Booking On A New Level - Hold The Reigns

This post is just creative ideas stormed up by myself. These ideas are all my own and I aim to not offend anyone in the process of writing this. Those of you who have read my other "Booking On A New Level" posts will know how this goes but just incase;

MITB is a great time of year for WWE to start explosive feuds and to develop careers. Look at what happened to Daniel Bryan, CM Punk and Edge. But what would happen if Ambrose won?

Lets start at the Raw after Payback. The dust has settled from Payback and The Authority announce that there will be 2 MITB matches this year. One for a contract as per usual and another for the titles but lets just focus on the one for the contract. The following week names are chosen in a rumble style fashion from a tombola. Yep they exist still. The names pulled from the first tombola (the one for the contract) are as follows;

• Sheamus
• Cesaro
• Kofi Kingston
• Cody Rhodes
• RVD
• Ambrose

Ambrose is shocked that he is the only member of The Shield picked for either match. The weeks go by and the contestants go through matches with each other as they always do. The Raw before MITB, a huge brawl breaks out where Ambrose gets a huge pop for taking out almost half the guys involved and climbing a ladder. The other members of The Shield come out and back him up as Raw goes off air. 

MITB comes around and we see Ambrose, Seth and Reigns backstage talking. Ambrose tells them both that tonight they will show everyone what's "best for business" and move on from Evolution. The night goes on and Reigns and Rollins beat HHH and Orton in a tag match where the losing stable has to split and Ambrose wins the MITB match.
The Shield celebrate as the show comes to a close and the crowd celebrate with them.

Two months down the line at Summerslam we get HHH vs Reigns and Ambrose vs Sheamus for his US title (I'm not sure where Rollins fits into this yet). Reigns wins and Ambrose loses. This causes more issues between Shield but none the less they continue as a team. Over the next few months Reigns dominates single matches and is granted a title shot at Survivor Series. 

Reigns vs Cena is the title match. I fully expect Cena to be holding the titles again by then. The crowd are pulling for Reigns to win but as per the usual there is Cena fans in amongst the rabble. The match goes back and forth and there is a lot of near falls on Cenas part but Reigns just keeps kicking out. It's near the end of the match and Rollins and Ambrose run down to support Reigns and to see him win the titles. Reigns nails Cena with a huge superman punch. Reigns collapses on Cena and gets the 1-2-3. The crowd goes nuts and The Shield celebrate as Reigns gets his hand raised by the ref. As Roman goes to the top rope to celebrate Ambrose grabs Rollins and plants him with a finisher on the outside. Reigns turns round only to see Ambrose smiling as he pulls out a piece of paper from his pocket. Reigns looks confused as Ambrose hands the paper to the ref as he continues glaring at Roman. The ref reads it and goes to the outside to tell the ring announcer whats happening. Reigns looks confused as he sees Rollins laying out cold. Ambrose rushes him and takes him down and begins beating him down. The announcer tells the already booing crowd that Ambrose is cashing in his MITB contract. The ref slides back into the ring and Reigns begins to get the better of Dean. Ambrose rolls away and Reigns gets in position to spear him. Roman charges and Ambrose catches his head, spins and plants him with the head lock driver. Rollins comes around just in time to see Ambrose get the three count. Thus we have the break up of The Shield, A new heel champ and a great feud going into the winter.

So what do you think? Think its feasible? Anything you would change? Let me know by leaving a comment below or get me on twitter @LevellerLOW

Thanks for reading. 

Gunning On A New Level - Payback

About This Post

On this blog we are doing things slightly differently. Once a month myself and @LoveLostGunfire will be providing you our predictions for the monthly PPV. This month its the time for revenge, time for retribution and time for Daniel Bryan to choose his wife or his title. ITS PAYBACK.

Rusev (and Lana's Legs) vs Big E (and his moobs)

LLG - I've said it before and I'll say it again: Big E isn't doing it for anyone right now. He's lost some of his shine. Not all of it, but some. I know, I know. Rusev isn't that much better anyway (I think I'm one of the few people who genuinely like that dude). I know Rusev isn't doing it for many people either, but he's clearly doing it for WWE. They are on this guy right now. Bottom Line: RUSEV, CRUSH!

L - Both these guys needed something to do and WWE finally realised it. While Big E is not my first choice of guys this could be a really impress match if they give it time. Lana is really what is keeping a lot of people interested in this feud but not for wrestling purposes. Want to keep me interested? Give me Rusev vs Swagger with Zeb and Lana cutting back and forth promos.This could give Swagger a much needed character tweak and an established opponent for Rusev. Put Big E in a tag team and let him help build the division by using his humour in promos. 

