WWE Extreme Rules 2012: John Cena and the Biggest PPV Winners

Another WWE pay-per-view is in the books, and it's safe to say the company successfully survived the first marquee event after WrestleMania 28 without losing all of the momentum. A combination of surprising results and new storylines should keep fans coming back for more.

Let's take a look at the three biggest winners from Extreme Rules. It's not just that they won their respective matches on Sunday night, but the manner in which they did it that lands them on this list.

Sheamus

It wasn't a surprise to see Sheamus defeat Daniel Bryan to retain the World Heavyweight Championship after picking up wins at Royal Rumble and WrestleMania. Dropping the belt at a secondary PPV with those massive pushes under his belt would have been a mistake.

The fact he beat Bryan, one of the company's newest megastars, clean makes it an important development. The involvement of AJ in recent weeks led many members of the WWE Universe to think that she was going to play a role, but it never happened.

If the company were planning on making Bryan look strong in defeat, they would have made the third fall a dirty finish. Since they didn't, it's a clear sign there are big plans for Sheamus leading into the next major event—SummerSlam.

John Cena

If there were ever a doubt about the WWE's dedication to Cena's character, it was put to rest on Sunday when "Super Cena" took a beating from Brock Lesnar. He, in typical Cena fashion, managed to turn the tide at the very end before picking up the victory.

Fans don't dislike Cena because he wins all the time. He constantly hears "Cena sucks" due to his ability to make winning look easy no matter how bad he was crushed throughout a match. It was the same old story at Extreme Rules.

For anybody hoping a character shift was on the horizon—and there's no shortage of fans in that category—it's time to stop dreaming. Cena will continue to overcome the odds, no matter how much it makes diehard fans cringe.

CM Punk

For the past month, Brock Lesnar has been called the new face of the WWE. In reality, it's CM Punk. His title reign has stretched from Survivor Series through Extreme Rules, and it would be shocking if it ended before SummerSlam.

His rare combination of in-ring ability, mic skills and popularity make him the perfect person to carry the company on his back. Giving him two straight victories over Chris Jericho, whose return hasn't been as successful as expected, solidifies Punk's top-flight status.

He's been on an amazing run since last summer ,and it doesn't look like it will end anytime soon. More importantly, he had to earn every push he's received, and that endears him to the fans. It's difficult to find a flaw in Punk right now.