WWE Extreme Rules 2015: Most Underrated Matches in Event's History
Since 2009, Extreme Rules has been home to some truly outstanding matches. The first pay-per-view of the year post-WrestleMania, it has become the event that features rematches from the Showcase of the Immortals, with special gimmicks attached to take advantage of the extreme nature of the event.
As is the case with any pay-per-view production, certain matches fly under the radar—matches that may not be as great as the best matches on the card or as memorable. Instead, they are contests that, over the course of time, have been forgotten and are underappreciated for their considerable quality.
Some matches feature undercard talent overshadowed by the main event stars on the roster. Others feature those marquee performers.
As the 2015 edition of the increasingly popular event approaches, and with a roster rife with talent up and down the card, the likelihood that hidden gems will exist in retrospect is high.
While you gear up for this year's spectacular, relive the rich history of Extreme Rules by taking a look back at its eight most underrated matches, ranked according to both overall quality and historical significance.
7. WWE Intercontinental Championship Match: Big E vs. Bad News Barrett (2014)
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Bad News Barrett was on the biggest roll of his career as Extreme Rules arrived in 2014.
Delivering the best promos of his career and, arguably, the finest in-ring performances, he defeated some of his fellow Superstars in a No. 1 contender's tournament to earn the right to challenge Big E for the intercontinental title.
Big E is a much better worker than he gets credit for being, as he displayed in this championship clash, but it was Barrett who stood out, receiving a thunderous ovation from fans as he launched himself across the squared circle, catching E with the vaunted Bull Hammer finisher.
The match did not try to be something it was not, which is likely why it was such a success from an in-ring standpoint.
It was very much a battle between two heavyweights—two big men using power, strikes and high-impact maneuvers to try to outlast the other.
In the end, Barrett picked up the win and, in the process, essentially killed any chance Big E had off sustaining a push at this point in his relatively young career.
6. Tables Match for the United States Title: Kofi Kingston vs. Sheamus (2011)
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Lost in the midcard shuffle, United States champion Sheamus and top contender Kofi Kingston were added at the last minute to an Extreme Rules 2011 card that was already stacked with outstanding matches.
Determined to deliver on the huge pay-per-view stage and at the same time improve their placement on the card, they waged war in a Tables match.
In what was essentially a match between the unstoppable force and elusive object, Kingston avoided numerous attempts by Sheamus to put him through a table, sticking around just long enough to climb the ropes and deliver a Boom Drop onto Sheamus, through a table on the arena floor.
It was a great finish to a psychologically sound match that proved just what kind of assets the stars were to a company that had done them no favors over the four or so months that preceded the bout.
5. Extreme Rules Match for the World Title: Randy Orton vs. Jack Swagger (2010)
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Jack Swagger was fresh off his World Heavyweight Championship victory, which he achieved by cashing in the Money in the Bank on a prone Chris Jericho, when he entered Extreme Rules for his first title defense against the No. 1 contender Randy Orton.
The Viper had earned the title shot by beating the former amateur wrestler leading into the match and was the heavy favorite to dethrone the young star. But Swagger would prove that he was more than just a worker with potential.
A unique match due to the fact that Orton controlled more of it than one would think, the veteran clearly outwrestled the heel. But Swagger proved resourceful, using a well-placed chair and delivering a gut-wrenching powerbomb for the upset victory.
Despite a strong showing here, management would fail to capitalize on Swagger's momentum, pairing him with Big Show and then booking him to drop the title in a Fatal 4-Way match to Rey Mysterio in June.
Thus, Orton's willingness to put him over meant nothing in the long run.
Still, the world title match from Extreme Rules match is an underrated gem full of quality sequencing, reversals and a surprisingly clean finish.
4. Triple Threat Extreme Rules Match for the ECW Championship (2009)
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In 2009, Christian returned to WWE and almost instantly began a run as ECW champion, as the face of the brand that had once revolutionized the industry.
His feud with Jack Swagger had been responsible for some outstanding in-ring action, which helped the All-American American become one of the company's breakout stars.
In Captain Charisma, the brand had a veteran of the ring wars who could be counted on to have a great match with anyone, including inexperienced young stars.
