WWE Extreme Rules 2016
May 2016, Newark, New Jersey
CHAMPIONSHIP RUNDOWN: Coming into tonight's show, Roman Reigns is the WWE World Champion, Kalisto holds the United States Championship, The Miz is the Intercontinental Champion, the New Day hold the WWE Tag Team Championships, and Charlotte is the Womens' Champion.
COMMENTATORS: JBL, Michael Cole, and Byron Saxton
Full disclose - I've been out of the loop on the WWE since the dismal WrestleMania show. My interest perked up a teensy bit after Payback due to the strong main event, but not enough to make me a regular RAW viewer like I was during the peak of Daniel Bryan's run or even some of the more exciting stretches when Brock Lesnar and the Undertaker were feuding and John Cena was regularly putting on great US Title defenses.
Tonight's show kicks off with a fairly by-the-numbers Tornado Tag Team Match between The Usos and Luke Gallows and Karl Anderson. The Usos get booed pretty harshly here by the New Jersey crowd, which is kinda sad. It wasn't too long ago that they were putting on good-to-great matches against Rowan and Harper and the Dust Brothers, but sports are always "What Have You Done For Me Lately?" endeavors and, since returning from injury, the face-painted Samoans have been in an unenviable position: not popular enough to be the top tag team in a division featuring the New Day, not established enough as veteran characters to make it as "tweeners" like the Dudleys did, and not fresh enough to offer the excitement that Big Cass and Enzo or even the Lucha Dragons did when they first burst onto the scene. Anywho...Gallows and Anderson have some excellent double-team maneuvers up their sleeves and the Usos, despite their unpopularity, continue to be fluid, engaging workers with good timing and spirit. Its not necessarily their fault their rose lost its bloom after 5+ years with the company and very little by the way of character development. Too short to be memorable beyond some good spots here and there. (2/5)
The United States Championship was on the line in our next contest - Rusev challenging Kalisto. This was the Rusev I fell in love with in 2014: super serious, destructive, lacking all remorse. While hardly an epic contest, this one not only didn't need to be - it shouldn't have been and it wasn't. Kalisto came into the bout damaged from a vicious Accolade on RAW, which meant that Rusev had the advantage for the majority of the match and simply didn't let up, showing off his impressive strength and complete unwillingness to let Kalisto catch his breath for more than a moment. The luchadore's comeback efforts were valiant without being miraculous or overdone, while the finishing sequence was every bit as devastating as it needed to be to make it definitive and draw heat (though, some of the New Jersey crowd's "snarky-n'-smarky" cheering of the Bulgarian Brute was considerably more annoying than it was for their booing of the Usos in the opener). Again, not an all-time classic, but the kind of match that gets from Point A-to-Point B the correct way while still providing enough quality moments to make it worth watching, even if the outcome wasn't necessarily in question. (3/5)
The New Day defended the WWE World Tag Team Championships against The Vaudevillains next. I've been critical of the New Day's act over the past few months, nonplussed by their relatively lackluster WrestleMania entrance and a bit bored of their shtick, but I thought they were really strong in their pre-match promo and in-ring performance tonight. Instead of talking over each other, they gave each other some space and let their lines breathe - particularly the "Let me shoot my shot" line that I found to be pretty fresh (again, this may be because I haven't watched RAW in a few months). I worried that the Vaudevillains would flounder on the main roster, their one-note act not necessarily designed to carry them for long, but this match showed that, juxtaposed against an over, "fun" team, they have their place. What is particularly interesting about English and Gotch is that, like the New Day, their appearances and style differ, giving the fans the variety they don't necessarily get out of the Usos or the Dudleys or even Anderson and Gallows. Well-structured match with some good nearfalls that also gave us some much-needed ring-time for Xavier Woods. (2.5/5)
The next bout was a Fatal Fourway for the Intercontinental Champions - The Miz defending against Cesaro, Sami Zayn, and Kevin Owens. I enjoyed pretty much every second of this match, from the entrances (finally, the champion gets to come out last) to the excellent opening series (Zayn stunning Owens with a kick to the noggin in the corner and Cesaro one-upping him by uppercutting Miz into oblivion) to the frenzy of signature spots each guy got in (save for The Miz, whose signature spot might just be breaking up pinning combinations). There were at least a half-dozen great moments, but what I may have liked most was that there was less shoe-horning than one might expect. Owens didn't bust out a moonsault or his small package shoulder-breaker. Cesaro didn't hit his usual duplex-from-the-apron spot. Zayn's tornado DDT was absent. The Miz didn't bother with his guaranteed heat-generating figure four. Instead, things developed organically and the action never paused for intricate set-ups just so someone could "get their shit in." While Cesaro seemed to be the centerpiece at times, even this seemed to make logical sense when you consider the roles that the other participants played - Miz, the least credible worker, had to be on the outskirts trying to retain his gold at opportunistic times, Zayn and Owens being distracted by their undying hatred for the other made perfect sense, and Cesaro, the Swiss Superman, should be in the mix at all times because he is, undoubtedly, the greatest pure athlete in not only this match but any match he's wrestling. Some fans will no doubt criticize the ending, but the "out of nowhere" finish, uncaptured by the cameras, was brilliant. Miz didn't just steal the victory from his opponents, but he stole it from the fans too, pinning a beaten man when almost nobody, save the fans in the front row, even saw him do it. From a production standpoint, its a risky move that I predict some will claim was a mistake by Kevin Dunn - but I'm willing to wager that it was a purposeful move and actually a rather novel one that was also put over beautifully by Cole (is that my first Cole compliment ever?). Cole called this a Match of the Year contender and while I may not hoist exactly as much praise on it, I would call it one of the better matches I've seen over the past few months. (4/5)
