So we’re past Extreme Rules, or are we? Because WWE is bound and determined to relive it.
John Cena and Rusev have now met on three straight pay-per-views, dating back to Fast Lane, the one before WrestleMania 31, and we’re going to get part four at Payback, this time an I Quit match.
We get the feeling, because we want to quit having to watch, amirite?
Extreme Rules also featured the redux of Seth Rollins vs. Randy Orton from WM31, only this time Orton couldn’t use the RKO, and we had a match marred by run-ins from J&J Security and Kane, and not by a run-in from Roman Reigns, which would have made sense, given that Reigns was the only wrestler featured in the commercial during the show for the upcoming Payback pay-per-view.
So we got Cena-Rusev that wasn’t as good as it was at ‘Mania, Rollins-Orton that wasn’t as good as it was at ‘Mania.
There was one really good match on the show, except that it came before the show. The upset win for former NXT champ Adrian Neville over former Intercontinental champ Wade Barrett was a show-stealer from a workrate perspective.
The writers do deserve some credit for using Big Show to build up Reigns, who won after surviving a chokeslam through two tables on the floor.
Credit also to the writers for deepening Sheamus’ heel turn with his post-match attack on Dolph Ziggler in which he forced Ziggs to kiss his arse.
The rest of us was hot garbage.
The opener with Dean Ambrose and Luke Harper that included a hiatus as the two sped fighting in an SUV that left the arena for about a half-hour was just plain dumb. It could have made some sense as a Chicago Street Fight if the ref had climbed into a vehicle and chased them down to get a pinfall on some random street corner, but instead they just drove back to the arena and finished in the ring.
Dumb.
Almost as dumb as having Reigns in the commercial for Payback and not having him intervene in the main event.
Almost as dumb as giving us yet another Cena-Rusev.
Almost as dumb as completely throwing away all the momentum from WrestleMania.
Review by Chris Graham
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