WWE Extreme Rules - Vacant WHC - Christian vs. Alberto Del Rio - Ladder Match

[SpoodBeest]

In one of the most stunning moments in WWE history, on the April 11 edition of Raw, Edge announced that he was retiring due to injury. Then, just days later on SmackDown, The Rated-R Superstar officially surrendered his title.

With the title vacant, SmackDown General Manager Theodore Long arranged for a No. 1 Contender’s World Heavyweight Championship Battle Royal. The winner would face Alberto Del Rio, who already earned a match with Edge at Extreme Rules by beating Christian in a No. 1 Contender's Match on the April 8 edition of SmackDown.

Surviving the 20-man war was none other than Edge’s lifelong friend, Christian, who eliminated Jack Swagger.

Clearly, Edge and Del Rio do not like each other. However, the disdain between Christian and The Mexican Aristocrat is downright palpable. After all, it was Del Rio who put Captain Charisma out of commission last fall with a torn pectoral muscle due to a session in his Cross Armbreaker.

Del Rio has continuously claimed that it is his destiny to win the World Title. However, what about Christian? Some would argue that he has been preparing his entire career for this moment. What would be more appropriate than following in the footsteps of his lifelong friend, The Ultimate Opportunist, in his specialty – a Ladder Match?

One thing is for certain. There will be a new World Heavyweight Champion crowned the night WWE goes extreme. Catch Extreme Rules live on Sunday, May 1 at 8 ET / 5 PT, only on pay-per-view.

So the fate of the now vacant World Heavyweight Championship was announced tonight. Alberto Del Rio who earned the right to challenge for the title was announced to be one of two participants in a Ladder Match to determine the new champion.

Christian won a 20-man Battle Royal to earn the right to battle Del Rio for the title at the pay-per-view as well. This is exciting news for me as a Christian fan to see him in actual world title match on pay-per-view (when was his last Vengeance 05'?) anyway this is a perfect scenario as it continues the feud between Christian and Del Rio and in the minds of fans these two are practically the top contenders for the belt due to the untimely retirement of Edge.

I am excited for this bout and it will most likely be the best match at the upcoming pay-per-view. Post your thoughts on thoughts on this new match here in this thread.

 

[TheKingHustla]

Did anybody in the world seriously thought that for a shadow of a doubt, christian would not wwin that battle royal? as soon as it was announced i knew who would win. the only time I had doubts was when it first started and I didn't see him. that was like .000000001 seconds worth of the match i was like maybe he not in the match. then right when i saw him i was like yeah, match over. I think it'll be great to see christian climb ladders once again.

 

[UnBEARaBULLfan]

Wish they would have done it old school and had a tourament(which ADR would have won) for the title, it would have been more interesting than a battle royal but whatever, I think everyone over the age of 12 new Christian was going to win, oh well it is what it is.

 

[Rammsteinerteen]

I am very excited, despite my favorite wrestler Edge leaving, I am psyched! This match should be awesome, Christian and Alberto Del Rio have great chemistry on promos and matches. I'm definitely looking forward to this awesome match.

I'm a PEEP on this one!

And also, I don't get peoples' complaining, who cares if Christian's win was obvious, just be happy that he's in the world title picture for god's sake. He's the most underrated wrestler in the WWE.

 

[The Suplexer Perfecter]

I think they will be pretty conservative with the match, and not have it be spot filled, due to the mind set of Edge's retirement. And also possibly because Del Rio hasn't been in a ladder match.

I think it might end up much like Morrison vs Sheamus in that it was like a wrestling match, but they just happened to use a ladder.

Wish they would have done it old school and had a tourament(which ADR would have won) for the title, it would have been more interesting than a battle royal but whatever, I think everyone over the age of 12 new Christian was going to win, oh well it is what it is.

Proof that there will always be a complaint about anything in wrestling, despite it being something the IWC has yelled about for years which is Christian getting a shot at the world title. Plus it's a damn ladder match.

 

[Heartachetonight926]

First....they better not have this be the first match of the night, like they did at Wrestlemania! grrrrr...

Second...YAAAAY!!!

