Kickoff Show
Dudley Boyz/Big Cass segment
- Bubba (and maybe a little D-Von) cuts a pretty damn good promo on Newark.
- Cass returns serve nicely, names a food pyramid of sorts.
- No Enzo, Cass takes out Dudleyz 2-on-1. Dudleyz continue their "Why Are We Here?" tour.
- "New Era" taking over statement. Fine for the pre-show. Program when Enzo is healthy?
Miz backstage promo
- Miz being Miz, continuing to do his job just as well as anyone right now.
- Inspirational music = great touch.
#AskRusev
- These question segments come off awkward at times. Still, going deeper into superstars is a plus.
- Rusev developing more character is...eh. Worked better as a savage, ass-kicking machine.
Dolph Ziggler vs. Baron Corbin
- Is Corbin only allowed to wrestle Ziggler?
- No DQ stipulation. These two have been mauling each other for weeks. Why not grab some weapons?
Dudley Boyz/Big Cass segment
- Bubba (and maybe a little D-Von) cuts a pretty damn good promo on Newark.
- Cass returns serve nicely, names a food pyramid of sorts.
- No Enzo, Cass takes out Dudleyz 2-on-1. Dudleyz continue their "Why Are We Here?" tour.
- "New Era" taking over statement. Fine for the pre-show. Program when Enzo is healthy?
Miz backstage promo
- Miz being Miz, continuing to do his job just as well as anyone right now.
- Inspirational music = great touch.
#AskRusev
- These question segments come off awkward at times. Still, going deeper into superstars is a plus.
- Rusev developing more character is...eh. Worked better as a savage, ass-kicking machine.
Dolph Ziggler vs. Baron Corbin
- Is Corbin only allowed to wrestle Ziggler?
- No DQ stipulation. These two have been mauling each other for weeks. Why not grab some weapons?
- Still waiting for some sort of No DQ actions...
- There we go. Apologies to Ziggler's wigglers.
- Low blow = smart finish for Corbin's character.
- Seen this match far too many times to get excited. Are they done with one another? Please.
- Grade: C-; Quick, good ending
Main Show
The Usos vs. The Club (Tornado Tag)
- And keeping to the theme of matches we've seen A LOT of...
- Hoping this "The Club" name gets something added to to it. Bland.
- Usos went from decent support to limited reaction to "You're with Roman Reigns" boos.
- Decent pace throughout until the last three or so minutes. Right team wins.
- Grade: C+; Opener doing its job
United States Championship: Kalisto vs. Rusev
- Nothing says "United States Championship" like cutting to the Brazilian, Russian and Japanese commentators. But seeing Funaki is a win for everybody.
- Cole, JBL, Byron really driving the point home about Kalisto's injury. Wonder why...
- "We we Lana" chants break out. Uh, she's right there.
- Definitely a plus to keep hearing about the injury. Adds story, depth. Not just another match.
- Usual high-flying stuff from Kalisto. Brings a different element.
- Rusev wins the U.S. title...probably only to drop it to a returning John Cena in two weeks.
- Not the most entertaining match, but did its job to further along both guys.
- Grade: C; Smooth, a few cool spots
Tag Team Championships: New Day vs. Vaudevillians
- New Day with the best reaction by far at this point. Of course.
- Faces getting cheered for the right reasons, heels getting booed for the right reasons. Weird.
- Another easy-to-digest match. Thumbs up.
- Over 270 days as champs for New Day? Cool, but they don't need those belts to stay relevant. Might be better off without them?
- Grade: C+; Ho-hum, New Day great per usual
Intercontinental Championship: Miz vs. Kevin Owens vs. Sami Zayn vs. Cesaro
- Video package for the IC belt? Looks like they're trying again.
- Now please, please, please don't saddle Owens with it.
- Loving everything and anything involving Miz tonight.
- Is Owens alive?
- Like the Owens/Zayn teasing. Nice, gradual build up for SummerSlam blowout?
- Crowd eating up the great pace
- Seems like Zayn always pulls out a memorable moment in these multi-men matches.
- Grade: B+; Great utilization of fatal-4-way stipulation, clean, smart finish
Dean Ambrose vs. Chris Jericho (Asylum Match)
- This is obviously going to be really good...whatever it is. Would have liked to seen it more spaced out from IC match.
- Are there more pre-match hype videos than usual? Should always be this way. More effort, more emotional investment.
- Death, taxes, Jericho's Extreme Rules jeans.
- If nothing else, Asylum Match is expanding on and spotlighting Ambrose.
- So we have Perry Saturn's mop, Steve Blackman's nunchucks and Mick Foley's 2x4.
- A little slow. Shouldn't hell break loose in asylums? Restless crowd.
- Spots were cool, just too far spread.
- Now two blah matches from Ambrose (Lesnar, Jericho) in weapon-friendly environments.
- Grade: D+; Two top flight performers in an underwhelming performance; strike bullet No. 1
Women's Championship: Charlotte vs. Natalya (Submission Match)
- Things Charlotte would be fine without: Ric, those glittery things on her face
- Why can't Charlotte win without help? Certainly viable enough.
- ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
- Grade: D-; Skant, both were more capable than what was put on; pre-Divas Revolution feel
WWE World Heavyweight Championship: Roman Reigns vs. AJ Styles (Extreme Rules)
- They don't want none, NO. They don't want none, NO. They don't want none, NO.
- Roman getting his usual grief. Poor fella.
- Going into the crowd early. Yes, please. Give Extreme Rules an extreme rules feel.
- Reigns with a Razor's Edge into a Powerbomb. Repping 40% of The Kliq in one move.
- New Jersey can boo all they want, but Reigns is showing out.
- Hey, hold on a second. We're this far into the pay-per-view and we haven't gotten a replay of Enzo's concussion yet.
- Not bad. Not bad at all. Reigns delivers in another main event.
- And there's your Rollins fix.
- Grade: B-; Solid match, stipulation utilized; feud culminated, on to the next
- There we go. Apologies to Ziggler's wigglers.
- Low blow = smart finish for Corbin's character.
- Seen this match far too many times to get excited. Are they done with one another? Please.
- Grade: C-; Quick, good ending
Main Show
The Usos vs. The Club (Tornado Tag)
- And keeping to the theme of matches we've seen A LOT of...
- Hoping this "The Club" name gets something added to to it. Bland.
- Usos went from decent support to limited reaction to "You're with Roman Reigns" boos.
- Decent pace throughout until the last three or so minutes. Right team wins.
- Grade: C+; Opener doing its job
United States Championship: Kalisto vs. Rusev
- Nothing says "United States Championship" like cutting to the Brazilian, Russian and Japanese commentators. But seeing Funaki is a win for everybody.
- Cole, JBL, Byron really driving the point home about Kalisto's injury. Wonder why...
- "We we Lana" chants break out. Uh, she's right there.
- Definitely a plus to keep hearing about the injury. Adds story, depth. Not just another match.
- Usual high-flying stuff from Kalisto. Brings a different element.
- Rusev wins the U.S. title...probably only to drop it to a returning John Cena in two weeks.
- Not the most entertaining match, but did its job to further along both guys.
- Grade: C; Smooth, a few cool spots
Tag Team Championships: New Day vs. Vaudevillians
- New Day with the best reaction by far at this point. Of course.
- Faces getting cheered for the right reasons, heels getting booed for the right reasons. Weird.
- Another easy-to-digest match. Thumbs up.
- Over 270 days as champs for New Day? Cool, but they don't need those belts to stay relevant. Might be better off without them?
- Grade: C+; Ho-hum, New Day great per usual
Intercontinental Championship: Miz vs. Kevin Owens vs. Sami Zayn vs. Cesaro
- Video package for the IC belt? Looks like they're trying again.
- Now please, please, please don't saddle Owens with it.
- Loving everything and anything involving Miz tonight.
- Is Owens alive?
- Like the Owens/Zayn teasing. Nice, gradual build up for SummerSlam blowout?
- Crowd eating up the great pace
- Seems like Zayn always pulls out a memorable moment in these multi-men matches.
- Grade: B+; Great utilization of fatal-4-way stipulation, clean, smart finish
Dean Ambrose vs. Chris Jericho (Asylum Match)
- This is obviously going to be really good...whatever it is. Would have liked to seen it more spaced out from IC match.
- Are there more pre-match hype videos than usual? Should always be this way. More effort, more emotional investment.
- Death, taxes, Jericho's Extreme Rules jeans.
- If nothing else, Asylum Match is expanding on and spotlighting Ambrose.
- So we have Perry Saturn's mop, Steve Blackman's nunchucks and Mick Foley's 2x4.
- A little slow. Shouldn't hell break loose in asylums? Restless crowd.
- Spots were cool, just too far spread.
- Now two blah matches from Ambrose (Lesnar, Jericho) in weapon-friendly environments.
- Grade: D+; Two top flight performers in an underwhelming performance; strike bullet No. 1
Women's Championship: Charlotte vs. Natalya (Submission Match)
- Things Charlotte would be fine without: Ric, those glittery things on her face
- Why can't Charlotte win without help? Certainly viable enough.
- ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
- Grade: D-; Skant, both were more capable than what was put on; pre-Divas Revolution feel
WWE World Heavyweight Championship: Roman Reigns vs. AJ Styles (Extreme Rules)
- They don't want none, NO. They don't want none, NO. They don't want none, NO.
- Roman getting his usual grief. Poor fella.
- Going into the crowd early. Yes, please. Give Extreme Rules an extreme rules feel.
- Reigns with a Razor's Edge into a Powerbomb. Repping 40% of The Kliq in one move.
- New Jersey can boo all they want, but Reigns is showing out.
- Hey, hold on a second. We're this far into the pay-per-view and we haven't gotten a replay of Enzo's concussion yet.
- Not bad. Not bad at all. Reigns delivers in another main event.
- And there's your Rollins fix.
- Grade: B-; Solid match, stipulation utilized; feud culminated, on to the next
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