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WWE Stomping Grounds turned out to be one of WWE's better PPVs in recent memory. However, the company's ticket sales still have been very low. Thus, there is added pressure on the creatives to present a better show for their next PPV, Extreme Rules.
With SummerSlam quickly approaching and fans complaining about their predictable booking, WWE will try to pull off many surprises to garner the attention of fans. Here are the 3 Crazy booking decisions that WWE can make for this year’s Extreme Rules PPV:
#1 Samoa Joe wins the WWE Title
On the 24th June edition of RAW, Samoa Joe brutally attacked WWE Champion Kofi Kingston from behind and applied his dreaded Coquina Clutch. Soon after, it was announced that Samoa Joe would be challenging for the WWE Championship at Extreme Rules PPV.
With Joe being a RAW superstar, many fans are speculating that this is just a filler feud and that Kofi will retain his title. But then, Joe was able to choke the WWE Champion out on the 1st July edition of RAW. This may hint at a potential win for the Right Hand of Destruction at Extreme Rules.
Giving Joe a win here will be the best way to re-establish him as the monster heel he was in NXT.
Also Read: Unpopular Opinion: Triple H should not be given the reigns of the main roster anytime soon
Moreover, while KofiMania has lost a lot of steam, fans are still firmly behind the champion. Him losing the title can lead to reduced viewership in the future. Joe, however, has been a darling of the hardcore fans. Thus, the fans may accept him as the new champ.
Even if Joe's booed, he’s one wrestler who won’t succumb to the fan backlash but, instead, will only make use of it to make his feuds more compelling. We have seen how successful SmackDown Live was when it had a top heel in AJ Styles as its main champion. Joe's win will be a step in replicating that success.
Following a lengthy and dominant run by Joe, Roman Reigns can defeat him to reclaim his spot at the top of the mountain. Joe can lead the blue brand on its new television home, losing his title to Roman Reigns or even John Cena at the first episode of SD Live on FOX.
#2 Rise of an anti-hero
In what came as a shocker to many, WWE has decided to book The Undertaker on their July PPV. The Phenom will team up with Roman Reigns to take on Shane McMahon and Drew McIntyre. This match will possibly be the final one in the Reigns-McMahon saga. So, it makes sense if Reigns and Taker come out on top in this match.
McIntyre was red hot in NXT, but his run on the main roster hasn’t been that impressive. The Scottish Psychopath acted as the muscle for Dolph Ziggler before and is now doing the same job for Shane McMahon. As far as McIntyre’s booking is concerned, it’s now or never for WWE. With reports coming out that Taker has handpicked McIntyre to be his opponent at WrestleMania 36, WWE should waste no time in breaking Drew’s alliance with The Prodigal Son.
Post a loss at Extreme Rules; it should be Shane who snaps on McIntyre. But, it will be the former NXT champion who has the last laugh. This will allow WWE to establish McIntyre not as a classic baby face, but an edgier anti-hero, similar to Becky Lynch. Here’s how WWE should book McIntyre’s path to WrestleMania 36:
McIntyre should defeat Shane in a squash match at SummerSlam, before taking part in a host of other marquee matches. The former NXT Champion would then dominate the Royal Rumble match in January, before... the gong hits. Both Taker and McIntyre will be standing in the ring, face-to-face. The two men will eliminate each other and continue brawling, setting the tone for their match at WrestleMania 36. McIntyre should then defeat the Undertaker clean in a passing of the torch match.
While fans criticized WWE for booking Reigns to defeat The Undertaker, they will be happy about McIntyre retiring him.
#3 AJ Styles doesn't leave with the US Title
AJ Styles closed out Monday Night Raw this week by turning heel on Ricochet and realigning himself with Karl Anderson and Luke Gallows as The Club. Together, the three viciously beat down the reigning United States Champion, including a Super Styles Clash by the Phenomenal One. They then closed out the show by throwing up the "Too Sweet" hand sign from their days together in the Bullet Club over in New Japan.
Both Styles and Ricochet have developed a heated rivalry in just a few weeks, which is commendable in of itself. The next logical step in this rivalry would be to have the two men collide at Extreme Rules for the United States Championship. With Styles already having a clean victory over the US Champion, and his history with the title, fans may be predicting a title win for the Phenomenal One at the July PPV, but that should not be the case.
Ricochet won the title only a couple of weeks back and having him lose it right now is surely going to diminish the high flyer's credibility. Also, Ricochet's title win was presented as something huge, with both Seth Rollins and Triple H congratulating him on the win backstage. This proves that WWE might be looking to give Ricochet a lengthy run with the title. Ricochet should leave the arena with the star-spangled title, possibly defending it against Cesaro and Sami Zayn in a triple threat match at SummerSlam.
On the flip side, that doesn't mean that the leader of the Club will be losing at Extreme Rules. Styles should win the match via disqualification. This way, Styles will come out stronger in defeat without the title. The Phenomenal One should insert himself into the Universal Championship scenario once again, fighting either Rollins or both Rollins and Lesnar for the title at SummerSlam.
#4 A Double Turn?
Last week on SmackDown! Live, WWE hinted at a potential clash between Finn Balor and Shinsuke Nakamura for the Intercontinental Championship. While no official announcement has been made, this match seems to be set for Extreme Rules. Even though both men have not been on the TV for a long time, their legendary clash in NXT was memorable enough to get the fans hyped up.
While Shinsuke has been floundering on the main roster as a heel, he was the hottest thing as a face, both in NXT and the main roster. Each time his theme hit the Titantron, fans would sing to it while the King of Strong Style would make his way to the ring.
On the other hand, Finn had a very promising start as a face on the main roster. He became WWE’s inaugural Universal Champion on his first main roster PPV. But then, he was sidelined with an injury. Since his return, he too hasn’t been able to find his footing.
The momentum Balor had gained when he faced Lesnar at Royal Rumble 2019 PPV, was destroyed during his feud with Bobby Lashley. This has led to decreased screen time for Finn, even though he is the current IC champion.
While there is no doubt that their bout at Extreme Rules is going to be a classic, WWE can move a step further to create an historical moment by executing a double turn. Both Nakamura and Balor are directionless currently and a character change for both men will surely work well.
Their match at Extreme Rules should go back and forth, with Nakamura defeating Balor in quick fashion to win the Intercontinental Championship.We can have a show of respect after the match, before Balor snaps on Nakamura.
WWE can bring back the old ‘Rising Sun’ theme of Nakamura to firmly establish the fact that he has turned into a babyface. Shinsuke and Rollins shaking hands post their Universal Championship match at the Sumo Hall can be an indication of The Artist's impending face turn.
Finn’s character has grown stale and a heel turn could do wonders for his career. Not only would the Demon King become more fierce and unmerciful, but Finn ‘The Man’, too, will have some depth and edge to his character. Not to mention, with Styles reuniting the Club and the Wildcard rule in full effect (for now), Balor can join the Club, as well
Shinsuke’s run in NXT has proved that the guy can have a solid run with any title, despite his still developing English skills. A return to his previous gimmick with a strong booking is what the doctor might have ordered for Shinsuke Nakamura.
WWE's Extreme Rules will emanate live from the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania on the 11th of July, 2019.
What crazy decision, dear readers, do you think will be booked for the Extreme Rules 2019 PPV? Do drop in your valuable opinion in the comments box!
