WWE will present the 14th incarnation of their Extreme Rules event this Saturday night on Peacock and the WWE Network.
There’s been some really good Extreme Rules events in the past, to be sure. But maybe you’re having a hard time even remembering some of them at all, let alone the details of what transpired. In all honesty, many of the shows have been pretty unremarkable with little to remember. That said, there have been a handful of Extreme Rules events that absolutely rise above the rest, including one that is far and away the best in the history of the concept (2012).
So as we prepare for yet another night of WWE Extreme Rules this weekend, let’s take a look back at the best Extreme Rules events in the company’s history (so far).
WWE Extreme Rules 2019
This isn’t a show with any match of the year contenders. What it does have is several very good, above average matches. Perhaps more-so than any other Extreme Rules card, this event was extremely solid and consistent nearly all the way through.
Two of the best tag teams of the 21st century, The Revival (FTR) and The Usos wrestle on this show. You also get Roman Reigns teaming with The Undertaker against Drew McIntyre and Shane McMahon, a match that is better than it sounds. Plus, this incarnation of Extreme Rules also includes: Aleister Black vs. Cesaro, The New Day vs. Daniel Bryan and Rowan vs. Heavy Machinery, and AJ Styles vs. Ricochet.
Kofi Kingston and Samoa Joe, a match that looked good on paper, didn’t live up to the hype, and this was unfortunately the era where Seth Rollins and Becky Lynch’s real life romance was first turned into an on-screen tag team (absolutely obliterating Becky’s momentum) and they work against Baron Corbin and Lacey Evans. But top to bottom, this card is very good for the most part.
WWE Extreme Rules 2016
This was a two-match show, but those two matches are absolute bangers.
A fatal four-way Intercontinental Title Match featuring The Miz, Cesaro, Kevin Owens, and Sami Zayn absolutely tears the house down. That match is followed up by a main event featuring WWE World Heavyweight Champion Roman Reigns taking on AJ Styles in an Extreme Rules Match.
Both of these contests were match of the year contenders in 2016 and were significantly better than anything on that year’s WrestleMania (32), a show which was universally seen as disappointing.
WWE Extreme Rules 2011
This card didn’t have any match of the year contenders, but what it did have was three very high level matches. The crowd in Tampa received a treat from top to bottom.
The standout contests were: Randy Orton vs. CM Punk in a Last Man Standing Match, Christian vs. Alberto Del Rio in a Ladder Match, and John Cena vs. John Morrison vs. The Miz in a triple threat Steel Cage Match.
WWE Extreme Rules 2012
There’s not really much of a debate around the fact that the 2012 edition of Extreme Rules is the best in the history of the show. That year’s event from Chicago was loaded with great matches, including: Sheamus vs. Daniel Bryan in a Best 2 out of 3 Falls Match, CM Punk vs. Chris Jericho in a Chicago Street Fight, and John Cena vs. Brock Lesnar in an Extreme Rules Match.
Cena vs. Lesnar is quite the spectacle. Lesnar’s first PPV match since returning to the company and a brutal one at that. Cena’s take some hard elbows to the face and bleeds hardway to a level that hadn’t been seen in WWE for many years. The decision to put Cena over was criticized at the time, but the match itself is absolutely phenomenal.
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