WWE Extreme Rules 2016 Card and Predictions

Extreme Rules comes to you live tomorrow night (May 22nd) from New Jersey.  The card is mostly set (though they could still in all likelihood add a Becky-Dana Brooke match to the preshow in the next 24 hours, depending on how much fun they let Becky have on Twitter), so here we go with our patented barely accurate prediction post.  And I’m bringing in our special Podcast commentator Michele to give her opinions as well.

Preshow:  Baron Corbin vs Dolph Ziggler (No DQ Match)

Matt:  There is only one match on the card for the preshow, which I’m pleased with.  As we discussed in our bonus episode of the Podcast (now available on iTunes and Google Play), the biggest issue I had with Payback was that this match was condensed to the point where it basically didn’t even happen.  It being the only preshow match on the card should give these two talented performers enough time to put on a match that they are both capable of.  I would rather see Ziggler get the rub and a bump back into that Intercontinental Title picture, but I think Corbin gets the victory here and hopefully they use it as a catalyst to get him involved in things other than preshow matches against the same guy he’s already competed with 10 times.  Corbin

Jeremy:  Corbin to firm up his heel cred with the main roster.  They need a plan for both of these guys going forward.

Michele:  Corbin because they never let anyone I want to win, win.

Matt:  The match may not get the time it deserves, but at least we get that sweet commentary team of Booker, Corey Graves and Renee for an hour.

United States Championship: Kalisto (C) vs Rusev (Gimmick Free)

Matt:  Kalisto drops this belt this time.  Rusev has been getting a long overdue push lately and free of the LoN I think Rusev has the in ring ability and mic skills to be a very good heel character for a long time.  While I worry that having to turn right around and drop the belt to Cena to get back to the US Open Challenge is going to be slightly detrimental, I think it just makes it easier to slide Rusev forward and begin to push him in this hyper talented IC Title picture.  Rusev 

Jeremy: Rusev Crush!  Machka!!  Machka!!  Machka!!  Machka!!

Michele:  Rusev.  All.  Day.

Intercontinental Championship: The Miz (C) vs Cesaro vs Sami Zayn vs Kevin Owens (Fatal Four Way)

Matt:  I won’t even pretend, I am calling it ahead of time as the match of the night.  This is going to be a fantastic show from four of the most talented guys on the roster.  I also like that they didn’t go extreme rules on this one, because it would be detrimental to what these guys are going to bring to the ring tomorrow night.  I don’t even know how to pick a winner.  I would imagine Miz does not leave there with the belt, probably a Maryse distraction gone wrong.  I’d love to see Kevin Owens get it back, just for the promos, but as I predicted above, I see Rusev moving into this title picture soon, so the belt probably needs to be on one of the faces.  I’m going to call a Cesaro win here for two reasons.  First, I think Cesaro and Rusev could put on an amazing match for the belt later, and secondly, because I think creative is going to recycle the Sami vs KO story over and over and they don’t need the belt to tell that tale.  Cesaro

Jeremy:  Cesaro.  I think Zayn and Owens will ruin each other’s chances setting up their feud to break off on it’s own again.  The odds aren’t in Miz’s favor unless Zayn and Owens distract Cesaro somehow.

Michele:  It could go either way.  I kind of want The Miz to keep it.

Tag Team Championship: The New Day (C) vs The Vaudevillians

Matt:  This one has me a bit torn.  While I’m super excited about the title actually being on the line, I think it’s pretty obvious that the story writes itself if the Vaudevillians get the win here and Enzo comes back healthy.  I also don’t mind the idea of The New Day taking a beat to regroup before becoming our World Famous Three Time Champs, just because it’s sort of getting stale.  The Vaudevillians

Jeremy:  The Vaudevillians I think it’ll be more valuable for The New Day to chase the titles again.  It’ll keep them from going stale.

Michele:  The Vaudevillians should win it to make this actually interesting.

Women’s Championship (that feels so nice to say): Charlotte (C) vs Natalya (Submission Match – Ric Flair banned from Ringside)

Matt:  The Ric Flair stipulation has to come into play here.  I think something happens and Ric emerges from the backstage area, Shane is right behind him to end the match and crown the new champion, Natalya probably drops the title right back to Charlotte on Raw.  Then again, I could be wrong and Charlotte could actually win this one clean to save the division from the idea that the champion has to have a man to win anything.  Oh who am I kidding, there’s no way Natalya wins this damn belt, and I’d almost figure they’d go heel with Charlotte here and she beats her using the Sharpshooter.  Charlotte

Jeremy:  I expect this to go something like Roadblock, just without Ric Flair.  It’ll be a good match but Charlotte will eek out a win.

Michele:  It’s going to be Charlotte.  Boo.

