Extreme Rules has been one of WWE’s longest-running B-show pay-per-views, first airing officially in 2009.
Since then there have been many good matches and a few really great ones. Even if WWE has forgotten that the show is supposed to be full of stipulation matches, we have still been treated to some very memorable performances.
As we approach the next Extreme Rules pay-per-view, we can take a look back at some of the best matches in the show’s history. So buckle up and let’s get EXTREEEEEEME.
Here is our list of the ten most must-see matches from Extreme Rules.
10. John Cena vs. Batista – Extreme Rules 2010
First on the list is the main event of the 2010 show. John Cena took on Batista in a Last Man Standing match and it resulted in one of the most creative finishes you will see.
After long stretches of beating on each other, Cena managed to tape Big Dave’s feet together around the ring post. This meant he was unable to make it to his feet by the count of ten.
You might think this is odd considering it followed 25 minutes of violence. But such was the norm in 2010 with WWE focusing more on PG fluff than blood and brutality. Plus John Cena would be the one to duct tape someone’s legs in a fight.
This is a very fun match and one of the best moments of Batista’s 2010 heel run.
9. Chris Jericho vs. Rey Mysterio – Extreme Rules 2009
Rey Mysterio and Chris Jericho had not worked together as much as one might think before 2009. They had minimal interactions in WCW and were on separate brands in WWE until 2008.
Finally, they began a rivalry over the Intercontinental Championship in 2009 with one of their best matches coming at Extreme Rules.
They had a No Holds Barred match and it was stellar, which shouldn’t be surprising considering the men involved.
Jericho had developed an obsession with Mysterio’s mask and managed to rip it off Rey’s face when he went for a 619, allowing Jericho to roll him up and win the title.
The finish was tremendous but the rest of the match was just as great.
8. Christian vs. Alberto Del Rio – Extreme Rules 2011
Christian had always been an underappreciated member of the WWE roster with the world title just out of reach.
When Edge was forced to retire in 2011, Christian earned the chance to battle for the World Heavyweight Championship at Extreme Rules.
The match was scheduled to be a Ladder Match, a playing field Christian was very familiar with. Alberto Del Rio was his opponent and together they had one of the most underrated Ladder Matches ever.
Christian had to fight off Del Rio, Brodus Clay, and Ricardo Rodriguez before finally capturing the world title for the first time.
7. Jeff Hardy vs. Edge – Extreme Rules 2009
Similar to the last entry, Edge and Jeff Hardy had a fantastic Ladder Match at Extreme Rules 2009.
Hardy had been on a mission to capture the World Heavyweight Championship through the Spring and this was the perfect match for him to win it.
Edge and Hardy were well-versed in this stipulation and it should be no surprise that they pulled off a great Ladder Match. They had a call back to WrestleMania X-Seven when Edge speared Hardy from the cables but this time Hardy turned it into a Twist of Fate.
The finish saw Hardy pull Edge’s body through one of the rungs of the ladder, allowing Hardy to climb and capture the title.
6. Sheamus vs. Daniel Bryan – Extreme Rules 2012
The world was deprived of seeing Daniel Bryan vs. Sheamus at WrestleMania XXVIII when Sheamus hit the Brogue Kick and won in 18 seconds.
In the long run, it was the best thing to happen to Daniel Bryan as fans rallied behind him. However, their match at Extreme Rules showed just what we missed out on at WrestleMania.
Bryan wanted his rematch to be a Two Out of Three Falls Match so he could beat Sheamus twice in one night. He may not have been successful in that endeavor but they pulled off one of the best technical wrestling matches in WWE for 2012.
Bryan utilized his strategy of sacrificing the first fall to deal damage to Sheamus’ arm, then immediately secured the second fall with the Yes Lock.
The third fall is where the match really heated up with Bryan finally succumbing to a Brogue Kick. Excellence.
5. Samoa Joe vs. Bray Wyatt vs. Seth Rollins vs. Roman Reigns vs. Finn Balor – Extreme Rules 2017
Brock Lesnar needed a challenger for his WWE Universal Championship in 2017, and a Fatal Five-Way was booked for Extreme Rules. Finn Balor, Samoa Joe, Roman Reigns, Seth Rollins, and Bray Wyatt all battled for a shot at the title.
Most WWE multi-man matches have been great in recent years and this was no exception.
There was a lot of history involved in this match as almost every combination of wrestlers had some sort of prior rivalry.
This meant there was plenty of drama in this match. Surprisingly, Samoa Joe came out the victor, leading to a title match with Lesnar at Great Balls of Fire (remember that pay per view?).
4. The Miz vs. Cesaro vs. Sami Zayn vs. Kevin Owens – Extreme Rules 2016
This match is a perfect example of highlighting the positives and hiding the negatives. In terms of in-ring technicians, one of the men in this match does not fit in. That man would be The Miz.
However, he did very little while Cesaro, Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn pulled off an incredible four-way match. That still begs the question of why he was in the match and why he won but oh well.
That match itself was fantastic with the recurring theme of Owens and Zayn’s hatred for one another getting in the way of them winning the match.
The parade of finishers and nearfalls at the end of the match was a sight to behold and if Intercontinental Championship matches were always this good maybe the title would actually be as prestigious as WWE claims it to be.
3. Evolution vs. The Shield – Extreme Rules 2014
It is a shame that the passing of the torch from Evolution to The Shield came right at the end of The Shield’s run as a team.
Triple H, Randy Orton, and Batista decided they were tired of The Shield after WrestleMania XXX and a generational match was booked for Extreme Rules.
The two factions had a fantastic battle with new talent being put over very strong for what felt like the first time in a long time. Everyone seemed to have a counterpart on the opposite team which made for excellent chemistry.
Seth Rollins did a massive dive off the set en route to a Shield win here. While they were able to defeat Evolution once again at Payback, the stable broke up shortly afterward effectively making this their peak.
2. John Cena vs. Brock Lesnar – Extreme Rules 2012
When Brock Lesnar returned to WWE in 2012 there was great excitement. He was hot off a very successful run in UFC and was returning as a believable killer. His first opponent was John Cena.
Now, there is a WWE main event style that has produced many great matches over the years. This match was nothing like those matches.
Brock Lesnar walked into this match and beat Cena within an inch of his life. There was no back and forth, no nearfalls, just an assault.
This is one of Lesnar’s crazier matches, with him throwing a flying knee that sent him hurtling over the top rope. If there was any doubt, Lesnar proved he was still a lunatic.
The lone fault in this match was that Cena won. How WWE did not see that Lesnar being a killing machine was not a license to print money is still baffling nearly a decade later. Had he won, this would be a perfect match.
1. Roman Reigns vs. AJ Styles – Extreme Rules 2016
When AJ Styles debuted in WWE in 2016, Vince McMahon was looking for a pitbull. It may have taken a while to properly get there, but at Extreme Rules, Styles released the pitbull.
He challenged Roman Reigns for the WWE Championship and they had one of the best matches of either man’s career. For Reigns, he had yet to develop a catalogue of brilliant performances to this point but Styles had. This makes it all the more impressive that this still ranks among his best.
People have pointed to this match being the moment that sold McMahon on Styles as a WWE guy and watching his performance it is easy to believe it.
This match occurred right before Styles turned heel for the first time. He was still a babyface for this match but he had the dastardly Luke Gallows and Karl Anderson interfering on his behalf.
To date, if you need to watch one match from Extreme Rules, it is this one.
What is your favourite Extreme Rules match? Let us know on Twitter!
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