This is a complete win-win situation. If Alberto goes over, it will only solidify him further as the new generation of WWE Main-eventers. If Christian win's, he will finally fufill his dream by becoming World champion in WWE, and it will be a truly special moment.

What else can I say but...FUCK yes

 

[Heartachetonight926]

I think they will be pretty conservative with the match, and not have it be spot filled, due to the mind set of Edge's retirement. And also possibly because Del Rio hasn't been in a ladder match.

I think it might end up much like Morrison vs Sheamus in that it was like a wrestling match, but they just happened to use a ladder.

Del rio was in a TLC match just a couple of months ago. In fact, he took the biggest bump of the night....

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But I can see your point....

 

[UnBEARaBULLfan]

Proof that there will always be a complaint about anything in wrestling, despite it being something the IWC has yelled about for years which is Christian getting a shot at the world title. Plus it's a damn ladder match.

I wasn't complaining that he won just wish they wouldn't use a battle royal as a way of putting someone in a match for the title. I like Christian and he deserves a shot just wish it was done different. In tournaments it's not as clusterd as a battle royal and good matches can come from it, and help elevate other by having a good showing in the ring, just my opinion.

 

[Foshinzo]

Christian is one of the few guys today that I still mark over. I know that it's mostly a nostalgia factor as to why I love the guy, but I also think that he is just one of those guys who never became as big of a star as he could have, and I always hate to see guys fall short of their potential, even with wrestlers that I wouldn't care for even if they had.

With that being said, I'm really happy to see Christian finally get a World Title match on a Pay Per View (I, as well as many others and even the WWE, don't count the ECW Championship as a legit title). However, my only gripe is that...c'mon, he's going to lose. This is Christian, we're talking about. The WWE won't give him a title run on Smackdown, especially since he's going up against on of the fastest rising stars in the WWE, not to mention that ADR was originally supposed to win at Wrestlemania, from what I understand. The only possibility Christian has of wining the belt at Extreme Rules is if WWE puts it on him because of Edge's retirement, and they just want a good nostalgic moment for the older fans. However, again, this is the E we're talking about, and we know that they don't care at all about these things, at least with a guy like Christian who it's obvious that they've never really thought much of, anyway. I don't want Christian to go down as Edge's Marty Jannetty, and while Christian has obviously had a much bigger career than Jannetty did and thus will be remembered in much higher esteem, if he doesn't win one of these belts on his own, he'll be remembered as Edge's inferior partner. I'd love to see Christian do it, but he won't; at least, I'm not getting my hopes up, that is.

 

[ARLO]

So psyched for this match-up!

I truly can't call who will win.

You've got one of the best up and comers ADR, who we all knew would win the title one day, he just needed his opportunity. This may be it.

Or you have 15+ year veteran who has never really had a run on top in the big E. He is loved by everyone. Edge asked all the edgeheads to get behind him, and I think that will happen. Plus management may feel sympathetic for Christian losing his best friend of 25 years.

Either way, this will be an excellent match and will probably steal the show. In fact, this may be the only match that makes the PPV worth it. The triple threat won't suck, but the biggest pop will probably be Cena's entrance. A competitor in the only other match announced (JR) has admitted that it will probably suck.

I'm not going to call a winner, I just want to see this match. Should be a classic.

 

[shooter_mcgavin]

I can see Christian winning here, this whole situation seems to be the perfect time to give Christian the strap. Plus he's over and, regardless of what Vince of him being boring, he gets a great reaction from the crowd.

I see a decent 2 to 3 month reign for Christian if he wins before dropping it to Del Rio.

For me this scenario could actually make Smackdown! very interesting. You have Del Rio, Barrett, Mysterio, and Christian as the top guys. If they can just get Sheamus, Morrison, TripleH, or Bryan in the show then you are going to have a strong brand.

 

[Skairipa Matrix]

im glad Christian is FINALLY getting his shot but.....ill be SHOCKED if christian actulay wins the title here wwe is stupid and will prolly give the title to ADR even though IMO he sucks in the ring and has 2 moves counting his finisher im sorry to everybody who likes ADR but i just dont see any good ring skills in this guy and i think Christian should win and get a good size title run send Del Rio back to the mid card and let him win the IC Title and fued there and push McIntyre into the main event because tonight he proved he can hang with the smackdown main eventers! he put on a classic match with rey tonight so hopefully drew gets his push VERY SOON!