Oh Joy, The Usos.  The Usos vs Gallows & Anderson (Tornado Tag)

Matt:  The saving grace for me here is that its Tornado Tag, a wildly underutilized format in the tag team division, especially considering how many times we end up seeing the exact same matches.  The biggest problem I have here is that there’s only one way for the night to go, and its for either The Family or The Club to win both matches, and since they aren’t going to let Roman lose that title for a while, it’s a pretty safe assumption that while Gallows & Anderson are the bigger and better portion of this match, they get to eat the loss here.  The Usos (that was painful to type)

Jeremy: If you’ve read my Smackdown recaps, you’ll know that there’s no way I’m not going to pick Gallows and Anderson.  I think it will probably go the other way but I’ll never type it.

Michele:  Unless an actual tornado comes in and takes them all away, I don’t care.

Chris Jericho vs Dean Ambrose (Asylum Match)

Matt:  Drink it in, man.  Yes, I intentionally chose this image.  This is primo Chris Jericho.  There is no way this match is even half as shitty as the Ambrose vs Lesnar match from Mania because Jericho is a professional and he’s doing some of the best work of his career right now.  You’re not going to see the Barbed Wire 2×4 used, just because it’s still a PG show, but you’re going to get the Kendo Stick, the fire extinguisher is going to be sprayed in someone’s face, etc.  It’s going to be a good hardcore match.  The cage, not necessary by any means, and if they play the same shitty horror movie music as the cage lowers that they did on Raw I may be likely to miss most of the match cleaning the piss from my shorts from laughter again, but these two should put on a solid match.  I do wonder, with the cage right up against the ropes, how Jericho would hit a Lionsault?  I mean, what’s a Jericho match without it.  As much as I want to pick Ambrose here, I’m not a stupid idiot.  Jericho

Jeremy:  I’m actually thinking Ambrose here.  It seems like they’re going a particular focused direction with Ambrose and it’s a little mini push.  If you want to be cynical and talk numbers, Ambrose moves a lot of money.  I think this is going to be the matchfor Ambrose that it should have been at WM32.  He’s going up against a great veteran who’s going to ultimately put him over.

Michele:  Ambrose should win and somebody better use some shit.

WWE World Heavyweight Championship: Roman Reigns (C) vs AJ Styles (Extreme Rules Match)/Balor Watch/Rollins Watch

Matt:  This match could probably be pretty good on its own, even without the extreme rules stipulation.  AJ is getting some of the best work I’ve ever seen from Roman out of him right now and they’re putting on a great feud.  There is also a lot of potential here for surprises.  No, not that The Usos and The Club are both going to be involved half way through the match, but that you may also get the leader of The Club, Finn Balor, as we’ve long anticipated, as well as the return of the rebuild, redesigned and ready to reclaim Seth Rollins.  No matter what goes down, Roman Reigns retains this title, but it’s going to be a hell of a lot of fun to watch everything that could potentially happen here, including Roman vs AJ itself.  Roman Reigns

Jeremy: This just better be the end of this.  I love AJ but the involvement of the Usos really make me want this to be over.  This feud has done a lot for Roman, and for that, AJ is owed MVP status.  He did something that The King of Kings couldn’t do.  But I wish this could have existed in a world where the Usos never existed.  It’s the worst thing Rikishi has ever done.  Even running over Austin with a car wasn’t this bad.  I’m sure Gallows or Anderson will unintentionally cost AJ the match.  Roman Reigns.

Michele: Ugh, *full body groan* — Roman.

Just in case:

Becky Lynch vs Dana Brooke

Matt:  They can’t keep having Becky get squashed.  She’s already lost to Emma a couple of times, and Dana has picked up wins on both Becky and Paige in just a week.  Becky has to get a win here or all momentum is gone for the fan favorite.  Becky

Jeremy:  The Lass Kicker  I don’t really need any reasons.

Michele: Becky Lynch

Other Thoughts:

Matt:  Does anyone else find it strange that the event is sponsored by the new Ninja Turtles movie and yet this guy isn’t even in a match?

He’s in the damn movie that is sponsoring the event and we can’t even get him in the preshow?  That’s just sad.  He’s a former Heavyweight Champion.  It’s sort of disrespectful.

I know, I say the same things fairly often, but I’m hoping for some sort of Wyatt chaos here, almost as much as I’m hoping for Balor and Rollins.  The show hasn’t been the same without Bray and his weird promos.  I know it sucks to not have Luke Harper in the mix, but I don’t need the family, just Bray would be fine by me.

Jeremy:  To be fair, Sheamus is out with Bebop doing the press junkets for the movie.  It’s weird, yes, but he’s doing work.  I don’t think we get any returns or major surprises for this one.  That’s gong to be saved for Money in the Bank, I think.

Michele: No surprises.