, Reaction and Analysis

The Doctor Chris Mueller — Sat, 18 May 2013 19:59:07 -0400

Welcome to the Bleacher Report live coverage for WWE Extreme Rules 2013. This year's event will take place at the Scottrade Center in St. Louis, Missouri.

WWE has done everything it can do to sell the event at this point, and we know the card will consist of eight matches on the pay-per-view and one on the pre-show.

The Miz vs. Cody Rhodes (Pre-Show)
Randy Orton vs. Big Show (Extreme Rules Match)
Sheamus vs. Mark Henry (Strap Match)
Chris Jericho vs. Fandango
Dean Ambrose vs. Kofi Kingston (U.S. Title Match)
Seth Rollins and Roman Reigns vs. Team Hell No (Tag Title Match)
Alberto Del Rio vs. Jack Swagger (I Quit Match for No. 1 Contender to World Title)
Brock Lesnar vs. Triple H (Steel Cage Match)
John Cena vs. Ryback (Last Man Standing WWE Title Match)

There is always a chance WWE could add another match on the fly, but the odds seem doubtful with a stacked card of stipulation matches.

Will The Shield walk out of Extreme Rules with the U.S. and Tag titles? Can John Cena fend off Ryback? Will Brock Lesnar redeem himself for his WrestleMania 29 loss?

Make sure to bookmark this page and come back on Sunday at the start of the pre-show for coverage of all the action as it happens live on PPV.

Follow me on Twitter @BR_Doctor

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WWE SmackDown, May 17: GSM's Analysis and Aftermath

Graham 'GSM' Matthews — Sat, 18 May 2013 19:45:36 -0400

Two days away from WWE Extreme Rules, Friday Night SmackDown was the final stop before the pay-per-view event on Sunday. As expected, the blue brand did an effective job of hyping most matches on the scheduled card and presented a night of entertaining action as well.

Here, I will analyze each significant segment presented on the show. I will also provide a combination of predictions and wishful thinking about what I hope to see in the coming weeks.

The Miz Hosted Miz TV with Randy Orton, Big Show, Jack Swagger, Alberto Del Rio, Mark Henry and Sheamus

Standard segment to kick off the show featuring Randy Orton, Big Show, Jack Swagger, Alberto Del Rio, Mark Henry and Sheamus. Everyone played their roles well and respectively hyped their matches for Extreme Rules.

It was a paint-by-numbers promo, but it served its purpose in setting up the main event match for later in the night. The only person who didn't seem to belong was The Miz, who hardly spoke at all during the course of the segment.

Seth Rollins and Roman Reigns w/Dean Ambrose def. The Usos

Brief match with Seth Rollins and Roman Reigns defeating The Usos. It was only a mere minute long and was nothing more than a glorified squash match.

I would have liked to see the match go a bit longer, especially since The Usos were made to look like equals on WWE Main Event this week. The post-match run-in from United States Champion Kofi Kingston was a logical way of building toward his title defense against Ambrose at Extreme Rules.

Tons of Funk def. Prime Time Players

Throwaway match with Tons of Funk defeating Prime Time Players. Similar to their match on this week's Raw, the bout wasn't given enough time to truly mean anything.

The sole purpose of this match was to give Tons of Funk their win back, which is unfortunate. The in-ring action wasn't bad at all, but it simply felt like an unnecessary waste of time.

Chris Jericho def. Antonio Cesaro

Great match between Chris Jericho and Antonio Cesaro. These two work well together and developed awesome chemistry over the course of the contest.

It featured excellent action that concluded with Jericho forcing Cesaro to tap out to the Walls of Jericho to score the victory. Fandango's post-match attack on Y2J was a nice way of hyping their upcoming match against one another.

The Miz def. Damien Sandow

Good match between The Miz and Damien Sandow. It should have gone longer than just three minuets, but they made the most out of the time they were allotted.

The pre-show matchup at Extreme Rules has zero buildup, so it was nice to see Cody Rhodes on commentary in effort to make the match mean something. I also like the idea of Sandow having his own talk show, which could prove to be extremely entertaining.

Divas Champion Kaitlyn def. Aksana (non-title)

Fine match between Divas champion Kaitlyn and Aksana. These two have worked with one another countless times, so this bout was nothing out of the ordinary.

However, there weren't as many botches as usual and wasn't all that atrocious, which was encouraging. If nothing else, the commentary from JBL, Michael Cole and Josh Matthews was hilarious during this match and is worth listening to if you happened to miss it.

Randy Orton, Sheamus and Alberto Del Rio def. Jack Swagger, Mark Henry and Big Show

Entertaining six-man tag team match with Orton, Sheamus and Del Rio defeating Swagger, Henry and Big Show. They kept the pace consistent throughout the bout and everyone was able to hit their signature spots.

Additionally, the final few moments of the contest were suspenseful and well done. I would have preferred to see the heels go over since I fully expect the faces to go over on Sunday, but that's only nitpicking things.

Overall Show

Overall, a good show that featured enjoyable action and a handful of hype for the Extreme Rules event. There was very little filler and instead primarily focused building the matches on Sunday's card.

Once again, SmackDown outperformed Raw this week, which shouldn't come as any surprise. The blue brand has been the better show for weeks now and certainly sold me on the pending pay-per-view.

GSM out.

Visit my website at Next Era Wrestling and listen to my wrestling radio talk show SAVE US GSM every Wednesday night at 10 p.m. ET.

Follow @SAVE_US_GSM

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WWE Extreme Rules Preview: Brock Lesnar Should Beat Triple H

John Canton — Sat, 18 May 2013 18:11:53 -0400

It is WWE Extreme Rules time. I remember last year's event fondly. The top matches like John Cena vs. Brock Lesnar, CM Punk vs. Chris Jericho and Sheamus vs. Daniel Bryan were all great.

The undercard was just okay, although Brodus Clay beating Dolph Ziggler in four minutes hurt my head. It was the best pay-per-view of 2012. If I made a list of best WWE pay-per-views ever, it might be in the top 15 or 20. It was that good.

This year? I don't expect it to be as good. For one thing, the storylines heading into the show are just okay. None are excellent. There's also a lack of star power with no sign of CM Punk (out resting knee and arm injuries) and Dolph Ziggler missing in action due to a concussion. They are two of the best performers in WWE. It's hard to replace guys like that.

This year's Extreme Rules pay-per-view event is an average card. If the right matches get the most time, then it could be great. If some matches that should be kept shorter are given too much time, then it will hurt the show.

Generally speaking, WWE does an excellent job of timing their pay-per-views. The in-ring action is usually above average, too. My expectations aren't too high or too low. They're somewhere in the middle. Like I said, it has the makings of an average show.

The Miz vs. Cody Rhodes (Pre-Show)

There's not much in terms of build for this one. Maybe WWE can say that Miz is the most "must-see pre-show wrestler ever" like they did before WrestleMania or whatever the hell they were trying to say there. Neither guy has much direction these days. They're in the midcard not doing a whole lot. It would be nice if Rhodes had a bigger role. Miz will go over in a five-minute match to get a babyface win to start the show.

Winner: The Miz

Chris Jericho vs. Fandango

This feud has lost a lot of the momentum from where it began. This is one of the few matches on the card that is a WrestleMania rematch and it doesn't have a stipulation. That's weird. At least the stipulation doesn't have to do with dancing.

Jericho's promo near the end of Raw was good when he said he was sick of the guy and just wanted to beat him. Why couldn't they have done that instead of the terrible build that this feud had? It's as if the creative team realized how awful the feud was and had Jericho improvise that promo.

If they get 10-15 minutes it could be an entertaining match. Fandango won at WrestleMania, so a Jericho win makes sense especially if it leads to a third match. If it was me booking, I'd put Fandango over because as the newer character he should get the big win.

However, I'm picking based on a WWE booking perspective and since I think there will be another match in the feud, I'll pick Jericho to get his win back here. If there's a third match, I'd pick Fandango to win that to end the feud.

Winner: Chris Jericho

United States Title: Kofi Kingston vs. Dean Ambrose

I'm a fan of both guys (Ambrose more than Kingston) and it's a fresh matchup, so I'm looking forward to it. I've had a tough time deciding on this prediction. They have had six weeks between WrestleMania and Extreme Rules, yet this feud feels like it was thrown together within the last week. Shouldn't they plan these feuds better? Of course they should.

On the one hand, I think it's unlikely for Kingston to beat Ambrose clean just because I think Ambrose is booked strong and Kingston isn't a big enough name to go over him. It may be too soon to get the title off Kingston, since he's had some great matches since he's been the champion and keeping that momentum going could be a good thing.

I think the most likely finishes are Kingston retaining via disqualification (due to other Shield members) or Ambrose gets the title. Since I don't like predicting DQ finishes very often, I'll pick Ambrose. A screwy finish wouldn't surprise me because I think it's a bit too soon to get the title off of Kingston.

Then again maybe he is just a transitional champion between Cesaro and Ambrose. There are so many ways they can go with this one.

Winner: Dean Ambrose

Tag Team Championship: Team Hell No (Kane & Daniel Bryan) vs. The Shield's Roman Reigns & Seth Rollins (Tag Team Tornado Match)

It's time to do the tag title change. I've been predicted it for a while now, but now that The Shield are positioned as the top contenders, it's time to put some gold on them. Even though I think that Kane & Bryan holding the tag titles since September has been a great thing for the tag titles, it's time to move on.

I want to see Bryan pushed as a singles babyface star. Getting the tag titles puts over The Shield as a great team and it also opens that door for Bryan to ascend as a performer. He's too good to be in the tag division for much longer.

This could be one of the better matches on the show. I'm a fan of tornado tag matches where all four guys can wrestle at the same time. They have built up some chemistry too, so I'm looking forward to this one a lot. Hopefully it gets 15 minutes of in-ring time, but I think 10 minutes is more likely.

Winners: Roman Reigns & Seth Rollins

Alberto Del Rio vs. Jack Swagger (I Quit Match)

It's a shame that Dolph Ziggler has a concussion because I was really looking forward to the three-way ladder match for the World Title. I thought it was going to be the match of the night.

Now that Ziggler is out, they've replaced it with this "I Quit" match, which is a #1 Contender match even though there are two other midcard matches on the show that seem like a bigger deal (Orton/Show and Sheamus/Henry).

The "I Quit" stipulation works for them because of their submission holds. Their SmackDown match about a month ago was better than WrestleMania, so hopefully this match is more the SmackDown match was.

I think Del Rio will win because he's the babyface that makes more sense as an opponent of Ziggler. With that said, I don't know if they'll do Ziggler vs. Del Rio at the next pay-per-view, Payback. I can see them setting up a feud with Ziggler and Orton in the near future.

Winner: Alberto Del Rio

Sheamus vs. Mark Henry (Strap Match)

I've liked the feud. I don't really like the Strap Match stipulation, though. It limits what you can do in the match. Basically, there will be a lot of whipping with the strap without much else. They can use weapons technically, but with so many other matches with weapons likely to be used, I doubt they use anything other than a ladder.

I'm a fan of Mark Henry's work since he returned, so I hope he goes over here. I don't think a loss hurts either guy that much. I'll pick Henry because I think he's a future pay-per-view opponent of John Cena and a win here would certainly help. It's rare for Sheamus to lose, though, so I'm not that sure about this one.

Winner: Mark Henry

Randy Orton vs. Big Show (Extreme Rules Match)

It feels like a matchup that is filler in a lot of ways. Why? Because they haven't done anything to really create interest in the storyline. Show cost Orton a match at WrestleMania, but it's not like that WrestleMania match was memorable anyway. It was just a regular match.

Here we are six weeks later and they have done little to add to the story. Orton's mannerisms are the same. Show is still the dominating heel. I'm not sure if Orton's long-rumored heel turn is even a plan at this point. Whether it's a plan or not, I have Orton winning this match. It makes more sense to me.

Winner: Randy Orton

Triple H vs. Brock Lesnar (Steel Cage Match)

It's the feud that didn't really need a second match, yet here we are with the third match. If Lesnar loses this match, then WWE really has their priorities screwed up. I realize that Lesnar is on a limited schedule, but it's not like Triple H is wrestling all the time, either. You can't keep booking Lesnar as this devastating heel monster if he continues to loses matches (he's 1-2 since he came back last year).

It's pretty simple: give Lesnar the win. I think the Steel Cage setting should allow them to have a physical style of match with some good drama including nearfalls as well as each guy trying to escape the cage. The best way for Lesnar to win is in a clean fashion. I hope that's what happens.

This might be the longest match on the card just because their previous two matches went 19 minutes (Summerslam) and 24 minutes (WrestleMania 29). It's a Triple H match. His matches always go long. It's not like he's going to book a match where he loses in 10 minutes. That would be wonderful for Lesnar, but I doubt that happens. Hunter's one of the strongest performers in the company even as an aging part-timer.

A decisive Lesnar win in 12 minutes is what I would do. But I'm not booking. I think Lesnar will still win, but it will not be as decisive as it should be.

Winner: Brock Lesnar

WWE Championship: John Cena vs. Ryback (Last Man Standing Match)

There are some people out there that have been messaging me for weeks saying that due to Cena's foot injury he should lose the WWE Title to Ryback. I don't agree.

Are you forgetting about the nearly two-year journey that Cena was on to win back the WWE Title? I really don't think he's going to lose the WWE Title in his first pay-per-view title defense. This is John Cena. He doesn't lose very often, especially one month into a title reign.

I guess it's a positive that people even think Ryback has a chance. I don't see him winning, though. Maybe if they do another pay-per-view match, but even then I doubt it.

The feud has been okay, but I worry about this match in terms of quality. I don't know if they have good chemistry. Obviously, they've been working on house shows a lot in the past month as a practice run for this match. I saw Ryback have longer matches with great workers like Daniel Bryan and Chris Jericho in the last month on SmackDown. They were fine. Not great, though. Against Cena? I have my worries.

The Last Man Standing match is a good stipulation because they can use weapons and have a brawl. The problem is we saw two LMS matches with Del Rio and Big Show already this year, so it doesn't seem that fresh of a stipulation.

Ultimately, I think Cena wins after 15 minutes of taking punishment and looking like a badass by coming back to win the match despite his foot injury.

