WWE Extreme Rules 2011: Previewing the Most Extreme Show of the Year
The annual post-WrestleMania pay-per-view extravaganza, at one time dubbed Backlash and now Extreme Rules, is three days away and much like the April events of year's past, the 2011 edition features several WrestleMania rematches featuring the biggest stars and most talented sports-entertainers in the industry. On the heels of a much talked about WWE draft, the outcomes of each match will undoubtedly have repercussions as Superstars take their place on their new brand homes.
Join me as we take a look at the events that will unfold and shape the WWE for the remainder of the year.
Spoiler Alert...
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Two of the matches previewed in the upcoming slides will not be officially announced until this coming Friday night's SmackDown broadcast. Since those match previews will include spoilers from Friday night's program, feel free to skip the next two slides or to leave this article completely if you do not want the events of SmackDown spoiled.
Consider yourselves warned...
United States Champion Sheamus vs. Kofi Kingston
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The match between Kofi Kingston and Sheamus for the Extreme Rules pay-per-view has yet to be officially announced on WWE.com or any of the company's television programs. The contest has absolutely zero backstory to it and is largely a result of the WWE draft and the moves that have come from it.
On the April 25 edition of Raw, Kofi Kingston of SmackDown did battle with United States Champion, and property of Raw, Sheamus. The winner of the contest would secure a pick for their brand in the annual WWE draft. Kofi scored the victory for the Friday night program, a win that led to the drafting of "the Viper" Randy Orton.
During the "supplemental" draft on Tuesday afternoon, both Sheamus and Kingston switched brands. Kofi would once again appear on Monday nights as a part of the Raw brand, while Sheamus would appear on Friday nights for the very first time in his young career.
On the April 29 edition of SmackDown, Sheamus attacked Kofi and left him lying on the floor following the damaging Brogue Kick. A match between the two, for Sheamus' United States Championship, was also officially announced.
The match between these two young stars, once dubbed the future of the industry, provides each with the opportunity to regain some of the trust of the writing staff, as well as Vince McMahon himself, and to reestablish themselves as the two elite young talents on the roster.
Expect a hard-fought match that sees Sheamus attempt to use his power advantage of his smaller opponent to wear him down, only for Kofi to make a spirited comeback utilizing his speed advantage. The contest could easily open the show and get the crowd nice and warmed up for the rest of the show.
Prediction: As of press time, Raw is devoid of any mid-card championship for its multitude of stars to compete over. Kofi, a new addition to the brand, has the opportunity to rescue one of the titles from SmackDown and I fully expect him to. KOFI KINGSTON becomes the new United States Champion, via pin-fall, in roughly ten minutes.
Loser Leaves Smackdown: Layla vs. Michelle McCool
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There has been no female act in the two major companies as dominant in terms of victories and on-screen presence as Layla and Michelle McCool. Dubbed "LayCool," the former Diva Search contestants adopted a Mean Girls-like persona and poked fun at a number of their fellow WWE Divas.
Since 2009, Layla and Michelle collected a number of WWE Divas and Women's Championships and there was no other female act that accumulated the television time that they have. Over a two-year span, they were allowed the opportunity to get over with the WWE fanbase in a way that few other females have.
There came a time, most notably in late-2010, early-2011, when the stereo-talking, ditzy mean girl shtick began to wear thin and the duo slowly became stale. It was at that time that the WWE's writers began to script and tease a break-up between the two. WrestleMania, and the publicity stunt of a match featuring Snooki, Trish Stratus and John Morrison vs. Dolph Ziggler and LayCool, put the split on hold. However, immediately after the "Grandaddy of Them All," the friction between Michelle and Layla once again took center stage.
In the past few weeks, LayCool has undergone on-air "couples therapy," all the while losing several matches because of miscommunication. On the April 22 edition of SmackDown, Michelle feigned sincerity at the conclusion of one of the therapy sessions, only to attack Layla from behind. The "little English muffin" (thank you, Matt Striker) was left in tears as her best friend left her behind.
The April 25 edition of Raw saw the complete rupture of the relationship between the two. After a loss to Eve in a match for a WWE draft pick, Layla snapped. Weeks of verbal and physical abuse from Michelle led the smaller Diva to attack Michelle before crying hysterically. The tension between the two was at an all-time high and what was once a very fruitful pairing was left in shambles.
