WWE Extreme Rules 2018: 4 things that must happen at the PPV
The build to Extreme Rules hasn't inspired a lot of confidence. It feels like the most filler of all filler WWE shows this year. Even Backlash felt more important going in. As far as setting the table for SummerSlam, WWE has done an extremely poor job.
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No less than half the card feels meaningless, story-wise. Matt Hardy and Bray Wyatt are taking on a team of comedy jobbers. Rusev has zero chance of dethroning AJ Styles, though the match itself should be a good one. Baron Corbin and Finn Balor are having a match only to fill time. Dolph Ziggler and Seth Rollins should be the highlight of the night, but it's unlikely anything major develops as a result of their match. The most important developments have already taken place. Jeff Hardy and Shinsuke Nakamura should both do the US title some good.
Braun Strowman vs. Kevin Owens is likely to be added to the card, but that feud has been just as meaningless.
What of the rest? If WWE wants to truly make SummerSlam live up to its name as the biggest party of the summer - the company must make the following decisions at this otherwise meaningless pay-per-view event.
#1 Roman Reigns must not main event
With Brock Lesnar's re-entry into the world of MMA, the mess of a Universal Championship picture just got even messier. The confusion makes it hard for fans to invest, and this match lacks clarity even more now. Will WWE push Brock Lesnar past SummerSlam even more, for the sake of some cross-promotional dream?
Roman Reigns has a horrible pay-per-view CV this year. Bobby Lashley isn't much better off. The example of Backlash still looms over this match. The right decision was made at Money in the Bank to keep Reigns in the middle of the show, and the company needs to repeat that decision, lest fans get even more hostile to this match than they're likely to be.