7/19 WWE EXTREME RULES “HORROR SHOW” PPV RESULTS: Keller’s report on Swamp Match between Braun and Bray, McIntyre vs. Ziggler, Seth vs. Rey in an Eye for an Eye match, Asuka vs. Sasha, Bayley vs. Nikki

KELLER’S WWE HORROR SHOW AT EXTREME RULES PPV REPORT
JULY 19, 2020
ORLANDO, FLA. AT THE PERFORMANCE CENTER
AIRED LIVE ON WWE NETWORK

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Announcers: Michael Cole, Corey Graves

(1) THE NEW DAY (Kofi Kingston & Big E) vs. CESARO & SHINSUKE NAKAMRA – Tables Match for the WWE Smackdown Tag Team Titles

Great energy from the start. Cole noted Kingston seemed as fired up as he’s ever seen him. In the early minutes, most of the action was at ringside with several table spot teases by both teams. Cole noted that Nakamura has never held a tag team title in WWE. He also said you have to be deliberately put through a table rather than an accident. I guess that accounts for a table breaking accidentally or a slip before the planned finish. In the closing seconds, Kofi attempted to head scissors Cesaro off the top rope onto two stacked tables, but Nakamura blocked it and then Cesaro powerbombed Kofi off the top rope through two stacked tables at ringside. After the match Cesaro slammed the tag title belt in front of Cole and gloated two feet from his face. Nakamura joined him. Cole rolled his chair back as far as it could go. Several minutes after the finish, Kofi was still motionless under the smashed tables. Big E was leaning off to the side, despondent and weakened from battle.

WINNERS: Nakamura & Cesaro to capture the Smackdown Tag Team Titles. (**3/4)

(Keller’s Analysis: Good opener. Big E sold the loss well, and Cesaro & Nakamura effectively made the victory feel big to them. The finish itself is what you look for in a match like this on PPV. They didn’t overdo it on big spots, either, so the finish really stood out.)

-A car commercial aired.

-Nikki led Asuka, Kairi Sane, and Alexa Bliss in a pep talk for everyone. Nikki yelled, “I’m feeling invincible.” Kairi said, “Even if you lose, we will still be friends.” The other three thought that broke their optimistic enthusiasm a bit, but then smiled and agreed.

(2) BAYLEY vs. NIKKI CROSS – WWE Smackdown Title match

Bayley acted “above” Nikki early, slapping her and flexing her biceps (copyright Dana Brooke). Nikki fired back and they battled at ringside. Bayley got in sustained offense back in the ring. Bayley stuck Nikki between the ring and the ring apron, then yelled at Cole at ringside. Meanwhile, Nikki crawled under the ring and popped up on the other side between the ring and ring apron. She yelled at Bayley, who did a double-take. Bayley tried to slidekick her, but Nikki moved and beat up Bayley between the ring apron and ring. Nikki snapped Bayley’s neck over the middle rope, then mocked Bayley.

Bayley fired back with an attempted Bayley-to-Belly, but Nikki countered in a crossface mid-ring. Sasha looked on with urgent concern at ringside. Bayley came back with a Bayley-to-Belly for a two count. Nikki rallied a few minutes later and leaped off the top rope. Bayley moved. Nikki stayed in control and scored a two count. Cole said Nikki said has to stay focused and not get frustrated. She scored another two count after a suplex. Nikki stood and let out a big yell. She climbed to the top rope. Bayley knocked her off balance and kneed her, leading to a two count. Nikki gave Bayley a neckbreaker off the ring apron to the floor. Cole said Bayley was in deep, deep trouble and her reign might be coming to an end. (That portends Bayley eventually winning given the formulaic WWE announcing.) Sasha got on the ring apron and distracted the referee after handing Bayley a foreign object. Bliss stood on the ring apron and confronted Sasha as Bayley punched Nikki in the gut, then finished her with a faceplant.