On the April 29 edition of SmackDown, a match between the two ended in a double count-out. Looking to end their differences once and for all, Michelle issued a challenge for a No Disqualification, No Count-Out match in which the loser would leave SmackDown. Layla accepted the challenge for WWE Extreme Rules.
The dissolving of the LayCool pairing has been somewhat disappointing. For an act that so thoroughly dominated the entire Divas division of WWE for a two-year period, it has quickly evaporated with little focus on a satisfying conclusion and a decided lack of fanfare.
The match will, more than likely, suffer from a lack of time but will have the benefit of featuring two women who have been on the road together for the better part of two years and know each other extremely well. They can work to each others strengths and camouflage their weaknesses. Do not expect to see either of them take advantage of the No Disqualification stipulation, but I have been wrong in the past.
Prediction: In what could be the best WWE Divas match in a very long time, look for LAYLA to pick up the most high-profile singles victory of her career and send Michelle to the Monday night brand, presumably to do battle with the soon-to-debut Kharma.
Spoilers End...
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This concludes any April 29 Friday Night Smackdown spoilers.
Falls Count Anywhere: Rey Mysterio vs. Cody Rhodes
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There has been no young Superstar who has elevated himself in the last five months more so than Cody Rhodes.
Formerly "Dashing," a narcissist of a man, Rhodes was the recipient of a broken nose caused by the exposed knee brace of Rey Mysterio. The weeks that followed saw Rhodes develop a darker, more sadistic and demented personality than the egotistical "pretty boy" act he had been saddled with upon his arrival on SmackDown in 2010.
At WrestleMania, Rhodes and Mysterio performed admirably in the second match of the evening, directly following the Rock's opening dialogue and the World Heavyweight Championship match between Edge and Alberto Del Rio. Unfortunately, the match had a hard time getting the WWE Universe to invest energy into it following two very hot segments to open the show.
In the match, Rhodes would dominate his veteran opponent for the majority of the contest. Rey, in typical underdog fashion, made a comeback that woke the fans up. The conclusion of the match played into the genesis of the storyline as Cody used a knee brace to stun Rey before finishing him off with the Cross Rhodes.
On the April 22 SmackDown broadcast from England, Rey returned the favor by defeating Rhodes in a WrestleMania rematch. Three days later on Raw, Mysterio was drafted to the red brand, effectively setting up a "final battle" scenario for the match between the two at Extreme Rules.
Rey Mysterio and Cody Rhodes have the opportunity to steal the show at this Sunday's event. For whatever reason, Rey tends to heat up and perform at an extremely high level throughout the spring and summer months. In the recent weeks, Rhodes has continually excelled in his performance, especially with the opportunity to become a main event attraction on the new-look SmackDown roster at hand.
Prediction: With this match serving as his swan song on the blue brand, and the young Rhodes ready to move up the card, I expect CODY RHODES leaves Tampa with his arm raised in victory.
Country Whipping Match: Jim Ross & Jerry Lawler vs. Michael Cole & Jack Swagger
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The feud that will not die.
At WrestleMania, Jerry Lawler exacted a measure of revenge on Michael Cole, even if it was in a disqualification loss. While that should have signaled the end of the rivalry, however, the program featuring Cole as WWE's ultimate villain and Lawler as the WWE fans' great hope to end Cole's loud-mouth reign of terror, continues with a few extra added ingredients.
Jim Ross is easily the most beloved commentator in the history of the sport. A Hall of Fame inductee in 2007, Ross is considered by many to be the best at his position of all time. When he was unceremoniously drafted to SmackDown in favor of the younger Michael Cole, there was outrage from the fans. Health issues relating to Ross' Bell's Palsy sidelined him for nearly two years.
Jack Swagger is a unique story in that, one year ago he was the headline act on SmackDown, enjoying a reign as World Heavyweight Champion. That reign, however, would be deemed a failure and Swagger was soon moved back down the card.
Prior to the WrestleMania match, Cole named Swagger his trainer and immediately the Perry, Oklahoma native was back in the spotlight. He partnered with Cole to torment Lawler and Ross and instantly became one of the more hated stars on either brand. As Sunday's event approaches, the freshly-drafted Swagger finds himself back on the Raw brand and ready to make himself a star.
