WWE Extreme Rules 2020 will take place on July 19, 2020 at 7 p.m. ET/4 p.m. PT live on the WWE Network with the kickoff show beginning at 6 p.m. ET/3 p.m. PT. The following will provide early match card predictions for this extreme PPV.
WWE Extreme Rules 2020! This is the PPV where rules are meant to be broken. From jaw-dropping table spots to debilitating chair shots all the way to those ‘eye’-catching steel step collisions, this PPV has truly lived up to its name of Extreme Rules for the past ten years.
Other than Extreme Rules matches, there are other distinguished match stipulations associated with this PPV: Last Man Standing, Steel Cage, Table, Ladder, Kendo Stick on a Pole, Submission, Tornado Tag, Street Fights, Inferno, “I Quit”, Strap, WeeLC, and even Mask vs. Hair Matches.
None of these special match stipulations have yet been announced for this year’s Extreme Rules PPV. However, these stipulations prevent inconclusive finishes to championship matches, especially when a heel champion frequently capitalizes on the champions’ advantage rule.
Whether that guarantees many new champions or not at this PPV is open to interpretation. However, it is undeniable that this PPV will have strong implications for the feuds that will blossom on the road to the biggest event of the summer, WWE SummerSlam 2020.
As for this year’s WWE Extreme Rules PPV, the WWE’s official website indicates that the following bouts have already been officially announced:
"WWE Championship Drew McIntyre (c) vs. Dolph Ziggler Raw Women’s Championship Asuka (c) vs. Sasha Banks"
Along with these two championship matches, the following will provide early match card predictions/pitches for WWE Extreme Rules 2020, starting with tag team championship matches for Raw and SmackDown respectively.
Street Profits (c) (w/Bianca Belair) vs. A-Team (w/Zelina Vega) [Raw Tag Team Championships]
On this week’s Raw, Street Profits finally ended their feud with the Viking Raiders after retaining the Raw Tag Team Championships in a competitive opening match. After the match, Andrade and Angel Garza attacked them to set up a new feud and freshen up the Raw Tag Team Division.
Now that Street Profits and Viking Raiders are done playing like Mario vs. Sonic at the Olympic Games, the Raw Tag Team Division can hopefully be taken seriously again. Andrade and Angel Garza will defeat The Viking Raiders to earn a championship opportunity against Street Profits.
However, they won’t dethrone the Street Profits because there has been a lot of tension between them in the past few weeks. This championship match is merely a means of breaking them up while continuing a lengthy reign for the only tag team that wants the smoke.
Prediction: Street Profits
The New Day (c) (w/Xavier Woods) vs. The Artist Collective (w/Sami Zayn) [SmackDown Tag Team Championships]
On last week’s SmackDown, Artist Collective’s Shinsuke Nakamura and Cesaro attacked The New Day in a similar manner to how Andrade and Angel Garza attacked the Street Profits. The only difference is that Nakamura and Cesaro already earned their title shot on the Backlash go-home show of SmackDown when they defeated The New Day in a non-title tag team match.
Just like with the Street Profits, a title change is not necessary for The New Day. Although Cesaro and Nakamura are under-appreciated and need the win more, it is quite obvious that they are merely plan B’s for the Forgotten Sons, who were not going to dethrone The New Day in the first place since they are easily forgettable in the SmackDown Tag Team Division (pun intended).
There are quite a few options for The New Day when it comes to their SummerSlam opponents. However, since the other heel tag teams have all failed at their tag team championship opportunities, maybe the New Day need to select their own SummerSlam opponents. That way, they can select a babyface tag team, such as Heavy Machinery or Daniel Bryan and Drew Gulak.
Prediction: The New Day
Apollo Crews (c) vs. Bobby Lashley (w/MVP) [United States Championship]
When Apollo Crews dethroned Andrade to win his first-ever United States Championship, rumors immediately circulated about Vince McMahon potentially giving up on Crews as a champion. Unsurprisingly, as Vince finds a way to quickly take the U.S. Championship away from Crews, he now has to deal with a racist albatross since the fan base is fully behind a Black champion and unwilling to accept anything less than a lengthy reign for the talented Crews.
