A lot can change in a year in professional wrestling.
At this time in 2021, WWE presented an Extreme Rules pay-per-view that failed to live up to its name. On a night that should have been full of hardcore brawls, the vast majority of the card was contested under normal rules. There was only one match with an extreme stipulation. It’s a show that was emblematic of the issues WWE faced in the later years of the Vince McMahon era. While the in-ring product was good, the wrestlers were consistently let down by lazy and uninspired booking.
Now, under a new regime with Paul “Triple H” Levesque leading creative, the difference between the cards for Extreme Rules 2021 and Extreme Rules ’22 is night and day. WWE heads to Philadelphia this Saturday for a PPV where every match has a different extreme stipulation. None of those stipulations feel out of place or unnecessary. Levesque has put together heated feuds that are all worthy of the stipulations they’ve been given.
Embracing the “extreme” in Extreme Rules has helped elevate what could have otherwise been a throwaway PPV sandwiched between bigger events. The only thing that Saturday’s card is lacking is a true main event. With undisputed WWE universal champion Roman Reigns not on the show, it’s not clear what will headline Extreme Rules. There are two women’s championship matches that could potentially result in title changes. Ronda Rousey will attempt to regain the SmackDown women’s championship as she challenges Liv Morgan in an extreme rules match. The Raw women’s championship will be up for grabs in a ladder match between Bianca Belair and Bayley.
The most personal rivalry in WWE right now will culminate as Matt Riddle takes on Seth Rollins in a Fight Pit match Saturday. Previously used in NXT, the Fight Pit is an MMA-inspired cage match that can only be won by knockout or submission. UFC Hall of Famer Daniel Cormier will be on hand at Extreme Rules to serve as the special guest referee for Riddle vs. Rollins.
Some of the intrigue for Extreme Rules revolves around whether this is where WWE’s “White Rabbit” will be revealed. Mysterious QR codes have been popping up on WWE television in recent weeks and linking to cryptic teasers. The latest one teased that Extreme Rules will be where the White Rabbit debuts. It seems all but certain that the angle is leading to the return of Bray Wyatt.
Extreme Rules will stream live on Peacock/WWE Network starting at 8 p.m. ET on Saturday. Here’s a full rundown of the card, along with predictions for each match:
Extreme rules match: Liv Morgan vs. Ronda Rousey for the SmackDown women’s championship
Winning or losing isn’t really the most important thing for Morgan here. A valiant loss against Rousey would mean far more for Morgan’s character going forward than another fluke win. Defeating Shayna Baszler at Clash at the Castle helped Morgan gain some credibility, and now WWE needs to show that she belongs in the same ring as Rousey. Being able to use weapons in this extreme rules match should help Morgan do that.
Whether it happens at Extreme Rules or some point soon afterward, Rousey regaining the SmackDown women’s championship feels like an inevitability. She shouldn’t lose three straight matches against Morgan.
Prediction: Ronda Rousey wins
Ladder match: Bianca Belair vs. Bayley for the Raw women’s championship
This is one of the hardest matches to predict at Extreme Rules. Bayley defeating Belair and adding more gold to Damage CTRL is a logical outcome, but it isn’t time to end Belair’s title reign.
There will likely be a lot of outside interference in the match. Alexa Bliss and Asuka will get involved to help counter Bayley’s Damage CTRL stablemates Dakota Kai and Iyo Sky. If Becky Lynch is ready to return from the separated shoulder she suffered at SummerSlam, it would be great to have Lynch be what stops Bayley from becoming champion.
Prediction: Bianca Belair retains
Fight Pit match: Matt Riddle vs. Seth Rollins
After all of the personal insults Rollins has lobbed at him, it’s time for Riddle to get his revenge. Their story line has included Rollins’s taunting Riddle about his real-life family issues. Rollins has brought up Riddle’s divorce and has claimed that Riddle doesn’t get to see his kids anymore. The Fight Pit is the perfect place for a former MMA fighter like Riddle to put an end to this feud. If the intensity of Riddle and Rollins’s rivalry carries over into the Fight Pit, this has the potential to be a classic.
One interesting thing to watch is whether Daniel Cormier being the special guest referee for Riddle vs. Rollins results in him doing more with WWE in the future. He’s a pro wrestling fan and would excel in an on-screen role with WWE, even if he never becomes an in-ring competitor.
Prediction: Matt Riddle wins
Strap match: Drew McIntyre vs. Karrion Kross
McIntyre vs. Kross is the only match at Extreme Rules that won’t benefit from its stipulation. With the two wrestlers tied together, strap matches limit what the participants can do instead of giving them more options to work with. Hopefully McIntyre and Kross can overcome that and still find creative ways to use the strap. Kross needs to have a good showing in his first PPV match since returning to WWE.
McIntyre’s loss to Roman Reigns at Clash at the Castle is one that’s going to be hard to bounce back from. As much as there shouldn’t be any shame in losing to the most dominant wrestler in the industry, there’s never going to be a better opportunity for WWE to make McIntyre a legitimate top guy. McIntyre needs to turn the page on that loss and start racking up wins soon, but that won’t happen at Extreme Rules. With how badly Kross’s first run on the main roster went, he can’t afford a PPV loss so soon after returning.
Prediction: Karrion Kross wins
“I Quit” match: Edge vs. Finn Bálor
The “I Quit” stipulation for this match could be what gives The Judgment Day the high-profile win they’ve been needing. While it’s usually a bad idea to have babyfaces give up, it will be understandable if Edge quits to protect his family. The Judgment Day can use their numbers advantage to threaten Edge’s wife, Beth Phoenix. With Phoenix in danger, Edge will have no choice but to give up and save her.
Prediction: Finn Bálor wins
Good Old Fashioned Donnybrook match: Imperium (Gunther, Ludwig Kaiser and Giovanni Vinci) vs. The Brawling Brutes (Sheamus, Ridge Holland and Butch)
Coming off what may have been WWE’s best match of the year at Clash at the Castle, Gunther and Sheamus are guaranteed to put on another banger here. This Irish-themed street fight between their factions will be fast paced and hard hitting.
The night before Extreme Rules, Gunther and Sheamus will face off in an intercontinental title rematch on SmackDown. Assuming that Gunther retains, this six-man tag will allow Sheamus to regain some momentum. He should pin either Kaiser or Vinci to get the victory.
