– John Cena is advertised to appear on Tuesday’s edition of WWE SmackDown, which emanates from Buffalo, New York. Daniel Bryan, however, is not scheduled to appear on the post-Extreme Rules edition of SmackDown.

– The following are the updated online betting odds for this Sunday’s WWE Extreme Rules pay-per-view. Odds are courtesy of BetFair.com. The favorites are listed in bold.

John Cena +188
Bray Wyatt -275

Paige -1200
Tamina Snuka +600

The Shield -150
Evolution +110

Bad News Barrett -700
Big E +450

Alexander Rusev -2000
R-Truth & Xavier Woods +700

Cesaro -1500
Jack Swagger +450
Rob Van Dam +600

Daniel Bryan -1200
Kane +550

El Torito -300
Hornswoggle +200

– As previously reported, Batista is not scheduled for any events after this Sunday’s WWE Extreme Rules pay-per-view. As things stand right now, which could always change, “The Animal” is scheduled to finish up after television this week.

– On the official WWE YouTube channel, a video has been added that shows the WWE Extreme Rules pay-per-view promotional poster being created. You can check that out below.

Expect to see an abundance of chairs, tables, and possibly sledgehammers this Sunday, as the WWE gets extreme during its annual Extreme Rules pay-per-view. There are eight matches scheduled in total, with Daniel Bryan making his first title defense against former tag team partner Kane and Evolution vs. the Shield serving as the headlining matches. Without further ado, here are our predictions for this Sunday’s event.

WeeLC Match: El Torito vs. Hornswoggle (Pre-Show)

Michael Hicks: For once there is a match on the pre-show that actually feels like a pre-show match. 3MB finally got their first win in forever last week, so I’m thinking Hornswoggle wins this one after moving out of the way of a diving El Torito, allowing him to crash through a table in a match that should at least be slightly entertaining.

Winner: Hornswoggle

Adrian Fylonenko: Surprisingly, El Torito vs. Hornswoggle in the midget version of a TLC match has promise. This bout is either going to be highly entertaining, or dreadfully awful. There is no room in between. I assume that El Torito and Hornswoggle will be accompanied by their “friends” and I have no doubt that they will be involved in the match in some way shape or form.

It wouldn’t be surprising to see step ladders instead of traditional ladders, and plastic children’s table chairs instead of steel chairs, but when it is all said and done, El Torito, with the help of Los Matadores will stand….tall. I’m guessing this match will be by pin-fall only considering there is no championship on the line.

El Torito wins after hitting a top rope 450 Splash. You watch.

Winner: El Torito

Handicap Match: R-Truth and Xavier Woods vs. Alexander Rusev

Michael: Rusev has been destroying Truth and Woods in recent weeks. There’s absolutely no way he loses this one, as it would only make him look weak, even if it is a handicap match. I’d love to see them give Rusev a few minutes to show what he can do in front of a PPV audience. Unfortunately, I predict that Rusev takes this one in a 3-minute squash match.

Winner: Alexander Rusev

Adrian: This could be a pretty decent handicap match if it’s given enough time. Truth and Woods can be entertaining in the ring, but the WWE Universe hasn’t been able to see their stuff in quite some time – due to the fact that they are generally fed to guys like Bray Wyatt and yes, Rusev. However, in a 2-on-1 situation, there is a lot of room to entertain.

The outcome will always remain the same. Rusev come, Rusev crush, Rusev win, Rusev leave. Alexander Rusev hasn’t wrestled a match on WWE TV that has lasted longer than three minutes, so let’s see what this dude can do in the squared circle.

Winner: Alexander Rusev

Jack Swagger vs. Rob Van Dam vs. Cesaro

Michael: This should definitely be one of the more entertaining matches of the night, as there’s a decent build between the three and they should all work well together. This match could have been entertaining with some sort of stipulation, but what can you do? It seemed like Cesaro was going to win the IC Title tournament before losing to RVD in the semifinals and a win here will serve as his consolation prize. I expect Heyman to get involved in this one to possibly to start an ongoing feud between Cesaro and RVD.

Winner: Cesaro

Adrian: With Bray Wyatt vs. John Cena and Evolution vs. Shield on the card, I’m picking this Triple Threat bout to be the (I’m coming atcha like a) dark horse match of the night. We all know it definitely has potential, given the superstars involved and the managers that will be at ring-side. However, I agree with what Chris Jericho said on his most recent podcast. In that it’s very strange to see a Triple Threat match taking place with absolutely nothing on the line except for bragging rights.