Sheamus vs Cesaro

LLG - I have no bloody clue. I feel confused about this. It's too soon for Sheamus to lose it, I mean, unless WWE really wants to piss me off by making Dean lose it just to have Sheamus lose it right away. However, Cesaro is getting pushed hard. Hmmm... Perhaps they fudge a move and they both end up unconscious in the middle of the ring? They eat bad seafood prior to the match and both run out to the toilets? Or, more realistically, someone gets disqualified and since Sheamus can't lose on a DQ, he retains. Yes! That could work. Sheamus retains but Cesaro doesn't look weak. I'm sticking to that. Yep. Uh-huh...

L - Payback is when Sheamus turns heel but more of that later. In fact I will even go as far as saying we get a double turn. I think Sheamus wins this after a phenominal match. I'm not sure how but I think he wins. Cesaro is in a confusing situation in that people are still cheering for him and its clear that people want to cheer him but he is meant to be a heel. I think WWE will give Cesaro a face turn. Yes Paul Heyman is a heel but that doesn't mean he can't support a face for being talented. Pretty sure some other managers have done that.....

Wade "Bad News" Barrett vs RVD

LLG - Pfffft. Barrett takes the win, of course! I've got some bad news for you, Rob! It's no secret I am never excited to see RVD these days, but I feel like the difference in styles should make for an interesting match. This might actually be one of my favorite matches of the night #TeaTime

L - You think RVD gets the win? I'm afraid I've got some bad news! No but seriously why would RVD win this? It's for the title and there is no way that logically WWE puts the belt on RVD here. Barrett is getting some major attention even to the point that its said Vince really enjoys him and word has it he will be one of three to watch this year. Barrett will win this with either a huge Bull Hammer or a dirty pin. But after this they need to be looking to put Cesaro/Sheamus/Barrett in a programme together much like Angle/Benoit/Jericho towards WM16 for both titles. 

Paige vs Alicia Fox

LLG - I am writing this as someone who hasn't seen Smackdown from May 23 and I haven't seen RAW from May 26; therefore, I think the last time I saw these two was when Fox actually managed to win the match. Did that happen? I can't remember. Either way, Paige is going to win when it matters, and it matters at Payback! Tear the stars out from the sky, bitches.

L - I like Paige but I said it the minute she won the title. "Once you reach the top there is only one way to go." I see the flavour of the month winning this. Alicia Fox. Alicia should win it and become a huge obstacle for Paige. This gives Paige the chance to develop her character and Alicia the chance to showcase what she can do. Should Paige win in order to make her run a bit more legit? Probably. Do I see it happening. No.

John Cena vs Bray Wyatt

LLG - Hasn't Cena lost this sort of thing before in the past? Whatever. Either way, I think Bray should win this, and I hope to the gods it's a clean win. Like I said for Extreme Rules, I am a bit foggy as to where this rivalry is now going; it started out strong and it was an interesting concept, but it's time to draw some semblance of a conclusive thought. Bray FTW #FollowTheBuzzards #GodsHelpMeIfCenaWinsThis

L - This feud is at its peak. Please stop it before people get bored. Bray Wyatt needs this win. It's not a clean win with a pin but he needs at least one win over Cena. The rub on it's on is not enough (minds out of the gutter). Bray Wyatt should win this and send Cena into a few months of doubting himself. Cena shouldn't beat Wyatt until some point near Royal Rumble or until they can actually establish one of these two guys as a major heel. I would love to say that Wyatt gets the win after a big moment. Imagine if you will, at some point during the match Bray gets busted open, Bray and Cena fight up to the entrance where Wyatt runs at Cena and puts him through the set. Neither guy moves and the ref gets to the count of 8 before we see Bray emerge from the wreck with his face masked in blood as he laughs. The ref gets to 10 and Bray laughs and Harper and Rowan drag Cena's body from the wreck. Bray looks at Cena and denounces he has the whole world in his hands before laughing and giving a sly grin.

