WWE Extreme Rules 2011: Official Extreme Rules Preview by Eric Kanes

What's up, ladies and gentlemen? My name is Eric Kanes and I am here today to present to you the official Extreme Rules 2011 preview. In this preview, you won't be seeing any favorable outcomes. Oh no. This preview will feature all of the probable winners that you can pretty much bet on.

Now, I know what you're thinking. You're thinking, "But Eric, haven't we already seen 487 of these over the past week?" In that sense, you'd be absolutely correct. However, what makes this preview different is the fact that it is written by the most electrifying man on Bleacher Report.

And without any further ado, from Tampa, Florida, this is the official Extreme Rules preview.

Rey Mysterio vs. Cody Rhodes (Falls Count Anywhere Match)

Due to the importance of the show's streaming, expect Rey Mysterio vs. Cody Rhodes to kick off the show. It's not one of the major feuds going into the show but it will be a fast paced match-up that is bound to get the crowd pumped up.

I think that this match will get a good 15-20 minutes as the show isn't that packed and the three hours have to get filled up.

As for the winner of this match, a lot of people say that Cody Rhodes needs the momentum. People say that it will make so much of a difference but let's be realistic for a second. What does he need the momentum for? He's not ready to main event so he'll likely go from one mid-card feud to another. A loss here won't hurt him that much.

On the other hand, let's take a look at the RAW main event scene and potential challengers for The Miz. The Miz vs. John Cena and The Miz vs. John Morrison have both been done to death. Big Show has taken a major step down ever since feuding with The Corre and would not be taken seriously as a contender. Kofi Kingston has literally no momentum after floundering around the SmackDown mid-card scene for a year.

Therefore, unless Triple H returns soon, that leaves only one possible challenger. That man is Rey Mysterio. The Miz vs. Rey Mysterio might not take place at Over the Limit, but expect it to take place by the time Capitol Punishment rolls around. If Rey Mysterio is going to be challenging for the WWE championship, he needs to pick up some momentum here. With that said...

Eric's Pick: Rey Mysterio

Sheamus vs. Kofi Kingston

This match may not have been confirmed yet, but with only six matches on the card, it's pretty much a given.

Sheamus is more than likely going to have to be built up as a challenger for the world title at some point going forward. That's going to be impossible to do if he's the United States Champion, considering how little meaning the title currently has. That's also going to be impossible to do if he's going to keep taking losses. Therefore, it's better if he takes the loss to Kofi right now than if he takes the loss to Kofi two months from now.

The purpose of this match is to transition the US title over to RAW. Let's get it done and over with.

Eric's Pick: Kofi Kingston

Michelle McCool vs. Layla (No DQ/Loser Leaves WWE Match)

Two side notes before we go on. First and foremost, that was a pretty awkward way to edit in "WWE" last night. When Michelle said, "Loser Leaves" and then "WWE" was edited in, it kind of sounded like a voice message when the machine says "You have reached" and then the person says their name.

Secondly, I wonder if the "No DQ" stipulation means that the match will be like the "Extreme Makeover" match last year. That was unintentionally one of the most hilarious things I've ever seen. It was like a hardcore match but only sexist items were at ringside, like mops and ironing boards. I guess those were things they thought a woman would recognize and feel comfortable using.

Anyway, it looks like whoever loses this match will have to leave WWE. With Michelle McCool legitimately leaving, you can put two and two together from there. I guess she's going to be spending more time with The Undertaker. Hopefully, that means that he's going to buy her a new house too. The one from the "2-21-11" videos doesn't look like it has very good carpeting.

Eric's Pick: Layla

Randy Orton vs. CM Punk (Last Man Standing Match)

Considering that they are both on different shows and this feud is pretty much over, storyline-wise it doesn't really matter who wins here. However, considering where they are on the card, both men could use the momentum.

I think that since Orton won the last three matches that these two have had, it's time for a change of pace. Expect CM Punk to pick up the win here due to interference from The New Nexus. Interference from Chris Jericho would be unlikely but don't rule it out just yet. Either way, don't expect Randy Orton to leave Tampa with a 4-0 streak.

Eric's Pick: CM Punk

Michael Cole & Jack Swagger vs. Jim Ross & Jerry Lawler (Country Whipping Match)

I was fine with this match being a classic tag team match. Just look at Jerry Lawler vs. The Miz. If Jack Swagger and Jerry Lawler could've worked a match like that, with Jim Ross getting the feel-good victory at the end, it would've been just fine.