WINNER: Bayley in 12:00 to retain the Smackdown Title. (***)

(Keller’s Analysis: Another good mach. The finish was fine, as it stretches out Nikki’s claim to being top contender because of the cheating.)

-The Firefly Funhouse jingle played. Bray was dressed up like a mad scientist vampire hybrid. He said the worst is yet to come tonight. A brief snippet aired of the karaoke contest. Then Bray scolded Ramblin’ Rabbit for running the wrong clip on purpose. Then he realized he was on camera and went back into character. He shifted to talking about Braun Strowman and their dark past. “He will not be able to escape,” he said before going into a cartoonishly maniacal laugh. Lightning struck.

Announcers: Tom Phillips, Samoa Joe, Byron Saxton

-Back to ringside, Phillips announced that Apollo Crews showed up to defend his U.S. Title earlier, but he didn’t pass his pre-match physical related to an injury sustained last month at the hands of Bobby Lashley.

-MVP’s music played. MVP and Lashley walked out. They were all smiles. MVP said Lashley helped his career by injuring Crews so badly. MVP entered the ring and wrapped the new U.S. Title belt around his waist. The announcers said MVP made the title for himself and is now claiming he’s the rightful champion. Joe said possession is nine-tenths of the law and there’s only one man out there claiming to be U.S. Champion at this time, so it works for him.

-An energy drink ad aired.

-A video package aired hyping the Eye For An Eye match.

(3) SETH ROLLINS vs. REY MYSTERIO – Eye For An Eye match

Ring announcer Mike Rome said this match can only end when one man “extracts” his opponent’s eye from its socket. It sure seems like an advantage for Rey that his eyes are covered with a mask. Seth, if he were smart, would have worn a tight mask covering his eyes too. Seth brought pliers to the ring. The bell rang and Rey went after Seth. Rey threw Seth toward the steps at ringside seconds into the match, but Seth countered and took control in the ring. Seth raked at Rey’s eyes. Rey fought back a minute later and went at Seth’s eyes. Rey slung Seth shoulder-first into the ringpost with a head scissors. Rey brought a bar into the ring. Seth hit him with a kendo stick. Seth countered a head scissors by Rey on the ring apron and landed a Falcon Arrow right on the edge of the ring. Seth gouged Rey’s good eye at ringside. Seth tried to drive Rey’s eye into the steps, but Rey elbowed himself free. Seth tried to jab Rey’s eye with the kendo stick. Seth blocked it and threw Rey who slid out of the ring onto a table on the floor. Seth tried to jab a chair into Rey’s eye. He set the chair over Rey’s shoulders and then tried to rip at his eyes. Rey came back with a chair jab. Seth tried to jab Rey with a pipe. Then he used a tool from under the ring. Rey ducked and sent Seth face-first into the corner of the ringside table. Seth sold an eye injury.

Seth battered Rey with a kendo stick for a while. Rey made a comeback and sent Seth hard into the barricade at ringside with a sunset bomb. Rey then flew through the ropes and sunset-bombed Seth hard into the barricade again. The back of Seth’s head crashed into it. Rey took a broken kendo stick and jabbed it into Seth’s eye. Seth yelled in pain and rolled free. Rey hit a 619 to the damaged eye of Seth. Seth battled back at ringside, but Rey fired back with a running stomp on the floor. Both were down and slow to get up. Rey shoved Seth’s eye into the corner of the ringside steps. Seth mule kicked Rey to break free. Seth got up first and superkicked Rey in the head. Seth delivered his own stomp. Then he crawled over to Rey and said he did this to himself. Rey resisted as Seth tried to shove his eye into the ring corner. Rey seemed to nearly pass out in pain as Seth backed away. Rey called for help. The bell rang, so the ref apparently saw Rey’s eye popped out of its socket. Seth stepped closer and then looked grossed out and stepped back in horror. The camera zoomed in and there was an image briefly of “an eyeball” popped out of Rey’s socket with Rey holding it in place with his fingers. Dominic ran out to check on him. Seth acted like he was heaving from seeing Rey’s eye come out of the socket. He then began throwing up. The medics told Rey to keep pressure on it. Afterward, Seth looked around as wrestlers behind the plexiglass were pounding on the glass and chanting “Rey! Rey!” Seth seemed a little shaken up.

