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WWE Extreme Rules 2013 Review: The Shield Steals Spotlight at Epic PPV
May 20, 2013
John Cena vs. Ryback and Triple-H vs. Brock Lesnar were the hogging the headlines of WWE Extreme Rules leading into the pay-per-view, but it is The Shield who is the story after it.
In all, it was an entertaining evening of wrestling, which really displays the evolution of this event. Coming on the heels of WrestleMania, it's been hard for Extreme Rules to really gain a foothold, but this unique event has clearly found its way now.
Take a look at the results from the event, and then I'll get into The Shield's epic night.
Note: (c) denotes champion heading into match
- Pre-show: The Miz defeats Cody Rhodes via submission (figure four)
- Chris Jericho defeats Fandango via pinfall
- United States Championship: Dean Ambrose defeats Kofi Kingston (c) via pinfall
- Strap Match: Sheamus defeats Mark Henry
- No. 1 Contender "I Quit" Match: Alberto Del Rio defeats Jack Swagger via submission
- Tag Team Championship: Roman Reigns and Seth Rollins defeat Team Hell No (c)
- Extreme Rules Match: Randy Orton defeats Big Show via pinfall
- WWE Championship Last man Standing Match: John Cena (c) and Ryback end in no finish
- Brock Lesnar defeats Triple-H via pinfall
Dean Ambrose started off The Shield's epic night as he battled Kofi Kingston for the United States championship.
This was an action-packed match that highlighted the technical skill of Ambrose. Back and forth they went as they traded blows, and then Ambrose ducked out of the way of a Trouble In Paradise and countered to fall Kofi.
Kofi fell to his face and Ambrose covered him while earning the win. And while Ambrose was escorted to the ring by his Shield cohorts, Seth Rollins and Roman Reigns, the two disappeared backstage before the match started.
That means Ambrose took this victory on his own, and while this belt is nowhere near the top of the pecking order, this was a definite statement made by the company.
Big things are in store for Ambrose, which Hall of Famer Mick Foley pointed out:
Next, it was Rollins and Reigns' turn. They were battling Team Hell No for the tag team championship.
Rollins and Reigns were took a pounding early, but they came out on top in the end. Rollins Pele kicked Daniel Bryan, was then carried off in an inverted fireman by Reigns and was hit with a flying knee by Rollins, and with that, the match was over.
It was an exciting match that left fans buzzing. It helped remind everyone how amazing a good tag team match can be, and it finished off an impressive night for The Shield.
This led to an impressive haul of gold for the trio. DaShieldSocietyRules tweeted them displaying their mighty bounty:
This meant that The Shield not only stole the show with their performance, but with what it all means for them going forward.
After the run on hardware, it is pretty clear that The Shield are in the process of moving from invaders to superstars.