Evolution vs The Shield

LLG - If this isn't the main event, I'm drinking bleach. I know most people think Evolution will win, and I think we all know I'm a Shield girl. It's not surprising I actually think The Shield will win, but hear me out, okay? We're not sure when Batista will run along to Hollywood and Ambrose just lost his US title; it's easy to say The Shield will lose because they won at Extreme Rules and they've been one-upping Evolution at RAW shows - I get it. But doesn't it make more sense if Evolution loses again? What if they lose and Randy Orton trips balls and accuses Batista of costing HIM the loss? Maybe Trips defends Batista. Maybe not. Or maybe the loss has nothing to do with Hollywood and the need to create separation. Maybe Evolution losing will have everything to do with one man needing to shine...Ambrose. Everyone usually jizzes themselves over Roman Reigns, but I'm an Ambrose girl through and through (not just because he's sexy as fawwwk). He's well-rounded and talented on all levels. Simply put: he's the best of both worlds. Think about it. Usually someone is good in the ring, bad on the mic or vice versa. Not with Ambrose. Maybe it's time to have HIM save the damn day, instead of yet another spear or Superman punch. He's the Lunatic Fringe! What better way to defeat evil egomaniacs than to out-wit them with sheer lunacy? You don't put a lunatic in a no-holds-barred match and expect to NOT get destroyed. Besides, it's called Payback. The Shield has been targeted night after night and they've primarily played a solid game of defense against Evolution. Ambrose losing his US title thanks to evil Evolution shenanigans calls for a fiery response from The Shield. #BelieveInTheGoddamnLunaticFringe

L - While my friend here marks out for Ambrose and The Shield I'm saying Evolution win. Evolution are winning this match and it's not going to be clean. I sense interference from someone. Who you say? Either Sheamus or Ambrose turning sides. Sheamus has been rumoured for a heel turn for a while and it's also been said that he was considered for a fourth member for Evolution. If the match comes down to HHH or Orton vs 2 members of Shield I can see Sheamus getting involved. They could even involve the fact that they knew Sheamus would beat Ambrose and they knew he could take the belt to the "winning" side. Now while this is the more likely situation can you imagine if Ambrose pulls a Nash? If this match comes down to Ambrose on his own against Evolution then you can damn well bet that he turns. Evolution go to attack him and then HHH smiles. Ambrose smiles back and then they laugh and pose as the show ends. Ambrose evolves. This leads to Rollins feuding with Ambrose, Batista goes back to hollywood, Orton gets put into the title picture and Reigns feuds with HHH. Not a high possibility but a possibility none the less. 

Pre-Show: Hornswoggle vs El Torito

BOTH - WWE are stupid sometimes but they aren't dumb enough to get involved with WWF again. There is no way they tear off a bulls face. Swoggle gets a haircut. Nuff said.

Well there you have it. What do you think? Leave a comment below or get us on twitter;

LLG - @LoveLostGunfire

L - @LevellerLOW

Getting WWE On The Level

We all have little issues that we would like to see changed in WWE and I feel that I rarely get a chance to say mine so this post will be telling you about what I would change in WWE. Now some of these are logical and some of them just preferences on my part but I think they would all help improve the product.

Make Stars Already

WWE is at a split in the road. They can either continue relying on the current stars such as Cena and Orton or they can create new faces and new heels. The fact is they NEED to develop these new stars so that the product can evolve. Guys like Bray and The Shield are on the way but right now the WWE needs to begin to build up the midcard stars that they already have. Give these midcard stars a shot at the main event. Now this next part is simple - IF THEY DON'T SUCCEED IN THE MAIN EVENT EITHER GET RID OF THEM OR PUT THEM BACK IN THE MIDCARD. Now I realise that not everyone can stay in the midcard and thats why I say fire some of them. Guys like Sandow, Kofi and Ziggler could easily be pushed to main event level. Try work with the roster you have before you add more names to it!

Fix Your Tag Division

This should not be that difficult WWE;

Step 1 - build viable teams

Step 2  - showcase teams and provide them with time on TV

Step 3 - create feuds and story lines we care about

Step 4 - let the teams have some mic time. 

Step 5 - change the title belts. 

The Usos are a great team. A great team can't succeed without great competition. Think Edge and Christia would have survived as a team without The Hardyz, The Dudleys and The APA to feud with? Think again. Get it sorted it WWE because tag team wrestling used to mean something and still can. Off the top of my head i can think of at least 4 teams that could work. 