Winner: John Cena

John Canton is a Featured Columnist at Bleacher Report. You can read more of his work at his website TJRWrestling.com. He also writes for LayfieldReport.com. You can follow John on Twitter @johnreport.

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WWE Extreme Rules 2013: Superstars Who Will Be Propelled by Victories at PPV

Mike Chiari — Sat, 18 May 2013 18:02:06 -0400

The Extreme Rules card is chock full of interesting matchups, and many of them could go either way. In some cases, though, there are superstars who need to win much more than others. That doesn't necessarily mean that they will be booked to win, but it likely increases the chances of that happening.

Ryback may need a win more than anyone in the WWE right now, but since he probably isn't ready to hold the WWE Championship, his match with John Cena could very well end as a draw. While Ryback may not get the win he so desperately needs, a few others are bound to.

Here are the superstars who will be propelled to big things moving forward after winning their matches at Extreme Rules.

Full Extreme Rules Card

Match	Stipulation	Title
The Miz vs. Cody Rhodes	Pre-Show	N/A
John Cena vs. Ryback	Last Man Standing	WWE Championship
Brock Lesnar vs. Triple H	Steel Cage	N/A
Alberto Del Rio vs. Jack Swagger	I Quit	WHC No. 1 Contender
Sheamus vs. Mark Henry	Strap	N/A
Team Hell No vs. Seth Rollins & Roman Reigns	Tornado Tag	Tag Team Championships
Kofi Kingston vs. Dean Ambrose	N/A	United States Championship
Randy Orton vs. Big Show	Extreme Rules	N/A
Chris Jericho vs. Fandango	N/A	N/A

*Card courtesy of WWE.com

The Shield

No entity in wrestling has been more dominant over the past several months than The Shield. Since interfering in the Triple Threat match between CM Punk, Ryback and Cena at Survivor Series, The Shield has run roughshod over the company and destroyed everyone in its path.

The Shield has a chance to reach the next level at Extreme Rules, however, as Seth Rollins and Roman Reigns will face Team Hell No for the Tag Team Championship, while Dean Ambrose will challenge Kofi Kingston for the United States Championship.

Unless the creative team makes a massive blunder, all three Shield members will be in possession of a title by the time Extreme Rules comes to an end. It is no secret that the Tag Team Championship and United States Championship aren't as prestigious as they once were, but The Shield can change that. Wrestling fans are fixated on The Shield right now, and if they see The Shield with titles, then they will automatically feel like they matter.

It's tough to say that The Shield members are in need of wins since they have won almost every match they have competed in since joining the WWE, but it would really hurt their momentum if they were to lose at Extreme Rules. The writers have to realize how popular and intriguing this group is, though, and it figures to result in all three members winning at Extreme Rules.

The Miz

After beating Wade Barrett for the Intercontinental Championship on the WrestleMania XXIX pre-show, The Miz lost the belt back to Barrett the next night on Raw. After that, he wasn't seen for several weeks. Miz was busted filming a movie, but he returned on Raw and has been on a nice hot streak. That hot streak will be tested at Extreme Rules, though, as he will take on Cody Rhodes on the pre-show.

It's somewhat disappointing that The Miz is once again relegated to the pre-show, but it's nice to see him back in action. Things haven't gone as well as expected since The Miz turned face, and while some of that is on The Miz for not transitioning smoothly into his new role, a lot of it has to do with poor booking.

The Miz simply hasn't been put in a position to succeed. A match against Rhodes on the pre-show won't do much to help him initially, but it could springboard him to bigger things moving forward.

The WWE hasn't done much with Rhodes, so it is pretty much a guarantee that Miz is going to beat him. After that, it is anyone's guess where The Miz will go. Reprising his feud with Barrett is possible, but Miz is above the IC title at this point.

The ideal feud would probably be a rivalry with World heavyweight champion Dolph Ziggler when he gets healthy. The Miz needs to be built up a bit more before that can happen, and a win over Rhodes would be a great start.

Mark Henry

Mark Henry is one of the longest-tenured superstars in the WWE, but he has managed to do his best work over the past couple years.

Since turning heel, Henry has been fantastic on the mic. He may not be the best in-ring worker, but he makes do with what he has and is good enough as a character to get by. He and Sheamus will engage in a knock-down-drag-out brawl at Extreme Rules, as their bout will be a strap match, meaning that they will be tethered together throughout.

Sheamus doesn't lose often, but this is a match that he doesn't necessarily need to win. It's unlikely that he will be back in the World Heavyweight Championship picture any time soon because he has faced Ziggler so many times already.

With that said, Henry appears to be an ideal candidate to feud with Cena over the WWE Championship once his feud with Ryback comes to an end, so he could really use another win.

Henry has been nearly unstoppable since returning from injury as he beat Ryback at WrestleMania XXIX in fairly convincing fashion. If he follows that up with a win over Sheamus, it will be tough to deny him a title shot in the near future. There are so few legitimate monster heels in wrestling today, but Henry fits the bill. Hopefully, he is rewarded for his great work as of late with a win on Sunday.

Follow @MikeChiari on Twitter

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WWE Extreme Rules 2013: Matches That Will Steal the Show from Main Event

Brian Mazique — Sat, 18 May 2013 16:44:30 -0400

The Extreme Rules pay-per-view isn't getting a great deal of attention, but there are a few matches on the card that could be classic. What some may find strange is that not one of them is the main event.

Ryback and John Cena's clash for the WWE title will drive the primary storyline, but as pure in-ring action goes, these three matches will steal the show from the main event.

Notice the distinct Shield flavor...

US Championship — (c) Kofi Kingston vs. Dean Ambrose

If you want to see one of the best blends of in-ring athletics and theatrics, this is the one match from the event you don't want to miss.

No one in the WWE is as athletic and exciting as Kofi. When he's matched with the right opponent, his moves come off excellently. Aside from Dolph Ziggler—whom the event will definitely miss—no other Superstar sells opponent's moves like Ambrose.

He's an excellent mixture of old-school heelism and new-school feel. This could be the type of match that vaults Kofi into the next stratosphere.

There are so many ways this one could go; the result and drama could be just as compelling as the in-ring action.

This is good stuff.

Tag Team Championship — (c) Team Hell No vs. Seth Rollins and Roman Reigns — Tornado Tag Match

Daniel Bryan and Kane have already been involved with one classic match with The Shield; this will be yet another epic confrontation.

It seems like the time may have come for Team Hell No to drop the titles. If so, giving The Shield some gold would seem like a logical step in their meteoric rise.

Watch the sequences with Rollins and Bryan. It should be classic material.

Fandango vs. Chris Jericho

The theme music of Fandango has gone viral. His dancing machinations and other hype are a cool package, but the guy is pretty solid in the ring too.

Don't sleep on Jericho's ability to entertain, Y2J can still put on a great match. After Fandango and Jericho's first meeting registered about a six out of 10 at WrestleMania 29, this one should be a lot better.

Hopefully they will get 10 to 15 minutes of time to shine athletically and tell a story.

Follow me, because if The Shield win Gold, I'll Happily Tweet About it

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WWE Extreme Rules 2013 Live Stream: Online Viewing Guide to Epic PPV Card

Alex Ballentine — Sat, 18 May 2013 16:25:39 -0400

Extreme Rules 2013 is shaping up to be a can't-miss pay-per-view for WWE fans. The annual card has developed a reputation for being a quality one and this year's event should continue that trend.

The Extreme Rules theme allows for some fun stipulation matches without feeling too gimmicky, and there's plenty of star power to make this card worth watching.

Headlined by a WWE title match between John Cena and Ryback and an epic steel cage match between Triple H and Brock Lesnar, this is a card that will be full of memorable matches.

This should be the card that really kick-starts the WWE into its summer programming so you really don't want to miss the action. Here's all the information you need to ensure you don't miss the action if you have to catch it online.

Where: Scottrade Center in St. Louis, MO.

When: Sunday, May 19 at 8 p.m. ET

Live Stream: WWE.com has PPV for $44.99

Official Card

John Cena (c) vs. Ryback – Last Man Standing WWE Championship match

Triple H vs. Brock Lesnar – Steel Cage match

Jack Swagger vs. Alberto Del Rio – I Quit match (No. 1 contender for World Heavyweight title)

Kofi Kingston (c) vs. Dean Ambrose – United States Championship match

Team Hell No (c) vs. The Shield (Seth Rollins and Roman Reigns) – Tornado Tag Team match for Tag Team Championships

Sheamus vs. Mark Henry – Strap match

Randy Orton vs. Big Show – Extreme Rules match

Fandango vs. Chris Jericho – Singles match

The Miz vs. Cody Rhodes – Pre-show Singles match

Must-See Match: Triple H vs. Brock Lesnar in a Steel Cage Match

John Cena and Ryback's last man standing match may headline the show, but it's the steel cage match between Lesnar and Triple H that you don't want to miss.

These are two proud legends of the business going at it in a rubber match. After Lesnar beat Triple H at SummerSlam and Triple H exacted his revenge at WrestleMania, this is sure to be an awesome match with both men's pride on the line.

The steel cage should add an extra element of brutality, as well as an added element of intrigue.

Prediction: Lesnar

Neither man would really want to end this rivalry by losing cleanly so we can expect this to be pretty even throughout. However, it makes more sense for Lesnar to pull out the win as he's the one that has more time left in the ring.

Superstar to Watch: Dean Ambrose

This could be a huge night for The Shield. All three members are going for a title.

While Roman Reigns and Seth Rollins are likely to continue their momentum as tag team partners, Ambrose will have his chance to establish himself as a singles threat in a United States Championship match against Kofi Kingston.

Since The Shield can't stay intact forever, this could be a huge night for Ambrose's future with the company. Kingston is a great athlete and is capable of putting on great matches. If Ambrose rises to the occasion and wins the title, it could be a launching point for his singles career.

Ambrose could emerge as the biggest winner of the night.

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WWE Extreme Rules 2013 Card: Non-Title Matches Guaranteed to Impress

Mike Chiari — Sat, 18 May 2013 15:45:57 -0400

While titles can certainly add to matches and make them feel more important, they aren't necessary in order for a match to be great. Several championships will be on the line at Extreme Rules; however, the non-title matches could ultimately steal the show.

Many of the matches on the Extreme Rules card are interesting as they involve stipulations that fans don't get to see too often. All signs point to this being a fantastic pay-per-view, and the non-title matches will likely have a lot to do with that.

Here are three particular non-title matches that are guaranteed to impress viewers at Extreme Rules on Sunday night.

Full Extreme Rules Card

Match	Stipulation	Title
The Miz vs. Cody Rhodes	Pre-Show	N/A
John Cena vs. Ryback	Last Man Standing	WWE Championship
Brock Lesnar vs. Triple H	Steel Cage	N/A
Alberto Del Rio vs. Jack Swagger	I Quit	WHC No. 1 Contender
Sheamus vs. Mark Henry	Strap	N/A
Team Hell No vs. Seth Rollins & Roman Reigns	Tornado Tag	Tag Team Championships
Kofi Kingston vs. Dean Ambrose	N/A	United States Championship
Randy Orton vs. Big Show	Extreme Rules	N/A
Chris Jericho vs. Fandango	N/A	N/A

*Card courtesy of WWE.com

Brock Lesnar vs. Triple H

Brock Lesnar and Triple H have been engaged in one of the WWE's bitterest rivalries for more than a year, and it appears it will reach its conclusion at Extreme Rules. Lesnar beat Triple H at SummerSlam, but The Game prevailed at WrestleMania XXIX, so this one is for all the marbles. To make things even more exciting, Lesnar and Triple H will do battle inside a steel cage, so there is a lot to like about this contest.

Even if there isn't much on the line, Lesnar and Triple H have made it seem like they really hate each other, so both of them are going to go all out in order to entertain the fans. Their first two matches were fantastic brawls and there is no reason to think that their Extreme Rules match will be any different. In fact, it could very well be better as the cage will allow them to do some different things in comparison to their previous encounters.

Extreme Rules is all about taking things to the next level and that is precisely what Lesnar and Triple H will do. Although this is nothing more than speculation, it wouldn't be a surprise if there was a little blood involved. That is so infrequent in the WWE these days due to how dangerous it can potentially be, but Lesnar and Triple H are two veterans who will likely be trusted to do it the right way.

Sheamus vs. Mark Henry

While few wrestling fans consider Sheamus or Mark Henry to be in-ring technicians, both men know how to brawl and that is exactly what they'll be asked to do at Extreme Rules. Sheamus and Henry have engaged in an "anything you can do, I can do better" feud of sorts since WrestleMania as they continue to attack each other and compete in events such as tug of war and arm wrestling. They will finally prove who is the better man on Sunday night.

Even a normal match between these two combatants would be interesting, but the fact that they'll be duking it out in a strap match is even better. Strap matches used to be fairly common in the 1980s, but you simply don't see that stipulation used much anymore. There may not be any two superstars more perfect for it than The Celtic Warrior and The World's Strongest Man, though. It's tough to say who is going to come out on top, but Sheamus has talked plenty of trash on Twitter.

The feud has already been extremely physical as Henry even used a belt to leave welts on Sheamus' back a couple weeks ago. Both men feel as though they have a lot to prove, and they will do so at Extreme Rules. It probably makes more sense to give Henry the win since he is coming off a WrestleMania victory over Ryback, but the result is anyone's guess.

Alberto Del Rio vs. Jack Swagger

Alberto Del Rio and Jack Swagger were initially set to face World Heavyweight Champion Dolph Ziggler in a Triple Threat Ladder match for his title at Extreme Rules, but an errant kick from Swagger on SmackDown caused Ziggler to go down with a concussion. Since he hasn't been medically cleared to compete, Del Rio and Swagger will instead go one-on-one in an "I Quit" match to determine the No. 1 contender for Ziggler's world title.

Although the fans already saw Del Rio and Swagger face each other at WrestleMania and have seen them wrestle a few times since then as well, there is still plenty of reason to be optimistic about this match. Both Del Rio and Swagger are underrated from an in-ring perspective and they seem to have pretty good chemistry. Also, the fact that they each have devastating submission finishers means that an "I Quit" match will add a different dimension to their rivalry. Swagger's manager Zeb Colter doesn't believe his protege will have any trouble coming out on top, though.

