It's time for things to get extreme, but not in like a late-90s/early-00s type of way with dirtbikes doing backflips and Jnco jeans. WWE is taking things to the extreme in its aptly titled Extreme Rules PPV. The event is coming to the WWE Network on Sunday, July 15, and the show will take place at the PPG Paints Arena in Pittsburgh, PA.
Like most of WWE's PPVs, Extreme Rules will start at 7 PM ET / 4 PM PT, with a Kickoff Show airing on the network--and most likely YouTube--one hour prior. As of this writing, there are nine matches on the card for the evening, one of which will be on the Kickoff, and we should still see another match added.
Everyone who's getting ready for Extreme Rules has their favorites to win each match, and GameSpot is no different. We've gone through the upcoming card and decided with great certainty who will win each of these matches. There may be a few title changes for the evening, but one thing is for sure: it's going to be a Happy Rusev Day, no matter who wins.
Make sure to come back to GameSpot on Sunday, July 17 for live coverage of WWE's Extreme Rules as well as some followup pieces as well. If you're looking for more wrestling, check out these WWE movie cameos you might have missed.
Roman Reigns vs. Bobby Lashley
In the continuing saga of "Who Does Vince Think The Audience Will Buy As Brock's Next Opponent?" Bobby Lashley has stepped up to the plate. However, he has to get through Roman "I'm Always The #1 Contender Regardless Of My Win/Loss Record" Reigns. As much as I don't care for Lashley, I'd much rather see him in a main event picture over Reigns, if those are our only choices right now. Do we really need to see Lesnar/Reigns again? At least with Lashley, we'll get to see more than just six Superman Punches for 15 minutes. And Lashley has the build, strength, and durability to last against "The Beast."
Our prediction: Lashley wins
Finn Bálor vs. "Constable" Baron Corbin
Maybe it's just me--I hope not--but Baron Corbin dropping the "Lone Wolf" gimmick and becoming the "Constable" for Stephanie McMahon has reinvigorated his career. This should be a fun match and maybe even one of the surprises of the evening. While I want Balor back in the main event picture, this rivalry has legs, and because of that, I'm giving the win to Corbin in hopes it continues into Summerslam.
Our prediction: Corbin wins
Deleters of Worlds (c) vs. The B-Team
(For the Raw Tag Championship)
Raw's tag team division is a bit of a mess. It feels like it's in this weird holding pattern, and there's just not a lot of hype around it. Something needs to change, and while a win for The B-Team may not be the kick in the butt the division needs, it's a push in the right direction for now.
Our prediction: The B-Team wins
The Bludgeon Brothers (c) vs. Team Hell No
(For the Smackdown Tag Championship)
Smackdown's tag division isn't much better than Raw's. The Bludgeon Brothers have run through the entire division on the Tuesday night show, and it's made all attempts at someone else winning the title futile in the process. Luckily, Team Hell No is back and provided some hope for Smackdown's tag team scene. While I'm hoping this is all another stepping-stone to get Bryan to take on Miz at Summerslam, I think Bryan and Kane have a chance to win the titles.
Our prediction: Team Hell No wins
Carmella (c) vs. Asuka
(For the Smackdown Women's Championship)
Hopefully, I'm not the only person who is excited James Ellsworth is back, even though Carmella doesn't need him around anymore. Obviously, Ellsworth will be involved, even though Carmella and Asuka could easily have a great match on their own. In a perfect world, this would be a great match to showcase Carmella and have her look like a champion who could stand on her own. However, I have a feeling Ellsworth is going to ruin it for her, and Asuka will somehow get the win.
Our prediction: Asuka wins after Ellsworth interference goes wrong
Dolph Ziggler (c) vs. Seth Rollins (30-Minute Iron Man match)
(For the Intercontinental Championship)
Remember when Dolph Ziggler won the United States Championship and abandoned it? Well, now he's the Intercontinental Champion, and I'm surprised he didn't walk away from this one as well. Ziggler and Seth Rollins have been putting on some stellar matches, so an Iron Man bout feels like the perfect fit. This is going to be a close one, but I'm giving Ziggler the win.
Our prediction: Dolph Ziggler wins
Alexa Bliss (c) vs. Nia Jax (Extreme Rules match)
(For the Raw Women's Championship)
Nia Jax will get her rematch for the Raw Women's Championship after Alexa Bliss cashed in her Money in the Bank contract last month. Jax, as champion, didn't work exceptionally well the first time, primarily because she was switched from face to heel in order to take on Ronda Rousey, which made no sense. Until her character can get back on track, Bliss should and will remain champion.
Our prediction: Alexa Bliss wins
Jeff Hardy (c) vs Shinsuke Nakamura
(For the United States Championship)
After spending the past couple months kicking AJ Styles in the groin, Shinsuke Nakamura has moved on to challenge Jeff Hardy for his United States Championship. This has to be a turning point for Nakamura. His character is working so well as a heel, and he's got to win a title sooner or later. A long-term rivalry between these two would be great, but it needs to start with a Nakamura win.
Our prediction: Shinsuke Nakamura wins
AJ Styles (c) vs. Rusev
(For the WWE Championship)
Happy Rusev Day! Anyone else feel like this match came out of left field? Sure, Rusev has a huge following behind him as of late, and at some point, he should be back in the title picture, but this feels a little too quick. AJ Styles has been a phenomenal champion for Smackdown, and it's just not time for the title to go to someone else yet.
Our prediction: AJ Styles wins
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