**MERGED**WWE Extreme Rules 2012: Aftermath & Discussion

[Shawn M. Mabee]

You're an idiot. Obviously he was supposed to win in that Lucky/Cheap manner. common sense. What were you expecting a body slam to show through the table? Rhodes lost the title to Show so he could get his Wrestlemania moment and so Rhodes didn't become the longest reigning IC champion. You're an idiot.

 

[jrichardson25]

Anything is possible but the table breaking didn't seem right but continues the feud. It has been one of the best feuds for the IC title I've seen in a long time and now this adds yet another element to it... on another note... Cody took that second shot through the table and sold it (doubt he had to sell much... that shit looked painful...). Definitely forward momentum for the feud.

 

[god-soldier]

Once again the WWE makes no sense!!!!!! We watched Cena lose to the Rock which is expected but he lost to a white asian Lord Tensai a man he has beaten numerous times. Now he beats Lesnar and takes time off doesn't make any sense!!!!!!!!! Cena should have lost last night he was getting killed all match long. What was the point of him winning if he is going to leave any way last night Cena should have left on a strecher!!! Leading into tonight Lesnars rampage headed into a WWE title match!!!!!! Now Lesnars huge return has lost a lot of momentum with this lost now every guy in the locker room can make the claim that Cena beat him including CM Punk a man who beat Cena twice last year. I blame HHH and Vince for this I have a feeling ratings will decline tonight!!!!!!!! WWE always dissapoints in the end with Cena because he had no busniess winning last night now Brock as the face of the company has been ruined and legitmacy just went out the window!!!!!!!!!!

 

[Syborgg]

Well, Extreme Rules has passed us by and man, what a PPV. One of the better PPVs in my opinion. Now onto the question. Seeing as how Extreme Rules was, do you think that this could be like a modern day ECW? I mean ECW is EXTREME Championship Wrestling after all. I think that the success of Extreme Rules can validate that a modern day ECW would work.

Now I know WWE and ECW are very different. But this thought passed my mind. And that was if Extreme Rules could be successful then maybe a modern day ECW would as well. I know this is a PPV so this won't always happen, but still. Thoughts?

Here's a concept that might be lost on everyone. The reason this PPV was great is that we don't see that kind of stuff anymore. If Extreme Rules is the only time we see this level of violence and mayhem, then the PPV itself keeps it's awe factor. If WWE decides that "hey this PPV was a huge success, let's bring back the hardcore title!" or "Let's bring back ECW!!" It will fail big-time for a few reasons.

First, they would have even more issues with wrestlers getting injured, thus have a depleted roster for months at a time. Second, that "awe factor" would no longer exsist. This is a case where less is more and it should stay that way.

 

[jrichardson25]

It was a great PPV in match quality. A few twists and turns and something as a John Cena fan I didn't expect to see was John actually winning against Brock Lesnar. Cena picking up the win was a swerve and pissed people off (something WWE succeeds at every week and this one actually agreed with...). If anyone bitches about how Lesnar looks weak and has no credibility never watched his first UFC fight. He lost but then came back and beat the shit out of his next few opponents and picked up the title. He dominated Cena in that match, Lesnar lost on a fluke aka a steel chain to the head and the F-U on the steps. Brock will be even bigger because of this loss as a result.

Legitimate gripe was about Jericho/Punk but thinking about it after the match, this feud has made perfect sense so far. Even though Jericho hasn't picked up a win against Punk, he's been a big driving factor in this feud and has NOT looked weak in the process.

DB and Sheamus should have gotten what consisted of the first fall at Wrestlemania instead of the 18 second bullshit job. They've been impressive and I'd like to see them have a few more matches before each moves on.

Miz on the preshow? Really?! Really?! He's been a victim of his own success and backstage politics (or so it seems). The guy is sliding a slippery slope that leads to being future endeavored... I don't get it... I feel like the guy has great heat on him but can't get a stake on the card at all. Possibly a month off and then a turn is in the works? Who knows, I just think the man is undervalued at this point.

