Power Ranking Greatest Extreme Rules Stipulations in WWE History
Since its inception in 2009, Extreme Rules has been the one night of the year when WWE goes hardcore, with most matches featuring some sort of stipulation.
This year's installment will be no exception as the WWE World Heavyweight Championship and WWE Women's Championship will be defended in gimmick matches on Sunday's pay-per-view.
Some stipulations, such as the ladder match and the Last Man Standing match, have been staples of the event for years. Other bouts, including Hell in a Cell and the Iron Man match, have never once been held at Extreme Rules.
That isn't to say, however, that those aforementioned matchups aren't among the greatest stipulations in WWE history. In fact, some of the most memorable matches of all time have been contested under extreme rules.
When done sporadically, stipulation matches can serve as an explosive way to blow off ruthless rivalries and allow opponents to take each other to their respective limits. And of course, fan satisfaction is almost always guaranteed, which should be the case come Sunday in Newark, New Jersey.
Ahead of this year's Extreme Rules event, let's attempt to rank the greatest stipulation matches to ever take place inside in the squared circle.
10. "I Quit" Match
1 of 10
Typically, "I Quit" matches tend to be hit-or-miss depending on who is involved and how the match is structured. In theory, though, what better way to win a match than by adding insult to injury and having your opponent utter two demeaning words for the whole world to hear?
The gimmick match has roots back to 1985 when Magnum T.A. took on Tully Blanchard, but it didn't start to become a prominent fixture in WWE until a decade later. The most infamous "I Quit" match occurred in 1999 when The Rock battled Mankind for the WWE Championship, which is widely remembered as being one of the most unsettling and brutal bouts in WWE history.
Needless to say, the match type has been toned down drastically in the years since, but it remains an exhilarating match to watch. Some Superstars have gone to great lengths to force their adversary to give up; John Cena went as far as to handcuff Randy Orton and threaten to put Batista through the stage.
Holding the "I Quit" match from ranking higher on the list is that such matches can become draining the more the referee asks the wrestlers whether they want to quit (and more often than not, the answer is no).
Even if a wrestler is completely incapacitated and can't respond to the referee, a winner can't be officially crowned until someone says "I Quit." Again, it's all about humiliation, but those little nuances can be bothersome to the viewer who ponders these things.
9. No Holds Barred
2 of 10
No Holds Barred, Street Fight, No Disqualification. Extreme Rules. The name of the matchup and how it's billed by WWE may change, but the entertainment factor has always remained consistent.
No Disqualification matches are exactly what one would expect: since nothing is off-limits, everything is acceptable. As such, wrestlers resort to beating the living daylights out of each other with weapons and essentially anything else they can get their hands on.
The only way to win is by pinfall or submission, and the deciding fall must take place inside the ring. But everything that happens between the bells is up to the Superstars and could include vicious beatings, interference or systematic destruction.
Countless No Disqualification matches have taken place over the course of WWE history, but to stick with the Extreme Rules theme, a Chicago Street Fight occurred at the 2012 installment of the event featuring CM Punk and Chris Jericho. They went to great lengths to make the match feel special by wearing street clothes and interacting with the Chicago crowd.
An Extreme Rules match will be headlining this Sunday's pay-per-view as Roman Reigns defends his world heavyweight title against AJ Styles without any disqualifications or count-outs in play. Will they be able to live up to the standard set by past editions of this classic contest?
8. Falls Count Anywhere
3 of 10
No Disqualification matches and Falls Count Anywhere matches are essentially one and the same. The only exception is that the latter stipulation allows for pinfalls and submissions to take place anywhere around the arena (or beyond), not just in the ring.
As a result, they can be significantly more fun, because not only can wrestlers rely on weapons to annihilate their opponents, but they can do it in the confines of the crowd, backstage or possibly out on the streets. The beauty of the bout is that you never know quite what to expect from the participants.
One notable example occurred at Extreme Rules 2011 when ruthless rivals Rey Mysterio and Cody Rhodes faced off. As great a wrestling match as they had at WrestleMania, this Falls Count Anywhere match provided them with the opportunity to showcase their "extreme" skills as well.
