The following results, courtesy of WWE’s official website are from a recent WWE pay-per-view event. WWE Extreme Rules took place at the Allstate Arena on April 29th, 2012 in Chicago, Illinois and aired live at 8pm Eastern on pay-per-view.
John Cena def. Brock Lesnar (Extreme Rules Match)
The pain came, was felt and was conquered by John Cena at Extreme Rules, where the dogged warrior reacquainted himself with ruthless aggression against a reborn threat in Brock Lesnar. In a grisly, torturous and barbaric Extreme Rules Match, the Cenation leader stood blow-for-blow with a veritable fighting machine, hell-bent on reshaping WWE in his chiseled likeness. Lesnar, the man who dismissed the moniker of “Superstar” and vowed to “legitimize” WWE, had very specific plans for his emerald green-teed opponent, who’s long represented the idealistic mores of hustle, loyalty and respect. Under such extreme conditions where literally no rule was more tantamount than to maul, batter and disable your opponent by any means necessary, the hard-hitting beast named Brock aimed to deconstruct John Cena and make him know pain. A human wrecking ball was on the downswing and swooping toward Cena with just enough velocity to demolish a near decade-long legacy as WWE’s most brilliant star. And if The Cenation Commander-in-Chief couldn’t withstand its force, that ball’s trajectory would pummel WWE and require a landscape-wide reimagining – the age of Brock. But this brave, new world, it would seem, was not meant to be at Extreme Rules.
It was starting to look like the worst month in the career of the jocular, ever-triumphant John Cena. Spinning out of a devastating defeat on The Grandest Stage of Them All to The Rock, the Cenation leader succumbed to the ruthless aggression of a past foe just 24 hours after WrestleMania XXVIII. Brock Lesnar reemerged in WWE after an eight-year hiatus on April 2 and delivered an F-5 that sent all of WWE into a tailspin. The ensuing weeks were progressively worse for Cena as he left Raw wounded, embarrassed and beaten. And yet, John Cena signed the contract for an anything-goes encounter with an unpredictable individual who returned simply for fame and glory, if not to see his namesake on the marquee of Monday Night Raw. Wholly committed to WWE – even against the harshly audible disapproval of the crowd around him in Chicago – Cena charged into battle not just for himself, but for an entire universe. Reminiscent of his last pay-per-view bout in the Allstate Arena against red-hot hometown hero CM Punk at Money in the Bank, the 10-time WWE Champion was met by deafening jeers against the callous goliath. Fueled perhaps by the “Cutting Edge” pep talk from The Rated-R Superstar on Raw SuperShow or maybe by the pair of F-5s (and flagrant low blow) sustained at the hands of Lesnar, Cena arrived in the Windy City without the fear Brock expected he’d instilled. With Edge’s words resonating on the other side of his tight and high fade, Cena’s mind was focused the former UFC champion.
The bell rang and the two collided in the immediate center of the ring, with Lesnar taking Cena down to the mat for a series of wounding blows to the skull. Blood flowed from Brock’s prey as WWE medical technicians tended to The Cenation Commander-in-Chief, who exploded back at his gloved enemy. Still, no haymaker or shoulder tackle could rattle Lesnar, a former Royal Rumble winner and King of the Ring, as he dismantled Cena. The bloodied lip administered weeks ago by Brock was just a preview of the abuse Lesnar unfurled onto his denim-shorted rival. Systematically cruel, Brock channeled the skillset honed within the octagon by targeting Cena’s body and limbs. After working his left arm, the former mixed martial arts heavyweight hung his foe from the ringpost just above his hightops, while the blood kept pouring. Slowly, it appeared the demands by Lesnar were a mere three-count or submission away.
