5 greatest matches in Extreme Rules history

#1 John Cena vs. Brock Lesnar - Extreme Rules Match (Extreme Rules 2012)

The greatest match in Extreme Rules history was Brock's return to the WWE

The in-ring return of Brock Lesnar at Extreme Rules 2012 could have only been seen to be believed. The energy in the Allstate Arena was pulsating as they anticipated a match, unlike anything they had seen before. In Chicago, John Cena was public enemy #1, so Brock came in as the favorite among the fans. This was not the same Brock Lesnar who left WWE all those years ago; this was now a former UFC Heavyweight Champion and an individual who brought a level of legitimacy never seen in a WWE ring.

This Extreme Rules match did not take long at all to get brutal. Within minutes of the match, Brock took down Cena and rained down elbows to the top of Cena's head, which split him open.

The sight of John Cena's blood brought a jolt of energy to the crowd, which kept that up for the duration of this surreal contest. Cena was pouring blood in the proverbial crimson mask from the opening minute. Even the harshest of Cena critics could have trouble watching him lose so much blood. Brock dominated the Leader of the Cenation here, destroying him all over the ring and ringside area.

Just when it looked like Brock was going to finish him off, Cena was able to capitalize on Lesnar's overconfidence. Cena caught Lesnar with a chain assisted punch to the skull, which split open The Beast. Cena followed up with an Attitude Adjustment directly onto the steel steps, which were placed in the ring by Brock for the win. This was definitely a polarizing result that would not be rectified until Lesnar broke The Undertaker's WrestleMania Streak two years.

This match was incredible, intense and one of the most bloody contests in recent WWE history. This was everything an Extreme Rules match made its name on back in its ECW heyday, and on this night, Cena and Brock brought that energy back, becoming the greatest match in Extreme Rules history.