The first ever Asylum Match was next - Chris Jericho vs. Dean Ambrose. I was not a fan of their straight-up match at Payback and this one was only a touch better, largely due to the setting and weaponry. There were some stiff shots to and from both men, especially with the weightlifting belt, but after the action of the previous match, this match seemed to drag for stretches to the point that you could hear the fatigue in the commentator's voice. At one point, the crowd seemed to be chanting for Seth Rollins, a surefire sign that Dean Ambrose, despite a warm reception for his entrance, is far, far, far away from the must-see performer he was around this time two years ago. The closing quarter of the match were the most thrilling minutes thanks to the addition of a sizable amount of thumbtacks (and the requisite teasing that came with them). Kudos to Chris Jericho for taking a nasty, Attitude Era-level bump that meant so much more in 2016 than it might've meant 15 years ago when blood was much more prominent. Like Shane McMahon's ridiculous stunt at WrestleMania, though, one good spot can't lift an otherwise tedious match too high. I'm not sure these two have the in-ring chemistry that the Creative Team thinks they do. (2/5)
The Women's Championship was defended in the next match, Charlotte vs. Natalya in a Submission Match where Ric Flair was banned from ringside. I'm a fan of both competitors, but like their Payback match, this match didn't flow as smoothly as I expected, Natalya looking just a touch sluggish and Charlotte showing a tad too little of the character work that has made her such a respectable torchbearer for the division. On the positive side, Charlotte's innovative leglocks showed good psychology and helped make it clear what her intention was at every turn of the contest. Unfortunately, the finish seemed to come too early, not really delivering the suspense that it needed to. As a prelude to the future, I'm curious how Dana Brooke will function as Charlotte's left-hand woman and how she will mesh with Naitch, but aside from that, this match was nothing more than filler. (1.5/5)
Main event time - Roman Reigns defending the WWE World Championship against AJ Styles. These two had an excellent match at Payback and I loved how this one picked up right where that one left off, Styles and Reigns taking very little time before starting to bust out big maneuvers, brawling in the crowd and teasing (and then executing) all sorts of furniture destruction. The crowd, which seemed to be at least 75% in favor of the Phenomenal One, popped huge for the major spots, including an absolute awesome back body drop from one table to the other by Reigns that drew a "You Still Suck" chant from the deep-voiced attendees. Reigns followed it up with a Razor's Edge-into-a-Sitout Powerbomb (if I'm not mistaken this was Konnan's finisher at's one point), but couldn't close the deal. Styles went to work on Reign's knee, but the Champ continued to fight on, swinging Styles into the apron, the barricade, and then powerbombing him through a second table for good measure in one of the best sequences of moves Reigns has ever whipped together. Styles seemed to get a second chance at a victory when he ducked a Reigns spear, but after trying to hit his Phenomenal Forearm from the ropes, he got hit with a Superman Punch, knocking him all the way onto the arena floor in an impressive, perfectly-executed fall. After connecting with a spear on the outside, Reigns looked to be in position to finish the match until, once again, Gallows and Anderson showed up to try to help their old traveling buddy. This caused the Usos to come out as well in a sequence not dissimilar to what had happened at Payback. Again, though, the run-ins proved fruitless, the match continuing into a one-on-one clash of false finishes, including two Styles Clashes. With no other choice but to become absolutely vicious, Styles grabbed a chair and went to work on all three Samoans, leveling them with chairshot after chairshot before setting up for a final Phenomenal Forearm. Using his last bit of strength, though, Reigns was able to counter it with his spear for the finish. While not quite as riveting as their Payback match, Styles/Reigns delivered a worthy main event and once again showed not only how special their chemistry is but also how serious the WWE should be taking AJ Styles as not a "future" superstar, but a present one. (4/5)
I'm not going to reward a bonus point for the last minute appearance by Seth Rollins, but it was a nice moment that effectively pointed at Reigns' next big challenge.
With a Kwang score of 2.71-out-of-5, Extreme Rules 2016 earned a near-identical higher score than Payback, but that extra .01 was noticeable. Unlike Payback, which featured a dreadful and ultimately meaningless McMahon-centric in-ring segment, Extreme Rules was the WWE doing what the WWE should be doing: offering a diverse series of high-stakes wrestling matches. Unfortunately, Jericho/Ambrose was lipstick on a pig, a slog of a match that the audience tired on early that was only salvaged somewhat by liberal use of weapons. Natalya/Charlotte under-delivered and the opening match was nothing worth watching, Gallows and Anderson coming across as nothing too special in what should've been a showcase performance. Fortunately, two strong Match of the Year-level contests, the Intercontinental Title Match and the main event, evened things out.