Layla El coming back and winning was cool. Very much a missed opportunity for Kharma and a pointless Bella Twin "reign". Since Layla can actually get it done in the ring I'd like to see her and Beth have a decent match (10-15 mins) for the belt and eventually the interjection of Kharma. My thoughts, bye bye Bellas...

Big Show and Cody Rhodes have had some great matches. This one was no different but the ending looked bad yet added a lot to the feud (an entirely new element). I expect their feud isn't over. I'd like to see it continue for another couple months. I have enjoyed their going back and forth and the fact that this has helped the credibility of the belt (some will disagree but taking the belt from Rhodes fired him up).

All in all a solid PPV for WWE. I can't complain about the overall product. They kept the Wrestlemania momentum going and that's great.

 

[SixMovesOfDoom]

Show/Cody had a better match at WM, but the way Big Show smashed on Cody after the match made it even to me. Glad to see Cody stand on his own!! Face turn???

I could not help but wonder that myself. The crowd was behind him and they made him seem sympathetic as he struggled to walk to the back on his own power.

They will likely have a rematch. Will the Big Show be a heel in this or will he remain a face and somehow gain respect for Rhodes?

 

[Ruthless-RKO]

In your opinion which was the match of the Night? Please give reason behind why?

I would give it to Daniel Bryan vs. Sheamus..

It was a great match, how the WrestleMania match should have went. Hats off to Sheamus for trying to win back the audience half way through but in the end didn't do so, Bryan had some great moments and the ending was pretty solid too. The audience were totally into the match to given a great atmosphere.
------------------
I would give 2nd Place to Chris Jericho vs. CM Punk..

A bit of a predictable match but totally had some great moments. Started off slow and ended a bit predictable but the middle was awesome, there was everything in this match, only let down is Jericho has only won 1 match since coming back to the WWE. But the match itself speaks more to me than that. I was on the edge of my seat alot.
------------------
3rd Place goes to Randy Orton v Kane..

Surprised me how good it was had alot of good moments, great to see the fight take place all around the building and not just int he ring, I did expect more, like maybe going outside the building but beggers can't be choosers. Think it was about time Randy won at a PPV, as he hasn't for a while. Hopefully this means he will move onto things better.
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4th place is John Cena v Lesner

It wasn't as good as I thought the ending was pretty typical John Cena, and totally ruined the momentum, this proves having blood in a fight doesn't make it better. While I am not really a fan of Lesner or Cena to be honest I just felt it was stupid that Lesner came back just to put John Cena over. Maybe in a way its like passing the torch from Brocks era to Cenas era, but Cenas era is nearly over and Cena needs to be passing the torch himself. The match was just full of stunts but there was really not much going on.

What are your thoughts?

 

[Nate DaMac]

I could not help but wonder that myself. The crowd was behind him and they made him seem sympathetic as he struggled to walk to the back on his own power.

They will likely have a rematch. Will the Big Show be a heel in this or will he remain a face and somehow gain respect for Rhodes?

The crowd was behind him because it was a "smark" crowd. They just cheered all the heels with the exception of Punk.

If they do have a rematch, which doesn't seem necessary as last night seemed like a good enough blow-off for them, Cody and Show aren't going to switch alignments. Show will keep getting cheered and Cody will keep getting crickets. Besides, I don't really think Cody is good enough to pull off being a face.

 

[The Dragon Saga]

For me match of the night was Bryan vs. Sheamus. It was a fast, exciting pace, everything they did was crisp and effective, the crowd was very into it, both guys showed their skills, a great little story was told, the fact Bryan lasted longer than eighteen or as some were predicting, thirty-six second brought a smile to my face; more-so because I was right, but you know. Bryan lost the match but came out looking very strong, for a good portion of the bout he dominated and that Roundhouse Kick to the shin which actually connected was sweet. Great match, stole the show.

