WWE Extreme Rules 2012: 7 Matches It Sets Up for WWE's over the Limit PPV

There's just something about Chicago.

Like with Money in the Bank last year, the WWE invaded the Windy City this past Sunday and delivered one hell of a show with Extreme Rules.

We were treated to the second great pay-per-view of 2012, one with three awesome matches and repercussions that will affect the the WWE for the next several months.

After Extreme Rules and Monday's Raw, though, we are now headed toward Over the Limit, which takes place in less than three weeks.

The results of Sunday's Extreme Rules show as well as Raw, however, are going to have a huge effect on how the WWE's next pay-per-view turns out.

Let's take a look at seven possible Over the Limit matches that were set up by Sunday's Extreme Rules and Monday's episode of Raw. 

7. Intercontinental Championship: Cody Rhodes (c) vs. Big Show

I really thought that we would see the conclusion of the feud between The Big Show and Cody Rhodes at Extreme Rules, but it became clear that I thought wrong when Rhodes won the match in not-so-convincing fashion.

While Big Show would have been entitled to a rematch no matter how he lost, the fact that he lost in such a fluke manner (by slipping and barely breaking the table) leads me to believe that this feud will now extend all the way to Over the Limit.

Big Show is going to get his rematch, and since the Show/Rhodes matches at WrestleMania and Extreme Rules didn't get much time, perhaps we're going to see this rivalry end once and for all with a long third match at Over the Limit.

The series is 1-1 right now, and whoever wins at Over the Limit will win the series and the feud.

Then we can all move on. Well, at least I hope we can.

6. Divas Championship: Layla (c) vs. Beth Phoenix

The Divas division is a hot mess right now.

Beth Phoenix lost the Divas title on last week's Raw after "injuring" herself during her title defense, resulting in Nikki Bella becoming the new Divas Champion. That, in turn, resulted in Nikki losing her title to Layla at Extreme Rules on Sunday.

Now Layla is the new Divas Champion, Beth has been written off of TV and the Bella Twins have legitimately parted ways with the WWE.

So that leaves Layla as the Divas titleholder, but she doesn't really have any heel Diva to feud with. Maybe Eve Torres, but she seems to have settled into a non-wrestling role.

I have no idea when creative plans to bring Beth back (or what about Kharma?), but she needs to return soon, and when she does, she'll go after Layla, who's holding "her" Divas Championship.

If the WWE rushes Beth back to TV, then we could see these two collide as soon as at Over the Limit.

5. United States Championship: The Miz vs. Santino Marella (c)

Santino Marella successfully defended the United States Championship against The Miz on the Extreme Rules YouTube pre-show.

But on Monday's Raw, The Miz got his revenge by beating Santino in the Beat the Clock Challenge.

For those keeping score, that gives both Santino and The Miz one win in this series. Thus, logic says that we'll see another match between the two.

The only real questions are: When will the match take place? And will the US Championship be on the line?

I think that bout happens at Over the Limit, and yes, I think Santino puts his title up for grabs, too.

I know we just saw this match twice, but let's be honest with ourselves—there really isn't much else going on in the United States title picture.

4. WWE Tag Team Championship: Kofi Kingston and R-Truth (c) vs. Epico and Primo

After several weeks of being booked like crap, Epico and Primo finally lost the WWE Tag Team Championship on Monday's Raw.

The new champs? R-Truth and Kofi Kingston, who were randomly re-paired together and received a tag team title shot out of nowhere.

Though Epico and Primo are no longer the tag team champs, they've recently had a storyline going with A.W. (that's Abraham Washington) trying to become their agent.

I'm not sure this will ever really go anywhere, but the optimistic side of me likes to think that A.W. will try to guide them to regaining the WWE Tag Team Championship from Kingston and Truth.

And to start that process, he'll get Epico and Primo their rematch at Over the Limit.

Now, this match may happen on Raw or even on SmackDown instead, but it does appear as if the WWE is at least putting forth some effort into the tag team division, so it would be nice to see the tag team titles defended by the new champs on pay-per-view rather than on TV.

3. WWE Championship: CM Punk (c) vs. Daniel Bryan

Obviously, we saw this match set up on Monday's Raw, with Daniel Bryan winning the Beat the Clock Challenge to become the new No. 1 contender for CM Punk's WWE Championship.

Honestly, though, I think Bryan's surprising win and No. 1 contendership is more or less a direct result of well he performed on Sunday.

Bryan and Sheamus put on a phenomenal 2/3 Falls match at Extreme Rules on Sunday and Bryan was ridiculously over in the process. Thus, it's likely that both of those things influenced the creative team's decision to immediately have Bryan challenge for the WWE title.

That's fine by me because Bryan and Punk should deliver one fantastic performance in their title match at Over the Limit.

I'm not sure that I'd write this match down in pen, though, because something tells me that Chris Jericho isn't quite done with Punk just yet.

Don't be surprised if Y2J is added to the mix to make this Over the Limit bout a Triple Threat match.

2. John Cena vs. John Laurinaitis

On Monday's Raw, John Laurinaitis announced that he would face John Cena at Over the Limit.

I'm not sure what the real reasoning behind Laurinaitis suddenly targeting Cena is, but I guess it's because Cena beat Brock Lesnar, who was supposed to be "the new face of the WWE" and was brought in by Laurinaitis.

Either way, though, it appears as if Laurinaitis' new goal is to make Cena's life miserable, as evidenced by the fact that Laurinaitis now seems to be in cahoots with Lord Tensai and Sakamato.

Cena has been going through a rough stretch as of late—he lost to The Rock and Lord Tensai, was beaten down and injured by Lesnar at Extreme Rules, etc.—and that's likely going to continue at Over the Limit.

I'm obviously not crazy about the potential of a Laurinaitis/Cena match, but I do think that it'll be more like a 3-on-1 assault that also features Tensai and Sakamato.

I guess we'll just have to wait and see.

1. World Heavyweight Championship: Sheamus (c) vs. Alberto Del Rio

Prior to this Sunday, Alberto Del Rio had earned a future World Heavyweight title shot, and Extreme Rules opened the door for that match to take place.

The baby face Sheamus walked away from the pay-per-view still the World champion, setting up an obvious feud with the heel Del Rio.

Daniel Bryan seems to have moved on to a WWE Championship feud with CM Punk, so that should (let me stress that could part) lead to ADR vs. Sheamus.

And when will it start? Likely at Over the Limit.

I don't really think that Sheamus vs. Del Rio is a money feud, so there's nothing wrong with beginning it at an Over the Limit pay-per-view that will probably have a pretty bad buy rate.

Drake Oz is the WWE Lead Writer for Bleacher Report. You can follow him on Twitter and ask him any wrestling-related questions (to be answered in the B/R Mailbag) on Formspring.