WWE Extreme Rules 2017 Review

WWE Extreme Rules 2017 took place at the Royal Farms Arena in Baltimore. After recovering from a serious lung conditon, I have now found the time to watch this.The last few RAW PPVs have been a mixed bag but will this one be any different? Let's take a look.

The match on the Kick Off Show was Apollo Crews with Titus O'Neill taking on Kalisto. After some back and forth, Crews hits a standing 450 splash for 2. When he argues with O'Neill, Kalisto hits him with the Salida Del Sol to get the win. The match wasn't that special and it's weird seeing Crews being a heel by association to O'Neill.
Winner: Kalisto (1 for 1)

The first match of the show is for the Intercontinental Championship as Hollywood Miz challenges Dean Ambrose and Ambrose will lose the title if he gets disqualified. Miz keeps trying to get Ambrose angry so that he would lose his temper but the referee would stop him before that happens. Miz gets the advantage after hitting a DDT onto the apron. Amborse does make his comeback but Maryse tries to get Ambrose disqualified by slapping her husband. However, the referee is not an idiot and ejects Maryse and while he was sorting that out, Miz sends Ambrose into him, sending him to the outside. Ambrose pleads with the referee and Miz takes advantage and hits the Skull Crushing Finale to get the win and become a 7-time Intercontinental Championship.

This match was pretty good but I'm torn about the ending. The referee was clever enough to realise that Miz got Maryse to slap him but not clever enough to realise that Miz might throw Ambrose into him. Despite that, I'm glad that it didn't end in Ambrose getting disqualified.
Winner: The Miz (2 for 2)

Next is a mixed tag team match with Noam Dar and Alicia Fox taking on Rich Swann and Sasha Banks. Fox and Dar would tag each other in when it felt like they were getting beaten. In the end, Swann hits a Phoenix Splash on Dar to get the win. The match was ok but nothing special.
Winners: Rich Swann and Sasha Banks (3 for 3)

We now get our 2nd title match as Bayley challenges Alexa Bliss in a Kendo Stick Match for the RAW Women's Championship. Alexa gives Bayley the opportunity to go for the stick but stops her cos she's a dick. The sitck falls to the ring and eventually Bayley does pick it up but doesn't get to use it. Alexa grabs it and uses it relentlessly. In the end, Alexa throws Bayley into the kendo stick that she had propped up in the corner. Alexa follows that with a DDT to get the win. This match was only 6 minutes long. Also, I don't get what WWE are doing with Bayley. I get her being reluctant to use the stick but she could have gone on to win without using it instead of what we got here. A big disappointment for me.
Winner: Alexa Bliss (4 for 4)

 Next is a steel cage match for the RAW Tag Team Championship as Cesaro and Sheamus challenge The Hardy Boyz. The only way to win is for BOTH members of the team to leave the cage. Keep that in mind by the way. After some back and forth, The Hardys climb the cage but only Jeff escapes. Matt tries to leave a few times but he gets double teamed. Jeff does a whisper in the wind on Cesaro and Sheamus, sending him back into the cage and that means we're back to square one...? Anyway, Matt leaves the cage through the door and is trying to drag Jeff out with him. However, Cesaro and Sheamus just about manage to escape the cage first and win the Championship.

The rules of this match ruined it for me. Putting aside the logic behind a high flying team choosing a steel cage match, did they decide these rules or are they forced on them. I know that steel cage matches used to be that the only way to escape but you can't do that with tag teams. Plus it was probably confusing for the live audience as well.
Winners: Cesaro and Sheamus (4 for 5)

The penultimate match is one that I was really looking forward to: Austin Aries challenging King Neville of the Cruiserweights in a submission match for the Cruiserweight Championship.  Aries uses moves such as a guillotine and a figure four but Neville manages to put on the Rings of Saturn. Aries does get to the ropes and eventually gets Neville to submit to The Last Chancery, but it's outside the ring. In the end, Neville hits the Red Arrow followed immediately by the Rings of Saturn to get the win by submission.

This was a good match and I loved the ending. However, the referee was annoying me during the match. If the only way to win is by submission, why did it seem like that disqualifications and count outs can still happen?
Winner: Neville (5 for 6)

The Universal Champion Brock Lesnar couldn't be fucked to be here so the main event is to determine his next challenger. It's Bray Wyatt, Finn Balor, Roman Reigns, Samoa Joe and Seth Rollins. Highlights of the match include: Balor doing a suicide dive to Joe, Rollins and Wyatt; Wyatt and Joe working together; Rollins hitting a double blockbuster on Wyatt and Joe; Reigns spearing Balor and Joe into the timekeeper's area; and Rollins frog splashing Wyatt through the Spanish Announcers' table. It looks like Balor is going to get the win after hitting a Coup de Grace on Rollins. However, Joe puts Balor into the Coquina Clutch. Balor passes out, giving Joe the win.

This was an enjoyable match to watch. I was surprised that Samoa Joe won but it will give us something different and I'm looking forward to seeing them in Great Balls of Fire.
Winner: Samoa Joe (5 for 7)

I thought that Extreme Rules was a mixed bag, when seems to be the norm for RAW PPVs. Some matches were good but some were disappointing,  especially the Steel Cage match. Hopefully Great Balls of Fire will be an improvement,  although I'm not holding my breath.