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On a lighter note, last night was WWE’s annual night of extreme. Extreme Rules 2013 originated from the rich wrestling city of St. Louis, MO. and promised to deliver several great matches and reveals. Some were even saying the event had potential to up-stage WrestleMania 29. For those of you who read my Extreme Predictions, I didn’t do too bad overall. In terms of picks, my night started on the right foot at the Pre-Show and continued match after match until the I Quit Match. I ended the night 6-2-1 as three of the last four contests had unexpected outcomes. That’s definitely a good thing as I think it increases interest moving forward.

Pre-Show

The Miz def. Cody Rhodes

 *It’s clear The Miz has been on a roll since returning to TV, and I felt we would see that continue last night. Good match to warm the crowd up.

Extreme Rules

Chris Jericho def. Fandango

*It’s known deep in wrestling lure that it’s very difficult to defeat a great Superstar twice in a row, and we’ve seen that play out since ‘Mania. I thought this was a great match to start the pay-per-view and fans got to see Fandango get his comeuppance after weeks of cowardly antics…complete with the big debut on the Showcase of the Immortals. Maybe it’s just me, but it seems that it wasn’t until last Monday’s sprained-ankle swerve during the Dance Off that Fandango really raised the ire of fans. Nice ending as Fandango went to the well once too many and jumped right into a Codebreaker.

Dean Ambrose def. Kofi Kingston {United States Title Match}

*The hits started coming as the championships began to be decided. There was of course a lot of intrigue heading into Extreme Rules with the possibility of The Shield gaining another level of dominance in WWE, and fans didn’t have to wait long. I definitely like it being a 1-on-1 match. It’s the way it’s suppose to be and of course adds credibility to Dean’s win. As a product of the indies, it’s been great seeing guys from that level make it and I can’t wait to see more. There is a plethora of talent on the Indy scene, and Dean Ambrose is proof of that. Congrats are in order and I hope he continues to do well. One obvious question born of this situation is where does Kofi Kingston go from here?

Sheamus def. Mark Henry (Strap Match)

*I am a firm supporter of the World’s Strongest Man and would liked to have seen him pick up the W last night, but I felt things were built for Sheamus to prevail in the end, and that’s why I went with the Celtic Warrior. The fancy lights on the ring post adds color to the match, but old school fans look for the brutality in these matches. How many different ways can one use the leather strap to inflict punishment on his opponent…outside of “whoopin someone like they stole somethin”, as Henry previously referenced. I think we saw some of that and a good effort was put on to make the match stand out from others of its kind.

Alberto Del Rio def. Jack Swagger (#1 Contender’s I Quit Match)

The Shield (Rollins & Reigns) def. Team Hell No (Kane & D. Bryan) {WWE Tag Team Championship Tornado Match}

*This match was wild and fast-paced as expected and delivered on what’s been told over months now. The tag contingent of the Shield accomplished their ultimate goal in winning the tag titles. They did it in stylish fashion with a devastating tag team finisher, capping off the night and ensuring that the group left St. Louis as a whole with gold around their waists. That indy influence I talked about earlier was present here with Bryan and Rollins. This was one of the matches of the night for me and I’m looking forward to the mandatory rematch.

Randy Orton def. Big Show (Extreme Rules Match)

*With the meteoric rise that Randy Orton has been on and the event being in his hometown gave the third generation Superstar all the momentum he needed heading into Extreme Rules. Given the reason for this match to begin with and Big Show taking some of the blame for the Shield’s dominance, I saw Orton gaining a measure of revenge and vindication after the way things ended for them at ‘Mania. I liked this match for the most part and am interested in seeing what’s next for Orton. This string of wins has to lead somewhere.

John Cena (C) vs. Ryback {WWE Championhip Last Man Standing Match} (No-Contest)

*I definitely didn’t see this one coming after the way the story was told. Ryback picked his spots systematically and did everything he possibly could to make sure he had the clear advantage going into Sunday’s title match. Cena didn’t help matters for himself by allowing his opponent to select the stipulation. All that being said, I felt conditions were ripe for a Cena victory. What we saw was along those lines as the champ wasn’t dethroned…but there was a twist that preserved Ryback as a worthy contender with legit claims for a rematch. I understand the move. Ryback has a story to tell going back to the end of last year and will no doubt one day be champion. Every great eventual champ has their fair share of roadblocks…no matter what side of the tracks they stand on. Where do we go from here? Payback is on the horizon.

Brock Lesnar def. Triple H (Steel Cage Match)

*Again, another outcome that I didn’t see coming. Anybody worth their salt knows the Steel Cage (or some variant) is the be-all-end-all when it comes to intense rivalries, and given everything that’s happened between these two since the beginning, it seemed right for HHH to win the feud. Brock did a lot to HHH along with his friends and family, and up’d the ante a couple weeks ago with the “Workplace Invasion”. It was no question that the match would deliver, and the ending actually prompted talk that the conflict might not be over. I don’t see how it could as long as Paul Heyman is around, and the way things are looking as of press time it may not be.

Through and through the show was pretty solid if you’re looking at it intelligently. Tremendous efforts by the talents involved that created moments that I believe will be remembered over time. Fandango’s first big loss. The rise of the Shield. A compelling conflict for the WWE title taking the next step into a series, and a red hot feud that’s been viewed as an “invasion” takes an unexpected twist. Mark Henry said he’s going home…which is apparently something else that he do. I look forward to seeing him return. One of the most impressive feats would have to be bringing the show no matter what…even under a severe weather threat that stretched the entire length of Tornado Alley and as I said before, continues to put those people at risk at this hour. We will discuss the Raw aftermath on Tuesday as well as kick into overdrive for a big indy event going down this weekend in South Jersey (@OnPointWrestlin), and catching up on TNA for the sites that see that report. Thanks for reading!