WWE Extreme Rules 2017 Matches: Final Picks and Predictions for Entire Card
WWE Extreme Rules 2017 will be the ninth installment in the event's history, and it airs live Sunday night from the Royal Farms Arena in Baltimore at 8 p.m. ET.
With the road to SummerSlam underway, the Superstars of Raw are anxious to build momentum heading into the event, especially those toward the top of the card. Brock Lesnar is set to resurface in the near future, and thus a new No. 1 contender to his Universal Championship will be determined in his absence by way of a Fatal 5-Way matchup on Sunday.
Dean Ambrose will defend his Intercontinental Championship against The Miz, this time in a match wherein he will lose the title if he gets himself disqualified. Will Ambrose be able to bottle up his aggression in order to keep his championship reign intact?
Meanwhile, Alexa Bliss and Bayley have been on a collision course for weeks, and at Extreme Rules, their ruthless rivalry will culminate in a Kendo Stick on a Pole match. Can Bayley avenge her recent loss of the Raw Women's Championship by regaining the gold in her encounter with Bliss?
Fans have been speculating for weeks about which Superstars will reign supreme, not only in the main event but across the card. With WWE's most extreme night of the year upon us, these are the predictions that matter most.
Rich Swann and Sasha Banks vs. Noam Dar and Alicia Fox
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Rich Swann and Noam Dar have been at odds for months, and although Swann was initially successful in his mission to split up the dangerous duo of Dar and Alicia Fox, the two later reunited to spite the former cruiserweight champion.
As a result, Swann enlisted the help of Sasha Banks, who has had issues with Fox recently. The two traded victories in singles action for three straight weeks, and they will all settle their scores in a mixed tag team match Sunday.
As inconsequential as this feud as has been, the sole purpose it has served is ensuring Banks stays busy ahead of her inevitable rivalry with Bayley over the Raw Women's Championship. She isn't being buried by being a part of this program; rather, it is a slight elevation of Swann, who has also been spinning his wheels as of late.
In order to keep Banks somewhat strong, she and Swann should emerge victorious at Extreme Rules. Dar and Fox are a fine heel couple, and they can afford to take a loss.
Above all else, this should mark the definite end of the bad blood between Swann and Dar. Both men would benefit from working with fresh opponents after Extreme Rules and/or potentially returning to the WWE Cruiserweight Championship picture.
Prediction: Rich Swann and Sasha Banks win.
Neville vs. Austin Aries (WWE Cruiserweight Championship Submission Match)
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Despite how dead the cruiserweight division has felt since its launch in late 2016, credit must be given to Neville and Austin Aries for having a feud over the title that has been fun to follow over the past three months. That said, it's high time it came to a head, and Extreme Rules appears to be the place where the program will be blown off.
Considering how long Aries has been chasing the championship, one would assume he is winning the title on Sunday. However, it may not be so simple since Neville has been on a roll as champion and would benefit from reigning for a few more months.
Aries' crowning could lead to a handful of fresh feuds over the title, but the well runs dry in the division beyond The Brian Kendrick and TJP on the heel side. Tony Nese, Drew Gulak and Ariya Daivari just aren't credible enough to challenge for the gold anytime soon, so having Neville retain would be the best bet for fans.
Moreover, once he's out of the title picture, it would be wise for WWE to transition Aries out of the cruiserweight scene. He is far too talented to be relegated to a division that has little buzz about it and would flourish elsewhere on the card.
As for the Submission match stipulation, they have played it up exceptionally well in recent weeks, with Aries handing Neville his first submission loss on Monday night, meaning all signs point to Neville forcing The Greatest Man Who Ever Lived to tap out at Extreme Rules.
Prediction: Neville retains the WWE Cruiserweight Championship.
The Hardy Boyz vs. Sheamus and Cesaro (Raw Tag Team Titles Steel Cage Match)
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The Hardy Boyz have had nothing short of a spectacular reign as Raw tag team champions since their shocking return to WWE at WrestleMania 33. Running rampant over the tag team division, they have yet to suffer a loss of any kind during their latest run with the company.
That is a major indicator that officials have full faith in them to remain a top act on the flagship show. Traditional WWE booking says all the losses Sheamus and Cesaro have suffered recently mean they will win the tag titles at Extreme Rules, but that may not necessarily be the case.
With The Golden Truth breaking up and Enzo Amore and Big Cass potentially going their separate ways, Raw's tag team scene is getting more depleted by the week. Thus, The Hardy Boyz dropping the straps and subsequently entering singles competition anytime soon would be a mistake.