Hell, I was fine with this feud in general until their weekly softcore porn segments. It was a good feud at the beginning but nobody wants to see these guys sucking each other's toes or whipping each other.

Therefore, I don't care who wins; I just hope it doesn't drag on like the matches at WrestleMania and Monday Night RAW. I'd imagine that Jerry Lawler and Jim Ross win with JR getting the pin on Cole. Their weekly segments have been losing viewers so I don't think that the feud will go on for much longer.

It's a shame, though. I was starting to look forward to the Streak vs. Streak match next year.

Eric's Pick: Jim Ross and Jerry Lawler

Christian vs. Alberto Del Rio (Ladder Match)

Hands down, expect this match to steal the show. Given Christian's ladder match experience and his amazing chemistry with Del Rio, this match has "Match of the Year" potential.

That much is a given. However, the winner requires some thought. On one hand, it seems obvious that Christian will win his first WWE world title here given the circumstances with Del Rio being on RAW. On the other hand, it seems that Vince McMahon and WWE officials in general are much higher on Del Rio. A scenario can always be done where Del Rio wins the title and therefore has to return to SmackDown.

However, I think that there's a reason that Del Rio is on RAW. WWE officials want him to get more exposure. They also want to involve him in some high-profile feuds against the likes of John Cena and Triple H. Either way, despite the backstage praise that Del Rio has been getting, expect Christian to pick up the win and his first world title here.

Eric's Pick: Christian

The Miz vs. John Cena vs. John Morrison (Steel Cage Match)

Yes, the title and picture in this slide are correct. John Morrison is actually main eventing a pay-per-view in a match with the WWE championship on the line. Don't be fooled by that, though. I get that since Morrison is in a WWE title match on PPV, the majority of the IWC automatically believes that he's a main eventer and that he will pick up the win. However, he's only in this match for two reasons:

1) Spots. The Miz and John Cena have put on some decent matches in the past but another Cena vs. Miz match on its own isn't that exciting. That is why Morrison is in there - to spice things up with his flashy offense. It's the same reason he was involved in the Miz/Daniel Bryan match at Hell in a Cell, the same reason that he lasted so long in the Royal Rumble match, and the same reason that he was in the Elimination Chamber. The fact that he's in this match does not mean that he's winning.

2) To further his feud with R-Truth. R-Truth, who recently turned heel, is currently on a roll. What better way to give him even more heat than to have him push Morrison off the cage just as Morrison is about to win his first world title? This would be the perfect way to further their feud.

Therefore, if you think Morrison is winning this match, you have not learned anything from his past three PPV matches.

That leaves us with either John Cena or The Miz. In my opinion, it could go either way. With a roster stacked with heels, it would make sense to have a face world champion. However, with new challengers for The Miz such as Rey Mysterio, Big Show, and (possibly down the road) Chris Jericho or Triple H, there's no reason why he shouldn't extend his reign by a couple more months. John Cena won't come out looking weak either, as Morrison could always take the pin.

Eric's Pick: The Miz

Bonus Questions

As always, here are some bonus questions for my readers. The questions are in bold while my answers are in regular text:

Which superstar left off the show should have gotten a spot on the card?

There are so many good ones left off this card. However, I'll go with Sin Cara. He needs momentum so it would have made sense to give him a filler match against someone who he can look strong against, such as Tyson Kidd. I'd go with R-Truth but he'll likely still appear to cost John Morrison his match.

Now that he's been eliminated on Dancing With the Stars, when is Chris Jericho coming back?

I don't know for sure. I don't think that he'll return this Sunday but it's a possibility. He'll be back before SummerSlam for sure, though.

Who's doing commentary for this event?

It'll probably start out with Michael Cole, Jerry Lawler, and Josh Matthews and by the end of the show, they'll do their trademark commentator switch exchanging Michael Cole for Jim Ross. Booker T will likely do commentary for the Country Whipping match as well.

Will you be ordering this PPV?

No, I won't. The outcome of three of the matches doesn't matter and two of the matches are filler and could've been done on RAW or SmackDown. The Christian/Del Rio and Miz/Morrison/Cena matches have a lot of potential but I won't order a PPV for two matches. I'll still be watching it live, though and I'll be sharing my live thoughts on Facebook, so make sure to add me.

And that is all for right now, folks. I will be right back here within the next 24 hours with my weekly review of SmackDown entitled "Smack Talk" and I'll likely have something up after the Extreme Rules PPV but until then, I'm out!