WWE Extreme Rules 2015: Best Possible Finish for Each Contest
When Extreme Rules hits the WWE Network airwaves Sunday night, all eyes will be on the finishes of some of the night's marquee matches.
After all, the finish of the match is as important as anything that precedes it. A great finish can enhance a match, while a terrible one can result in disaster, derailing the momentum of a contest and the wrestlers involved. It can completely kill the flow of a bout and leave fans dissatisfied with the overall product.
Extreme Rules will be no different. Sunday night, the future of WWE is at stake as Superstars such as Roman Reigns, Seth Rollins, Dean Ambrose and Rusev compete in some of the biggest bouts of the night.
How they are booked and the finishes of their individual bouts are paramount to fans' perception of them moving forward.
Whether they are jokes or contenders, frauds or legitimate main event stars relies heavily on the way they are booked to either win or lose their contests during this weekend's broadcast.
With the event just hours away, gear up for the 2015 edition of Extreme Rules with this look at the best finishes for each match on the stacked card.
WWE Tag Team Title Match: Tyson Kid and Cesaro vs. The New Day
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Recognizing that fans were not going to cheer for The New Day faction, WWE Creative has embraced the jeers of the fans and turned the act heel. Sunday night, Kofi Kingston and Big E will look to translate their heat into WWE Tag Team Championship gold when they challenge Cesaro and Tyson Kidd for the titles.
The champions are likely to be cheered wildly by the fans in Chicago, who appreciate outstanding workers.
If recent matches involving these two teams are any proof, the Kickoff show should feature an entertaining, fast-paced bout in which all four Superstars prove that tag team wrestling is not, in fact, dead.
The champions will retain, if only because a showdown with The Lucha Dragons is waiting.
The New Day may enjoy a reign with the titles at some point, especially as their heel characters become more fleshed out in the weeks and months to come. For now, it is too early to take the titles off two guys who have made the most of their partnership.
A Sharpshooter from Kidd to Kingston or an uppercut from Cesaro into a top rope elbow by Kidd should finish off the challengers.
WWE Divas Title Match: Nikki Bella vs. Naomi
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The Divas Championship match at Extreme Rules is interesting in that both champion and challenger are heels.
Nikki Bella, the current titleholder, has been the heel that the entire division has revolved around since last November, while Naomi just recently made the turn to villain, attacking Paige and sidelining her before stealing her No. 1 contender's spot.
Now at Extreme Rules, they will battle in a match with no build, no real story behind it and, worst of all, no real reason to care.
Naomi should be spared a clean loss if there are any plans at all to build her into a credibly heel character.
The easiest way to get to that finish is for Brie Bella to interfere, providing a distraction that allows Nikki to score the win off a rollup or even deliver her Rack Attack finisher for the win.
A clean loss would send Naomi right back where she came from and render the last few hours of television meaningless.
WWE Intercontinental Title Match: Daniel Bryan vs. Bad News Barrett
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The health of Daniel Bryan has been a hot topic in WWE this week, with questions about his ability to compete in Sunday's intercontinental title defense against Bad News Barrett dominating conversation.
As of early Sunday, no decision has been made about the champion's availability, leaving his status as a game-time decision.
Should he be able to compete, Bryan needs to go over Barrett cleanly to further establish his grasp on the IC title.
It is clear that WWE has a vision when it relates to the secondary title. It is trying to rebuild it into the prestigious championship it once was, having it as the centerpiece of SmackDown. For that to happen, it has to be in the hands of someone whom fans perceive to be a legitimate star, and that man is Bryan.
Completing a running knee or Yes Lock to Barrett should net Bryan the win, allowing him to hold onto the strap for another month.
Or as long as his injured neck will allow.
Kiss Me Arse Match: Dolph Ziggler vs. Sheamus
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Dolph Ziggler and Sheamus have wicked chemistry between the ropes, so the likelihood that their contest at Extreme Rules will be excellent is quite high.
Unfortunately, the stipulation is so absurd and so detrimental to both competitors that it is difficult to suggest a finish that does not hurt either Superstar.
Sheamus needs the win more than Ziggler, especially as WWE continues to rebuild the Irishman as a vile and vicious heel. At the same time, if The Showoff were to lose and face the humiliation that the Kiss Me Arse stipulation suggests, his effectiveness as a mid-to-top level babyface would be gone completely.
Either way, the loser will suffer damage.
A Brogue Kick from Sheamus for the win would allow him to continue building momentum heading into the summer months and potential feuds with the likes of John Cena, Roman Reigns and Daniel Bryan (if he is healthy).
