Rasslin’ Roundtable for WWE Extreme Rules 2018 PPV

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Tonight is WWE Extreme Rules 2018! Here is the Pulse Wrestling crew’s full match by match preview with predictions.

WWE Champion AJ Styles vs. Rusev

Harrak: I’m glad Rusev is getting some sort of “shot” at the main event and there’s no better guy to do it with than AJ. Logic seems to state that this is a great proving ground to see if Rusev can handle a main event spot. However, this is similar to when Jinder Mahal got a shot at the belt and we know how that went.
Winner: AJ Styles

JT – despite his diminutive size and good ole boy accent, AJ has proven a fine champion and brought some wrestling back to the WWE. Rusev is in the midst of a fan driven face turn and accomplished at working with smaller opponents, so this has the potential to be a great match. The only way Rusev wins is with interference from Aiden English, but I don’t think that Styles reign is coming to an end just yet.
Winner: AJ Styles

Schuerman – This would absolutely be the perfect time to get the belt off of the stale as day old bread Styles, while capitalizing on the popularity of the mighty RUSEV DAY!
Winner – RUSEV DAY

Spain: I’d actually love to see them go all the way with this and shock the world by putting the belt on Rusev. Give us a match with Samoa Joe and AJ Styles can be added into the mix whenever they need him to be. Realistically, I just know that we’re getting a straightforward victory from Styles following a valiant effort from Rusev.
Winner (and still WWE Champion): AJ Styles.

Roman Reigns vs. Bobby Lashley

Harrak: I’m bored just reading their names on the match card. Both guys are better than this lackluster, throwaway feud. Turn one of them heel and watch them tear the arena down but right now, they’re both too plain to be interesting.
Winner: Roman Reigns

JT – the bathroom break of the night. Lashleys return to the WWE has been predictably boring and Reigns couldn’t get over if he was the last wrestler alive, so we can expect a poorly worked snooze fest.
Winner: Reigns

Schuerman – Rinse, lather Roman’s greasy ass hair, repeat. They’ll get him over if it puts them out of business. (And judging by that FOX deal, it won’t.)
Winner – Reigns

Spain: Obviously, I can picture Reigns winning clean. I can also, for the sake of the swerve and due to a predictably positive reaction to it, see Lashley getting the unexpected win. However, I feel like the brawl we saw on RAW is an indicator that these men have such a (totally unexplained) aggression towards each other that a simple win would be too obvious. I’m calling no contest following a hopefully-devastating brawl, leading to a triple threat at SummerSlam against Lesnar.
Winner: No Contest

Braun Strowman vs Kevin Owens (Steel Cage Match)

Harrak: Maybe the most entertaining match, character-wise, will be this one. Kevin Owens is just so good at what he does and Braun Strowman is hitting his stride as a monster. At the end of the day, this match won’t mean much but I think it’ll be a fun ride.
Winner: Braun Strowman

JT – is this the match where Kevin Owens finally gets his just desserts? Maybe, maybe not, but we can expect some fun spots along the way.
Winner: Big Baby Braun

Schuerman = Hmmmmm, I wonder if Owens will run away from Strowman for the first ten minutes of this contest? My bet would be yes. And I’ll be bored, you’ll be bored, and Strowman will win by pinfall.
Winner – Strowman

Spain: The escape stipulation is always a hint for how the cowardly heel can triumph in the least dominant fashion (see Bray Wyatt, JBL, etc.). But Braun’s got the briefcase and Kevin Owens seems to have no trajectory whatsoever, so Ockham’s Razor would dictate that Strowman’s taking the win.
Winner: BRAAAAUUUUN!!

