WWE Extreme Rules 2012

WWE Extreme Rules 2012

Chicago, IL - April 2012

CHAMPIONSHIP RUNDOWN: Coming into this show, the WWE Champion was CM Punk, the World Heavyweight Champion was Sheamus, the Intercontinental Champion was The Big Show, and the United States Champion was Santino Marella. The WWE Tag Team Champions were The Colons (Epico and Primo, who I was amazed to see were still under contract up until the April mass firing) and the Divas Champion was Nikki Bella.

Extreme Rules 2012 begins with a bit of a shocker - a sizable pop for Kane upon his arrival to take on Randy Orton in a Falls Count Anywhere match. I'm not sure how this feud/storyline started but we get a video package highlighting the way these two went after eachother's fathers ("Cowboy" Bob Orton and Paul Bearer). Orton was the babyface so he gets an even bigger pop. It doesn't take long for these two to bring the fight out of the ring and into the crowd, brawling through the stands. At one point, Orton sits Kane against a barricade and runs into him with his knee and its brutal in its simplicity. To his credit, Kane retaliates with a low dropkick on the floor that also looks great. I'm not a huge fan of either guy but they work hard in this match, maybe motivated by the fact that they were put in the opener? When they make their way backstage, the lack of crowd response is a bit jarring. Zack Ryder shows up out of nowhere and attempts to take Kane out but gets no-sold. Ryder gets tossed aside like a clown as Orton and Kane continue to fight. Back in front of the crowd, Orton regains control and tosses Kane back into the ring. Orton hits his trademark bodyslam and then grabs a chair, walloping Kane's back with it. Orton clears off the announce table and hits Kane with a hangman DDT off of it. Minutes later, Orton hits Kane with a superplex but only gets 2. Orton goes for an RKO but Kane pushes him away and then hits him with a Chokeslam for 2, the Chicago crowd biting hard on it. Kane calls for the Tombstone, attempting to drive him into the chair, but Orton escapes and then hits him with an RKO for the clean win. While the commentators talked about how back-and-forth it was, to my eyes it was a fairly dominant Orton performance as he hit nearly every one of his signature moves with relative ease. Seeing Kane take so much punishment, even from a main eventer like Orton, is odd considering how much they've protected Kane over the years. (3/5)

Backstage, John Laurenaitis, the General Manager of both RAW and SmackDown, and his executive assistant Eve Torres embarrass Teddy Long. 

Brodus Clay, along with the Funkadactyls (Cameron and Naomi) and Hornswoggle, make their way down the aisle next. Clay's entrance is spoiled by the arrival of Vickie Guerrero, who introduces her client and Clay's opponent - Dolph Ziggler. Ziggler is accompanied to the ring by Jack Swagger, a partnership I totally forgot about. Despite being the heel, Ziggler has the Chicago crowd behind him. Clay isn't awful, but he's nothing special. He had a tremendous look, no doubt, but his offense was unremarkable. This was filler, but at least it didn't eat up much time. (2/5)

The Intercontinental Champion, The Big Show, defends the title against Cody Rhodes in a Tables Match next. These two had surprisingly good chemistry, which I'm guessing has something to do with how far these two go back; Rhodes being a self-proclaimed "WCW Guy" and Big Show being such a huge figure in mid-90s WCW. Show dominates (as he should), but accidentally steps through a table after a Cody Rhodes dropkick, losing the match by technicality. I'm not sure what I think of the finish - on one hand, it was maybe too "out of nowhere" for me and wasn't built up, but at the same time, the fact that it was unpredictable and sudden was kinda the whole point. I like Big Show's post-match attack too, especially Big Show press slamming Rhodes out of the ring and through a table. This was different and different is good. (3/5)

Backstage, Daniel Bryan cuts a heel promo about Sheamus. Bryan is over with the Chicago crowd but cuts them down too. As he walks toward the ring, we can see Bryan's spurned ex-girlfriend, AJ Lee, is watching from the shadows, 

