WWE Extreme Rules 2019: Predicting the quality of all 10 matches

In the midst of some significant changes to the current programming, WWE will present Extreme Rules. Thanks in part to the recent improvement, the card looks pretty interesting. There are 10 matches, with several of them garnering the interest of the masses based on either the stories told in the buildup or the potential story in the ring.

Many matches on this show have a chance of standing out, thanks to the diverse nature of it. Almost every title will be on the line at Extreme Rules, aside from the Intercontinental and Women's Tag Team Championships, both of which saw story development on Smackdown this week.

One drawback to the card, however, is the lack of hardcore match stipulations. For a show titled 'Extreme Rules', two No Disqualification tag team matches, a handicap match and a Last Man Standing match are not enough in terms of brutality.

But even without that many stipulations, this card looks promising and we could be in for another great pay-per-view.

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Let's rank every match at Extreme Rules, in terms of potential quality.

#10 Seth Rollins and Becky Lynch vs Baron Corbin and Lacey Evans (Mixed Tag Team Extreme Rules for both the Universal and RAW Women's Championship)

This will be the joint culmination of two feuds that lasted about a month or so too long. Baron Corbin and Lacey Evans, while decent one-off challengers, are certainly not on the level of wrestlers who could have a compelling multi-month program for the top championship.

WWE has milked the real-life relationship between Seth Rollins and Becky Lynch to the point where their programs have intertwined. The Extreme Rules stipulation does not have much of an effect on this mixed tag team match, which should ideally not main event the pay-per-view.

This is the match with the least potential to impress, particularly because of the predictability and the lack of interest in the heels.

#9 Bayley vs Alexa Bliss and Nikki Cross (Handicap Match for the Smackdown Women's Championship)

While the build to this match has been pretty compelling, do not expect a great match. Bayley, Alexa Bliss and Nikki Cross are all great workers, but the handicap match stipulation might put an increased focus on the story instead of the action.

If Nikki and Alexa win, they will become co-champions. That could be an intriguing prospect, but the smart money would be on Bayley getting some back-up in the form of a returning Sasha Banks.

It feels like this match has been booked specifically for that moment, with the action being secondary.

#8 Daniel Bryan and Rowan vs The New Day vs Heavy Machinery (Triple Threat Match for the Smackdown Tag Team Championship)

The tag team division on SmackDown Live has seen a major improvement in recent weeks, mostly thanks to the brilliant Daniel Bryan. His partnership with Rowan has made the SmackDown Tag Team Championships feel somewhat relevant again.

We are guaranteed to have solid action in this match, with the Planet's Tag Team Champions defending against the New Day and the much improved Heavy Machinery.

Out of all the NXT call-ups since the end of last year, Otis and Tucker may be one of the few who are doing well on the main roster right now.

The match, while solid, might get lost on this 10-match show. There are other matches that could offer better action, could tell a better story, or possibly both.

#7 Shane McMahon and Drew McIntyre vs Roman Reigns and The Undertaker (No Holds Barred Tag Team Match)

This will likely main event the Extreme Rules pay-per-view and has the potential to go either way. It could be a great extreme tag match but can flop harder than a prospective Shane McMahon title victory.

Former WrestleMania rivals, Roman Reigns and The Undertaker will team up against the dastardly duo of Shane O'Mac and Drew McIntyre. Expect The Big Dog and the Scottish Psychopath to do most of the in-ring work, so at least that part would be pretty good.

Shane McMahon and The Undertaker will likely have the biggest spots of the match, the real extreme moments of the night.

And after one of the most memorable SmackDown episodes this week, a certain Kevin Owens could also have a big say in the outcome of the match?

#6 Drew Gulak vs Tony Nese (Cruiserweight Championship)

When Drew Gulak pinned Akira Tozawa to win the Cruiserweight Championship at Stomping Grounds, it felt like the culmination of the journey of one of the 205 Live originals. Gulak has always been around the top of the card, but never quite managed to win the title.

