WWE Extreme Rules 2017: Worst Stipulations and Gimmicks in PPV History

It used to be that Extreme Rules matches were climactic rubber matches to end feuds. But these days, there's an entire pay-per-view dedicated to the hardcore-bout format.

Since 2009, WWE has held an annual Extreme Rules event, wherein most of the matches have some sort of "extreme" stipulation. Most of these conditions are traditional wrestling fare: a steel cage match, a ladder match or a falls count anywhere match.

But every now and then, WWE tries to get cute and creative. The goal is to add some variety through innovation. But many of these newer ideas are so corny that they minimize a feud's importance. Here are the worst stipulations and gimmicks in Extreme Rules history.

Why Does a Kendo Stick Need to Be on a Pole?

Alexa Bliss vs. Bayley (2017)

This match hasn't even taken place, but the stipulation (which stinks) is still open to judgment. If this match turns out well, it'll be entirely thanks to the women involved. But as a WWE fan, there was no greater letdown than hearing Kurt Angle say "kendo stick on a pole" on the most recent edition of Raw.

Consider that Sasha Banks and Charlotte Flair competed in a Hell in a Cell match last year. If they can manage that, then surely Bayley and Alexa Bliss can manage a traditional Extreme Rules contest.

This extra stipulation, which will cut down the match's brutality, implies that the women cannot do what the men do. And therein lies the problem; we've seen them do it before.

Soo-ee!!

Credit: WWE.com

Santina Marella vs. Vickie Guerrero and Chavo Guerrero (2009)

A little context: At WrestleMania 25 earlier that year, there was a Battle Royal in which female wrestlers from different eras came together to crown a Miss WrestleMania. It was a great idea in theory. It was horrible in practice.

The women didn't even get a proper introduction; they came out during Kid Rock's mid-show performance. And the winner was a Santina Marella, who was Santino Marella, dressed up as a woman. For something that was supposed to be a showcase for women's wrestling on The Grandest Stage of Them All, this Battle Royal did a terrible job of doing so.

But rather than burying the mistake, WWE compounded it by continuing the Santina gimmick long past its expiration date. At Extreme Rules, Santina faced Chavo Guerrero and Vickie Guerrero in a Handicap Hog Pen Match to regain the title of Miss WrestleMania. And this was the only "women's match" on the entire main card, which means WWE sold out its entire women's division for a cheap joke.

Brooms, Ironing Boards and Makeup

Credit: WWE.com

Beth Phoenix vs. Michelle McCool w/Vickie Guerrero and Layla (2010)

This match had an unnecessarily sexist stipulation.

Instead of putting the two women in an Extreme Rules match with chairs, kendo sticks and tables, WWE instead booked an Extreme Makeover match. It replaced all the traditional hardcore weapons with domestic household objects because the fighters were women. Get it? Ha-ha-ha!

It was a decent match for what it was, and Beth Phoenix won her third women's title at its conclusion. But there was no reason why the two women couldn't have performed the same match with folding chairs instead of ironing boards and kendo sticks instead of broom handles.

Whipped Like a Government Mule

Credit: WWE.com

Michael Cole and Jack Swagger vs. Jerry Lawler and Jim Ross (2011)

For those readers too young to remember, or for older readers who have repressed their worst memories, there was a time in the early 2010s when the announcers feuded with one another. And the payoff? Fans would get a comedy match every week with horrible selling and worse booking.

Take, for example, this Country Whipping match from 2011, way back when Michael Cole was feuding with Jim Ross and Jerry "The King" Lawler. Everyone was armed with a leather belt, which each man would use to soften up and spank his opponent.

This was demeaning for everyone involved, including Cole. He's never been able to live this heel character down, and to this day, people still vociferously boo and resent him. This contest lasted longer than the Tag Team Championships match the same evening. That tells you everything you need to know.

Every Table Match Ever

A person wins a table match by putting his or her opponent through a table. From a kayfabe perspective, it requires little to no skill to win; competitors just need to be at the right place at the right time to slam their opponents.

Ironically, the match's stated unpredictability makes it extremely predictable. The winner of the table match, 99 percent of the time, is the underdog going into it. Why? Because it's a lazy way to keep both wrestlers looking strong. The underdog gets to brag about a win he or she wouldn't get otherwise. And the betting favorite gets to make the excuse that his or her opponent got lucky.

There are more creative, more exciting ways to get wrestlers over. And so far, there are no table matches on the card for the 2017 installment of Extreme Rules. But if there is? You can expect an upset, no matter how unlikely it seems.