Thursday, 3 May 2012

WWE Extreme Rules 2012 Review

Extreme Rules 2012 took place at the Allstate Arena in Chicago, where the crowds are one of the most passionate in the United States. How will the event fare? Let’s take a look.

Before the PPV started, we had a match between Santino Marella and The Miz for the United States Championship. Miz comes out and states that he is not happy with the fact that, despite helping John Laurinaitis (did you know that he’s the Executive Vice President of Talent Relations and the GM of both RAW and Smackdown?) win his match at Wrestlemania, he has gone from the main event last year to the pre-show match. I agree with him, what’s up with that? Anyway, Miz is dominant for a while. However, Santino makes a comeback and attempts the Cobra. Miz kicks the hand away and tries to splash Santino in the corner but misses. This gives the opportunity for Santino to hit the Cobra and get the win. This was a fun match and a good way to get people interested to buy the PPV.
Winner: Santino Marella                                                                     Predictions: 1 for 1

Afterwards, the stipulation for the match between Cody Rhodes and the Big Show was decided via the RAW Roulette wheel. After a spin by Laurinaitis’ bitch Teddy Long, the match became a tables match. Show laughed as he thought that Rhodes had no chance of getting him through a table. Rhodes decides to lay all the blame on Long, which is not a bad idea.

Now we get to the actual PPV and it starts with Kane taking on Randy Orton in a Falls Count Anywhere match. The match is in the ring for about 30 seconds before Orton is sent out. The match goes back into the ring and Orton uses a lead pipe on Kane. The match goes into the crowd via the timekeeper’s position, and they fight through the crowd to the titantron. Orton attempts a RKO but Kane pushes him away and hits a big boot for a count of 2. The match goes to the backstage area and then the Superstars’ Television Room(?) Zack Ryder who, if you remember was continually fucked up by Kane during the early part of the year, attacks Kane. Kane grabs Ryder for a chokeslam but Orton stops that with a backbreaker. The match makes its way back to the ring then to the announce table then back into the ring and Kane hits a chokeslam. However, Orton kicks out at 2. Kane attempts a Tombstone Piledriver onto a steel chair. However, Orton gets out of it and hits the RKO to get the win. I enjoyed this match and it was a good way to start the PPV.
Winner: Randy Orton                                                                          Predictions: 2 for 2

Next, it’s a bonus match with Brodus Clay taking on Dolph Ziggler. Brodus Clay gets the early advantage before Ziggler starts to take control with some help from Jack Swagger. Despite Ziggler’s best efforts, he gets hit with a headbutt followed by a splash to give Brodus the win. It was a decent match and I quite enjoyed it. However, I feel that this feud is going nowhere as it seems to be: Brodus faces Ziggler or Swagger (or both), Brodus wins, Brodus dances to celebrate.
Winner: Brodus Clay                                                                          Predictions: N/A

The Intercontinental Championship is on the line as The Big Show is challenged by Cody Rhodes. After a few minutes, Show sets up a table up against the corner and tries to throw Rhodes through it but Rhodes counters it with a Disaster Kick. The match goes to the outside then Rhodes gets sent back in. Show attempts to get in but Rhodes dropkicks him on the knee, and Show puts through his foot through a table that had been set up earlier in the match. The referee realises what had happened and rings the bell, making Rhodes the new Intercontinental Champion. Show does not take that too well and chokeslams Rhodes through one table and then Gorilla Presses him from the ring through a table by the announce table. I enjoyed this match and I really liked the ending as it’s quite unique. We had times where someone has accidentally got through a table, but not someone who had accidentally put his foot through a table. Well done to Rhodes on regaining the Intercontinental Championship.
Winner: Cody Rhodes                                                                         Predictions: 2 for 3

Next the World Heavyweight Championship is on the line as Daniel Bryan challenges Sheamus in a 2 out of 3 falls match. Sheamus goes for the Brogue Kick early but Bryan avoids it. Bryan does a sunset flip and Sheamus manages to counter it into a Cloverleaf. The match goes back and forth for a good 10 minutes before the first fall occurred. Sheamus tries to ram Bryan into the turnbuckle and misses, injuring his left shoulder. Bryan takes advantage and focuses on the shoulder and he then continually kicks the shoulder, even though Sheamus had a hold of the rope. Despite the efforts of the referee Chad Patton to stop him, Bryan keeps kicking Sheamus’ shoulder so the referee disqualifies Bryan, giving Sheamus the first fall. Bryan then dropkicks Sheamus in the shoulder then applies the LeBell Yes Lock. Sheamus passes out, giving Bryan the second fall by submission. The WWE doctor checks on Sheamus to see if he can continue while Bryan celebrates and Sheamus says that he is ok. Sheamus then hits the Brogue Kick to give him a chance but Bryan kicks out at 2. Bryan continues the assault but Sheamus takes advantage of a missed dropkick to hit the Irish Curse Backbreaker followed by a Brogue Kick that turned Bryan inside out to get the final fall and retain the World Heavyweight Championship. This match was really, really good and it was the kind of match that I wanted to see them have at Wrestlemania. It also made Bryan a really credible heel and Sheamus look like a strong Champion.
Winner: Sheamus                                                                                Predictions: 3 for 4

