WWE Extreme Rules results: Undertaker returns, Nakamura wins IC title
Extreme Rules is the last major stop for the WWE before their annual August showcase, SummerSlam. The show emanates from Philadelphia, the birthplace of ECW, and Extreme Rules channels at least a little bit of that energy with a variety of match types that will bring weapons into the equation.
While Raw and SmackDown have been somewhat inconsistent in recent months, recent pay-per-view performances offer hope of ramping up the energy and excitement heading into SummerSlam. The Undertaker will open the pay-per-view in a tag team match, while the Raw and Universal championships will be on the line in an Extreme Rules mixed tag team match that will almost certainly close the show.
Then, there’s the lingering presence of Money in the Bank winner Brock Lesnar and a potential cash-in, and a Kickoff Show that may well offer two of the best matches of the night with the Intercontinental championship and cruiserweight title defended in the hour before the PPV begins.
Matt Wilansky and Sean Coyle will cover the action live throughout the night, with ongoing results, reactions and match grades.
Match in progress.
The key component to the Bayley/Alexa Bliss rivalry has been Nikki Cross. Cross, who has been by Bliss’ side for weeks has been doing much of the five-time women’s champ’s dirty work and earned Bliss a spot in this match by defeating Bayley. She also earned the right to name a stipulation for the match by winning a beat the clock challenge on Raw this past week.
The most impressive aspect of this match was the solid team work displayed by Alexa Bliss and Nikki Cross. Their psychology game worked well. The overall product left a bit to be desired, though.
Storytelling: 0.50
In-ring execution: 0.50
Match psychology: 0.75
Timing: 0.25
Innovation: 0.50
— Sean Coyle
Cross’ stipulation was to insert herself into the match, making it a 2-on-1 handicap match for the title. If Bliss and Cross won, they’d be considered the first co-SmackDown women’s champions in history.
Cross and Bliss made frequent tags to begin the match, utilizing the numbers game effectively, but Bayley held her own and remained on the offense, that was until Bliss shoved her off of the ring apron onto the steel steps. From there, the duo of Cross and Bliss dominated.
Bayley caught fire late in the match, which saw her successfully nail Cross with a suicide dive in between the middle and bottom rope and impressively lock in duel submissions on both Cross and Bliss at the same time.
The finish saw Bayley get her knees up as Bliss attempted Twisted Bliss from the top rope. Bayley followed that up by countering a Cross top rope attack, and set her up for an elbow drop. Bayley connected and pinned Cross to retain her title.
The story coming out of this match will be how the Cross/Bliss relationship will be impacted by the loss. Will Bliss blame Cross for costing her a potential win? Will Cross take a darker turn and look to avenge the loss? We’ll find out more in the upcoming weeks.
Back on television for the first time since mid-April, Aleister Black has been rebranded a little more sadistic, perhaps a little more psychotic, than during the time he spent teaming up with Ricochet. Perhaps the wait was worth it, as Black hasn’t really had a chance to shine as a singles competitor since being called up to the main roster.
There was a lot to like in this match — strength, balance, mat wrestling, but the striking sequences stood out more than anything. Here’s hoping that there’s more matches between these two to come.
Storytelling: 0.50
In-ring execution: 0.75
Match psychology: 0.75
Timing: 0.75
Innovation: 0.75
— Sean Coyle
Unfortunately, his opponent Sunday night, Cesaro, while an all-around talent, isn’t exactly the level of star power to elevate Black to the next level, but the pairing did create solid chemistry and an exciting dynamic in their in-ring work and psychology.
Black struck Cesaro early with a couple devastating moves, first a moonsault, then a double knee takedown. But Cesaro is a veteran, a capable one, who countered Black’s offense with a vicious diving uppercut and then later tossed Black up like a baseball before slugging him with an uppercut for a two-count.
While Cesaro leveraged his fists, Black utilized his lethal kicks, including a roundhouse to the head of the Swiss Cyborg that would lay him out for good.
Not surprisingly, Black walked away from this bout with a win, one that signals not only his return, but the addition of a big-time player who should compete for titles on both brands and be one of the top names in the business for the foreseeable future.
WWE fans have long considered the Usos and the Revival the two best tag teams in the company — and for good reason. The Usos are as dynamic an offensive team as there is and the Revival effectively utilize old school heel tag team mentality. While the build to this match has been lacking a bit, there’s no denying the match’s potential inside the ropes.
This was a classic tag team wrestling match between two stylistically different teams. The styles meshed well together, though, and the final product was enjoyable.
Storytelling: 0.75
In-ring execution: 0.75
Match psychology: 0.75
Timing: 0.75
Innovation: 0.50
— Sean Coyle
After some impressive mat wrestling by Jey Uso and Scott Dawson to begin the match, both teams traded advantages by way of effective double-team attacks, highlighted by a double planchas by the Usos over the top rope onto both members of the Revival.
