WWE Extreme Rules - WWE United States Championship: John Cena (c) VS Rusev

[Jack-Hammer]

As of last night's episode of SmackDown! and WWE.com, Cena will defend the United States Championship in a rematch against Rusev at Extreme Rules. No sort of special stipulations have been named at this time, though they don't necessarily have to be any as all of the matches on the Extreme Rules card are no disqualification.

It should be a good, physical bout between the two but there's virtually no chance of Rusev regaining the title. After all, reports allege that WWE is in the process of redesigning the US title, though they don't indicate if it's going to be a new standard design or if it's a custom title for Cena. Either way, Cena will be holding onto the title for a while.

 

[Prince Vee]

As of last night's episode of SmackDown! and WWE.com, Cena will defend the United States Championship in a rematch against Rusev at Extreme Rules. No sort of special stipulations have been named at this time, though they don't necessarily have to be any as all of the matches on the Extreme Rules card are no disqualification.

It should be a good, physical bout between the two but there's virtually no chance of Rusev regaining the title. After all, reports allege that WWE is in the process of redesigning the US title, though they don't indicate if it's going to be a new standard design or if it's a custom title for Cena. Either way, Cena will be holding onto the title for a while.

I really love the idea of John Cena US Open Challenge and I'm as excited as you to see the match between Rusev and John Cena in some kinda stipulation or not!

I don't even mind Cena holding the title for a while with a New standard or Custom design. But the query is, Where will Rusev go from there after he loses to John Cena?

He is apparently the top heel in the company apart from the Authority. But if he loses to Cena in two PPVs in a row how can they put him as a top heel or where he can feud with? I'm not complaining I'm just wondering and can't find any good answers.

If you got something for me, I'm looking forward t hear it. Cheers!!

 

[Mustang Sally]

(Rusev) is apparently the top heel in the company apart from the Authority.

That's true, isn't it? Plus, there's a marked contrast between Rusev and the Authority; Rusev is the guy who does it by himself. Yes, he's anti-American and yes, he'll use an illegal tactic if his usual methods don't get the job done (like the kick to Cena's "West Newburies" while Lana distracted the ref) but the fact that Rusev wages his own battles in his own style makes him different enough from the "ganging up" ways of the Authority that I believe Rusev can compete at main event level, having successfully used the boost from his feud with Cena to get there.

To that end, Rusev doesn't really need the U.S. Championship.....and since management put Cena there to raise the prestige of the belt, I doubt he'll be losing it anytime soon.

Could Rusev at the top level put him in the path of Seth Rollins and the Authority.....heel vs. heel? Sure it could, and it might be fun to see the sneaky, interfering ways of Rollins & friends against the systematic dismantling used by Rusev to break down opponents.

 

[Y 2 Jake]

Yawn. This isn't a feud that should last three consecutive PPV matches. Rusev should win so they can both move on. What does Cena actually gain from beating him again and retaining the title? Rusev needs the victory and needs to move on to a feud with somebody like Reigns so the rehabilitation process can begin for both.

 

[Radical]

Cena wins so he can debut the new US title belt and sell a bunch of new merch and it will keep the US title from being forgotten on WWE programming.

Rusev loses and then doesn't skip a beat and continues to beat down on all other opponents not named Cena until WWE decides to give one guy who hasn't faced Rusev a chance to beat him probably around SummerSlam or a little after.

 

[wrestler36]

I think Cena will win again, which will cause further tension between Rusev and Lana. Rusev will go on a little losing streak before breaking things off with Lana and then hopefully he'll become a monster. Kind of like a full time heel Lesnar, but obviously not as cool

 

[Aeon Mathix]

Who honestly wants to see this match? I take it nobody. I don't even think anyone was clamoring for this feud to even happen in the first place. I don't view Rusev any different than I did before his feud with Cena and that was a monster who is built up to lose. That's fine in theory and an age old tactic in wrestling, but when he is built to lose to one of the top 5 greatest of all time you just take a step back and go "Really?". Someone like Neville or any debuting superstar could have done a lot more with that kind of victory and would actually make for much more entertaining television.

This is supposedly a plan to re elevate the US title and that's fine, but Cena's United States Championship run just screams there is nothing in the main event picture for you unless we want to get destroyed for throwing you out there with Rollins or Orton again.