WINNER: Rollins in 18:00. (***)

(Keller’s Analysis: It’s good they didn’t go all out with a long image of the eye plucked out of the socket, but it also exposed how dumb the stip was in the first place that most people probably missed it as it was on screen for the blink of an eye, if you’ll excuse the expression.)

-An ad aired for the Undertaker special on WWE Network.

-The announcers were in shock. Saxton said we can only hope that whatever Rey suffered tonight doesn’t permanently affect his life.

-Kayla interviewed Bayley, who acted upset with what happened to Rey. She then broke into laughter and told Rey that he’s not seeing double, she is still Bayley Dos Straps. Sasha Banks joined Bayley. She predicted she will become champion soon. Bayley said they’ll celebrate together.

-Phillips threw to a video package on the swamp, narrated by Braun Strowman. They showed a close-up of ants and horror movie images.

(4) ASUKA (w/Kairi Sane) vs. SASHA BANKS (w/Bayley) – WWE Raw Title match

Asuka came out with Kairi. Sasha came out with Bayley. They did formal ring introductions. Phillips said because they are tag team champions, they have the right to go to any WWE brand – Raw, Smackdown, or NXT – and that afforded Sasha the opportunity to challenge Asuka to a Raw Title match. (At least they’re trying to apply some structural logic here.) Sasha applied a quick surprise Bank Statement a minute in. Asuka reached the bottom rope. Sasha stomped away at her. A few minutes later Asuka caught Sasha leaping off the top rope with a knee to the jaw. She knocked her to the floor with a running hip attack next. Sasha came back with a sunset flip attempt off the ring apron, but Asuka blocked it and stomped on Sasha’s chest. She followed with a knee off the ring apron to the face of Sasha. Sasha grounded Asuka a minute later and twisted and bent Asuka’s fingers. She threatened to bite them right in front of the referee. She pulled Asuka’s arm’s backwards behind her.

Later, Banks leaped off the top rope with a frog splash for a two count. She followed up with a Bank Statement mid-ring. Asuka teased tapping out, but instead crawled over to grab the bottom rope. Asuka made a comeback including released German suplexes and kicks. She scored a two count after a running hip attack. Asuka went for a top rope German suplex, but Sasha flipped over completely to avoid impact. She sold a knee injury afterward, then yelled at the ref to get out of her face. They stood and exchanged strikes. Asuka applied an Asuka lock. Bayley stood on the ring apron. Kairi went after her. Bayley ducked a spinning elbow, then gave her a Bayley-to-Belly on the floor.

In the ring Sasha caught Asuka in a victory roll. Asuka countered into her own roll-up for a two count. Asuka then applied the Asuka lock. Bayley threw a title belt into the ring. As the ref got rid of that, Sasha tapped out. Bayley entered the ring. The ref told her to get out. Asuka kicked her in the head. Bayley went down. All three were down and slow to get up. Sasha got up with a belt. The ref yanked it from her. Asuka sprayed at Sasha, but Sasha ducked and the mist hit the ref. Asuka then applied the Asuka lock. Bayley hit Asuka from behind with the belt. Bayley yanked the ref shirt off of the ref and put it on. Bayley then counted Sasha pinning Asuka 1-2-3. Bayley yelled at the time keeper to ring the bell. He didn’t. Bayley went down and threatened him. He then rang the bell. She yanked the Raw Title belt away and gave it to Sasha. The announcers asked what was going on and said there’s no way that can be official. Sasha’s music played as the announcers discussed this. Saxton said Bayley has no authority to count a pin. Joe said she was wearing the ref shirt, as if that counted. (Joe is, sadly, turning into a stereotypical kneejerk heel announcer saying absurd things for the sake of being contrarian and controversial, which really dumbs him down.)

