WWE Extreme Rules 2017 Winners: Samoa Joe and the MVP's of the Night
It can feel like a bit of a misnomer to call this pay-per-view "Extreme Rules." The violence on a PG-era PPV can only go so far. Fans have been systematically numbed by years of edgy, bloody wrestling, and some of that wrestling was even produced by WWE.
But violence is an insatiable rabbit hole; it becomes difficult to exceed prior stunts without risking wrestlers' livelihood. And although blood is an excellent storytelling device when properly used, it can also be a crutch for bad storytelling. To split the difference, WWE needs to book creatively and be extreme through intensity and calculated risks rather than liberal bloodletting.
Did they succeed? Here are the MVPs of Extreme Rules 2017—not necessarily those who scored the pinfalls, but those who stole the show.
The Baltimore Crowd
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The Miz and Dean Ambrose kicked off the PPV with a solid, if non sequitur opener; allowing the title to change on a disqualification is about the most non-extreme stipulation possible.
But at least the stipulation led to a great ending with a few false finishes; it looked like Miz was beaten several times, especially when Maryse was banned from ringside.
But the real star in this match (and really, for the entire show) was the Baltimore crowd. Every fan who's watching at home lives vicariously through the live audience. And when the arena's fans are vocal, it raises the stakes of the in-ring action.
The Baltimore crowd, through sheer enthusiasm, made the show better, cheering and booing in the right places and yelling at the referee when he was about to make the wrong call. A hot crowd chanting for the match that's happening rather than snarking about what's in the dirt sheets is irreplaceable.
Alexa Bliss
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Bayley was off Sunday night. First, there was that weird pre-match promo, which went south with a Wonder Woman reference that felt forced. And then, at the end her match, Bayley didn't know whether to gloat or look hesitant once she finally got her hands on the kendo stick. Michael Cole tried to clear things up in his post-match wrap-up, but the storytelling wasn't salvageable.
Alexa Bliss, meanwhile, continues to shine as women's champion; her dominant performance in this match was no exception. She pouted, smirked and pleaded in all the right places.
Next up for Bliss is probably Nia Jax, who will create a real David vs. Goliath showdown for fans to look forward to.
The Hardy Boyz and Cesaro and Sheamus
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Of course, Jeff Hardy did his signature, crazy high spot. That much was expected. But the rest of this tag team title match was extremely well choreographed and competitive. There were multiple, tag-assisted slams. There was liberal use of the ropes and the cage itself as weapons.
And interestingly, we got to see what would happen if only one half of a tag team escaped the cage, when Jeff escaped too early and then tried desperately to get back in the ring to assist his brother.
This showdown was the match of the evening. There was so much to love about it. Everyone did their part and worked cohesively from start to finish, and the climactic race to leave the cage was the perfect ending.
Neville and Austin Aries
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Both Neville and Austin Aries contributed what they needed to in a fantastic, back-and-forth match. This wasn't a bunch of disconnected nonsense; everything mattered, and everything looked like it hurt.
These two have lifted the cruiserweight division on their shoulders by giving it a competitive, gritty intensity it previously lacked. On the heavyweight roster, these two would never have been winners, let alone feature players. But here in the purple-roped ring, they shine brightly.
This feud is endlessly entertaining. They can fight many more times and it still wouldn't get boring.
Roman Reigns
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Roman Reigns is starting to lean into and embrace the fans' hate, and it suits him. He started off the Fatal 5-Way match perfectly, by sneering at the four competitors, letting them wear themselves out while he stood, without an opponent, in the center of the ring.
He spent the rest of the match making a powerful impact. He has a new haymaker counterpunch that he's added to his repertoire, and he floored both Finn Balor and Seth Rollins with it. He was booked strongly on Sunday but always in a way that felt believable.
Samoa Joe
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Joe played things smart, first by forging an early alliance with Bray Wyatt and then by laying low until the end of the bout, at which point he stole the win from Finn Balor.
The winner of these multi-man matches is always the guy who knows how to pick his spots and make them count. He's not capable of the types of high spots that Seth Rollins can perform. But he's a tough man, a wall of unyielding mass. He is always believable as the winner of any match that he's placed in
Samoa Joe is now the No. 1 Contender. He'll face Brock Lesnar at Great Balls of Fire. And Lesnar can't push Joe around or suplex him like any other rag doll. This is going to be a brutal affair.
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