SmackDown Tag Team Champions The Bludgeon Brothers vs. Team Hell No

Harrak: If the titles weren’t on the line I’d say this was a no brainer. But they are and Kane is trying to be a mayor. It’ll be a cool moment but not big enough for a title change.
Winners: Bludgeon Brothers

JT – I really don’t know what to make of this match. I’m always excited to see Daniel Bryan wrestle, but Kane is years past his prime and the Bludgeons are yet to prove they can wrestle an extended match. Still, could be interesting….
Winners: Bludgeon Brothers

Schuerman – There seems no other reason to reform Team Hell No, but to get the belts off the Brothers. Speaking of Bryan, they honestly can’t think of anything better than this for the most organically over wrestler they’ve had since the Rock?! I get the contract thing, but he’ll resign, and hopefully this nonsense will cease.
Winners – Team Hell No

Spain: The Miz says that he’s not showing up on Sunday. Take that whichever way you want, but it’s too early for the Bludgeon Brothers to lose the belts. The best solution for all involved is for Miz interference to cost Team Hell No right on the verge of a victory. The Bludgeon Brothers keep their belts and will hopefully look great in a hard-hitting match even with a screwy finish; Bryan gets to enter a feud without a loss of too much prestige. I don’t much care about Kane one way or the other.
Winners (and still SmackDown Tag Team Champions): The Fabulous Bludgeon Brothers

Intercontinental Champion Dolph Ziggler vs. Seth Rollins (30-Minute WWE Iron Man Match)

Harrak: And here’s the most interesting story, bell-to-bell. Rollins and Ziggler are at the peak of their careers & their chemistry is undeniable. Unfortunately outside factors may play a bigger role in this match than they should be so with Dolph possibly not resigning, I have to go with Rollins.
Winner: Seth Rollins

JT – oh, an iron man match, where nothing but the last 5 minutes matters. Goody.
Winner; Rollins

Schuerman – The ONE match on the card of thousands that has potential. This, if booked properly, (ahem) should be a classic. Rollins is on the roll of rolls right now, and Ziggler has been better as of late. Alas, I have a feeling this is just going to be one big backdrop to whther or not Drew will interfere.

Spain: It’s safe for Seth to move on to bigger things, and McIntyre at ringside gives him an automatic excuse for a loss. I know that a few of my predictions involve interference from third parties, but if you can’t have it on this show then I don’t know when you can. Drew can cost Rollins in some inventive way (an Iron Man match offers a refreshing amount of options there), leaving Seth free for a blood feud with McIntyre or whomever else whilst Dolph can hopefully use the IC Championship to springboard himself into a final main event run.
Winner (and still Intercontinental Champion): Dolph Ziggler

United States Champion Jeff Hardy vs Shinsuke Nakamura

Harrak: Part of me feels Nakamura has fallen far from last month but this may be the best thing for Shinsuke. The matches with AJ never really hit their potential despite Nakamura really clicking as a heel. Nakamura & Hardy are both so unorthodox in the ring that putting them together could magic or chaos.
Winner: Shinsuke Nakamura

JT – when Nakamura came to WWE he had the potential to be built into a Lesnar contender, now he’s wrestling Meth Hardy and punching people in the balls. Nice work, WWE.
Winner: Nakamura

Schuerman – The card MUST continue! The thrown together feuds MUST be settled on a B PPV! Anywho, after they slaughtered Nakamura’s drawing power with the Styles feud, this should be no different. It may be an ok match, but nothing spectacular.
Winner – Hardy

Spain: Reasonably straightforward. Jeff’s lost a lot of his energy and I’m already surprised by how much trust the WWE has in him considering his record. Nakamura desperately needs something, and it might as well be a United States Championship belt. A run of Open Challenge matches with a heel titleholder would hardly be the worst thing in the world either, and it’s better than the status quo. Nakamura’s going to take it.
Winner (and new United States Champion): Shinsuke Nakamura

Raw Women’s Champion Alexa Bliss vs. Nia Jax (Extreme Rules Match)

Harrak: Bliss. Bliss IS your Raw champion and Bliss/Rousey is money.
Winner: Alexa Bliss

JT – man, this is going to be a long show. Jax throws Bliss around for 10 minutes then the feisty midget picks up the roll up victory.
Winner: Alexa Bliss

Schuerman – Another backdrop match, with the attention being on Rousey instead of, you know, the actual performers. Not that Bliss or Jax is prime Ricky Steamboat or anything, but they can handle themselves. I suspect this should be a Jax slaughter until Rousey interferes to set up a 3 way (Uh huh huh huh) at SummerSlam.

