WWE Extreme Rules 2018 Match Card and Predictions

If your idea of extreme involves dangling a small man from a shark cage and a main event where the strict rules of wrestling will be very much in force, then you’re going to absolutely love WWE’s Extreme Rules PPV this Sunday. But putting my cynical attitude to one side, a few of the bouts on the card have the potential to be real slobber knockers so join me as I predict the winners and losers of Extreme Rules.

 

The New Day vs. Sanity

And so we start with the preshow bout. For some very strange reason, Sanity hasn’t won a multi-man tag match since debuting on the roster. Eric Young, Alexander Wolfe, & Killian Dain should’ve come out the gate looking like a real force to be reckoned with, but hey, if Vince McMahon wants one of his most exciting stables to come across as a joke, that’s his prerogative.

That said, I think Sanity will be coming out on top this time. The former NXT boys thrive in chaos, and their match against Kofi Kingston, Big E, & Xavier Woods is a tables match where there’s surely going to be a ton of carnage.

WWE have been quite high on Dain in the past so I can see him being the one to pick up the win for his team on Sunday. Here’s hoping this match will be the start of Sanity’s winning ways.

Prediction: Sanity

 

Finn Bálor vs. Baron Corbin

Hands up who cares. No one? What a shocker.

I can’t even remember why this feud is a real thing or why it’s even on the main card, but I suppose we’re just gonna have to deal with it.

I don’t see Constable Corbin picking up the win here. Having Finn get the pinfall will keep the crowd sort of happy, and it’ll give Baron more of a reason to throw his weight around like an absolute evil bastard on Raw if he loses.

Prediction: Finn Bálor

 

Steel Cage Match

Braun Strowman vs. Kevin Owens

Kevin Owens has been bullied all the way through this feud, but for some reason that’s perfectly fine. In fact, Kurt Angle thinks the whole thing is funny. I predict the Prize Fighter will be the one having the last laugh come Sunday, though.

The bout between the Monster Among Men and Owens is being contested in a steel cage, which gives the former Universal Champion a way to win without making Braun look weak. I can already see in my mind’s eye Kevin Owens scurrying out of the cage and running to the back before a furious Braun knows what’s fully happened. It’d make a great visual to see Strowman get angry and knock down a cage wall, too.

And don’t forget Braun is Mr. Money in the Bank. The laws of sports entertainment dictate that whoever holds the briefcase must go through a run of bad luck so their title victory comes off as a surprise, and this way Braun can lose without being beaten in the traditional sense.

Prediction: Kevin Owens

 

SmackDown Tag Team Title Match

The Bludgeon Brothers vs. Team Hell No

The reunion between Kane & Daniel Bryan has been a touching tale, but Harper & Rowan don’t give a damn about your feelings, and they’ll prove it by putting — in The Miz’s words — Daniel’s “broken down demon” out for good.

This one’s been a tough call, but if WWE cared about their future stars, Kane should definitely be doing the honours for a fellow behemoth like Harper. Having The Bludgeon Brothers lose now would kill so much of their momentum, shattering the illusion that they’re real monsters to be scared of. And let’s face it, D-Bry & the Devil’s Favourite Demon could take a million losses in a row without it affecting their standing with the audience.

There’s a good chance Vince McMahon will put the tag team belts on Team Hell No for a short time because of their popularity and the fact it might be Kane’s last hurrah, but I feel it’d be the wrong call in the long run if he did.

Prediction: The Bludgeon Brothers

 

Raw Tag Team Title Match

Matt Hardy & Bray Wyatt vs. The B-Team

Now that the match is finally here, I’m afraid for Bo Dallas & Curtis Axel. The two have done an excellent job getting themselves over and entertaining the crowd, but can anyone realistically see Matt Hardy & Bray Wyatt losing the titles? I know I can’t.

The reason I’m afraid for the boys is I have a feeling this is going to be a squash match. Dallas & Axel have had their fun, and they’ve even got the better of Matt of several occasions, but they’re still comedy jobbers at the end of the day. There are a lot of matches on the Extreme Rules card and Bray Wyatt has been avoiding strenuous in-ring work since his car crash last week. A few crowd-popping spots followed by a decisive pinfall might just be for the best.

Sorry, Bo & Curt. It’s time to be DELETED!