I place Jericho vs. Punk second. It was what they planned it to be, a fight, a brawl, it wasn't supposed to showcase good wrestling, it was meant to showcase two guys who wanted to beat the holy high hell out of one another. Had some good moments, Punk Bodyslamming Jericho on the hood of the announcers desk was unique and kind of violent, the Codebreaker with the chair looked well executed, as you can see from my signature Punk's flying elbow was the high spot of the match, even though he didn't connect with it correctly he still did a great job of putting on a show. Overall thought it was a great match and whether they continue the rivalry or not, I am still extremely happy I could say two of my favourite wrestlers had an awesome feud.

And in third I rank Lesnar vs. Cena. Thought it was unique, they showcased what Brock is bringing back to the WWE, a unique, highly physical offense and dominating demeanor. The blood didn't add anything for me, Cena's was legit, he took it the hard way, Brock blading could have happened but the idea of him basically losing down to a right hand is irony when you take his MMA career into consideration. Not bothered by the decision, it was a wreck at the end, Cena got the win but Brock seems to have taken the war, Cena is seemingly taking a leave and Brock showcased his dominance. Good story, definitely delivered.

And an honourable mention to Kane vs. Randy Orton. They got the night off to the perfect start, I'm enjoying both guys work more now than I have at any point in recent memory. Both men were made to look strong and despite Orton picking up the victory, Kane still comes across as a monster. It did what it was supposed to. Overall great brawl, they went all over the arena and the moment with Ryder attacking Kane will probably be played out on RAW tonight.

Great pay-per-view with great matches. Hope WWE keep it up, they've been consistently brilliant as of late.

 

[#Zombienatureboy]

I think Extreme Rules was, start to finish, one of the better PPV's in a long time. I enjoyed it much more than Wrestlemania. There were some dull matches but Sheamus vs D Bry was great, Punk vs Jericho was great and Lesnar vs Cena was brutal! Everyone talks about HHH vs Taker HIAC at Mania being brutal. Well, that looked weak compared to Cena vs Lesnar. I haver never been a Cena fan but I have to give him his respect for putting on a great show last night. I didn't think Cena needed to "curtain call" like he did. But....whatever.

The only thing about the PPV is that the finishes were confusing. D-Bry should have went over. His win combined with the match and the way it was scripted could have turned him into a monster heel and he was very over with the live crowd.

I'm a huge Punk mark but I was expecting Jericho to win so they could get one more match from those 2.

And, Lesnar should have gone over. Cena wins? Then takes a break?

I don't know what I saw. But it was interesting for sure and some of the better WWE matches on a PPV in quite some time. Much better than Wrestlemania.

 

[Kesteral]

What an amazing PPV. Better than Mania in my eyes and probably the best PPV since last MITB in Chicago. The crowd certainly have an effect on the match quality and I think most wrestlers raise their game when they go to a good wrestling town.

All the matches were pretty decent but there was some amazing moments that happened last night.

DB vs Sheamus was terrific, the match was really back and forth and I loved how the crowd got into it. DB deserves a lot of credit for getting the crowd onto his side because I can imagine six months ago no one would have even cared about DB vs Sheamus for the title. (Except maybe Chicago)

Punk vs Jericho - Good match but I don't really see the point in calling it a Chicago street match if they don't actually go out onto the street. All the usual weapons were used and I think most people knew Punk was going to win. Great dive from the top ropes onto the table though and there was a few surprises in there.

Rhodes vs Big Show - Loved this, it's nice to see something different for a change and Rhodes needed the win really to carry on the feud. That was a sick press slam by Show that threw Rhodes down onto the table. Really credit Rhodes for agreeing to do something like that, the way he walked off without trainers at the end was a good touch as well.

John Cena vs Brock Lesnar - What a huge match and it was perhaps more intense than any other match I've seen. I actually didn't like it as a wrestling fan, it sort of sucked the surrealism out of it for me and I was actually worried for Cena, but I loved the spectacle of it, MMA vs Pro Wrestling. We know Lesnar could kill Cena in real life and the head injury he took early on looked brutal. I'm glad Cena won and I think the way he did was brilliantly handled, I really hope more fans start to appreciate Cena after last night. Brock will see it as a lucky shot and that because Cena is now out injured, which appears to be the case, he'll declare he won overall. Thus keeping Lesnar in the spotlight and setting up other feuds.

