Extreme Rules was a good PPV outing from WWE. Although many fans believed this to be a throwaway PPV, there were many title changes and a few big surprises. But due to some lackluster matches, this could be considered WWE’s worst PPV of the year thus far.

 

Fatal Four Way Match for the United States Championship: Kofi Kingston (c) vs. MVP vs. Matt Hardy vs. William Regal

This could have been a much better opening match but it ends up being about average due to time constraints as the match lasted less than seven minutes. In the opening minutes, Kingston and MVP tried to team up against the heels but it didn’t last too long. Kingston was the focal point of the match as he had most of the offense. For some reason they chose to not involve Matt Hardy too much in this match and instead make Regal the dominant heel. Regal hit many exploder suplexes to all three men over the course of the match. After throwing Hardy and MVP out of the ring, he tried to do the same to Kofi but was caught with the Trouble in Paradise and Kofi retains his title. An OK opener.

Match Rating: 5/10

 

 

No Holds Barred Match for the Intercontinental Championship: Rey Mysterio (c) vs. Chris Jericho

I was a bit surprised to see this match go on second, as this was pretty much the number two feud on Smackdown next to Edge and Jeff Hardy. This match was very, very good despite the minimal use of weapons, which was expected as these two don’t need weapons to have a great match. Jericho had a very unique entrance, entering through the crowd and berating the fans and Mysterio before the match began. Mysterio opened the match by pummeling Jericho, brawling with him outside the ring, and hitting him with the cover of one of the announce tables. The match then was very back and forth for a while, but with fewer reversals than their match at Judgment Day. Mysterio at one point tried for a springboard move but Jericho countered with a midair Codebreaker. After failing to get the pin, Jericho grabbed a steel chair. Mysterio used the chair very well, kicking it into Jericho’s face and hitting other offensive moves with it. Late in the match, Jericho had Mysterio in the Walls of Jericho, but Mysterio was able to grab the chair, hit Jericho in the face with it, and throw him into the ropes. As he went for the 619, Jericho ripped off his mask and rolled him up for the win and his ninth Inercontinental Championship. One of the better matches of the night.

Match Rating: 7.5/10

 

Samoan Strap Match: CM Punk vs. Umaga

Many people didn’t seem to like this match too much, but I found it very enjoyable. I thought that both men used the strap very well throughout the course of the match. Umaga at one point was lashing and whipping Punk with the strap to get the heat early on. This match was much more even-handed than their match at Judgment Day as Punk got a lot more offense this time around. He hit many high flying moves to go along with Umaga dragging and beating Punk all over the ring throughout the course of the match. My only gripe is that the men were going to touch the corners way too often. A cool spot happened late in the match when Umaga climbed one of the turnbuckles and Punk used the strap to flip him off.  Punk later touched three turnbuckles, before hitting a Go to Sleep to a charging Umaga and touching the fourth turnbuckle for the win. A very well-booked strap match.

Match Rating: 7/10

 

 

Hardcore Triple Threat Match for the ECW Championship: Christian (c) vs. Jack Swagger vs. Tommy Dreamer

This match was a bit of a disappointment. It was a fun match but I felt that this match had to be more than that. It should have featured a larger variety of weapons and been much more brutal. But, it was booked well and all 3 guys got a good amount of offense in. Kendo sticks and trash cans were the main weapons used throughout the match. Swagger used the weapons least out of the 3 men but hit many slams and power moves to Dreamer and Christian. A cool spot occurred when they did the Tower of Doom spot resulting in Dreamer landing back first onto three trash cans. Near the end of the match, Swagger has Christian set up for the Gutwrench Powerbomb, but Dreamer breaks a crutch on Swagger’s back before hitting him with a DDT and pinning him to win the ECW Championship and keep his career going. Glad to see Tommy Dreamer as ECW Champion, he has always given everything he has to ECW, and he seemed like a pretty nice guy when I met him a few months ago. About an average match that could have been better.

