WWE Extreme Rules 2018: 5 Little-known facts about the event 

WWE Extreme Rules is now just a week away and with the final Raw and SmackDown shows ahead of the event right around the corner, it's interesting to note that the stipulations for the matches haven't come in as thick and fast as the WWE Universe would have liked.

Extreme Rules has always been billed as "The one night of the year that WWE goes extreme" but aside from an Extreme Rules match and an Ironman match, there aren't many matches on the card that follow up to the reputation of the event.

This is the 10th Extreme Rules pay-per-view after the show became an annual event back in 2009 and over the years there have been some incredible gimmick matches that have set to tone. This year's event is expected to be no different since there are already a number of interesting facts the WWE Universe should be aware of before the show.

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#5. Rusev's first shot at the WWE Championship

Rusev has been given an incredible chance at Extreme Rules

Rusev has been part of the WWE roster now for more than eight years if his time in NXT and FCW is brought into account, but he has only been on the main roster since 2014. In those four years, Rusev has battled some of the biggest stars in WWE including John Cena, The Undertaker, and Randy Orton, but he has never been given a shot at any World Championship.

Rusev had a terrible 2017 and has risen from the ashes alongside Aiden English over the past few months so that he can step into a feud with AJ Styles over the WWE Championship. The Bulgarian Brute is considered to be an underdog heading into this match since it's his first title shot and Styles is coming off the back of an intense feud with Shinsuke Nakamura, which he actually won.

It is also worth pointing out that this is the first WWE Championship match that includes Rusev on Rusev Day so the odds will definitely be in his favour.

#4. First singles match at Extreme Rules in more than five years

Bobby Lashley vs Roman Reigns needs a stipulation

Extreme Rules has become known for its match stipulations over the past few years and since a Championship match is also considered to be a stipulated match the show usually includes many matches that involve gimmicks. That means that the matches between Finn Balor and Baron Corbin and Roman Reigns and Bobby Lashley are the first singles matches on the main card at Extreme Rules to not have a stipulation in more than five years.

The last time there was a singles match on the Extreme Rules main card without a stipulation was back in 2013 when Chris Jericho took on Fandango. Whilst there is still time for these two matches to have stipulations added, it would be interesting to find out why WWE hasn't included as many stipulations to this year's show as in previous years.

It is also worth noting that if a stipulation isn't added to Lashley vs Roman and it is made the main event, then it will be the first main event in Extreme Rules history that didn't have any kind of stipulation attached.

#3. Kane could make history once again

Kane could make history at Extreme Rules

Kane is a legend in the wrestling business, but after he failed to win the Andre The Giant Memorial Battle Royal at WrestleMania, he has taken a few months away from the company to focus on his blossoming political career.

Kane returned to help his old friend Daniel Bryan in his feud against The Bludgeon Brothers a few weeks ago and now he and the former World Champion have been handed a SmackDown Tag Team Championship match at Extreme Rules. Kane is already a 12 time Tag Team Champion and holds the record for the most amount of title reigns with different partners at seven, but this weekend he could become the first man to win every Tag Team Championship in WWE.

If Kane and Bryan are victorious he will become the first man to have won the WCW, WWE, Raw and SmackDown Tag Team Championships.

#2. First ever Women's Extreme Rules match

Alexa Bliss and Nia Jax are about to get Extreme

Is it really a WWE pay-per-view if the women aren't making history? Ten years ago that would not have been a valid question, but the Women's Revolution has been running wild and the addition of Ronda Rousey has definitely helped to push the women further forward than ever before.

Next weekend is the first time any females in WWE have ever competed in an Extreme Rules match, even though there have been no-disqualification matches before, which is basically what this is. Nia Jax hopes to reclaim her Championship from Alexa Bliss next Sunday night, but the interesting part of this is that Ronda Rousey will be at ringside, so with the disqualification element off, will the former UFC Champion play her part?

This is the third time that the Raw Women's Championship has been defended at Extreme Rules in the third different gimmick match. Charlotte defeated Natalya in a submission match back in 2016, before Alexa defeated Bayley in a Kendo Stick-on-a-pole match last year and now the women have the chance to go extreme next weekend.

#1. First Ironman Match at Extreme Rules

Rollins and Ziggler will put on a masterclass at Extreme Rules

Seth Rollins competes in his first Ironman match in WWE as he takes on Dolph Ziggler next weekend in the hopes that he can reclaim his Intercontinental Championship. Ziggler has been part of WWE for more than a decade, so it is thought that his experience would be his biggest asset but Ziggler hasn't been in an Ironman match before either.

There have been a number of interesting match stipulations at Extreme Rules over the past few years, but there has never been an Ironman match, actually, the last singles Ironman match that took place in WWE was between Sasha Banks and Charlotte at Roadblock: End of the Line back in 2016. Ironman matches are not usually WWE's first choice of gimmick, but Rollins and Ziggler both have the ability to steal the show with this one.