Women Will Be Women

Now I know I'm not the only one with this gripe. Womens wrestling used to be great or at the very least a lot of us could watch it. These WOMEN are not DIVAS. These WOMEN are WRESTLERS. Remember when WOMEN wrestlers used to be able to fight male wrestlers? Chyna, first women IC champ and first woman to enter the Royal Rumble. Chyna looked like she could at least kick your ass. Can't really say that about Aksana can we? If a "diva" is gonna be in the ring  at least make sure she can wrestle. WWE I suggest you go watch TNA's Knockout division and get some ideas because they can actually wrestle and hold a story. And if it isn't too much trouble how about labelling these ladies as WOMEN wrestlers again. 

Leave Total Divas as a seperate reality  show where the ladies can discuss backstage issues and ring work. Do not make us watch matches that are based around an argument about a cat that happened on a scripted reality show. Moolah and Mae Young are turning in their graves. Don't spit on their legacies. 

Give me a creative story

Not every story has to happen as a good vs evil. Some stories can happen just because there is more than one person wanting a title. Yes I suggested something old school but if it ain't broken don't fix it. Remember when Rock and Austin were fighting for the titles? That was when guys used to fight for the sake of a belt and to prove they were the best. Now we seem to have fights cause one guy bitched about another on twitter......FIX IT.

Stop Booking For The Casual Fan

WWE books a lot of their content for the casual fan. There needs to be less of this. I have twitter followers who have watched WWE for nearly 30 years and I have followers who have watched for three weeks. Fans who just joined don't care about the matches. They just want to be entertained to begin with and thats fine but that doesn't mean that you can't develop the stories to feature content from older matches or previous storylines. E.G. When Kane and Bryan were fighting at Extreme Rules there was maybe one mention of how they used to be a team. That could have played a huge part in the story. But it didnt. Please fix this kind of thing as it really can cause your fans to think that you treat them like they are stupid. 

The Usual Suspects

This Thursday current WWEWHC Daniel Bryan under went surgery on his neck. Thankfully the surgery was successful and Daniel Bryan is now on the road to recovery. However, this surgery has left the champ in a very uncomfortable situation. Daniel Bryan will be out of action for between 2-3 months and isn't expected to return to in ring physical work until late July to early August. This situation has left many questioning "What will happen with the WWEWHC?" 
Reportedly, Daniel Bryan will appear on RAW to speak about the situation. Whether this happens through pre-filmed video package, via satellite or in a less than likely in person appearance is unclear but one thing for sure is that most people believe he will vacate the title. Now don't worry you "YES" lovers because I think it's fair to say that if Bryan does vacate them then he will surely get a title shot down the line. But if Daniel Bryan vacates who will be champion?! Well lets have a look at the usual and unusual suspects;

Usual Suspects

Batista. Yeah, I said it so deal with it. Big Dave said he was coming back to get the titles and he very well could. Who better to promote your title than the guy who is about to go and promote a movie that could realistically be in the top 3 most profitable movies this summer. Not only would this work off screen but it would run into the storylines on screen. If Batista wins the title it only adds fuel to the fire in the feud with Shield. What bigger injustice than being handed the title from an injured man and claiming to be the best guy in the company? Surely there couldn't be one?

Could they run HHH as the WWEWHC? Sure. Why not? Vince was both WWF champ and ECW champ. Shane was hardcore and European champ. Steph was womans champ. Realistically HHH could easily claim to be the champ because it adds to his character and he has the power to do so, kayfabe or not. Just imagine the heat HHH would receive for "burying" Bryan like that. The crowd would hate him and they would be dying for anyone to beat him. This would again add more fuel to the fire and the crowd would be preying that Shield would kick his ass. 

Yup its possible. It's WWE. Would it make sense? Nope. Would it be likely? Yup. Who do you turn to when times are tough? You look to the guy who promotes your company the most and the guy who can take the heat and just brush it off. I personally hope this doesn't happen as it would take away from the Bray/Cena storyline but there is a chance. 

Unusual Suspects

That's right. The Streak Stopper. How much heat would he garner from this and breaking the streak? He could quite simply walk in and claim he has the most prestige behind his name as he did something no normal man could do. He beat the streak. Brock could hold the title between now and whenever and claim he only shows up to fight. No appearances. No warm ups.Just title matches. Because thats what the man who beat the Undertaker deserves. Do I think this should happen. No. Brock Lesnar should be undefeated until at least WM31 where the next big guy, company guy beats him. 

Yup that guy. No not the one on the left. CM Punk. With CM Punk seemingly taking over my twitter feed since Daniel Bryan announced his surgery many are suggesting he returns in Chi-town in order to reclaim his title. Could it happen? I guess. Will it happen? Not on your life. CM Punk is not showing up at Payback. The chances of this happening are slim to none. But there is always a chance in WWE land......

