Although there was no world title bout at Extreme Rules, there may have been something better: Bray Wyatt’s comeback. WWE gave us Bray Wyatt to cap up Extreme Rules on Saturday after teasing the divisive characters’ return for weeks.
The 2022 version of WWE Extreme Rules featured six stipulation matches with only two titles on the line. Some of the stipulation matches on the card include a Strap Match, Fight Pit Match, Ladder Match and an Extreme Rules Match too.
It brought to a close a compelling pay-per-view that included Seth Rollins’ submission by Matt Riddle in the Fight Pit as its main event. Perhaps Riddle’s biggest victory in the WWE so far. Earlier in the program, Ronda Rousey won the SmackDown Women’s Championship, and Bianca Belair kept her title by defeating Bayley.
The “I Quit” Match between Edge and Finn Balor, which the latter won, was the greatest contest of the evening. The radioactive heat they received after the match served as an example of how it solidified the Judgement Day as a top-tier group, at least temporarily. The 6-man Street Fight between the Brawling Brutes and Imperium that began the evening was another standout.
WHAT THE FUCK!! THE WHOLE WORLD IN HIS HANDS!! BRAY WYATT #EXTREMERULES pic.twitter.com/TxwoqBWj6W
— Luigi (@LuigiWrestling) October 9, 2022
The lights went out just as Michael Cole was wrapping up the show after Matt Riddle defeated Seth Rollins in the main event. The song “He’s got the whole world in his grasp” began. Characters from Bray Wyatt’s previous Firefly Funhouse were highlighted in areas across the crowd. The announcer’s table suddenly revealed the mask of the Fiend.
A bizarre video package that takes place on the old Firefly Funhouse set is shown to us. A door is placed up on the ramp leading into the arena. It is forced open, as Bray Wyatt emerges wearing a fresh mask. The crowd erupts in hysterics and cries “Holy crap!”
Before the play ends, Wyatt removes the mask, allowing us to briefly see his face.
.@SuperKingofBros FROM THE TOP OF THE FIGHT PIT!!!#ExtremeRules pic.twitter.com/olOCf69jCK
— WWE (@WWE) October 9, 2022
Matt Riddle got his win over Seth Rollins, defeating Rollins in the Fight Pit match that served as Extreme Rules’ main event. UFC legend Daniel Cormier was the special guest referee here.
The ring’s turnbuckles were taken off for the match, with a cage falling down to replicate a cagefight rather than a wrestling match. The Fight Pit is a weird mix between a simulated MMA fight, a Cage Match and a Last Man Standing Match. Rollins and Riddle fought each other at first like it was an MMA fight, and there was a strong submission orientation to much of the action. To win the fight, one person needed to keep the other down for a 10 count.
.@DomMysterio35 just took out his own father @reymysterio ????#ExtremeRules pic.twitter.com/DJ5N1sU4yO
— WWE (@WWE) October 9, 2022
Edge lost his match with Finn Balor, saying “I quit” after the Judgement Day threatened to Conchairto Edge’s wife Beth Phoenix. This took a while to get going, but built up to the best match of the night.
Just basic stuff at first. Balor put Edge in a Figure Four, which Edge eventually reversed. Balor trapped Edge in the apron and pummeled him, like Rousey did to Morgan earlier. The problem with “I Quit” Matches, like Last Man Standing Matches, is that you know they need to escalate to a super violent level before there can be a finish. It makes the first 80% of the match feel low stakes.
Edge and Balor brawled through the crowd and into the Kickoff Show panel area. Edge smashed Balor with a hockey stick, and put a crossface on with it, but Balor won’t quit. They fight near the backstage area, and Edge tries to Spear Balor down the arena stairs, but Balor dodged it and rammed Edge crotch-first into the stair railings.
What a move by @itsBayleyWWE! #ExtremeRules pic.twitter.com/UQAg5LKJ85
— WWE (@WWE) October 9, 2022
Back in the ring, Balor hit Edge with a bunch of chair shots. The ref asked if he quits, and Edge defiantly said no — getting a round of cheers, the biggest response the match has aroused so far. The crowd is listless as they wait for something that realistically could end the match.
Edge kicked Dominik in the balls, and Speared Balor three times. Edge put a Crossface on Balor, but Ripley distracted him by clocking Phoenix with Brass Knocks. Damian Priest then Chokeslammed Edge, and Balor hit three consecutive Coup De Grace. Edge still refused to quit.
Ripley got two chairs from under the ring and set up a Conchairto on Phoenix, which got Edge to say “I quit”. Balor won the match — and Ripley smashed Phoenix with the chair anyway. Great stuff.
Liv Morgan couldn’t keep her gold, but Bianca Belair managed to. Belair retained her Raw Women’s Championship by defeating Bayley in a Ladder Match. We got interference from Bayley’s Damage CTRL faction partners, and some painful-looking ladder spots
Karrion Kross defeated Drew McIntyre in a Strap Match after interference from Scarlett. McIntyre was setting up for the Claymore Kick when Scarlett interjected and sprayed McIntyre in the face with pepper spray, which allowed Kross to take out McIntytre with his Kross Hammer finish.
.@YaOnlyLivvOnce puts The Baddest Woman on the Planet through a table!#ExtremeRules pic.twitter.com/CFPk00SQU5
— WWE (@WWE) October 9, 2022
Ronda Rousey defeated Liv Morgan to regain the SmackDown Women’s Championship. The story of the match as that Rousey was the dominant competitor, and that Morgan had to fight as the underdog to eke out a victory somehow. No such victory was eked, however, as Rousey ended up making Morgan pass out.
Sheamus, Butch and Ridge Holland (The Brawling Brutes) defeated Gunther, Ludwig Kaiser and Giovanni Vinci (Imperium) in a Good Old Fashion Donnybrook match (a Street Fight) to open Extreme Rules. Other than a mixup towards the end, where the performers seemed confused about where they were meant to be few a few awkward moments, this was fabulous.
