5 things WWE Extreme Rules got right: Roman Reigns gets a lucky break; Sasha Banks returns

WWE Extreme Rules had a solid card for this year’s pay-per-view. However, many fans were unhappy to see very few extreme rules matches at the event. Only the Universal Championship match had a special stipulation attached to it.

Liv Morgan and Carmella competed in the first match of the night. Liv picked up the victory after putting down the former SmackDown Women’s Champion at Extreme Rules.

Fans also got a match between the New Day and the team of Bobby Lashley, AJ Styles, and Omos. Big E hit the Big Ending on Lashley to pick up the win for his team. It was odd watching the WWE Champion perform in a tag team match early on the show. However, it built towards another big match between Big E and Lashley.

'The Demon' Finn Balor faced Roman Reigns for the Universal Championship. Meanwhile, Bianca Belair challenged Becky Lynch for the SmackDown Women’s Championship at Extreme Rules.

The pay-per-view ended up better than expected and built towards future rivalries. Take a look at the five things WWE got right at Extreme Rules this year.

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#5. The Usos put down The Street Profits at WWE Extreme Rules

Jimmy and Jey Uso put their SmackDown Tag Team Championships on the line at WWE Extreme Rules. The brothers went up against The Street Profits.

Montez Ford was nursing some injuries from his match against Roman Reigns, followed by a beatdown on SmackDown. He was determined to win back the titles from The Usos.

Angelo Dawkins used his strength to keep The Usos down for some time. However, the heels targetted and isolated Ford as soon as he got in the ring.

Dawkins came in hot off the tag and took down Jimmy and Jey with big moves. He was in the spotlight for some time before a kick to the head slowed his momentum. He caught Jey outside the ring and ran him into the barricade to regain the upper hand.

The Street Profits went on a roll with some big moves but couldn't put the SmackDown Tag Team Champions away. Not even a Blockbuster could win the titles for the Street Profits.

In the end, The Usos hit a double Uso Splash on Ford to pick up the victory. Extreme Rules needed an explosive match to get going, and the two top teams of SmackDown provided the spark.

Ford was once again the star of the contest, and it looks like he will be going on a solo run sooner rather than later. WWE did the right thing by keeping the titles on The Usos at Extreme Rules as it helped strengthen The Bloodline and keep them atop SmackDown.

#4. Charlotte Flair and Alexa Bliss had a good match at WWE Extreme Rules

Hometown hero Alexa Bliss made her way out for a RAW Women’s Championship match at WWE Extreme Rules. She challenged Charlotte Flair for her title.

Flair took Bliss down early but it didn't take The Goddess long to turn the tides. She knocked Flair off the apron and hit a senton to the floor to do some damage to her opponent.

The Queen came back into the contest with some signature moves of her own and kept Bliss at bay. The two women showed great chemistry in the ring and made the match entertaining at Extreme Rules.

A frustrated Flair went wild and swung her opponent’s head into the barricade outside the ring. She hit a double moonsault inside the ring but couldn't put Bliss away. The Goddess countered the Natural Selection but nearly fell for a powerbomb.

Flair avoided Twisted Bliss and tried to lock in Figure Eight, but The Goddess countered and hit a DDT for a near-fall.

Charlotte Flair grabbed Lilly and threw the doll at Bliss to allow her to hit a big boot and then Natural Selection to score the pinfall and retain the championship.

The match was decent and allowed Bliss to showcase her wrestling skills after quite some time. The after-match beatdown indicates that the two women will be competing for the title again after Extreme Rules.

#3. Damian Priest retained the United States Championship at WWE Extreme Rules

Sheamus and Jeff Hardy challenged Damian Priest for the United States Championship at WWE Extreme Rules. They competed in a Triple Threat Match.

Sheamus kicked Hardy out of the ring as soon as the bell rang. This left Priest and Sheamus to go up against each other. The United States Champion took Sheamus out of the ring and ran him into the barricade.

Jeff Hardy got back and took out Sheamus with a dive from the apron. Priest took out both men and nearly put The Charismatic Enigma away with a Broken Arrow.

Sheamus made a comeback and grabbed The Archer of Infamy for the 10 Beats of the Bodhran, but Priest countered. Hardy kept his flight mode on and hit both men with Whisper in the Wind at the same time.

Hardy nearly picked up the win late in the match with a Swanton to both men. The Celtic Warrior blasted Hardy with a Brogue kid, and Priest rolled up Sheamus with a schoolboy pin to score the win to hold on to his championship at Extreme Rules.

The match was fast-paced and allowed all three men to shine. However, it was clear that Damian Priest would walk away with his United States Championship at Extreme Rules.

Nonetheless, the creative team protected Hardy from the finish to avoid any further backlash. Will The Charismatic Enigma remain in the title picture for some time?

#2. Sasha Banks made her return at WWE Extreme Rules

Bianca Belair got a rematch for the SmackDown Women’s Championship at WWE Extreme Rules. She went up against Becky Lynch in a traditional wrestling match.

Lynch defeated The EST of WWE in 26 seconds at SummerSlam. Belair looked to pick up an early victory with the KOD, but Lynch rolled out of the ring in time.

The EST avoided the DisArmHer and targeted the SmackDown Women’s Champion. She sent her out of the ring with a dropkick and kept the pressure on for some time.

The Man got back into the match and stomped Belair in the corner. Both women hit each other with their signature moves to keep the action ticking.

Towards the end, Sasha Banks made a surprise return at Extreme Rules. She attacked Belair to cause a disqualification as Lynch looked on. Banks turned her attention to the SmackDown Women’s Champion after destroying The EST.

The ending helped WWE protect both women after a nailbiting contest. WWE needed to bring Sasha back at the top of the card, and the creative team did just that. The rivalry between the three sueprstars will make things a lot more interesting on SmackDown.

#1. Roman Reigns found a way to slay The Demon at WWE Extreme Rules

Roman Reigns and 'The Demon' Finn Balor met in the main event of WWE Extreme Rules. The two men competed for the Universal Championship in the only extreme rules match of the night.

Reigns used his power to intimidate Balor, but The Demon got back to his feet right away. The two superstars exchanged some standard moves to get the match going before Reigns hit a Samoan drop for a two-count.

Reigns grabbed a kendo stick only to see Balor holding several kendo sticks bundled together. The two men started reaching for different weapons and attacked each other.

The fight spilled into the crowd, where Reigns slammed The Demon around. When they got back to the ring, Reigns put Balor through a table for a near-fall.

After countering some moves, The Demon fell to a Spear from Reigns. However, he kicked out and hit a low blow at the same time.

Balor started to build up ahead and hit the Coup de Grace. The Usos arrived to help The Tribal Chief before The Demon beat them around at ringside. The chaos allowed Reigns to Spear Finn Balor through the barricade.

The Demon’s music played, and he got back up on his feet. He beat the living daylights out of Reigns and put him through a table with a running dropkick.

The top rope broke just when Balor went for the final Coup de Grace, and Reigns took advantage to Spear him for the win.

The match was fantastic and allowed both men to showcase their strengths. The final sequence could have been done better, but WWE did a good job protecting The Demon at Extreme Rules.

Finn Balor came close to a huge victory at Extreme Rules, while Reigns needed The Usos to survive. WWE could revisit this rivalry later on if Reigns comes out of Crown Jewel with the Universal title.