Vacant. That's correct I said vacant. The WWEWHC title could be left vacant. Why not? I mean this is a huge opportunity for WWE to create a new star. This bad situation is almost like a chance for WWE to hit reset on a few guys and a few storylines. I point towards the tournament;

• On the next episode of RAW (19/05/14) you have a 8 guys (Ziggler, Kofi, Rusev, Christian, Cesaro, Big Show, Kane and Mark Henry for example) fight in singles matches where the winners progress. 
• The week (26/05/14) after you have the four winners in a tag team match. 
• At Payback you put all four guys in a fatal four way match. The winner is announced as next in line for a title shot. This man is guaranteed a title shot.
• The next few weeks will be built towards MITB. I suggest having two MITB matches. 1 for a guaranteed second spot in the title match and 1 for the briefcase. 
• The two guys then sign contracts for the match and build towards Battleground. 
• Winner faces Daniel Bryan and the loser in a rematch at Summerslam. 

This idea might, to a lot of people seem pointless. I can almost hear the cries of "But that means the title is out of action for nearly two months." Yup it would be but the focus of a lot of matches would be geared towards the title. This also gives WWE the opportunity to drop to one belt with the new logo on it like they planned to do. This situation leaves plenty chances for guys to really step up their game and show that they can work to be the best. Give me suggestions to which 8 guys you would use on twitter. 

SO WHAT DO YOU THINK?

Leave me your thoughts below in the comment section or get in touch on twitter @LevellerLOW

Can we move it on?

I have one major gripe with WWE at the minute. They have some fantastic storylines rolling out of creative at the minute but it seems like they are struggling with stretching out. Let me just give you a few examples of this;

Evolution/Shield

Great storyline with great matches. I think we can all agree on that. What I can't agree with is this constant tit for tat. Shield got beaten down the weeks leading up to Extreme Rules. Shield win at ER. The next night on RAW Evolution beat the Shield down. This week on RAW Shield beat Evolution down twice. If Shield have proven they can beat Evolution then why should we pay out to see a rematch at Payback? They have already done what they set out to do. In order for this feud to continue there needs to be another spanner thrown into the works. While some of you may argue that the booking is done this way to make both teams look strong, take a moment and ask yourself why is the feud continuing other than the fact they put on good matches. 

Cesaro

So its all about pushing the new talent? So where was the new Paul Heyman guy on RAW? If they want us to keep focussed on Cesaro and the progression of this new Heyman guy then surely the best idea would be to find him an important feud and showcase him on RAW? Cesaro was AWOL this week and for the life of me I cant figure out a reason as to why. Cesaro has all the talent take the ball and run with it. From what I hear he is on Smackdown this week but why put him on the B-Show if you plan on pushing him as an A-Player. Cesaro needs an important feud and quick. 

Bad News Barrett

Speaking of new talent, where was the newest IC champ? Again if we are meant to invest in storylines and characters then put them on RAW. Barrett was no where to be seen on RAW. Last week we got the rematch between Barrett and Big E but WWE seem to have hit the reset button again and Big E is going to be involved with Rusev. This leave Barrett with no feud to build for Payback. My suggestion, have Barrett and Cesaro feud over the IC title. Not hard. If they still want to push for a title unification I'd love to see Barrett vs Cesaro vs Sheamus. 

This is just a few examples off the top of my head. The only story line that I can say truly progressed this week would be the fact Alicia Fox will probably get a shot at the title at Payback and Bray Wyatt working out a way to take Cena down.
I understand that there will be some weeks where WWE will have slower periods but there needs to be distinct progression in storylines each week for people to invest in the product and find a reason to buy PPVs. 

What do you think? Let me know by leaving a comment below or get in touch on twitter @LevellerLOW

Your Wife Or Your Title

Ok it's safe to say that most of us are pretty disappointed by WWE's booking of Daniel Bryan this week. For those of you who haven't seen RAW yet check out the video below;

It's clear that WWE is working towards Daniel Bryan vs Kane for a rematch at Payback. I have no problem with this. I have a problem with WWE booking Brie Bella to look more important to Daniel Bryan than the title he worked so hard to get. So i have a list of issues for you all to mull over now;

• Daniel Bryan was just protecting his wife. AWWWW isnt that sweet. Well actually no it's not. It would be sweet if your wife wasn't meant to be a pro wrestler who takes a beating when she gets in the ring. Remember when Divas would get in the ring with male wrestlers and actually put up a fight? Brie Bella could easily have put up a fight as well and this would have booked her to look strong too.

