Bleacher Report's WWE Staff Predictions for Extreme Rules 2022

Doc-Chris MuellerOct 7, 2022

It's time once again for the men and women of WWE to get extreme.

WWE Extreme Rules airs this Sunday on Peacock and WWE Network, and while the card might not have the world buzzing, management has put some matches on the show that should produce some great action. Here is a look at the lineup as of Friday morning:

Bayley vs. Bianca Belair (Raw Women's Championship, ladder match)
Liv Morgan vs. Ronda Rousey (SmackDown Women's Championship, Extreme Rules)
Imperium vs. Brawling Brutes (Donnybrook)
Matt Riddle vs. Seth Rollins (Fight Pit)
Drew McIntyre vs. Karrion Kross (Strap match)
Edge vs. Finn Balor ("I Quit" match)

Here's our lineup of contributors:

Chris Mueller (CM) (@BR_Doctor)
Erik Beaston (EB) (@ErikBeaston)
Graham Matthews (GM) (@WrestleRant)
Kevin Berge (KB) (@KevinBerge)
Anthony Mango (AM) (@ToeKneeMango)

Graham Matthews

1 of 6

Matt Riddle vs. Seth Rollins

Do you think this feud needed to bring in as many personal details as it has, and did it enhance the story or just blur the lines too much?

It's rare nowadays that we get feuds in WWE where it feels like there is genuinely bad blood between the two rivals, but that's been the case with Riddle and Rollins in recent months because of their well-documented history, and it's made their storyline significantly more enjoyable. That combined with their excellent in-ring chemistry has led to Riddle vs. Rollins being one of WWE's better programs in 2022, and the Fight Pit should serve as a fitting conclusion.

The Brawling Brutes vs. Imperium

Which team would you rather see win? Why?

With Imperium winning their first encounter, it makes the most sense for Brawling Brutes to win the rematch at Extreme Rules, especially if Sheamus falls short of becoming intercontinental champion the night before on SmackDown. That way, Gunther can hold onto the gold while Brawling Brutes finally get one over on Imperium.

Kevin Berge

2 of 6

Bianca Belair vs. Balyley

If Belair retains the title, how should WWE book the finish to protect Bayley's push?

Damage CTRL has overwhelmed everyone with numbers so far, but Bayley's group has also gone after too many people. If Shotzi and Raquel Rodriguez were to join Asuka and Bliss in interfering, it would protect the group while pushing stories forward.

Drew McIntyre vs. Karrion Kross

What could WWE have done differently to make this feud more interesting?

The biggest problem is a lack of progression. McIntyre and Kross have been stuck at the same level for months. Kross should have appeared more, and the two should have interacted more times to sell this supposedly physical rivalry.

Anthony Mango

3 of 6

The Brawling Brutes vs. Imperium

Both teams have been on fire lately. How would you book this match so both groups come away from this looking as good as possible?

What fans want out of this match more than anything is for both teams to beat the tar out of each other. So long as that happens to the right level, it won't matter who wins, as the WWE Universe will walk away happy and respecting both teams.

As simple as it sounds, all WWE has to do is book them in an even match where all six Superstars get their proper shots in, rather than this being one-sided. Ideally, Imperium will win clean..

Matt Riddle vs. Seth Rollins

Which Superstar will benefit more from a win? Why them?

What does Rollins get if he wins? He's already scheduled for a United States Championship match on Monday night whether he is victorious here or not. Riddle, on the other hand, lost at Clash at the Castle. A win over Rollins will be one of the biggest he's had so far and can help fix the damage that's been done in the past few months where he's come off more like an upper-midcarder rather than a true main-eventer.

Plus, if Riddle loses in an MMA-style fight, his clout as a fighter goes down, but Rollins has the excuse that he was out of his element. Riddle has to win.

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Erik Beaston

4 of 6

Edge vs. Finn Balor

What outcome makes the most sense in this match and why?

Balor wins. However they have to make that happen, it is most logical that Balor wins and builds some momentum for whatever big plans Triple H and the creative team have in store for him. Otherwise, another loss on a big stage, against a star perceived to be bigger than him, only confirms the idea that he is a midcard heel at best.

Liv Morgan vs. Ronda Rousey

Lay out a booking scenario where Morgan wins and why it would work.

There is no way Morgan wins clean over Rousey. Ronda is one of the most protected stars on the roster, and beating her straight-up just isn't something that is going to happen. They have already established that Morgan can only win via fluke, so a scenario in which Charlotte Flair returns for revenge on Rousey, or Shayna Baszler pays off the few weeks of TV we saw from her and Rousey ahead of Clash at the Castle, seems like an appropriate out for the creative team if the desire is for Morgan to retain.

Chris Mueller

5 of 6

Drew McIntyre vs. Karrion Kross

On a scale of 1-10, how much do you care about this feud?

I'm honestly at about a 3 with this feud. I like that Kross and Scarlett are back, but it feels like WWE was so worried about the teasers for this feud that it forgot to book an actual reason for me to care about why they are fighting. They wanted to go high concept, but it just ended up feeling slightly lackluster. Hopefully the match exceeds the buildup.

Bianca Belair vs. Bayley

Who is the best choice to win this match from a storytelling perspective?

As much as I love Belair and think she has been a great champion, the most logical conclusion is for Bayley to win. She returned from injury, formed this new group and led them to the women's tag titles. If she falls short here, she will be the least successful member of her own group in 2022, and that should not happen.