WWE Extreme Rules 2015: GSM's Pick, Preview and Potential for Each Match
On Sunday, April 26, WWE will present its seventh annual Extreme Rules pay-per-view event, live from the Allstate Arena in Chicago at 8 p.m. ET.
While this year's installment may not be carrying the stipulation that every match must be contested under "extreme rules," it has shaped up to be a solid show. The post-WrestleMania PPVs have always been spectacular, and this show looks to be no exception.
One month removed from their show-stealing match at WrestleMania 31, Seth Rollins and Randy Orton will battle inside a steel cage for the WWE World Heavyweight Championship. With the RKO banned and Kane serving as the "guardian of the gate," will Orton be able to overcome the odds and capture the gold?
John Cena silenced his critics when he handed Rusev his first singles loss at WrestleMania to win the United States Championship, but now he has to do it again. Can Cena beat the Bulgarian Brute in his own type of match and successfully retain his title?
Roman Reigns and Big Show have been at odds for months, but now they'll finally settle their score in a Last Man Standing match. Will Reigns prove he isn't a fluke by keeping down the World's Largest Athlete for a count of ten?
Here, I will provide my personal preview, prediction and potential for every match on the advertised card.
Kickoff Show: Cesaro and Tyson Kidd vs. The New Day (WWE Tag Team Title)
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Preview
At WWE Fastlane, Cesaro and Tyson Kidd knocked off The Usos to become the new WWE Tag Team champions. Since then, they've run roughshod over the tag team division, successfully retaining their titles in a blockbuster Fatal 4-Way at WrestleMania 31.
On the April 20 edition of Raw, The New Day defeated The Lucha Dragons to earn a shot at the twin titles on the Extreme Rules Kickoff Show. Kofi Kingston, Big E and Xavier Woods have worked well as a unit since joining forces late last year, but whether they are worthy of holding gold remains to be seen.
Prediction
At first, I was disappointed The New Day beat out The Lucha Dragons for the No. 1 contender's spot, but in retrospect, it was the right move to make. The championship reign of Cesaro and Kidd is just getting started and The New Day is the perfect team for them to knock off early in their run.
Besides, The Lucha Dragons will get their shot down the line and Cesaro and Kidd will be heavily cheered in Chicago. The New Day are coming along nicely as a heel trio, but there's no way they walk out with the titles in tow on Sunday.
Potential
Regardless of what you might think of The New Day, there's no denying how impressive all three athletes are as wrestlers. Cesaro and Kidd haven't had a bad match yet, so this is guaranteed to be good.
The match would benefit from a Tornado Tag Team stipulation, but it should be a fun bout either way.
Dean Ambrose vs. Luke Harper (Chicago Street Fight)
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Preview
During the Intercontinental Championship ladder match at WrestleMania 31, Luke Harper maliciously powerbombed Dean Ambrose through a ladder at ringside, taking him out of action for the remainder of the match. It was only days later on SmackDown that he targeted Ambrose yet again, this time putting him through a commentating table.
Upon Ambrose's return to TV on the April 13 edition of Raw, he immediately set his sights on Harper and promised he wouldn't rest until he avenged his injury. When their match the following week on Raw ended in a no contest, it was announced they'd meet at Extreme Rules in a Chicago Street Fight.
Prediction
Ambrose and Harper obviously deserve to be placed more prominently on the card, but for now, I've enjoyed the mini-feud they've had going. It has kept both guys busy for the time being and their non-stop brawls have been enjoyable to watch unfold.
The best part about this match is that Ambrose is finally facing someone he can beat on pay-per-view, and I expect he'll get his big win here. Plus, Harper won't lose much from the loss since there isn't much more damage that can be done to him.
Potential
This match should serve as the perfect opener to the show and I surely hope it does. Their in-ring styles are so similar that they are bound to thrive in the Street Fight environment, and if allowed to go all out, these two could very well end up stealing the show.
Nikki Bella vs. Naomi (Divas Championship)
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Preview
Since November, Nikki Bella has reigned supreme over the Divas division, knocking off everyone who has stepped up to challenge her for the Divas Championship. On the April 13 edition of Raw, a Battle Royal was held to determine a new No. 1 contender to the title, which was ultimately won by England's own Paige.