The Revival recovered and slowed the pace, executing some pristine heel work, including a spot we don’t see too often anymore when they pulled the referee from witnessing a completed tag by the Usos.
The hot tag was eventually made and the pace quickened, but it wasn’t enough for the Usos. The closing sequence saw Dash Wilder pull Jey Uso out of the ring, connect with a blind tag to Dawson and hit Jimmy Uso with a shatter machine for the win.
The bout was a gleaming example of how good these two teams are when they get a sufficient amount of time to tell a story in the ring. This is what tag team wrestling is all about.
In one sense, the opening match of Extreme Rules felt a little like an all-star game. Two all-time icons in Roman Reigns and The Undertaker, who ostensibly teamed up with each other because of who they are — not what they have done together — to take on two of the top heels today.
While this was an unconventional choice to open the show, it was a chaotically entertaining tag team match. The Undertaker looked great and the crowd was very much into it – rightfully so.
Storytelling: 0.75
In-ring execution: 0.75
Match psychology: 0.75
Timing: 0.75
Innovation: 0.75
— Sean Coyle
But in another sense, there is plenty of recent history here, and for Reigns in particular, no competitors have been more a thorn in his side than Shane McMahon and Drew McIntyre. Outside of the undeniable star power and generating buzz, how would a tag match advance this storyline in any meaningful way outside of provoking an already rowdy crowd at the Wells Fargo Center?
The Undertaker, who was kicking off a match for only the third time in 171 pay-per-views, received a deafening pop has he walked toward the ring and an even bigger one once he finally set foot in the ring. He wasted little time, unloading on McMahon, who looked helpless into the ring, as did McIntyre.
Eventually, as Taker chased McMahon down the aisle with a steel chair, McIntyre got the upper hand on Reigns in a slow and methodical manner.
With eyes on a cleared announce table, Undertaker would try to take advantage of the No Holds Barred stipulation, but as he went to put McMahon through it, Elias came to ring and smacked Undertaker with a guitar. McIntyre then nailed a Claymore Kick on both Reigns and Undertaker.
McMahon took advantage of the momentum change, diving off the top rope and dropping an elbow onto Undertaker who was lying on the announcer’s table. McMahon, McIntyre and Elias continued their assault, utilizing the no-disqualification to their advantage. They dragged Undertaker back into the ring, placed a garbage can on the Deadman and McMahon struck him with a coast-to-coast.
But somehow, Undertaker was hardly down and out. In his iconic nature, Undertaker popped back up, cleaned house, and with help from Reigns, he’d finish off McMahon with a Tombstone for the win. It was his 98th career pay-per-view victory, the most all-time. Together, they exulted in their win, as the crowd cheered the result. They stood face to face momentarily, but Reigns ultimately ceded the ring and let Taker celebrate alone one more time.
While they didn’t get enough time to produce the classic match they’re capable of, this was a good match that did its job of warming the crowd up.
Storytelling: 0.50
In-ring execution: 0.75
Match psychology: 0.50
Timing: 0.50
Innovation: 0.75
— Sean Coyle
At last month’s Stoping Grounds event, Tony Nese, Drew Gulak and Akira Tozawa arguably stole the show with their kickoff show Cruiserweight championship match. It was a tough act to follow for Nese and Gulak tonight, but they delivered a solid match that saw Gulak retain the championship he won at Stomping Grounds. The era of Gulak continues.
In the opening kickoff show match of the night, Shinsuke Nakamura picked up right where he left off on SmackDown Live last week with his second straight dominant victory over Finn Balor. This time, however, the Intercontinental championship was on the line.
The match was designed to illustrate the dominance of Shinsuke Nakamura upon his return to WWE TV. Mission accomplished. While we’ll probably see more competitive matches out of these two in the future, this was a solid chapter to their story.
Storytelling: 0.75
In-ring execution: 0.75
Match psychology: 0.50
Timing: 0.50
Innovation: 0.50
— Sean Coyle
Balor’s title reign, which began at WrestleMania 35, ends at 98 days while Nakamura’s first reign with the title is just beginning. The reemergence of Nakamura has officially begun
Still to come:
WWE championship: Kofi Kingston (c) vs. Samoa Joe
Winners take all” Extreme Rules tag-team match for the WWE Universal championship and Raw women’s championship: Seth Rollins (c) and Becky Lynch (c) vs. Baron Corbin and Lacey Evans
United States championship: Ricochet (c) vs. AJ Styles
Triple-threat tag-team match for the WWE SmackDown tag-team championships: Daniel Bryan & Rowan (c) vs. The New Day (Big E & Xavier Woods) vs. Heavy Machinery