NXT Minus 6: Extreme Rules Horror Show???

Your resident NXT analyst steps into the “main roster” to review WWE Extreme Rules–the Horror Show!

I’m stepping out of my comfort zone to review a non-NXT show….sort of.

6. New Day versus Cesaro/Nakamura was so good, WWE should retire the table match for about six months to let things cool down. This was a Table Match, not just a match with tables. Almost every offensive move anybody hit directly involved a table. These guys could not have played to the stipulation any better. And much respect to Kofi Kingston for that ending. WWE took a page out of the NXT playbook: Start a show hot with amazing tag team action. 4.5 stars

5. Cesaro has quietly turned into this generation’s Billy Gunn. He’s won tag gold with three different partners: Sheamus, Tyson Kidd & now Shinsuke Nakamura. It’s a fine legacy to have, but I would still love to see him get a solo championship title shot at a PPV. Easy story to tell. Credible challenger to anybody. He deserves it.  

4. Pre-show, I was excited for exactly two matches on this card. The first was Bayley versus Nikki Cross. They delivered. Rock solid action. I’m glad they turned her loose & we got to see shades of Crazy Nikki. I liked the ending a lot. Such old school heel work from Banks & Bayley. Subtle, sneaky and effective. If you have to have a dirty finish, this was shenanigans done right. 4 stars. 

3. I would have hated myself if I watched the Eye Quit match. Thank you very much, inventor of fast forward. 

2. The other match I was excited for was Asuka versus Sasha Banks. This was moving into MOTY territory. So much better than Shirai-Banks from NXT GAB. Then…that ending. Damn it that ending. Overbooked, overcooked, RawDown ass trash. How could a match that good have an ending so bad? Why can’t WWE let us have nice things? This is the kind of nonsense I have come to expect from WWE, which is why I rarely watch RawDown. That ending pissed me off so much, I honestly did not watch the rest of the show. 4.5 star match with a Jack Shit ending.

1. Overall, I got to enjoy 2 ¾ really good matches. Cesaro took home gold. Nikki got to shine without looking like Pinky to Alexa’s Brain. Asuka versus Sasha was inches away from greatness. I didn’t plod through the rest, so overall I’d say it was a solid show. Now get me back to Full Sail Arena.