Predictions on new matches announced for Extreme Rules

Tonight’s RAW was pretty eventful, and as a result, we have several new matches added to the upcoming Extreme Rules card this Sunday. Let’s take a look.

Pre-Show: Cody Rhodes vs The Miz - This match will air exclusively on WWE.com, which basically makes it “throw-away”. Neither guy has been doing a whole lot as of late, and that’s unfortunate in the case of Rhodes, who is one of the most underrated guys in WWE right now. Miz, on the other hand, continues to get shoved down our throats despite the fact that no one really cares about him. Since he’s been winning more matches than Rhodes lately, I’m picking him in what will be a very forgettable match.

Chris Jericho vs. Fandango - This looks to be one of only two matches on the card (not counting the pre-show) without a stipulation. While this one could go either way, I’m not expecting Jericho to lose. Fandango is currently undefeated in televised matches, and WWE seems to want to keep that going for a bit longer. Jericho, on the other hand, was more or less brought back to WWE in order to help get the new guys over, something he has done with Fandango despite the unwanted gimmick and sub-par skills. While I don’t expect much, it could still be a fun match, and Fandango should be coming out the victor.

United States Champion: Kofi Kingston (Champion) vs. Dean Ambrose - Unfortunately for Kofi, it seems time has passed him. No matter how many times WWE gives him a title, the fans aren’t buying him as a top star due to WWE starting/stopping so many pushes for the man from Ghana, West Africa. It’s a shame, too, as Kofi SHOULD be a part of the top of the card, as he’s a total package wrestler. Still, despite this, Kingston/Ambrose should steal the show at Extreme Rules. Ambrose is, at least in my mind, a future World or WWE Champion, and there’s no better way to do that than start racking up lower-tier singles championships like the US title. Ambrose has been on a tear as a singles star (not surprising, considering The Shield is the hottest thing in WWE right now), and I don’t see any way Kofi walks away from this match as champion outside of a DQ or count-out finish. New US Champion on this night.

“I Quit” Match: Alberto Del Rio vs. Jack Swagger - As I predicted in my last column, the World title match has changed as a result of Ziggler’s injury. However, he won’t be stripped of the championship, and the triple threat originally announced has been changed into a one-on-one “I Quit” Match between the top two World title contenders. I am glad the title is not involved in this match, as I really have no desire to see either guy as champion. I like both as performers, but can’t stand either of their gimmicks right now, and most fans agree. Having said that, I’m going with ADR for the win. WWE has pretty much lost faith in Swagger thanks to his drug issues earlier this year, not to mention the fact that the fans are not interested in him at all. While ADR isn’t really a great choice as a face, he’s still more over than Swagger, and I don’t see him losing here.

WWE Tag Team Championships-Texas Tornado Match: Team Hell No! (Daniel Bryan and Kane, Champions) vs. Roman Reigns and Seth Rollins - Along with Ambrose, the three members of The Shield are involved in title matches at Extreme Rules. And while I still say Kofi/Ambrose will steal the show, this match will give that one a run for its money. While I like Team Hell No! and they have been champions longer than I predicted, as I said before, The Shield is the hottest thing in WWE right now, and aside from Ambrose losing to The Undertaker, the three men are otherwise undefeated in all other match types. No members of the group are going to lose on this night, and that means new champions in Reigns/Rollins. The tornado rule should make it really fun and fast-paced, so keep your eyes on this one.