Toyed with by his much taller aggressor, Cena struggled to regain his footing and found himself countered at every turn, eventually caught in a crushing Kimura Lock atop the steel ringsteps tossed into the squared circle by Brock. Amused by the carnage, Lesnar made a crucial mistake, taking a high risk leap toward an apron-planted Cena. The bloodied Superstar was ready for Brock, who propelled directly into a steel chain-wrapped fist, which drew crimson fluid from Lesnar’s head. Then, it was ultimately the move derived from Brock’s own F-5 roughly nine years ago – the Attitude Adjustment – that wrought an end to the mayhem. Hoisted upon the Cenation leader’s shoulders, Lesnar couldn’t escape the plummet onto the steel steps that followed and the resounding pinfall defeat at the hands of WWE’s square-jawed hero – a moment that actually brought even the staunchest anti-Cena crowd in the Windy City to its feet. As the world witnessed, there was clearly nothing “running down his leg” like Lesnar teased. Rather, it was adrenaline running through Cena’s bruised body. In the sold-out scene of Chicago’s Allstate Arena, the resilient Cena felled the “wrecking machine” and took the first step toward rebuilding. While the world waits to learn the fate of John Cena, who alluded to possibly “going away for a while” in the aftermath of the brawl on pay-per-view, the WWE Universe takes solace in knowing there will be no “new face of WWE.” On the contrary, in the fallout of Extreme Rules 2012, the face of WWE still features a tightly formed salute below the brim of a bright green hat. For now.
Layla def. Nikki Bella (New Divas Champion)
After being absent from WWE for nearly a year, Layla stunned Nikki Bella and the entire WWE Universe with a surprise appearance at Extreme Rules to capture the Divas Championship inside the sold-out Allstate Arena. The win came via a vicious neckbreaker from Layla to Brie, who entered the fray when the twins switched places in the match. Despite past successes with such tactics, this time, Twin Magic failed. Although Beth Phoenix was originally scheduled to compete against Nikki, she was not medically cleared to compete, as first reported earlier in the day on WWE’s Breaking News Alert service. “As soon as I’m medically cleared, this (the Divas Title) is coming home with me,” the unfazed Glamazon said regarding the news. Before the match, Eve announced a mystery opponent would take The Glamazon’s place. However, no one could have expected it would be the British-born beauty, Layla! The win marks the second Divas Championship for Layla. However, her first reign came amidst controversy when she and Michelle McCool were self-professed co-champions in 2010. As part of her championship resume, Layla is also recognized as the final holder of WWE Women’s Championship when the title was retired in 2010. She won the coveted prize with McCool at her side in a 2-on-1 Handicap Match against Phoenix on the May 14, 2010 edition of SmackDown. Layla’s surprise appearance at Extreme Rules 2012 was her first in the ring since the May 13, 2011 edition of SmackDown, when Kharma brutally assaulted her. The attack aggravated an already injured knee Layla sustained in an emotionally-charged Loser Leaves WWE Match at Extreme Rules 2011 when she beat Michelle McCool. With Layla back and better than ever, who will be the first to challenge her? Tune in to Monday’s Raw SuperShow at 9/8 CT on USA Network.
WWE Champion CM Punk def. Chris Jericho (Chicago Street Fight)
For weeks upon exhausting weeks, Chris Jericho attempted to publicly humiliate WWE Champion CM Punk and damage his family’s reputation with wild accusations. At Extreme Rules, in front of a sold-out crowd that included his sister and other family members at ringside, Punk finally got an opportunity to destroy his most hated adversary once and for all. Fittingly, the two Superstars battled in WWE’s second-ever Chicago Street Fight, a grueling contest where the only way to win was by pinfall or submission – with no count-outs and no disqualifications. The last time Punk fought on a pay-per-view in his hometown of Chicago, he pulled off a remarkable upset over John Cena to capture his first WWE Championship. With that stunning win at Money in the Bank still fresh in the Chicagoans’ minds, Punk was showered with deafening cheers at the Allstate Arena as he made his way down the entrance ramp to take on Jericho.
