The WWE Extreme Rules is an annual professional wrestling event that is always broadcasted live and can be seen only through pay-per-view (PPV) and the WWE Network. Check out the WWE Extreme Rules 2018 results and grades below.
This year’s WWE Extreme Rules pay-per-view lasted for almost four hours, and it was consistently entertaining from the beginning to the end. The main ten matches of the event were perfectly booked with a series of short matches at the beginning and the important pairings at the end.
Below is a breakdown of the matches, wrestling results and grades.
WWE results and grades
Let us take a look at how the WWE wrestlers performed.
Sin Cara versus Andrade “Cien” Almas
This match was the kick-off WWE fight of the festivities at this year’s Extreme Rules, and it seemed the goal of the matchup was to get Almas and his manager Zelina Vega over as opportunistic and despicable heels. And if that was the case, then it was a job well done.
The match was a rematch of the fight which took place between these two the previous Tuesday. Sin Cara started the fight very well by taking the fight to Almas with a series of high spots. Cara pushed Almas off the top rope, a move that caused Almas to fall and hit his back on the apron. Cara then did the aforementioned hurricanrana from the rope at the top to the ground which many saw as unnecessary. He followed the move with a frog splash from the top rope inside the ring. But a pin did not follow as the referee was distracted by Vega who jumped on the apron.
Almas regained himself and followed with a dropkick, running knees to Cara’s face and his hammerlock DDT finisher for the pin. There was nothing too special in the pin. It was just classic heel psychology, but it was effective. And Almas won the match.
Result – Almas defeated Sin Cara
Grade - The match was graded a C+
Pre-Show Tables Match: The New Day versus Sanity
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This was the second Kick-off show match of the night. Although the running time to close the kickoff show was short and the outcome of the match was predictable, it was still a good piece of business.
There were a lot of teases for big table spots during the fight that could have won the match, but they did not. Kofi Kingston and Xavier Woods teamed up for a nice stereo dive that wiped Young and Wolfe out before Killian Dain also followed with a dive that took both Kingston and Woods.
The match fight continued until it finished abruptly when Wolfe bit Kingston while the later was trying to push him through the table that was set up on the ground. The bite forced Kingston to give up his grip on Wolfe, and the distraction allowed Eric Young to hit a clothesline off the top rope that put Kingston through the table.
Result - Sanity defeated New Day
Grade – B
Raw Tag Team Championship Match: The Deleters of Worlds versus the B-Team
The battle for tag team supremacy on WWE Raw was the first fight that kicked off the main show part of this year’s WWE Extreme Rules. The Deleters of World - Bray Wyatt and Woken Matt Hardy defended against the B-Team; Bo Dallas and Curtis Axel.
The B-Team won the match in the same fashion they have won most of their recent strings of victories on RAW. The only disappoint thing about the match was that there were too many slow-moving sequences and rest holds for a traditional Pay-per-view opener. And in spite of a smart tease offered early in the match, we did not see much of real-life brothers Bray Wyatt and Dallas squaring off.
The fight ended when Axel interrupted Wyatt and Matt Hardy’s attempt to hit their finisher on Dallas by jumping on the ring apron. The interruption allowed Dallas to make a smart move of pushing Hardy into Wyatt, who was sent flying into Axel, thereby sending the two of them (Wyatt and Axel) out of the ring. Dallas then made his elevated neck breaker finisher on Hardy while his legs were draped on the top rope for the pin.
Result - The B-Team defeated the Deleters of Worlds
Grade – C
Baron Corbin versus Finn Balor
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This match was a short but very intense one. Corbin was ruthless throughout the match trying to use his size and strength to his advantage in the way he manhandled Balor. Corbin slammed Balor into the corner and unloaded a series of clotheslines on him. He then trapped Balor in submission just to keep the more agile and faster superstar grounded.
The game heated up as every of Corbin’s effort to finish off Baron fell short. Corbin tried everything to win the match, and Balor’s resolve even became the subject of conversation for the commentators. And while Corbin was setting up Balor for his End of Days finisher, Balor countered him with an inside cradle for the finish.
Result - Finn Balor defeated Baron Corbin.
Grade – B-
SmackDown Women's Championship Match: Carmella versus Asuka
This was the first blue-brand match of the main show as the unbeaten Asuka challenged Carmella for the SmackDown Women's Championship. James Ellsworth, Carmella’s sidekick, was suspended in a shark cage above the ring. However, he did not last for long in the cage.
Asuka made an early attempt to drop a can of spray on Carmella, but the move went awry. James Ellsworth got his ankle caught and hung upside down into the ring while he was attempting to pick the lock of the cage for an exit. Three-ring workers ran in to help Ellsworth in an attempt to dislodge him. But Asuka laid out the three of them and continued to assault Ellsworth. And while she was doing this, Carmella pushed her from behind causing Asuka to hit her face on the cage. This allowed Carmella to steal a win with the pin and she ran out of the ring and left Ellsworth there to be badly beaten by Asuka. The match was short of interesting, and the only positive thing was that it was a short match.