Match Rating: 5.5/10

 

 

Handicap Hog Pen Match for “Miss Wrestlemania”: Vickie Guerrero (c) and Chavo Guerrero vs. Santina Marella

Don’t tell me you’re going to make me review this thing. Vickie makes it a handicap match with Chavo on her side. Basically this match is won by pinfall and is contested in a two-sectioned mud pit, with one of the two sections containing several pigs. The match consists of Santina and Chavo throwing each other around in the mud for a couple minutes before Vickie gets in the pen. Chavo accidentally coats Vickie in slop before Santina throws her to the mud and pins her. After the match Vickie and Chavo keep rolling around in the mud. Horrible match.

Match rating: DUD (0/10)

 

Steel Cage Match for the WWE Championship: Randy Orton(c) vs. Batista

This match started off fairly well with Orton continuously trying to escape the cage and Batista stopping him. Both men got in a pretty even amount of offense and continuously slammed each other into all sides of the cage. Batista of course also hit his power moves and Orton made a few escape attempts. For the first time in their series of matches these two were actually ENTERTAINING me. And then the 7 minute mark rolled around and it ended. Batista catches Orton trying to escape the cage then hits a Batista Bomb to win the WWE Championship. This match was going along pretty well but I cannot give a 7 minute title match a passing grade. Solid wrestling but far too short.

Match Rating: 4/10

 

 

Submission Match: John Cena vs. Big Show

You know those really long matches that just bore you to death and almost have you on your knees in front of the TV begging for it to stop? Yeah, this was one of those matches. This match gets 20 minutes and the cage match gets 7? Huh? Basically these two were having for the most part the same match as they did at Judgment Day, except with more submission holds and it was longer. Big Show, as expected, dominated the bulk of this match. Surprisingly he never locked on his new submission hold that had been built up significantly on TV prior to the PPV. This match moved very slowly and just felt like it’s dragging on forever. Eventually Cena scoops up the win after locking on a horrible STF. He tries to tie Big Show’s ankle to the ropes and then only use his body for the sleeper, but Show’s foot comes loose quickly, forcing him to end up tapping out to a headlock.  Very dull and boring match.

Match Rating: 3/10

 

 

Ladder Match for the World Heavyweight Championship: Edge (c) vs. Jeff Hardy

This was the match of the night, just a smidge better than Jericho vs. Mysterio from earlier in the show. Although it took a little while to get going, these guys ended up putting on a very fun and entertaining ladder match. The ladders don’t really get involved until 5-10 minutes into the match, when Hardy front suplexes Edge onto the center of a ladder set up upside down. Hardy later ascended a very tall ladder in the ring and used it swing himself onto the title belt. As he was dangling, Edge grabbed his legs and caused him to fall back onto the fallen ladder in the ring. Another notable spot was when Edge and Hardy were on top of a ladder outside the ring and it tipped over, causing the pair to crash through a ladder that was set up across the ring apron and the security wall. Shortly after, with both men on separate ladders inside the ring, Edge attempted to spear Hardy off his ladder, but Hardy countered it into a midair Twist of Fate. After this, Edge tried to ascend a ladder, but Hardy pulled his legs through the rungs, leaving him dangling in the middle of the ladder. Hardy then climbed the other side to the top and grabbed the belt to win his second World title. But just as Jeff was celebrating, CM Punk’s music hit. He came out with a referee to cash in his Money in the Bank, resulting in…

 

World Heavyweight Championship: Jeff Hardy (c) vs. CM Punk

Just as the bell rings, Punk hits a Go to Sleep, but Hardy is able to kick out at two. Hardy then goes for a roll-up but Punk kicks out. Punk then hits a second Go to Sleep followed by a successful pinfall to win the World Heavyweight Championship. Seeing as I am a Jeff Hardy fan, I was not amused. However, I will not mind this if Punk turns heel as a result. I won’t rate the match since it lasted a minute.

Match Rating: N/A

Overall PPV Rating: 7/10