Wearing a T-shirt that proclaimed “Drug Free” on the front and “Poison Free” on the back, Punk wasted no time dishing out punishment by lashing his opponent with a kendo stick. Jericho weathered the initial attack and returned the favor while brawling with Punk on the outside. Tempers flared when Jericho taunted Punk’s sister at ringside, a bold action that resulted in a slap across Jericho’s face from Punk’s sister as The Straight Edge Superstar flew into a rage. After beating each other mercilessly with the tops of the announce tables, Jericho reached for a can of beer and drenched the WWE Champion. However, as with his previous attempts to embarrass Punk, it just added fuel to his competitive fire. Punk rallied back and went for the Go To Sleep, but Jericho evaded the finishing move and slapped on the Walls of Jericho, which Punk then countered and nearly notched a pinfall. Further showing his resiliency, Jericho kicked out following Punk’s big elbow drop from the top rope, and later slipped out of a second Go To Sleep attempt. As Jericho locked Punk in the Walls of Jericho following a Codebreaker, The Straight Edge Superstar crawled to escape the hold, but under the rules of a Chicago Street Fight, he was unable to break the submission by grabbing the ropes. In an act of desperation, Punk reached under the ring and discovered a fire extinguisher, blasting his rival in the face to regain momentum in the match.
With a breathtaking leap to the outside, The Straight Edge Superstar drove his elbow into Jericho’s chest, shattering the announce table. Even that devastating blow wasn’t enough to keep Jericho down for good, as he escaped an Anaconda Vise attempt by whacking Punk repeatedly in the head with a kendo stick. After Punk survived a Codebreaker onto a steel chair, Jericho tried to mock the WWE Champion with the Go To Sleep, holding up Punk above his shoulders while screaming “I am the best in the world!” The moment to gloat backfired, though, as Punk reversed it with a slingshot into the turnbuckle and followed with the Go To Sleep for the incredible victory. At one point, it seemed like The Straight Edge Superstar would never shake the constant harassment from a rival intent on taking away his title. As The Second City Savior leapt into the crowd Sunday night and soaked in the ovation from his Chicago supporters, all of the ridicule and torment from Jericho appeared to be a distant memory. Mind games couldn’t break Punk; they only made him a stronger WWE Champion.
Ryback def. Aaron Relic and Jay Hatton
When Ryback marches into an arena, there’s only one certainty for his opponents – destruction. It was no different for the two Chicago-based competitors who took on the machine-like Superstar at Extreme Rules. The two competitors thought they had a mathematic advantage prior to the opening bell. Showing their work to the WWE Universe, the pair explained that two was, in fact, greater than one, which would give them a clear path to victory. Ryback, however, showed he doesn’t care much for numbers. As Santino Marella and The Great Khali watched from backstage, the near-300-pounder systematically picked apart his opponents in short order. The two Chicago locals had no way of defending the offensive onslaught of Ryback. After a rapid-fire series of vicious strikes and slams, Ryback put his opposition out of their misery. The Milan Miracle and The Punjabi Nightmare, like the WWE Universe, watched in amazement as one of WWE’s newest Superstars continued along his path of destruction. While Ryback is a man of very few words, what he has said following his dominating victories has left no questions as to his desire. “Feed me more!”
World Heavyweight Champion Sheamus def. Daniel Bryan (2-out-of-3 Falls Match)
With Chicago’s Allstate Arena filled to the rafters for Extreme Rules, World Heavyweight Champion Sheamus successfully defended his title against Daniel Bryan in a 2-out-of-3 Falls Match. In the end, it wasn’t a match as much as an Extreme war, in which two Superstars would leave absolutely everything they had on the canvas. Since winning the World Heavyweight Title from Daniel Bryan at WrestleMania, Sheamus’ hands had been full, not only with the former champion, but also with WWE EVP John Laurinaitis. After The Great White lost his cool and Brogue Kicked a referee on April 6, the General Manager of both Raw and SmackDown issued him the record-setting fine of $500,000 and put him on “permanent probation.” The Celtic Warrior’s frustration could only be outdone by Bryan’s humiliation. After losing the World Title in 18 seconds at The Showcase of the Immortals, WWE’s resident “Yes!” man dismissed his defeat as nothing more than a “fluke.” In fact, when given the right to choose the stipulation of his title rematch, he selected 2-out-of-3 Falls – with the goal of defeating The Great White twice and ultimately prove his superiority. But, before their potentially three-part rematch could take place, the submission specialist would look to distance himself from his girlfriend AJ. Placing the blame for all his problems on the spitfire Diva’s shoulders, he broke up with her in the cruelest fashion possible – eventually telling her that he “wished [she was] never born.” As a result, AJ would completely snap – first on third-generation Diva Natalya and then on her best friend Kaitlyn. For Sheamus and Bryan, the road to the Extreme was paved with frustration, humiliation and unbridled emotion, all of which would collide to create one of the most chaotic 2-out-of-3 Falls Matches in recent memory.