WWE should be commended for keeping Matt and Jeff strong considering the rest of the roster is not immune to the company's dreaded 50-50 booking. Another victory versus Sheamus and Cesaro inside the steel cage will allow them to maintain momentum while ensuring their opponents don't eat another pinfall loss.
From there, The Hardy Boyz should be headed for a feud with the returning Revival, which has plenty of potential to be exhilarating.
Prediction: The Hardy Boyz retain the Raw Tag Team Championships.
Alexa Bliss vs. Bayley (Raw Women's Championship Kendo Stick on a Pole Match)
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At Payback, Alexa Bliss knocked off Bayley in her hometown of San Jose, California, to become Raw women's champion for the first time in her career. In the weeks that followed, she made life miserable for Bayley by battering her with a kendo stick and asserting her dominance over the rest of Raw's women's division.
It should be noted Bayley has been far more compelling as a challenger to the championship than she was when she was in possession of the prestigious prize. That was what endeared her to the audience in NXT, a formula that should be followed now she is a part of the main roster.
Although they were having a pretty decent feud coming out of Payback, their universally hated segment on the most recent edition of Raw seemingly killed any momentum they had going for them. We'll see how the fans respond to their upcoming Extreme Rules match, but they might have to work extra hard to get those in attendance invested in the action.
As previously alluded to, Sasha Banks vs. Bayley appears to be the endgame, presumably at SummerSlam. Logically, that would indicate the latter will regain the gold at some point, but now is not the right time to take the title off Bliss.
There is one more event between Extreme Rules and SummerSlam (that being Great Balls of Fire), so it should be there where Bayley gets the belt back. In the meantime, Bliss will keep a stranglehold on the strap by emerging victorious in this unique gimmick match.
Prediction: Alexa Bliss retains the Raw Women's Championship.
Dean Ambrose vs. The Miz (Intercontinental Championship)
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Fans widely assumed following the Superstar Shake-up that Dean Ambrose and The Miz would engage in unprecedented programs, but instead, they have rekindled their rivalry from SmackDown Live on Raw.
Fans are entirely justified in being frustrated over this feud being rehashed soon after their initial rivalry culminated on the blue brand earlier this year. On the bright side, Ambrose and Miz work extremely well together and never cease to contest entertaining matchups and promos.
When Miz first vied for the Intercontinental Championship on the May 15 edition of Raw, Ambrose was disqualified after delivering a low blow. If that happens in their rematch at Extreme Rules, The Awesome One will be awarded the gold, so the question is whether Ambrose will be able to refrain from going to the extreme against his adversary.
Ambrose's title reign has been fine so far, but as seen on SmackDown last year, Miz is infinitely more captivating as champion. It is a mere matter of when and not if he will get the gold back in his grasp, and Extreme Rules is as good a time as any to make a title change.
It is possible interference from Maryse or even Elias Samson, who has unfinished business with Ambrose and Miz from two weeks ago, leads to Miz capturing the championship. Either way, expect the self-proclaimed A-lister to leave Baltimore as the new IC champion.
Prediction: The Miz wins the Intercontinental Championship.
Universal Championship No. 1 Contender's Fatal 5-Way Match
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With universal champion Brock Lesnar's return to Raw imminent, five of the flagship show's most elite athletes will clash in a star-studded Fatal 5-Way match, with the winner earning a shot at The Beast Incarnate's title.
Roman Reigns, Seth Rollins, Finn Balor, Samoa Joe and Bray Wyatt have all staked their claims at the championship as of late, and any one of them could stand toe-to-toe with Lesnar. However, Balor appears to be the most likely candidate of the five combatants to emerge victorious at Extreme Rules.
As I discussed in a recent article, WWE should hold off on the awaited rematch between Reigns and Lesnar until WrestleMania 34 if the plans is to have Reigns become the next champion. For now, Lesnar should go up against other members of the Raw roster—not to mention Balor has yet to receive his rightful rematch for the title.
Rollins and Joe should wrap up their rivalry at Great Balls of Fire, while Wyatt vs. Lesnar is the least intriguing choice for a championship match. Additionally, Braun Strowman could be back sooner rather than later, so he should finish his feud with Reigns before contending for the gold at SummerSlam.
In order to be firmly established as a main event player on Raw once again, Balor must come out on top in this Fatal 5-Way matchup. Delaying his automatic title shot any longer could do damage to The Demon long term, and he will have earned the opportunity to vie for the top title by beating the best Raw has to offer.
Prediction: Finn Balor wins.
Graham Mirmina, aka Graham "GSM" Matthews, is an Endicott College alumnus and aspiring journalist. Visit his website, Next Era Wrestling, and "like" his official Facebook page to continue the conversation on all things wrestling.
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