WWE Extreme Rules 2018 will feature Raw’s Roman Reigns and Bobby Lashley in the main event and SmackDown’s AJ Styles and Rusev clashing for the WWE Championship, marking Rusev’s first world title shot in his career.
It’s time to get EXTREME! All of the championship titles, except Brock Lesnar’s universal title, are on the line at WWE Extreme Rules 2018.
There are special stipulations throughout the card featuring Raw’s Alexa Bliss (c) and Nia Jax in an Extreme Rules match for the Raw Women’s Championship and Raw’s Dolph Ziggler (c) and Seth Rollins in a 30-min IronMan Match for the Intercontinental Championship.
There may be more stipulations – as well as more matches – added to this card. Raw’s Finn Balor and Baron Corbin’s match could turn into a street fight. Bayley and Sasha Banks have had a long-term feud and may be added to the card after counseling is over. Braun Strowman and Kevin Owens may also be added to the card due to their continuous segments and matches week after week.
With that being said, let’s predict each officially announced match on this stacked card as well as probable matches that can be added to the card from the go-home shows this week.
Credit: WWE.com
AJ Styles (c) vs. Rusev For The WWE Championship
The Phenomenal One vs. The Bulgarian Brute! On April 25, 2017, Rusev demanded a WWE Championship match at the MITB PPV. Check out this video of his stern demand from the WWE’s YouTube page below:
Rusev’s demand did not come to fruition, however. SmackDown Commissioner Shane O Mac explained to Rusev that Smackdown is the land of opportunity, but opportunities must be earned. Rusev took this advice at heart, teamed up with vocally talented Aiden English, and got over with the crowd through “Rusev Day” chants and T-Shirt sales. After putting in all of this hard work throughout the year, Rusev has finally earned his first ever world title shot against the phenomenal WWE Champion known as AJ Styles.
SmackDown is not available for rent. SmackDown is the house that AJ Styles built, and Rusev looks forward to blowing the house down. However, I do not envision the house being built with sticks or straws. I envision it being built with bricks that Rusev cannot blow down.
Styles had a long 3-month rivalry with Shinsuke Nakamura and I do not foresee him having a long rivalry with Rusev. This will be a one-off match, in which Styles retains the WWE Championship despite Rusev’s momentous connection with the WWE universe.
Styles will then move on to defend his title at Summerslam against one of the top heels on Smackdown Live: Samoa Joe. In order to start this rivalry, Joe will probably appear out of nowhere at Extreme Rules to choke Styles out after the WWE title match.
Prediction: AJ Styles
Credit: WWE.com
Finn Balor vs. Constable Baron Corbin In A Street Fight
The Demon King vs. The Lone Wolf! Finn Balor and Constable Baron Corbin have been roasting each other every chance they get. Corbin made fun of Balor’s size by stating that it would be perfect for the cruiserweights’ 205 Live. Balor retaliated by making fun of Corbin’s infamous haircut, which makes him look like the authority’s “stooge.” Corbin has also made fun of Balor for taking 16 years to step foot into the WWE when it only took him 1 phone call. Balor again retaliated by saying that he didn’t need to call WWE since the WWE called him.
These 2 men surely know how to talk the talk, but it’s time to put that talk into action at Extreme Rules. Balor and Corbin are both in a position, in which they desperately need a PPV victory. No one man needs the win more here, but I envision Corbin picking up the victory to maintain his dominance as an authority member. His new gimmick has been very fitting for his character, and he should be rewarded for it.
Balor won’t be completely hurt by this loss since this feud is not far from over and could carry over to Summerslam, where he can unleash the DEMON and defeat Corbin for an appropriate 50:50 booking. On top of that, a street fight would be fitting for these two savage rivals at the Extreme Rules PPV since they want to rip each other apart.
Prediction: Constable Baron Corbin
Jeff Hardy (c) vs. Shinsuke Nakamura For The United States Championship
The Charismatic Enigma vs. The King of Strong Style! As United States Champion, Jeff Hardy has done a good job in orchestrating some enjoyable matches with fellow challengers, such as Sanity’s Eric Young and The Miz, on SmackDown Live. However, Shinsuke Nakamura is long overdue to capture a championship title in the WWE. Since he got bumped down from his main card championship feud with AJ Styles to a mid card championship feud with Jeff Hardy, he definitely needs to solidify his heel turn with a United States Championship victory at Extreme Rules.