Edit: I thought Brock might have died during his slip over the ropes, thank god he's not hurt because that looked painful.

I doubt Cena is really injured but if he is I feel bad for him, he took a sick elbow and I truly hope he recovers fully. However it'd be good for him to have a break. I've been thinking this for a while now, leave him off TV for a good few months and then bring him back and he'll be fresh again. Look at the Royal Rumble, the pop he got when he came back was unreal and although it quickly turned to boo's I reckon more people were happy he was back.

If one thing's for certain, by reading the majority of posts about the PPV, the finishes, HHH's return and Lesnars momentum I can say without a doubt that I hate most of the IWC and their opinions. Just shut up and enjoy what might be the most popular and best WWE programming in a long time, because as we found out with the attitude era, it won't be long before it's back to the drivel we've had to put up with the last few years.

Relax and enjoy the ride, the WWE know what they're doing, much more than all of you do.

 

[BarryHorowitzfanclub]

I liked the PPV as a whole, but there were some "why bother" moments.

For instance: Ryback's "match". If I was there, I'd have booed the whole time. Sure, you need "filler" matches to gague the ups and downs of the crowd's emotions, but this....this was a WWE Sunday Night Heat match placed into a PPV. Why not have a grudge match in there, or..I don't know...Santino's match instead of regulating that match to the interwebs?

I think a lot of people think they know what they want, and thus "hated" some of the outcomes. People say they want Daniel Bryan to have won, but honestly, if he had they'd be upset Sheamus looked weak for losing. Some people you will never please.

I am slightly confused by having Cena win. It would have worked for Brock to decimate him, let him have some months off, and come back pissed off. But, the ending works. It makes both guys look strong. It took everything and a bag of chips for Cena to win against Brock.

The Diva match...eh. At least there was some real wrestling; any match without KK or Eve is better in my book. Odd to give the belt to a returning sidekick of Michelle McCool's....but sure. I'm hoping WWE resigned the Bellas. They actually do good work for the diva division.

Jericho is getting older, and it's starting to show. It's kind of sad. He's the last in the line of guys you love to hate, and maybe not just their character. I've never been a fan of his mic work; I feel he draws things out too long and his monotonous tone drive me batty. But his ring work is right up there with the best. You can't fault him between the ropes. CM Punk was destined to win this one, but it was still enjoyable.

I don't' have much nice to say for the first few matches. Kane should have won his match, unless they want to end that feud right now.

 

[TheRealDeal]

Randy Orton vs Kane Enjoyed it.. Not exactly the match of the night type, but these two guys still made it work with the Falls Count Anywhere surrounding. I would imagine Kane taking a few more risks, but even then the match still managed to stay above par. I think the match still managed to make Kane look credible (he countered 3 RKO's).. Overall, a good opener.. 7.5/10

Brodus Clay vs Dolph Ziggler: To be honest, it was necessary to put this match in the card, but what the heck. Ziggler did really try to make it work with Brodus, and in some aspect he did. But this match didn't qualify for a ppv, it would be better to put this on Raw. Ziggler managed to get a lot of hits, which was good since it didn't entirely ruin his star power.. Nevertheless, it's a 5/10

Cody Rhodes vs Big Show: I was shocked! I thought it was a damn good finish. One that told a good story following Big Show's ongoing humiliation at Wrestlemania. This managed to bring out more rage into the Big Show which I liked, so I'm really hoping that he would turn heel really soon. Oh and also, Cody doing the disaster kick off the table was damn sweet, I really marked out when that happened.. Thumbs up for Cody sticking out for some vicious table slams.. 7/10

Sheamus vs Daniel Bryan: Aha!! This match was not only interesting when it happened, what I found interesting was that Daniel still got SUPER OVER even after he rambled about Chicago being contradictory or something. Bryan's over, and WWE should acknowledge it. Match wise, AGAIN another match that told a great story.. Bryan's strategy and his agility really made him credible, Bryan looked pretty badass when he got Sheamus to pass out, that showed legitimacy in Bryan.. Although I would have wanted the finish to go longer, I still thought that this match was the one that I really liked, and the one that I paid most attention too.. Great match, good chemistry.. 9.5/10

