WWE Extreme Rules 2015: Results and Match Reviews
Extreme Rules 2015 was held last night, which means we've begun the WWE's anemic slog between WrestleMania 31 and SummerSlam 2015. And boy did it feel that way. This was less like an extreme pay-per-view and more like a decent episode of Monday Night Raw.
Key players were hurt or absent last night, most notably Daniel Bryan, who wasn't cleared to wrestle and may be out for a few more weeks. The limited roster depth and a card full of repeat bouts from WrestleMania 31 didn't help matters either.
On top of that, this PPV was hobbled by a lack of decent stories/builds. WWE creative has fumbled so many bits that were over with the crowd (so much for interest in Miz and Mizdow, and whatever happened to Goldust and Stardust?). At Extreme Rules, we watched a bunch of people wrestling because wrestling. And we'll probably see some rematches from Extreme Rules at Payback in May. Because wrestling.
Let's go match by match and look at the handful of highs and buckets of lows at Extreme Rules 2015.
WrestleMania 31: Results and Match Reviews
As noted in our WrestleMania 31 preview, the build to this year's big event was lackluster at best. Stories weren't told well, heat and interest for most of the matches was poor, and the main event between Brock Lesnar and Roman Reigns had a potential to turn into an ugly disaster.
Yet WrestleMania 31 delivered for the most part, and had some surprisingly entertaining segments and guest appearances. The finish to the main event was a great swerve as well, and something that wrestling fans will be talking about for a while.
(The less said about the Kid Ink, Skylar Grey, and Travis Barker performance the better, though. I feel bad for them performing for an apathetic crowd of 76,976* that just wanted to watch some hypermasculine theater and stage combat.)
Let's go through WrestleMania 31 match-by-match and give the full card a rundown.
*That's the WWE's attendance count, so it's probably inflated by at least 6,000
WrestleMania 31: Final Card Preview and Match Predictions
WrestleMania 31 happens this Sunday at Levi's Stadium in Santa Clara, California. Unfortunately, this might be the least exciting build to a WrestleMania in a long time. The storytelling has been pretty boring, and the main event pitting WWE Champion Brock Lesnar against the company's hand-selected challenger Roman Reigns will likely underwhelm.
But it's only $10 via the WWE Network, so you'll buy it and watch it.
Yes, the showcase of the immortals is now cheaper than a six-pack of your favorite craft brew. And it sure feels like it.
This is a real shame given the amount of talent on the roster that's being squandered or underutilized. Still, there are some solid matches on the card, including the ladder match for the Intercontinental belt, the return of The Undertaker, and the WWE in-ring debut of Sting.
Here's a full rundown of the WrestleMania 31 card as well as some of my predictions on who will win.
Austin 3:16 - The Top 10 Stone Cold Steve Austin Moments
"Austin 3:16 says I just whipped your ass!"
From 1989 came one of the greatest wrestlers in history: "Stone Cold" Steve Austin. The beer chugging, all-American badass of sports entertainment took on everyone from Santa Claus to Donald Trump. In honor of Austin 3:16, we've compiled a list of some of the best Stone Cold moments in the WWE.
10. When Stone Cold gave Santa Claus the stunner
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A Stone Cold Stunner is truly the only gift that keeps on giving.
9. When Stone Cold stunned everyone during Sunday Night Heat
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YOU GET A STUNNER AND YOU GET A STUNNER AND YOU GET A STUNNER! EVERYONE GETS A STUNNER! During Sunday Night Heat on June 6, 1999, Stone Cold opened up a can of whoop ass on everyone including D-Lo Brown, Mark Henry, Jeff Jarrett, Meat and Val Venis.
8. When Stone Cold gave Donald Trump a stunner
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Most likely one of Mr. Trump's most memorable moments in history is when Stone Cold gave him a stunner during Wrestlemania 23 after chugging some beers.
7. When Stone Cold got arrested for stunning the WWE CEO, Vince McMahon
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The stunner that started it all. During the very first Monday Night Raw on September 22, 1999, Stone Cold stunned WWE CEO, Vince McMahon. Being escorted out of the ring by police, Stone Cold and McMahon have been feuding ever since.
6. When Stone Cold drove a zamboni to the ring
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On September 28, 1998, Stone Cold ruined Mr. McMahon's WWE Championship belt speech to Kane and The Undertaker by driving a zamboni into the ring. Oh, and then is detained by seven police officers because "you don't order Steven Austin to do a damn thing!"
5. When Stone Cold stunned Booker T
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During Wrestlemania 27, Stone Cold and Booker T were having a friendly beer when Stone Cold threw a stunner out of nowhere, making Booker T spit out his beer.
4. Every time The Rock got stunned
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Without contest, The Rock snags the spot for the most convincing sell of post-stunner syndrome of all time.
3. When Stone Cold stunned the entire McMahon family
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On RAW's October 3, 2005 special, Stone Cold brought a family closer together by stunning each member of the McMahon clan.
2. When Stone Cold chaired everyone in the face during Smackdown
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Stone Cold just faced everyone with a chair during Smackdown in the early 2000s and then left, like a badass. Definitely one of the best "ARRIVE. RAISE HELL. LEAVE." moments.
1. When Stone Cold drove a truck full of booze into the stadium, attached a firehose to the back and sprayed The Rock
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There isn't a wrestler out there who has the entertainment value that Stone Cold had during the Attitude Era. The Texas Rattlesnake attached a FIREHOSE to a COORS TRUCK and gave The Corporation a beer bath.
And that's the bottom line....'cause Stone Cold said so!