His rivalry with Hardy began ever since he low-blowed him on the go-home show of Smackdown Live before MITB, where he faced AJ Styles for the WWE Championship in a Last Man Standing Match. Ever since that day, Hardy’s eyes have been open, and he has been looking forward to deleting Nakamura once and for all. Their title match was scheduled two weeks ago on SmackDown Live, but a police dog stopped Nakamura in his tracks.
Despite the delay, Nakamura looks forward to closing Hardy’s eyes with a Kinshasa in their title match. On top of that, he might even hit Hardy where the rising sun does not shine for good measures. All in all, I foresee Nakamura becoming the new U.S. Champion at Extreme Rules and having a lengthy reign as well.
Prediction: Shinsuke Nakamura
Alexa Bliss (c) vs. Nia Jax For The Raw Women’s Championship In An Extreme Rules Match
The battle of the bullies! Alexa Bliss and Nia Jax are at it again, and their feud is not over just yet. Bliss cashed in her MITB Briefcase on Jax to take back her Raw Women’s Championship, and we’re back to square one. Jax is chasing Bliss for the title, but it does not look like it will be going Jax’s way this time.
Ronda Rousey, who promised to appear at Extreme Rules, wants Bliss for herself at Summerslam, which could mean only one thing: Bliss retains! It may seem impossible for Bliss to beat Nia, but it’s an extreme rules match. This means that Alexa Bliss can use tables, kendo sticks, and ladders, which she has used in the past to win significant matches.
First, she used a table to win her first SmackDown Women’s Title against Becky Lynch at TLC 2016:
Second, she used a kendo stick to retain her Raw Women’s Title against Bayley at Extreme Rules 2017:
Finally, she used a ladder to become Mrs. MITB of 2018:
Indeed, Bliss is adept at utilizing items to her advantage and therefore has everything at her arsenal as well as any potential interferences by Mickie James to get the job done nefariously against Nia Jax at Extreme Rules. Therefore, I foresee the goddess of WWE retaining her Raw Women’s Championship against Nia Jax and going on to face Ronda Rousey at the biggest event of the summer: Summerslam. Also, since Ronda Rousey was only suspended from Raw, she is free to attack Bliss at Extreme Rules after this match in order to spearhead this rivalry to its fullest potential.
Prediction: Alexa Bliss
Dolph Ziggler (c) vs. Seth Rollins For The Intercontinental Championship In A 30-Min Iron-Man Match
The Showoff vs. The Kingslayer! Dolph Ziggler is well known for having short title reigns in his career, but he came to Monday Night Raw with a new attitude, a new mindset, and a new tag team partner known as Drew Mcintyre. This is a new beginning for Ziggler, and he should retain the IC Title to solidify his new beginning.
Seth Rollins, on the other hand, had a tremendous run with the IC Title but deserves to move on to bigger and better things, such as the main event scene. Mcintyre is present to help Ziggler retain the IC title. Thus, Seth Rollins would still look strong in defeat if he were to lose due to being outnumbered.
Overall, this match is a potential show-stealer since both men have incredible endurance for a 30-minute Iron Man match. Dolph Ziggler showed off his endurance the most in Team Cena vs. Team Authority at Survivor Series 2014 when he was the sole survivor. Seth Rollins showed off his endurance the most in Raw’s gauntlet match on February 19, 2018 when he competed for a whole one hour and three minutes to defeat Roman Reigns and John Cena in the same night, as can be seen in the two links from WWE’s Youtube page below:
Endurance is not the only quality these two men have in common. They are also both very opportunistic, as can be seen by their prominent MITB cash-ins:
Although Seth Rollins is booked as the stronger opponent in this rivalry, Dolph Ziggler needs to prove that he is no longer a one-hit wonder. He needs to show the world that he is not only a viable but also a reliable ally of Drew Mcintyre as they continue their dominance on the Raw roster. Once Ziggler obtains a winner’s reputation, he can then have a more meaningful rivalry with Drew Mcintyre down the line.