How Ziggler recovers from the loss and the post-match activities would be up to WWE Creative to decide.
Chicago Street Fight: Dean Ambrose vs. Luke Harper
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The rivalry between Dean Ambrose and Luke Harper has been one of the more intense programs heading into Extreme Rules. On Sunday night, it will culminate in a Chicago Street Fight that could well steal the show.
The Lunatic Fringe is desperately in need of a pay-per-view victory, while Harper could also use a signature win in a major event.
While the two Superstars are likely to punish each other in a wild, chaotic brawl, only one man can emerge victorious. Given his popularity and potential star power, that man should be Ambrose.
The rivalry began with Ambrose being powerbombed through a ladder at WrestleMania and then a table on the SmackDown immediately following the Showcase of the Immortals.
What better way to pay off the story than by having Ambrose climb a ladder and deliver one of his trademark elbow drops onto Harper through an announce table?
The placement of the match on the card will determine whether that is a finish that can happen or not, as the commentators will not want to sit without a table for the majority of the show. Still, that finish would pop the crowd and end the contest on a higher note than a simple Dirty Deeds or lariat clothesline.
Most of all, it would bring some much-deserved attention to two of the hardest working stars in the company who, for whatever reason, have been allowed to become lost in the midcard shuffle of late.
Russian Chain Match for the United States Title: John Cena vs. Rusev
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At WrestleMania 31, John Cena became the first Superstar to pin Rusev.
In order to sustain the Bulgarian Brute's momentum and status as one of the great villains in today's sports entertainment landscape, WWE must devise a finish that prevents Rusev from being pinned.
Rusev has already teased the best option repeatedly.
Both Cena and Ryback have fallen prey to the Accolade with the Russian chain wrapped around their faces, causing them to scream in agony.
With that foundation laid, the best finish would see Cena wrap that same chain around his opponent's face while he is trapped in the STF. Rather than submitting, however, Rusev should withstand the pain until his body can no longer take it, passing out and forcing the referee to call for the bell.
That finish allows Rusev to lose without actually losing while also building on the events that have led to the contest.
Instead, the only way to win the match is to touch all four corners, an outcome that really does neither competitor any favors.
Last Man Standing Match: Roman Reigns vs. Big Show
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Extreme Rules has been home to its fair share of Last Man Standing matches, as well as some less-than-acceptable finishes to those bouts. That cannot be the case Sunday night as the future of one bright young star hinges on the booking of his contest with Big Show.
Roman Reigns needs to be re-established as the undisputed face of WWE for the next decade by thoroughly defeating the World's Largest Athlete, leaving absolutely no question as to who the better man is.
The fact that he is even stuck feuding with the slow, plodding Superstar has helped derail some of the momentum he had coming out of WrestleMania, but he'll fix all that with a convincing win over the giant Sunday night.
Unlike past Last Man Standing matches, which have seen Superstars with their feet duct-taped around the steel post or convoluted stunts leading to a draw, this one should end decisively, with Reigns' arm raised in victory.
A cool spot that sees The Juggernaut catch his opponent with repeated Superman Punches before spearing him through a table would be suitable.
Other scenarios in that same vein would work, as well. Whatever the case may be, Reigns must look dominant by the end of the bout if he is to continue his climb toward the top of the industry and the WWE World Heavyweight Championship.
Steel Cage Match for the WWE World Title: Randy Orton vs. Seth Rollins
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The addition of Director of Operations Kane to the main event of Extreme Rules would seem to suggest that he will play a role in the finish of the match. After all, WWE Creative has spent the last two weeks planting the seeds for that to happen, so it would make perfect sense if it did.
That does not mean it should, however.
As great as Seth Rollins has been in the role of cowardly heel who is dependent upon interference from The Authority to help him to victory, there comes a time when he has to win a match on his own, if only to validate his status as champion.
There is nothing worse than a wrestler who has demonstrated that he can win on his own but continues to cheat for no other reason than because he can. That heel is much more effective than the coward who has to cheat because he cannot beat his opponents.
More importantly, it allows the villain to maintain credibility.
For Rollins to continue being the premier heel in the industry, he needs a signature win, and that should come Sunday night.
With the RKO banned, a finish that sees Orton instinctively go for his finisher, only to be caught with a backslide by Rollins for the pin, would play up the stipulation established weeks earlier while also giving the champion a clean victory over an established star.
Yes, Kane will interfere in some manner, but it would be best for all involved if it did not lead directly to the finish.
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