Another month, another pay-per-view. WWE has not put much effort into Extreme Rules storyline-wise. Baron Corbin and Lacey Evans got another title shot just because they asked for it, Samoa Joe got championship opportunity because he attacked the WWE champion, New Day got the title shot for some reason even after losing their previous match at Stomping Grounds and the Raw tag team championship match was literally put together to fill the card without any build-up.
But, if we look at the card purely from the wrestling’s point of view, the show is going to be a banger. Almost all the matches have something unique to offer and if given the time to shine, any match could steal the show.
Wins and losses are no longer a priority for WWE. But, if some wrestler starts losing on a consistent basis, then fans would gradually stop investing in him and when his time would finally come at the top, nobody would care for him. All rivalries need a satisfying pay-off and all fan favorites need a strong booking. While some of the wrestlers would be going into the Extreme Rules to strengthen their legacy, there will be some who would just be hoping for a win to stay relevant among the fans and are most in need of victory.
#1. Aleister Black
The curse of the main roster promotion is running wild in WWE at the moment and it is taking down even the best of the talents. Ten wrestlers were called-up this year from NXT and out of those ten, WWE has paid any kind of attention to only five of them (Nikki Cross, Lacey Evans, Heavy Machinery and Ricochet). Lars Sullivan was surrounded with controversies throughout his run, Viking Raiders are still at stage 1 of beating a couple of jobbers, EC3 is now a bonafide ‘Main Event’ show roster member and Aleister Black has spent more time in a dark room than in a ring.
We will finally get to see Aleister Black wrestle in a match at Extreme Rules after so long. His match against Cesaro will definitely be one of the bests of the evening if booked properly and has the potential of stealing the show. But, it would mean nothing if Aleister Black loses at the end. It is his first singles match in the main roster and thanks to WWE’s booking, non-NXT viewers are not aware of the talent that he possesses. He was a main eventer even before coming to NXT. The victory at Extremes Rules will put him back on track (unless he again goes to the room to wait for his next opponent) and he could finally have the run that he deserves. Cesaro can take a loss in the event. He has done that his entire career, and he could still come out looking strong.
#2. Samoa Joe
Samoa Joe has always been a regular in these lists. Despite being one of the most charismatic and destructive men in the roster, he is still finding it hard to make a place for himself in the main roster. Ever since his debut on Raw in 2017, he has been hovering in the mid card scene and is trying really hard to make the best out of the stale storylines he has been offered. He had the big opportunity last year when he challenged AJ Styles for the WWE Championship at SummerSlam, but the management got cold feet and never put the belt on him. In March, he won the US title from R Truth, but that reign was as forgettable as Mojo Rawley‘s push.
Even if he loses the match against Kofi Kingston at Extreme Rules, he could just attack him again and he will get another match for the championship. That’s how he got the match in the first place, so it won’t be a big deal for him. Wins and losses don’t matter in WWE anymore, just ask Baron Corbin and Lacey Evans about that. But, this article is about how the loss would affect that wrestler’s image in the eyes of the fans, and they would surely not get behind him again.
#3. Bobby Lashley
When Bobby Lashley returned to Raw last year after WrestleMania, fans were genuinely happy to see him. People were interested to see what he would bring to the table after being away from WWE for so long. Some were even fantasy booking him to take the Universal title away from Brock Lesnar at SummerSlam last year. He was the guy people wanted to see as the top babyface of the brand. There were so many dream matches that could finally happen.
Remove a year since then, nobody cares for him. A lot has happened since his return. He turned heel in October last year for some reason (for which they have still not given a reason), picked a fight with The Shield, Braun Strowman and Elias for dull causes, exchanged the Intercontinental belt with Finn Balor on a couple of occasions and was away from TV probably because the writers and fans forgot about him. Now, he is that wrestler whose entire job is to lose feuds against new guys to help them elevate to the next level.
If he loses on Sunday against Braun Strowman, he would have nowhere to go but down. Nobody needs a victory more than him against a credible opponent right now. But, since the management clearly doesn’t have any big plans for him in the near future, that big victory seems a miles away from him.
tay tuned to the Last Word on Pro Wrestling for more on this and other stories from around the world of wrestling, as they develop. You can always count on LWOPW to be on top of the major news in the wrestling world, as well as to provide you with analysis, previews, videos, interviews, and editorials on the wrestling world. Make sure to watch Extreme Rules on the WWE Network to see if those in need of victory get a W.