After a video package recapping their feud, it is time for Sheamus vs. Bryan in a 2-out-of-3 Falls Match for Sheamus' World Heavyweight Championship. The crowd is a bit split - some fans chanting "Daniel Bryan" and booing Sheamus and some fans clearly rooting for the World Heavyweight Champ. Sheamus shows off some good technique early on, hitting his rolling fireman's carry and then applying a cloverleaf. Bryan uses his speed to gain control, though, connecting with a dropkick that sends Sheamus to the arena floor. Another "Daniel Bryan" chant starts up, but the other half of the crowd shows their support for Sheamus too. Bryan does some strong heel work, attempting to break Sheamus' fingers and pull his shoulder out of its socket. Bryan's cut-offs through this initial "heat" segment are uniformly sharp - nothing super fancy or showy, but all efficient. Sheamus eventually puts together a string of power moves, including a fallaway slam that gets him a nearfall. Sheamus attempts a tackle in the corner but Bryan moves away and hits Sheamus with a nasty kick to the face. Bryan attempts a hurricanrana from the top, but instead Sheamus hits him with a battering ram from the top for 2. Sheamus attempts a vertical suplex, but Bryan escapes and Sheamus ends up on the arena floor. Bryan attempts a dive, but Sheamus meets him with a forearm to the head. Sheamus attempts one of his trademark powerbombs, but Bryan escapes again and gets a 2 count with a roll-up. Bryan tries to apply the Yes Lock, but he just can't lock it in. Bryan goes to the corner and Sheamus follows, but Bryan dodges and the big man goes right into the post. Bryan follows it up by ramming him shoulder-first into the post on the outside. Its not the most original twist, but I like Bryan continuing to target the shoulder afterwards, not just using it as a transitional move. Back in the ring, Bryan lays in a series of stiff kicks to Sheamus' shoulder, not stopping until the referee pulls him away and rewards the first fall to Sheamus by DQ. Bryan quickly ties things up, though, hitting Sheamus with a running kick in the corner and then applying the Yes Lock. Sheamus never actually taps, but its clear that Bryan has him defeated, the referee making another judgment call. Bryan leads the crowd in a "Yes" chant, but there are also a fair number of fans chanting "No!" back at him. A doctor comes into the ring to check on Sheamus, the babyface not looking too heroic. Sheamus decides to continue and Bryan attempts another running kick in the coner, but Sheamus stuns him with a Brogue Kick! He can't make the cover quick enough, though, so Bryan kicks out at 2 (much to the delight of at least half the crowd). Bryan pulls himself up with the help of the ropes and lays in more kicks, eventually knocking Sheamus square in the head with one. Bryan gets a 2 count and then goes to the top rope. Sheamus cuts him off, though, hitting him with a barrage of forearms. Sheamus attempts a superplex but Bryan headbutts him to the mat. Bryan goes for a diving headbutt but Sheamus rolls away. Bryan attempts another running dropkick in the corner but Sheamus dodges and hits a couple axehandles on the challenger. Sheamus hits the Irish Curse backbreaker and then hits Bryan with a Brogue Kick to finish him. I was expecting a "bigger" finishing sequence, but you can't be disappointed with a clean finish to an all-out war like that match. A really good match, but I'll admit to not being quite as "high" on it as others. (4/5)

Two jobbers, Aaron Relic and Jay Hutton, stand in the ring and cut a promo about their opponent tonight - Ryback. The fans chant "Goldberg" at Ryback as he destroys his opponents without breaking a sweat. Ryback's "Feed Me More" chant had not yet taken off, but a year from this he'd actually be pretty over. This was "filler" but it was fun enough and we got to see Ryback hit an awesome clothesline. (2.5/5)