Del Rio is likely to win since the WWE probably won't go through with a heel vs. heel feud between Swagger and Ziggler, but the match promises to be solid nonetheless. It seems like there aren't many fans talking about this contest or expecting much out of it, but Del Rio and Swagger have worked well together in recent months and will continue to do so at Extreme Rules.

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WWE Extreme Rules 2013: Superstars Who Will Pick Up Much-Needed Wins

Tim Daniels — Sat, 18 May 2013 10:18:36 -0400

Extreme Rules is an important bridge pay-per-view. The road to WrestleMania and the immediate aftermath are usually chaotic, and this year was no exception. Sunday's show is when things begin to normalize again around the WWE.

For superstars, that equates to a chance at a renewed push. The spots that were taken by part-time superstars during the WrestleMania build are now available for the taking. Those who pick up wins at Extreme Rules move one step closer to filling the voids.

Knowing that, let's take a closer look at three superstars who should secure much-needed victories at Extreme Rules and where it could lead them moving forward.

Randy Orton

Orton, once a stalwart member of the main event scene, has been bouncing around feuds without a general direction in recent months. It's time for him to start getting a big push with an eye toward an eventual storyline with World Heavyweight champ Dolph Ziggler.

Facing Big Show in an Extreme Rules match is a good place to start. Big Show's stock has also faded recently, but the gimmick aspect of the encounter should make it more interesting. It will also hide the giant's in-ring deficiencies.

Ultimately, it makes more sense for Orton to get the win as the start of his first sustained push in quite some time. He's still one of the most reliable workers on the roster. A feud with Ziggler down the line is exactly what the World Heavyweight title needs to boost SmackDown.

Fandango

Fandango is quickly learning what Brodus Clay found out when he debuted the Funkasaurus character. An initial surge with a new dancing gimmick enters the danger zone as soon as the fans become bored with the dancing, which doesn't take long.

The wrestler formerly known as Johnny Curtis became an astonishing success after beating Chris Jericho at WrestleMania. His intro music went viral, the fans started doing it during his matches and he started getting featured more prominently.

Now, the fan involvement is starting to fade and so is Fandango's momentum. The focus must shift toward his improving wrestling ability in the rematch with Jericho. The gimmick got him started, but progression must begin at Extreme Rules to avoid him fading out of the spotlight.

The Miz

The Miz won the Intercontinental Championship on the WrestleMania pre-show. Instead of that leading to a fresh push, he lost the rematch against Wade Barrett on Raw. He then left to film a movie, Christmas Bounty, before recently returning.

He'll face off with Cody Rhodes on the pre-show in what's actually a very important match. Both superstars are waiting for a chance to become involved in bigger storylines and the winner of Sunday's encounter takes the next step. The loser will remain in limbo.

Although The Miz may have to undergo another gimmick change––he's a much better natural heel––before returning to the main event, he's still a better candidate for a push than Rhodes. Expect him to begin his move up the card with an Extreme Rules win.

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WWE Extreme Rules 2013: Looking at Team Hell No vs. Reigns and Rollins

Brett Chandler — Sat, 18 May 2013 08:30:09 -0400

Justice. That's what it's been all about since Seth Rollins, Roman Reigns and Dean Ambrose debuted six months ago at the 2012 Survivor Series. The trio, cohesively known as The Shield, would proceed to powerbomb Ryback through the announcer's table and run roughshod over WWE over the next few months, attacking everyone from Brodus Clay to The Rock.

At Tables, Ladders & Chairs, Team Hell No teamed up with Ryback in an attempt to take down the untamed trio, but came up short after Roman Reigns powerbombed Daniel Bryan off the second rope and through a table.

With a victory over the WWE Tag Team Champions and one of the main faces of WWE, The Shield immediately put themselves on the map as competitors with a huge win and proved that they were more than sneak attackers. Reigns, Ambrose and Rollins continued their reign of dominance, injuring key superstars like Randy Orton and Sin Cara on their path to restore justice inside Vince McMahon's organization.

Although The Shield faced two minor setbacks after it was revealed that they had been paid by Paul Heyman in order to help CM Punk retain the WWE Championship and they were forced to retreat due to an attack by Sheamus, John Cena and Ryback the following week, they were able to prevail yet again in their second pay-per-view match at Elimination Chamber.

On the Road to WrestleMania, The Shield was temporarily put on the back burner, mainly appearing on SmackDown and feuding against Randy Orton, Sheamus and later The Big Show.

Meanwhile, Team Hell No was riding high as WWE Tag Team Champions, having held the championships since Night of Champions 2012 and having little to no viable competition at all. In their WrestleMania debut, Reigns, Ambrose and Rollins, always a well-oiled machine, capitalized off Show, Sheamus and Orton's lack of chemistry and trust and extended their undefeated streak.

Even though Team Hell No and The Shield had not interacted since TLC, Daniel Bryan and Kane never forgot about their grudge against "The Hounds of Justice," coming to the rescue of Kane's brother The Undertaker on the Raw after WrestleMania once The Shield attempted to make history at the expense of "The Phenom."

Two weeks later, Kane, Bryan and The Undertaker teamed up to take on Dean Ambrose, Roman Reigns and Seth Rollins. After a large brawl emerged outside the ring involving Roman Reigns, Seth Rollins and The Brothers of Destruction, the unhinged Ambrose took advantage of a missed diving headbutt by Bryan and swiftly rolled the former World Heavyweight Champion up to lengthen his unit's undefeated streak.

Four days later on SmackDown, after a match with Dean Ambrose, The Undertaker was taken out by The Shield and triple powerbombed through a table by the three NXT alumni. This only served to incense Team Hell No even more as Kane continues to look for revenge against Ambrose, Rollins and Reigns and may get it in this tornado tag team match at Extreme Rules.

The added stipulation of this match being a tornado tag team match makes this bout interesting. The Shield is always better in a chaotic, frantic environment and I feel as if Seth Rollins and Daniel Bryan will really thrive on this environment. Kane and Roman Reigns will control the bulk of the match since Kane's storyline reason to hate The Shield right now is stronger than Bryan's.

The Shield has lost just a little bit of its mystique when it comes to matches lately, but they have all been good to great and never fail to impress. On Raw, Reigns, Ambrose and Reigns lost for the first time and Rollins lost to Kane by disqualification on WWE Main Event this past Wednesday.

Even though Team Hell No's reign as Tag Team Champions has surpassed the reigns of the New Age Outlaws and Edge and Christian, The Shield has never been pinned as a tag team. Along with that, Seth Rollins and Roman Reigns have never teamed up to my knowledge, making it that much harder for Daniel Bryan and Kane to prepare for two thirds of The Shield.

Before "The Hounds of Justice" lost to John Cena and Team Hell No on Raw, I had Reigns and Rollins penciled in to win this bout, but that loss changed things for me. Even though Team Hell No has had the advantage for the past two episodes of WWE television, not counting tonight's SmackDown, I feel as if the reverse momentum theory will not work here and Hell No will retain their Tag Team Championships.

Of course, a win would do nothing but wonders for the two young upstarts of The Shield, but they don't need it to keep their heat, or at least not now. They might win the titles at Payback or not win them in the next few pay-per-views at all, but it's only a matter of time until The Shield gets the bronze belts around their waists.

Prediction: Team Hell No wins

You can follow Brett Chandler on Twitter @BrettChandlerWE and read more of his work at WrestleEnigma.com.

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CM Punk: Why His Return to the Company Must Happen the Night After Extreme Rules

David Levin — Sat, 18 May 2013 08:12:00 -0400

Once the “Extreme Rules” pay-per-view is finished and fans are screaming over a terrible main event between John Cena and Ryback (I predict Ryback wins this match, but it isn’t clean), all eyes and attention will be set upon CM Punk and his return to the ring.

“WWE Payback” is the next pay-per-view on the calendar and it just so happens to be in the Windy City of Chicago.

For those of you in the know, that is Punk’s hometown and the scene of Punk’s infamous theft of the WWE Title two years ago at SummerSlam.

Since his time away from the ring beginning April 8, Punk’s lack of stage presence has been bigger news than some of the angles the WWE is presently trying to promote. Good to know Punk’s appeal is so great that he is needed now more than ever to help the company get through the summer swing of shows and pay-per-views.

The WWE has had issues with booking and the loss of major superstars since the retirement of Edge, which threw everything off kilter. I am not blaming Adam Copeland for any of the bad booking, misguidance and the poor handling of superstars. That is all on the WWE and its management. But one move, in my opinion, sent this company into a tailspin and wrestlers like Punk have had to come to the aid of the WWE to bail it out of the doldrums it has been facing.

You could also make the case Wade Barrett’s injury did not help, plus the fact Rey Mysterio has been MIA for some time and Christian is still out of action have likely added to the existing problems.

However much we dislike the role of John Cena, the fact does remain he is there and fights through, much like Punk played through the pain. The time off (five weeks now) should give the superstar more than ample time to heal, rest and come back to the WWE.

It will be interesting to see if he is still the “Paul Heyman Guy” he was before he hugged his “friend” and drifted off into the sunset for some rest.

If the WWE is going to make any headway in its move toward SummerSlam, the second-biggest PPV of the year, Punk must begin his road back starting Monday night. There are 28 days between pay-per-views, which is plenty of time to build Punk as a conquering hero again if the company is so inclined. There are so many heels now on the dance card, the chances are Punk would need to resurface as a face to balance the powers in wrestling and help Cena and Alberto Del Rio fight the good fight against evil.

There is also plenty of talent on the WWE ladder to build from and transform the “main event” roster a bit.

Cody Rhodes is in purgatory. R-Truth could use a makeover of sorts. Wade Barrett could be great as a brawling hero. Chris Jericho always delivers.

But the main attraction is Punk, the leader of this band and the face of this company in terms of real value (sorry Cena). If the WWE is going to move forward and gain any momentum, it needs to happen in three days when the dust settles and “Payback” becomes the focal point on every wrestler and fans’ mind.

Punk needs to be leading that charge.

Read more WWE news on BleacherReport.com

Extreme Rules, Ryback and Latest WWE News and Rumors from Ring Rust Radio

Mike Chiari — Sat, 18 May 2013 07:00:03 -0400

Ring Rust Radio is the best wrestling show on the airwaves, and this week was no different. With strong opinions on Extreme Rules, Ryback, John Cena and more, this is where you need to get all of your weekly WWE nuggets.

Bleacher Report featured columnists Michael Cahill, Brandon Galvin, Mike Chiari and Donald Wood give the lowdown on all things going on in the wrestling world. Indy wrestling star Sami Callihan also joined the show to offer his inside perspective on the business.

With another unpredictable episode of Ring Rust Radio in the books, you can't afford to miss another second of the action. Catch us LIVE every Tuesday at 9 p.m. ET (some language NSFW) or follow us on Twitter @RingRustRadio.

We may just read your questions and comments LIVE on the air. Visit our new website at RingRustRadio.com, and you can also email us here: RingRustRadio@Yahoo.com.

Listen to internet radio with RingRustRadio on Blog Talk Radio

(Some Language NSFW)

Upcoming Guests/Events

June 25 - WCW/ECW Match Madness

July 2 - PG Era Fantasy Draft

Extreme Rules Preview

The Extreme Rules pay-per-view is set for Sunday and the card appears to be quite strong. John Cena vs. Ryback for the WWE Championship and Brock Lesnar vs. Triple H figure to headline the event. In addition to those matches, though, there are several intriguing bouts featuring some exciting stipulations. On paper, Extreme Rules has all the makings of one of 2013's best wrestling shows.

Question on Everybody's Mind: Who Will Reign Supreme at Extreme Rules?

For the most part, the Extreme Rules card is fairly predictable. Lesnar will likely defeat Triple H in a steel cage match since The Game went over at WrestleMania, Alberto Del Rio is a heavy favorite to defeat Jack Swagger in a No. 1 contender "I Quit" match, Dean Ambrose should have little issue taking the United States Championship from Kofi Kingston and the duo of Seth Rollins and Roman Reigns will almost certainly beat Team Hell No for the Tag Team Championships.

At the same time, there are a few matches that could go either way as well. Mark Henry is in the driver's seat when it comes to his strap match against Sheamus, but it is far from a guarantee. Randy Orton has a slight upper hand in his Extreme Rules match against Big Show. Conventional wisdom suggests Fandango should beat Chris Jericho, but Y2J could prevail.

The big question mark relates to the WWE Championship match between Cena and Ryback, though.

Ring Rust Radio's Take

The WWE is in a pretty tough situation when it comes to Cena and Ryback. While having Ryback at yet another pay-per-view would further damage his credibility as a main event player, he doesn't seem ready to carry the richest prize in wrestling.

One way to fix that would be to end the match in a draw.

It wouldn't be the most satisfying result, but the RRR panel was pretty much in agreement that it would be the best course of action. The Shield could interfere and knock both men out for the count of 10 seeing as how it is a Last Man Standing match.

This would protect Ryback, keep the title on Cena and prolong the feud until Payback, at the very least. The WWE likely has something else in mind for Cena and Ryback at SummerSlam, so it would be a good idea to extend their rivalry for at least another month or two. While a draw would simply kick the issue further down the road, it is the best way to handle things for now.

Rumor Mill: Swagger vs. Del Rio Winner to Get Title Shot on Raw (via WrestlingInc.com)

RRR Interview with Sami Callihan

If you're a fan of the independent wrestling scene, then it's a near certainty that you have seen Sami Callihan compete. He is an indy fixture and has competed for companies such as Ring of Honor, Combat Zone Wrestling, Pro Wrestling Syndicate, Pro Wrestling Guerrilla and Dragon Gate USA, among others. He has already accomplished a ton at the age of 25 and there is still plenty to come for the eccentric star who graced Ring Rust Radio with his presence this week.

Question on Everybody's Mind: When Is Callihan Going to WWE?

Callihan has managed to make a name for himself thanks to his hybrid wrestling ability that mixes brawling and technical skill as well as his well-developed character. Because of that, it should come as no surprise that Callihan is on the WWE's radar.

According to WrestlingNewsWorld.com, Callihan worked a tryout match with the WWE last year, so it seems like it is only a matter of time before the biggest company in professional wrestling signs him.