Cesaro is the newest Paul Heyman guy and it’s a phenomenal move for both parties. Cesaro is over, getting better on the mic and is one of the more consistently entertaining performers in the ring and Paul Heyman is one of the greatest wrestling managers/characters of all time. The Swiss Superman is the next big thing in WWE and the only way I can see him losing is if Creative wants to continue a Cesaro/Heyman vs. Swagger/Colter feud. If that’s the case then I’d give the win to RVD, so I am a bit hesitant to pick a winner.

But, since I must, I will go with my gut and give the win to Cesaro, who will pin Swagger after hitting the Neutralizer. Cesaro pinning RVD could happen too, but I think that Mr. 420 is in the bout to enhance it. He will neither pin, nor be pinned.

Winner: Cesaro

Intercontinental Championship Match: Big E vs. Bad News Barrett

Michael: Big E’s title run has become a bit stale and Bad News Barrett has gotten a decent push since returning with his new gimmick. Barrett will take this one clean after hitting the Bull Hammer Elbow, which will not only bring a bit of prestige back to the title, but begin his ascent to the main event level of the company.

Winner: Bad News Barrett

Adrian: I don’t know about you, but I love me some Bad News Barrett. I’ve been a big fan of Barrett’s for quite some time and finally, the Brit is connecting with the crowd and getting a big push. In the past three weeks, Barrett has defeated Dolph Ziggler, Sheamus and RVD to earn an Intercontinental Title shot against Big E at Extreme Rules. That has to be Barrett’s most successful month of wrestling in the past three years.

Unfortunately, Big E has been quiet. Too quiet. It seems like fans have forgotten about him and he is the damn IC champion! WWE has a habit of Barrett needs to continue his momentum and win the Intercontinental Title from Big E. He’s had to look and the talent to be great and now he has the fan support. Look out for Bad News Barrett!

Winner: Bad News Barrett

There has been some speculation that WWE Hall Of Famer “Nature Boy” Ric Flair may be appearing at Sunday’s Extreme Rules pay-per-view, likely to continue the angle from Monday’s RAW between The Shield and Evolution.

Flair is scheduled to appear at a Frank & Son Collectibles show in California on Saturday, and according to his itinerary, will then be flying straight back to his home in Atlanta, with no scheduled stop in New Jersey for Extreme Rules on Sunday.

WWE could always schedule Flair at the last minute but as of last word, he is not officially scheduled to appear at the event.

As previously reported, midget wrestler Short Sleeve Sampson is scheduled to appear at this Sunday’s WWE Extreme Rules pay-per-view, likely in the “WeeLC” match between El Torito and Hornswoggle.

According to one source, Sampson may serve as the special referee for the pre-show match.

It should be noted that additional midget wrestlers were contacted by WWE before they booked Sampson, so it’s possible that they have something planned with other midgets outside of Sampson, Torito and Hornswoggle.

According to an online report, midget wrestler Short Sleeve Sampson will be appearing at this Sunday’s WWE Extreme Rules pay-per-view, likely to be involved in the “WeeLC” pre-show match between El Torito and Hornswoggle.

Sampson reportedly retired from pro wrestling last year, but has appeared in the past on WWE and TNA programming in various matches and skits, and even took part in Hulk Hogan’s “Micro Championship Wrestling” project.

The following are the betting odds for Sunday’s WWE Extreme Rules pay-per-view according to PaddyPower.com.

Alexander Rusev is the biggest favorite on the entire card as of right now, as he comes in at -1800 for his handicap match against R-Truth and Xavier Woods. In this case, you would have to bet $1,800 on Rusev to earn $100 profit on the bet. On the flip-side of the coin, Truth and Woods, who come in at +650, would earn you $650 profit if you placed a $100 bet.

It should also be noted that these odds are indicative of much until the actual “smart money” comes in on the show, which is generally hours before the event starts on the day of the show.

Betting favorites are in bold.

Daniel Bryan -600
Kane +350

The Shield +200
Evolution -300

Paige -1000
Tamina Snuka +500

Rob Van Dam +600
Jack Swagger +450
Cesaro -500

Alexander Rusev -1800
R-Truth & Xavier Woods +650

Big E +400
Bad News Barrett – 700

John Cena +150
Bray Wyatt -200

El Torito -300
Hornswoggle +200

– The following is a WrestleMania Rewind Extra, which features Cody Rhodes talking about the Big Show vs. Floyd Mayweather showdown from WrestleMania.

