Friday, May 2, 2014

WWE Extreme Rules 2014 Predictions & Analysis

WWE Extreme Rules 2014 Predictions
Coming off the heels of one of the best WrestleMania's ever, WWE is presenting it's first PPV of the new era. The event is headlined by The Shield vs. Evolution and Daniel Bryan vs. Kane for the WWE Championship.

Before going into my predictions I'd like to mention how impressed I am with the consistency of this PPV card. On paper it looks like a very solid show. Besides the Alexander Rusev handicap match, every bout has potential to be really good. The build for every match has been spot on and there's alot of things to look forward to on this PPV.

Now on to my predictions:

Pre-Show: El Torito vs. Hornswoggle - WEELC Match

Matches like this exist just for pure fun and entertainment. In all honesty, I enjoyed the contract signing segment on Smackdown this Friday. If this was on the main card, I might be a bit annoyed, but with it being on the pre show - there's nothing really to complain about. It will probably be kind of silly and be filled with JBL's annoying outbursts which have become common during recent weeks. Despite that, it should be a fun way to start the show. Since Los Matadores are accompanying El Torito and they're babyfaces, I predict him to win.

Who I think will win: El Torito

1) Big E vs. Wade Barrett - Intercontinental Championship Match
I think it's safe to say that the Intercontinental Title #1 Contender's tournament was a success. It produced several great matches and it made the championship feel important again. The rise of Barrett back to prominence has been refreshing. I never thought this "Bad News" gimmick would elevate back to what he once was, but it's caught on with fans and he's recieved a push because of it so I can't complain. Big E's reign hasn't been that good, but he's consisently put on good matches when defending the title. His title defenses against Fandango and Swagger were both quality bouts. I expect this one to be no different - if not better. Barrett and Big E are both heavy hitters. They are very physical
in the ring so this one should be fun to watch. With the momentum that Barrett has going into this match, I don't see any way around him winning the title here. Bad News Barrett for the victory!

Who I think will win: Wade Barrett

2) Paige vs. Tamina - Divas Championship Match
Although the two haven't been seen in a ring together since this match was scheduled, the battle royal to determine a #1 contender was a good move. I was slightly confused by Tamina facing Paige for the title instead of AJ Lee getting a rematch, but after a bit of thinking, I may have figured out what WWE is going to do in this story. I could see AJ interfering here and screwing Tamina over thus allowing Paige to retain. This would turn Tamina face and set up a feud between AJ and Tamina. Maybe at the next PPV we'll get a triple threat match for the Divas Title, that would certainly be a nice change of pace. I hope this turns out the way I've discussed. It would be a big step in getting the Divas Division back where it needs to be.

Who I think will win: Paige will retain her Divas Championship

3) Alexander Rusev vs. R-Truth & Xavier Woods
I would have preferred this not been on the card at all. It's likely going to be a squash match and I'm sure nearly everyone knows what the outcome will be. If WWE really wanted Rusev on the card, they should have atleast booked him against a credible opponent. This match will do nothing for Rusev because Truth & Woods are jobbers (sadly) and vice versa. Regardless of that, the match is booked and there's nothing I can do about it. Rusev will win here.

Who I think will win: Alexander Rusev

4) Rob Van Dam vs. Cesaro vs. Jack Swagger - Triple Threat Elimination Match
And here we have the first potential Match of the Year candidate bout on the card. All three men are outstanding in the ring. Putting them in an elimination match together is a recipe for greatness. If given enough time this could be REALLY good. Another thing that needs to be mentioned is how great the build for this bout has been. The way these three men were linked to each other in recent weeks has been phenomenal. Swagger screwing Cesaro during his match with RVD, Cesaro feels RVD doesn't respect him, Swagger tries to recruit RVD to join his group but is rejected. It's a solid storyline. Really looking forward to this match up. I'm going with the King of Swing to take the win in this bout.

Who I think will win: Cesaro

5) John Cena vs. Bray Wyatt - Steel Cage Match
Cena and Wyatt continue to tell phenomenal stories. Wyatt plays his character perfectly and Cena's reaction to him has been great. Bray Wyatt NEEDS to win here. I didn't complain much when Cena beat Bray at Mania. Some people jumped the gun and said "Bray is buried!" No. He wasn't buried at WrestleMania. He's still one of the hottest thing's going today. Now, if Bray is defeated by Cena once again at Extreme Rules, I may be considered him being buried. This match has been built perfectly towards Bray Wyatt coming out victorious and John Cena snapping because he couldn't end Wyatt and stop his message from spreading. I think WWE will do the right thing and put Wyatt over here. Follow the buzzards!

Who I think will win: Bray Wyatt

6) The Shield vs. Evolution
Never did I think I would see this match up, but it's happening and I'm super excited. Once again this one has potential to be one of the best matches of the year. Just look at the names involved. It's going to be epic. I think Evolution will (and should) come out on top here. Now go ahead and tell me I'm turning on The Shield and want them buried, but that's not the case. You can't tell a good story if it's one sided. If The Shield wins here - the feud's over because they conquered their enemy. If The Shield loses - they continue to chase after the heel Evolution stable. There's much more money in The Shield chasing Evolution then finally beating them later down the line than ending this feud in one match. I expect this to be very good, but it won't be the end of the feud which is why Evolution will come out on top.

Who I think will win: Evolution

7) Daniel Bryan vs. Kane - Extreme Rules Match for the WWE World Championship
First off, I really hope this match goes on last. It hasn't been built as the main event, but it's for the WWE Title and putting Daniel Bryan in the backseat as soon as he becomes champ is the wrong move. Now that my thoughts on that are out of the way, let's talk about what to expect out of this match. Bryan and Kane put on a PPV quality match on Main Event earlier this year so they are capable of putting on great matches. The Extreme Rules stipulation gives this an even bigger chance to be outstanding. In the end, I think Daniel Bryan will emerge victorious.

Who I think will win: Daniel Bryan
Agree? Disagree? Tweet me your thoughts/predictions @StylesClashx on Twitter!

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