Prediction: Dolph Ziggler
Bludgeon Bros (c) vs. Team Hell No For The Smackdown Tag Team Championships
Team Hell No has reunited and it feels so good! Daniel Bryan and Kane have such amazing chemistry together as a tag team, and it can only get better from here. In order to fulfill this reunion, winning the tag team titles over the most dominant tag team on Smackdown Live would do just that. Although many fans around the world really wanted Daniel Bryan to have a rivalry with the Miz and a significant singles run, there’s no doubt that they would love to hear Team Hell No scream “I’m the tag team champions!” at Extreme Rules.
The SmackDown tag team division needs some serious rebooting, and Team Hell No could be the cure. They can have fresh and thrilling rivalries not only with Bludgeon Bros but also with Sanity, The Bar, and The New Day. The Bludgeon Bros have simply been dominant but can never match how entertaining and fun Team Hell No tend to be.
When push comes to shove, the tag team that can help trigger the most interest in the Smackdown tag team division should be the Smackdown tag team champions. The crowd popped for Team Hell No’s hug and “Yes” chants. I’m certain the crowd will pop for Team Hell No’s Smackdown tag team title victory, and there’s no better booking decision than that.
Prediction: Team Hell No
Bayley vs. Sasha Banks In A Last Woman Standing Match
I foresee a star-studded match occurring between the Huggable One and the Legit Boss. Bayley vs. Sasha Banks has been one of the most memorable women’s division rivalries with a long history to fall back on all the way from NXT. Back in NXT, Bayley won the NXT Women’s Title at NXT Takeover Brooklyn and ended her rivalry with Sasha Banks in a 30-minute Iron Man match. Bayley won this Iron Man match and retained the NXT Women’s Title at NXT Takeover Respect while Sasha Banks advanced to the main roster. Check out their heated NXT rivalry from WWE’s YouTube page below:
This just goes to show that they’re not only the best of friends but also the best of rivals. These two can fight forever, and we can never get enough. They can make history again at Extreme Rules in the first ever Last Woman Standing Match.
They had a point to make at NXT, and they have a point to make on the main roster. As Kurt Angle said, Bayley and Sasha are vital assets to Monday Night Raw. However, their incapability to work cohesively as a team has been detrimental to Raw in Kurt’s eyes. Thus, there’s one way to solve this: Whoever loses the historic Last Woman Standing Match at Extreme Rules is gone from Raw for good. That way, these two can end this rivalry once and for all with high stakes and move on to brand new rivals.
Since Bayley won the rivalry in NXT, I believe Sasha Banks will win the rivalry on the main roster. It will be a big win for her, considering her obsession to prove that she is the best wrestler in the women’s division. It also could propel her back to the Raw Women’s title picture, where she rightfully belongs. The counseling is over, and I can BANK on that.
Prediction: Sasha Banks
Monster In The Bank Braun Strowman vs. Kevin Owens In A Steel Cage Match
I also foresee a match occurring between Monster in the Bank Braun Strowman and Kevin Owens at Extreme Rules, but Kevin Owens has not benefited in this feud with Braun Strowman at all. I have high hopes that he may get the upper hand somehow, but it’s highly unlikely. Braun will most likely destroy Owens, just like Bobby Lashley destroyed Sami Zayn.
It just seems like Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn are getting punished. They were not welcomed on SmackDown Live after having terrible relationships with Smackdown management. Now, they still do not seem to be welcomed on Monday Night Raw since they are being treated as mere jobbers.
The portable toilet segment was disgraceful for Kevin Owen’s character, and he has been in way too many significant storylines to be subjected to this. For someone who is a former universal champion, 2x intercontinental champion, 3x U.S. Champion and for someone who heabutted the living hell out of Chairman Vincent Kennedy McMahon, Kevin Owens deserves more on Monday Night Raw.
Nonetheless, Braun Strowman is Monster in the Bank and he must maintain his momentum as he looks to accomplish his long-term goal of beating Brock Lesnar to become universal champion for the first time in his career. On top of that, this could be a steel cage match, considering the fact that Kevin Owens continually tries to escape THESE HANDS.
