WWE Extreme Rules takes place this Saturday from Philadelphia, PA. This will be the 14th Extreme Rules event for the company, it originated in 2009.
SEScoops correspondents Andrew Ravens, Thomas Lowson and Ryan Droste have assembled to provide our official WWE Extreme Rules predictions.
WWE SmackDown Women’s Champion Liv Morgan vs. Ronda Rousey (Extreme Rules Match)
Andrew Ravens: Everyone, including myself, thinks we get a title change here unless WWE wants to hold off one more month for it to happen. Rousey should be the champion, and Morgan as the champion just hasn’t clicked for me yet. Rousey is WWE’s biggest female star on SmackDown. Let her shine with the gold. (Prediction: Ronda Rousey).
Thomas Lowson: I appreciate WWE trying to build up Morgan as a more legitimate threat to Rousey in recent weeks. And it has worked to an extent. However, I can’t see Rousey taking three losses in a row to Morgan. The Extreme Rules stip does give WWE the opportunity (again) to give Rousey a non-clean loss, but I don’t see it. Morgan’s had a good run, fans got what they wanted. (Prediction: Ronda Rousey)
Ryan Droste: Morgan’s reign to this point has already exceeded the length that anyone could have predicted. I just can’t imagine that Rousey would lose here. While it’s been nice to see Morgan get some shine, the end goal here was always moving the title back to Rousey. (Prediction: Ronda Rousey)
Consensus: Ronda Rousey
WWE Raw Women’s Champion Bianca Belair vs. Bayley (Ladder Match)
Andrew Ravens: The ladder match stipulation is interesting if WWE wants to beat Belair but protect her, Bayley could win thanks to outside interference and not have to beat Belair clean. I don’t see it happening, but I wouldn’t be shocked to see it. Belair will be feuding with the heel faction for a while going forward, so she retains. (Prediction: Bianca Belair).
Thomas Lowson: This is perhaps the match I’m most excited to see. Bayley and Damage CTRL have been on a roll, and I expect that to continue. The thing with Belair is that she’s been very well protected in WWE. Her last title loss only happened because she was caught off-guard. I think the ladder match stipulation gives WWE a perfect way to take the title off her, without Belair taking a clean loss. (Prediction: Bayley)
Ryan Droste: Belair has once again been a solid champion. However, who does she work next if she defeats Bayley here? They can extend the program a little longer, but in the end it feels like a Bayley title reign is in the cars. Damage CTRL has felt very fresh, and with WWE concentrating on powerful factions of late, adding the Raw Women’s Championship to this one makes sense. (Prediction: Bayley)
Consensus: Split
Seth Rollins vs. Matt Riddle (Fight Pit Match)
Andrew Ravens: This should be the main event of the show based on the fact that this has been a fun storyline, and WWE is bringing in UFC’s Daniel Cormier for the bout. I’ll side with Riddle going over because he needs a win to wrap up this storyline, and I can’t see Cormier counting the pinfall to give a heel the win. (Prediction: Matt Riddle).
Thomas Lowson: With Roman Reigns a no-show, this will likely headline Extreme Rules. I think Riddle has this. It makes sense given that Rollins won in Cardiff, and personally, I hope it’s the end of the feud. Perhaps a match will be squeezed out at Crown Jewel, but I don’t need to see it. Rollins and Riddle have done well, but there’s no point in carrying this on. Riddle gets the win, and maybe a bit of respect from Rollins. As for Cormier, I wouldn’t be surprised to see some confrontation with Seth, setting up a Saudi match. (Prediction: Matt Riddle)
Ryan Droste: Like my colleagues, it’s difficult to envision Riddle not winning this match. Daniel Cormier would seem to cement that fact. They’ve been feuding for a while and it’s time for Riddle to go over and move on to something else. (Predictions: Matt Riddle)
Consensus: Matt Riddle
Karrion Kross vs. Drew McIntyre (Strap Match)
Andrew Ravens: This is a very intriguing match because both stars need a win. McIntyre needs a win since he just lost to Roman Reigns at Clash at the Castle, but also, Kross needs a win to continue to prove to fans that he will be the second biggest heel on Smackdown. Kross also needs a great match with McIntyre, so I’ll side with Kross. (Prediction: Karrion Kross).
Thomas Lowson: This seems the easiest one for me to call, which pains me as a huge McIntyre fan. It’s odd though, as neither man can really afford a loss. Kross is still relatively new on the scene on SmackDown, and McIntyre is coming off arguably the biggest loss of his career. But I have to go with Kross on this one. WWE has long-term plans for him in the main event, making his win more necessary. (Prediction: Karrion Kross)
Ryan Droste: Kross seems destined for the title picture, while McIntyre has just exited that scene. One could make the argument that McIntyre needs a big win, but so does Kross having recently returned and looking to be elevated for a shot at Reigns. (Prediction: Karrion Kross)
Consensus: Karrion Kross
Edge vs. Finn Balor (“I Quit” Match)
Andrew Ravens: I’m going with Balor solely based on the fact that WrestleVotes recently reported that WWE had big plans in place for Balor in the near future. I don’t think Edge needs to win just because he recently returned. (Prediction: Finn Balor).
Thomas Lowson: Another difficult one to call. On paper, it seems like Balor and the Judgment Day would have this one in the bag. The numbers game alone would surely give them this. However, Edge only recently returned, and having him come back to lose would make little sense. Honestly, it’s a coin-toss, but I’ll give it to the Hall of Famer. (Prediction: Edge)
Ryan Droste: Judgment Day lost to Edge and Rey Mysterio at Clash at the Castle. It feels like Balor goes over here. Outside of his initial Universal Championship victory (and injury), Balor has never lived up to his full potential on the main roster. While with NXT, Balor shined. Who was in charge of creative there? With Triple H in charge, it’s not surprising to see rumors of a strong Balor push. (Prediction: Finn Balor)
Consensus: Split
The Brawling Brutes (Sheamus, Ridge Holland & Butch) vs. Imperium (Gunther, Giovanni Vinci & Ludwig Kaiser) (Good Old Fashioned Donnybrook Match)
Andrew Ravens: This could steal the show and should be the event’s opener. I think it’s a pick ’em, and the outcome will be based on what happens on Friday during the title bout between Gunther and Sheamus for the Intercontinental Title. I’ll side with The Brawling Brutes going over because I don’t think Sheamus wins the title on SmackDown. (Prediction: The Brawling Brutes).
Thomas Lowson: I was fortunate to be in attendance for WWE Clash at the Castle, so I know how good this can be. It’s a tough one to call, and one I reckon will be influenced by the IC Title match on SmackDown. But I’m predicting a clean sweep for the Brutes. A new Intercontinental Champion, and a win at the PLE. (Prediction: The Brawling Brutes)
Ryan Droste: SmackDown will have an impact on this result, and since we are publishing this before SmackDown, it’s really hard to say right now! Basically a toss-up. While Gunther prevailed in that classic match with Sheamus at Clash at the Castle, I think there’s a shot Sheamus wins the IC title on SmackDown (I was kind of expecting it to happen at Clash, actually). That being said, I wouldn’t do it. I would keep Gunther strong as he’s a guy who can challenge for the world title down the line. Why not keep him dominant? Sheamus gets his revenge here in a six man. (Prediction: The Brawling Brutes)
Consensus: The Brawling Brutes
