Extreme Rules (2010)

Extreme Rules (2010)
Promotional poster featuring Sheamus
Theme song(s)	"Time to Shine" by Saliva[1]
Information
Promotion	World Wrestling Entertainment
Sponsor	KFC
Date	April 25, 2010[2]
Attendance	9,124[3]
Venue	1st Mariner Arena[4]
City	Baltimore, Maryland[4]
Pay-per-view chronology
WrestleMania XXVI Extreme Rules (2010) Over the Limit (2010)
Extreme Rules chronology
Extreme Rules (2009) Extreme Rules (2010) Extreme Rules (2011)

Extreme Rules (2010) was a professional wrestling pay-per-view event produced by World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) and presented by KFC, which took place on April 25, 2010 at the 1st Mariner Arena in Baltimore, Maryland.^[5] It was the second event promoted under the Extreme Rules name.^[2] There were eight matches scheduled on the event's card, all of which featured an extreme stipulation, with no regular singles matches on the card. The event received 182,000 pay-per-view buys, the same as the figure achieved by the 2009 Backlash event.

Background

Extreme Rules featured professional wrestling matches involving different wrestlers from pre-existing scripted feuds and storylines which were played out on World Wrestling Entertainment's (WWE) television programs and culminated in a wrestling match or series of matches. Wrestlers portrayed either a villainous or heroic character.

The main storyline from the Raw brand featured John Cena and Batista feuding over the WWE Championship. The feud had begun several months previously and been a feature of several pay-per-views, including WrestleMania XXVI, where Cena defeated Batista to win the championship. Following WrestleMania, on the April 5 episode of Raw, Batista attacked Cena after a match, and it was announced that Batista would receive his rematch in a Last Man Standing match at Extreme Rules.

World Heavyweight Champion Jack Swagger from the SmackDown brand was scheduled to face Raw wrestler Randy Orton. Swagger won the Money in the Bank ladder match at WrestleMania, earning a contract for a guaranteed championship match at the time and place of his choosing. He utilized the contract on the April 2 episode of SmackDown, defeating Chris Jericho to win the World Heavyweight Championship. After a number one contender's match between Jericho and Edge ended in a double countout, Raw guest host David Hasselhoff announced that Swagger would face Orton, who had beaten Swagger on two occasions, in an Extreme Rules match.

Chris Jericho and Edge also had a scheduled match on the card. Edge returned from injury at the Royal Rumble, winning the Royal Rumble match, and earning a match for a championship of his choosing at WrestleMania. Edge elected to wrestle the World Heavyweight Champion Jericho, but lost. On the following episode of SmackDown, Edge attacked Jericho, allowing Jack Swagger to cash in his Money in the Bank contract and win the championship. After a number one contender's match between Jericho and Edge went to a double countout, it was announced that they would face each other in a steel cage match.

The secondary rivalry from the Raw brand heading into Extreme Rules was between Triple H and Sheamus. Sheamus felt that Triple H was responsible for him losing the WWE Championship at Elimination Chamber pay-per-view, and so challenged him at WrestleMania, but lost. As a result, the following night on Raw, Sheamus attacked Triple H with a lead pipe, and it was announced that the two would meet in a Street Fight at Extreme Rules.

CM Punk and Rey Mysterio had been feuding for several months prior to Extreme Rules, which included Punk tormenting Mysterio in front of his wife and children. They wrestled at WrestleMania, with Mysterio winning, and so avoiding being forced to join Punk's stable, The Straight Edge Society. When inducting members into The Straight Edge Society, Punk shaved their hair, while retaining long hair himself. As a result, Mysterio challenged him over it, and it was announced that the stipulation for their match at Extreme Rules was that if Punk lost, he would have his head shaved.

Also announced for the card was a match for the WWE Women's Championship between the champion, Michelle McCool, and Beth Phoenix. The feud began when Phoenix objected to SmackDown Consultant Vickie Guerrero, aligned with Team Lay-Cool (McCool and Layla), and refused to grant Phoenix a title match. After earning her championship match, Phoenix was attacked on the April 23 episode of SmackDown by Team Lay-Cool, who hit her with an ironing board and drew on her with lipstick to set up an Extreme Makeover match.

The final match on the card was between former tag team partners, Shad Gaspard and JTG. After Cryme Tyme lost a tag team match on the April 2 episode of SmackDown, Gaspard turned on JTG and attacked him, setting up a strap match between the two.

Event

The event started with Sheamus attacking Triple H with a pipe.

Then, ShoMiz came to the ring and complaining with they didn't have a match for the night. Then, Smackdown general manager Teddy Long confronted them and made a match for them. They would have to face 3 teams and the winner will earn a tag team championship match. The first team was John Morrison and R-Truth. They lost when Morrison got his team disqualified. The next team was MVP and Mark Henry. They also lost. The final team was The Hart Dynasty. ShoMiz lost when The Miz was pinned.

