WWE Extreme Rules Review & Reactions

Hello everyone and welcome back to Talk Wrestling World, I hope you are all well and good. Last night the WWE presented the two thousand and sixteen Extreme Rules pay per view and what an event it was. A new United States Champion was crowned, Roman Reigns proved many haters wrong once again, and a huge return left everyone in the WWE Universe buzzing. In today's blog post I will be recapping all of last nights action telling you what I thought of every single match that took place including the kick off show match up between Dolph Ziggler and Baron Corbin. Before we get started I want to remind you that I will not be uploading  RAW Predictions post today but starting from next week they will be back here on my blog along with NXT and Smackdown review and Reactions posts. Tonight I will be live tweeting throughout Monday night RAW as usual so make sure to follow me over there at @TezangiVictoria. Within the next week I do have a couple of announcements to make so keep an eye out for those as well. As always I would love to know what you thought of the show last night so let me know by leaving a comment bellow and get the conversation started!

Dolph Ziggler and former NXT Superstar Baron Corbin have been bashing heads for the month and after falling to the show off last month at his first WWE Pay per view singles matches the lone wolf set out to get back on track and teach the former world champion a little lesson when they collided one last time in a no disqualifications match on the Extreme Rules kick off show. Now, I may not have been all too happy about the two featuring on the kick off show in a second PPV in a row and  may not have had the best things to say about both Ziggler and Corbin competing in yet another bout against one another but the two were able to put on yet another decent match that managed to get everyone in the mood for the main show and at the same time provide Corbin with the match he needed. The stipulation allowed Baron to show off his darker side and provided the lone wolf with the perfect opportunity to let his ruthless behaviour take center stage as the young star used a low blow to walk out with another victory of his bitter rival. If I'm being completely honest, I haven't enjoyed the work between these two all that much. I will admit that Corbin has been booked well throughout this feud with the WWE actually getting it right when it comes down to making him look strong and dominate while portraying his character perfectly. The one mistake they did make was of course having him loose to Ziggler last month. I've said it before but ending that match in a brutal DQ would have been a much better ending. However, the result of that Payback match did mean that last night was important for both these superstars as their feud was set to come to an end. The match started out with both talents getting in the face of one another spitting verbal abuse at each other until a fed up Corbin sowed his disrespect for Ziggler by shoving him in the face. Ziggler found himself finding early control of this match but once the action soon went outside the ring the tables turnt and Corbin was able to use his size advantage to take control of the action. As the match progressed the former World Champion did everything in his power to take out the bigger superstar in Baron Corbin delivering clotheslines and elbows to the two thousand and sixteen Andre the Giant memorial battle royal winner. What was important in this match however was for Corbin to show off his aggression and barbaric side to his character and move set and he did just that. A simple victory over Dolph wouldn't have been enough, he needed to make an impact and deliver a true beating to his opponent. As usual Corbin did what he does best showing blatant disrespect towards Ziggler, Wrapping him up in the ropes, yelling abuse and delivering a low blow to assist him in picking up the victory. The match wasn't a long one but it was what Corbin needed and how the WWE use im from this point onwards will be very important.