Next we have Santino at the monitor, along with The Great Khali, watching 2 random jobbers. Hang on, is this Ryback time? At a Pay-Per-View? Ok...let’s see where this goes. The 2 people are in the ring are...oh, who gives a fuck? There’re 2 jobbers that no one gives a fuck about. Let’s call them Jabroni 1 and Jabroni 2. They’re here to take on Ryback in a handicap match. Ryback hits Jabroni 1 with a powerslam, Jabroni 2 with a backpack stunner and Jabroni 1 with a high angle Fisherman’s Driver. Ryback then puts the Jabronis on top of each other and covers them to get the win. I’m torn about this. It’s nice to see Ryback on PPV but I thought it would be a few months down the line. The match was fine but I don’t think it had a place on the PPV. I only paid £14.95 to see this event. However, in the US and Canada, they are paying $60-70 to see this. I don’t think they want to see squash matches featuring 2 random jabronis. Hopefully, Ryback can start fucking up people with some talent.
Winner: Ryback                                                                                   Predictions: N/A

Next the WWE Championship was defended in a Chicago Street Fight between CM Punk and Chris Jericho. They both come out in street clothes, which I thought was a nice touch. Punk attacks Jericho with a kendo stick and that results Jericho using a referee as a shield. This gives Jericho the chance to get the advantage. Jericho exposes some of the padding in front of Punk’s family and starts to ram Punk’s head onto the steel below, while gloating. Jericho starts verbally abusing Punk’s sister and gets a slap in return. Jericho then goes after her and is stopped by Punk, who then bodyslams him the English Announce Table’s hood. The match starts to go back and forth with Jericho pouring beer over Punk; Punk hitting the Macho Man Elbow Drop; Jericho hitting the Codebreaker then the Walls of Jericho, which Punk got out of by using a fire extinguisher. Punk then put Jericho onto the Spanish Announce Table and sent him through it with another Macho Man Elbow Drop. Punk then drags Jericho back into the ring and hits the Anaconda Vice, which Jericho gets out of by using a kendo stick. Jericho attempts the GTS which Punk counters and he slingshots Jericho onto the exposed turnbuckle then he hits the GTS to get the win. Once again, this match was really good and it told a good story as well. Jericho will probably now go off to tour with his band Fozzy and hopefully return for one final run.
Winner: CM Punk                                                                               Predictions: 4 for 5

Backstage, Eve Torres decides to fuck up the upcoming Divas match by telling Beth Phoenix that she is not medically cleared to compete. I don’t mind that, but why announce it two minutes before the match? Eve then tells Divas Champion Nikki Bella that she will have Kharma a surprise opponent instead. Look, we all know that Kharma is going to be the opponent and fuck up the Bellas, right? Right?

Well, let’s find out. The Divas Championship is on the line as Nikki Bella defends the title against a surprise opponent, who is Kharma LAYLA?!?! Even better, I like Layla a lot and it’s good to see her back after her ACL injury. Layla shows some impressive skills before Brie helps out her sister by attacking Layla’s knee. Layla kicks Nikki out of the ring and they employ the usual twin magic bullshit. However, that turned out to be irrelevant as Layla hits the neckbreaker on Brie to become the new Divas Champion. This was a decent match and Layla could be the perfect first opponent for Kharma to face when she finally returns and you could build the division round them, Natalya, Tamina Snuka and Beth Phoenix. However, the WWE tend to act like WCW when it comes to the Divas, so I’m not holding my breath. In terms of my predictions, I’m enforcing the Divas Royal Rumble Rule and voiding my prediction. If you don’t like that, tough, it’s my blog.
Winner: Layla                                                             Predictions: Voided so still 4 for 5

The main event was Brock Lesnar taking on John Cena in an Extreme Rules match. Lesnar immediately takes down Cena and busts him open. Wow, I have never seen anyone busted open so early in a match. Referee Charles Robinson gets the doctor to look at Cena’s massive head wound for a minute and Lesnar continues to dominate the match. Cena manages to get a little bit of momentum and shoulder charges Lesnar and he knocks into the ref and sends him out of the ring. Lesnar continues dominating Cena and at one point uses Cena’s chain to tie his legs together. Lesnar throws the ref back in and Cena attempts the AA. Lesnar counters it into the F-5. However, in the process he knocks Robinson out of the ring. Lesnar covers Cena and another referee, Rod Zapata, makes the count and Cena kicks out at 2. Lesnar doesn’t take that very well and assaults Zapata. Lesnar brings in some steel steps and applies a kimura, which is a MMA submission move, on the steps. I’m assuming that Brock didn’t know that Cena doesn’t tap. Ever. Cena gets out of the kimura and then, a few minutes later, hits Brock with the chain, busting him open. Cena then hits the AA, sending Brock onto the steel steps and gets the win. I know a lot of people are pissed that Cena won and, if this was a normal match, I would agree with them. However, Brock was so dominant for most of this match that at times, it felt like a long squash match. In hindsight, all Brock needed to do was show how dominant he is and it’s mission accomplished as far as I’m concerned. As for Cena, he announced that he is taking time off after the match so I think that the WWE might have the year of Brock, with him just destroying people, winning the WWE Championship and having a long title reign and then Cena can come back and challenge Brock for it.
Winner: John Cena                                                                             Predictions: 4 for 6

I really enjoyed this PPV. I sometimes joke that Extreme Rules is basically the Wrestlemania rematch show. Despite that, all the matches were really enjoyable and, despite my criticism of the Brodus and Ryback matches, all of them told a great story. With Cena now taking some time off, it will be interesting to see where the WWE go from here.

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