6 Things WWE subtly told us at Extreme Rules 2021: 5-Time Champion to have big character change, Top RAW star to lose and move to SmackDown

What a pay-per-view Extreme Rules 2021 was. While the talking point is undoubtedly the bizarre finish between Roman Reigns and "The Demon" Finn Balor, one mustn't forget that every single match on the card delivered.

It's rare for WWE pay-per-views to have such excellent matches from start to finish, but Extreme Rules was one such show this year. It's interesting to see how it's the "smaller" pay-per-views that aren't very stacked that usually deliver.

Let's look at what WWE subtly told us on the pay-per-view.

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#6. Charlotte Flair vs Alexa Bliss isn't over after Extreme Rules

Charlotte Flair gave Alexa Bliss one of the best matches of her career. It was arguably better than their Survivor Series clash from 2017.

Flair beat Bliss and retained the RAW Women's Championship, a result that was expected. Since she only won the title at SummerSlam, it wouldn't make much sense to have yet another short title reign for Charlotte.

At Extreme Rules, Alexa Bliss' efforts weren't enough to topple The Queen, but what was notable was the post-match incident. Charlotte took Lily and ripped her apart, infuriating the former Women's Champion.

Bliss tried to attack Charlotte, but ended up getting sent over the table at ringside, with The Queen standing tall once again. Lily's "death" could end up triggering a major character change in Alexa Bliss. While she'll still likely be the "Wyatt" version of Bliss, expect a big character change as she gets ready to challenge Charlotte Flair again.

#5. Will Bobby Lashley's RAW run conclude after Extreme Rules 2021?

Instead of a WWE title match in the Extreme Rules 2021 card, a last-minute match was made between The New Day and AJ Styles, Omos, and Bobby Lashley.

The New Day were going to win as expected, but many expected AJ Styles to take the pin. That wasn't what happened. Big E once again pinned Bobby Lashley.

The first thought that came to mind was the possibility of Bobby Lashley's RAW run concluding post-Extreme Rules. Later backstage, Bobby Lashley was seen pacing back and forth, furious at Big E.

He called the WWE Champion a coward, and demanded a singles rematch on RAW for the WWE Championship. Big E accepted and the match is made official.

This essentially confirms that Bobby Lashley's run on RAW is about to conclude. In all likeliness, he will lose to Big E in the WWE title rematch and get drafted to SmackDown this Friday.

#4. Why Jeff Hardy was in the US Title match at Extreme Rules

Adding Jeff Hardy to the United States title triple-threat match at Extreme Rules felt wrong. Only a few weeks before, Jeff was chasing the 24/7 Championship.

Soon after, Hardy unsuccessfully challenged Damian Priest for the United States title on RAW, but got an opportunity to enter the match at Extreme Rules after he beat Sheamus.

The triple threat delivered as expected, but Jeff Hardy stole the show. He was already on fire, but once he hit the Swanton Bomb on both Priest and Sheamus, the crowd got behind him. To the point that the popular US Champion Damian Priest got a few boos.

Ultimately, Priest picked up the win to a good response from the crowd. Few superstars on the WWE roster have had more momentum in 2021 than Damian Priest, and Extreme Rules was another great moment for the Champion.

Post-match, Damian Priest and Jeff Hardy paid their respects to each other. The match proved why WWE was right to add Jeff Hardy to the bout. Given the incredible crowd reaction, it wouldn't be surprising to see Jeff Hardy being involved in more important feuds post-Extreme Rules.

#3. The Usos' Tag Team dominance continued at Extreme Rules

In what was arguably the match of the night at Extreme Rules, The Usos defended the SmackDown Tag Team titles against The Street Profits. WWE could've opened the Extreme Rules pay-per-view with the match.

And did this match exceed expectations or what! A less than 100% Montez Ford put on an incredible effort, but it wasn't enough to topple The Usos and the momentum of The Bloodline.

It was the right decision, especially since it was important for the momentum of The Bloodline, not just The Usos. The dominance of The Bloodline has been one of the best storylines in recent years. Following the win over The Street Profits, The Usos will continue their run of dominance over the SmackDown Tag Team division.

Hopefully, there isn't a situation last year where the SmackDown Tag Team Champions get drafted to RAW. The Usos belong on SmackDown and should stay there.

#2. Will a triple-threat clash in Saudi Arabia follow Extreme Rules?

The co-main event at Extreme Rules was an excellent SmackDown Women's Championship match between Becky Lynch and Bianca Belair. It was Lynch's first proper match in well over a year.

This was an interesting match for a few reasons. It was a test on where Becky Lynch stood as a heel and Bianca Belair as a babyface. While Becky maintained a level of popularity, the crowd at Extreme Rules largely seemed pro-Bianca, with loud "EST" chants.

The crowd reaction they got shows that they're both on a level above most women on the WWE roster. It's a shame that this match didn't have a stipulation, because it would have only enhanced it.

Ultimately, it was Sasha Banks who returned to attack Bianca Belair, ensuring the match ended in a disqualification. Becky offered her hand to indicate an alliance, but Sasha would have none of it.

This means a triple threat match between Becky, Belair, and Banks is in order, presumably at Crown Jewel 2021.

#1. The bizarre finish to the Extreme Rules main event

Roman Reigns defended the Universal Championship against "The Demon" Finn Balor in the main event of Extreme Rules 2021. Heading into the match, Reigns was shy of 400 days as the Universal Champion. By next week, he will surpass that mark.

His next challenge will be at Crown Jewel in Saudi Arabia, where he will look to topple over his long-time rival and the longest-reigning Universal Champion in history - Brock Lesnar.

Roman Reigns is the best Universal Champion of all time, and he proved that by having yet another incredible match against Finn Balor. The two have incredible chemistry, which is why it's a shame that this bout will only be remembered for the bizarre finish.

Finn Balor was down and out at Extreme Rules, but his entrance music started playing again. The red lights, the beating sound, all while it The Demon was brought back to life for about 2 minutes.

His entrance started playing and he found a new source of energy, taking everyone out. He was seconds away from hitting the coupe-de-grace and winning the title, but the ropes abruptly snapped. In a deflating and bizarre moment, Roman Reigns speared The Demon and defeated him.

So what was the reason behind the finish? The only explanation we can think of is that WWE had run out of ideas. This was the promotion's attempt to protect The Demon and Reigns at Extreme Rules, but we can only hope that it spins off into another storyline for Finn Balor.