In fact, reports have recently surfaced that Callihan signing with the WWE is imminent. According to WrestlingNewsSource.com, Callihan underwent medical testing for WWE last week and is on the verge of signing with the company. These reports have been circulating for quite some time and nothing has come of them yet, but it certainly seems like Callihan's days as a big fish in a small pond are nearing an end.

Ring Rust Radio's Take

Much like ROH's Adam Cole, Callihan played it close to the vest when discussing his WWE future. Since the nature of his negotiations with the company is probably quite secretive, it's tough to blame him for being coy.

With that said, he was vocal about his desire to move on to bigger and better things. Callihan essentially admitted that while he loves wrestling and continues to compete based on that love, he also wants to make money. The only American companies with huge moneymaking potential right now are WWE and TNA, and it's clear that WWE is his target.

We discussed his relationship with Dean Ambrose, who he teamed with and faced quite extensively on the independent scene. Callihan said that he has been following him and is very excited about his progress. He believes that the success of guys like Ambrose, Seth Rollins and Daniel Bryan in the WWE will bode well for him moving forward. Callihan is already so advanced as a wrestler and a character that it probably won't take long for him to reach the main roster once he is eventually signed.

Rumor Mill: Callihan Pulled from Japanese Event (via Rajah.com)

Aces and Eights Alienates D'Lo

The awful saga of Aces and Eights continued on Impact last week, and there doesn't appear to be an end in sight. In fact, things have somehow managed to get progressively worse.

After losing to Kurt Angle in an "I Quit" match one week earlier, D'Lo Brown was ostracized by the group. He then accidentally cost DOC a match and was punished by Bully Ray, so D'Lo is on very shaky ground moving forward.

Question on Everybody's Mind: Why Is Aces and Eights Being So Hypocritical?

Besides the fact that D'Lo has no business being part of a major storyline at the age of 42, which is 15 years past his prime, this entire situation is ridiculous. Why does Bully Ray suddenly have an issue with Aces and Eights members losing? Over the past 10 months, they have lost the vast majority of their matches and nobody has even blinked. They lost a supposedly huge match to Team TNA at Lockdown, yet Aces and Eights went along like nothing ever happened.

Once D'Lo loses, however, he is suddenly the weak link and losing can't possibly be tolerated. Why didn't DOC get disciplined? He's the one that lost to Magnus. Was it OK that Bully, Devon and Mr. Anderson lost to Sting, Angle and Abyss later in the night?

Inconsistency comes with the territory when you're talking about TNA and Aces and Eights, but this is a totally different level of stupidity.

Ring Rust Radio's Take

It remains to be seen where this D'Lo angle is heading, but it looks like he may turn face and feud with Aces and Eights.

Who on earth is interested in seeing that?

It would have been a stretch to put D'Lo in a high-profile situation back in 1998, so doing it in 2013 is almost unfathomable. D'Lo isn't going to help TNA in its quest to vanquish Aces and Eights. He proved a couple weeks ago that he can't wrestle and he is clearly out of shape, so how is his presence relevant in the least?

While pretty much all of Aces and Eights' reveals were hugely disappointing, D'Lo's took the cake. Not only was it predictable, but it had no impact whatsoever.

Perhaps this is the start of Aces and Eights weeding out the weak links, but if that is the case, then Aces and Eights will cease to exist since Bully Ray is the only one worth anything in the entire gang.

Hopefully this is the beginning of the end for Aces and Eights, but it is more likely that this is yet another convoluted angle meant to prolong the worst storyline in professional wrestling.

RRR Fantasy WWE Standings

1. Michael Cahill: 145

2. Mike Chiari: 70

3. Brandon Galvin: 10

4. Donald Wood: -30

For more wrestling talk, listen to Ring Rust Radio for all of the hot topics or catch the latest episode in the player below (some language NSFW.)

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WWE Extreme Rules 2013: Match Card, Potential Spoilers, Predictions and More

Donald Wood — Sat, 18 May 2013 07:00:02 -0400

The WWE’s 2013 Extreme Rules pay-per-view is approaching fast (Sunday, May 19), and the excitement surrounding the action-packed match card has the fans trying to find spoilers and predict the outcomes of each and every bout.

That’s the fun part of wrestling.

The build to Extreme Rules hasn’t been the best in company history, but for a PPV that is normally just a secondary show to get this much attention is a sign of just how well the WWE has done building to the event.

With plenty of chances for swerves, returns and general madness, this year’s Extreme Rules show is shaping up to be a very exciting PPV.

Where: Scottrade Center, St. Louis, Mo.

When: Sunday, May 19 at 7:30 p.m. ET

Watch: Pay-Per-View and YouTube (pre-show)

Live Stream: WWE.com for $44.99

Full Extreme Rules Card

WWE Champion John Cena vs. Ryback (Last Man Standing Match)

WWE Tag Team Champions Team Hell No vs. The Shield's Reigns & Rollins (Tag Team Tornado Match)

Alberto Del Rio vs. Jack Swagger ('I Quit' Match)

United States Champion Kofi Kingston vs. Dean Ambrose

The Miz vs. Cody Rhodes (Pre-Show)

Triple H vs. Brock Lesnar (Steel Cage Match)

Sheamus vs. Mark Henry (Strap Match)

Chris Jericho vs. Fandango

Randy Orton vs. Big Show (Extreme Rules Match)

Potential Spoilers

The World Heavyweight Championship Scene

The subtraction of Dolph Ziggler and the World Heavyweight Championship from the Extreme Rules card is a huge blow for wrestling fans, but it was replaced with an ‘I Quit’ match between Jack Swagger and Alberto Del Rio for the No. 1 contendership.

According to F4WOnline (via Wrestling Inc.), Sunday’s No. 1 contender’s match is a formality and the WWE will be getting the storylines back on track ASAP:

The idea with the Jack Swagger vs. Alberto Del Rio contenders match at Extreme Rules is that the winner will get their World Heavyweight Title shot on RAW as soon as Dolph Ziggler is able to compete. That way, everything will be back on track for the next pay-per-view.

Not only does this prove that Del Rio is going to win against Swagger—heel vs. heel hardly ever works—this shows that the WWE is fully behind Ziggler and wants to continue building him as a viable champion moving forward.

It’s about time!

Main Event Previews and Predictions

WWE Champion John Cena vs. Ryback

The WWE did a great job building intrigue around this championship match between incumbent title holder John Cena and Ryback. While many members of the WWE Universe weren’t excited initially, the injury to Cena’s Achilles has lent credence to the notion that Ryback could win.

Instead of just allowing Cena to win clean and bury Ryback worse than his previous PPV losses have or allowing Ryback to win clean over the biggest star in the company, the WWE will use the Last Man Standing stipulation to end this match in a draw.

Whether it’s The Shield interfering to knock both Ryback and Cena out for the 10-count or another convoluted ending, there is little doubt that ending this match in a draw would allow the WWE to continue this feud through the next big PPV in June.

Predicted Winner: John Cena and Ryback fight to a draw.

Triple H vs. Brock Lesnar

There is a question about which match will main event Extreme Rules, but it should be clear that the third chapter of the Triple H and Brock Lesnar feud will close the show after the duo ended Raw on Monday night.

As far as the match itself, the WWE Universe should expect two men trying to look strong in the rubber match. With both stars no-selling moves and trying to gain the upper hand, this should be an unpredictable match built around the memorable ending.

Neither man will want to take a clean loss in this bout, and as Wrestling Observer is reporting (via Wrestling Inc.), the reason the cage match stipulation was added was to ensure no one had to take a pin or be submitted.

Instead of just allowing Lesnar to climb out of the cage, the WWE must create one of the most memorable spots in wrestling history when the duo goes through the side of the cage, allowing Lesnar to hit the ground first and win the match.

Predicted Winner: Brock Lesnar wins after going through the cage wall.

Predicting the Rest of Extreme Rules

The Shield's Roman Reigns and Seth Rollins will win the WWE Tag Team Championships from Team Hell No via clean pin on Daniel Bryan in an amazing tornado tag team match.

Alberto Del Rio will beat Jack Swagger in an ‘I Quit’ match and become No. 1 contender.

Dean Ambrose will pin Kofi Kingston clean to win the United States Championship in a great in-ring match, and each member of The Shield will have a title moving forward.

Mark Henry will beat Sheamus in a strap match after one of the most brutal bouts the PG-Era will ever witness. Expect this to be the most violent match of the night.

Fandango will sneak out a roll-up win on Chris Jericho after Y2J dominates throughout the match. Jericho will fight Fandango on Raw Monday night and get his revenge.

Randy Orton will defeat Big Show in a match that few care about, including the two participants.

The Miz will force Cody Rhodes to submit on the YouTube Pre-Show with the worst figure-four leg lock since the last time he did one because The Miz was just in a movie and the WWE loves movie stars.

For more wrestling talk, listen to Ring Rust Radio for all of the hot topics or catch the latest episode in the player below (some language NSFW.)

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CM Punk's Absence and How It Is Affecting the WWE Product

Tom Clark — Sat, 18 May 2013 06:08:45 -0400

CM Punk last appeared on WWE programming back on April 15, when he cut one final promo before hugging Paul Heyman and leaving the ring. Though the moment was fairly surprising, the fact is that we knew Punk was due to take some time off. This was just the company’s way of giving him an exit.

But now that he’s gone, the question is, how has his absence affected the WWE product?

We are so accustomed to seeing Punk in the ring, having one 5-star match after another, outworking nearly everyone else in the locker room. He has made a career of stepping through the ropes and putting on a show, to the point that we expect it from him.

How do you replace that?

The truth is, you don’t. When you have a guy like Punk, who gives his all in the ring and leaves the crowd wanting more, it is almost impossible to just insert someone else into his spot. But that does not mean that WWE is not trying.

The most obvious name that comes to mind is Dolph Ziggler, the current World Heavyweight champion. Dolph has become a workhorse in WWE, a Superstar who turns it on from the opening bell to the ending bell. Ziggler takes pride in what he does and it shows every time he performs.

But is he filling the void left by Punk?

Chris Jericho is another great example. Chris is a veteran, a guy who can step up in any match against any opponent and have the best bout of the night. Jericho is no stranger to the main event scene and he is also one of the best that WWE has ever seen.

Not a bad fill-in, wouldn’t you say?

Daniel Bryan impresses every time he’s in the ring. Since his tag team with Kane began, Bryan has gotten red hot and is more than capable of having a high-quality match on any given night. There are many fans who feel that Punk’s former Ring of Honor nemesis should be given a new main event singles push and perhaps even the World title at some point this year.

I cannot argue that point at all.

But what about Punk’s ability on the mic? CM Punk is quite simply one of the best talkers that WWE has ever known and has cut some of the most memorable promos of all time. Punk has the ability to either make you love him and want to cheer him or make you hate him and want to see him dead. He is a master on the mic.

So, how do you replace that?

Paul Heyman is without a doubt the man who has kept the microphone warm for CM Punk. In the month since Punk left WWE, Paul has entertained on the mic as only he can. Heyman just makes it look easy, and the fact is that he may very well be the best talent to ever cut a promo in WWE and not be a ring worker.

Collectively, The Shield is very good at grabbing your attention when the three members speak. Their backstage promos are always well done and all three men have become completely absorbed in their characters. When Dean Ambrose speaks, you can feel the intensity. He sets the tone for The Shield’s promos and each one makes its own unique impact.

John Cena is s genius on the mic, a man who can hold an arena full of fans in the palm of his hand when he speaks. His timing is impeccable, his jokes are hilarious and whenever he starts talking, the world just seems to slow down for a moment so we can all enjoy.

OK, I was kidding on that last one. I was just having a bit of fun—relax people.

The truth is that CM Punk is very hard to replace. He is a technician in the ring and a great talker on the mic. He is the definition of the modern-day WWE Superstar and he improves the company’s programming anytime he is on TV.

So, what is the opinion among fans?

For those who love CM Punk, he cannot come back soon enough. The WWE product is struggling without him and has quite frankly grown stale and boring. He brings an edge to the company that no one else can and until he returns, it will just not be the same.

For Punk’s critics, however, the fact is that the guy is just overrated. He whined and complained until he got the main event spot he wanted and once he got it, he lost his edge overnight. For these people, Punk could just stay home because he doesn’t add a thing to the company.

Where do you stand? Do you think that WWE is just not fun anymore without CM Punk? Are you patiently waiting for his return, anxious for the moment when he takes his place back in the main event spotlight?

Are you a CM Punk guy?

Read more WWE news on BleacherReport.com

What Should and Will Happen at WWE Extreme Rules 2013

Anthony Rizzuti — Sat, 18 May 2013 05:32:41 -0400

What can we expect to go down at WWE's Extreme Rules come Sunday?

Will the WWE Champion John Cena put an end to Ryback and his rule? Can Triple H tame the beast in Brock Lesnar? And will The Shield be able to walk out of St. Louis, Mo., with some gold?

Well, here are my thoughts on what should and what will happen at the company's most extreme event of the year.

Begin Slideshow

The Doctor's WWE Main Event/SmackDown Recap: Final Shows Before Extreme Rules

The Doctor Chris Mueller — Sat, 18 May 2013 04:35:06 -0400

Welcome, ladies and gentlemen, to my weekly Main Event and SmackDown recap list. I always appreciate my loyal readers, but for those of you who are new, each week I recap Main Event and SmackDown with a long list.

The entries are made up of equal parts observations, humor, recap, play-by-play, revelations, speculations, questions, answers and anything else I notice during the show. I sometimes comment on commercials, too, just because I get bored during them.

I try to interject some fun into these lists, so I hope you have fun reading this week's list of the things we learned, loved and hated from the show.

