WWE Extreme Rules 2016: Predicting Winners for All Projected Title Matches
For the first time since the Royal Rumble, every active championship in WWE will be defended at a pay-per-view when Extreme Rules takes place on May 22. As such, the stakes will be at an all-time high and each match on the card will carry some sort of significance.
Although the card has not yet reached the point of completion, all the title matches have been confirmed for the event, capped off by an Extreme Rules match for the WWE World Heavyweight Championship between Roman Reigns and AJ Styles.
Styles has had his sights set on the WWE title since the night after WrestleMania 32. With no count-outs and no disqualifications, he might finally be successful in capturing the gold.
The rest of the championship clashes should be equally entertaining, as Charlotte defends her WWE Women's Championship against Natalya in a submission match. Meanwhile, The Miz will face three other challengers in a Fatal 4-Way contest for his Intercontinental Championship.
It's never too early to make predictions as to which Superstars will walk out of Newark, New Jersey, with titles in tow.
The New Day vs. the Vaudevillains (WWE Tag Team Championships)
1 of 5
From The Dudley Boyz to The League of Nations to The Usos, no one has been able to take the WWE Tag Team Championships from The New Day over the past nine months. That said, The Vaudevillains have posed an entirely different challenge in recent weeks.
The Vaudevillains arrived on the main roster from NXT on the post-WrestleMania 32 edition of SmackDown, making short work of The Lucha Dragons. From there, they progressed to the final of the No. 1 Contenders' Tag Team Tournament and, following an injury to Enzo Amore, scored a title match at Extreme Rules.
In a relatively short period of time, the former NXT tag team champions have established themselves as serious threats to the straps. They ambushed New Day on a recent episode of Raw and Aiden English knocked off Kofi Kingston in singles competition on the following edition of SmackDown.
However, it is still too early for them to get a run with the belts. They will undoubtedly have an impressive outing versus New Day, but the chances they will win the titles at this point in time are slim.
It is apparent WWE is building up to a bigger bout with New Day, whether it's against Amore and Big Cass, Luke Gallows and Karl Anderson or another tandem. Either way, The Vaudevillains are not the right duo to take New Day's belts right now.
Kalisto vs. Rusev (United States Championship)
2 of 5
It was one year ago at Extreme Rules when Rusev fell short of regaining the United States Championship against John Cena, and he hasn't been the same since. Over the past year, he has done nothing of note aside from his failed feud with Dolph Ziggler, on-and-off relationship with Lana and forgettable run in The League of Nations.
It's high time Rusev returned to being the unstoppable force he once was, and this upcoming U.S. title match provides him with the optimal opportunity to do so. Then again, it isn't a forgone conclusion he will plow through Kalisto at Extreme Rules and take back what he believes is rightfully his.
Kalisto has been a fighting champion since scoring the star-spangled prize at the Royal Rumble, defeating the likes of Alberto Del Rio, Ryback and Neville. Rusev will surely be his toughest adversary to date, however, so this match could well go either way.
Rusev is the safe choice given he has been dominant as of late, but then again, Kalisto has overcome the odds when fans have least expected it. He could retain against Rusev, only for the feud to continue through Money in the Bank, where The Bulgarian Brute could finally take the title.
But as far as Extreme Rules goes, it will be Kalisto who emerges as U.S. champion when the smoke clears.
The Miz vs. Cesaro vs. Sami Zayn vs. Kevin Owens (Intercontinental Championship)
3 of 5
No championship picture has been more exciting to watch unfold since Payback than the one involving the Intercontinental Championship. It was a hotly contested title before, but now four competitors are all hungry to call the prestigious prize their own.
The Miz barely escaped Payback with his title intact following inadvertent interference from Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn. The NXT standouts have been at odds for ages but only just recently shifted their focus back on the belt after vying for the strap at WrestleMania 32.
This is yet another contest in which each of the participants has an equal chance of winning. Owens and Zayn will continue to feud regardless of the outcome, but will they resume their rivalry over the title coming out of the event?
Cesaro, who was within seconds of winning the strap at Payback, is a likely candidate to emerge victorious and is my pick to win. It was more a matter of when and not if he would be champion, and Extreme Rules presents as good a time as any.
Miz has been known to eke out wins against all odds in the past, so don't be shocked to see him retain, but Cesaro is the fan favorite to take the title.
Charlotte vs. Natalya (Submission Match for WWE Women's Championship)
4 of 5
Natalya has had Charlotte's number for the past month, but every time she has come close to clinching the WWE Women's Championship, controversy has struck.
The first time, she had Charlotte beat when Ric Flair caused her daughter to get disqualified. In their rematch at Payback, Charlotte paid referee Charles Robinson to ring the bell despite Natalya never tapping out to the Sharpshooter.
At Extreme Rules, Natalya will be granted one last shot at the strap in a bout that plays into her hands: a Submission match, in which the only way to win is to force your opponent to tap out. Furthermore, Ric Flair will be banned from ringside, so Charlotte won't have her father to rely on, either.
There certainly is a chance WWE could give Natalya her time to shine in the form of a surprise title win, but long term, Charlotte is the better choice. There is more money to be made with her holding the title for an extended period of time before someone finally knocks her off her pedestal.
That said, it will be interesting to see how she goes about securing the victory without the champion's advantage or Ric at ringside. A decisive win could help establish her credibility as champion as well.
Roman Reigns vs. AJ Styles (Extreme Rules Match for WWE World Heavyweight Title)
5 of 5
AJ Styles received his premier one-on-one opportunity for the WWE World Heavyweight Championship at Payback, but thanks to interference from Luke Gallows, Karl Anderson and The Usos, he was unsuccessful in capturing the title.
As a result of the shenanigans that ensued during the bout, Stephanie and Shane McMahon immediately granted him a rematch at Extreme Rules. This time around, there will be no disqualifications and no count-outs, meaning the only way for him or champion Roman Reigns to win will be by pinfall or submission.
Gallows and Anderson have been teaming up with Styles with seemingly no problem, but how long will the alliance last? Fans have speculated a turn for the former Bullet Club members might be imminent, and it could come as soon as Extreme Rules.
Regardless of their status at the event, it is all but confirmed that Reigns will be retaining the title. Again, WWE is capable of pulling off a major swerve if it so chooses, but the champion will likely move on to face other opponents beyond the pay-per-view while Styles will stay busy with Gallows and Anderson for the foreseeable future.
Barring any shocking developments, it will be The Big Dog walking out of Extreme Rules as the WWE world heavyweight champion.
Graham Mirmina, aka Graham "GSM" Matthews, is a journalism major at Endicott College. Visit his website, Next Era Wrestling, and "like" his official Facebook page to continue the conversation on all things wrestling.
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