CM Punk vs Chris Jericho: My God was this a good match.. I just loved how they went back and forth, and back and forth.. They really brought back the original atmosphere of a street fight.. The match not only told a great story, but the usage of weapons, the back and forth action really made it a great blockbuster match, that I think deserved the title of: "Match of the Night" 10/10

Nikki Bella vs Layla: I was pretty sure it was Layla when Eve said: "Don't worry it's not Kharma." Nevertheless, the match was short but it gave Layla the edge it needed to become a big deal in the Diva's Division, and hopefully bring some flare to the division. 4.5/10

Brock Lesnar vs John Cena: Crazy good story telling, it really balanced out on what Lesnar said prior to this match, and what Cena promised. Remember that Lesnar said he wasn't a superstar, he was an ass-kicker and to me he kicked ass alright, he opened up a huge can of whoop-ass on John Cena, and Cena endured a whole lot of it (thumbs up to Cena for putting up with that). Cena took a lot of damage, a lot of blood that it made Brock looked credible but in the end still made Cena the face of the WWE. I'm glad the Lesnar didn't win, I didn't want the WWE to transcend to a new age outside of wrestling, (which by the way: the match really did a good job to show the juxtaposition of MMA and pro wrestlling).. Cena gained a whole lot of respect after the match with his promo (EVEN FROM CHICAGO!!!).. Mark it haters, whether you like Cena or not, he took a damn good beating and made the match really unique by him selling Lesnar's moves IMPRESSIVELY.. 9/10


I didn't include the Ryback match because it was a definite squash match, although I would say that he looked pretty bad ass, and it was funny to see the crowd chanting "Goldberggg...Goldberggg."

Overall Rating: 9/10

Definitely, a worthed pay-per-view that I streamed, it kept me entertained, kept me in the edge of my seat for about four hours. Great action, Great wrestling cliques, Great ending to the ppv. I would say that WWE has spiced things up with awesome consecutive pay-per-views, but I felt that they have really delivered on this one. I'm really interested, and anxious to find out what's going on next.. For all those hesisitating on buying, watching Extreme Rules 2012, I would suggest you to: Watch it! It exceeded the hype, and it's a great PPV, nuff said!

 

[TLK]

Just throwing this out there, but don't your shoulders have to be pinned to the mat in order to lose? I know it was Extreme Rules, but it wasn't like a Falls Count Anywhere match where this just gets thrown out the window. Wasn't Brock pinned on the steps? I'm not saying anything will come of this, but it could be an angle (albeit a weak one) that Lesnar can use to confront Cena on Raw tonight.

 

[CH David]

So bummed I didn't get tickets for this one. Oh well. Went to a little dive bar for this one with two of my friends. 'Twas surprisingly crowded in there.

Kane vs. Randy Orton - I thought this was a fun match and a good way to start the show. It's a match you won't remember too much, as evidence by me not remembering the whole thing. The Ryder thing was kinda funny. But I did like the DDT off the announce table, and then Orton escaping the Tombstone to get the RKO on the chair. Fun match, but not one worth remembering after a while.

Brodus Clay vs. Dolph Ziggler - BRODUS!!!!! The Funkasaurus is over like a mofo. A pretty short match, but it was good to see Clay having to really mix it up and go on the defensive a little bit. Ziggler did a solid job throughout, and Brodus picking up the win was good for him.

Cody Rhodes vs. Big Show It was what it was. Once the table stip was shown I figured it would be a way for Cody to win. Didn't think it would be by kicking his leg off the rope, but that was a nice touch. Show's face was priceless. It was funny my buddy was arguing that Show's body didn't go through the table, lol.

Post match beat down was crazy. Show throwing Cody to the outside table got a big collective "OOOOOOHHHHHHH" in the bar. Cody walking out after a while was a solid touch.

Then it got ramped up as we got to the real meat of the show. OOOOOOOOHHHHH YES!

