WWE Extreme Rules 2017: Kickoff Show Match Added

Just hours before WWE Extreme Rules goes live, a match for the Kickoff Show has been added.

The WWE Extreme Rules pay-per-view is set to go live at 8:00 p.m. ET. This will see a fatal five-way match take place, which will determine who faces Brock Lesnar next for the WWE Universal Championship. It will presumably take place at Great Balls of Fire, on Sunday, July 9.

Before Extreme Rules airs, a one-hour Kickoff Show will occur on the WWE Network, at 7:00 p.m. ET. Usually, there’s a match set up for this, but going into Sunday, WWE didn’t officially announce anything.

Well, that changed this afternoon. WWE announced that Apollo Crews vs. Kalisto will take place on the Extreme Rules Kickoff Show.

Kalisto and Crews have had a mini feud on Raw, which has centered around Titus O’Neil’s Titus Brand. This saw Kalisto defeat Crews in a match, only for O’Neil to then face the Lucha Dragon and defeat him.

Crews and O’Neil have been paired for nearly one month, working in a mostly wrestler-manager pairing. This has seen the former Uhaa Nation show a slightly more aggressive side to his character, which could mean a heel turn is on the way. Might that happen at Extreme Rules?

Outside of this and the main event, there will be five other matches taking place. Most of them will have the non-traditional feel to them, given the nature of this annual PPV.

Alexa Bliss will face Bayley in a Kendo Stick-on-a-Pole match for the Raw Women’s Championship. The Hardys are going to defend the Raw Tag Team Championship in a Steel Cage, against Cesaro and Sheamus. Neville and Austin Aries will also battle in a Submission match for the WWE Cruiserweight Championship.

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Who will win this Kickoff Show match? How about the others at Extreme Rules?