One of my favourite stipulations in wrestling is a Tornado tag team match. Unfortunately it's very rare that we see them in the WWE today however, keeping the match so rare means that when one is booked the excitement is there and I know I for sure enjoy it a hell of a lot more. Last night at the Extreme Rules pay per view former WWE Tag Team Champions the Usos took on Karl Anderson and Luke Gallows in what was a brutal tornado tag team match. The two teams have been feuding for the past couple of months when Gallows and Anderson made their WWE debut attacking Jimmy and Jey out of nowhere. As the weeks progressed their motive became clear. Aiming to take out those who side with the WWE World Heavyweight Champion would fall at their feet and take a beating as the duo over the past four weeks or so have done everything in their power to prove their loyalty to former club member and number one contender, AJ Styles. Throughout this very entertaining feud we have seen these two teams clash on several different occasions and after seeing them compete against each other so many times did take away a lot of interest I had in this match however the history between the two teams has shown that they are more than capable of putting on a brilliant match and the fact that there was a little stipulation did change the way I felt just a tad. Now, you guys know all too well that I am not a fan of the Usos however, I will be the first to say that I seriously enjoyed this match. If you follow me on twitter you would have seen that I had nothing but positive things to say about this opening bout and the only downside I felt it had was the length of the match itself. An extra ten minuets would have turn this match from amazing to brilliant. The action started before the bell had even rang with the Usos wasting no time looking to get the upper hand, heading straight for Gallows and Anderson. Due to their early actions the twins were able to gain early control of this match putting their momentum to great use. However, their control of the match didn't last all too long with Gallows taking it upon himself to use his size to his advantage throwing Jimmy head first into the ropes and setting Jey up for a beautiful Anderson Boot of Doom. Throughout the match the Usos refused to back down and put up the fight they needed to refusing to let the momentum of their opponents last too long. The aggression of both these teams made this match the brilliant tornado tag team bout that we all wanted to see open the show. Gallows throughout proved to be a true threat taking out both Jimmy and Jey outside of the ring and using  seizing hold of the ring bell as an equalizer. We saw a couple of close calls that had me sure on the edge of my seat including the moments that saw Gallows take a super-kick from Jimmy but was able to soon after dodge a splash from the top rope. What I did love about this match was how brilliant Anderson and Gallows worked together. Their team work is something that always grabs my attention for being seriously like no other. You could feel the hate between these two teams and the brutality made this a brilliant start to the main show. Like I have already said, I do feel as though the match should have been longer in order for the match to be that much better however the big win for Anderson and Gallows was the perfect booking decision as their momentum continues to only grow. 

The WWE Main roster tag team division is on that appears to be on a roll right now. New teams and stronger booking has put the division centre stage and the all round push has been exactly what it has needed for a long time. As the New Day set to make history in their reign as champions they defended their tag team bronze at last nights Extreme Rules pay per view against former NXT Tag Team Champions the Vaudevillians. I'll be honest, I was really torn when it came to this match. I found it very hard to choose a side and think about who needed this win more. On the one hand we have the New Day who continue to be one of the most over things in the WWE and have gone on to have a brilliant run as champions and on the other hand with two young, up and coming stars who posses a great amount of potential. It was one of those matches that left me knowing that I would be happy with any result but I knew deep down that if The Vaudevillians picked up this victory I would have been extra happy. They have fitted in some very impressive performances since debuting on the main roster and seeing them as champions would have brought a change up to the division I would have loved to have seen and there was no denying that putting the tag team titles on the would have been perfect for taking their main roster importance and career to the next level. The match was much shorter than I was expecting. The two teams clearly carry very different styles both within their appearance/character and in the ring and throughout the match last night that became evident. Both teams had separate ideas of the pace the match should go in and used their different styles to their advantages. The former NXT Tag team champions worked brilliantly together to at times out wrestle the reigning champs using every slight opening they were given in this match to gain the upper hand. English and Gotch looked to edge close to a championship victory several different times throughout this match but the team work, numbers, and experience the New Day carried meant that The Vaudevillians had to put up a fight bigger than ever. However, the end result saw Kofi Kingston assist his partners in retaining their championships as another team fails to end their fantastic reign.

One of the matches I was most looking forward to was the United States Championship match between Kalisto and Rusev. You guys know that I have been a fan of these two superstars for a very long time and if you read my prediction post you would have seen that I ad high expectations for this match mentioning that potential for this to be brilliant was right there. Now, if I'm being honest the usual theme of matches not being long enough did come as another problem here. There was a certain match that took place last night (witch I will be getting into more later on) that ran on just a little too long and the time used in that match could have been added to last nights United States Championship match . However, saying that I can honestly say that I enjoyed this little bout between

Rusev and Kalisto just as much as I was expecting too. The match was much much more one sided than I predicted but a fantastic story was being told and I loved the chemistry between the two stars. Rusev throughout this match was  a star. This was the night that truly did turn things around for the former US Champion. He had a decent ratio of the crowd behind him with "Lets go Rusev" chants echoing through the arena and fans online showing their support for the former NXT talent. It was clear in this match just how far he has come. He showed his star potential and finally we got to see the fans jump on board with Rusev who truly is an extremely talented superstar. During the go home episode of RAW last week we got a little reminder of just how barbaric Rusev is when he almost broke the spine of his opponent and heading into this match we knew that once again it would be size and dominance that Kalisto would be competing with. However, this time round the size advantage proved to be too much and the huge heart of the now former champion was not enough for him to hold on to US Gold. Throughout the match Rusev would work on the back of Kalisto that he had previously caused damage to. Locking the lucha star in a brutal bare hug was the first step in wearing down the champ, taking away the one advantage he possessed, speed. Of course the masked superstar did not go down without a fight and a sleeper hold left fans wondering if this was the turn around that Kalisto needed as Rusev slowly began to fade. However, the slight offense appeared to have very little effect as the Bulgarian brute only grew in frustration and after avoiding the orders of the referee Rusev saw an opportunity to punish Kalisto even more attacking the spine once again in action that were identical to what we had seen just six days back on Monday night RAW. As Kalisto tapped out a new champion was crowned and the start of a big push for Rusev kick started. Personally, I could not have been happier with the result. Kalisto had a couple of brilliant matches throughout his reign but a change was needed and Rusev right now in my eyes is one of the hottest and most promising stars. How he is booked from this point onwards will be one to watch for sure. 