Prediction: Matt Hardy & Bray Wyatt

 

SmackDown Women’s Title Match

Carmella w/James Ellsworth vs. Asuka

What’s the number one way to stop someone interfering in a match? If you said anything other than suspend said person 15 feet above the ring in a shark cage, you’d be dead wrong. SD General Manager Paige made the baffling decision to put Ellsworth in the cage to make sure Asuka gets a fair crack at the title, but I can’t fathom the logic.

This week on SmackDown, Ellsworth blinded The Empress of Tomorrow with pepper spray, and it’s just so obvious he’s going to pass drop some spray to Carmella near the end of the match before she hits a superkick for the win.

I’m praying for an actual swerve of some sort here. I think my prayers are going to go unanswered, though.

Prediction: Carmella

 

Raw Women’s Title Match

Alexa Bliss vs. Nia Jax

Here it is, guys; the only Extreme Rules match at the Extreme Rules PPV. What a crazy universe we live in.

I thought WWE had messed up the Raw Women’s Championship scene when they put Ronda Rousey straight into title contention, but everything’s worked out alright, I’d say. Rousey is set to appear in some capacity during the match, and my money is bet on her accidentally costing Nia Jax redemption against the champ.

Bliss is hands down a bigger name for Ronda to go up against at SummerSlam so it makes good business sense to have The Goddess walk away with the title as long as she retains it in devilish circumstances. I don’t know where Nia goes from losing, but she’ll probably find her way into Ronda’s cheering section next to Natalya.

Prediction: Alexa Bliss

 

United States Title match

Jeff Hardy vs. Shinsuke Nakamura

You’ve got to love the irony of having yet another member of Team Xtreme not competing in any sort of extreme match. Ah well, this should still be a good one.

My gut is telling me Shinsuke is taking the US Championship home with him. As popular as Jeff Hardy is, did he ever need a run with the ol’ Stars & Stripes strap? Surely it’s better to put it on someone who needs it, and a win here would boost Nakamura’s fledgling position on the SmackDown roster. If he loses another title feud at this point in his career, there’s nothing WWE can to do to keep him looking like a credible threat.

I’m also backing Shinsuke because I like the idea of a man who pretends he can’t speak English holding the US Title. It probably won’t factor into the decision to give him the belt, but it might result in a chuckle or two.

Prediction: Shinsuke Nakamura

 

Intercontinental Title Iron Man match

Dolph Ziggler vs. Seth Rollins

If there’s one match on the card you can’t afford to miss, it’s this one. Dolph and Seth have been putting on some spectacular TV bouts as of late. Add in a PPV crowd, a good 30 minutes on the show, and an Iron Man stipulation and you’ve got the potential for WWE’s next five-star match.

Initially, I thought Dolph would have this one in the bag, but WWE have already started sowing the seeds of Ziggler’s and McIntyre’s break up when Rollins called the Scot out on Raw. Losing could trigger a post-match beatdown from McIntyre to Ziggler, setting up for a big match at SummerSlam.

It might be due to my fantasy booking, but my pick for the Intercontinental Championship clash is Seth Freakin’ Rollins.

Prediction: Seth Rollins

 

WWE Title match

AJ Styles vs. Rusev

This may be a predictions article, but I’m trying not to think about the result of this match too much. My heart says Rusev deserves to be WWE Champion, but we all know this feud is just a bridge for AJ on his way to SummerSlam.

Styles and Rusev are sure to receive the biggest pop of the night, but that won’t be much consolation to the Bulgarian. I’m guessing some sort of interference from Aiden English will give AJ Styles the opening he needs to win, and to be fair, he is a great champion worthy of the strap…

…but I want Rusev.

Prediction: AJ Styles

 

Roman Reigns vs. Bobby Lashley

Ladies & gentlemen, your main event of the evening. And it will be, don’t fall into the trap of thinking Styles and Rusev will close the show because they won’t.

As a Brit, I’ll be glad if this goes on last because it means I’ll get to go to bed earlier than expected. As a wrestling fan, I don’t really care who wins; this feud has been absolute wank.

The smart bet is Roman Reigns to be victorious. The next night on Raw, he’ll go on about how there’s no one else in his way so Brock Lesnar better accept his challenge for a shot at the Universal Title at SummerSlam. Predictable booking at its finest.

Prediction: Roman Reigns

Extreme Rules might not be very extreme, but there’s some good stuff to look forward to. It’s just a shame one of the best matches has been relegated to the preshow.