The last thing I want to do is recap the events that have led us to this "Country Whipping Match" between Lawler and Ross and their opponents, Swagger and Cole. Reliving some of the terrible segments of the past few Mondays would be unfair to both you, the reader, and I, the writer. The less said about the last month of build for this match, the better.
The match will undoubtedly get a decent amount of time, the last thing a sideshow such as this one needs. Much will be made of the Jim Ross-Michael Cole interaction, especially since the initial interaction on the April 25 Raw left both men bruised and bloody. Lawler and Swagger will provide the majority of the in-ring work and the fans will probably cheer every time Cole is bumped around the ring. The loudest cheers, however, will be from the fans watching at home when the conclusion of the match occurs and the story, hopefully, comes to an end.
Prediction: JERRY LAWLER AND JIM ROSS will end this rivalry at Extreme Rules or the backlash against all four men, and the entire angle as a whole, will grow.
Last Man Standing Match: Randy Orton vs. CM Punk
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What has been a relatively strong program between Randy Orton and CM Punk will come to a definitive close this Sunday at Extreme Rules. On Monday, April 25, Orton was drafted to SmackDown to plug the very noticeable hole on the roster left when Edge was forced to suddenly retire from in-ring competition. Now the face of the SmackDown brand, and its most popular star, Orton will look to finish what he started on Raw by defeating CM Punk in a Last Man Standing match.
The personal, on-air vendetta between Randy Orton and CM Punk has been one of the more interesting programs in sports-entertainment. For the first time, the always cunning, always forward-thinking CM Punk has been consistently been outsmarted by "the Viper." At every turn, Orton has defied Punk, shrugging off his threats and doing whatever necessary to eliminate members of Nexus so that he would be left in a one-on-one situation with his nemesis.
At WrestleMania, Randy picked up a huge victory over Punk, catching him in mid-air with the RKO. Since then, Orton has seen an opportunity to become No. 1 contender to the WWE Championship pass him by thanks to the return of the very same Nexus members he successfully eliminated prior to the "Granddaddy of Them All."
Now, with the odds once again stacked against him, and his impending departure to Friday nights, Orton has the opportunity to conclude the "CM Punk" chapter of his career on a good note by defeating him in a Last Man Standing match. Punk, on the other hand, has the opportunity to score his first victory of the rivalry in definitive fashion, sending his rival to SmackDown with a loss.
Expect a very brutal, very physical contest that may very well steal the show. These two have shown incredible chemistry over the last three months and that chemistry, and their individual in-ring styles, should be highlighted in the style of match in which they will fight.
Prediction: This is one of the few matches on the card that could conceivably go either way. Orton could use a win on his way to SmackDown, if only to give the lesser-appreciated brand a sense of importance. However, Punk has been on the losing end of this program for its duration and could use at least one victory over "the Viper." Orton is a big enough star to get over the loss while Punk is talented enough to resurrect his character following a loss. *Flips coin* CM Punk wins following interference from Nexus and whichever SmackDown villain Orton is in line to feud with on Fridays.
Steel Cage Match for the WWE Title: John Cena vs. John Morrison vs. the Miz
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There has never and may never be a WWE Championship match as under-hyped as the one between John Cena, John Morrison and the Miz at Extreme Rules. For a number of reasons, including the announcement of the Rock vs. Cena at WrestleMania XXVIII, the 2011 WWE draft and the refreshing heel turn of R-Truth, the focus has been taken away from the title match. As a result, the anticipation for this match is nearly nonexistent.
At WrestleMania, the Miz defeated John Cena to retain the WWE Championship, thanks to the involvement of the Rock. On the April 11 edition of Raw, both Cena and Morrison vied for the opportunity to face Miz at Extreme Rules. Cena, along with R-Truth, would go on to earn that championship match. Truth's placement in the match, however, would be short-lived.
On April 18, Truth would lose his spot in the match to John Morrison following a loss in an impromptu contest. Following Morrison's victory, Truth would attack Morrison and leave him lying, instigating one of the more entertaining heel turns in recent history.
