The rivalry between Brock Lesnar and Triple H has hit a fever pitch. Now, at Extreme Rules, the two face off in the ultimate grudge match, inside a 15-foot high steel cage. After a knockdown, drag-out fight, who would come out on top in the rubber match?
With three championships on the line, including The Shield looking to take two of them on a big night, no match was bigger than the main event, a steel cage grudge match between Triple H and Brock Lesnar.
Triple H doesn’t even wait for his entrance, as he attacks Lesnar as Lesnar is walking to the ring. Triple H quickly takes control as he throws Lesnar into the cage, but Lesnar almost as quickly takes over, slamming HHH into the cage. He is throwing Triple H from pillar to post now.
This is all Lesnar, but he goes for a flying knee and Triple H moves and Lesnar’s knee goes into the cage and he is hurt. He still manages to hit a power slam, but comes up in pain. Triple H goes right after the knee. Triple H with a knee lift and he goes for the Pedigree, but Lesnar hooks the kimura, but has to break it when Triple H goes after the knee.
Lesnar is trying to put the pain away and he does by hitting an F5 after Heyman slammed H’s head in the cage, but Triple H kicks out at two. Now Paul Heyman gets Lesnar a chair and he goes hard with it to Triple H’s gut and then to the back. Lesnar wants another F5, but his knee buckles again. Triple H with another chop block. Triple H gets the chair and goes gut-to-back with it. And then to the knee. Triple H in control now.
He runs Lesnar into the corner but gets caught in the kimura, but Triple H is able to go back to the knee to break it. Triple H locks in the Figure Four in the centre of the ring. Lesnar, though, is able to fight it off and turn it over, forcing Triple H to break the hold.
Lesnar tries to climb the cage and is nearly out when Triple H hits his bad knee with a chair, stopping the climb. Triple H rams Lesnar’s head into the cage and goes to climb, except he grabs a sledgehammer from the top of the cage. Lesnar, though, hits him as he comes down. Lesnar grabs the sledge, but Triple H ducks under and hits a double leg and then locks in, of all things, the Sharpshooter. It’s broken up when Heyman charges into the cage. He eats a Pedigree for his troubles. Lesnar with the sledge again, but again Triple H avoids it and hits the Pedigree, but Lesnar kicks out at two.
Triple H grabs the sledge, but Heyman low blows him before he can do anything. Now Lesnar has the sledge and he absolutely cranks Triple H with it. Instead of just walking out of the cage, Lesnar wants to inflict more punishment. Lesnar picks up the lifeless Triple H off the canvas and delivers an F5 and that does it.
The next WWE pay-per-view is Payback on June 16.
In the opening match, Chris Jericho defeated Fandango with a Codebreaker as Fandango came off the top rope.
If you’re sad there’s not a recap for the first match, blame Comcast.
Match #2 – WWE United States Championship – © Kofi Kingston (Ghana, West Africa) vs. Dean Ambrose (Cincinnati, Ohio)
After a back-and-forth start, Ambrose locks in the crossface chicken wing, but Kingston is able to get back to his feet and starts rolling. He drops Ambrose and hits the Boom Drop. He calls for Trouble in Paradise but Ambrose ducks it. After some reversals, Kingston hits the SOS for two.
Kingston to the top rope, but Ambrose cuts him off. He wants a superplex but Kingston knocks him down, but Ambrose is right back up and flings Kingston off the top with a double-underhook suplex, but Kingston is able to kick out at two.
Kingston to the apron and he hits a springboard cross body for two. He sends Ambrose to the apron and hits Trouble in Paradise, but Ambrose hits the floor. Kingston pulls Ambrose back into the ring, but Ambrose barely gets his finger on the bottom rope.
Kingston again goes for Trouble in Paradise, but Ambrose ducks. He grabs Kingston on the rebound and hits the headlock driver and that does it.
Winner via pinfall and NEW WWE United States Champion: Dean Ambrose
Match Rating: 6/10
Match #3 – Strap Match – Mark Henry (Silsbee, Texas) vs. Sheamus (Dublin, Ireland)
Henry in control until Sheamus uses the strap to low blow Henry. Sheamus with knees to the face. Sheamus gets to three corners before Henry cuts him off and plants him with a spinebuster. The action goes to the floor and Sheamus sends Henry into the ring post. He gets in the ring and touches three of them before hitting Henry with a Brogue Kick and hitting the fourth.
Winner: Sheamus
Match Rating: 3/10
Match #4 – I Quit Match – Jack Swagger (Perry, Okla.) vs. Alberto Del Rio (San Luis Potosi, Mexico)
A kendo stick is the first weapon of choice brought into the match. They both use it. Swagger gets Del Rio locked up in the ropes and hits away, but Ricardo Rodriguez is able to free.
Del Rio tries to get going. He hits a tilt-a-whirl backbreaker and then a kick right to the grill. Now Del Rio puts Swagger in the ropes and goes to town on him with the kendo stick. Some back and forth action here, but neither man wants to quit. Swagger hits a Vader Bomb and the gut-wrench power bomb. Swagger grabs Del Rio and hits another gut-wrench. Del Rio barely hanging on, but he is able to get the cross-armbreaker. Swagger, though, turns it into the Patriot Lock. Del Rio is fighting it and refusing to quit.
Rodriguez contemplating throwing in the towel now. Del Rio telling him not to. Rodriguez drops the towel and walks away a bit distraught, but as he does, Colter comes in from behind and throws the towel in. The referee sees it and calls for the bell.