• Daniel Bryan beat Kane the previous night. Why run knowing that you can beat him again?
• Brie Bella needs to get acting classes. 
• Kane is being booked as a monster. Thats cool. I can roll with that. What I can't roll with is that there is still some idea that Stephanie is still controlling the monster. Kane at this point should be his own entity who can't be controlled.
• By making Daniel Bryan run away it only devalues his character. I direct you back to Zack Ryder. He was over. Like silly over. Crowds chanting his name when he wasn't present over and then he got booked against Kane. They made him run and then look what happened. HE GOT A PUSH.....off the stage. Since then Zack Ryder has fallen into obscurity. Do not let this happen to Daniel Bryan WWE. Mick Foley warned you and now I am warning you. 
• If Daniel Bryan is meant to be booked as a strong champion then why is he running away. Would Austin have ran away? Would Rock have ran away? Hell did Cena run away? Then why make Bryan run? 

Now obviously WWE can say they have a plan in place but even if they do have a long term plan the champion should never be booked to run from a challenge. I understand the idea of fighting back and getting beaten down. That makes sense and makes the challenger look strong. But the champion running away only devalues the champ. Plus universally running away is a heel tactic. 

If WWE IS planning on having Kane vs Daniel Bryan in a buried alive match we all know that Kane will be the one to lose. He can go promote See No Evil 2 and return later in the year. But how do they make Kane look like a monster heel in the mean time? I say have him attack Brie during Bryans match. It should have been done this Monday in the car instead of having the awful B-movie scene that we got.
Plain and simple I would have had Brie stay in the locked car when Daniel Bryan had his match (that Stephanie made for him) and Kane could have set off the pyro and cut a promo on screen about how Brie is "far too hot in the car". Bryan would have ran to the back where we see Kane setting fire to the car with Brie inside. Bryan could have gone to save Brie and pulled her out before the blaze got too much. Once he had her safely out of the car he could have turned round to attack Kane and he would be gone.Next week Kane could kidnap her and the title and give Bryan the choice of what is more important to him. The one he doenst choose will be burned. Bryan has to choose between her or his title. Bryan chooses Brie and Stephanie McMahon vacates the title. (this gives time for a new looking title with the new logo on it to be brought in)

I honestly believe for this feud to get more personal they need to have Brie attacked in someway by Kane. While Kane is going after Bryan it's not really been established as to why he is doing it other than the fact Stephanie got him angry a few weeks back. Kane shouldnt be made to look like he is going for the title but he needs to have more of a reason for attacking Bryan than "cause Steph pissed him off." 

What do you think? Let me know by leaving a comment below or on twitter @levellerlow

Extreme Rules - The Fall Out

With Extreme Rules already past we know that the out come wasn't great for Big E. But I wonder where does he go now? Big E, or ChocLesnar as I resorted to calling him for his first few months in WWE, has the potential to be a good main eventer in time. Thats just my opinion though. Personally I think once he gets a bit tighter in the ring and a gimmick that people can really get behind he could be riding high. WWE should never have stripped him of the 5 count gimmick. It was fresh and made him look strong. Hell you could even let him be a bit comical because, as those you who have him on twitter on instagram will know, he can actually be very funny. 

So Big E lost to Bad News Barrett. Barrett is rolling with this gimmick and making sure WWE don't drop him on his head again. You can see how much he enjoys it now. This gimmick is brilliant for him. Barretts move set can work with almost any size of guy and is great for his character as well. The BullHammer elbow is something I hated at first but since he hit Kofi mid-air with it, I love it. Hopefully Barrett will keep the momentum building. I would love to see Cesaro/Barrett/Sheamus/Big E or any mix of those guys for the IC title at some point down the line.

Cesaro, Swagger and RVD was a great match and the elimination process really helped to make Cesaro's character look strong. Can I also point out, how smart was it for WWE to start Extreme Rules ( a PPV based around ECW style matches) with RVD and the creator of ECW? Swagger put on a good showing but I think we all knew he wasn't in with a chance of winning that match. RVD managed to be the only person to get busted open all night with a cut just on his cheek/under his eye. My question is where do these three go from here? RVD was basically cannon fodder and Swagger has no business with Cesaro anymore. Let me know where you think these three end up by summerslam.