Immediately following the match, Paige was blindsided by Naomi, who declared herself the rightful No. 1 contender after having pinned Nikki in non-title action twice before. In light of Paige's (kayfabe) injury, she was eventually replaced by Naomi.
Prediction
First and foremost, I loved the angle with Naomi attacking Paige a few weeks ago on Raw because Naomi was in desperate need of a change in character. However, the follow-up has been very poor, as the former Funkadactyl has yet to receive new music, new attire or even a new finisher.
Paige is obviously set to feud with Naomi once she returns, so it looks like Naomi wins the belt from Nikki on this show. She's long overdue for a title run and there isn't anyone of note left to challenge Nikki for the belt.
Potential
Naomi has been established as a heel in the weeks since her turn, but what about the Bella Twins? It's unknown as to whether they're turning babyface or staying as heels, but either way, the Chicago crowd won't cheer for them.
I wouldn't be surprised to see the audience hijack the match. They don't have any incentive to root for either woman, which is a shame because they could put on a decent match if their character development wasn't so sketchy.
Daniel Bryan vs. Bad News Barrett (Intercontinental Championship)
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Preview
At WrestleMania 31, Daniel Bryan outlasted six other competitors in a ladder match to capture his first Intercontinental Championship. Taking exception to this, former champ Bad News Barrett viciously attacked Bryan the next night on Raw and announced the following week that he'd be invoking his championship rematch clause at Extreme Rules.
Prediction
I wish I could write more about the build-up to this bout, but simply put, there really hasn't been any. Bryan has been kept off Raw for the most part since WrestleMania, and even on SmackDown, he hasn't been interacting with Barrett much.
As of this writing, this match is still scheduled to take place, but odds are it will be pulled due to concerns over Bryan's health. Regardless of whether Bryan is cleared to compete or not, Barrett won't regain the gold; either Bryan will retain or someone new will win it instead.
Potential
Despite how badly he's been booked since his return from injury earlier this year, Barrett is an exceptional wrestler, and you don't need me to tell you just how great Bryan is. They've proven in the past that they have very good in-ring chemistry, so if their championship clash comes to fruition, expect nothing short of a solid outing from the former NXT alumni.
A 2-out-of-3 Falls match would have been cool to see, but with Bryan's health a question mark at the moment, I understand why the match hasn't been given a stipulation of any kind.
Dolph Ziggler vs. Sheamus (Kiss Me Arse Match)
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Preview
After weeks of vignettes hyping his eventual return, Sheamus finally made his long-awaited comeback to WWE programming one night removed from WrestleMania 31. Wasting no time in making an immediate impact, he brutalized both Daniel Bryan and Dolph Ziggler, sending the message that he was back with a purpose.
In retaliation, Ziggler battled back against Sheamus and challenged him to a match at Extreme Rules. The Celtic Warrior only agreed to face him if the match carried a "Kiss Me Arse" stipulation, to which Ziggler agreed.
Prediction
Similar to Dean Ambrose vs. Luke Harper, this is another feud that I've been digging because it's a solid midcard rivalry that isn't over a championship. Sheamus has been shining as a heel since his return and Ziggler is the perfect babyface foil for him to feud with.
Either guy could win and it really wouldn't matter, especially if the rivalry is set to continue after the event, but I'll go with Sheamus. The more wins he stacks up, the more it'll mean when an underdog (Neville, perhaps?) eventually beats him.
Potential
I, like everyone, am disgusted with the stupid stipulation, but from what I understand, it will be a straight-up singles match and the (Irish) shenanigans will come afterward. Granted, it doesn't make it much better, but these two never disappoint when they face each other and this encounter should be no different.
Roman Reigns vs. Big Show (Last Man Standing Match)
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Preview
Roman Reigns and Big Show have been trading wins since the start of the year, but it wasn't until recently that their rivalry became much more personal. After being cost the No. 1 contender's spot to the WWE World Heavyweight Championship by Big Show on the April 6 edition of Raw, Reigns set out to exact revenge on the World's Largest Athlete.
