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Extreme Rules went down live from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvanian and it was a show not without talking points.
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The stacked card featuring 12 matches (2 on the pre-show) from both brands Raw and SmackDown Live left a lot of unanswered questions.
Randy Orton made an apparent heel turn upon his return, Kurt Angles issued Brock Lesnar and ultimatum, Ronda Rousey's returned and Lashley defeated Roman Reigns. All of these incidents could have significance leading up to SummerSlam in August.
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Many have speculated in recent weeks that Lesnar could be forced to relinquish his Universal championship and Kurt Angle made it known at Extreme Rules that he could be forced to vacate the title if he did not appear on WWE television soon. This leaves a big question mark over the status of the Universal championship.
Ronda Rousey appeared at Extreme Rules despite her 30-day suspension. Rousey bought a ticket to sit at ringside and ended up interfering in the Raw women's championship bout between Alexa Bliss and Nia Jax. Could this spell problems for Rousey or could Raw General Manager Kurt Angle be lenient with her?
Randy Orton also made his return on Extreme Rules confronting the new United States champion Shinsuke Nakamura before attacking Jeff Hardy. Could this signal a heel turn for Randy Orton or is he simply playing mind games with The King of Strong Style?
#1 Deleters of Worlds to split
Raw tag team champions Matt Hardy and Bray Wyatt lost their tag team championships at Extreme Rules to the B-Team Bo Dallas and Curtis Axel.
Many would certainly have seen the result of this match as somewhat of a shock and it could spell the end for the Deleters of Worlds.
Matt and Bray haven't had the most auspicious of runs as a tag team despite their spell as tag team champions and many have predicted them to split in the next couple of months.
Hardy and Wyatt have previously feuded, most notably, in their Ultimate Deletion several months ago on Raw. They could have the potential to renew their rivalry should they split having lost their tag team championships at Extreme Rules.
Turning Bray heel and having him turn on Matt would perhaps be the preferred option for WWE, as Bray excelled far more in his role as the manipulative villain. Putting Matt and Bray in singles runs is the best long-term for both and a split would benefit both men.
#2 Brock Lesnar to relinquish his title
At Extreme Rules Raw General Manager Kurt Angle issued the Universal champion, Brock Lesnar, an ultimatum; either he shows up on Raw the following night, agrees to defend his title or be forced to relinquish it.
The announcement was met with a large cheer from the audience at hand in Pittsburgh. Fans have grown frustrated for a number of months about Lesnar's part-time status and his lack of title defenses.
Lesnar had recently shown up at UFC 226, confronting Daniel Cormier and challenging him for his UFC heavyweight championship.
If Lesnar is forced to vacate his Universal championship, we could likely see a tournament on Raw in the upcoming weeks to decide who succeeds Lesnar as the new champion.
Alternatively, Lesnar could show up on Raw and there would not be a lack of opponents waiting to take him on for his title. One potential opponent could be Bobby Lashley, who defeated Roman Reigns at Extreme Rules putting him in the frame for a potential title shot. Money in the Bank holder Braun Strowman could be another opponent for the Beast should he agree to a match.
#3 Randy Orton vs Jeff Hardy
At Money in the Bank Randy Orton made his much-anticipated return from injury after Shinsuke Nakamura defeated Jeff Hardy for the United States championship.
The audience in Pittsburgh and everyone watching at home expected Orton to come out and clash with Shinsuke, instead, the Viper decided to inflict further pain on the former US champion Jeff Hardy.
This apparent heel turn for Orton could signal a feud between him and Hardy. Alternatively he could be playing mind games with Nakamura and it could be part of a bigger plan.
It certainly makes sense for Orton to turn heel as fans had grown bored of him as a face, he also fits the villain persona perfectly.
Orton in the heel role offers the possibilities for some new feuds on SmackDown, with the likes of AJ Styles, Daniel Bryan or Jeff Hardy. Orton has history against the younger Hardy brother and it looks as if they will renew this rivalry in the upcoming weeks.
#4 Ronda Rousey vs Alexa Bliss at SummerSlam
Despite her suspension which is due to expire within days, Ronda Rousey purchased a ringside ticket for Extreme Rules.
Rousey would go on to interfere in the Raw women's title match between Alexa Bliss and Nia Jax, attacking Mickey James before Mickie saw her off with a kendo stick and Bliss picked up the win against Jax.
Bliss picking up the win here could point towards a showdown between her and Rousey at SummerSlam, but given Rousey's violation of her 30-day suspension, one must wonder if there will be repercussions for her on Raw from General Manager Kurt Angle.
Bliss previously cashed in her Money in the Bank briefcase during Rousey's clash with Nia Jax, brutally attacking Rousey before taking Jax's title. Rousey was subsequently suspended for 30-days the next night on Raw after attacking Bliss and Raw General Manager Kurt Angle. With Ronda's suspension ending on Wednesday, she will no doubt look to take Bliss' women's title at SummerSlam.
#5 Brock Lesnar vs Bobby Lashley at SummerSlam
At Extreme Rules, Bobby Lashley defeated Roman Reigns in a match that could prove crucial as far as Brock Lesnar's next opponent is concerned.
As mentioned previously, Raw General Manager Kurt Angle issues Lesnar an ultimatum last night at Extreme Rules, either he shows up on Raw the following night, agrees to defend his title or be forced to relinquish it.
Lashley has not enjoyed the most auspicious starts to his WWE return, although his victory last night against Roman Reigns could help elevate him into that main event scene.
It has been rumored by some that Lesnar vs Lashley could happen in an octagon, similar to Ken Shamrock taking on Owen Hart 20 years ago at SummerSlam in a Lion's Den match. Lashley and Lesnar have previously had Mixed Martial Arts careers so a match inside an Octagon would not be that unusual.
Given that Lesnar looks set to return to UFC and a possible championship match with Daniel Cormier, a match with Lashley in an Octagon would make sense, as would Lashley being the successor to Lesnar as the Universal champion.
How do you think SummerSlam will shape up? Let us know in the comments section below!