FINAL RATING - Watch It...With Remote in Hand
The first ever Asylum Match was next - Chris Jericho vs. Dean Ambrose. I was not a fan of their straight-up match at Payback and this one was only a touch better, largely due to the setting and weaponry. There were some stiff shots to and from both men, especially with the weightlifting belt, but after the action of the previous match, this match seemed to drag for stretches to the point that you could hear the fatigue in the commentator's voice. At one point, the crowd seemed to be chanting for Seth Rollins, a surefire sign that Dean Ambrose, despite a warm reception for his entrance, is far, far, far away from the must-see performer he was around this time two years ago. The closing quarter of the match were the most thrilling minutes thanks to the addition of a sizable amount of thumbtacks (and the requisite teasing that came with them). Kudos to Chris Jericho for taking a nasty, Attitude Era-level bump that meant so much more in 2016 than it might've meant 15 years ago when blood was much more prominent. Like Shane McMahon's ridiculous stunt at WrestleMania, though, one good spot can't lift an otherwise tedious match too high. I'm not sure these two have the in-ring chemistry that the Creative Team thinks they do. (2/5)
The Women's Championship was defended in the next match, Charlotte vs. Natalya in a Submission Match where Ric Flair was banned from ringside. I'm a fan of both competitors, but like their Payback match, this match didn't flow as smoothly as I expected, Natalya looking just a touch sluggish and Charlotte showing a tad too little of the character work that has made her such a respectable torchbearer for the division. On the positive side, Charlotte's innovative leglocks showed good psychology and helped make it clear what her intention was at every turn of the contest. Unfortunately, the finish seemed to come too early, not really delivering the suspense that it needed to. As a prelude to the future, I'm curious how Dana Brooke will function as Charlotte's left-hand woman and how she will mesh with Naitch, but aside from that, this match was nothing more than filler. (1.5/5)
Main event time - Roman Reigns defending the WWE World Championship against AJ Styles. These two had an excellent match at Payback and I loved how this one picked up right where that one left off, Styles and Reigns taking very little time before starting to bust out big maneuvers, brawling in the crowd and teasing (and then executing) all sorts of furniture destruction. The crowd, which seemed to be at least 75% in favor of the Phenomenal One, popped huge for the major spots, including an absolute awesome back body drop from one table to the other by Reigns that drew a "You Still Suck" chant from the deep-voiced attendees. Reigns followed it up with a Razor's Edge-into-a-Sitout Powerbomb (if I'm not mistaken this was Konnan's finisher at's one point), but couldn't close the deal. Styles went to work on Reign's knee, but the Champ continued to fight on, swinging Styles into the apron, the barricade, and then powerbombing him through a second table for good measure in one of the best sequences of moves Reigns has ever whipped together. Styles seemed to get a second chance at a victory when he ducked a Reigns spear, but after trying to hit his Phenomenal Forearm from the ropes, he got hit with a Superman Punch, knocking him all the way onto the arena floor in an impressive, perfectly-executed fall. After connecting with a spear on the outside, Reigns looked to be in position to finish the match until, once again, Gallows and Anderson showed up to try to help their old traveling buddy. This caused the Usos to come out as well in a sequence not dissimilar to what had happened at Payback. Again, though, the run-ins proved fruitless, the match continuing into a one-on-one clash of false finishes, including two Styles Clashes. With no other choice but to become absolutely vicious, Styles grabbed a chair and went to work on all three Samoans, leveling them with chairshot after chairshot before setting up for a final Phenomenal Forearm. Using his last bit of strength, though, Reigns was able to counter it with his spear for the finish. While not quite as riveting as their Payback match, Styles/Reigns delivered a worthy main event and once again showed not only how special their chemistry is but also how serious the WWE should be taking AJ Styles as not a "future" superstar, but a present one. (4/5)
I'm not going to reward a bonus point for the last minute appearance by Seth Rollins, but it was a nice moment that effectively pointed at Reigns' next big challenge.
With a Kwang score of 2.71-out-of-5, Extreme Rules 2016 earned a near-identical higher score than Payback, but that extra .01 was noticeable. Unlike Payback, which featured a dreadful and ultimately meaningless McMahon-centric in-ring segment, Extreme Rules was the WWE doing what the WWE should be doing: offering a diverse series of high-stakes wrestling matches. Unfortunately, Jericho/Ambrose was lipstick on a pig, a slog of a match that the audience tired on early that was only salvaged somewhat by liberal use of weapons. Natalya/Charlotte under-delivered and the opening match was nothing worth watching, Gallows and Anderson coming across as nothing too special in what should've been a showcase performance. Fortunately, two strong Match of the Year-level contests, the Intercontinental Title Match and the main event, evened things out.
FINAL RATING - Watch It...With Remote in Hand
No comments:
Post a Comment