Extreme Rules 2018: predicting the quality of each match

This year's version of Extreme Rules testifies to WWE's curious system and infuriating quirks. About half the matches on the card should be genuinely good. However, the writing has been so bad leading into the show that there's almost no heat in them. Worse, a few matches on the card look genuinely dreadful. No effort was put into most of the card, and as far as setting the table for SummerSlam goes, Extreme Rules will probably do extremely poorly.

Extreme Rules should be better than Backlash, at least, but with their latest track record, I have no confidence in WWE to not find a way to make this show worse than it could be.

Should you watch this show live? With 11 matches on the card, it's going to be a slog either way.

To help you answer that question, let's take a look at each of the matches on the card according to their potential quality. That way, we can discover if there's more bad than good or vice versa.

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#11 Asuka vs. Carmella

Why?!

Carmella's track record as champion is clear by now. She drags even the best talent down to worst match of the year candidates. She did it with Charlotte. She did it with Asuka at Money in the Bank. There's no reason not to expect her to do it again with Asuka on Sunday, only this time, the stupid shark cage stipulation and James Ellsworth's presence will make it even worse.

With what's sure to be an awful match that features even more awful booking (that hair spray can is probably coming out of the shark cage), you'd be forgiven for avoiding the entire show just to not have to watch this stinkfest. Quite frankly, I feel bad for anyone that does watch it.

The absolute state of women's wrestling on the main roster in 2018. So much for the "revolution."

#10 Alexa Bliss vs. Nia Jax

Again?!

Not too far above Carmella's disastrous reign has been this feud. Neither Alexa Bliss or Nia Jax are talented ring workers. Their WrestleMania match dragged. Their Backlash match was a genuine worst match of the year candidate. Now, we get to see them fight again. Color me unexcited.

Hopefully, the Extreme Rules stipulation will make this based on weapons instead of actual wrestling. What kind of bumps these two will take remains questionable. However, the stipulation should make it better than their WrestleMania and Backlash encounters.

#9 The Deleters of Worlds vs. The "B Team"

Why is this happening?

This is a joke match that's part of a joke feud that's been going on for way too long. On one side you have a team of champions that only laughs a lot. On the other you have a comedy jobber act. To make matters worse, Matt Hardy's credibility has been shattered by consecutive losses to the said comedy jobbers.

Of course, those losses mean the comedy jobbers will, in fact, job on Sunday.

The action itself will probably be OK. That's its ceiling. It's all just going through the motions. There's no reason at all to want to see this match.

#8 Jeff Hardy vs. Shinsuke Nakamura

The title that has the best chance of changing hands.

The names on paper would suggest that this match should be ranked higher, but Jeff Hardy has reportedly been dealing with injuries of late. Those injuries haven't stopped him from having good matches with The Miz and Daniel Bryan, but Shinsuke Nakamura's CV in WWE is far below their credentials.

The match won't be a bad one, but it will likely be slow and methodical. There's also been little buildup in this feud, so there's not a whole lot of reasons to get invested in the outcome.

Though if Jeff Hardy is battling injuries, and the plan isn't for Andrade "Cien" Almas to challenge at SummerSlam, it would be best to put the title on Nakamura.

#7 Roman Reigns vs. Bobby Lashley

Hoss fight?

This match should be ranked higher, but it's more than likely that the crowd will shoot it down before it ever gets off the ground. This is one of the reasons why it shouldn't be the main event.

One has to admit that the feud hasn't been set up well, leading to this match feeling smaller than it should. Roman Reigns has been irreparably damaged by those two losses to Brock Lesnar, and Bobby Lashley is ice cold.

As long as it doesn't devolve into resthold city, the actual ring work should be an enjoyable clash of two bulls charging at each other for supremacy. How the company actually books it is still open to debate.

#6 Finn Balor vs. Baron Corbin

What?

This match is...happening. I don't really know why. It's there just to be there.

While heatless, the actual ring work should be fine. Finn Balor is a workhorse and Baron Corbin has his best showings against smaller guys. It won't be a classic, and there's little reason to care about it, but the contest itself should be solid enough.

It's frustrating that these are the standards WWE subjects its fans to these days, but that's the way it is.

#5 Braun Strowman vs. Kevin Owens

The cage is the draw.

This match is here more by process of elimination than any shining qualities it has on its own. Braun Strowman is just spinning his wheels until Brock Lesnar can bother showing up in a WWE ring again, so he has his sights set on Kevin Owens. The feud has been mundane.

The pop to this match will be centered on one thing and one thing only - what crazy stunt Braun will pull off with the cage. Last time, we saw him powerslam the Big Show through the cage wall. What will he do this time?

#4 Team Hell No vs. The Bludgeon Brothers

Should be fun.

Now is where we get into the genuinely good stuff. Team Hell No is coasting on their laurels, and the match will be slowed down by the limitations of a 50-year-old Kane, but it should be an enjoyable contest.

The Bludgeon Brothers will make for fun obstacles to Daniel Bryan, and he'll have someone of similar size to back him up. This should make for a combination of a fun car wreck with some good technical wrestling.

#3 SAnitY vs. The New Day

No pancakes this time.

It's a shame that what should be one of the best matches on the card is put on the pre-show, but here we are. This will be a clash of opposites with multiple flying parts in a war, which could be small or big.

The tables stipulation should let us see some fun objects strewn about the ringside area, and if Sanity wants to live up to its name in causing chaos, this is the ideal contest for them to do it.

Look for the NXT debutantes to get their first big main roster win.

#2 AJ Styles vs. Rusev

Happy Rusev Day.

Rusev has no chance of capturing the WWE Championship, and it's very unlikely this match main events the show, but both Styles and Rusev are very capable performers. While Rusev isn't as over as he was at the start of the year, a lot of people are happy to see him in this spot, and will be invested in seeing a good match.

Styles could also use the boost, as his feud with Nakamura was underwhelming, and hopefully, this will be a way to heat him up before SummerSlam.

#1 Dolph Ziggler vs. Seth Rollins

The 30 best minutes of the show.

Never bet against Seth Rollins in 2018. In this year of wild inconsistency, he's been the one beacon of consistency. Dolph Ziggler is in the midst of a career resurgence too. Seeing them go against each other for 30 minutes in an iron man match should be a treat.

Drew McIntyre will be at the ringside area, and this will be the first chance at a major show for him to look like the star he's been presented as. He'll probably assist Ziggler and carry him to victory.

But it's going to be a hard-fought victory for the showoff. That much is certain.