Result - Carmella defeated Asuka
Grade – D
United States Championship Match: Shinsuke Nakamura versus Jeff Hardy
Jeff Hardy made an unsuccessful attempt to defend his title against Shinsuke Nakamura. He had spent the whole period of his reign as the United States Champion putting out open challenges. Nakamura did an early on Hardy while the referee’s back was turned on them as he laid a low blow on Hardy before the bell to start the match rang. A weakened Hardy worked back to his feet and nodded at the referee to start the match. And as the bell rang, Nakamura instantly hit Hardy with his Kinshasa for the six seconds victory. And the Nakamura became the new United States Champion.
But before Nakamura could celebrate his victory, Randy Orton came out and made his way towards the ring staring down at Nakamura. And as Orton gave a tensed stared down at Nakamura, he landed a shocking low blow of his own on Hardy and walked away. Boos rained down from the crowd as Nakamura stood there puzzled. The quick match was a perfect one.
Result - Shinsuke Nakamura defeated Jeff Hardy.
Grade – B+
Steel Cage Match: Kevin Owens versus Braun Strowman
The manner in which this match was won was a painful one and an experience that will not soon be forgotten. Owens and Stowman found themselves in a dangerous high spot as Strowman ripped himself to free himself from being handcuffed to the top rope and climbed to the top of the cage to catch Owens. And as they both stood on top of the cage, Owens chokeslammed Strowman through a ringside announce table. There was a lot of fun and smart trash talking throughout the match.
Result - Kevin Owens defeated Braun Strowman.
Grade – B+
SmackDown Tag Team Championship Match: The Bludgeon Brothers versus Team Hell No
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This match saw Bryan having to work one against two for most of the match due to an earlier backstage attack on his team that left Kane weekend. But Bryan could not do so much to prevent the eventual defeat his team fell to.
Bryan was close to creating upset many times. Kane eventually limped out and got involved as they created a brief rally which included a pair of chokeslams. But Kane couldn’t offer much. And while a second rally from Bryan on Harper had the Bludgeon Brothers on the ropes again, Rowan was able to save his teammate. And the Bludgeon Brothers were able to hit a double team finisher on Bryan as Rowan held Bryan up and Harper landed a clothesline off the top rope on Bryan. Although Bryan fought off the Bludgeon Brothers many times and carried the workload well, the match was nowhere close to interesting for the viewers.
Result - Bludgeon Brothers defeated Team Hell No
Grade – C
Bobby Lashley versus Roman Reigns
For many, this match proved that it was worth watching as Roman and Lashley put up a worthy fight. Their in-ring chemistry was stronger than expected and the action and physicality were on point.
Although the match began with a slow start from both fighter, the second half escalated perfectly. There were series of near dramatic falls and late big-time reversals in the match. There was also a brutal bump when Roman threw Lashley over the top rope, and the later landed hard on his side. But the finish came when Lashley countered Roman’s superman punch attempt with a stiff spear followed with a pin.
Result - Bobby Lashley defeated Roman Reigns
Grade – B+
Raw Women's Championship Street Fight: Alexa Bliss versus Nia Jax
Alexa Bliss and Nia Jax took to the ring on Sunday Night to continue their rivalry. Bliss was accompanied by Mickie James, and Jax was accompanied by Natalya. And Ronda Rousey who is serving her thirty days suspension watched from the front row.
Weapons were brought out early in the match as Mickie James pulled out everything from garbage can to kendo sticks from under the ring. James and Bliss teamed up to beat Natalya outside the ring. This angered Rousey and caused her to jump the barricade and attack James throwing her into two barricade walls and a ring apron.
Rousey then hit a judo slam on James and threw her over and into the announce table. The Rousey chased Bliss down the ringside, but James was able to recover on time to stop Rousey and take her out by hitting her with two kendo stick shots on the back. James then attacked Jax with a chair to prevent her from hitting her Samoan Drop finisher on Bliss. Bliss then attacked Jax with a DDT move on top of a chair for the pin.
Result - Alexa Bliss defeated Nia Jax
Grade – C
WWE Championship Match: Rusev versus AJ Styles
Rusev and Styles combined to give viewers an entertaining match although it took a long time before the Pittsburgh crowd got behind the match. Rusev took an awkward bump early in the match when he fell from the top rope and injured his left leg and was unable to apply his Accolade when Styles git hurt.
Styles also had similar problems locking in his calf crusher because Rusev always countered it and always worked his way to the ropes. But Styles was able to hit his Phenomenal Forearm move to defend his title.
Result - AJ Styles defeated Rusev to retain the title.
Grade - B
Iron Man Match for the Intercontinental Title: Dolph Ziggler versus Seth Rollins
Result - Dolph Ziggler defeated Seth Rollins 5-4 in sudden death to retain the title.
Grade – B+
The overall show was not a spectacular one, but it was a solid one. The crowd in the PPG Paints Arena in Pittsburgh did not play many roles in making the night exciting or spectacular. But overall, the show was still better than the alternative.
These are the results and grades for this year’s WWE Extreme Rules Event. Hopefully, next year’s event will be an improvement on this year’s event.
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Source: Naija.ng