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The Horror Show at Extreme Rules was a night of good wrestling and questionable creative decisions. The effort from the WWE Superstars was definitely there throughout the night. It just seemed like they were let down by the creative side of the company. The ratings are falling which has brought up questions on the writing end, but this was a night that shined a light on those complaints.
The show started with a ton of energy as the opening Smackdown Tag Team Titles match and Smackdown Women's Title match kicked off Extreme Rules well. As the night progressed, things just seemed to fall short of expectations in the finishes to many of the matches on the night.
There were multiple title matches, a Tables Match, a one way Extreme Rules, a Swamp Match and an Eye For An Eye Match. With so many things falling short, it makes the goal of this article difficult. Nevertheless, I'll be ranking the highlights from WWE The Horror Show At Extreme Rules.
Wish me luck.
#3. Dolph picks Extreme Rules for himself and has a good WWE Title match vs Drew McIntyre
Going into The Horror Show At Extreme Rules, the WWE Title Match between Dolph Ziggler and Drew McIntyre was lacking intrigue. There was little doubt that Ziggler had zero chance against McIntyre. The only question had been what stipulation Dolph would choose? We heard rumors of a TLC or "No Claymore" match, but they were all for naught.
Dolph Ziggler chose an Extreme Rules Match - but for only himself - and informed McIntyre if he was counted out or disqualified, he would forfeit the WWE Title. This was a little jarring, but the end result was a really good match and a perfect story.
Both men worked hard to have a very entertaining contest. Ziggler took advantage of the stipulation, using steel chairs and a table on his opponent. Drew was built up as an unstoppable Superman throughout this contest. He was stopping Ziggler's attempts at using weapons at first and then overcame those odds in the end.
The finish deserves its own solo praise. The timing and image of Ziggler tuning up the band, only to run right into a kip-up from Drew, followed immediately by the Claymore was a beautiful sight to behold. McIntyre has forged a trend of really good WWE Title matches since winning the championship - as well as awesome endings with the Claymore. Another notch on what has been a very good WWE Title reign for Drew.
#2. A high energy opener crowns new Smackdown Tag Team Champions
The Smackdown Tag Team Titles Tables Match that opened Extreme Rules was so much fun. With four great performers like Cesaro, Shinsuke Nakamura, Kofi Kingston and Big E, that is not really a surprise, though, now is it?
These four went out and performed with a lot of energy. There were some unique sequences that used established moves in fun, inventive ways. I think one of the spots that stands out the most was Big E's spear to Cesaro on the apron that nearly put both men through a table. However, that spot did not hold a candle to the finish of the Extreme Rules opener.
The ending saw Nakamura assist Cesaro with a top rope super Ricola Bomb through two stacked tables on the floor. This claimed The Artist Collective their first tag team title reign together, while this is Cesaro's seventh individual reign as a tag team champion.
This was an awesome way to kick off The Horror Show At Extreme Rules and a rare match on the card without any complaints.
#1. Both Women's Title Matches deliver as the Golden Role Models have all the gold
The ladies of WWE have definitely taken the company by the reigns over the past few months - especially with the performances of Bayley and Sasha Banks. At Extreme Rules, this was no different. Bayley defended the Smackdown Women's Title against Nikki Cross, while Asuka defended the Raw Women's Title against Sasha Banks. Both matches delivered in different ways.
Bayley vs Nikki Cross was a very well worked contest which put a spotlight on Cross and her babyface fire. This might have been Nikki's best performance on a WWE PPV. They had a strong chemistry and a creative finish which helped this match stand out from others on the Extreme Rules card.
Convoluted finish aside though, Asuka vs Sasha Banks was the best match at Extreme Rules. These two ladies always deliver in the ring together and continue to prove themselves as the two best workers in the WWE women's division. There was counters to counters, tremendous sequences and a pace that is usually not seen in the women's matches on the main roster.
This was a NXT Takeover-style match with a WWE main roster finish in the end. Although creative tried their best to ruin this, there is no denying Asuka and Sasha had a really good match. All four ladies in these two matches were the strongest performers on the night and the #1 highlight from Extreme Rules.