Main Event

1. After the usual opening recap video, we see Kane make his way to the ring.
2. I am a little surprised Daniel Bryan isn't with him.
3. Seth Rollins makes his way out through the crowd with Roman Reigns and Dean Ambrose by his side.
4. I am so happy they are wrestling more singles matches lately.
5. Rollins and Reigns appear to have used axle grease in their hair judging from the sheen.
6. Rollins uses his quickness to get an early advantage, but Kane eventually hits a big boot to take control in one shot.
7. Miz brings up John Morrison on commentary. It always surprises me when they mention a former WWE Superstar. It used to be a crime in WWE to do that.
8. Kane comes really close to hitting the Tombstone at one point, but Rollins squirmed out of it and went to the outside.
9. All three members of the group surround the ring to throw Kane off, but when Rollins comes in, he gets back dropped right out of the ring onto Reigns.
10. Am I the only one who looks at Seth Rollins' hair and wonders why he only dyed one part of his head and not an entire half?
11. We return right as Kane hits a suplex for a near fall.
12. Rollins avoids a Chokeslam and hits a kick to the back of Kane's head to get some breathing room.
13. Ambrose punches Kane in the face when the ref has his back turned.
14. JBL has been on commentary so much lately that not having him there is noticeable.
15. Things aren't as exciting without his energy.
16. Rollins gets turned inside out by a clothesline.
17. Rollins takes Kane from the top rope to the floor with a jumping kick as we head to another break.
18. We return to see Rollins in control with a headlock.
19. Rollins grabs Kane and pulls his head into the middle turnbuckle in a brutal-looking way for a near fall.
20. Rollins comes off the middle rope right into an uppercut from Kane.
21. Kane gets a head of steam and starts hitting all his signature offense.
22. Rollins comes off the top rope and almost gets caught in a Chokeslam, but he counters into a roll up, which Kane counters back into a Chokeslam.
23. He uses Rollins to knock Reigns off the apron and then hits the Chokeslam, but Ambrose comes in and causes a DQ before Kane can pin Rollins.
24. Kane gets speared by Reigns when he grabs Ambrose by the throat and all three men start laying into Kane.
25. The Usos come running down the ramp to even the odds and the babyfaces send The Shield running.
26. Reigns took a nasty kick from one of the Usos. I wonder if they grew up beating each other up at family reunions?

27. I imagine their dads, Rikishi and Sika, coming over to break it up and then getting into their own fight about whose kids are tougher.
28. Meanwhile Rosey, Samu and Manu are being yelled at by Afa about not being as cool as Dwayne.
29. Imagine the pressure to become a wrestler if you are born into that family. It must be nuts.

30. Last week I compared Antonio Cesaro to a Die Hard villain, but I think the comparison actually fits The Shield better.
31. Ambrose is obviously the Alan Rickman of the group. Rollins is the guy Bruce Willis kills while falling down a flight of stairs, and Reigns is the guy who gets shot by Carl Winslow.
32. Would that make John Cena the Bruce Willis in this situation?
33. Oh, God! I apologize to Bruce Willis and his family for that comparison. It was uncalled for.
34. Seriously though, Die Hard is awesome.
35. Wow! Akira Shinmei is back! (If anyone gets that reference without looking it up, I will be shocked.)

36. I sort of feel like I was lied to learning that all Power Rangers shows just film US storylines and dub over Japanese Super Sentai action sequences.
37. If WWE had any faith in the Sin Cara character anymore, then his return would have been a bigger deal. He has probably been injured almost as much as he has been healthy in WWE.
38. He is nowhere near Evan Bourne's amount of time injured, but he is getting there.
39. I almost forgot Wade Barrett was IC champion. It feels like we have barely seen him lately.
40. The bell rings and those stupid yellow lights come on over the ring. I hate that part of his gimmick so much.
41. It didn't work with Glacier in WCW and it won't work with Sin Cara. Give it up, WWE, and let me watch a match where everyone doesn't look orange.
42. Nice. Wade Barrett actually makes a little gesture at his own unhappiness with the lighting as the match starts.
43. Barrett takes control right off the bat.
44. The look on his face after he knocked Sin Cara out of the ring with a boot to the face was hilarious.
45. He just looked so happy.
46. I like that Miz talks about how he wants to be back where he used to be in the main event and not on the pre-show of the pay-per-views.
47. Sin Cara comes back and starts building some momentum with a nice springboard cross body followed by a springboard dropkick to the back of Barrett.
48. Sin Cara leaps off the top rope, but he jumps over Barrett and lands on his feet. Barrett runs at him and hits The Winds of Change for a two-count.
49. Barrett tries for a powerbomb, a move he never uses, and Sin Cara turns it into a huracanrana like he always does.
50. Cara gets the pin and the upset over Barrett.
51. WWE is throwing him right into a title feud, it would appear. Maybe they have bigger plans for him that I thought.

52. Cody Rhodes is in the ring when we return to face Justin Gabriel.
53. I like that Gabriel is getting more TV time lately, even if he isn't winning every match.
54. Gabriel gets the advantage after a suplex to Rhodes from the apron into the ring.
55. Rhodes comes back with a neckbreaker for a two-count.
56. Gabriel uses his quickness to regain control, but after some counters back and forth he gets planted by the Alabama Slam by Rhodes for a two-count.
57. Cody hits Cross Rhodes to get the pin and the win in a quick, but entertaining match.
58. Rhodes and Miz have a little staredown after the match.
59. That was a pretty good show. We had three matches, and the return of a Superstar from the injured list.
60. The second and third matches being short did not really take away from the show at all. I will take a one-hour show with three matches if it means guys like Rhodes, The Usos and Gabriel are being featured more.
61. Main Event has been hitting all the right notes lately. I feel like I am waiting for something to screw it up. Does that make me jaded or just an average wrestling fan?

SmackDown

62. I have come to accept the opening recap videos as part of the show. I was hard on them at first, but now I actually pay attention to them in case I forgot something from the previous week.
63. MizTV is back and his guests this week are Big Show and Randy Orton.
64. The set for Miz's show has been reduced to the sign above the ring and a black carpet. no furniture for anyone to break.
65. Where's the fun in that? The best part is when someone has a couch thrown at them.
66. Lately I find myself missing MVP's V.I.P. Lounge, and MVP in general.
67. I feel like if he returned right now, he would be welcomed back with such open arms by fans that WWE would have no choice but to push him.
68. I am willing to bet he has improved in the ring significantly after spending some time in Japan, and WWE could use someone like MVP to stir things up a bit.
69. Big Show and Orton yammer back and forth about who is going to win on Sunday.

70. Did Orton just Britta pronouncing "inaccurate?"
71. Orton reminds us that Extreme Rules is in his hometown and that is why he is going to win.
72. Interesting. Jack Swagger and Zeb Colter come out for some reason.
73. Colter says Sunday will belong to Swagger because he will make Alberto Del Rio quit.
74. Alberto Del Rio comes out, too.
75. Teddy Long cannot be far behind to make this into a tag match.
76. I just had a brilliant idea. What if Ricardo Rodriguez had his own personal announcer to bring him out before he brings out Alberto Del Rio.
77. The gimmick couldn't last more than a few weeks, but it would be hilarious because it would acknowledge that Ricky is just as popular as Del Rio, if not moreso.
78. Mark Henry comes out and talks about he is going to beat Sheamus.
79. None of these people really had a great reason to come out during Orton and Show's segment.
80. Sheamus is quick to follow. Teddy has to be lurking somewhere waiting to turn this into a six-man match now.
81. Somehow the segment ends without anyone coming out and making a match out of it.
82. Hahahaha! Teddy comes out after the break and makes the match after everyone has already left. Ridiculous.
83. You're getting a little slow, Teddy.
84. The Shield make their way out next so Rollins and Reigns can take on The Usos after what happened on Main Event.
85. Rollins must feel like the friend someone brought to a family party right now.
86. The Usos start off strong by controlling Rollins, but eventually Reigns gets the tag and puts a stop to all their momentum.
87. Reigns ends up taking out one of the Usos with a spear to get a quick win.
88. Kofi Kingston comes out and helps the Usos even the odds with a steel chair after The Shield attack The Usos after the match.

89. I have to admit, the theme song for Extreme Rules makes the promo for the Brock Lesnar vs. Triple H match seem exciting.
90. Miz is talking to Teddy backstage about returning to SmackDown and Damien Sandow walks in.
91. He says Miz never should have returned, and he should have his own show called The Damien Sandow Show.
92. I love the idea, but Teddy is hesitant and puts him in a match against Miz for later.
93. Did Josh Mathews just call Damien Sandow, General Zod?
94. It's an apt comparison. they share some similarities in both appearance and character.
95. The new Superman movie better be awesome. The last one was not up to snuff.
96. Tons of Funk take on The Prime Time Players after the break.
97. Clay and Tensai control Darren Young until Titus takes out Sweet T while he is outside the ring.
98. Titus tags in and keeps up the offense to Tensai.
99. Tensai avoids Titus in the corner, who hits the turnbuckle with more force than you would think possible.
100. Clay and Young both get tagged in and Clay comes in hot with plenty of power moves.
101. Titus saves the match after a slam and JBL talks about how the ref might have screwed up the call.
102. Titus was a little late breaking up the pin, and the ref clearly stopped his hand a split second before Titus hit Clay.
103. Young gets sandwiched between Clay and Tensai in the middle of the ring.
104. They hit the double splash to give Tons of Funk the pin and the win.

105. Cole plugs what will probably be the match of the night before we head to a break: Chris Jericho vs. Antonio Cesaro.
106. I know the commercials are not the same everywhere, but did anyone else see a commercial for UFC 160 that showed Brock Lesnar being owned by Cain Velasquez during this break? It was kind of funny.
107. I have also seen a ridiculous amount of advertising for Merlin recently. Is that show popular?

108. I grew up with a Merlin who had a long beard, an owl named Archimedes and a somewhat senile personality, so I might not accept some 20-something as Merlin, even if it is an origin story.
109. The Merlin I speak of is from The Sword in the Stone film from 1963, which is the best Disney cartoon next to the Robin Hood where all the parts were played by animals.
110. Jericho and Cesaro lock up after the bell.
111. Jericho runs right into a shoulder block from Cesaro that sends him down to the mat.
112. Cesaro takes a break outside the ring after Jericho hits a dropkick.
113. Showing what is happening on the WWE app in the corner of the screen is distracting.
114. Cesaro tries to suplex Jericho to the outside of the ring, but Jericho blocks it and hits a triangle dropkick to send Cesaro off the apron as we head to a break.
115. Antonio Cesaro seems like he would have been a perfect fit for WWE in the '80s.
116. He looks like he would have been a great opponent for babyfaces like Sgt. Slaughter, The Big Bossman and Hulk Hogan.
117. Jericho fights up out of a headlock when we return from the break.
118. Jericho starts to build some momentum, but he looks exhausted.
119. Cesaro powers out of the Walls of Jericho and he gets the knees up during the Lionsault.
120. Jericho hits an enzuigiri out of nowhere for a two count.
121. Cesaro comes back with a tilt-a-whirl backbreaker for another close near fall.
122. Cesaro tries for a Neutralizer, but Jericho counters and tries for the Walls of Jericho again, only to be kicked off.
123. Cesaro nails Jericho with a huge uppercut as Y2J came leaping off the top rope.
124. That looked awesome.
125. Jericho counters the delayed gutwrench and finally locks in the Walls to make Cesaro tap.

126. That was a good match. Cesaro may be losing a lot lately, but he is looking good losing to top guys in great matches.
127. Summer Rae comes out on the stage after the match and distracts Jericho, but Jericho turns and sees Fandango coming at him from behind in time to cut him off.
128. Jericho fights off both Fandango and Cesaro. He ends the segment by giving Cesaro a Codebreaker.

129. Fandango's new pants remind me of Fruit Stripe gum. I wonder if Fandango's popularity will last longer than the flavor of that gum?
130. The commercial for this gum proves that ads geared towards children do not have to make any sense whatsoever. What do a rainbow-colored zebra riding a Ducati or aliens have to do with gum?

131. Zeb Colter and Jack Swagger give us their first We The People video in quite some time. The subject of this video is "Extreme." It's the same basic stuff we have seen from them in recent months.
132. Colter makes reference to some real-life issues in the government while talking about Swagger winning on Sunday.
133. Cody Rhodes is on commentary to watch his best friend take on Miz.
134. Now I can't stop thinking about General Zod when I look at Damien Sandow. Thanks, Josh Mathews.
135. Miz and Sandow exchange some offense early on, but the commentary is what is really drawing my attention for some reason.
136. Rhodes gets on a mic and tells the audience to show some respect for Damien Sandow.
137. That was kind of smart. The crowd was starting to die and that got some quick heat.
138. Sandow puts Miz through all his signature offense leading into the Elbow of Disdain.
139. Damien Sandow is so good in so many ways. He is gold on the mic, he really works well with just about anyone in the ring, and he is genuinely funny.
140. If I could pick one Superstar for Sandow to feud with it would be Dean Ambrose. One of them might have to turn babyface for it to work, but just imagine the promos those two would deliver to each other.

141. Sandow and Ambrose had a match for the FCW Jack Brisco 15 Championship which I will include for your enjoyment. It is better than anything we have seen on WWE TV this week.
142. The FCW Jack Brisco 15 Championship was a really interesting concept that might work in WWE.
143. The champion had a medal instead of a belt, and every title match was a 15-minute Ironman match.
144. There were only a handful of champions before it was retired when FCW became NXT, but it is something I would enjoy seeing brought to WWE television.
145. Cody Rhodes not knowing who Errol Flynn is really disappoints me. He was Robin Hood.
146. He was a lot of other things, too, but Robin Hood is a big part of his legacy.
147. Miz starts to build some momentum and he runs through his five moves of doom.
148. Miz grabs Sandow's leg, but Rhodes provides a distraction.
149. Miz counters Sandow again and locks in the Figure Four to get the submission win.
150. That was a good match. Both guys got in all their signatures on each other and Rhodes did not have a huge impact on the match.

151. Aksana is in the ring to face Kaitlyn after the break.
152. They show Kaitlyn getting flowers from her secret admirer backstage.
153. Josh Mathews thinks her secret admirer is Sin Cara because he is ugly and wears a mask.
154. Is Josh Mathews playing the heel a bit more lately?
155. Kaitlyn controls the early part of the match, but Aksana grounds her and slows things down.
156. Cole and Mathews argue about text messages and JBL makes a quick reference to Anthony Weiner.
157. Cole makes a reference to Mark Sanford. Why are they talking about politicians with scandals instead of the match?
158. Kaitlyn wins with a spear. I barely noticed. Maybe that's why the announcers went off on a tangent.