WINNER: Apparently Sasha to retain the Raw Title in 20:00. (*** – lost a half star for the finish)

(Keller’s Analysis: This type of finish makes a mockery of fans who take seriously championships and get excited about seeing a match result. It’s just farcical. It’s too bad because the effort is there by the wrestlers, but the booking undercutting it. Good action start to finish.)

-A restaurant chain commercial and an energy drink commercial aired.

-Saxton said as far as he is concerned, Asuka is still the Raw Champion.

-Backstage, Charly Caruso stood outside the trainer’s room. She said “after that sickening conclusion to the Eye For An Eye match,” Rey is being treated for what happened to his eye. “Doctors say if the optic nerve isn’t severed… there is a chance Rey Mysterio can maintain his vision,” she said. She threw back to the announcers at ringside. Saxton said they’d keep their fingers crossed for Rey.

-A video package aired on the WWE Title match back story.

(5) DREW MCINTYRE vs. DOLPH ZIGGLER – WWE Title match

Ziggler revealed before the match his choice for stipulation – Extreme Rules for him only, and titles changed hands on a DQ or countout. (Ziggler is now officially the smartest heel ever. He was given a choice of stip and made it nearly as lopsided as possible.) “I always told you, kid, mine’s bigger,” he closed with. Joe said, “Checkmate.” Drew threw Ziggler into the ringpost in the opening minute. Phillips said the usual “championship advantage” is gone for Drew. Ziggler set up a table. Drew was about to suplex Ziggler onto it, but realized he could be DQ’d, so he suplexed Ziggler on the mats instead. Back in the ring he landed a sitout powebomb for a near fall. Drew said he can fight all night and called Ziggler pathetic as he lifted him by his chin. Ziggler kicked Drew in the crotch, legal because of his custom stipulations. Ziggler brought several chairs into the ring. He bashed Drew with one of them over and over. Saxton said this is turning into a worst case scenario for Drew. Ziggler eventually scored a two count after a shot to Drew’s shoulder.

They fought onto a table, and Ziggler landed a Fameasser off the table onto the floor. Ziggler beat the ref’s count. Drew followed behind a second later. Both were slow to stand. Ziggler sidestepped Drew and threw him shoulder-first into the ringpost. Drew came back with a clothesline. Drew catapulted Ziggler out of the corner with a reverse Alabama Slam. He played to the audience and counted down the Claymore Kick. Ziggler hit him with a chair and landed a Zig Zag for a near fall. Ziggler put Drew on a table at ringside, then leaped off the turnbuckle and landed an elbowdrop, crashing Drew through the table. Both were slow to get up. Great height and execution on that spot. Drew rolled into the ring and beat the count to save his title. Drew screeched, “Noooo!” Ziggler avoided a Future Shock DDT, then hit a Fameasser and a Zig Zag followed by a urinage onto a chair mid-ring for a two count. Ziggler screeched, “Why won’t you die!” Ziggler stomped the mat to signal his superkick. Drew countered with a sudden Claymore Kick for the win.

WINNER: McIntyre in 16:00 to retain the WWE Title. (***1/2)

(Keller’s Analysis: Really good match, as you’d expect these two to have. Ziggler is a really good fit for Drew, an obnoxiously and athletic heel who can bump like crazy for him without seeming sympathetic at all. Another strong win for Drew as he marches through B-level contenders with top tier challengers coming at some point. They used the special stip well, as Ziggler was smart about it, yet it wasn’t enough as Drew is just that much better than him, yet the stip was so lopsided, it likely created some doubt as to the outcome with a lot of viewers.)

-A commercial aired for SummerSlam. “Escape to Summerslam!” is the motto.

-Cole and Graves threw to the Swamp Fight.

