The Extreme Rules pay-per-view scheduled for this Sunday is very much the same as its predecessor, Backlash—a remixed and retooled version of the card from the previous WrestleMania.
With two bouts sparked by the multiman WWE Intercontinental Championship match, as well as rematches contesting the WWE world heavyweight and United States titles, there's plenty of opportunity for WrestleMania 31 losers to pick up wins.
There's often talk of The Road to WrestleMania, but this is a show that puts WWE on SummerSlam Street. Now's the time for talent to start building momentum for the biggest pay-per-view of the summer, and someone has to lose for that to come about.
Luke Harper
Credit: WWE.com
This Sunday, Luke Harper meets Dean Ambrose in a war between stable standouts who have lost their way out on their own. Ambrose deserves the win, but Harper will look like a star in defeat.
Both Harper and Ambrose have a style that's perfectly suited to the Street Fight stipulation announced Monday night on Raw. This one will be a wild brawl, and the undoubtedly rowdy Chicago crowd will lap it up.
Harper has spent much of the last few weeks demonstrating his dominance over the Lunatic Fringe. A sickening powerbomb through a ladder at WrestleMania 31 was followed by a similar beatdown on Raw, so this Sunday, it seems Harper will get his just deserts.
However, we've seen how well Harper can take a beating as well as dish one out. His Ladder match against Dolph Ziggler at last year's TLC: Tables, Ladders and Chairs was incredibly physical, and that's exactly the sort of intensity a feud like this needs given that there's no gold on the line.
Coupled with Ambrose's excellent reputation for stipulation matches, Harper will make this match soar. Ambrose looks set for the win, but both men will be responsible for this bout stealing the show come Sunday.
The New Day
Credit: WWE.com
With their recent character shift, The New Day are finally finding their groove. It's perhaps too soon for them to win the titles, but expect them to cement their footing this Sunday.
The pairing of Xavier Woods, Big E and Kofi Kingston seemed like an excellent concept from the first appearance of The New Day. These are three of the most charismatic men in the undercard, and their natural chemistry seemed like the perfect way to use the trio to their greatest potential.
However, their initial presentation wasn't quite what fans were looking for. While Kingston has long filled the role of grinning fan favourite, thesnarky humour of Big E and Woods didn't have a place in the strangely dated characterization of the unit in its original form.
Now, the trio have been given a chance to make the most of their comic abilities—and the prospect of a villainous Kingston is something fans will be curious to see more of. Again, they're simply too new to successfully take the tag titles at present, but a strong showing on Sunday will do the faction a world of good.
Credit: WWE.com
For the past few weeks, we've seen a reinvigorated John Cena hold the United States Championship with more pride than almost anyone in recent years. This Sunday, that reign comes to an end.
While Cena gets some well-deserved flak for his workmanlike in-ring abilities, he's a top-tier talent when he's sufficiently motivated. His open challenges have been a highlight of Raw since WrestleMania 31, but it seems that they have already come to an end.
Cena's tour of midcard challengers has been designed to make his run with a midcard championship mean something. If he held the belt for a month and never defended it, it wouldn't do much for him or the belt. Instead, his regular defences have legitimized the run.
It would be great to see this version of Cena continue to make such a potent contribution to WWE television, but meanwhile, Rusev, a star on the rise in WWE, is flailing without his title. Two back-to-back losses toCena could undo months of good work with Rusev, so logic would suggest that the title changes hands this Sunday.
If that is the case, Cena will want to end his reign the way it's unfolded: with a great match. Rusev is very capable, and he and the Doctor ofThuganomics work very well together. Cena has earned a lot of goodwill over the past few weeks—let's hope that it's not squandered by a return to the main event scene.