159. Lilian gives Ricardo Rodriguez a Spanish introduction and Ricardo gives Del Rio an English introduction.
160. After a break, we see everyone has made their way out for the six-man tag match.
161. Swagger and Del Rio start things off, with Del Rio taking the early lead.
162. At this point, I went to my DVR and watched this week's Modern Family. I am just so tired of seeing these six guys in different variations of matches with each other.
163. After putting the show back on, I see Del Rio hit a running kick to Swagger's shoulder.
164. Orton comes in and stomps on Swagger's hand.
165. Swagger comes back and starts to work over Orton's leg until he gets hit with Orton's picture-perfect dropkick.
166. Del Rio comes back in and he ends up hitting a suicide dive to Swagger on the outside.
167. Swagger ends up taking Del Rio down from the top rope the hard way and then tagging in Big Show.
168. Show stands on Del Rio's back for a full four-count.
169. Quick tags from the heels keep Del Rio in their corner.
170. We head to a break with Big Show back in the ring controlling the match.
171. We come back to Del Rio mounting some offense and avoiding Swagger in the corner so Swagger hits his shoulder into the ring post.
172. Del Rio can't make the tag as Big Show comes in and pulls him to the middle of the ring.
173. Del Rio counters Big Show and tags in Sheamus, who comes in hot with plenty of offense to Big Show.
174. Sheamus breaks out of a Chokeslam and hits White Noise before he calls for the Brogue Kick.
175. Big Show grabs him with a Chokeslam, but somehow Sheamus kicks out.
176. Swagger comes back in and drops some elbows on Sheamus.
177. Sheamus fights back and gets the tag to Orton.
178. Swagger totally no-sells Orton's signature backbreaker.
179. Everyone starts hitting their finishers on each other until Orton hits Swagger with an RKO for the pin and the win.
180. The show ends with Orton, Sheamus and Del Rio celebrating in the ring.
181. This was the final show before Extreme Rules, and I think WWE did a decent job addressing all the feuds that they could in a two-hour show.
182. Jericho and Cesaro had the match of the night, which seems to be a trend whenever Cesaro and his opponent are given 10 minutes or more to be creative.
183. I hope WWE has something up their sleeve, because Extreme Rules is not looking like a card with a lot of potential for shocking outcomes.

184. This past week featured the series finale of one of my favorite shows of all time, The Office. I have been a fan since discovering the original British version on DVD in 2004, and was very excited when the show was adapted in the US in 2005.
185. While I was very sad to see it go, there was a sense of closure to the show's finale, and it got me thinking about moving on to new things.
186. The Office lasted for around 200 episodes, and I have done close to that many recap lists. I have lost count if I am being honest.
187. Doing these lists has been one of my great pleasures for the past couple of years, but anyone who has been a long-time reader knows I have always tinkered with the format and tried to make changes.
188. While the response from readers has always been extremely positive and humbling, I feel like it is time to move on and try something new.
189. Therefore, next week's recap list will be my last. I will do my best to make sure I go out on a high note, but I feel like it's time to move on.
190. I will be back the following week with something new. A new weekly recap format that hopefully continues to entertain you while allowing me to explore new formats. I am sure this decision will be met with some criticism, but I hope you allow me the chance to entertain you in a new way after next week's final list.
191. As always, thank you so much for reading my goofy thoughts, and feel free to leave your thoughts on the show below. Also, join me here on Bleacher Report for live coverage of Extreme Rules on Sunday,

Follow me on Twitter @BR_Doctor

Read more WWE news on BleacherReport.com

WWE Extreme Rules 2013 Start Time: When and Where to Catch Sunday's Massive PPV

Joseph Zucker — Fri, 17 May 2013 19:00:31 -0400

With WrestleMania season out of the way, Extreme Rules 2013 will give fans an idea of how the summer may unfold.

Extreme Rules 2012, headlined by Brock Lesnar vs. John Cena, was one of the best pay-per-views of last year. While this year's edition doesn't have the same kind of momentum coming in, it should be a strong show from start to finish.

You've got a nice combination of match styles. Dean Ambrose vs. Kofi Kingston and Chris Jericho vs. Fandango should be solid displays of actual wrestling if given enough time. Then Ryback vs. John Cena, Triple H vs. Brock Lesnar and Mark Henry vs. Sheamus might not be good technical matches, but they're going to be very physical and provide plenty of entertainment.

Here's all the information you need for Extreme Rules 2013, along with three of the most compelling storylines to watch on Sunday.

When: Sunday, May 19, at 8 p.m.

Where: Scottrade Center, St. Louis, Mo.

Watch: PPV through your cable provider

Live Stream: WWE.com

Will The Shield win any gold?

All three members of The Shield are involved in title matches. Roman Reigns and Seth Rollins are battling Team Hell No for the Tag Team Championship, while Dean Ambrose has a match against Kofi Kingston for the Intercontinental Championship.

The Shield has been rampaging through WWE ever since powerbombing Ryback through the announcers' table at Survivor Series. The group has taken out main eventers like The Rock, John Cena, Kane, Daniel Bryan, Ryback and The Undertaker.

This is the first time, though, that the group has been split up on a PPV.

Although winning a title is always nice, it could be argued that it's almost a step down from what The Shield has been doing. Winning either or both of its matches would mean The Shield would be involved with wrestlers that are far down the pecking order in the company.

On the other hand, it's good to see a group begin to get a monopoly on the titles in a company. It could give The Shield something to do until one of the members is considered to be a threat for one of the two major titles.

Can John Cena overcome his Achilles injury and defeat Ryback?

Slowly, but surely, Ryback has become one of the best things to watch each week on Raw. He's added some more dimensions to his character and actually given proper reasons and motivations for his feud with John Cena.

He tried being Cena's friend and a good guy, but that only got him screwed over by The Shield and Brad Maddox in WWE Title matches. While mic work isn't one of Ryback's better qualities, he's grown by leaps and bounds from where he was months ago.

Even with an injury, it's hard to see Cena losing this match. Ryback has improved, but he's not yet the kind of guy who can carry a flagship title.

Don't expect a mat classic with this one; however, it should be pretty entertaining. A Last Man Standing match compliments the physical style of both wrestlers.

Will Brock Lesnar win the rubber match in his rivalry with Triple H?

This feud has been brutal to watch. On one side, you've got Brock Lesnar, whose appearances on television have been limited because of his contract. On the other, you've got Triple H, who must always be the toughest and coolest guy in the ring and never look weak.

Seeing Lesnar tear apart Triple H's office was great, until the Cerebral Assassin came out and was completely unaffected. Then in the Raw before Extreme Rules, Triple H goads Lesnar into the ring by questioning his manhood and gets the upper hand again.

At the very least, you should be able to count on a solid match. Plus, the steel cage aspect of the match is different from the previous meetings between the wrestlers, which essentially had the same stipulation (No DQ and No Holds Barred).

Read more WWE news on BleacherReport.com

Ranking Brock Lesnar's 7 Most Devastating WWE Moves

Ryan Dilbert — Fri, 17 May 2013 18:29:42 -0400

Brock Lesnar's monstrous aura is furthered by the devastating moves he attacks his WWE opponents with in the ring.

Lesnar doesn't have the varied in-ring toolbox that someone like "The Man of 1,000 Holds" Dean Malenko had, but what he lacks in move diversity, he makes up for in brute force. Many of Lesnar's versions of WWE moves are akin to car wrecks.

From his limb-tearing submission holds to his awe-inspiring power moves, Lesnar fills his matches with destruction. Triple H is going to have to suffer many of these, some multiple times, when those two collide in a steel cage at Extreme Rules 2013.

Ranked here by how painful they appear and the damage they have done in storylines, here are Lesnar's most awesome weapons in the ring.

Begin Slideshow

Wrestling World Reacts to Surprising NXT Releases

Sharon Glencross — Fri, 17 May 2013 18:10:04 -0400

Over the past few hours, several in the wrestling world have reached out on Twitter to react to the surprising batch of releases from NXT developmental earlier today.

As PWInsider notes, Derrick Bateman, Briley Pierce, Audrey Marie, Sakamoto (Tensai's old manager), Brandon Traven, Percy Watson and new Diva Anya Bogomazova were released.

Mike Johnson explains that the mass firings are due to the current upheaval in WWE's developmental system and ominously notes that "additional names" are expected to come out.

As soon as the news hit, many wrestling personalities took to Twitter to react to the news.

Current World Heavyweight champion Dolph Ziggler was understandably unhappy about Pierce's release (the two are brothers) but wisely refrained from lashing out at WWE or sounding unprofessional.

NXT Divas Paige, Sasha Banks and Emma also expressed sorrow at Pierce's firing on their Twitter accounts.

Wrestling trainer Lance Storm encouraged the released wrestlers to remain optimistic, pointing out that they could always return to America's No. 1 wrestling promotion at some point in the future, like Damien Sandow had (Sandow was released from the developmental system in 2007).

Audrey Marie and Anya Bogomazova seemed to take Storm's advice, with Bogomazova even mentioning she intended to stick with wrestling.

And, hey, the reactions weren't all somber. Greg Marasciulo (formerly Trent Barreta in WWE) posted an amusing Vine video over at his Twitter entitled "Fired People Meal" featuring Bateman, Sakamoto and Audrey Marie having brunch.

For his part, Bateman also joked that his release couldn't have been all bad because "the world needs plenty of bartenders!"

Read more WWE news on BleacherReport.com

WWE/TNA: The Sin of Omission and Why I'd Riot (an Open Letter to Alex Shelley)

Shane Combs — Fri, 17 May 2013 16:54:30 -0400

Welcome to the most difficult column I’ve ever tried to write. Yes, in three years of writing wrestling columns, this is easily the most daunting task I've ever taken on.

It started by making an error that I can now pass on as a life lesson: If you are going to tweet a professional wrestler, know what you are trying to say and how you want to say it first.

From my Twitter account, I tweeted to Alex Shelley:

@heymanhustle @fakekinkade and be a game-changer, it's Alex Shelley. Not since WCW missed it with Jericho have I seen a guy more able.
— Shane Combs (@IMPCTREVOLUTION) May 12, 2013

I wasn’t ready to write my "open letter" or to clarify my thoughts. I had been re-watching Alex Shelley tape for a couple of days and was just inspired and sent that little tweet off into the Netherlands, expecting no reply.

I got one, from Mr. Shelley himself:

@shanecombs @heymanhustle I am not totally sure what you mean, but Mr. Heyman and Jericho are both legends and inspirations. And thank you.
— Alex Shelley (@fakekinkade) May 14, 2013

It was an honor just to hear from Alex Shelley, who, as you will see, is one of my inspirations. But, like Shelley, I also didn’t know what I meant. Or, rather, I knew, but I didn’t know how to express it. I soon tried, in nine tweets that I later deleted, not satisfied with how any of them turned out.

The struggle was deeper.

To whom should I say it?

And is it my place to say it at all?

These are the things I struggled with, but ultimately, I came to this: It would be nearly blasphemous, hypocritical at minimum, for me to write to Alex Shelley about what his inspiration means (and could mean) to pro wrestling, only to turn around and deny the inspiration that was leading me to write this
column.

So, without further ado, and after tapes of Shelley and drafts of this column, here it is: the most difficult (and most rewarding) column I’ve ever written.

Dear Mr. Shelley,

I still don’t know who this letter would best be addressed to—you, TNA, WWE, nobody at all? After all, I’m just a wrestling fan. No amount of time watching—though I've been watching for 23 years—makes me even an inch closer to knowing what goes on behind closed doors or why some people get that elusive monster push and some do not.

And even though I perceive it a crime that you have not yet received such a push, it is the hardest crime to report, one of omission.

It’s not like when RVD faced John Cena, and an overthrow of the norm was so close the folks in the Hammerstein Ballroom could not only taste it, but they could get out markers and a banner and fly the words, "If Cena wins, we riot."

No, this is not like that.

And that is why it’s more difficult to articulate. But may I say, that is why it’s far more necessary.

I have been watching your matches and promos for many, many years, but the first time I realized you had something that very few in your class had was when I saw your promos with Kevin Nash, along with your work on Paparazzi Productions.

How many guys in the X-Division could pull off that kind of humor, timing and overall presence of personality?

I would watch TNA only to see you and Kevin Nash. You two, dare I say, were as entertaining together as I remembered Hall and Nash in WCW.

The reason I mentioned Chris Jericho, and WCW’s missed opportunity with him, in my tweet is because, like you, Chris Jericho had "it" coming out his ears and nobody who mattered seemed to know or care.

The old question is, if a tree falls and nobody is around to hear it, does it make a sound?

Allow me to use a variation: If a wrestler makes magic, in the ring and on the mic, but nobody who can push him forward notices, is that wrestler really making a sound?

Sadly, more and more, the answer seems to be no.

Not only did I expect a future main event push for you when you proved you could hold your comedic own with Kevin Nash and create absurd magic with Paparazzi Productions, but years later, when Mick Foley pointed out that his son now wanted hair like Alex Shelley's, I believed that was one more guy
who understood "it," realizing that Alex Shelley had "it" coming out his ears.

Some of these qualities—that "it"-factor, the presence, the ability to be a trendsetter—can’t be taught. They can’t be handed down with a gimmick. It can’t be given to preferred wrestlers who don’t have "it."

Have you ever noticed how many guys become world champions but how few leave their mark, their presence and their identity on a product?

Ric Flair left his on 80’s NWA; Hulk Hogan left his on 80’s WWF; Steve Austin left his on late 90’s WWF. Chris Jericho left his. HBK in the second half of his career, becoming Mr. WrestleMania,
left his.

Lately, in TNA, they’ve been doing more than making champions—they’ve been making eras.

Watch Bobby Roode develop from the long-haired babyface who failed at Bound for Glory 2011 to the tailor-made, trim-cut wrestler who became the longest-reigning TNA champion in the history of the company. Watch Bully Ray, who was never supposed to have this chance—watch him leave not just his thumbprint but his whole handprint on everything that is TNA.

When Bobby Roode was champion, it was his company.

Right now, it’s Bully Ray’s company.

And I’m left to imagine what it might be like if it was your company, your run, your turn.

These days in TNA, the storytelling takes longer to unfold, the characters are more well-developed and the opportunities for greatness are actually trickling down to the guys who deserve it.

