WWE Extreme Rules 2020: Ranking every match at the PPV

By Divesh Merani
Modified Jul 23, 2020 13:58 IST
Extreme Rules was definitely a wild night.
Extreme Rules was definitely a wild night.

With the Horror Show at Extreme Rules, another WWE Performance Center pay-per-view is in the books. This was a pretty good show, with a consistent string of matches. There were some obvious highlights, with a couple of issues along the way.

We got six matches on the main card, including the cinematic Wyatt Swamp Fight in the main event. It was pretty weird, but we will get to it later. Apollo Crews vs. MVP was canceled, as the United States Champion was "not cleared" to compete.

The five in-ring matches at Extreme Rules were all good in their own way, and calling one of them the worst match on the show would be an extreme disservice to the fine action we were provided tonight.

Anyway, with that being said, here is every match at Extreme Rules 2020 ranked from "worst" to best.

#6 Bayley vs. Nikki Cross (SmackDown Women's Championship)

Bayley and Nikki Cross had a serviceable encounter at Extreme Rules, boosted by a pretty quick start. This was a great showcase for Cross, who was her ever-energetic self. She was motivated pre-match by her tag team partner, Alexa Bliss, and the Kabuki Warriors.

Bliss was present ringside, as was Sasha Banks. The Legit Boss played a pivotal role in the finish of the match, as she lent her 'BOSS' knuckles to Bayley, who hit Cross in the ribs with them en route to picking up the victory. The action before that was pretty decent, with minimal outside shenanigans.

Nikki Cross came close to winning the SmackDown Women's Title at Extreme Rules, casting some doubt on a rather predictable match. And that is the mark of a good match. Bayley did a typically excellent job of being the arrogant heel she has grown into.

It was a solid and standard effort, serving as a precursor to the second Women's Title match of the night between Asuka and Sasha Banks. Bayley remains on top of the Blue brand following Extreme Rules, along with her best friend.

#5 The New Day vs. Cesaro and Shinsuke Nakamura (Tables Match for the SmackDown Tag Team Championship)

The Horror Show at Extreme Rules opened with this all-action tag team tables match, as Cesaro and Shinsuke Nakamura stunningly defeated the New Day to win the SmackDown Tag Team Championship. This was a pretty fun and hard-hitting opener, one that set the tone for the rest of Extreme Rules.

We saw some aggressive sequences around the ring from all four Superstars, with each of them getting their licks in. Kofi Kingston flew all over the place, Big E showed off his immense strength, Nakamura's striking ability was on display, and Cesaro earned the victory for his team by powerbombing the former WWE Champion through a stack of two tables.

Hopefully, we get to see more of these two teams against each other after their fast start here. Whenever tasked with opening a pay-per-view, particularly in the past year, Big E and Kingston have delivered. Extreme Rules was another one of those fun New Day tag title openers.

However, it is finally time for Cesaro to shine. He looked incredible during this match, and his partnership with Nakamura seems set to flourish on SmackDown.

#4 Seth Rollins vs. Rey Mysterio (Eye for an Eye Match)

This was the personification of the Horror Show element of Extreme Rules, as Seth Rollins and Rey Mysterio attempted to extract each other's eye. We got an intense brawl that was surprisingly devoid of any outside interference. This was one of the more interesting matches at Extreme Rules.

Rollins and Mysterio came out of the blocks pretty much immediately, starting off quickly. We saw a host of tools and weapons during this match. The offense was smooth where possible, with most of it targetted towards both Rollins and Mysterio's eyes.

The action during the match was great, and it would have made for an excellent Extreme Rules Match, but the ridiculous stipulation weighed it down. But to be fair, the 'Eye for an Eye' gimmick did not get too silly. It would have been way more over-the-top.

This was the most violent Rey Mysterio has ever been in WWE, showing visible urgency in his movements. He even hit Rollins with a stomp of his own, but it was the 'Monday Night Messiah' who extracted his opponent's eye. The victor felt sick after the match, clearly affected by what he had caused.

#3 Bray Wyatt vs. Braun Strowman (Wyatt Swamp Fight)

Another one of the reasons why the show was called Horror Show at Extreme Rules, this cinematic experience was certainly as weird as the Firefly Fun House Match at WrestleMania, but more divisive. Braun Strowman arrived at his former home, ready for a fight, not knowing the lunacy of Bray Wyatt as well as he should have.

The Universal Champion was kidnapped and chained, getting bitten by a snake after Wyatt preached to him. The preaching perhaps went on for a bit too long, with more focus, preferably on the story of the action. We got more plot points, including a blast from Strowman's past.

His Mixed Match Challenge partner, Alexa Bliss, tempted him into the depths of the swamp as Sister Abigail. This was a great touch, making sense within the story. Wyatt and Strowman continued fighting until the latter kicked the former into his own swamp.

And just when it seemed like Extreme Rules was over, Bray Wyatt pulled Braun Strowman into the swamp as well with the mandible claw. Extreme Rules ended with The Fiend emerging from underneath and saying, "Let Me In".

This was hard to judge. While not as good as some of the other cinematic matches, Wyatt clearly thrives in this environment. What happens next in his saga with Strowman is anybody's guess. However, some of the in-ring offerings at Extreme Rules felt much more satisfying, either in their layout or in their conclusion.

#2 Drew McIntyre vs. Dolph Ziggler (Partial Extreme Rules Match for the WWE Championship)

For one of the most predictable pay-per-view matches of the year, WWE did a great job at giving us some drama. Nobody bought Dolph Ziggler as a challenger for the WWE Championship heading into Extreme Rules, but there was still some intrigue surrounding the stipulation he would pick.

Ziggler chose an Extreme Rules Match for himself only, and if Drew McIntyre were to get disqualified or counted out, we would lose the title. What followed was a brilliant performance by both men. McIntyre was visibly frustrated and had to fight from behind against the clever Showoff.

The two former RAW Tag Team Champions crafted a great match, where Ziggler hit all of his big moves following usage of chairs and a huge elbow drop through a table. But in the end, the WWE Champion reigned supreme. McIntyre connected with a sweet Claymore Kick to retain his title and presumably head into SummerSlam with the gold.

Again, Ziggler winning at Extreme Rules was near impossible, but at least we got an enjoyable match out of it.

#1 Asuka vs. Sasha Banks (RAW Women's Championship)

Aside from the vastly confusing finish, the RAW Women's Championship match between Asuka and Sasha Banks was brilliant. This was predictably the best match at Extreme Rules, with both women putting on excellent showings. There was no way of knowing who would win the match, even before the end.

We got a good twenty minutes of some of the finest in-ring work we have seen in WWE recently. Banks and Asuka are very clearly at the top of their respective games. We saw stiff shots from both performers, as the final portion of the match took things into another gear.

The Legit Boss had an opening following a flurry of offensive moves before she slipped off the ropes and began selling her knee. Her desperation at that moment was unmatched. She felt like she really needed that title. Bayley and Kairi Sane got into it outside the ring as well. And after the referee was taken out by Asuka's green mist, chaos ensued.

The one downfall from this match was the convoluted finish, which saw Bayley hit Asuka with the Women's Tag Team Championship belt, before putting on the referee shirt and counting the pinfall for Banks. She gave the RAW Women's Title to her best friend, but the title change is not official. At least not as Extreme Rules went off the air.

We will have to tune in to the RAW after Extreme Rules to find out what happens next in this complex story between Bayley, Sasha Banks and now, Asuka. It was a frustrating ending, but the match that preceded it was an absolute belter. It was still the best match at the Horror Show that was Extreme Rules 2020.

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