5 greatest moments in WWE Extreme Rules history
Extreme Rules has been around on the WWE pay-per-view calendar for quite a while now. It provides a host of gimmick matches throughout the night and is usually an enjoyable experience to go through.
Placed solely to have a show with a different feel and a variety of matches, Extreme Rules is now WWE’s longest running B-grade pay-per-view.
Part of the reason to that is because of its relative success and the largely consistent quality of action on the show. Similar to Money in the Bank, you are guaranteed to have a fun show because of the gimmick matches.
It’s not only the matches that make it feel semi-special. There have been lots of moments in WWE Extreme Rules history that will be well remembered. There have been some pretty significant happenings at this pay per view.
Always coming during the challenging time between WrestleMania and SummerSlam, Extreme Rules was the post-Mania PPV for a good chunk of time. So there are moments that you will remember.
Whether it was a vindicating title win, a shocking return or even a gruesome spot worthy of the name Extreme, we have been treated to some really memorable moments whenever WWE went extreme. But first, here are some honourable mentions.
-Tommy Dreamer saving his career and winning the ECW Championship against Christian and Jack Swagger, in 2009
-CM Punk's excellent Chicago Street Fight victory over Chris Jericho for the WWE Championship, in 2012
-Daniel Bryan sending Kane through a flaming table during his last ever WWE Championship match, in 2014
-Dean Ambrose throwing Chris Jericho onto thumbtacks during the first ever Asylum Match, in 2016
#5 Brock Lesnar vs John Cena (2012)
This is more an entire match instead of a moment, but it was surreal. Brock Lesnar had made his groundbreaking return to WWE on the Raw after WrestleMania in 2012 and immediately made a statement when he attacked John Cena.
The following feud was something we haven't really seen during WWE’s PG era. The level of brutality shown by Brock Lesnar was fresh and insane. Cena bled throughout the build up to their Extreme Rules match. It was compelling, to say the least.
The match was brutal to a degree we weren't used to during that period in WWE, as Brock Lesnar busted John Cena open immediately the bout started. It looked to be one of the most one-sided main event matches in WWE history as Lesnar was just toying with the Cenation Leader.
It was very unique and fresh to see WWE’s resident Superman getting pummeled to that level. However, WWE made the baffling decision to have Cena win the match here. Even if it is understandable with all the brutality, it is unbelievable that Brock Lesnar lost his first WWE match in 8 years.
The match did take a huge toll on him though, as Cena was bleeding a lot. He nailed Lesnar with a lucky chain shit to the head before landing an Attitude Adjustment into the steel stairs. John Cena looked spent at the end of it.
He even promised to take a break for a while, although he never really went away. This match makes it here because it was the Beast Incarnate's first WWE match in 8 years and it was a really good one too, notwithstanding the questionable booking decision at the end. It was fresh at the time and laid the foundation for Lesnar’s excellent destruction of Cena at SummerSlam 2014.