Daniel Bryan vs. Sheamus - Hell yes to this match. Nice back and forth action. Bryan used his quickness to get the better of Sheamus a bit. The first fall took a while to get. I was like "YOU HAVE TWO OTHER FALLS!! GET THE FIRST!" Seeing the Cloverleaf was an awesome touch! Hopefully we see more of it. The DQ for the first fall didn't surprise me, figured it would be a way for Bryan to work on his arm for the second fall. Went NUTS when Bryan charged in and took the boot to the face! Got the place chanting "YES!". The kickout was good, and Bryan got back going with the vicious kick to the head of Sheamus. But the Brogue Kick to end it was awesome. Such a good match.

Ryback vs. Two Jobbers - This was what it was. DOMINATION! Also gave the crowd a breather, which after Bryan/Sheamus and before Punk/Jericho, was going to be needed. That backpack stunner was sweet, and I love his modified Musclebuster.

Do people really think the US Title match should have gone here? While it would've been nice to be on the PPV, this was time needed to let the crowd calm down. Do you really think the crowd is going to calm down in that situation while Santino is out there? SANTINO IS MORE OVER THAN ABOUT 95% OF THE ROSTER! Crowd would've been exhausted for the next match. Which was...

Chris Jericho vs. CM Punk The Canadian raised American vs. the hometown boy. Fun match going back and forth. The kendo stick was nice, and I loved seeing Punk swinging for the fences after the Irish Whip. Punk's sister in the front row was cool to see throughout, and the taunts from Jericho were a nice touch. The big elbow on the table was freaking sweet! I thought it was over after the Codebreaker using the chair, but shouted with the kickout. GTS to end it and sending the Chicago crowd into another tizzy.

Nikki Bella vs. ? - I was expecting Kharma but was surprised and happy to see Layla. Another crowd breather but it wasn't awful by any means. The twin magic didn't work since Layla beat Brie so I'm sure some shenanigans will be afoot with Eve. It worked. Call it filler, meh. It served its purpose of getting the crowd a breather for the war that was coming.

Brock Lesnar vs. John Cena - That was an ass kicking. Brock wailed on Cena pretty much the whole match. Those elbows were freakin' nasty! I had hoped Cena would get more offense in than what he did, but it all worked. The tree of woe on the outside was a sweet spot. Then the Kimura on the steps in the ring. I told my friends right before, watch Cena pick him up for a slam on the steps. What happened? BAM BITCH! Cena is a freak!!! Brock doing that insane jumping diving punch was awesome, but it looked like Brock fucked up his knee pretty bad. He still got up, but fuck man did the knee on the top rope look baaaad. Brock got caught going for it again and took that chain right to the head. Cena getting that moment for the AA was sick. Getting that 1, 2, 3 had to be gratifying.

This was an awesome PPV. What needed delivering did, and the right people won. If you hated this, then you are one unfortunate person, because this rocked.

 

[Brewin95]

Am I the only one that is confused as how WWE can sell Extreme Rules as the 'one night a year when WWE goes extreme' and have the main selling point being that every match has a stipulation yet Ziggler v Brodus seems to be just a singles match?
I know the crowd need a breather but this is just a hole in the PPV, if it was a stipulation match then no one has commented on it, last years match made on the night was a decent tables match between Kofi and Sheamus, this one seemed to be a normal match?
They could of made it over the top rope or submission just to go along with the 'as long as it isnt singles it is extreme' rule WWE have?

 

[The Eighties]

This was my favourite PPV since Summerslam last year. The top 3 matches all delivered big time in my view and were all very different which is they key to a quality PPV.

I don't have an issue with Cena "winning", in truth he merely survived the beastial onslaught of Lesnar, and the match had plenty of excuses in it for Brock's loss. The style of the match felt very unique to WWE, I dug it.

The 2 out of 3 Falls match felt like a classic NWA match, smart, crisp and got both guys over in their respective roles, I also thought Cole's commentary on this match was very good while his two cohorts did their schtick, King was particularly irritating as the suck up face announcer.

The Chicago Street Fight was a great blow-off match for the feud and they built the drama up well to the big moments. fighting in jeans gave it a real feel and was a smart idea, plus the crowd was red hot and the finish was executed perfectly.