The company may think it has found a loophole by booking Bobby Lashley in a United States Championship feud against Apollo Crews, which would be perceived by Vince as a win-win situation for Black wrestling fans. On the other hand, it can also be perceived as a consolation prize for Bobby Lashley’s failure to capture the WWE Championship from Drew McIntyre.
With his TNA-reunited manager, MVP, in a heel faction known as ‘Hurt Business’, Bobby Lashley has not won anything significant yet. Although Apollo Crews should not lose the championship yet, it is evident that Lashley is valued slightly more in the WWE due to his physique and dominant performances. Crews can’t lose, but it’s impossible to take anything lightly with Lashley.
Remember when MVP orated: “You will lose that United States Championship without me in your corner?” Indeed, that is exactly what will happen once Lashley takes care of business. While MVP makes fun of Apollo Crews for not joining his faction when he was trying to recruit him, Lashley will have to worry about his SummerSlam opponent for the U.S. Championship: Kevin Owens.
Prediction: Bobby Lashley
Seth Rollins, Buddy Murphy, and Austin Theory vs. Rey Mysterio, Humberto Carillo, and Aleister Black (w/Dominick Mysterio) [6-Man Tag Match]
When the WWE books personal rivalries without championships involved, it tends to book compelling stories. The rivalry between Seth Rollins and Rey Mysterio has transformed Dominick’s renowned integrity into mere defiance, as can be evidenced by his unwillingness to follow his father’s orders and willingly get in harm’s way.
Although his mere defiance was done in good faith, it could translate into malicious intent, come WWE Extreme Rules 2020. It is too easy to presume that Dominick will help his father get some ‘happy ending’ babyface redemption against Seth Rollins and his disciples for what they did to his father’s eye on the edge of the steel steps.
In order to kickstart his career on a memorable trajectory, Dominick must take a significant risk that is befitting for his role in this rivalry. He will have to pull a Benedict Arnold by turning his back on his father to help Seth Rollins’ Holy Trinity pick up the victory, which will probably have to be renamed The Holy Tetrad if he does join them after such a pivotal heel turn.
It’s a sacrifice for the greater good, right? It’s best for business, right? Maybe WWE has already assimilated these concepts, which quite frankly guarantees this scenario to happen, especially since Rollins has not won on PPV since February.
Prediction: The Holy Trinity (Seth Rollins, Buddy Murphy, and Austin Theory)
Sheamus vs. Jeff Hardy [Last Man Standing Match]
When the WWE books personal rivalries without championships involved, it can also book controversial stories. Clearly, Hardy is fighting his past demons of alcohol addiction and drug abuse in this ‘piss’ poor feud with Sheamus. Henceforth, he will defeat Sheamus to obtain the babyface redemption that he did not obtain at Backlash, where he definitively lost to Sheamus.
Thanks to each attaining one win apiece, this match will be the end of a trilogy, which should be sufficient to put an end to this feud. Hardy can then use that momentum to earn an Intercontinental Championship opportunity against AJ Styles at SummerSlam since he was unjustifiably ‘deleted’ from the fraudulent tournament that replaced Sami Zayn as IC Champion.
Prediction: Jeff Hardy
https://twitter.com/SashaBanksWWE/status/1275258831870853128
Asuka (c) vs. Sasha Banks (w/Bayley) [Raw Women’s Championship]
As fun as this match will be, there’s no chance in hell that SmackDown superstar Sasha Banks will win the Raw Women’s Championship from Asuka. While Sasha Banks will instead dethrone SmackDown Women’s Champion Bayley in the near future, Shayna Baszler should be slated to dethrone Asuka at SummerSlam.