And every bit of that made me think of Alex Shelley.

Made me think of what I’ve known for more than half a decade: Alex Shelley is not the guy who would simply carry around a belt; Alex Shelley is the guy who could set trends, create catchphrases and start a movement that could inspire and challenge and demonstrate an era of excellence in TNA—where in-ring talent meets personality—that we’ve hardly ever seen.

In other words, like those fans in the Hammerstein Ballroom, I have seen what it would be like for Alex Shelley to have his era. I’ve been close enough to sense it and to take out pen and write it.

Of all the things that could ever happen in wrestling, only one leads me to this: If Alex Shelley never gets his monster push, if he never gets the belt and a chance to leave his mark, I riot.

And what does that mean?

Precious little, unfortunately, at least as it affects the world around me. But inside, I rage against the machine of unfairness. I will spend years wondering whose fault it was.

I will be left to wonder why the most obvious opportunity I’ve ever imagined never came to pass.

Just for the record, my first year watching wrestling, I saw a long-haired, funny-shorts rookie named Stunning Steve Austin defeat Beautiful Bobby Eaton. And while I liked both men and flipped out for the Alabama Jam, even eight-year-old Shane knew Steve Austin could change the wrestling world.

Eight-year-old Shane knew it, but it would take six years and three wrestling promotions before Steve Austin would get that chance. And then he had to first overcome the Ringmaster they placed upon him.

Same with Chris Jericho, and I still wonder, had it not been for the Monday Night Wars and the need to push the best to the top, would we have even seen guys like Steve Austin, Chris Jericho and Mick Foley get their shots?

In any other era, they would have been unlikely candidates, especially for WWF/E.

Truth is, Great stars can be overlooked.

Charisma can unfortunately be ignored.

The "it"-factor can remain forever locked inside of should-be stars.

So, I write this, not to Alex Shelley, or WWE, or TNA.

I write this, if I may, to anyone who will read it.

I was a high school dropout who failed English, but I was born with strong intuitive skills. I can’t tell you what color the walls are in a room that I spend the day in, but I know all about inspiration, creativity and the invisible qualities that ultimately lead to breakout stars.

With no background, I was ultimately, eventually accepted into the No. 1- and No. 2-ranked graduate creative writing programs in the United States. I was also recently invited to join a TV writing program set up by the former head writer of one of the top sitcoms of all time.

It was not talent that got me there—it was passion. It was the from-birth abilities we sometimes take for granted.

But you know what’s crazy?

I didn’t go to any of those programs.

Maybe I didn’t see myself the way they saw me, or maybe there was nobody around who told me I should go.

That I was good enough to go.

That’s why I write this.

Not for what Alex Shelley will or won’t say.

Or WWE.

Or TNA.

I write this so that it will be on the record—that somebody said Alex Shelley was good enough to leave the kind of mark on wrestling that only a certain class can leave.

The future will unfold.

Alex Shelley will wrestle in Japan against legends like Jushin Liger (for which I cannot blame him), as he is doing now. But one day, more than likely, he will come home.

He will return.

And somebody will use him to his potential or they won’t.

But nobody—not Alex Shelley, not WWE, not TNA—will be able to say that nobody saw the potential he had.

I saw it.

And now I’ve said it.

And the reason I included Paul Heyman’s Twitter diatribe when I tweeted you, Mr. Shelley, is for this reason.

I’m just a fan.

I don’t know what keeps a guy from that monster push. I imagine it is a combination of unfortunate politics on the part of powerful people and a lack of no-matter-what ambition on the part of young stars.

But like I said, I don’t know.

But Paul Heyman knows.

And in his tweets, Paul Heyman said this (h/t Wrestle Zone): “If there was no opportunity, I created my own,pushed my way in/manipulated the circumstances to beg, borrow, plead, blackmail, bribe, cajole, threaten…and/or manufacture/All I wanted was a mic in my hand.”

You are currently making your own way in Japan, and that’s wonderful.

But what might Alex Shelley be able to do in the U.S. with just a microphone in his hands?

Paul Heyman added this: “I saw @ShawnMichaels go from tag team wrestler to greatest all around in-ring performer ever. Think it was easy for him?/I remember when Shawn and Marty were blackballed in the business, and could only work in Ala-[explicit]-bama/Think it didn’t take @ShawnMichaels everything 'and then some' to break out of the Rockers and get a chance as 'HBK'?/AMBITION. ASSERTIVENESS…and the ABILITY TO BACK IT UP is what it takes to create the next generation of main eventers.”

From tag team wrestler to great. Does that sound familiar?

Paul Heyman said it took Everything and then some.

Imagine being the guy who gave everything, but fell short because the next guy gave everything—and then some.

Nobody wants to be that guy.

And, finally, Paul Heyman said this: “The need for new main eventers is readily apparent/”DOCILE” and “COMPLACENT” and “HUMBLE TO A FAULT” won’t cut it/While a dose of humility is
always needed, that “main event confidence” is just as important/And it’s time
for the next group of superstars to stake their claim and create their own generation
for others to follow/Peiod. Excla-[explicit]-mation point. The lecture is over.
Pontification has ended. Hope I’ve been of help 2 ANYONE who follows this
acct/and maybe even to someone who doesn’t!”

If you have anything, Mr.Shelley, it is “main event confidence.”

To close, I will point out two more things, not from me, but from Mr. Heyman, whom you respect.

He said it was time for Superstars to stake their claim and create their own generation for others to
follow.

He said this one year ago in June.

Who has since done it?

Who will do it?

When I saw his diatribe a year ago, I happened to have an injured shoulder, arm and hand. And yet, my computer wasn’t working properly, so, despite the pain, I typed the entire diatribe in paragraph form and posted it as a column here on B/R in hopes that somebody would be inspired.

Now, a year later, I send it to you.

And it’s only now that I see Mr. Heyman’s last words: that his diatribe may be of help to someone who follows his account or someone who doesn't.

I don’t know which category you fall into.

But the words have now reached you.

And I will say one last time—as I said of Steve Austin at eight, of Cactus Jack at nine, of Chris
Jericho as a young teen—if ever I saw somebody who could be somebody, who could lead somebodies, who could change the climate of professional wrestling and inspire and touch lives with his talent and persona, it is you.

It is Alex Shelley.

I could go on, but why?

I don’t have the booking power to make Raven’s catchphrase come to life here.

"So it is written, so it shall come to pass."

I can only say, "So it is written."

Only you, Alex Shelley, can finish that line.

Only you can bring it to pass.

With hope for the best,

Shane

P.S. I didn’t even get to point out why I would pitch your return to the United States as Lord Tensai meets AJ Styles. I guess some things are better left unsaid.

Follow me on Twitter: @ IMPCTRevolution.

Read more WWE news on BleacherReport.com

Paul Heyman Should Have Creative Input in WWE

Ryan Dilbert — Fri, 17 May 2013 16:44:14 -0400

Giving Paul Heyman more creative input would improve WWE as a whole.

The manager of Brock Lesnar and CM Punk spent years at the helm of ECW composing some of the most intriguing stories in wrestling history. Heyman may have not been able to keep ECW afloat financially, but his creativity, energy and innovation is a resource WWE needs to mine.

Heyman is doing fantastically as the company's resident weasel, delivering emotive performances and amusing narration. Still, WWE should also draw from his wrestling intellect to help stimulate the product. Not asking Heyman to contribute to the creative process is like having Phil Jackson in your employ and not finding a way to cull his coaching wisdom.

Why WWE Creative Needs Him

Consistently coming up with new and exciting stories for wrestlers to tell is a difficult task. WWE creative does itself proud at times, like it did when it paired Daniel Bryan and Kane together or when it created The Shield.

Too often though, stars are left with too little direction and too little to work with.

The company isn't doing nearly enough with Wade Barrett, for example, a champion going into Extreme Rules without a match, with a true rival and without a story to tell. Antonio Cesaro, Cody Rhodes, Damien Sandow and others are going through similar issues.

It seems that WWE creative is in need of an infusion of energy and creativity. PWInsider reported (via WrestlingInc.com) that "WWE officials really are going back and forth from week to week on who they want to push and who they don't want to push."

That confusion and indecision might signal a need for fresh minds. Why not put Heyman in charge of finding something for guys like Barrett and Cesaro something to do and see if he can do for them what he did for The F.B.I. stable in ECW?

Too often, WWE inspires tweets like this one from fans.

The cure for staleness is innovation, and WWE has one of the great innovators on its payroll. Heyman can't solve everything, but with as fruitful as his mind was during his ECW tenure, he has to have some insightful suggestions in his holster.

What He Can Do for Them

Should WWE creative be lacking in ways to start feuds and to entertain the audience, it needs only to enlist Heyman. Sift through ECW's best angles and it's easy to see how rich Heyman's mind is with ideas.

In the 1994 Singapore Cane match between Tommy Dreamer and Sandman, the loser was forced to suffer 10 shots with a cane. Dreamer took his required lashing with grit. It was a great story of courage and defiance, one that helped elevate Dreamer's popularity.

Sandman's feud with Raven featured a number of emotional elements. Their storyline included brainwashing, Sandman's son turning on him and Sandman taunting Raven. ECW was criticized for going too far with the crucifix angle that ended this rivalry, but everything leading up to that shows off Heyman's narrative skills.

For further proof, revisit the ECW vs. The Network storyline or the intensity of the Taz and Sabu feud.

ECW's archives act as Heyman's resume. His ability to maximize talents and work the audience make him a great storyteller, and WWE can certainly benefit from better stories.

Heyman isn't the cure-all; he's just a potential source of inspiration. Vince McMahon would have to rein him in as so much of Heyman's ECW angles would be too controversial for today's WWE. That's why you let Heyman spit out his ideas and you have someone filter out what's usable.

Sit Heyman at the table with Triple H, McMahon and the rest of the WWE think tank. His enthusiasm for the industry and his talent for narrative are sure to make a positive impact.

Read more WWE news on BleacherReport.com

Extreme Rules: 10 Burning Questions Heading into the Event

Sharon Glencross — Fri, 17 May 2013 16:43:32 -0400

As we head into this week's Extreme Rules event, there are several burning questions that need answering.

In fact, there are numerous things on the line on Sunday: Ryback's future in the WWE main event scene, Triple H's status and John Cena's foot injury are the first issues that spring to mind.

With this in mind, let's have a look at the top 10 burning issues we hope to get resolved in St. Louis this Sunday...

Begin Slideshow

Daniel Bryan vs. Dolph Ziggler and Other Must-See World Title Feuds for 2013

Seth M. Guttenplan — Fri, 17 May 2013 16:10:02 -0400

Dolph Ziggler is now World heavyweight champion, yet that should not excuse him from yet another incredible match with Daniel Bryan. In fact, the two Superstars are just one prime example of a World title feud WWE fans should have the pleasure of seeing this year.

Who should John Cena feud with in the coming year as WWE champion? Well, I already provided a few fresh feuds for the leader of the Cenation. However, this time I discuss some old foes as well.

Perhaps neither Cena nor Ziggler will be a World champion later this year. Then what World title feuds could we see in 2013?

Here are five World title feuds that could happen in WWE this year that should be considered must-see among the WWE Universe.

Begin Slideshow

Extreme Rules: Have These PPVs Lived Up to ECW's One Night Stand Memory?

Sharon Glencross — Fri, 17 May 2013 14:47:57 -0400

In the safe, sanitized PG world of WWE, the Extreme Rules pay-per-view—named in honor of ECW—ostensibly serves as the one time of the year when those in the company can revisit the brutal hardcore wrestling style that was so prevalent in ‘90s.

The Extreme Rules show itself serves as a sort of continuation of the company’s popular One Night Stand events in the mid ‘00s.

But has it lived up to the original pay-per-view’s memory?

The answer is yes…and no.

In some respects, WWE does pay respects to the original tribute shows—but anyone looking for the brutal, hard-hitting action of the now-defunct promotion is probably better off going out and getting some old ECW DVDs.

Undoubtedly, the effort has been made, on occasion, with the Extreme Rules show.

Look at last year’s violent bout between John Cena and Brock Lesnar, which was notable for the amount of punishment Cena took.

Or the terrific ladder match between Jeff Hardy and Edge at the 2009 show. No doubt the upcoming cage match between Tripe H and Lesnar will also have its fair share of stiff shots and blood.

But has the event really lived up to hardcore roots? Probably not.

Come on, was the (rather silly) “Extreme Makeover” bout between Michelle McCool and Beth Phoenix in 2010 really in the spirit of the One Night Stand pay-per-views?

Or how about the dull Last Man Standing match between Randy Orton and CM Punk in 2011?

Sure, come Extreme Rules time, WWE’s creative team may begrudgingly throw in the odd ECW-style match stipulation, but do these matches differ much from normal bouts?

Let’s face it: For the most part, the only thing “Extreme” about Extreme Rules these days is the title.

Of course, it’s worth pointing out that this is probably for the best.

Look at the toll that tough, hard-bumping style took on the people who did it.

Mick Foley—who tore the house down in the original ECW then later in WWF with his willingness to take significant punishment—has acknowledged recently that he’s stopped wrestling for fear of worsening his existing brain damage.

Chris Nowinski and the Sports Legacy Institute’s fantastic and highly publicized research into the severe impact of concussions on athletes also give a strong argument against the old ECW way of doing things.

This isn’t the blissfully ignorant ‘90s any more. Heck, even back in 2005—when the first One Night Stand pay-per-view was hosted—we still didn’t know the full extent of the damage this garbage-style wrestling could do.

Who could want a return to that? No wrestling fan with a conscience.

Summarily, rather than trying to see Extreme Rules as a homage to Paul Heyman’s now-defunct promotion, it might be better for fans to simply take it on its own merits. Otherwise, you’re setting yourself up for nothing but disappointment.

Read more WWE news on BleacherReport.com

WWE Extreme Rules: 5 Steel Cage Matches Brock Lesnar and Triple H Should Emulate

Ryan Dilbert — Fri, 17 May 2013 14:34:59 -0400

Brock Lesnar and Triple H will face off in a steel cage at WWE Extreme Rules 2013, a match with a tradition of producing violent and intense classics.