After a quick promo backstage, it is time for our WWE Championship Match - CM Punk defending the title against Chris Jericho in a Chicago Street Fight. Punk gets a huge ovation from his hometown crowd. He's dressed for a streetfight, sporting a "Drug Free" t-shirt and a pair of jeans. Punk controls early, grabbing a kendo stick and tossing two chairs into the ring. An "ECW" chant starts up for no apparent reason. Jericho is great as a cowardly-but-crafty heel early, hiding behind Mike Chioda and poking Punk in the eye to cut off the Champ's momentum. Jericho follows it up with a springboard dropkick that sends Punk to the floor. Jericho controls for a few minutes but doesn't do much more than toss Punk into the barricade and hit him with some random weapons. Things pick up a little when he peels back the top of the barricade and beats down the champ right in front of his sister/close friend Chaleen. Punk goes wild and tears the tops off of both tables, slamming Jericho through one. Punk attempts a piledriver on the floor but Jericho counters it into a back body drop. Jericho then hits him with a monitor and then breaks the announce table cover over his back. Booker T talks about how this is "what a Chicago Street Fight is all about," but back in the ring, Jericho applies a chinlock - maybe the most non-street fight move possible. Punk counters with a back suplex and then attempts a springboard clothesline but slips off and Jericho levels him with a kendo stick shot. Jericho goes to the outside and grabs a beer from under the ring. He tries to pour it on Punk, but it only serves to energize him, Punk taking over the match as the crowd goes wild. The energy of the Chicago fans are definitely carrying this match more than the action - which is fine, but not nearly as "hardcore" as we know these two were capable of. Punk delivers a big elbow drop and the crowd erupts into a "Randy Savage" chant but he's unable to hit the GTS and Jericho ends up back in control after a bulldog. Jericho attempts the Lionsault but Punk catches him in an Electric Chair and then attempts another Go To Sleep. Jericho escapes and sends him face-first into a chair in the corner for 2. Punk and Jericho sell exhaustion but Jericho manages to apply the Walls of Jericho. Punk makes it to the ropes but there's no rope break in a streetfight! Punk grabs a fire extinguisher from under the ring and blows it into Jericho's face to break the hold! A "CM Punk" chant emerges in appreciation as Jericho tries to wipe his eyes in the ref's shirt. Punk rams the extinguisher into Jericho's stomach twice and then hits him with a big kick that sends him onto the announce table. Punk then launches himself from the top rope onto Jericho through the table! Again, not the most innovative spot but still a crowd-pleaser and an impressive bit of violence. Punk rolls Jericho back into the ring but only gets 2. Punk applies the Anaconda Vice, but Jericho grabs the kendo stick and bashes Punk over the head with it to escape. A "This is Awesome" chant starts and while I wouldn't say the whole match was awesome, the past few minutes have been very good. Jericho hits a chair-assisted Codebreaker but only gets 2! Jericho hits him with a kendo stick but is clearly at a loss for what to do to put away the Champ. Jericho attempts a Go To Sleep, but Punk counters it and catapults Jericho into the corner. Punk hits the Go To Sleep and gets the win. There were good moments sprinkled through this match and the audience's energy can not be ignored, but CM Punk didn't come across nearly unhinged enough for me and there was little to no innovation. Not a bad match, but not as great as it could've and should've been. (3/5)

Backstage, the Bellas get into it with Eve Torres. Nikki Bella had only recently won the Divas Champion from Beth Pheonix, but her opponent tonight was Layla. Bella would gain a reputation as being a better-than-decent worker in her last couple of years, but she was still putting everything together at this point. Unsurprisingly, we get some "Twin Magic," but it backfires as Layla pins Brie Bella to become the Divas Champion. Not a great match - not even a good match - and I'm not necessarily why they opted to put the title on Layla (who wasn't exactly known for her in-ring abilities either), but it didn't overstay its welcome and it served as a "palate cleanser" after the WWE Championship match just fine. (1.5/5)