But wait, another referee comes hauling down and referee Mike Chioda checks a replay, sees what happened and restarts the match.
Del Rio almost immediately gets the cross-armbreaker. Swagger rolls it over to relieve the pressure, but Del Rio is able to adjust and lock it back in and Swagger quits.
Winner via quitting and No. 1 contender: Alberto Del Rio
Match Rating: 6/10
Match #5 – Tornado Match for the WWE Tag Team Championship: © Kane (Hell, Fire & Brimstone) & Daniel Bryan (Aberdeen, Wash.) vs. Seth Rollins (Davenport, Iowa) & Roman Reigns (Atlanta, Ga.)
Bryan hits a suicide dive onto both members of The Shield. Back in the ring, Team Hell No goes to work. Bryan goes to the top and hits the flying headbutt. Kane into the cover but Reigns breaks it up. Bryan goes for the No Lock and has it on Reigns, but Rollins is able to break it up with a springboard dive. Kane hits Rollins with a choke slam but Reigns spears Kane.
Reigns with another spear on Kane after Rollins broke up a choke slam attempt, but Bryan comes flying in to break it up. He lands a series of kicks, but Reigns ducks the last one. He goes for a roll-up, but Bryan switches into a No Lock, but can’t get it. Reigns throws Bryan into the corner right into a kick from Rollins. Reigns loads Bryan up as Rollins goes to the top, hitting a big stomp from the top as Reigns flips him to the canvas. That does it.
Winners via pinfall and NEW WWE Tag Team Champions: Seth Rollins & Roman Reigns
Match Rating: 6/10
Match #6 – Extreme Rules Match – The Big Show (Tampa, Fla.) vs. Randy Orton (St. Louis, Mo.)
Again, it’s a kendo stick brought into play first. Orton hits Show with it, but Show gets it and breaks it over his knee. Show takes over, hitting a Shh Chop on the announce table and more, but Orton hits a chop block and then a drop kick that finally drops Show off his feet.
Orton mounts Show in the corner, but Show just walks out with him and plants him on the canvas. Big Show goes to the outside and grabs a ladder. He also adds two chairs into the mix. Show sets up the chairs and then puts the ladder across them and Orton on top of the ladder. He goes to the second rope for a Vader Bomb but Orton moves and Show crashes through the ladder.
Orton grabs Show and hits the draping DDT. He follows with the RKO, but Big Show kicks out at the last moment. Orton gets a chair and hits Show in the gut. He loads up another big show but Show spears Orton. Both men get up slow and it’s Orton who hits an RKO on the chair. But Show is still stirring. He goes down in the corner, so Orton backs up, loads up and hits the Punt. That does it.
Winner via pinfall: Randy Orton
Match Rating: 6/10
Match #7 – Last Man Standing Match for the WWE Championship – © John Cena (West Newbury, Mass.) vs. Ryback (Sin City)
Back-and-forth to an extent early. Ryback with the slight edge. Cena gets a table and brings it into the ring. Ryback is able to set it up in the corner after hitting a backpack driver and then chucks Cena through it with a fallaway slam. Cena’s up at eight.
Cena moves away from a Ryback charge and Ryback goes into the post. Cena with a slam and then the Five Knuckle Shuffle. He wants the Attitude Adjustment, but Ryback is out and spears Cena hard. Cena, though, is able to fight back and hits a power bomb of his own.
Ryback hits the big lariat, but Cena is up at nine and then locks in the STF after a drop-toe hold. Cena brings another table in and is able to AA Ryback through it after slipping out of the Shell Shock. Both men down now. Cena up at seven, Ryback up at nine.
Cena goes to the top for some reason and Ryback is able to grab him and hit the Shell Shock. Cena gets up only after holding himself up on the ropes. Ryback pulls Cena’s leg near the post and grabs a chair, but Cena kicks it into Ryback and then spears Ryback through the timekeeper’s area. Both men up at seven and they brawl into the crowd.
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Ryback grabs part of the hockey boards right off the floor and drills Cena with it. Cena is down. Cena, though, is up at nine. Now Cena locks in a sleeper hold. Ryback goes to a knee and he might be out as he goes to the concrete. Ryback barely up, but Cena right on him. He sets Ryback up on a table and then goes up high into the stands and comes down with a big splash. Both men beat the count, though.
Ryback staggers toward Cena and Cena uses a fire extinguisher in the eyes. He blows it on him a few more times before clocking him with it. Ryback still up, though. Cena drops him with a second shot. Ryback, though, beats the count. Cena lifts him up for an AA, but Ryback ducks out, grabs Cena and spears him through the set. Sparks go flying and both men are nowhere to be found. Charles Robinson gives chase but no one knows where they are.
The camera finally catches up with them and both men and down and hurt. Referees, doctors calling for medics, EMTs and ambulances. Ryback is being assisted away on his feet while Cena is being put in a neck brace and on a backboard.
So, let me get this straight: Ryback gets up and walks away (albeit with assistance) and Cena is stretchered out, but this is a NO CONTEST apparently. Dumb, dumb, dumb.
Match Rating: 7/10
Match #8 – Steel Cage Match – Brock Lesnar (Minneapolis, Minn.) vs. Triple H (Greenwich, Conn.)
Winner via pinfall: Brock Lesnar
Match Rating: 7/10
Show Rating: 6/10
Matt Bishop can be reached at bishop20@gmail.com. Please include your name and hometown. Click here to follow Matt on Twitter. Should be a good one!.