 

[jr2231]

I feel the same way about christian, I don't see how anyone can like him, to me he is boring and way over rated. I really think he doesn't need to be in the main event at all. Didn't like any of his solo runs in wwe, the only time I sorta liked his solo stuff were some of the matches I saw of his in TNA.
I truly hope Del Rio wins here and gets a really long run with the belt, since he only one of the true reasons I watch wwe, along with Shaemus and CM punk. I respect people's opinions but its just how I feel.

 

[Hollywood Naitch]

I don't understand why they had to do a battle royal for Christian to earna spot in the match. Surely he could come out and cut a promo, blaming Del Rio for ending the career of his best friend, and one of the all time greats. That would solidify Del Rio as an even bigger heel in the eyes of the fans and further the rivalry between Del Rio and Christian.

Even though Christian is the veteran, with far more experience in ladder matches, I fully expect ADR to come away with the belt. WWE gave him the Royal Rumble win, and I would be shocked if, after winning the Rumble, he lost at both WM and at Extreme Rules. I would much rather Christian win the belt, dedicate it to Edge and then feud with ADR for a couple of months, with Del Rio eventually taking the title.

Christian has been there or thereabouts for so long in the WWE and the people want to see him hold the world title. He did a great job as Champion in TNA and more than deserves a run on top in WWE. If guys like Mydterio and Swagger have qorld title reigns, then Christian is more than worthy. However, I just do not see him coming out on top, apart from maybe a short term reign capitalising on Edge's retirement and him "winning it for Edge".

Del Rio with the win for me, I expect to Christian get his hands on the belt, but just not quite do it, and he will remain without a world title win in the 'E.

 

[shooter_mcgavin]

I see no reason why can't they hold ADR eventual title win. It actually helps if Christian wins first because it's going to become emotional then once ADR heelishy takes the title it's bound to give him more heat.

 

[SullivanSmith]

Here's what I would do (you DID ask what I would do, right?) in this situation.

Have Christian win at Extreme Rules. It would be a huge moment for the guy and the crowd would totally.... and I *hate* using this term.... mark for it (hang on, I have to brush my teeth now) because of Edge's retirement and the long standing support from both the casual fan and the IWC.

Now, here's the kicker... at some point, on Smackdown, before the next PPV.... and I don't mean the very next one... have Del Rio win the belt ON THE SHOW. WWE wants to get more viewers for their SyFy program? Give the impression that the World Title can change hands on a given night. It's kind of hard to have that surprise happen on a taped show, but the guys behind the scenes at WWe are paid to figure that out, not me. I'm just some loudmouth on a message board.

It doesn't matter if it's a cheap win, because what comes next solidifies everything.

THEN... next PPV, one more match with Christian and Del Rio. This time, everyone is barred from ringside. No Brodus, no Ricardo. And Del Rio RETAINS... and retains CLEANLY.

Boom. Christian goes into the history books with a well-deserved championship reign and Del Rio gets the push he deserves into world title territory.

This or they'll just do something stupid. I dunno.

 

[#SAWFT]

I think everyone wants Christian to have the title at least once. If he wins, I'll be so happy.
But I think we all know The only reason ADR didn't win at mania is cos Edge was leaving. So he will win the strap.

 

[Fuzz]

I'm a huge ADR fan and would be stoked to see Alberto's destiny finally arrive at the pay-per-view. If he does win, that means heels dominate the big title picture of each brand. Creative likes to have a face champion on one brand, and a heel champion on the other, don't they? It would certainly make more sense. I know Miz is in a match at the pay-per-view as well but we all know Miz isn't losing the title anytime soon until possibly SummerSlam at the very least because of how ridiculously high the company is of him at the moment. Come on, they didn't make him retain the title at mania for nothing... His tenure as WWE Champion is going to be a long one.