Main event time - John Cena vs. Brock Lesnar. This was Lesnar's first match back in the WWE after a lengthy and controversial sabbatical that saw him gain even more credibility and star power by winning the UFC Heavyweight Championship. Cena, meanwhile, came into this match after the biggest loss of his career (up to this point) - to The Rock at WrestleMania XXVIII. Its a bit weird to see Lesnar walk out without Paul Heyman by his side, but Heyman wouldn't return to the WWE for another year or two if I recall correctly. Lesnar takes out Cena early, grinding his forearm into Cena and cutting him open within the first minute. It is brutal to watch, but Cena fights back and this match comes off as "realer" than anything I've seen in years. A medic comes into the ring to try to stop Cena's bleeding, but he is losing a ton of blood from the top of his head all thanks to Lesnar's elbows. Cena dives again at Lesnar, but Brock has no trouble laying on him and pummeling with his punches to the head. Lesnar hits him with some knees to the stomach and Cena rolls to the outside, completely overwhelmed. As Cena crawls back into the ring, the blood continues to flow and there's another ref stoppage (which draws boos from the heartless Chicago fans). Lesnar tries running into him, but Cena catches him with a back elbow. Lesnar rebounds, though, and hits Cena with two german suplexes - shades of what would happen when they met again at SummerSlam 2013. The match slows down a bit, Lesnar allowing Cena to get to his feet just so he can punish him some more. Lesnar applies a Kimura Lock and sends him into the turnbuckle. Lesnar reapplies it on the outside and sends Cena into the barricade before grabbing Cena's chain from the post. Lesnar wraps it around his fist, but opts not to use it. Lesnar drives another knee into Lesnar's ribs and then wraps the chain around Cena's feet. Cena barely manages to stand up and Lesnar brings him right back down to the mat with a nasty clothesline. Lesnar hangs Cena on the post and brutalizes him even more, smashing his arm against the ring apron. This is the Lesnar that I wish we still got today - not just vicious and powerful, but innovative. Lesnar goes to find a ref but it allows Cena to get in a flurry of offense. Lesnar cuts him off and sends him into the steps before tossing Charles Robinson back into the ring. Cena crawls back in, the chain in his hand. Lesnar tosses it aside and takes Cena out with a huge F-5, accidentally taking Robinson out in the process. Lesnar covers and gets the visual pin, but nobody is there to make a count! Another ref comes in, but Cena kicks out at 2! Lesnar takes the ref out in anger and two more show up. Lesnar throws the steel steps into the center of the ring and stands atop it, basking in the spotlight. Lesnar applies the Kimura Lock again, Cena screaming in pain. A huge "Let's Go Cena/Cena Sucks" chant starts up as Cena, somehow, miraculously, counters the Kimura Lock by lifting Lesnar and dropping him on the steel steps. Cena goes to the top and attempts a leg drop, but Lesnar rolled out of the way and Cena hits the mat before rolling out of the ring. Lesnar gets up and after being confused as to where Cena went, spots him and begs for him to come back into the ring. As Cena stands on the apron, Lesnar bounces off the ropes and hits him with a flying forearm! Lesnar's momentum carries him over the top rope and he nearly concusses himself. Lesnar laughs off the botch, though, and attempts it again - only for Cena to meet him with a chain shot to the skull! Lesnar is busted open and dazed, barely able to pull himself up to his feet. Cena hits him with a huge Attitude Adjustment on the steps to get the win! Wow. That match was ultra-violent and amazing, but the ending was a head-scratcher to me. After dominating so much of the match, it just seemed a little too unrealistic for Cena to get the win, even if the offense he delivered to get there was essentially two established "killshots" (a chain to the skull and an AA on steel steps). At the time, much was written about Cena's post-match antics but watching it years later, Cena's comments seem like the words of someone who believed - in the moment - that his left arm had been severely injured. I've seen some people call this a perfect match, but I won't go that far. It is a definite must-see and fascinating watch, a very different type of bout than anything we'd seen from Cena (or anyone else in the WWE) in years. (4.5/5)



With a Kwang Score of 2.94-out-of-5, Extreme Rules 2012 may not seem like one of the better pay-per-views of the modern era but it absolutely is. The main event is a must-see massacre with one of the more shocking finishes of the decade, Sheamus/Daniel Bryan is a hair short of being a classic (but certainly a "must watch" for any D-Bry fan), and while I was disappointed with Jericho/Punk, my opinion is never the authoritative view. The Cody Rhodes/Big Show match is good fun and I even liked the Kane/Orton opener. Even the Ryback opener is inoffensive. While there's some fat to be trimmed, it is incredibly rare for a WWE show not to be weighed down by at least 3-4 lame matches or segments. This show only features two.

FINAL RATING - Watch It...With Remote in Hand