There are several great ones that these men should try to match and borrow from. Lesnar and Triple H can pay homage to Ric Flair vs. Kerry Von Erich or Bret Hart vs. Owen Hart by snagging elements from those masterpieces.

In this current era, Triple H and Lesnar will certainly have to tone down the violence of those matches, but even if they can't match them in terms of bloodshed, they can match them in emotion.

In chronological order, here are five steel cage matches that Lesnar and Triple H should try to emulate at Extreme Rules.

Begin Slideshow

Kofi Kingston: Why You Should Care About the WWE United States Champion

Sebastian Maldonado — Fri, 17 May 2013 13:39:39 -0400

Kofi Kingston, the reigning WWE United States champion, will defend his title against The Shield’s Dean Ambrose at Extreme Rules this Sunday. Yet, for some reason, the focus is on The Shield.

It’s understandable, as Ambrose is part of the most dominant faction in recent memory. Plus, it’s his first singles match on pay-per-view. It’ll be interesting to see where the trio could go with titles in their possession.

Shouldn’t the focus be on Kingston? Isn’t he the United States champion?

I understand why Kingston isn’t the center of attention. It’s his third U.S. title reign, and he’s been stuck in the midcard role for his entire career.

I understand why the fans don’t care. Here’s why you should.

What Kingston may lack in personality is compensated for his in-ring ability. His work ethic is second to none, putting on great matches with the best of them.

He fought great battles with Dolph Ziggler, Wade Barrett and Antonio Cesaro in recent memory. Kingston constantly shows the WWE Universe he can bring exciting matches with his high-flying style. His Trouble in Paradise, a spinning kick to the face, is still an electrifying finisher.

Kingston gives it his all every single night, regardless of what match he’s in, which brings us to Extreme Rules.

Ambrose has a reputation developed in the Independents and FCW. He can show the rest of the wrestling world he’s ready to carry a title. However, don’t count out Kofi Kingston. The defending champion will not go down without a fight. These two might steal the show and surprise a lot of people come Extreme Rules.

You should care about Kofi Kingston. Even though he’s stuck in the midcard, his amazing aerial assault and in-ring abilities should change your minds. He may not be the best thing today, but Kingston’s matches are never boring, because after all, he is Kofi Kingston.

Read more WWE news on BleacherReport.com

WWE Extreme Rules 2013: Whose Stock Has Risen One Year After Extreme Rules 2012?

The Doctor Chris Mueller — Fri, 17 May 2013 11:46:13 -0400

WWE's annual Extreme Rules PPV is just days away. It is an event where almost every match is contested under some kind of stipulation, allowing for more punishment.

This year's event is looking like a card full or rematches and feuds nobody cares about, but in comparison to last year, a lot of people are in different positions within the company.

People's stock within WWE rises and falls all the time, and while some people are in matches similar to last year, others find themselves in a whole different position.

I had the pleasure of attending the event live last year, and if this year's event is anything like that, then we are in for a pretty good show.

Let's look at everyone who was at Extreme Rules 2012 and see if their stock has gone up or down in a year's time.

Begin Slideshow

WWE's Greatest Hits of the Week on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and More

Ryan Dilbert — Fri, 17 May 2013 09:23:07 -0400

WWE's most entertaining moments on Facebook, Twitter and the like this week featured an interesting mix of silly and sexy.

As we head into Extreme Rules, WWE-related social media did pay tribute to the company's extreme moments, but it was the goofy and the gorgeous that was most attention-grabbing.

Divas past and present were all over the Internet. Summer Rae showed us a preview of her modeling ability. Kane, Dolph Ziggler Daniel Bryan and The Great Khali were all comic all-stars this week. A sweet Mother's Day tribute contrasted with the violence of a classic street fight.

From Friday to Friday, Khali to Sgt. Slaughter, here are the highlights of all things WWE on social media.

Begin Slideshow

What Are Dean Ambrose's Chances of Winning the United States Championship?

Bryan Haas — Fri, 17 May 2013 08:38:43 -0400

All it took was one pinfall to make the most outspoken member of the upstart faction The Shield, a top contender for Kofi Kingston's WWE United States championship.

Now Dean Ambrose is primed to make a lasting impact upon the company when he gets a shot at that title at the upcoming Extreme Rules pay-per view.

It wont be an easy task to defeat Kingston, whose blend of speed and agility make him a formidable opponent. However, Ambrose is not without his own merits, and will need to rely upon all of them to come out on top of this encounter.

With a swagger unseen in recent memory, Ambrose's cockiness and steadfast belief in the group ideal have made him perhaps the most dangerous member of his group. He blends good size (6'4"), speed and aggression into a mix that would befuddle even the best that the WWE roster has to offer.

Add to that the fact that Ambrose is a slick talker when delivering a promo, and you have a young and hungry superstar that will not rest until his goal is accomplished. In this case, that does not bode well for Kingston or the United States title.

One need only look at Ambroses' victory over Kingston in tag team competition as proof of his qualifications. Sure, Kingston was pushed off the top rope by Seth Rollins, and perhaps whatever high flying move he was attempting would have been successful.

But that did not happen, and like a predator pouncing upon his prey, Ambrose quickly hit a headlock driver on the champ for the emphatic 1-2-3. He had previously done the same thing to Kane on SmackDown.

That move in and of itself is proof that Ambrose is dangerous.

Taking one of the fundamental wrestling holds, one that is learned very early on in wrestling training, and turning into a high impact finishing hold is nothing short of phenomenal.

Sure, guys like Sami Callihan and Derrick Bateman have used the move in the past but Ambrose has now showcased it on a national stage.

It is interesting to think of the situation that could arise should Ambrose win the US title at Extreme Rules, while Rollins and Roman Reigns could win the tag team titles from Kane and Daniel Bryan.

The Shield are already an incredibly dangerous team. Imagine the amount of damage that they would be capable of inflicting if not only their goals, their message, but also a championship belt were at stake.

That scenario could possibly lead everyone in the WWE Universe to finally believe in the Shield.

Read more WWE news on BleacherReport.com

WWE's Championship Titles vs. Fan Scrutiny

Tom Clark — Fri, 17 May 2013 07:18:17 -0400

WWE’s championship titles are the cornerstones of the company. In terms of the value they hold to the Superstars who wear them and the overall value we as fans place on them, the fact is that at any given moment, the belts are easily the company’s most important focus.

But how well does the concept of the modern day champion in WWE hold up under serious fan scrutiny?

“The belts are just trophies, they don’t mean anything.”

I have heard that very line so many times from fans that at this point I have grown used to it. It’s a valid point, because at the end of the day pro wrestling is just work.

The interviews, the spots, are all set up ahead of time. The matches have predetermined outcomes and for the most part, one situation leads to another in dramatic fashion due to the fact that it is all part of a bigger storyline.

We are all very aware of this and understand how it works.

So, we know that pro wrestling is a business and not a legitimately competitive sport. Doesn’t that mean the championships themselves are just a work as well? The answer is yes, they are just props, created solely for the purpose of selling the program on TV and to sell tickets to the event itself. This makes sense and for many fans this is where the conversation ends.

But then there is the other side of the argument, the one that the majority of fans tend to fall on.

“That guy needs a main event shot, he’s earned it. He deserves to be champion.” Sound familiar?

That line has likely been repeated as much as the earlier one and this is where the subject gets a little confusing. After all, if the belts are indeed just props, then why do we care so much when certain WWE Superstars either have or do not have championship gold?

John Cena is the face of WWE, the standard bearer of the company. And because of that, we expect him to be WWE champion. Some fans may hate the idea and perhaps even dread it when Cena is pursuing the title, but as long as he is Vince McMahon’s guy, then John will always be in the title picture.

John’s critics are quite frankly sick of seeing him as WWE champion.

They believe his time is over, that his character is too stale to warrant constantly being on top of the company. For these fans, the further away John Cena is from the WWE Championship, the better.

But again, the fact is that we expect Cena to wear the gold. The bottom line is its good business for WWE’s top draw to be the top titleholder. It’s not required, but when the opportunity presents itself for John to be the champ, then that is exactly what happens.

So since we understand that and since some of us feel that the belts don’t really mean anything, then why do we get so bent out of shape when John goes over for the title?

Dolph Ziggler was a WWE Superstar who was always just on the cusp of hitting the big time. His matches were consistently viewed by many fans as being the best on the card and he was certainly a guy who had worked extremely hard to attain a higher level.

And every time he came within an eyelash of winning the World Heavyweight Championship, Dolph came up short.

Fans who supported Ziggler and praised him for his efforts in the ring wanted to see him reach the top. They wanted to see him succeed because he had earned it.

They believed he deserved it.

So again, understanding that championships are a work, why did we get so upset when Dolph Ziggler could not go over for the world title?

Of course, this is only the WWE and world championships that we’re talking about here. Think of how disappointed fans have been with WWE’s mishandling of the intercontinental and United States titles.

Both of these belts at one time were historically always heavily featured, in high profile matches that were the backbone of the card.

Now however, either champion is lucky to get a quality win on TV. And sometimes they are not even featured on pay-per-view, as Wade Barrett and The Miz worked for the Intercontinental Championship on the WrestleMania 29 pre-show, but U.S. Champion Antonio Cesaro was not booked at all.

What about the WWE Tag Team Titles?

Until Team Hell No, the tag belts had little to no spotlight and it was not surprising to watch a week’s worth of WWE programming and not even see the tag team belts defended at all.

What about the Divas championship? Perhaps I should say what Divas championship?

But the question remains. If title belts mean nothing, then why do we care? Why do we care what happens to them, who has them, or how often they are defended?

The answer is because we are supposed to.

Despite how much we know and how smart we are about what goes on behind the scenes of WWE or any other pro wrestling promotion, the truth is that a lot of what we feel and care about is fed to us. We don’t want to admit that, however, because perhaps it could be seen as an admission of gullibility.

But there is a reason why crowds pop for the babyfaces and boo the heels. There is a reason why when we see a Superstar do the right thing that we tend to react so positively and that reaction grows exponentially when a conniving heel gets his comeuppance.

Pro wrestling works.

No matter how much we may know or how much we may complain about the product, the simple truth is that when WWE is firing on all cylinders that we are sucked into the program and we truly care about what we’re seeing.

And that goes for the company’s championship titles.

For me, the title belts will always be important. They may only be trophies but they are trophies that can reward Superstars for their work and dedication, just as they can be used to make a statement of a worker’s position in the company. Storylines are written and real drama can evolve from these championships and that is why they are such vital cornerstones of WWE.

Read more WWE news on BleacherReport.com

WWE Extreme Rules 2013: Why John Cena vs. Ryback Must Be PPV's Main Event

Mike Chiari — Fri, 17 May 2013 07:00:01 -0400

While Extreme Rules is just a couple days away, it's still unclear if the event will be headlined by John Cena vs. Ryback for the WWE Championship or the steel cage grudge match between Brock Lesnar and Triple H. If the WWE brass is smart, the former will close the show.

There is no question that Lesnar vs. Triple H is a draw, but it's a match that will be taking place for the third time in less than a year. Their battles at SummerSlam and WrestleMania XXIX were highly entertaining and there is little doubt that they'll leave it all on the line yet again at Extreme Rules.

Despite that, conventional wisdom would seem to suggest that Cena and Ryback should put a bow on things Sunday night. Aside from someone ultimately winning two out of three matches, there isn't anything on the line between Lesnar and Triple H. The grandest prize in professional wrestling will be hanging in the balance when Cena faces Ryback in a Last Man Standing match, however.

The main complaint throughout CM Punk's 434-day WWE Championship reign was that he was often usurped by Cena when it came to the main event. Now that Cena is once again in possession of the title, it would essentially be hypocritical to push him out of the main event scene. In fact, it would damage the prestige of the WWE Championship.

Over the past few weeks, the WWE has aired plenty of Extreme Rules commercials and one of them focuses solely on Lesnar vs. Triple H. It's pretty uncommon for the WWE to push a match that significantly if it isn't going to be the main event. Hopefully, the creative team decides to go in a different direction, though.

Promoting Lesnar vs. Triple H is obviously a smart business move since Lesnar has wider appeal than anyone on the roster right now. Cena may be the best-known wrestler in the world, but Lesnar has both WWE and UFC fans who want to watch him, so it makes a lot of sense to market him in order to increase pay-per-view buys.

With that said, people who want to see Lesnar are going to watch the pay-per-view regardless of when he wrestles. If Lesnar vs. Triple H goes on before Cena vs. Ryback, people aren't going to change the channel once Lesnar vs. Triple H is over. They already paid their $55, so they're going to sit through the main event whether it's the match they truly want to see or not.

When it comes to the product itself, Cena and Ryback should unquestionably compete in the main event. For one, the WWE is trying to build Ryback as the next big heel. The effectiveness of that thus far is debatable, but Ryback is definitely more interesting and he has flashed a bit more personality as of late, which is even apparent on Twitter.

If the WWE truly wants to get Ryback over, he needs to be going after the WWE Championship in the main event. Having Ryback wrestle earlier in the night would create the perception that the WWE doesn't believe in him as a top guy. Perhaps it isn't true, but the same thing happened with Punk, so the WWE needs to tread carefully.

In addition to that, the likelihood of The Shield interfering in Cena vs. Ryback appears to be fairly high. The Shield has continued to stick its nose in the business of Cena and Ryback over the past several weeks, so it's logical to conclude that Dean Ambrose, Seth Rollins and Roman Reigns will play a role.

The Shield is almost guaranteed to have the United States Championship and Tag Team Championships in tow by the end of the night as all three Shield members are vying for titles. There would be no better way to punctuate The Shield's big night than by allowing the group to beat down Cena, Ryback or both and stand tall with their belts raised high.

Although a draw seems like the best course of action in the Cena vs. Ryback match, it wouldn't be a huge shock to see Ryback prevail thanks to interference from The Shield. If that happens, then the lasting image of the night should be Ryback posing with the title rather than Lesnar reigning supreme over Triple H as both men are part-time superstars anyway.

Lesnar may pull in some fringe fans, but the ones who are always around want to see proper emphasis placed on the WWE Championship and current stars such as Ryback and The Shield. Even if Cena vs. Ryback doesn't measure up to Lesnar vs. Triple H in terms of match quality, it must go on last.

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