Rusev crushed. Nuff said. 

Evolution and The Shield put on a great MOTY candidate last night. Both sides showing a fantastic work ethic."If you dont get a "this is awesome" chant you aint doing it right". The electricity when Reigns got in the ring and floored all of Evolution was great. Batista did very little so didn't seem gassed. Orton was showing like he cared. Ambrose was pulling some Terry Funk style ring work out and showing why he can be great in the ring. HHH selling for younger guys is always a good thing and Seth Rollins basically stole the night with one Jeff Hardy style dive in the crowd. 

Cena and Wyatt put on a good match. I wont say great this time. I love Wyatt and I respect Cena but there was too much outside interference for my liking. Also the story focussed too much on John Cena trying to escape rather than win by pin fall or submission.The hero should never look for the easy route out. The match ending was great and its left me very interested in seeing where this goes and if we will get a more violent/edgy John Cena over the coming weeks. I still have a gripe with Cena being a merch monkey and I believe Mick Foley said it right when he said "its like every time Cena shows up its like he is trying to sell me a T-shirt."

Paige and Tamina was a good match but there could have been a lot more there in my opinion but at least it was nice to see the divas get some good time on screen. 

Kane and Bryan gave us a great throw back to the edgier product that so many people are fond of. Ive seen people all day criticizing that the match was too theatrical in some ways. NO SHIT. Its wrestling what did you expect? There was some great moments for me. Kane almost seemed like he had tunnel vision and just had to destroy Bryan. That's how a monster is meant to be booked. Bryan showed wit as well as technical prowess when he used the fork lift ala Brock Lesnar. The finish, although some complained, was good. Kane falls in fire. Kane hates fire. Gets disorientated. Makes sense. If I fall in fire I know I'm gonna be a bit stunned. Bryan gets the win and Kane sits up and sets off the pyro as D-Bry leaves. This is clever booking. This leaves the option of Daniel Bryan and Kane again if Batista leaves for a bit.

Overall rating of the PPV - B+

What do you think? How did you rate it? Let me know by leaving a comment or by tweeting me at @LevellerLOW

Gunning On A New Level - Extreme Rules

About this post

On this blog we are doing things slightly differently. Once a month myself and @LoveLostGunfire will be providing you our predictions for the monthly PPV. This month its the one PPV thats meant to be more violent than a hungry New Jack on bath salts outside a KFC - EXTREME RULES.

Alexander Rusev vs Xavier Woods and R-Truth (handicap match)

LLG - "I think Rusev is going to win this, I mean...otherwise, what's the point? They've built him up as some super epic athlete, and he's only recently started wrestling people on RAW and winning. It would be a major flop if he ended up losing this, no? I don't know. To be honest, other than seeing Lana, I'm not too concerned with this - although I DO like Rusev, but this is a filler match."

L - "Rusev wins. Don't book a monster to lose to a jobber. Makes sense to me. Like LLG said they have built him to look like a super athlete and there is no way he is made to lose this. Personally the only thing I like about Rusev is his superkick and Lana.This match is what ham is to a sandwich. Filler."

Big E vs Wade Barrett - IC title match

LLG -"Now. I've never been a huge Big E fan; I don't know what it is, but he's just never really impressed me. On the other hand, I'm able to say Big E has done a decent job with that belt. But he's stale now, or is that just me? Bottom Line is this: I WANT Barrett to win and I think it makes more sense, but WWE rarely employs the same brand of logic I have, so I'm not going to commit to the idea of Barrett winning on the chance WWE decides to let Big E hold onto the title."

L - "I dunno I like BigE. He can be damn funny on instagram etc but WWE don't let him utilize it. I just wish they had him fight to make him look stronger over the past few weeks because it will make Barrett's win that much better. I've got some bad news for BigE, Barrett is going to walk away with this win because right now he has everything he needs to start a good lengthy programme as a champ. Plus Vinne Mac loves him."

Tamina vs Paige - Divas title match

LLG - "I'm a little ticked at this match because I love both of these girls. Before AJ lost the title, all I wanted to see was Tamina turning heel and stomping on the psycho queen. But, Paige won the title and I felt that was an acceptable turn of events (understatement of the year). I want Paige to hold on to the title. I see Paige winning this match and retaining. I'm sorry, Tamina."