(6) BRAUN STROWMAN vs. BRAY WYATT – Swamp Match

This was, as expected, “cinematic style” with music in the background and heavy post-production. Braun walked up to Bray, who was sitting on a rocking chair. Suddenly Bray disappeared. Braun looked around at hogs running around making snorting noises. They showed flashes of other animals lurking. Bray then attacked Braun. Suddenly a clip aired of Funhouse Bray cheerleading Swamp Bray. Braun yelled, “Come on Bray, where are you at? Show your damn face!” He was knocked down. Braun looked nervous as he backed away after looking up at something. He saw an image of himself with a sheep mask. The guy in the sheep mask removed his mask and it was Braun. He swung a weapon down at him, and then they cut away. They went to a close-up of Braun chained up somewhere, groggy. Sounds of children laughing in the background. Braun struggled with the chains to break free, but couldn’t. Cult Leader Bray showed up with a lantern and his colorful shirt as his old music played.

Bray talked with Braun about who will have his back. He grabbed Braun’s beard and said, “I am not your enemy.” He said there is an infection of invaders. “You’re like me,” he said. “You’re special. You don’t understand. Together we could be like gods and rule this place.” He said as societies crumble and governments fall, they will be ruling. Bray said where he’s been is worse than anything Braun could fathom. He said he is there and it feels good because he has his back. Braun fired back that he’s not going back. He said he know what he is doing and what he is supposed to be. Braun said he doesn’t care what he does to him, he will never go back to his games. Braun asked if he wants to know something really scary. He leaned in and laughed. In walked Bray with a big snake. It bit Braun.

They cut to Braun loose outside near a fire. He fought off some of Bray’s anonymous henchmen. One of them caught on fire; I think it was meant to be Luke Harper. Braun laughed uproariously as the man ran away. A woman’s voice called him over to the swamp. She revealed herself as Alexa Bliss. “You know you wanted us to be together. This is what you always wanted. Come on, Braun. Follow me home, Braun.” Braun was lured toward her. He stared. Then Bray attacked him with an eye gouge. (That’s how it’s done, Rey!) Braun slammed Bray into a fishing boat. Braun smiled and looked down at him. The boat floated away and then came back. Braun tilted his head, confused. He walked over and the boat was empty. Bray popped up from the water, and after a brief struggle, he shoved Braun’s head underwater. After a dramatic pause, Braun popped up, gasping for air. (I bet Braun never imagined this would be part of his job when he trained with WWE.) Braun pulled himself out of the water onto a dock. A girl’s image showed up laughing. Bray pounded away at Braun. Braun punched back. Bray overwhelmed him with a stick over and over, then let out a barbaric yell. “Look what you made me do,” Bray said. Braun kicked Bray into the water. Braun said, “It’s over.” The credit came on the screen to indicate the show was over. But then Bray rose up with his arm and grabbed Braun by his mouth and yanked him into the swamp. Nice false finish. Bray came up flailing and gasping for air. A gurgling sound was heard. The water turned red. The Fiend popped up, laughing. It appeared he might have eaten Braun underwater. “Let me in!” he said. The show ended.

WINNER: The Fiend?

(Keller’s Analysis: The false finish would have been awful. The actual finish was more satisfying. The imagery and mood was really well done. The story felt disjointed and half-executed. Overall, though, it forwarded the storyline and delivered the cinematic match experience. It included Braun turning down Bray’s overtures to return. In the end, it was confusing and inconclusive. Of course, you also have the whole issue that is prevalent in most cinematic style matches these days which is the unrealistic jump-cuts – such as two Brauns or the image of Bliss cooperating with the filming but having that never addressed again – which just shatters the bounds of any traditional pro wrestling internal logic. We’re so far past that in this context and setting for cinematic matches, it’s almost quaint to complaint about it or even point it out, I suppose.)

FINAL THOUGHTS: The show lasted just under two hours and forty minutes. There were some good matches to justify a thumbs up when combined with the Swamp Match if that is your type of thing. This easily is a thumbs down show if the finishes offset the good wrestling and the Swamp Match isn’t your thing