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WWE's Extreme Rules pay-per-view is one of the most exciting events of all time and over the years we have witnessed several astonishing matches and main events in particular under the Extreme Rules PPV's radar.
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The first Extreme Rules PPV was held in the year 2009 and over the course of these past 9 years, several top WWE Superstars have given us some of the most memorable and extreme matches.
The 2018 Extreme Rules pay-per-view will take place this Sunday and much like every year, several top names have already been confirmed for the show. The likes of Roman Reigns, AJ Styles, Asuka, SAnitY, and Andrade "Cien" Almas have all been confirmed for the show so far and much like me, the entire WWE Universe also awaits another extreme event.
Therefore, with that being said, here are five of the best main events from the Extreme Rules PPV:
#5 John Cena vs Batista- Extreme Rules, 2010
Seeing John Cena as WWE Champion is always fun and back in 2010, 'The Leader of The Cenation' was at the peak of his game at WWE Champion.
Cena's iconic feud against Batista saw the two heavyweights clash against each other on several occasions and one of their rather classic showdowns was in a Last Man Standing Match at Extreme Rules, 2010.
Both Cena and Batista put up yet another solid clash with the latter doing some tremendous heel work as well.
The ending of the match, however, was rather a bit questionable as Cena duct-taped Batista's legs together around the ring post. But, regardless of the finish, the match was everything you'd expect from a Last Man Standing Match.
#4 Samoa Joe vs Bray Wyatt vs Roman Reigns vs Seth Rollins vs Finn Balor
A fatal-five-way match between five of WWE's absolute best sounds like the most exciting thing ever and this five-way Universal Championship #1 Contenders Match between Joe, Reigns, Rollins, Balor, and Wyatt had all the exciting elements in it.
This five-way match had all the good and bad elements in it and the best part about this contest was definitely the last 10 minutes of the match with some crazy action closing out the contest. Reigns hitting a double spear on Balor and Joe, Rollins hitting a frog splash on Wyatt from the top rope to the floor through an announcer’s table was another spectacular spot as well.
Honestly, it was yet another solid Extreme Rules main event and Samoa Joe eventually winning by choking out Finn Balor was the right call, as it led to a clash of the titans between Joe and Universal Champion Brock Lesnar.
#3 Jeff Hardy vs Edge- Extreme Rules, 2009
During Edge’s World Heavyweight Championship run in the year 2009, ‘The Rated-R Superstar’ was involved in some of the most memorable feuds of all time against the likes of The Undertaker and Jeff Hardy, against whom Edge defended his World Championship against in a Ladder Match at the first ever Extreme Rules pay-per-view.
Edge and Hardy had a few classic bouts against each other and this one was no different either, as we witnessed the two men absolutely destroy each other throughout the contest thanks to the inclusion of the ladders, which were often used during the match, making the contest a lot more thrilling and intense as well.
Edge and Hardy’s rivalry from 2009 was truly iconic and proved to be a huge turning point for the SmackDown brand as well and this Extreme Rules showdown between the two proves how physical this main 2009 Extreme Rules main event was.
#2 Roman Reigns vs AJ Styles- Extreme Rules, 2016
Shortly after making his WWE debut at the 2016 Royal Rumble match, AJ Styles went on to receive a shot at the WWE Championship, which was being held by Roman Reigns at that point of time and this Extreme Rules showdown between the two men from two years ago, is indeed the perfect definition of the term ‘extreme’.
Both Reigns and Styles took full advantage of the Extreme Rules stipulation, as they brutally battered each other with weapons and brawled all over the arena, within a sea of full of passionate supporters belonging to the WWE Universe in New York. Throughout the contest, Styles took some of the nastiest bumps as he first took a bump on the preshow glass table and then took a spectacular backdrop from the German announce table that eventually sent him through the English announce desk.
There were also two outside interferences from Styles’ fellow Club stablemates Gallows and Anderson, whereas, Reigns received a helping hand from The Usos, who attacked Styles and put Reigns on top of him for the three count, only for ‘The Phenomenal One’ to kick-out of it in the last second. Gallows and Anderson, on the other hand, also did the same and much to their agony Reigns also kicked-out from their finishing maneuver to add further intensity to the story.
Reigns eventually won the contest following a brutal spear, as he caught Styles mid-air and the return of Seth Rollins after the match closed out the entire show in the best way possible.
#1 John Cena vs Brock Lesnar- Extreme Rules, 2012
This was Brock Lesnar’s return match in the WWE after an absence of almost a decade from the squared circle and for his first opponent upon his return to the company, Lesnar had the task of going head-to-head against multi-time World Champion John Cena, who was coming off a huge loss against The Rock at WrestleMania 28.
Heading into this contest, Lesnar had only solitary goal in his mind, which was to absolutely destroy and maul the biggest star of the company at that point of time in John Cena and in the build to this match, both men also engaged in a gruesome brawl on an episode of Raw which ended with Cena being left bloodied inside the ring, thanks to ‘The Beast Incarnate’.
As expected, Lesnar and Cena’s clash from 2012 was intense, brutal, and is as close as we’ll get to witness such a bloody match in WWE’s PG era. Lesnar used his typical ground and pound style in the initial stages of this match, something that reflected on the fact that ‘The Beast’ was fresh-off a hugely successful career in the UFC.
Cena, however, kept himself resilient throughout the match and eventually scored a huge pinfall win over Lesnar after using his chain from his Doctor of Thuganomics days, which allowed him to hit one brutal AA on top of the steel steps in the middle of the ring.
Which was your favourite Extreme Rules main event? Let us know in the comments section below!
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