I wish they would have just had this rematch on Raw or something and get it over with. It won't do anything for Rusev to rub elbows with Cena again. It will probably be a last man standing match or something where Cena will win and afterward be smiling looking like he went jogging for 2 minutes rather than showing Rusev took him to the limit or whatever.

I don't normally critize Cena and it's not his fault but every time he faces a monster besides Lesnar obviously its the same thing. He wins, MAYBE the monster gets a cheap win in but at the end of the day he just swats them away like they are flies and goes about his business. It happened with Ryback, Wyatt, Mark Henry etc and it will happen again to Rusev and Rusev will probably take over the rosebuds or be in a tag team with El Torito by the end of summer.

 

[kadroan]

Yawn. This isn't a feud that should last three consecutive PPV matches. Rusev should win so they can both move on. What does Cena actually gain from beating him again and retaining the title? Rusev needs the victory and needs to move on to a feud with somebody like Reigns so the rehabilitation process can begin for both.

Right! I can't see what else Rusev could be doing other than being US Champion that'll help his career. Main event picture is full, IC title picture is full.

Reigns vs. Rusev is a lose/lose situation, neither can afford a loss.

 

[Terry Gyimah]

Rusev even if he loses if he is a top heel then why not just elevate him to the main event? I mean it is about time they make Rusev a main event guy anyway so to see him lose to Cena at Extreme Rules wouldn't really surprise me considering Rusev has done all that he can do at the midcard/upper midcard level so why not throw him in the main event

 

[kadroan]

I got Cena with the win. The powers-that-be seem to be really into the idea that Cena could elevate the US title.

If Cena was to lose the US title, there wouldn't be nothing for him to do. He's feuded with Bray, Brock and The Authority. Sheamus would be an interesting match up for him but it seems like he'll be in the IC title picture.

I think somebody like Neville will be the one to beat Cena.

 

[The Brain]

I'm pretty interested in seeing the Russian Chain Match. It's different. Sure it's basically the same thing as a strap match but the appropriate change from strap to chain makes this interesting to me. I've always been a fan of the strap match anyway. It's not a stipulation that's been done to death. Does anyone know the rules? Does it end by touching all four corners or is it pin/submission? Either way I think it will be pretty good.

 

[TJ Matics]

Does it end by touching all four corners or is it pin/submission?

Cena said on Smackdown it ends by touching all 4 corners.

Though it does make sense for the story, the stipulation doesn't do much for me. I feel like it's going to drag the match and it can easily come off looking really stupid. Here's hoping I'm wrong, but I've enjoyed both Cena/Russev matches and wouldn't have minded a regular wrestling match again, especially with Russev being the challenger this time around. If there needed to be a stipulation for the PPV's sake, there definitely could have been worse stips but I also think after thinking it out they could have come up with something better.

 

[Dagger Dias]

Another one where I'm really not interested in the stipulation. I doubt it will be as good as their Fast Lane or Wrestlemania matches due to the match gimmick, but it should probably still end up being one of the better matches of the night. Cena is likely to retain so he can keep having his Open Challenges for a while. The bigger question is where Rusev goes from here. I could see him working some random non-title filler feud next. Anyway, this might go on toward the end of the evening, next to last or so.

DAGGER'S PREDICTION
John Cena retains the US Championship.

 

[OYDK]

It seems as if WWE is trying to make the chain Rusev's weapon of choice similar to HHH/Sledgehammer or Bossman/Nightstick. I really like how he uses it in his finisher... it looks very painful, though I don't think that's kayafabe... I legitimately thought Rusev broke Cena's nose when he used the move on him.

I see Cena retaining and continuing his good run as US Champion. No need to shatter the momentum of the US strap right now by having it change hands again.

 

[MartialHorror]

I kind of want Cena to win because I like the open challenge idea, even if it's obvious Cena won't go over. It's just nice seeing Stardust or someone like that get some attention, although I cringed when Kane accepted the challenge. Maybe use Harper, Swagger, Axel or whoever and have them put up a good- but failed- fight against Cena.

On the other hand, I'm concerned about what the WWE will do with Rusev now that he has lost. Cena doesn't need the victory as much and Rusev might be the next King Kong Bundy type wrestler- immortal until he ceases being immortal and then suddenly everyone relevant kicks his ass. Bray's loss to Cena was the beginning of the end for him, and I'd rather Rusev avoid such a fate- although admittedly Bray seems to be given a lot of midcard credibility.