Before Becky Lynch was scheduled to relinquish her championship for maternity leave, it was reportedly rumored that Baszler was originally planned to win the MITB Briefcase and cash in on Lynch to win the Raw Women’s Championship. Despite Vince McMahon’s lack of faith in Baszler, she could still win the gold if those original plans still hold value today.
When it comes to this championship match between Asuka and Banks, it was set up for tensions between Banks and Bayley to blow out of proportions. Somehow, Bayley will find a way to inadvertently screw Banks in this championship match against Asuka and thereby prevent Banks from winning two championships, like her.
This is WWE’s way of essentially killing two birds with one stone: setting up Banks vs. Bayley for SummerSlam and solidifying Asuka’s title reign with key victories over important, formidable opponents (e.g. Nia Jax, Charlotte Flair, Sasha Banks).
This methodical booking strategy prevents Asuka from being perceived as a transitional champion before she loses the title to Baszler, who has been kept off television to avoid stealing Asuka’s spotlight and momentum as champion.
Prediction: Asuka
Braun Strowman (c) vs. Bray Wyatt [Universal Championship]
When the WWE books championship rivalries that have a foundational history, it is very easy for the fanbase to get invested in them. Thanks to Wyatt Family history, that is the case with Strowman and Wyatt as they picked up from where they left off at WWE Money in the Bank 2020, where Strowman retained the Universal Championship against ‘Firefly Funhouse’ Bray Wyatt.
Now, as can be indicated by his return promo on last week’s SmackDown, it seems that ‘Follow The Buzzards’ Bray Wyatt will battle Braun Strowman at WWE Extreme Rules 2020. This means that Wyatt will lose again as they stretch this storyline to SummerSlam, where The Fiend would finally recapture the Universal Championship.
Prediction: Braun Strowman
Drew McIntyre (c) vs. Dolph Ziggler [WWE Championship]
Speaking of foundational history, Dolph Ziggler was the superstar who reintroduced Drew McIntyre to the main roster as the Scottish Psychopath. Because of this, Ziggler felt that McIntyre owed him a WWE Championship opportunity, which McIntyre evidently granted him since he is a fighting babyface champion who should not say ‘no’ to any challenge.
It is understandable that the WWE wanted to start Ziggler’s trade to Raw off hot with a WWE Championship match. However, it is still ill-advised to put him in said championship match when he lacks the momentum for it. Nonetheless, his credibility definitely warrants a championship opportunity and his history with McIntyre should make for an interesting rivalry.
On the other hand, Ziggler will be focused on his tag team aspirations with Robert Roode once he returns. RooDolph would be ideal opponents for the Street Profits at SummerSlam, so this abrupt championship opportunity for Ziggler will be just a momentum booster for McIntyre. This should be a predictable championship retention for Drew before he battles Randy Orton at SummerSlam.
Prediction: Drew McIntyre
Randy Orton vs. Big Show [Extreme Rules Match]
Speaking of Randy Orton, he is the hottest thing going on Monday Nights and should definitely be next in line for Drew McIntyre’s WWE Championship. In order to do that, he needs to keep his momentum going fresh off a victory over Edge in what was the ‘greatest wrestling match ever.’
It seems that Big Show was upset with Orton’s behavior when battling Edge and Christian in the squared circle. Henceforth, the WWE Universe could be in for an Extreme Rules 2013 rematch between Orton and Big Show at this year’s PPV.
Indeed, this match is seven years in the making. Clearly, Orton wins here and uses that momentum to battle Drew McIntyre for the WWE title at SummerSlam. Big Show does not need to get babyface redemption for Edge. Edge can do that on his own when he returns.
For now, Orton needs to continue eviscerating legends, such as Big Show. The age of Orton needs to be rekindled so that younger and hungrier superstars, such as Drew McIntyre, who are not yet legends can benefit from a victory against the ‘greatest wrestler ever’, Randy Orton.
Is Randy Orton really the ‘greatest wrestler ever’? As much as Ric Flair wants to believe it, that debate will have to be reserved for another day because the age of Orton will return to the main event scene on Monday Nights.
Prediction: Randy Orton