Now that he has it, a better 205 Live ensues. This championship rematch between Gulak and Tony Nese will be another great representation of the brand, with some good wrestling on display. However, they could be saddled by a non-responsive crowd, like many Cruiserweight title matches in the past have been.

This match could get moved to the Kickoff Show, which would prove to a blessing in disguise for Gulak and Nese, who might look to steal the show before the maincard kicks off.

#5 The Revival vs The Usos (RAW Tag Team Championship)

This is another match that can be great, but could very easily be lost in the shuffle on the show as well. The Revival and The Usos have had a decent rivalry, with some great in-ring work but the lack of a real story.

Dash and Dawson won the RAW Tag Team Championships from Curt Hawkins and Zack Ryder around a month ago, in a match also featuring the six-time tag champs.

Since then, we have been getting 2-out-of-3 falls and elimination matches featuring the pair of duos left, right and centre.

However, if given a good spot on the card and enough time, The Usos and The Revival could have one of the standout matches of the night.

#4 Braun Strowman vs Bobby Lashley (Last Man Standing Match)

Last week's Raw really helped this angle.

If you were told that Braun Strowman vs Bobby Lashley would be a compelling feud just two weeks ago, you would laugh it off.

However, last week's RAW saw the two monsters collide in a Falls Count Anywhere match which ended when Strowman tackled Lashley through the entrance stage, sparking explosions.

It was one hell of a segment and a massive way to possibly kick off Paul Heyman's new era for the Red brand.

The interest in this feud has gone up tremendously and expect both men to conjure up similar levels of brutality during their Last Man Standing match.

If WWE capitalises on the momentum of these two, we could be in for a violent war between The All Mighty and the Monster Among Men. They certainly are more than capable of pulling out all the stops.

#3 Kofi Kingston vs Samoa Joe (WWE Championship)

Kofi Kingston's WWE Championship reign has been a decent one. It was never going to hit the heights of the incredible WrestleMania program between Kofi and Daniel Bryan, but this has not been the worst title reign by any stretch of the imagination.

After feuding with Kevin Owens and Dolph Ziggler, the New Day member will defend the title against Samoa Joe, thanks to the Wildcard rule. This is set to be a good match, boosted by the face-to-face segment on last week's SmackDown.

Joe usually works well with smaller wrestlers and this should be no different. Expect a match similar to the ones Joe had with Ricochet and AJ Styles, among others.

#2 Aleister Black vs Cesaro

Aleister Black's debut match since moving to SmackDown in the Superstar Shakeup is certainly hotly anticipated, especially when his opponent is as good as Cesaro. These two hard-hitting Europeans could really have a slobberknocker of a fight on Sunday.

Black will surely get enough time to shine at Extreme Rules, with the big deal WWE has made this out to be.

The Swiss Cyborg might seem an odd choice be his first opponent but from a pure quality standpoint, he makes absolute sense.

Obviously, Aleister Black will win. But this really should be a showcase for Cesaro, as much as it will be for the Dutch Destroyer. This is one match that WWE must ensure does not get lost in the shuffle.

#1 Ricochet vs AJ Styles (United States Championship)

Ricochet and AJ Styles faced each other a couple of times on RAW, in matches that were heavily broken up by Vince McMahon's new rule of having no wrestling take place during the commercial breaks. However, the quality of the action was still exemplary.

After Ricochet retained his United States Championship against Styles in the main event of last week's RAW, the Phenomenal One attacked him and turned heel. He joined forces with Luke Gallows and Karl Anderson again, reforming the Club.

This turn has completely freshened the two-time WWE Champion in terms of character. Also, a pay-per-view title match between Styles and Ricochet is a truly mouth-watering affair. Expect loads of fireworks between the pair, as they look to put on one of the best matches of the entire year.

Which match do you think will steal the show at Extreme Rules 2019?

Edited by Alan John