They ended up battling to the back, in the concession area and in the bowels of the arena. The audience followed the action on the Titantron before they eventually returned to the ring.
This is the perfect example of a match format that encourages fan involvement. Seeing a Superstar in the center of a crowd is so extraordinary and refreshing that it automatically makes Falls Count Anywhere matches fun to watch unfold.
7. Last Man Standing Match
4 of 10
Depending on your wrestling taste, Last Man Standing matches may or may not be for you. After all, watching two wrestlers crawl back to their feet to beat a 10-count isn't always exciting.
But if the rivalry is right and the Superstars are game, Last Man Standing matches can be very special. Unlike in an "I Quit" match, incapacitating opponents to the point where they can't physically return to their feet is the ultimate goal.
Pinfalls and submissions are irrelevant, so unless you're in possession of some duct tape, it's virtually impossible to cheat your way to victory in a Last Man Standing match. Even interference is allowed, and in some ways encouraged.
At 2011's Extreme Rules, the four-month-long rivalry between CM Punk and Randy Orton culminated in a grueling Last Man Standing match. They kicked off the evening on a high note, pulling everything out of their arsenals and then some to ensure the other would stay down.
The key to enjoying a Last Man Standing match is having patience. They have a tendency to drag, but in the end they are very much worth it.
6. Steel Cage Match
5 of 10
The steel cage match is about as basic as it gets in wrestling when it comes to stipulation matches. It has been such an integral part of the sport for so long, yet the announcement of one never ceases to bring chills to the spines of viewers.
At the same time, the concept has been watered down significantly over the last decade or so. The original purpose of the match was to prevent outside interference and force two or more Superstars to settle their scores alone, but WWE has sadly lost sight of that of late.
Regardless, the matches themselves are always enjoyable because there is a variety of ways to win, as well as a variety of ways to punish opponents. Wrestlers can choose to pin or submit their adversaries or escape the cage through the door or climbing over the top.
The cage may not appear to be dangerous, but it certainly takes its toll on anyone who dares to step inside it. Wrestlers are well-aware that they could not only be tossed into the steel side of the cage but off the top as well, a recipe for disaster.
Some Steel Cage matches are better than others, depending on the circumstances, but even now, when everything old is nearly extinct, it's encouraging that the stipulation still has a place in today's WWE.
5. Iron Man Match
6 of 10
Every match format featured on this list is done at least once or twice a year in WWE, if not more. That's what makes the Iron Man match so special: Only a handful have been held in the last decade.
If Iron Man matches were utilized more often, its mystique and marquee value would be gone. That's also why it is better saved for feuds that warrant the stipulation, such as Kurt Angle vs. Brock Lesnar and Bayley vs. Sasha Banks.
Although hourlong wrestling matches that ended in draws were the norm ages ago, the attention span of the average viewer is much shorter. Thus, in order for an Iron Man match to work when 60 minutes are put on a clock, the two competitors must innovate as much as possible.
John Cena vs. Randy Orton is nowhere near as iconic a rivalry as The Rock vs. Triple H, but they have produced above-average matches every time they have clashed, and their 2009 Iron Man match was no exception. After an exciting hour of back-and-forth action, they traded 11 pinfalls and submissions in total, and it was Cena who scored the deciding fall in the remaining seconds of the bout.
The Iron Man match is the one stipulation that has yet to lose its luster, and you can bet that whenever it is brought back next it will be used for a worthy matchup.
4. 2-out-of-3 Falls Match
7 of 10
Unlike the aforementioned matchups, a 2-out-of-3 Falls match doesn't require wrestlers to go to the extreme or annihilate each other by way of weapons. In fact, it's along the same lines as an Iron Man match in that it's a standard singles match but with altered rules.
Scoring a victory over an opponent is one feat, but to do it twice in the same match is another obstacle altogether. More often than not, the match does last the full three falls, and although the first two falls are merely transitional, the final fall is when the wrestlers take it to the next level and deliver phenomenal performances.
That was certainly the case with Sheamus vs. Daniel Bryan at Extreme Rules 2012, where they fought for the World Heavyweight Championship. They had their time cut short significantly at WrestleManias 27 and 28, but this was their chance to finally contest the classic fans knew they were capable of.
