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Welcome, one and all, to Mr. Tito Strikes Back exclusively here at LordsofPain.net / WrestlingHeadlines.com. It's WWE Extreme Rules time and I honestly headed into this Pay Per View with expectations very low... The RAW shows heading into this event were legitimate chores to get through and WWE is just in auto-pilot mode until they begin hyping Money in the Bank and then SummerSlam. What continues to baffle me is how the WWE operates with their Extreme Rules, Hell in a Cell, and TLC events. I've come to accept Money in the Bank because at the very least, there is a built in "sense or urgency" due to a WWE Title shot being on the line. Plus, the quality of the events for the past 5 years has been pretty good... But Extreme Rules, Hell in a Cell, and TLC are an absolute joke. The gimmicks are lame because any one of those matches can randomly happen at other events let alone removing the randomness from it. Wrestlers be like "hey, it's May, time to have a DQ match" and ditto for October for Hell in a Cell and December for TLC. Mind you, Money in the Bank provides ultimate redundancy with the Ladder Match for the TLC event. Look no further than Wrestlemania 32. That event had ALL 3 going on... Hell in a Cell (Undertaker vs. Shane), Ladder Match (Intercontinental Title), and a No DQ (or No Holds Barred, Brock Lesnar vs. Dean Ambrose). All 3 gimmicks were covered in one event and to the credit of Undertaker/Shane and Ambrose/Lesnar, there was at least some psychology as to why those matches were booked. Having any of those matches should be spontaneous between two wrestlers... Because a regular match could not settle the score, that's when you pull out a more dangerous match. That simple... NOT just because the event is called EXTREME RULES, we must wrestle No DQ matches. LAZY BOOKING as my buddy Chrissssssssss would say. Making things more ironic is the Corporate WWE's policies on violence (hello PG Era), no blood, and no headshots. Doesn't make sense to call an event "Extreme Rules" when you can't get all that violent. Just had to give my usual 2 cents on the gimmick Pay Per Views. I know, Comments section, I'm just a broken record who is repeating everything logical about pro wrestling. Someone has to keep reminding the WWE Universe about how broken the pro wrestling product is right now. Funny thing is that simple changes, like ending these stupid gimmick Pay Per Views, can go a long way. Wrestling needs to find a way to add credibility to its product to make it look like a legitimate sporting competition. Lacking logic in your events and completely exposing how scripted/staged wrestling is won't work. Hence, lower attendance lately, lower RAW viewership, and as I proved in my last column, lower DVR viewership of RAW. Last time I checked, magicians don't explain to their audience how their tricks are performed. How else would they entice paying customers if their trade secrets were known up front? I'm rambling... Onto the WWE Extreme Rules Pay Per View review. Mr. Tito's PHAT WWE Extreme Rules 2016 Review Only match I saw during the latter half hour of the Pre-Game show (I tuned late) was Baron Corbin vs. Dolph Ziggler. If there were more matches, well, I didn't see them. Corbin looked good here but much of it was thanks in part to Dolph Ziggler bumping for everything perfectly. For the most part, though, this match was an extended squash with Corbin leading the way offensively and Ziggler selling like a champ. Give Corbin an opponent who can't sell, such as Apollo Crews from NXT Takeover, and he doesn't look as strong. I just don't get what the WWE is doing with Dolph Ziggler as an enhancement talent. Ziggler needs to GET OUT OF THE WWE already and prove them wrong. But hey, those Corporate WWE checks are nice to cash... [ **1/2 ] Opening match was Usos vs. Karl Anderson/Luke Gallows... And yet another extended squash with Anderson/Gallows pretty much having their way with the Uso... Again. Usos come in with obviously trained WWE moves while Anderson/Gallows are working stiff with very powerful looking moves. Made the Usos look like chumps. That's not fair to them as the Usos have been good workers and babyfaces. Sorry, but I'm not hearing much reaction for Anderson & Gallows. Not everybody watches New Japan, folks. Unless you bring something unique to the ring, such as Shinsuke Nakamura who is loaded with charima and character, we're not impressed with what you did elsewhere. Period. That goes for AJ Styles, too... Match was an extended squash with the Usos looking much weaker against their opponents compared to Ziggler vs. Corbin. [ *1/2 ] Not going to lie... I may see Ninja Turtles 2 at the theater... The fact that they appear to have made good Bebop and Rocksteady characters via CGI is enticing. My 8-10 year old self who played and collected those TNMT toys wants me to go see it. This movie should translate into some good mainstream attention for Sheamus but he's so damaged as a wrestler that it won't matter. Next match was Rusev vs. Kalisto for the United States Title. And another extended squash... This time around, Rusev didn't pull a "Ryback" and actually won the match. Good... About damn time the US Title got off of the Rey Mysterio wannabe. [ * ] New Day versus Vaudevillains was decent although my issue with the match was the psychology... Vaudevillains had no chance to win this match. However, I did like the