Up next a true match of the year contender. A bout that proved the worth of four fantastic superstars and one that we will all be talking about for months. Cesaro, Sami Zayn, Kevin Owens, and The Miz battled it out for the Intercontinental Championship as the looked to steal the show in what was an amazing fatal four way. Again, this was another match I was extremely excited for the and the expectations were very high. We know that these four superstars are four of the best. We have seen each and every one of them compete in some truly outstanding matches in the past both against each one another and other WWE Superstars. When you put four brilliant superstars and characters in one match you are bound to get something truly amazing and they sure did not disappointed for a single second. As soon as the bell rang former NXT Champion Sami Zayn wasted no time in taking out his long time rival Kevin Owen with a brilliantly executed Helluva Kick. Cesaro would soon follow delivering a solid clothesline taking out the Miz leaving two of NXT's bests to battle it out in the centre of the ring. I know I have said it before but whenever I see these two share a ring together it always puts a big smile on my face. They have fantastic history and amazing chemistry and I for one will never miss out on seeing these two take each other on and last night their grappling style took centre stage. What I loved so much about this match was how much every single superstar felt like they had a place in the match. Often in triple threat matches and Fatal four ways we see at least one superstar look as though they are out of place and as though they don't belong in the match but this was not the case at all. Each superstar played their strengths to gain momentum throughout this match and each one of them picked up close calls that had everyone on the edge of their seats. European uppercuts, Cesaro Swings, Blue Thunder Bombs, and cannonballs took place all over and around the ring and all while the Miz was making sure to play a brilliant game/tactic, saving his energy and waiting for that perfect moment and assistance from his wife Maryse who stood at ringside played a role too in this match. It was the one match that had me on the edge of my seat yelling at my TV and hooked on every single moment. The action was fantastic, the chemistry and the story telling was great and this very quickly became a match to note as a potential match of the year winner. I was backing Zayn last night and despite the many close calls it was the Miz who was able to beat the odds and hold onto his championship. However, the match was so brilliant I couldn't complain and every superstar was a winner in this one. 

If I'm being completely honest, I haven't been a fan of the feud between Dean Ambrose and Chris Jericho. I have mentioned it a million times before but I have never understood why exactly they are feuding and the lack of story has left me with very little interest. When I took a look on twitter last night I realised I was not the only one feeling this way and the comments were extremely negative with almost every tweet I read commenting how boring the match last night was shaping up and the lack of interest fans had. I do believe that I had a touch more interest in a great amount of the WWE universe when it came to this match. I tried my best to put aside the terrible story and dull build up and focus on the action itself witch to be fair wasn't the worse in the world. This was a very gimmicky match and while so many of you didn't enjoy the idea of an Asylum match I have to admit that the more it went on the more I liked the idea and the more I enjoyed the match. I will agree that it could have been cut down ten minuets but this was the match that saw Dean Ambrose in his element. If this match was taken place lets say fifteen years ago than maybe this could have been phenomenal instead of great. It was the type of match that I felt needed to be more barbaric and I hate to say it but needed some blood. This was the one time that really showed the PG era to be a problem when it comes to Extreme Rules matches like this. Yes the two seriously went to town one each other and they did really use their surroundings the weapons surrounding them to their advantage but it just needed that touch more aggression that we could have gotten if this was take place elven years ago at ECW for example. The two superstars did work very well together and they did actually manage to put on a very strong match there were just many flaws and problems with it. I think it's safe to say that it was only in those last ten minuets or so that most people found some interest in the match and when things truly did heat up. However, despite the general opinions of this match we can all at least agree that the WWE made the right decision in letting Ambrose take this victory because lets all face it he needed to win this one and what a great all round performance he had.

