WWE Extreme Rules 2016 Results: Top Highlights and Low Points

The Club and the Bloodline clashed yet again at WWE Extreme Rules 2016. Now that the event has concluded, the results are in for just which side of that war came out on top.

With this being the pay-per-view that is always marketed as one of the most vicious and brutal shows of the year, it was clear that AJ Styles would be bringing the fight to Roman Reigns. But how did things turn out?

With feuds that had expectations ranging from potential matches of the night to basically a sense of irrelevance, every other title was also on the line at Extreme Rules. It was hard not to pick a favorite for the Intercontinental Championship Fatal 4-Way, but on the flip side, it was just as difficult to care whatsoever about the United States title picture.

Perhaps the hottest rivalry of them all was between Dean Ambrose and Chris Jericho, which promised to be something never before seen with the first-ever Asylum Match. Anticipation was high for this to be crazy and one of the most entertaining parts of the show—did it deliver?

Let's look back on what transpired and weigh in on what stands out as the biggest positives and negatives of the night, presented in order of appearance on the card.

Low Point: No Disqualification Pre-Show Kickoff Match

Credit: WWE.com

This match failed to deliver on multiple levels, as both men deserve better than what their current climate is.

First off, there was no real point in having this be a No Disqualification Match. That stipulation implies an upgraded level of violence, but that wasn't seen in this match at all.

No foreign objects were properly utilized, and the only factor that made use of the flexible rules was when Baron Corbin low-blowed Dolph Ziggler.

Sadly, that somewhat invalidates his win, and Corbin was needing a solid victory. Since coming to the main roster, he's been pushed aside and has yet to gain any real momentum—which can be said about the feud itself in general, too.

Nothing of importance happened here, and neither man looks better coming out of Extreme Rules. If anything, this just proves that WWE considers this feud and these two wrestlers as afterthoughts.

Highlight: Rusev Wins the United States Championship

Credit: WWE.com

It's been easy to dislike Kalisto's United States Championship reign since WWE gave him virtually no time to build up anything credible with it. Weeks would go by without him being seen in any noteworthy capacity, so he became forgettable.

For months, this was the case. A few wins over a devalued Ryback and even lesser foes does not make someone appear to be a good champion, so it was time for a change.

His mileage may vary on whether or not Alexander Rusev was the right man to hold the United States Championship next, but it's hard to argue in favor of the title not changing hands.

At least with Rusev winning the title and forcing some kind of change in direction for the championship scene, there's room for WWE's creative team to think of better ways to showcase the belt and the man holding it.

Better still, having Rusev win in a dominant fashion is a great way to start that new title reign, as well as a means to rehab the Bulgarian Brute after the disaster of the League of Nations.

Both Rusev and his newly won championship are being positioned to heal with this victory, and the only one who loses in the equation is Kalisto, who can hopefully go back down to the tag team division and find some success there again.

Highlight: Intercontinental Championship Fatal 4-Way Match

Credit: WWE.com

By this point in the night, much of the event was somewhat forgettable and just decent at best, but this match stepped things up to a new level.

All four men involved clearly wanted to impress, and the entire crowd cheering was indicative of their success.

One of the most fun aspects of this match was the use of false finishes. These were done extremely well, keeping the atmosphere nerve-wracking with the potential for any of the four to win.

Every time the momentum went a particular way the fans didn't want—namely Kevin Owens and the Miz—there was a sense of anxiety that it could be over. Likewise, when either Sami Zayn or Cesaro was standing tall, the crowd seemed to get giddy in anticipation of a new champion.

To single out a particular moment, one of the best parts of the match was Zayn and Cesaro's sunset flip powerbomb spot. Do yourself a favor and go back to rewatch it in slow motion to see just how smooth that transition was pulled off.

The Miz left this match as a true sneaky heel, and his three challengers all look like they deserved to be in the title scene with the potential to win the belt at any time going forward.

Highlight: Thumbtacks in the Asylum Match

Credit: WWE.com

While the Asylum Match took a longer time to get started than it should have, it eventually reached a point where one of the best moments of the night took place: the use of thumbtacks.

Lately, it has been very rare for Extreme Rules to really live up to its namesake and be as brutal as what things used to be.

In the grand scheme of things, this is much safer and makes a lot of sense, but it's also disappointing to those who miss "the good old days" of a more violent era.

After a No Disqualification fight in the pre-show that made no use of its gimmick, it was nice to see that the Asylum Match brought thumbtacks back into the mix to really make it seem like it was dangerous.

In one move of simply throwing Chris Jericho down onto the tacks, Dean Ambrose looked more vicious than anyone that wrestled earlier in the night, as Jericho was instantly bleeding and writhing in pain.

Yes, this has been done before, but it's been such a long while since the last instance of using thumbtacks that it's now fresh again and will be one of the most memorable parts of the night that people will recall when thinking of the most extreme moments of the year.

Low Point: Ignoring Mitch the Plant in the Asylum Match

Credit: WWE.com

As stated before, the Asylum Match had some positives, but it also had some problems. Pacing was a major issue that plagued the beginning half, yet when things started picking up, it seemed like it was building up to a particular crescendo.

It's weird to say it, but it's disappointing that there was no spot with the potted plant, Mitch 2.0—or whatever nickname WWE decides to give to Mitch's replacement.

Fundamentally, it's ludicrous. This is a plant, so why should we care? Just do a quick Google search, though, and you'll see overwhelming support for Mitch, who was the catalyst for this feud to get personal.

Dangling the plant above the ring with the rest of the weapons gave off the impression that there would be a good spot at the end that involved it being smashed over Chris Jericho's head, yet that didn't come to pass.

Obviously, this isn't going to be something listed in the worst travesties in the history of professional wrestling, but considering the circumstances, it's definitely a missed opportunity that could have been a funny moment.

Instead, it was just a tease that had no resolution.

Highlight: WWE World Heavyweight Championship Match

Credit: WWE.com

What more can you ask for in a main event than some solid back-and-forth action where the challenger has his moments where he looks like he could upset the champion such as what happened here?

Roman Reigns dished out some nice punishment by putting AJ Styles through two tables among other moments, while Styles was able to hit a nice spot with the Styles Clash on a chair.

The latter resulted in one of the most nail-biting pinfall counts that gave off the impression a new champion would be crowned. And even though Reigns would eventually retain, it showed that Styles could be taken seriously as the winner if things had gone differently.

While the interference from Karl Anderson, Luke Gallows and the Usos was to be expected, the crowd went nuts with the return of Seth Rollins, setting up a great match for Money in the Bank, if WWE goes that route.

This was a great way to end the show, to get people talking and excited about what's next to come, rather than be upset that "The Guy" is still on top.

What did you think were the best and worst parts of Extreme Rules? How would you rank the matches not listed here?

Tell us your thoughts in the comments below.

Anthony Mango is the owner of the wrestling website Smark Out Moment and the host of the podcast show Smack Talk on YouTube, iTunes and Stitcher. You can follow him on Facebook and elsewhere for more.