I have no idea why they made the finish with Cody/Show so goofy but Shows face was gold and Cody took two table bumps post-match much to the crowd's appreciation.

Dolph jobbing to Funkus makes no sense to me, I wonder who Dolph pissed off, he still sold like a trooper though. I like Ryback but are they booking him as a Goldberg rib? so far it's been weird, and they could have least had Alex Riley job since it was a PPV.

I felt bad for Layla as WWE must have known that no Kharma was going to result in that response, but she looked good, not just hotness-wise but I'd read about her new offense on house show reports and she looked sharp and slick in her big match comeback, looking forward to seeing more.

 

[thatotherguy]

Can I just say that commentary for this PPV was actually very good? Cole walked that fine line between heel and annoying and actually convinced me that a heel play by play man could work (the fact that they're better off getting someone else to do play-by-play is irrelevant). Booker T actually gave some worthwhile insight and King was more or less on point. If the commentary was like this on weekly television and on most pay per views, people wouldn't complain.

 

[JoonDaGr8One]

This ppv was excellent to me i think this is what CM Punk meant when he said he wanted things to be fun again. People think too much about results and building stars so much that they are looking at the program with managerial eyes. Wrestling has always been about putting on a show and unless you are deaf then we all should agree that this show awesome. I'm not a huge Cena fan but i found myself pulling for him and i'm glad that he won, Brock Lesnar will never be thought of as weak by anyone so its ok if he loses.

The Punk Y2J match was good as hell and told a great story, they made it seem personal and real. Great action even though Punk almost slipped on the ropes twice. Daniel Bryan and Sheamus stole the show to me, i always knew that Daniel Bryan could wrestle but now he's taking it up a notch and has learned to control the crowd. His strikes all look real and he makes them sound off, it looked like he hits harder than sheamus. Sheamus sold well but i think he still needs a little fine tuning on his character just a bit.

I wasn't looking forward to the Orton & Kane match but i ended up enjoying it alot, Randy is a bad man and Kane still has it. I liked that Zack Ryder got some shots in to show that he's not a bitch even though he hits like one. I'm Glad Cody got the belt back and i'm glad that he walked out under his own power after going through 2 tables, its shows toughness, we know he can dish it but now he's shown he can take it.

The crowd was amazing and they pulled no punches just ask Big Show and Brodus Clay. Dolph and Cody got a lot of love from the fans. Cena was given some respect from the crowd for the first time in a long time and of course they loved Punk.

 

[Dayno]

This was an awesome PPV and it was all brutality. Obviously everyone knows the matches were good, Punk vs Jericho was awesome as was Daniel Bryan vs Sheamus although I was hoping the last fall would be contested abit more and the other matches were also good, Clay and Ziggler could have been taken out to give time for that last fall but whatever, even that was an alright match as Ziggler actually got somewhere.

Anywho, I just want to talk about the end of Lesnar Cena with everyone getting in an uproar about Cena winning, Madden having a cry and what not. IMO to those who watched the PPV this shouldn't matter, obviously if you didn't and you've just read the results you may be like what the hell? But if you watched you would know that Lesnar was THE man in that..well squash match for most of it, it was utter chaos for Cena, he was just decimated.

Even though Cena won I think it works for a few reasons. Lesnar put Cena out in the process, if you think about them having that match over, your moneys still on Lesnar he did not look weak. It paved the way for a new era of destruction, Lesnar was cocky the whole time he was back, laying in the ropes etc during the signing, smiling and attempting those dangerous moves in the match, I can now imagine him getting pissed and destroying everything, Cena's not there to stop him. And finally it gave Cena some respect he deserves. Even after all the CENA SUCKS chants during the match, at the end it was all respect and it allows for him to be a threat to Lesnar upon his return after Lesnars reign of destruction and probable title reign. Without that we just have a cocky guy going on about what hes done in the real world and going over everyone without contention and thats boring *cough* goldberg wcw *cough*

 

[WackerJr]

