This past weekend’s Extreme Rules pay-per-view was appropriately held in Philadelphia, the home of the original extreme promotion. Still, I’m not a fan of these gimmick pay-per-views, simply because by nature, a card full of stipulation matches lessens the importance and effectiveness of each individual stipulation. Furthermore, the most basic pro wrestling psychology will illustrate that gimmick matches should only be booked when a particular feud justifies a stipulation, not because of a certain PPV on the calendar.
That said, the WWE uses these gimmick shows as a marketing tool, as well as a booking crutch because the matches are less about the storylines and more about the stipulations. Regardless, there were some key takeaways from this broadcast, including a conclusion that many are still talking about a few days later.
The show opened with the six man tag “Donnybrook match,” which was a way to get a jump start to the card. All things considered, it was a solid bout, but with a 20-minute segment, I think this one went a little too long, stalling at certain points. Any extended brawl will have flat points, but with only six matches on the line-up, it became very clear as the night progressed that the office wanted to stretch segments to cover for the lack of a world title match at the show. Speaking of which, I understand that it makes sense to showcase the very well-produced video packages for each contest, but with the addition of commercials throughout the broadcast, there were way too many delays between matches. I’m not sure how exactly management should tighten this up, but the ten minutes of cannon fodder between the matches made for a very tedious viewing experience. The Brawling Brutes got the victory, with Sheamus getting the pin. That was a wise decision because it helps keep him strong after the tainted defeat on Smackdown. It’s also ironic that it took the stellar match with Gunter at Clash at the Castle for a portion of the audience to realize what a quality performer Sheamus is in the ring. I think the perception of his skill set was skewed over the years with some subpar booking, considering that his run as King Sheamus or as the leader of the League of Nations faction didn’t exactly elevate his career. However, make no mistake about it, Sheamus can go, and it’s good to see that he received a level of recognition for it.
I get the local tie-in with The Miz skits backstage, but on a show where there were already an absurd amount of delays between the action, none of the promos were necessary.
The Liv Morgan/Ronda Rousey match a sloppy, clunky, and subpar performance. As I’ve said before, the novelty of Ronda in WWE wore off, and her current run proves that much of her early success was based on more sizzle than substance. These two fumbled their way around the ring, which made both look subpar in the process. Considering that Liv’s current title run was thought to move her up the ladder in terms of star power, this contest actually made her look like someone that isn’t ready for the championship. The finish was very sloppy, and this was definitely the low point of the pay-per-view. Taking in account how in over her head Ronda looked for the majority of this, I’m not sure what another title run for her will accomplish. There was speculation that Morgan might be a part of a rumored faction with Bray Wyatt so that might’ve been the reason she dropped the title. Either way, if you didn’t have to sit through this bout live, it’s best to skip it during the replay on Peacock.
Thankfully, the card picked up from there with the Drew McIntyre vs. Karrion Kross strap match. I’m not sure Karrion Kross will necessarily be the guy to eventually main event Wrestlemania, but his return so far continues to prove that he’s much more valuable than the gladiator helmet that Vince McMahon put him in before he was released. Scarlett does very well in her role as a valet and understands how to present her character through body language and facial expressions. The entrance works very well and helps the act stand out from the rest of the roster. The match itself was solid and it was the physical match that it had to be if it was going to be successful, given the stipulation. It’s disappointing that Drew didn’t truly get a prime run with the championship because of the pandemic, but the guy has all the tools you can ask for in a quality pro wrestler. The finish allowed Kross to get the win, but also allowed for a disputed finish so there’s more to accomplish with the feud.
Speaking of quality pro wrestlers, Bianca Belair and Bayley have all the talent to be top stars in the company. The ladder match was probably the best bout on the card, and the crowd reaction to the conclusion of the contest proved just how over these two are with the audience. They used the ladder in the match without it took too choreographed or phony, which tends to happen in the modern era of spot fest. Bianca got the victory, and considering how over she is with the audience, it would be a wise decision to continue her title reign as long as possible because she continues to become a bigger star throughout this run. Bayley is such a well-rounded performer with skills on the mic and in the ring that I don’t think the defeat diminishes her status on Raw.
I’ve read feedback online that claim that the Last Man Standing match was a “masterpiece,” but I have to disagree. Maybe in a vacuum the match was more than how it was presented live, or I’m just missing something, but from my perspective, it was a tedious 20 minutes of fluff before a very compelling ten minutes at the conclusion. That said, it was a great finish, and the current angle rejuvenated The Judgment Day, which was thought to be a stable that might completely flop a few months ago.
There’s not too much to say about the Fit Pit main event, it was decent for what it was, but the set up of the match doesn’t lend itself to the 15 minutes this contest had to finish the card. Riddle getting the win makes sense with his MMA background, and Seth Rollins won the US title on Raw so the results of the match are mostly moot.
The final segment of the Bray Wyatt return was a very memorable moment that will be something fans talk about in retrospect years from now. It was top quality sports entertainment done right, which stands out even more when WWE’s previous attempts at this type of presentation were memorable for all the wrong reasons in the past. I detailed in previous articles why Bray Wyatt is such a top guy if given the opportunity, and how WWE missed the boat more times on him than possibly any other star in the history of the company so there’s no reason to retread all of that again. The biggest takeaway from the massive reaction that Wyatt received is that regardless of how much the office fumbled his career in the past, Bray Wyatt is money. Somehow, management will get yet another chance to run with Bray Wyatt as a star so it will be interesting to see if they fully utilize him as a major star for the company.
What do you think? Share your thoughts, opinions, feedback, and anything else that was raised on Twitter @PWMania and Facebook.com/PWMania.
Until next week
-Jim LaMotta
E mail [email protected] | You can follow me on Twitter @jimlamotta