Before Reigns could get one over on his rival, Show brutalized him by chokeslamming him on top of a car on Raw in England. Their Last Man Standing match at Extreme Rules will see Show determined to expose the 2015 Royal Rumble winner as a fluke.
Prediction
As much as I hate to admit it, WWE has done right by this feud in recent weeks. I still don't see how working with Big Show will benefit Reigns in any way, but I assume they're keeping him busy before putting him back in the title picture in time for Payback.
There's always the off chance that Bray Wyatt reveals Reigns to be the person he's been referring to in his promos and costs him the match here, but even if that is the case, they are better off waiting until Raw to start their program. Under no circumstance should Big Show win this match to prevent doing any further damage to Reigns.
Potential
Although the Last Man Standing stipulation is fitting of the feud, that won't make this match any more exciting. Last Man Standing matches are usually hit or miss, and while I have a feeling it'll end up being the latter, I hold out hope that they surprise me by having a passable match.
John Cena vs. Rusev (Russian Chain Match for the United States Championship)
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Preview
Since the Royal Rumble, John Cena and Rusev have been engaged in a ruthless rivalry over the United States Championship. Although Rusev was successful in retaining his title against Cena at Fastlane in February, Cena avenged his loss by handing Rusev his first singles loss at WrestleMania 31 and capturing the gold in the process.
Cena has established himself as a fighting champion in the weeks since, defending the star-spangled prize against all-comers. However, at Extreme Rules, Cena will face his toughest challenge to date in the form of Rusev, this time in a Russian Chain match.
Prediction
Other than Rusev's two attacks on Cena, this feud hasn't been as prominently featured as it was before WrestleMania. Read into that what you will, but I, for one, have been loving the U.S. Open as of late and it's been far better than anything Cena and Rusev could have done to promote this bout.
As for Rusev, he can be protected in defeat since he won't have to be pinned in order to lose, but I surely hope they have plans for him past this program. He's solidified himself as star in working with Cena and he has too much talent to be put to waste.
Potential
Personally, I enjoyed their Fastlane encounter more than their match at WrestleMania, but the jury is out as far as whether this Russian Chain match will deliver. The rules are basically the same as a Strap match, which are rarely ever enjoyable, but let's hope they can make it work to the best of their ability.
Seth Rollins vs. Randy Orton (Steel Cage Match for WWE World Heavyweight Title)
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Preview
Randy Orton and Seth Rollins have always been natural enemies, even during their time as allies in The Authority last year. Rollins' attack on Orton in November escalated the animosity between the two to an all-new level, but after three long months on the shelf, Orton returned with a vengeance at February's Fastlane pay-per-view.
Although Orton gave Rollins his comeuppance in the form of an earth-shattering RKO at WrestleMania, their rivalry has raged on to Extreme Rules with the focus being on the WWE World Heavyweight Championship. Inside of a steel cage, Orton will have his finishing maneuver banned, but with Kane serving as the "guardian of the gate," it remains to be seen where the allegiance of the Director of Operations will lie.
Prediction
Rollins has been flourishing in his role as WWE's top heel for quite some time and deserves to reign as WWE World Heavyweight champion through the new few months. Meanwhile, Orton has been doing some of the best work of his career in his feud with Rollins and re-established himself as one of the roster's most popular babyfaces.
As much as I've been enjoying Orton's work as of late, there is zero reason to take the title from Rollins this soon. I fear that all of Kane's recent tension with The Authority will turn out to be a red herring and he'll turn on Orton here, but I'm hopeful they won't take that predicable route (though it wouldn't surprise me).
Potential
Orton and Rollins had arguably the best wrestled match at WrestleMania, and I'm sure they'll produce another instant classic inside the cage. The only thing I could see taking away from this match would the constant interference from J&J Security, but hopefully they stay true to the stipulation and keep from getting involved.
Read more prediction pieces for past WWE pay-per-views here.
Graham Mirmina, aka Graham "GSM" Matthews, is a journalism major at Endicott College. Visit his website at Next Era Wrestling and "like" his official Facebook page to continue the conversation on all things wrestling.
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