L - "Paige wins and retains in order to looks strong. Tamina needs a push but beating Paige isn't the way. I think this could be a really tough hitting divas match so long as it gets the right time. Both girls are more than capable of holding a great match. If Tamina does win I can see it resulting in AJ returning and demanding that Tamina give the title to her. This would then result in a triple threat between Aj, Paige and Tamina."

Cesaro vs Swagger vs RVD

LLG - "I don't like RVD very much. I respect that he's been in the business for like...a million years and he's done stuff and he's one of those names you shouldn't spit on. I get it. But this is 2014 and he's just not that exciting, to me. This is my opinion. So, do I think he'll win this when you've got Cesaro in the ring? Absolutely not. The only person who could win this other than Cesaro is Jack Swagger, and that would be only as a twist to give us some friction between Heyman and Cesaro. I mean, look at Heyman when he comes out. Cesaro stands next to him while Heyman rambles on for 10 minutes about BRRRRRRROCK LESNARRRR! Bottom Line: Cesaro wins, or Swagger for a twist, but Cesaro is more likely to win"

L - "I am torn. I think Cesaro will win, however, I'd rather he didn't. Hear me out. What if this match ends with RVD and Heyman attacking Cesaro? This would give RVD something new, Cesaro would be a distinct babyface due to crowd cheers and Heyman can brag about how he realised Cesaro could never be a Heyman guy. The other option of course is that RVD wins due to Swagger and Cesaro getting too physical and getting DQ'd. Cesaro and Swagger can continue feuding from there."

John Cena vs Bray Wyatt

LLG - "I'm super excited for this, even though it means watching Cena (I kid, I kid!). To say there's been a massive build-up for this match would be an understatement. Bray's promos, the singing, the chanting. Man, it's been epic. But I have to wonder where it's all going. The point is to break Cena, right? He almost did that at WM30 but Cena won (the signs were there, though. Cena almost went to the dark side). Perhaps this time, Bray will break him and Cena will do something very un-Cena-like AND THEN Bray will win the match to add salt to injury. Bottom Line: I WANT and I SEE Bray winning. Warning: I would not be surprised if Cena won, because, you know...it's Cena and it's WWE."

L - "This is shaping up to be my favourite feud of the last 5 years. Bray is showing that the new guys can be better than the current roster. The singing and promos are brilliant. But like LLG said "where is it going?" I know @JohnTibz has been preying for his Cena heel turn but I dont think its going to happen. I think Wyatt wins this match via escaping the cage. He won't pin Cena. However I think Cena could be pushed to his limits. Imagine Wyatt climbs to the top of the cage and the singing children in masks all surround the cage as Cena sits looking broken and cries with frustration as Wyatt conducts a chorus of "He's got the whole cenation in his hands."

Shield vs Evolution

LLG - "Normally, I could have seen this going either way, but because of Batista having to leave and attend to his Hollywood duties, I don't see Evolution winning this. I would be very, very, very surprised if Evolution won this match. Bottom Line: The Shield will win because they're awesome and because Batista has fancier places to be."

L - "I argue this with Evolution win. Why put them together for four weeks only to have them lose their first fight? I think Evolution win due to a Ric Flair turn. I can see Flair showing up near the end of the match and passing HHH the brass knuckles. Next night on Raw, Flair cuts a promo about how The Shield are "no good Punks etc." Shield go to take him out but Batista gets in the way and gets put down by The Shield. This gives Batista his time off. Orton can feud with Rollins, Reigns can feud with HHH and Ambrose can defend his title until after the next PPV."

Kane vs Daniel Bryan - WWEWHC title match

LLG - "Do I even need to say it? Daniel will win. He has to. In what weird alternate universe would Kane win this match? Don't even get me going on this, because if Kane manages to win this...I will have words for WWE."

L - "Daniel Bryan wins. I think this will be a long, hard match. Both guys are gonna go out looking strong and both guys could feud for another month after this. They have began booking Kane like a monster again and they have started to make him look strong and Daniel Bryan will be booked as a fighting champion. While I see Daniel Bryan winning I am also toying with the idea of Kane winning and I like it. If Kane literally decimates Bryan then I'd like to see him as champ. Yes I know it would mean Bryan had a short run but I think he is better chasing the title as the under dog and this could make Kane look like a top heel again. In the end though Daniel Bryan will win this match."

So there we have it. What do you think and who do you predict will win each match? Let us know your thoughts on twitter at - @LoveLostGunfire and @LevellerLOW