5 stipulations we want to see at Extreme Rules

Can Extreme Rules be great again?
Can Extreme Rules be great again?

While many fans still choose to complain about WWE’s PG era, the fact of the matter is that most things are better now.

The exclusion of chair shots to the head and the sight of blood on a regular basis are the only real absences of note, and aside from that, everything else seems to be going pretty smoothly.

However, there’s something to be said about the quality of the Extreme Rules pay-per-view over the last few years, and we’re curious to learn why it’s dropped so dramatically.

While we aren’t huge fans of gimmick events, Extreme Rules felt different in the sense that there was room for variety - unlike Hell in a Cell and TLC.

Because of that, we want to see a return to the roots of ER, and by that, we mean that we’d enjoy seeing a handful of gimmick matches which have been misused over the years.

Obviously, we’re limited in what we can see from a physical standpoint, but we’re fairly confident in saying that the entries we’ve chosen would work out quite nicely.

With that being said, here are five stipulations we want to see at Extreme Rules.


#5 Cage Match

Cage matches can be great fun
Cage matches can be great fun

While it may seem a little bit played out at this stage, cage matches can still be a lot of fun. We would've put the Hell In A Cell in here, but that pay-per-view probably still has some value left out of all of the gimmick events at the moment, and besides, you can have a lot of fun with cage matches. However, we have one stipulation in particular: they need to make it bigger.

These smaller cages make the whole thing seem silly, and if you make the cages bigger, it feels like the stakes are enhanced that much more.

Plus, the Superstars in the ring should have a series of weapons to choose from at the very start of the bout, because otherwise, you're restricted in what you're able to do from a storytelling perspective.

#4 Falls Count Anywhere Match

These matches can work
These matches can work

People often make fun of Falls Count Anywhere matches because they can so often descend into idiocy, but they're sort of our guilty pleasure.

It feels like the longer this stipulation hangs around the more likely it is that Shane McMahon will dive off of something stupid again, and we aren't going to beat around the bush here - that's something we definitely want to see.

We wouldn't have them go backstage because that wouldn't be great for the audience in attendance, but they should be able to have some fun with it. This is the kind of match that needs to be reserved for really personal feuds because otherwise, it'll just feel like a farce.

Yes, we are hinting at a future Ciampa/Gargano bout. Any objections?

#3 I Quit Match

"I QUIT!"

I Quit matches can seem a little bit played out, mainly because they always follow the same kind of routine:

The bad guy dominates and tries to find dastardly ways to win, only for the triumphant babyface to come back from the dead and 'stun' the world by picking up the victory. This match, if done correctly, could be the most extreme of them all.

We aren't suggesting anything too outrageous, but it'd be fun to see two Superstars literally torturing each other for the sake of winning a Championship or settling a feud.

It'd make the fans really, really uncomfortable, and if you have the babyface engage in that kind of behavior too, then it could alter the dynamic of the entire match.

WWE needs to do something risky and daring, and this falls directly into that category.

#2 Strap Match

Thoughts?
Thoughts?

Much like the I Quit match entry, the strap match is a contest which really does test what audiences are able to take from a viewing standpoint.

Seeing two guys or girls destroy each other with a strap over and over again is a powerful thing, and it's a much, much more impactful version of the kendo stick - which is saying something because that can work from time to time too.

The best kind of Superstars for this match would be the likes of Braun Strowman and Dean Ambrose because they just don't care about what lasting effects there will be on their body.

Plus, and this is an important one, the fans would know for a fact that they aren't faking it in there. Everything they're seeing is raw and real, which will always go down well with a pro wrestling crowd.

#1 TLC Match

The TLC PPV needs to go
The TLC PPV needs to go

We know that it seems as if we threw some shade at the Tables, Ladders & Chairs match stipulation in the introduction, but in reality, it's the pay-per-view that we don't like.

It always felt like a stretch to give the TLC match its own show, and over the last few years, it's been proven to be a mistake as the event has been watered down to the point where we rarely enjoy the match type now.

So then, why not get rid of the TLC PPV and put two or three teams in a TLC bout at Extreme Rules? It'd be a great way to reintroduce it into the general WWE schedule, and if you make it the main event, then you'll be sending a message that it's still something the company values.

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