– The following is the latest Brandi Rhodes video blog (aka NXT’s “Eden”), where she talks about how she and Cody Rhodes first began dating.

– WWE added the following “Five Must-See Extreme Rules Matches” video to their official YouTube channel.

The following is an updated list of official dates and locations for WWE’s pay-per-view events all the way through WrestleMania 31.

May 4th – Extreme Rules, IZOD Center in East Rutherford, NJ
June 1st – Payback, Allstate Arena in Chicago, IL
June 29th – Money In the Bank, TD Garden in Boston, MA
July 20th – Battleground, Tampa Bay Times Forum in Tampa, FL
August 17th – SummerSlam, Staples Center in Los Angeles, CA
September 21st – Night of Champions, Bridgestone Arena in Nashville, TN
October 26th – Hell In A Cell, American Airlines Center in Dallas, TX
November 23rd – Survivor Series, Scottrade Center in St. Louis, MO
December 14th – TLC, Quickens Loans Arena in Cleveland, OH
January 25th – Royal Rumble, Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia, PA
February 22nd – Elimination Chamber, Fedex Forum in Memphis, TN
March 29th – WrestleMania 31, Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, CA

The latest WWE sit-down interview has been released on YouTube and features Renee Young talking to Triple H.

Young asks HHH about Kane’s recent actions, Ric Flair endorsing The Shield on RAW on Monday and Evolution’s upcoming battle at Extreme Rules this Sunday.

You can check out the complete interview above.

This Sunday, the WWE will hold its annual Extreme Rules pay-per-view. However, upon glancing at the card, something immediately stands out: a noticeable lack of extreme.

With the card seemingly set (assuming a Tag Team Championship match between the Usos and Rybaxel isn’t added last minute), only two matches on the entire seven-match card feature stipulations that are even slightly extreme (not counting the inevitable dud between El Torito and Hornswoggle on the pre-show).

Sunday’s contest between Daniel Bryan and Kane is one of only two matches on the card featuring extreme rules.

Those matches are of course the WWE Championship match between Daniel Bryan and Kane, which will be fought under no-holds barred rules, and the cage match between John Cena and Bray Wyatt. Even the six-man tag between Evolution and the Shield has not been announced as an extreme rules match, although that could change between now and Sunday.

This Sunday’s card highlights the problem with holding themed pay-per-views. How can the company possibly market an event under the name Extreme Rules and then hold one match that is actually extreme (the WWE Title contest) and one (the cage match) that is billed as extreme, but is in fact usually tamer than the pit at a Justin Bieber concert.

It is especially difficult during the PG Era to hold an event such as this one, as most of the matches that could have been utilized (first blood match, inferno match, casket match, etc.) are now essentially banned, leaving creative with few options other than a typical no-holds barred match and TLC type matches that are already featured on other pay-per-views throughout the year. In short, the event does not offer anything unique.

The following is a non-spoiler match listing for this week’s edition of WWE SmackDown, which was taped on Tuesday night and will air on Friday, May 2, 2014 on the SyFy Network.

– Rob Van Dam vs. Jack Swagger

– Alexander Rusev vs. R-Truth

– The Wyatt Family vs. Sheamus & The Usos

– Damien Sandow vs. Dolph Ziggler

– Big E. vs. Titus O’Neil

– Dean Ambrose vs. Ryback vs. Curtis Axel vs. Alberto Del Rio

For a complete spoiler report for this week’s WWE SmackDown, click ahead to page two …

The Monday, April 28th Extreme Rules “go-home” edition of WWE RAW averaged 4.61 million viewers, according to Nielsen Media Research.

The hourly breakdown for the show is as follows:

Hour One: 4.512 million viewers
Hour Two: 4.667 million viewers
Hour Three: 4.652 million viewers

Last week’s edition of RAW averaged 4.139 million viewers, so the overall increase was pretty solid for the final show before Sunday’s pay-per-view. The final rating for this week’s RAW should be out shortly.

The following are highlights from the latest blog by WWE Hall Of Famer Jim Ross:

On the opening segment of last night’s RAW: “The opening segment with the children’s choir eventually wearing sheep masks was provocative but at the end of the well produced segment I am not sure what was accomplished. Not sure why I did not ‘get it’ and you’re welcome to insert your own joke here as I am sure many will.”