Prediction: Monster in the Bank Braun Strowman
Carmella (c) vs. Asuka For The Smackdown Women’s Championship
The Princess of Staten Island vs. The Empress of Tomorrow! Carmella has been FABULOUS on the mic as SmackDown Women’s Champion. She has been calling out fans for drooling over her and exposing Asuka for no longer being undefeated. “Charlotte beat Asuka, and I beat Charlotte twice. That makes me twice as good as Asuka.” This rationalization was cunning and actually correct since Asuka was not ready for Carmella at MITB when she lost due to James Ellsworth’s shocking yet distracting return to the WWE.
Carmella’s dynamic duo with James Ellsworth has made her title reign ten times better, but I don’t think there’s anything else up Carmella’s sleeve that can help her retain again. Asuka learned from her mistake and will most likely be ready for both Carmella and James Ellsworth at Extreme Rules. After losing her streak, it’s time for Asuka to win a title and maintain her dominance in the women’s division once again. It has been long overdue, and losing to Carmella twice in a row is not ideal for someone who has maintained a winner’s reputation throughout her career. Speaking of winner’s reputation, check out this link from WWE’s youtube page:
Asuka is the longest-reigning NXT Women’s Champion, a sole survivor, and the first ever women’s Royal Rumble winner. In order to live her legacy to the fullest, Asuka must win her first women’s championship on the main roster.
Prediction: Asuka
Deleters of Worlds (c) vs. B-Team For The Raw Tag Team Championships
The Miz would certainly be proud of his proteges, Bo Dallas and Curtis Axel. The B Team has been very entertaining and momentous, especially when considering their upset wins, Memorial Day BBQ party, and mockeries of Matt Hardy and Bray Wyatt. When all is said and done, they have made a name for themselves and have connected with the crowd more than they have ever done in their entire careers.
Nonetheless, the B Team will get EATEN and DELETED! It’s a mismatch and a no-brainer. Hopefully, Bray Wyatt will be 100% by Extreme Rules so that this match can take place. This match has been delayed long enough, and it’s time for the Deleters of Worlds to have new contenders, such as the Authors of Pain, leading up to Summerslam.
It was good booking to entertain the fact that B Team could actually defeat all the tag teams in the Raw tag team division with their prominent winning streak. However, I see it as a tease or a way to make this match as unpredictable as possible.
Although B Team would be entertaining Raw Tag Champs, I’m still going with Deleters of Worlds for the win in order to avoid a rematch between these two teams. They need to move on to new opponents as soon as possible, and you can BOlieve that.
Prediction: Deleters of Worlds
Roman Reigns vs. Bobby Lashley
The Big Dog vs. The Real Deal! It’s not a bad main event. It’s not a good main event. It’s THE MAIN EVENT! These two men are equally obsessed with beating Brock Lesnar and becoming Universal Champion. The only difference lies in the fact that Roman Reigns has already failed three times at doing so while Bobby Lashley has not gotten an opportunity to do so.
Lashley told everyone that his main reason for coming back to WWE was to beat Brock Lesnar since he has the very tools to do so. Reigns, on the other hand, does not want Bobby Lashley to invade his yard; he wants to be THE GUY who beats Brock Lesnar with no questions asked. All in all, this rivalry is about competition.
Reigns and Lashley have teamed up against The Revival for three straight weeks and have been continuously trying to outcompete each other every chance they get. Now, Reigns and Lashley finally get a match against each other at Extreme Rules to determine who the best really is. It’s an exciting first time match up and is worth watching.
Next: Is Balor's Feud With Corbin Pointless?
It would seem smart to propel Bobby Lashley over Roman Reigns so that Brock has a new potential opponent. As Bobby Lashley stated, Brock is tired of seeing Roman Reigns. Quite frankly, I think everyone agrees with that. However, Roman Reigns tends to beat potential opponents for Brock. Just ask Braun Strowman at Fastlane 2017 and Elimination Chamber 2018 when he lost to Roman Reigns on those two separate occasions. I foresee Roman Reigns doing the same to Bobby Lashley. Believe THAT!
Prediction: Roman Reigns