The second annual WWE Extreme Rules came to you, live on pay-per-view, from the 1st Mariner Arena in Baltimore, MD. In the “extreme” culmination of their intensely personal rivalry, John Cena would defend the WWE Championship against “The Animal” Batista in a Last Man Standing Match. In his first pay-per-view title defense, new World Heavyweight Champion Jack Swagger must defend his gold against “The Viper” Randy Orton in an Extreme Rules Match. In a personal rivalry that stretches back almost a full year, “The Rated-R Superstar” Edge would be looking for revenge for the recent attacks on his Achilles tendon injury as he faces his intense rival, Chris Jericho, in a Steel Cage Match. Triple H would be looking to teach Sheamus some respect as “The Game” would go one-on-one with “The Celtic Warrior” in a Street Fight. In a rematch from WrestleMania, “The Straightedge Savior” CM Punk would go one-on-one with Rey Mysterio, but this time, if CM Punk loses, he will also lose his hair. Former friends and former tag team partners would be looking to settle their personal and intense rivalry when JTG and Shad Gaspard square off in a Strap Match. After weeks of being insulted and embarrassed by Michelle McCool, Beth Phoenix would be looking for the ultimate revenge as she challenges McCool for the Women’s Championship in the first ever Extreme Makeover Match.
Match Results
- #1 Contender’s Tag Team Gauntlet Match: ShoMiz def. R-Truth & John Morrison by DQ after John Morrison refused to release a rope-aided submission on Big Show.
- #1 Contender’s Tag Team Gauntlet Match: ShoMiz def. The World’s Strongest Tag Team by The Miz pinning MVP following the Knockout Punch by Big Show.
- #1 Contender’s Tag Team Gauntlet Match: The Hart Dynasty def. ShoMiz by David Hart Smith pinning The Miz following the Hart Attack.
- CM Punk’s Hair On The Line: CM Punk (with Luke Gallows, Serena, and a mystery man) def. Rey Mysterio by pin following the GTS.
During the match, Luke Gallows and Serena were ejected from ringside after multiple times interfering in the match. Later in the match, after hitting the 619, a mystery man appears from under the ring and slides a steel chair in the ring. This distracts the referee long enough for the stranger to pull Rey off of the apron and deliver an alley-oop powerbomb to Rey on the outside. CM Punk then brought Rey back into the ring and hit the GTS en route to picking up the win and keeping his hair.
- Strap Match: JTG def. Shad Gaspard
- World Heavyweight Championship: Extreme Rules Match: Jack Swagger (c) def. Randy Orton by pin following the Swagger Bomb to retain.
- Street Fight: Sheamus def. Triple H by pin following a series of four pump kicks.
- Women’s Championship: Extreme Makeover Match: Beth Phoenix def. Michelle McCool (c) (with Vickie Guerrero & Layla) by pin with the Glam Slam to win the Women’s Title.
- Steel Cage Match: Edge def. Chris Jericho by pin following the Spear.
- WWE Championship: Last Man Standing Match: John Cena (c) def. Batista to retain.
Detailed Results
The show was set to kick off with the Street Fight showdown between Triple H and Sheamus, but “The Celtic Warrior” was determined to start the “extreme” early as, before Triple H could even make his entrance for the match, the cameras discovered that Sheamus had attacked Triple H in the backstage area as Sheamus pummeled “The Game”! Triple H was able to fire back, but referees were able to pull Triple H off of Sheamus and Sheamus took the opportunity to blast Triple H in the skull with the lead pipe; not once, but twice! What is the status of Triple H following the attack by Sheamus?
Then there was another unexpected surprise as the Unified WWE Tag Team Champions ShoMiz made an appearance! United States Champion The Miz states that the show did not start out as expected and says that the show should start with some “excitement” as they are the “most exciting, most entertaining, most captivating, the greatest tag team in WWE history”! Miz then says they should take Bret Hart’s “word for it” as, per their stipulation for the match between Miz & David Hart Smith two weeks ago, Bret will make the statement on the next night’s RAW that ShoMiz is the “greatest tag team in WWE history”! The Miz then “begs” for some “competition”, which brings out SmackDown General Manager Theodore Long, who announces that he has selected a team and, if this team can win a non-title match, then the team will earn a future shot at the Unified WWE Tag Team Titles! As it tends to do from time to time, The Miz’s mouth got him in trouble again as the confident Miz kept insulting and goading the GM, which led to Long announcing that ShoMiz will face three tag teams in a Tag Team Gauntlet Match! After Big Show put his hand over the mouth of The Miz to keep him from getting them in any deeper trouble, Long continued that whichever team defeats ShoMiz will earn their Unified WWE Tag Team Title match on the special 3-Hour WWE Draft edition of RAW!
First up in the three team Gauntlet Match for Unified WWE Tag Team Champions ShoMiz was the team they faced at WrestleMania, R-Truth & John Morrison! In the end, it was John Morrison applying a submission on Big Show, but he was using the ropes for leverage and, after failing to break after the referee’s five count was disqualified! After narrowly escaping R-Truth & John Morrison, ShoMiz then had to contend with The World’s Strongest Tag Team of MVP & Mark Henry! MVP was able to hit the Playmaker on The Miz in the match, but when he pinned Miz, Big Show came in from the outside with the vicious right hand of Big Show, which allowed ShoMiz to survive the second team! Led by Hall of Famer Bret “Hitman” Hart, The Hart Dynasty came out as the third team and made quick work of The Miz by hitting the Hart Attack maneuver en route to David Hart Smith pinning The Miz and earning The Hart Dynasty a shot at the Unified WWE Tag Team Titles on the 3-Hour Draft edition of RAW! On the same night where Bret Hart must declare that ShoMiz is the “greatest tag team in WWE history”, will The Hart Dynasty dethrone ShoMiz as the Unified WWE Tag Team Titles?