From the opening bell of their earth-shattering World Heavyweight Title showdown, the first fall was all about absolute physical brutality – pitting The Great White’s unrelenting intensity against Bryan’s pure technical excellence. With such a furious contest – filled with countless near falls – it was hard to imagine that its conclusion would only be the beginning. However, after Bryan injured Sheamus’ left arm, he smelled blood in the water. In his assault that followed, the challenger repeatedly kicked his prey. When he wouldn’t stop, the referee disqualified him, awarding The Celtic Warrior his first crucial win. Daniel Bryan isn’t known as the submission specialist for nothing. Roaring back after losing the first fall of the match, the former champion immediately cinched in one of the most dangerous submission holds in WWE, the “Yes!” Lock. Despite his injury, The Celtic Warrior would not go gently into the night. Caught in a trap of excruciating pain, the tough-as-nails World Heavyweight Champion still refused to tap. Instead, he would keep fighting until he passed out, giving the referee no choice but to award the second fall to the No. 1 contender. Though Sheamus showed tremendous intestinal fortitude by refusing to tap out, he ultimately paid a huge price going into the third and final fall. Before things could continue, WWE medical personnel rushed to the ring to make sure he was able to keep going. The World Heavyweight Champion would again power through the pain, insisting that it was not over. In the culmination of the back-and-forth onslaught that ensued, Sheamus delivered an earth-shattering Brogue Kick so daunting that it practically made Bryan’s body flip back 360 degrees in mid-air. The Great White dropped down onto his adversary – picking up the three-count to end the incredible war that had just taken place – and cemented his Extreme triumph in heroic fashion.
Cody Rhodes def. Intercontinental Champion Big Show (New Champion; Tables Match)
Less than one month after he put his best foot forward at WrestleMania, Big Show took one errant step that ultimately cost him his championship gold. The title reign of The World’s Largest Athlete came to an abrupt end at Allstate Arena in Chicago on Sunday night as Cody Rhodes came away victorious from their Tables Match at WWE Extreme Rules to become the Intercontinental Champion for the second time. Big Show appeared in total control from the bout’s outset, but a timely dropkick by Rhodes caught the champion off-guard and sent the sizable Superstar reeling as his leg crashed through a ringside table for a shocking result. Both competitors showed no difficulty in reigniting their heated rivalry despite being unaware of the Tables Match stipulation until the WWE Extreme Rules Pre-Show on WWE.com. John Laurinaitis, the General Manager of Raw and SmackDown, ordered that a spin of the wheel during the Pre-Show would determine how Big Show and Rhodes would contest the rematch from their Intercontinental Championship clash at WrestleMania XXVIII. Though neither Superstar has competed in a Tables Match in recent memory, the stipulation initially appeared to favor The World’s Largest Athlete by virtue of his size advantage. For the technically-proficient Rhodes to win, he would somehow need to overcome his 441-pound opponent’s size advantage and put him through a wooden table.