ending with the New Day cheating to win which sort of keeps them a little heelish, I guess. [ ** ] Seriously - If the Pay Per View continued going in this trend, I would have shutoff by now. Luckily, the Four Way match for the Intercontinental Title between Miz vs. Cesaro vs. Sami Zayn vs. Kevin Owens... And it was a battle! Match started off great when Sami Zayn hit his kick on Kevin Owens immediately as the bell rang. The Miz and Cesaro just looked in amazement. Lots of athletic ability in that ring tonight and each wrestler could get in their offense in short doses. CRAZY superplex spot which we've seen for years on smaller wrestlers and even women's wrestlers but to see it with larger wrestlers is quite impressive. Great match and gee, what was the outcome? Yeah, for all of you ripping my predictions lately, I called the Miz retaining when just about everybody didn't. [ ***1/2 ] This match SAVED the Pay Per View from complete ruin. Chris Jericho vs. Dean Ambrose is up next in an "Asylum Match". Lots of weird objects hanging above the cage... Why can't we have just a regular cage match here? Nothing like grabbing a freakin' mop and hitting your opponent with it during a wrestling match. What I do like is how Chris Jericho is wearing jeans, which is a throwback to the old NWA days for street fight match-ups when the wrestlers would dress for the match. This Asylum Match was too focused on the weapons above and not on, well, actual wrestling. And thanks to Corporate WWE, no headshots. Because you know that in a real fight, people will grab weapons and aim for the body only. Match got better towards the end and then ramped up the intensity with some thumbtacks. Cool... Been a while since we've seen those and it added a much needed touch or statement to this match. Jericho took the tacks and it led him to receiving the Dirty Deeds DDT. So... That's 2 straight wins for Dean Ambrose over Chris Jericho at Pay Per Views... What's next for Dean Ambrose? [ **1/2 ] Up next we have Charlotte vs. Natalya for the Women's Title in a submission match with Ric Flair banned from ringside. I do like the psychology of this rematch... Previous match-up had controversial results so therefore, you resort to a specialty match to settle the score. My only wish is that Ric Flair would have been placed in a small cage and elevated in their air like the old days (Jim Cornette or JJ Dillon) or even mid-1990s WWE when Jerry Lawler was suspended above the ring when Bret Hart wrestled his dentist, Isaac Yankem DDS (now Kane). Some good psychology here, as both ladies are working on the limbs to set up their submission holds. Natalya got the upperhand, locked in the Sharpshooter, and then Dana Brooke interferes by being dressed up as Ric Flair with his entrance music. This baffled Natalya and caused her to release the hold and attack Dana. That was enough of a distraction to allow Charlotte to sneak attack and lock in the Figure 8. Not bad, but the ending was odd... I guess with Emma hurt, Dana has a new friend? I don't know... [ **1/2 ] The MAIN EVENT was Roman Reigns vs. AJ Styles for the WWE Title in an "Extreme Rules Match". What is the difference between that and a "No Holds Barred" match? Loud "Roman Sucks" chants because that's normal for babyface WWE Title holders. And we're 3 minutes in and Roman is already bent over to suck wind. So I guess under "Extreme Rules", wrestlers can fight anywhere in the arena. Ah yes, that's the difference between this and a "No Holds Barred" match. Geesh, that protective floor padding is quite thick, as see by AJ Styles trying to expose the floor underneath. Pretty cool spot with Roman tossing AJ Styles with a backbody drop on top of the tables. Fans chant "you still suck". Ouch. Nice Last Ride-like Powerbomb by Reigns which is met with more "you still suck" chants. To Reigns credit, although he's not selling a leg injury anymore, he caught Styles on a Frankensteiner and rammed him into the ring apron screen, the barricade, and then powerbombs him into a table. AJ Styles = bumping machine! Anderson/Gallows and Usos invade match because it's under EXTREME RULES. Reigns fended off Gallows & Anderson with Superman Punches but then AJ got the upperhand and hit a Styles Clash! Whoa... 2 Count only. Goes for Clash #2 on a Chair but Reigns countered but then Superman Punch is countered with Pele Kick. Styles Clash on the chair but one of the Usos stopped Styles from pinning him! Wow... Now, AJ Styles is murdering everybody with some nice chairshots including multiple ones to Roman Reigns. AJ Styles, LIKE A FOOL, doesn't go for the pin but instead tries a Phenomenal Forearm. Gee, what could happen? Spear in midair by Roman Reign wins the match. Chaotic fun, although it was all carried AGAIN by AJ Styles. [ **** ] After the match, SETH ROLLINS attacks Roman Reigns!!!!! Hits the Pedigree (damn it) and the crowd goes crazy! LAST WORD: Show started off poorly but seemed to improve with time. Credit to AJ Styles who has brought it for 2 straight Pay Per Views. Amazing in-ring work. Thankfully for the WWE, some much needed starpower is returning. Event started slowly but delivered through the end when it counted. B grade. SO JUST CHILL... 'TIL THE NEXT EPISODE! Comments and feedback are welcome. Follow and Tweet me @titowrestling or login in below to post comments. © Mr. Tito and LordsofPain.net/WrestlingHeadlines.com - 1998-2016
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