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What's the story?
It was speculated going into Extreme Rules, that Roman Reigns vs. Bobby Lashley would likely close the show. Much to the surprise of the WWE Universe, it was the Intercontinental Championship match instead.
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According to Cageside Seats and PWInsider, there was much backstage support for ending the show with this heavy-duty match. Ironically, there was no support for AJ Styles vs. Rusev in this regard.
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In case you didn't know...
Roman Reigns has been WWE's golden boy for a long time now. Despite the wishes of a majority of the WWE Universe, he has consistently been pushed in the main event spot even when title matches are relegated to the undercard of the show.
At Backlash, Roman Reigns took on Samoa Joe in the main event. A large portion of the crowd would walk out and show their displeasure towards the said booking decision. In light of speculation that Reigns vs. Lashley would main event Extreme Rules, fans would wonder if they'd meet the very same fate.
The heart of the matter
The Intercontinental Championship is a mid-card title on RAW. The WWE Championship is the top title on SmackDown Live and should have main-evented the pay-per-view ideally.
However, there was no support for that match going on last, according to backstage rumours. While Lashley vs. Reigns was the originally planned main event, backstage support for the Intercontinental Championship match ensured it was the main event. Thankfully, Rollins and Ziggler did deliver on the big stage, as many expected they would.
What's next?
The future of the Universal Championship will be determined on RAW this week. It is pretty safe to assume that this title will feature in the main event of SummerSlam. The Intercontinental Championship will go back to being a mid-card title only.
Which match should have closed the show in your opinion? Leave a comment right below!
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