“Bray Wyatt should win the cage match this Sunday at Extreme Rules in Jersey but who knows? Cena is still the face of the company and Wyatt escaping the cage, I am not an escape the cage aficionado BTW, helps the newcomer and doesn’t do any irreparable harm to Cena. Plus, it extends the story line one would assume.”

On Daniel Bryan: “The WWE World Champion Daniel Bryan is ‘injured’ and his title is in serious jeopardy via the story line but was that message made abundantly clear Monday night? The hero at risk is a good philosophical, pro wrestling trait. I still think that Kane and Bryan will have an overachieving match on Sunday.”

On Evolution vs. The Shield: “Older lions vs the new lions, IE Evolution vs. The Shield, have a clearly defined issue and should have a good one on Sunday. I’d expect the younger guys to get a signature win this Sunday. Not sure what the Ric Flair element did for the late show segment.”

On WWE’s 50 greatest talkers list: “Love the debate regarding WWE.com’s list of the top 50 greatest talkers in the history of the biz list that has created a fair amount of controversy which is exactly why ‘lists’ of any kind are comprised to start with. ‘Lists’ are subjective and can any list really be totally right or totally wrong? Not in my opinion.”

On Tyson Kidd: “See where Tyson Kidd is coming back on the road and is booked for WWE which I perceive is a good thing. Kidd is highly under utilized and a very talented professional. Hope he gets a break while he’s still young and can carry more of a load.”

Check out the complete blog at JRsBarBQ.com. You can also order JR’s Bar-B-Q products online at WWEShop.com.

– AT&T U-Verse has joined DISH Network and DirecTV in the list of cable providers that will not be carrying this Sunday’s WWE Extreme Rules pay-per-view. As previously reported, WWE acknowledged the fact that DISH and DirecTV dropped their pay-per-views on RAW, and encouraged fans to subscribe to the WWE Network as the primary way of watching future WWE pay-per-views.

– The following is the official preview for tonight’s edition of WrestleMania Rewind, which focuses on the WrestleMania XXIV showdown between Floyd Mayweather and Big Show.

– As we reported last week and reiterated earlier tonight, it’s very likely that Rob Van Dam vs. Cesaro vs. Jack Swagger will be taking place as a triple-threat match at this Sunday’s WWE Extreme Rules pay-per-view, which takes place from the IZOD Center in East Rutherford, New Jersey. Apparently this match was confirmed during the RAW post-show on Monday night, which airs live on the WWE Network after RAW every week.

– Following Monday’s Extreme Rules “go-home” edition of WWE RAW, which took place in St. Louis, Missouri, it was announced to the live crowd in attendance that this year’s WWE Survivor Series pay-per-view, which takes place on November 23rd, will take place at the Scottrade Center in St. Louis, Missouri.

– It was confirmed on Monday’s edition of WWE RAW that on this week’s edition of WWE SmackDown, which is taped on Tuesday night and airs on Friday night on the SyFy Network, WWE United States Champion Dean Ambrose will be defending his title in a three-on-one handicap match against Ryback, Curtis Axel and Alberto Del Rio.

– Jim Ross tweeted the following about the opening segment on tonight’s edition of WWE RAW:

The opening segment on #RAWSTLOUIS was memorable..creepy..provokes thought. Like a blind date…

— Jim Ross (@JRsBBQ) April 29, 2014

Following Monday’s Extreme Rules “go-home” edition of WWE RAW, here is your latest official WWE Extreme Rules pay-per-view lineup for this Sunday night.

WWE World Heavyweight Championship
– Daniel Bryan (c) vs. Kane

Faction vs. Faction
– Evolution vs. The Shield

WWE Intercontinental Championship
– Big E. (c) vs. Bad News Barrett

WWE Divas Championship
– Paige (c) vs. Tamina Snuka

Steel Cage Match
– John Cena vs. Bray Wyatt

Handicap Match
– Alexander Rusev vs. R-Truth & Xavier Woods

Pre-Show “WeeLC Match”
– Hornswoggle vs. El Torito

Rumored
– Rob Van Dam vs. Cesaro vs. Jack Swagger

Make sure to join us here this Sunday night for the absolute best live WWE Extreme Rules results coverage.

– It was announced on Monday’s edition of WWE RAW that at this Sunday’s WWE Extreme Rules pay-per-view, we will witness the first ever “WeeLC” match, which appears to be a TLC match with little people, as El Torito and Hornswoggle will battle one-on-one.

