Mark for War: Extreme Rules, Marked Out/Missed the Mark
Sorry I was late on this, dudes. I met ICP this week.
Ok, so Extreme Rules 2015 is in the books.
Good timing for Extreme Rules, considering Hockey Playoffs, the Mayweather fight, and the Kentucky Derby are all going down this week. All VERY extreme.
Here’s what I marked out on, and what missed the mark for me. Again, if I don’t comment on it, I was indifferent. I didn’t forget about it.
MARKED OUT
Reigns vs. Big Show
This match made me notice a HUGE selling point on the Roman Reigns of 2015: he does his best work against dudes that are bigger than him. That might not mean much, but it’s saying a lot, considering I’m talking about a man the size of Reigns. The average Giant/Giant match looks like garbage! Reigns is by no means a superheavyweight, but he’s still a big boy. I think it works because essentially bigger opponents make for bigger targets for Reigns. He’s a contact wrestler. You’ll notice that the average giant vs. little guy match always has a great feel to it. I got a similar feel during this match, which is why I’m currently very stoked on Reigns.
New Day vs. Kid and Cesaro (New Day winning the straps)
This title change was a product of the WWE Universe voicing their opinions on The New Day. The quasi-liberating choir group are becoming full-fledged heels, all because the fans find them cheesy. The ND’s saving grace is the fact that all three of the dudes are extremely talented. Based on their talent, and growing heat, the straps deserve to be with them at this point. The ND can rock the whole Freebirds/Demolition 3 way tag titleholders. If they add a member or two, don’t be surprised to see the New Day hit Attitude-era Nation of Domination levels. It was heavily rumored at one point that this group would be the New Nation, but frankly, that gimmick is unusable in the year 2015, and rightfully so. Still, I was stoked on this match, and the surprise title change.
Rollins vs. Orton
Very good match. Probably the match of the night actually, which is good, considering it was the main event. The end was beyond predictable. But hey, title reigns have to begin somewhere, right? I liked Kane in the “Gatekeeper” role. Awesome name for the goon who watches the cage door and slams it in a competitor’s face when they’re trying to escape. I prefer the “Bobby Hennan,” though.
MISSED THE MARK
Ambrose vs. Harper
Wasn’t as high on this as a lot of people were. I often complain about the look of these two wrestlers, especially Ambrose. They look way too indie. They dress like frickin’ backyard wrestlers. If they didn’t dress like that, when they have a Chicago street fight, they could actually dress in street fight attire. Instead, they basically dressed in their normal attire.
The action itself was good. The leaving in the middle of it was cool. What would have been REALLY cool is if, say, while they were gone, fan footage was caught of the match. Or they fought in a cop car with the camera on. Then they showed said footage on Raw or the WWE Network.
Cena vs. Rusev
I am FURIOUS at the direction this feud is going. This match reinforced that.
First off, it was the worst match of this feud. I don’t mind the odd gimmick behind the match. I just mind the fact that this feud should not be still going at this point (they just announced the I Quit match for Payback, which will more than likely end the feud). But they are leading to a horrible misbooking because of this feud.
So everyone hates Cena, ’cause it’s cool to hate him, right? And we all hate Rusev, cuz he’s an anti-American asshole, right? So who do we like in this feud? Oh, Lana!!!
The WWE, based on the fans dictating this feud, is in the process of turning Lana face. How is this a good idea? Lana had such heat a few months back. Yes, she’s hot. But that doesn’t mean we have to like her as a person. Lana and Rusev are the perfect match. They are going to break this tandem up all because they over-milked this feud, and the fans are starting to get bored and write their own story.
I had a vision in the back of my head of Rusev clashing with Lesnar sometime in the near future in a high stakes match. Can you imagine Heyman and Lana being in full heel form at the time of this feud? It would have been amazing. This is unlikely to happen now, pending some type of a swerve.
Let me know your thoughts on the show below!!!
Match of the Week
John Cena vs. The Big Show, Submission Match. Extreme Rules, June 7, 2009. New Orleans, LA
Believe it or not, Big Show might be the flagship superstar of the Extreme Rules PPV (kind of like how Mick Foley was the Backlash guy for years). This match was one of the better matches Show has had in the second half of his career. A legit clash with Cena. A long match that actually lacks the extreme element that the PPV has become synonymous with. However, I often find that on a PPV that has nothing but insanity, a more even-paced, traditional match is actually quite refreshing, in context. I used to feel the same way when a technical masterpiece would grace the mid card of an ECW pay per view.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4VR1OwOPAM4