Spain: Alexa Bliss vs. Ronda Rousey is the match we should get. Rousey sitting at ringside means that this can end in her accidentally costing Jax the belt (fine) or getting so pissed that she renders both women unable to continue (awesome). Either way, this is Stone Cold giving Goldberg a ticket to No Way Out 2004 all over again, and Bliss is next.
Winner (well, still Raw Women’s Champion): Alexa Bliss

SmackDown Women’s Champion Carmella vs. Asuka (with James Ellsworth suspended above the ring in a Shark Cage)

Harrak: Asuka has to win it this time right? If she doesn’t, the Asuka character could take a big hit.
Winner: Asuka

JT – f**k this program and f**k James Ellsworth.
Winner: Carmella

Schuerman- I don’t care. Just let Asuka put an end to this farce of a reign.
Winner – Carmella

Spain: You don’t put a man in a shark cage if you don’t plan on using him. On reflection that sounds creepy, but the point remains: Ellsworth is going to get involved. And normally I’d say that Asuka getting another loss would be absurd, but this is WWE and I reckon they’ll do that if it means putting the belt on the Empress at SummerSlam.
Winner (and still SmackDown Women’s Champion): Carmella

Raw Tag Team Champions “Woken” Matt Hardy & Bray Wyatt vs. The B-Team

Harrak: Hey look at the B-Team stepping up! Now they have to prove they have staying power. It won’t be in their first shot though.
Winners: Deleters of Worlds

JT – I must admit that I enjoy the team of Woken Matt and Bray, but the B team are the definition of jobbers.
Winners; Woken Wyatt

Schuerman – I have a bad feeling they’re going to ride this B-Team thing out like they did with Rhyno and Slater. The difference? Rhyno and Slater were over.
Winners- B-Team

Spain: Quite looking forward to seeing Bray and Bo go at it. Other than that, this should be straightforward enough: Hardy and Wyatt should go over the B-Team, then get annihilated by the Authors of Pain. Oh, for a straightforward world.
Winners (and still Raw Tag Team Champion): The Deleters of Worlds

Finn Bálor vs. “Constable” Baron Corbin

Harrak: Balor the man needs this win while Corbin the character needs it as well. Maybe a double count out or DQ? I don’t see this odd feud ending tonight though.
Winner: Draw

Corbin has finally shaved off his receding mullet, but I still don’t get his appeal. Finn Bálor was world champ for about 5 seconds and has been reduced to facing this clown – it truly doesn’t pay to be a normal sized human in WWE
Winner: Balor

Schuerman = Corbin actually seems motivated since this idiotic “Constable” role, and I expect a decent outing from both. No reason for Balor not to win though.
Winner – Finn

Spain: Two things: as a Brit, I get an absolute rager whenever I hear the word “constable”. Also, do something goddamn decent with Finn Balor. I truly don’t know what’s going on with any of this nonsense, so say that Balor wins because I cannot live in that other world.
Winner: Finn Balor

The New Day vs. SAnitY (Tables Match) (Extreme Rules Kickoff)

Harrak: These men deserve so much better than the Kickoff Show. I wish SAnitY were presented as a more vicious threat at their debut but this match would be a good way to showcase that side.
Winners: SAnitY

JT – a chance for Sanity to show off their skills and for Kofi to bump like a maniac. Should be good for a laugh.
Winners; Sanity

Schuerman – Of virtually all the matches on this overblown card, why put the one that is guaranteed to hype the crowd on the kickoff?! New Day’s act is still very over, and SAnitY is just getting started. This should also prove to be a damn good affair, hopefully with Killian Dain shoving pancakes down Wood’s mouth.
Winners – SAnitY

Spain: This is the final step in legitimising SAnitY on the main roster. Their losses against the bigger stars haven’t been ideal, but a solid win in a tables match against an established team like the New Day is all that’s needed.
Winners: SAnitY

Jonathan Widro is the owner and founder of Inside Pulse. Over a decade ago he burst onto the scene with a pro-WCW reporting style that earned him the nickname WCWidro. Check him out on Twitter for mostly inane non sequiturs