The next match was CM Punk and Rey Mysterio. If Punk lost, he would have his head shaved bald. During the match, Luke Gallows and Serena were kicked out of ringside because they were attacking Mysterio when Mysterio was on the outside. A masked man attacked Mysterio and Punk hit Mysterio with a Go To Sleep and pinned Mysterio. So, Punk didn't have to shave his hair.

The next one was former friends and tag partner JTG and Shad It was a Strap match. The match went by fast with JTG winning. When Shad had JTG on his back, he tagged corners with JTG doing the same. JTG hit the Box Cutter on and touched the final corner to win the match.

The fourth match was Jack Swagger defending the World Heavyweight championship against Randy Orton in an Extreme Rules match. Orton controlled the first half of the match. During the match, Orton brought a chair in the ring. When Orton was going to hit Swagger with a RKO on the chair, Swagger countered it and threw Orton on the chair. Swagger then hit Orton with a Gutwrench Powerbomb and pinned him to retain the World Heavyweight championship. After the match, Orton hit Swagger with a RKO on the floor.

When Orton was leaving the ring, Sheamus came out carrying a pipe for his Street Fight with Triple H. Todd Grisham was going to interview Triple H, but he pushed him out of the way. The match started with Triple H going after Sheamus. The fight went to the outside with Triple H hitting Sheamus with a Kendo stick. Sheamus hit Triple H with multiple Brogue Kicks and pinned Triple H. After the match, Sheamus hit Triple H with another Brogue Kick.

The next one was Michelle McCool putting her Woman's Championship on the line against Beth Phoenix in an Extreme Makeover match. The match went back and forth and at one point in the match Michelle sprayed Phoenix with Hair Spray. In the end it was Beth Phoenix that hit Michelle McCool with the Glam Slam and became the new Woman's Champion.

The next match was a Steel Cage match between Edge and Chris Jericho. When Jericho was going to bring a chair in, Edge stopped him but Jericho slammed the steel cage door on him. Jericho then grabbed a chair and swung at Edge, but Edge ducked and hit Jericho with a Spear. Jericho then hit Edge with two Code breakers. Edge then hit Jericho with another Spear and pinned Jericho to win the match.

The main event saw John Cena put the WWE Championship on the line in a Last Man Standing match against Batista. When Cena went to the top rope, Batista pushed the refree in the ropes. Batista threw Cena through the barricade. Cena put Batista through a table by using the Attitude Adjustment. Batista returned the Favor and put Cena through a table. Batista hit Cena with a Batista Bomb. Cena then locked Batista in the STF. Batista tapped out, but submissions don't count in a Last Man Standing match. Cena then duct taped Batista's feet to the post and Batista couldn't answer the 10 count and Cena retained the WWE Championship to end the pay per view.

Aftermath

Since The Hart Dynasty was the winning team at Extreme Rules, they got a tag team championship match the next night on Raw and won. After the match Big Show turned face and attacked The Miz. Big Show became number one contender for the World Heavyweight championship at Over The Limit. He won the match via Disquifcation.

The feud between CM Punk and Rey Mysterio continued. A match was set up between the two at Over The Limit and if Mysterio lost, he would have to join the Straight Edge Socitity and if Punk lost, he would have to shave his head. At Over The Limit, Mysterio won the match so Punk had to shave his head.

After Extreme Rules, Randy Orton started a feud with Edge. A match was set up between the two at Over The Limit, which ended in a double countout.

Jack Swagger held on to the World Heavyweight championship for two more months. He retained it at Over The Limit against The Big Show but lost the match when he got disqualified. And he lost it to Rey Mysterio at Fatal 4 Way.

Triple H was sidelined for the rest of the year and came back in February 2011. When he returned, he attacked Sheamus to end the feud.

Sheamus began to feud with John Cena. After Cena retained the title at Over The Limit, he was attacked by Sheamus. Cena held on to the title when he lost it to Sheamus at Fatal 4 Way.

Batista got a rematch (defeating Randy Orton and Sheamus in a #1 Contender's Match at the WWE Draft) for the WWE championship against Cena at Over The Limit but failed to win in an "I Quit" Match. The next night, Raw general manager Bret Hart told Batista he had to qualify for the WWE Championship Fatal-4-Way at the eponymous pay-per-view, but he refused and lost to Randy Orton by forfeit. Batista then quit WWE.

Reception

The event received mixed reviews from critics. In a mixed review, The Sun praised the quality of the matches but was disappointed in the lack of weapon use, stating that "the event failed to live up to its name". Overall they awarded the event a 6.5 out of 10.^[6]

In August 2010, WWE reported that the event had received 182,000 pay-per-view buys, down on what last year had.^[7]

Results

See also

• List of WWE pay-per-view events
• WWE Extreme Rules

References

External links

• Official Extreme Rules website