The women's championship match up between Natalya and Charlotte last night at Extreme Rules was a disappointment to say the least. Sure to be the last match of their feud this was supposed to be the match of their rivalry that really stood out. We have really needed to see these two women deliver and those of us that have seen their NXT Takeover match from a thew years back know all too well that these two are more than capable of delivering a fantastic match worthy of being noted as  a match of the year candidate. Throughout their main roster feud I have been waiting for them to deliver a match that matches or even better tops that bout but nothing has touched it and it truly is a shame and I hate that we have not been able to see these two women given the chance to put on the phenomenal match we know they can deliver. Their submission match last night was weak and far too short. They told their story brilliantly and there were a couple of nice spots but it will be a match easy to forget and did nothing for the challenger. What it did do was add to Charlotte's momentum. There is no doubt that as it stands she is the best thing in the division right now (until Sasha Banks makes er return) and the one thing the WWE are doing right is pushing her as a top heel. I mentioned it last night on twitter tat I believe she is one of the strongest heels in the WWE today and last night proved that again. Using Dana Brooke as a distraction to pick up the victory meant that Charlotte cheated her way to win once again but added to her character. Yes it would have been nice to see Charlotte actually win a match on her own clean but seeing what the WWE do with Dana Brooke and Charlotte as a pairing is going to be interesting. Was this a one time thing or are the WWE planning on creating something there between the two?

Say what you want about Roman Reigns last night he put on a brilliant performance. I like many others have never been the biggest Roman Reigns fan and I have sat here many times before commenting on the flaws that the champion possess but at Extreme Rules last night he made a huge impact as e and AJ Styles put on a truly fantastic main event that had me on the edge of my seat and wide awake. The action was completely non stop and both these superstars went to extreme lengths to ensure they walked out as the WWE World Heavyweight Champion. Now, I'm not going to sit here and say that I am not the worlds biggest Roman Reigns fan and I will be sat every Monday night sporting a Reigns shirt and cheering at my TV because that certainly won't be happening but I have to give it to him, he did great last night. He looked like a true monster throughout this match using his size and dominating Styles. He sent the well travelled superstar  flying threw barricades and tables wasting no time in proving people wrong and putting an end to this rivalry. However, there was no chance in hell AJ Styles was going to back down and he gave as good as he took. Making sure to give Reigns the right of his life the two brawled through the arena taking the action into the crowd and all around the ring. There was no other match on the night that truly took advantage of their surroundings as much as these two did in this match up. One thing I saw so many of you guys

commenting on was Styles' selling witch really was fantastic and added to this match. There were plenty of times that I was left watching and wondering if Styles was legit hurt and I loved that about this match. The intensity was there, the brutality was there and just like we saw earlier on in the night in the tornado tag team match you really did feel s though these two superstars hated each other and I loved that. Styles showed that he had enough and went to town on Reigns and the Usos who had prevented him from picking up the win more than once during last nights main event. Talking of the Usos, their appearance along with Gallows and Anderson's made this match even more exciting. The closing moments of this match were done so well with a brutal spear hit mid air allowing Reigns to retain his WWE World Heavyweight Championship after competing in easily his best match to date. However, things were far from over. As we all know last November Seth Rollins was forced out of action due to a serious knee injury and was also forced to of course give up his WWE World Heavyweight Championship. Almost seven months later and last night Rollins shocked the WWE Universe returning and attacking Reigns out of nowhere. Despite the rumours I had read all day long I still marked out and enjoyed every single moment of this ending to the night. We all know that Seth Rollins never lost the WWE World Heavyweight Championship and after making it perfectly clear he is coming after what is his and tonight's Monday night RAW is set to be one we all should be tuning into. 

Personally, I had mixed opinions on the show last night. We had a couple of fantastic moments and a couple of not so great moments. I was very happy to see a new United States Champion crowned and we had some amazing matches throughout. If I had to choose a favourite I would have to go with the Intercontinental championship fatal for way but the main event was sure a close second. I will be live tweeting throughout Monday night RAW tonight so make sure to follow me on twitter at @TezangiVictoria and as always I would love to know what you thought of Extreme Rules so feel free to leave a comment bellow!