– Also on RAW on Monday night, Bray Wyatt sang “he’s got the whole world in his hands” again, but this time with a choir of children. The children that sang with him on Monday were the high school choir from the Ladue School District in St. Louis, Missouri. The choir tweeted the following prior to RAW:

.@WWEBrayWyatt Our choir is fired up to sing your theme song tonight! @RealHughJackman #RAWSTLOUIS #GreatOpportunity @jessicabock

— Ladue Foundation (@laduefoundation) April 28, 2014

– WWE publicly acknowledged during Monday night’s Extreme Rules “go-home” edition of RAW that this Sunday’s pay-per-view will not be available on DISH Network or DirecTV. Michael Cole encouraged fans to sign up for the WWE Network to watch Extreme Rules this Sunday night.

– WWE recently added the following video to their official YouTube channel, featuring a sit-down interview with Renee Young talking to the current WWE Intercontinental Champion Big E.

It was announced on the WWE Extreme Rules “go-home” edition of WWE RAW on Monday night that “The Exotic Express” will make its’ next stop at RAW next Monday night. So there you have it, Adam Rose makes his debut next week on RAW.

WWE Hall Of Famer Harley Race was in attendance at Monday’s WWE RAW in St. Louis, Missouri.

The WWE Extreme Rules “go-home” edition of WWE RAW takes place tonight in St. Louis, Missouri. Advertised for tonight’s show, among other things, is the return of Daniel Bryan.

Also scheduled for tonight’s show is the final round of the WWE Intercontinental Championship contender tournament between Rob Van Dam and Bad News Barrett. The winner will go on to face Big E. for the title at the Extreme Rules pay-per-view this Sunday night.

A WWE Tag-Team Championship match between The Usos and the team of Ryback and Curtis Axel will take place tonight on the show, as well as the return of WWE Hall Of Famer Ric Flair.

Finally, a segment has been advertised for tonight that features Stephanie McMahon apologizing to Daniel Bryan for the attack he suffered at the hands of Kane on last week’s show.

Make sure to join us here tonight at SESCOOPS.COM for live WWE RAW play-by-play results coverage.

Adapt or perish. That is the message Triple H has been sending to the Shield in recent weeks since reforming Evolution. The concept seems simple enough when applied to professional wrestling: either evolve your character over time or quickly become irrelevant.

However, Triple H should be heeding his own advice, because it appears Evolution is the stable that will need to adapt in the near future in order to survive. With Batista taking some time off after Extreme Rules and Triple H only working a part-time in-ring schedule, Randy Orton will be the only full-time competitor left in Evolution in a few weeks.

The ultimate goal of the entire Evolution/Shield feud is to set up a contest between Triple H and Roman Reigns sometime this fall, most likely at SummerSlam. If Batista takes a significant amount of time off and Triple H only appears to cut promos, it seems like it will be difficult to drag out the program until August.

Batista is taking some time off after Extreme Rules, leaving only one full-time competitor in Evolution.

Ric Flair is scheduled to appear on Raw this week, meaning he could also be inserted into the program for a brief period of time. I highly doubt that Flair will be around for long though, as he was not originally slated to rejoin Evolution, and considering the fact that he hasn’t shown up to a WWE event sober in months, it seems unlikely that too much importance will be placed on the Nature Boy.

Flair’s sobriety, or lack thereof, aside, he is also not someone who is going to compete in the ring, so his involvement seems rather pointless, especially when considering that Triple H is basically playing the same managerial role that Flair occupied during the stable’s original incarnation.

Apparently WWE is booking Divas Champion Paige is a very specific way, with a design behind it. The feeling is she needs to connect with the WWE audience before competing in high-profile matches with top talent.

WWE is having Paige work with lower-level heels, such as Aksana and Alicia Fox, as a way to allow the fans to get to know her and have a reason to get behind her, before she advances into bigger matches, such as the one coming up with Tamina Snuka at Extreme Rules.

WWE has announced a title match for this coming Monday’s edition of WWE RAW, which takes place in St. Louis, Missouri.

The Usos, who are the current WWE Tag-Team Champions, will be defending their titles against the team of Ryback and Curtis Axel.

As previously reported, it is expected that both teams will compete against each other at the upcoming WWE Extreme Rules pay-per-view, which takes place on May 4th at the IZOD Center in East Rutherford, New Jersey. We also noted previously that the match will likely serve as the solo bout on the pre-show for the event.

It is expected that Monday’s match will set the stage for the PPV pre-show bout.