At the inaugural Extreme Rules, they would battle once again over the ECW Championship with a wild card in the form of Tommy Dreamer.
The Innovator of Violence was the heart of the brand, the last connection between the modern-day incarnation of the brand and the revolutionary original.
In a Triple Threat match at the June event, he exchanged blows with his opponents and used weapons leading to a Singapore cane shot to the midsection and a DDT to Swagger for the upset win and Dreamer's first ECW title in nearly a decade.
Dreamer celebrated his victory with the fans, marking an emotional moment in the career of wrestling's perennial good guy.
3. Last Man Standing Match: Rey Mysterio vs. Cody Rhodes (2011)
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When Rey Mysterio executed a 619 that broke the nose of the then-Dashing Cody Rhodes, he awakened a monster in the second-generation star, a monster that manifested itself in a deranged, mask-wearing competitor who got off on insisting just how ugly everyone around him was.
At WrestleMania, he defeated Mysterio in an excellent match, and by the time Extreme Rules rolled around just weeks later, fans were ready to see the Master of the 619 avenge the loss that occurred only after Rhodes used a knee brace against the high-flying luchador.
In a Last Man Standing bout at the April 2011 event, Rhodes and Mysterio engaged in a fun brawl that saw the competitors battle into the stands and then return to the ringside area to continue their battle.
Mysterio ultimately overcame maneuvers such as the Boston Crab on the guardrail and the Alabama Slam to deliver the 619 and score the pinfall victory.
While not a wrestling classic, the contest is a fun hidden gem from a show that, from top to bottom, ranks as one of the best in Extreme Rules history.
2. Falls Count Anywhere Match: Randy Orton vs. Kane (2012)
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The Viper makes his second appearance on this list for his 2012 gem against Kane, which kicked off the pay-per-view event.
Fresh off a defeat at the hands of the Big Red Monster at WrestleMania, Orton was hellbent on avenging the loss as he stepped foot inside the squared circle with the Devil's Favorite Demon, and he did just that.
The action spilled outside of the ring early as the performers capitalized on the Falls Count Anywhere stipulation. In a nice nod to their past issues, Zack Ryder attacked Kane backstage, taking his frustrations out on the man who indirectly put an end to any chance of a sustained push he might enjoy.
Orton used a chair to pummel the Devil's Favorite Demon, who was booked much better and more smartly than he was during his program with John Cena. He withstood the punishment to deliver a chokeslam that should have spelled the end for the Viper, but Orton showed great tenacity and resiliency in kicking out. He slithered out of a Tombstone attempt and delivered the RKO for the win.
For two guys who are not necessarily known for having great chemistry with each other, this was a wildly entertaining bout that would be completely lost on viewers given the classics between Daniel Bryan and Sheamus, CM Punk and Chris Jericho, and John Cena and Brock Lesnar later in the night.
While nowhere on the level of those outstanding bouts, this was a fun match that played up the gimmick stipulation to perfection and really set the mood for the rest of the broadcast.
1. Last Man Standing Match for the WWE Title: John Cena vs. Ryback (2013)
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In hindsight, the 2013 Extreme Rules co-main event pitting John Cena against Ryback in a Last Man Standing match for the WWE Championship was a bad idea because it completely killed any momentum The Big Guy had built for himself over the course of the previous year.
With that said, it was a quality heavyweight battle for the right to call oneself the top dog on Monday Night Raw.
Cena delivered a huge splash onto Ryback, through a table at one point, showing great desperation and determination in what was a hard-hitting, high-impact bout. Not to be outdone, the Big Guy ripped off the door to a penalty box and blasted the champion with it in a rarely seen spot.
The finish, which saw Ryback spear Cena through the stage, made for an awesome visual that established Ryback as a beast, not to mention a real threat to the title, while also allowing for an indecisive outcome that resulted in a rematch at Payback.
The only major disappointment of the match was the inability by the performers to keep up the story involving Cena's injured Achilles tendon. Other than that, it was among the best of Extreme Rules' hidden gems and well worth checking out for a hint of Ryback at his best.
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