Randy Orton vs KaneI’m finally beginning to get interested in this feud. While at Wrestlemania they seemed to be just thrust together, but the programme development has been much improved and owes a great deal to the consistency and intensity that these two perform at.
A hard-hitting contest that had these guys fighting everywhere for a decent time. I don’t think WWE do this often enough nowadays with the fighting in the back and through the crowd and these two are both good enough to really make it seem as though they were going at it. A nice touch with Ryder attacking Kane when they went to the back too.
I was really impressed with this contest. The result doesn’t hurt either guy and a great way to kick off Extreme Rules and hopefully a sign of things to come.
Rating: B+

Brodus Clay vs Dolph ZigglerFinally a chance to see Brodus in something resembling a regular match as opposed to a squash. The Chicago crowd continue to please me with their cheering for Dolph as well! I suppose this ended up being a good way to showcase Clay as a monster and the diffculty in hurting him, without him being your stereotypical monster.
I love Dolph’s selling and he did his job well here. His time is looming surely where he’s going to be consistently put up with the big boys. Not your PPV quality match, but at least better than Brodus’ usual.
Rating: C

Intercontinental Championship: Big Show (c) vs Cody RhodesA bit too short, but I suppose that Big Show looked dominant and hard-done-by with his loss. Nice spot by Cody with the ‘disaster kick’ off the table, and I enjoyed the post-match Press Slam through the table on the outside.
Rating: B-

World Heavyweight Championship: Sheamus (c) vs Daniel BryanGreat match that showcased the full range from both of these guys. Bryan showed intensity and Sheamus showed technicality. Crowd again were great, and Bryan orchestrating the “Yes”, “No” chants was entertaining. While disappointing to see Bryan not retain, I think both of these guys have come away looking stronger. Great contest.
Rating: A-

Rybeck vs Maths & Minds (aka. Aaron Rellick & Jay Hatton)Squash match in the middle of a PPV? I guess they needed some kind of interlude between the title matches, and I’m now beginning to understand the other wrestlers enjoying watching Rybeck on the monitor. He does show great intensity and is looking the part. The match was was it was, a break for the crowd to break up the matches we paid to see.
Rating: E (Rybeck looked great, but this was only a Squash)

WWE Championship: CM Punk vs Chris JerichoBrilliant. Absolutely brilliant. Great storytelling in an electric atmosphere. This was about as hardcore as the WWE can be right now and is a solid contender for match of the year. Two of the top performers that got the crowd deservedly chanting “This is awesome!” Watch it and you’ll see why.
Rating: A

Diva’s Championship: Nikki Bella vs LaylaI like Layla and it’s great to have her back. She looked good and it was good to see some quick action and wrestling moves. Yes it was quick and certainly no classic, but if you’re only going to allocate a few minutes to a Diva’s match, at least do as they did here and try and cram in as much as possible to show off your performers.
Rating: B-

John Cena vs Brock LesnarWell that was unexpected. Blood in WWE. Brock looked tough as hell and either he was striking Cena hard (for most of the match) or I need to give both of these guys even more credit for their striking and selling.
I have no problem with the outcome, as Cena won and Brock looked incredibly tough. A couple of nice touches from Lesnar were him laughing when he took out Cena and crashed out himself over the top rope, which I thought just made him look even tougher, and I chuckled when a fan tried to touch him after the match and then jumped a mile when Brock stared him down!
I’m interested to know more about Cena’s speech afterwards. Was he genuinely injured or was this all planned out to help get him over? I admit that I don’t know, but much respect for him after tonight (which may or may not have been WWE’s plan?)
Rating: A-

Overall, excellent show! Well done WWE and all involved!!!
Rating: A-

 

[TWJC: The Beginning]

Really awesome show top to bottom. Not a bad match on the card, everything served it's purpose. Everyone seemed to put a lot of effort into the show.

The big 3 matches were ridiculously good. They all had fantastic storytelling too. Daniel Bryan sacrificing the fall to go after the arm. Punk's amazing ability to sell hatred. Cena selling/legitimately taking a beating. Just awesome.

10/10. Chicago is a lucky city to get MITB and now this.