Also occurring on the same episode was a tag team match that saw John Cena and newcomer Sin Cara defeat the Miz and his apprentice, Alex Riley.
The WWE draft event on April 25 saw a teased drafting to SmackDown for Cena, only for him to return to the Monday night brand later in the evening. Outside of a six-man tag team match that involved Cena and Miz, and a brief backstage confrontation between the two, little in the way of promotion for the match was done. John Morrison's involvement in a newly-created program with R-Truth has left him in the cold as far as any hype leading to this Sunday's Steel Cage match.
There is no doubt that the match will receive enough time to potentially be a quality one. Cena is a top dog who has been in pressure positions before and delivers the majority of the time. However, as was seen in the WrestleMania main event, the lack of chemistry between Cena and Miz is worrisome, and adding a very spotty performer such as Morrison to the equation can only create more uncertainty. I would bet on a high-risk spot featuring Morrison and a very split crowd in terms of reaction for Cena.
Prediction: The Miz experiment has not worked. Not because of any fault of the Miz. The WWE's refusal to push him as a serious threat to any of its top baby face performers has created a very weak champion who the fans have trouble buying into. Add to that the influx of new Raw heels, a number of which could challenge for the WWE Championship on any given pay-per-view event, and it is becoming increasingly difficult to believe that Miz will leave the show as champion.
John Morrison is a complete afterthought, having zero interaction with either of his opponents in the weeks leading to the match. He seems destined to feud with R-Truth post-Extreme Rules and a WWE Championship win is highly unlikely, especially considering the heat he still has on him for his actions backstage towards Trish Stratus at WrestleMania.
Which brings us to John Cena. Cena has not had a reign as WWE Champion since June of last year. He has remained an integral, featured part of WWE television despite his lack of hardware, but it is undoubtedly only a matter of time before he regains the belt designed specifically for him. With the new faces on Raw, a majority of which are heels, Cena will have many new, fresh and excited programs waiting for him throughout the summer, fall and winter. JOHN CENA defeats Miz and John Morrison to once again become WWE Champion.
Ladder Match for the World Championship: Christian vs. Alberto Del Rio
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Ten years. For the better part of a decade, WWE fans have been begging and pleading with Vince McMahon to pull the trigger on a push that would result in Christian receiving a main event spot and, ultimately, a run as either WWE or World Heavyweight Champion. While he collected a number of TNA championships in his time with the company, the Toronto native has never truly been accepted as a main event talent by McMahon, the great emperor of the sport.
That could all change this Sunday night.
The retirement of World Heavyweight Champion Edge was one of the saddest moments in recent WWE history. A beloved star, he was forced from the ring with a neck injury that, almost assuredly, would have resulted in paralysis or worse, death. His departure from the ring, however, resulted in his relinquishing of the World Heavyweight Championship, the signature title on the SmackDown brand. As a result, the title was dubbed "vacant" and cocky, arrogant Mexican would-be challenger Alberto Del Rio was left without a challenger for Extreme Rules.
On the April 15 edition of SmackDown, Christian outlasted twenty Superstars in order to earn the opportunity to face Del Rio for the vacant title. The life-long best friend of Edge, it seemed only fitting for Christian to fill his spot and try and wrest away the World Championship from the entitled, newly-drafted Raw star.
No one this side of Sheamus and Brock Lesnar has proven themselves to be a major main event player as quickly and as seamlessly as Alberto Del Rio. Since October of 2010, he has continuously rocketed up the ranks in WWE and now finds himself a main heel attraction on the most viewed brand in all of sports-entertainment. A World Heavyweight Championship victory would result in the crowning of WWE's "Next Big Thing."
Christian, as previously mentioned, has become one of the sport's most beloved stars. Whether he is a so-called "good guy" or "bad guy," he has a large, loyal fanbase that continues to scream for his push to the top of the company. A World Heavyweight Championship would allow him to accomplish a life-long dream, as well as take his place at the top of a SmackDown brand badly in need of a major star outside of Randy Orton.
Prediction: In a quality ladder match featuring two experienced stars, and taking into account that a win by Del Rio would result in the two major singles titles residing on Raw, I predict that CHRISTIAN picks up his first major WWE title, the World Heavyweight Championship, in what may be the feel-good moment of the year.
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