I'd like to see ADR with the title, but Christian will win because i believe Creative isn't generally in support of having two heels dominate the big title picture of each brand at once.

 

[wooooo]

I really hope Christian wins. I feel like this will be his biggest oppurtunity ever to actually win a World title, sure Del Rio will win them in the future but if Christian doesn't win this I don't ever see him winning one.

 

[EdgeHead21]

I'm pretty excited for this. Predictable Christian would win but nevertheless at Extreme Rules we're bound to crown a new, first-time World Champion (Under the WWE banner, that is) I've been a peep since I started watching WWE somewhat 8/9 years ago and when I did watch it like I did/still do with WWE was even a fan of Christian's in TNA with his Title reigns etc. which proved he can carry a company and a major title.

I see him pulling out the win, ADR can carry himself as a heel but he didn't win at TLC, or at WM (Whether or not that was down to Edge retiring and WWE wanting to give him a victory at WM with a World Title or not remains unanswered) plus with the popularity Christian has had over the years the fans are 110% behind him.

 

[Mighty NorCal]

Usually, I would look to Del RIo to get the win here, as it just makes sense.....When thought about more long term though, if he WERE to win it, who chellenges him in the ME scene? Kofi fuckin' Kingston? Rey Mysterio AGAIN? Goodness forbid, THE BIG SHOW? With the loads of heel talent on SD and the apex of heat Christian ever has had or will have, it just makes more sense for him to win here, and pull off the inspired, emotional victory.

It will be a MTFO match for sure, as it really and truly COULD go either way

 

[ShiningMizard]

This match is very exciting to watch. I wish this match will be the last main event for the ppv rather watching the wwe championship. I like Christian to finally win the world heavyweight championship because after so many years working for the wwe I think he would replace edge as top face of smackdown. I mean come on Del rio is young he can still be a mega heel and future world champion while Christian might get stucked again in the mid card for the rest of his career.

 

[BulletVonAwesome]

I love Christian but adr has come along well in my books, the night of rumble i made a hair vs hair bet with a buddy of mine for mania. I said edge would win, he chose adr, and i still have my ponytail, so i thank edge for that.

If christian wins he'll drop very soon to ADR, just to test the waters for both men as they've never held the belt.

I had a thought though
at Extreme Rules
Have Christian come to the ring first doing his usual entrance ,
have ADR down second, but have him Come down to Christians old theme (the one after he and edge split)"Christian, and now your on your own"That one

And del rio to say "but you already know that" into a mic and have his actual theme follow.
IT would raise heay and get the crowd even more behind Christian.

 

[daring2defy]

Plus management may feel sympathetic for Christian losing his best friend of 25 years.

I may be off topic in writing this, but the way everyone is treating edge's retirement makes me feel like he's dead, when he's not. The guy found out he was hurt BEFORE something worse happened, and now he's not dead, nor paralyzed. Edge didn't die, he left a legacy, and will now retire without another serious injury. We should be HAPPY for him.

On the subject of Christian and Del Rio, Christian is a phenomenal athlete with AMAZING ring psychology, and the ability to make everyone he steps in the ring with look like a superstar. He gets guys over.

Del Rio is technically sound, and has proven that he can handle the main event spotlight and put off some great matches.

I feel that Del Rio should come out of extreme rules as champion. Christian will turn him into a superstar at extreme rules, and while i'm sure that they will both trade the world heavyweight title this year, Del Rio will walk away from extreme rules the champion.

 

[BestForTheBusinesso9]

Christian was obviously at least headed towards a bigger role in the company when Edge retired so I think that him being apart of this match shouldn't be too much of a surprise even before Edge retired. With that being said so, to me this feels like one of those moments where the WWE will give Christian the win just because he will have so much more behind it given Edge's retirement.

I see this as a positive thing that they do by capitalizing on real situations and the fan interest revolving around the wrestlers who are directly involved. The best example is obviously Rey Mysterio's run after Eddie Guerrero's death but I realize thats a bad comparison and we have seen it other times throughout wrestling history.

Anyway, Del Rio was going to win this match before Edge retired. Now I think plans will change and Christian will win but I would expect this rivalry to continue for awhile.