This wasn't the same Bryan that was parading around the ring screaming "Yes!" a few weeks earlier; rather, he was extra-aggressive versus Sheamus and pushed him to his limit by intentionally getting himself disqualified before forcing The Celtic Warrior to pass out.
That story had been told in 2-out-of-3 Falls matches a million times before, but there was just something about the chemistry they had together that made the match magical. It's the type of match that is best reserved for two wrestlers who can go the distance without having to rely on an extreme style.
3. Elimination Chamber Match
8 of 10
You will never see an Elimination Chamber match held at Extreme Rules, simply because it is a big enough attraction to warrant having a pay-per-view of its own. Or at least that was before the event was scrapped as an annual attraction last year, but nothing is stopping it from being brought back in the foreseeable future.
Truth be told, that is when stipulation matches have the most meaning, when they aren't being held at the same time every year a la Hell in a Cell or Tables, Ladders & Chairs. Fans weren't sure what to make of the concept when it was introduced by then-Raw general manager Eric Bischoff at Survivor Series 2002, but it quickly became a cult classic through its brutality and unique format.
Six Superstars step inside the steel structure, and although two start out the match, another combatant enters the fray after an interval of time. It varies how many men are inside Satan's Prison at one time, but chaos is virtually guaranteed, as well as carnage.
There isn't one Elimination Chamber match to recommend because they're all excellent, though the inaugural installment was certainly spectacular. It had a wonderful combination of stellar storytelling, awesome in-ring action and an exceptional ending, setting the bar high for future Chamber matches.
Wrestlers torture their bodies for our enjoyment, and while that can be said for every extreme match on this list, the Chamber match is undoubtedly the most dangerous and has the potential to shorten careers.
2. Hell in a Cell Match
9 of 10
No stipulation in WWE history has received a more historic introduction than the Hell in a Cell match. The matchup made its memorable debut at Bad Blood 1997 in the main event between The Undertaker and Shawn Michaels and featured the first appearance of Kane.
One might argue that Hell in a Cell is a glorified version of a steel cage match, but the concept is so much more. The goal is not to escape the Cell (although that has happened on occasion) but rather to inflict as much pain as possible on your opponent using the surrounding structure.
The sheer name of the match strikes fear in Superstars, and rightfully so. It has long been associated with Undertaker dating back to the bout's debut nearly two decades ago, and list of victims he has conquered inside the cell is extensive.
Triple H, Randy Orton, Edge, CM Punk and Shane McMahon are among the few notable names to fall short of defeating The Deadman, and each of those matchups were bloody affairs. Even iconic rivalries such as Triple H vs. Shawn Michaels and Dean Ambrose vs. Seth Rollins have passed through Hell in a Cell.
There haven't been many remarkable matches inside the Cell since the stipulation received its own event in 2009, but an aura of excitement still surrounds Hell in a Cell every October, because fans are well-aware they're going to witness a war.
1. Ladder Match
10 of 10
The Ladder match has as rich of a history as Hell in a Cell, the Elimination Chamber and even the Iron Man match, but with so many different and exciting variations, it's hard to say that any other stipulation has had a bigger impact on WWE.
Bret Hart and Shawn Michaels took part in the inaugural ladder match in 1992, with the first televised installment occurring two years later at WrestleMania 10. From there, the matchup took on a life of its own and became the measuring stick for anyone who competed in it.
The Rock, "Stone Cold" Steve Austin, Shawn Michaels, Razor Ramon, Jeff Hardy, Chris Jericho and several others all made their names in ladder matches, and it was also most commonly associated with the Intercontinental Championship.
By 2000, the ladder match was combined with chairs and tables to create the ever-exhilarating TLC match, which is held annually at the pay-per-view of the same name every December. The stipulation served as the launchpad for the ultra-successful Money in the Bank Ladder match as well in 2005, a concept that is still in existence to this day.
It's high-risk, high-reward—both figuratively and literally—for the combatants, but as noted, it has proved to make and break careers. For fans, the thrill of seeing a Superstar ascend a ladder to claim a championship or contract will never go away, thus making it the greatest extreme stipulation of all time.
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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