5 surprises we could see at Extreme Rules
Extreme Rules has been a regular fixture on the WWE's pay-per-view calendar for close to a decade, so it's only natural that we have seen some pretty shocking moments in the history of the event. Who could forget CM Punk cashing in his Money in the Bank briefcase to beat Jeff Hardy just minutes after he won the World Title, or Daniel Bryan sending Kane through a flaming table? There are so many more positive memories associated with the Extreme pay-per-view.
Sometimes, it could be a result of having so many gimmick matches on the show. However, this time there are hardly any of them. Half of the matches are singles matches with no added stipulation or gimmick. There is still a wide scope for plenty of surprises at the pay-per-view. Even the most transitional of events could produce a nice shock or two. So, perhaps, we might see some shocking developments transpire in Pittsburgh on Sunday.
There are currently ten matches scheduled for the event and one for the Kickoff show. Out of the ten, only three matches have got an extreme stipulation while the others remain straight-up singles matches. However, there is quite some potential for these matches to do well. WWE has done an okay job in building excitement and intrigue for this pay-per-view, but it is still likely to be a placeholder between Money in the Bank and SummerSlam. Nevertheless, a few surprises might be in store for us. Here are five of them which are not beyond the realms of possibility.
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#5 More stipulations are added
As mentioned above, only three gimmick matches have been announced for the Extreme Rules main show with the rest being singles matches. From those three, two of them are Extreme Rules regulars, in the Steel Cage and Extreme Rules matches. We are also going to see the first ever Iron Man Match in this event’s history., but it is not enough. Extreme Rules warrants as many gimmick matches as possible in order to stick to the name and purpose of the show. It is usually a show of variety and brutality, but so far it does not look good.
WWE can rectify this by adding a stipulation to various matches. They could help to tell better stories in the ring. Kane and Daniel Bryan lost their WWE Tag Team Championships at Extreme Rules five years ago, in a Tornado Tag Team match. It would be mirrored if they attempt to reclaim their titles in the same match, at the same event. AJ Styles vs Rusev is another example. The WWE Championship feud could really do with a stipulation announcement. After all, the match where AJ Styles won the WWE Championship was actually announced on Twitter a few days before the Smackdown in which he won it.
But perhaps the match most in need of a stipulation is Roman Reigns vs Bobby Lashley. They are likely to be the main event of the Extreme Rules, and it would be a plain mockery to have it remain a singles match. If a normal match main events this pay-per-view, WWE might as well discontinue it. They have been talking trash and brawling all over the place on Monday Night Raw. Also, an added stipulation would likely save the match from descending into a public chorus of boos and people leaving early. This is an urgent matter for the sake of this entire show. If WWE doesn't add a stipulation to this singles non-title main event match between Roman Reigns and Bobby Lashley, they are going to be in a big problem towards the end of the show.