Backstage, Sheamus responds to his attack on Triple H by saying that if Triple H is too much of a “coward” to face him, then he should just “admit” it and announces that he is going to the ring to wait for Triple H and states that Triple H can “man up” and face him or he can “forfeit” and states that, in either case, he will be victorious! After the vicious assault by Sheamus, is Triple H in any shape to go forward with the Street Fight?
Then it would be time for CM Punk to fight for his hair as “The Straightedge Savior” would go one-on-one with Rey Mysterio in a WrestleMania rematch, but this time, if CM Punk loses, he will have his head shaved bald! After continuing to interfere on Punk’s behalf, the referee ejected Luke Gallows & Serena from ringside; leaving CM Punk to face Rey Mysterio alone! After hitting the 619 on CM Punk, Rey was set to defeat Punk, but a mystery man dressed in a hooded sweatshirt slides a steel chair into the ring which distracts the referee long enough for the stranger to pick Rey off of the apron and send Rey face first onto the floor on the outside of the ring with a modified powerbomb! CM Punk then brought Rey back into the ring and hit the GTS en route to picking up the win and keeping his hair intact! Who was this mystery man? Was this all a well-thought out plan by CM Punk and The Straightedge Society?
Then it was time for former friends and former tag team partners to settle their differences as JTG would be looking to gain revenge for the attack three weeks ago as he goes one-on-one with Shad Gaspard where they would be attached at the wrist by a leather strap in a Strap Match! In the end, it was JTG outsmarting Shad Gaspard and hitting the Box Cutter en route to touching the final corner and picking up the win over his former friend and former tag team partner!
Then it was time for Jack Swagger to make his first pay-per-view defense of the World Heavyweight Championship as “The All-American Champion” would put his gold on the line against “The Viper” Randy Orton in an Extreme Rules Match! In the end, it was Jack Swagger sending Randy Orton, spine-first, onto a steel chair and hitting the Swagger Bomb en route to successfully retaining the World Heavyweight Championship! After the match, Randy Orton got the last shot in as Orton planted Swagger with the RKO on the outside of the ring! Has Randy Orton signified that he is not done with Jack Swagger? What is next for the World Heavyweight Champion?
Following his earlier attack on Triple H, “The Celtic Warrior” Sheamus comes out and states that, if Triple H is not “man enough” to face him, then he wants the referee to raise his hand in victory! Going against the doctor’s advice not to compete, a weakened, but determined, Triple H makes his way to the ring for the Street Fight! With nerve damage in his neck preventing Triple H from using his left arm fully, “The Game” still went to war with Sheamus in a Street Fight! Triple H still managed to hold his own, but after four pump kicks in a row from Sheamus, it was all over for “The Game” as Sheamus picked up the win! After the match, EMT’s tried to get Triple H onto a backboard to stretcher Triple H out of the arena, but Triple H refused to be wheeled out of the arena! The EMT’s helped Triple H walk, but once they reached the stage, Sheamus re-emerged and delivered yet another pump kick to Triple H! After this vicious attack, the EMT’s loaded an unconscious Triple H onto the stretcher. What is the status of Triple H following the night of hell Sheamus put “The Game” through?
With a table of makeup, a mop and bucket, and an iron board at ringside and legal in the match, it was time for the first ever Extreme Makeover Match as Michelle McCool would defend the Women’s Title against “The Glamazon” Beth Phoenix! Through hairspray, makeup, buckets, and ironing boards, it was Beth Phoenix overcoming McCool and the help of Vickie Guerrero & Layla to hit the Glam Slam en route to winning the Women’s Championship for a third time! How will Michelle McCool, as well as Vickie Guerrero & Layla, respond to the Women’s Title changing hands?
Then it was time for “The Rated-R Superstar” Edge to go one-on-one with intense and personal rival Chris Jericho in a Steel Cage Match! After turning the tables on Chris Jericho by assaulting the ankle of Jericho, it was the Spear that led to Edge’s vindication as “The Rated-R Superstar” picks up the win inside the unforgiving steel structure!
Then it was time for the main event of WWE Extreme Rules as, in the culmination of their intense and personal rivalry, John Cena would defend the WWE Championship against “The Animal” Batista in a Last Man Standing Match! In an incredible war of a Last Man Standing Match that saw Batista put John Cena through a table and the ringside barricade, as well as Cena putting Batista through the announce table with the Attitude Adjustment and Batista firing back by putting Cena through a table a second time with a Spinebuster, it was after Cena failed to win the match after forcing Batista to pass out from Cena’s STF that Cena saw only one option in defeating “The Animal”; an option that will go down in history as the most unique ending to a Last Man Standing Match in WWE history as Cena actually wrapped Batista’s legs around the ring post and duct taped the ankles of Batista together! With Batista being unable to stand due to the duct tape restraint, it was John Cena who used his brains over his brawn to successfully retain the WWE Championship in a grueling and memorable match! What is next for WWE Champion John Cena and Batista? Is this the end of their intense rivalry?