What role will Ronda Rousey play at WWE Extreme Rules 2018? (Credit: WWE.com)
The final pay-per-view stop before SummerSlam comes Sunday night with WWE Extreme Rules 2018, and the show is bound to serve up some twists and turns along the way.
WWE Extreme Rules 2018 will feature Raw and SmackDown‘s biggest storylines and will feature several stipulation matches that should help make the show extreme like its namesake.
There are several intriguing matches and storylines surrounding this pay-per-view, but which storylines are the biggest? Several could make the cut, but here’s the three biggest storylines heading into WWE Extreme Rules 2018.
3. Ronda Rousey’s Likely Involvement In The Raw Women’s Championship Match
The signing of Ronda Rousey was a historic moment for the WWE to capture one of the most decorated women’s athletes of all-time. Rousey has been so impactful in the WWE so far that even when she isn’t in the upcoming Raw Women’s Championship match, she is still the center of attention.
Rousey had a great match with Nia Jax at Money In The Bank last month with the Raw Women’s Championship on the line, but thanks to Alexa Bliss cashing in her Money in the Bank briefcase after she got herself involved in the match, Rousey walked away empty handed and Bliss walked away with Jax’s gold. And the next night, The Baddest Woman On The Planet didn’t take too kindly to Bliss.
The new champion was attacked and put through a table by Rousey and after she briefly attacked GM Kurt Angle and a few referees, Rousey was suspended for 30 days. Bliss will defend her title against Jax this Sunday in an Extreme Rules match, but Rousey will be sitting ringside for the show, as a “fan.” This is bound to escalate into something big and match-changing for Bliss and Jax.
Whatever role Rousey plays at Extreme Rules could directly affect the outcome of the Raw Women’s Championship match. It’s safe to assume she will be involved in a big championship match at SummerSlam next month, but in the meantime, her pending involvement on Sunday could and probably will make a difference.
The Baddest Woman On The Planet is nothing to take lightly. If that moniker takes shape at Extreme Rules, chaos could ensue for the Raw Women’s Championship encounter.
Photo by WWE.com
2. Which Ego Will End Up Getting In The Way Between Roman Reigns And Bobby Lashley?
It has been a strange 2018 for Roman Reigns so far. The Big Dog has gone from the sure-fire next Universal Champion and heir apparent to Brock Lesnar to feuding with Jinder Mahal, but as of late, he has been feuding with the recently-returned Bobby Lashley.
Lashley made his return to the WWE after a 10-year hiatus following WrestleMania 34 and would soon be placed in a horrific feud with Sami Zayn. After that came to an end, Lashley had his eyes on a bigger prize, namely Lesnar and the Universal Championship. Reigns took offense to this, however, and since then, the two have been at each other’s throats.
The Dominator thinks Reigns isn’t capable of defeating Lesnar and The Big Dog thinks Lashley is still the same guy he was 10 years ago and not the top guy. It has been a battle of egos up to this point, but which ego will prevail at Extreme Rules when these two square off in what could end up being a de facto number one contenders match for the Universal Championship? There might be a better question to be asked.
It could be an ego that gets in the way from a victory just as easily. These two have been trying to one-up each other for weeks now, but one wrong move at Extreme Rules could spell doom for that superstar’s chances of winning. Reigns’ character has been quite temperamental as of late, so if his temper gets the best of him on Sunday, Lashley could swoop in and get a defining win.
Regardless of how it turns out, Reigns vs. Lashley is all about egos and pride that could just as easily do more harm than good.
Photo by WWE’s Twitter
1. Will The Miz Cost Team Hell No’s Championship Nostalgia Attempt?
It’s probably safe to assume that very few, if any, in the WWE universe saw the reunion of Team Hell No coming a few weeks ago. But the WWE likes to say that anything can happen, so this definitely falls into that category with Daniel Bryan and Kane back to their old selves.
On the night Kane returned and helped Bryan out from getting attacked by The Bludgeon Brothers, Team Hell No was back and immediately earned a SmackDown Tag Team Championship opportunity at Extreme Rules against Harper and Rowan. In the weeks since their reunion. Team Hell No has knocked off The Usos and won in a 10-man tag team match on the most recent edition of SmackDown.
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Bryan and Kane are up to their old tricks, but the question is can the recent wave of nostalgia they have been on result in the dethroning of the most dominant tag team on Tuesday nights? The Bludgeon Brothers have been unstoppable since winning the SmackDown Tag Team Championship at WrestleMania 34, turning back challenge after challenge with relative ease.
However, Team Hell No has already proven to be a formidable team in recent weeks. Bryan and Kane are capable of defeating Harper and Rowan, but keeping The Miz in the back of your mind probably isn’t a bad idea during this match. He could easily end up costing Team Hell No and setting up the inevitable showdown with Bryan at perhaps SummerSlam. How long does the WWE plan to keep Team Hell No together?
Next: 3 Reasons Why Finn Balor Should Win At Extreme Rules
If they are together long enough and The A-Lister doesn’t get too far in the way, Bryan and Kane could have one last nostalgia tag team title reign left that would have everybody talking.