It was just a week ago that this column stated that the future for two of the WWE’s greatest characters, The Big Show and Kane, were at breaking point in terms of their in-ring futures.
At the Extreme Rules PPV we saw one excel and the other continue to disappoint.
– WWE TLC: The demise of Kane, once the most feared superstar of all
– WWE TLC: Raw’s flying circus lands in the UK with mixed success
– WWE TLC: WrestleMania 31 may usher in greatest generation in history
The night’s main event pitted World Heavyweight champion Seth Rollins against Randy Orton in the tantalising prospect of a steel cage match on the back of a rivalry which has gained fierce momentum in recent weeks.
While the pair were predictably reliable in combat it was the distraction of Kane as ‘gatekeeper’ which took enough of the shine off of the showdown to render it good rather than great.
Had the two been let to get on with it and let the animosity and their in-ring chemistry do the talking, we would surely have walked away from this pay-per-view with jaws dropped.
The two will continue their battles in the coming weeks and there will surely be a classic sooner rather than later but it felt like a missed opportunity inside the steel structure.
When one table isn’t enough, go for TWO! Reigns pins down Big Show for 10 count! #LastManStanding #ExtremeRules pic.twitter.com/Gx5UFPNw0v
— WWE (@WWE) April 27, 2015
Meanwhile, Big Show and Reigns stole the headlines in an enthralling matchup that saw them leave a trail of broken tables in their wake.
It was a much-needed strong performance from Show, who thrived in partnership with Reigns.
The latter’s presence at the top of the card following defeat at WrestleMania is encouraging and shows how much the WWE rate him. In showing him as the man that refuses to give up and overcoming the
World’s Strongest Athlete in such a manner, the WWE also managed to sell Reigns as a rightful wrestler at the top of the table.
Elsewhere on the card, John Cena and Rusev met in the Russian Chain Match with the former successfully defending his US Title.
A sluggish affair, a lot was lost in the failure of either Superstar making the most of the weapon at their disposal. It culminated in a rather disappointing third part of the trilogy between the pair.
Ambrose to Harper: What weapon should I use next?? #ChicagoStreetFight #ExtremeRules pic.twitter.com/FMMVgZGWSD
— WWE Universe (@WWEUniverse) April 27, 2015
A major positive from the night was Adrian Neville continuing his impressive transition from NXT top dog to main roster middle card combatant in superb style.
Filling in for the injured Daniel Bryan, Neville took on Bad News Barrett with a display that further enhanced his growing reputation.
Darren Ambrose secured a much needed win, Nikki Bella retained her WWE Divas title and The New Day claimed the Tag Titles at Extreme Rules in less memorable showings.
None of them were failures but neither did they leave lasting memories from the PPV.