Big Show seized early momentum with a series of blows and shoulder blocks that brutally wore down his rival’s resiliency. Rhodes audibly writhed in agony as The World’s Largest Athlete set up three different tables at ringside in hopes of bringing their bout to a quick end. However, a momentary lapse in concentration by Big Show allowed the challenger to finally “poke the bear” in the spirit of his father, WWE Hall of Famer Dusty Rhodes. The younger Rhodes, who previously held the Intercontinental Title for 233 days, rose to his feet and executed a dropkick as the 7-foot champion casually extended his foot to climb back in the ring. The attack sent Big Show’s right leg whirling around until the skyscraping Superstar attempted to regain his balance by stepping down to the ringside floor – and, unfortunately, through a table. WWE referee Justin King interpreted the course of events as being triggered by the challenger and signaled for the bell that would crown Rhodes as the new Intercontinental Champion. Frustrated by the result, Big Show took his temper out on the new titleholder by putting him through two of the tables he’d previously set up during the match. It left him with a moral victory over his longtime rival, but also without the championship gold he’d attained only four weeks earlier. With the win, Rhodes also added a notable milestone to the history of the Intercontinental Championship. Though the victory adds his name to the list of 69 past champions to have won the illustrious title multiple times, Rhodes becomes the first to have ever become the Intercontinental Champion by winning it in a Tables Match.
Brodus Clay def. Dolph Ziggler
It seems The Funksaurus won’t be facing extinction anytime soon. Despite a Herculean effort by Dolph Ziggler, The Funky One rolled through his opponent to keep The Show-Off in check at Extreme Rules at Chicago’s sold-out Allstate Arena. This unlikely rivalry between Ziggler and Brodus Clay first unspooled the night after WrestleMania XXVIII, when Ziggler attempted to charge U.S. Champion Santino Marella on the entrance ramp and Clay ran interference. Since then, The Show-Off has clashed with The Funkasaurus over several weeks, but on this night, the two took their issues to the pay-per-view stage. The contest was appropriately high-volume, with Ziggler relying on his technical prowess and Clay staying grounded in his signature power game. Brawn ultimately prevailed in the end, when The Funkasaurus shook off a Ziggler sleeper hold (and Jack Swagger interference) and Clay administered his signature headbutt-splash combo to pin The Show-Off’s shoulders against the mat. When it was all said and done, Ziggler was left to retreat to the locker room area, while Hornswoggle and The Funkadactyls swarmed the ring and celebrated the only way they knew how: a dance party. And funk is still on a roll.
Randy Orton def. Kane (Falls Count Anywhere Match)
In an all-out brawl that went all over the sold-out Allstate Arena, Randy Orton gained a measure of retribution over Kane in a Falls Count Anywhere Match, vanquishing The Big Red Monster with a vicious RKO onto a steel chair. The rules of this contest were designed to be simple, yet brutal. Pinfalls and submissions could be counted anywhere inside the arena, leaving both Superstars to their devices. Orton had vowed to show Kane how sick and twisted he could get and did just that. It didn’t take long for things to get extreme, as Kane grabbed a lead pipe, setting off a brawl that saw the Superstars batter each other with all sorts of objects as they went out into the WWE Universe and backstage.
The match at Extreme Rules seemed to be the only way to settle things between the two. After Kane’s victory over The Viper at WrestleMania XXVIII, matters between the two Superstars intensified. Orton survived a vicious steel chair attack by Kane, defeating him in a No Disqualification Match on SmackDown. That same chair served as the tool to seal Kane’s end on pay-per-view. The Big Red Monster took things to an extremely personal level soon after, attacking the father of The Viper, WWE Hall of Famer Cowboy Bob Orton, with a lead pipe on SuperSmackDown Live. WWE’s Apex Predator tried to retaliate several weeks later on Raw SuperShow by locking Kane’s father, Paul Bearer, in a freezer. The Big Red Monster, however, could not have cared less, as he removed Bearer from the chilly enclosure for a spell, then putting him back on ice. The coldest blow, however, would come at Extreme Rules. The end of this cruel contest brings the rivalry between Orton and Kane full-circle. During a Street Fight last summer on SmackDown, it was also a chair-assisted RKO that felled the giant. On that evening, Kane shook the hand of The Viper, a rare show of respect that sent The Devil’s Favorite Demon on a journey to shed himself of any humanity. Since returning to SmackDown, Kane has set his sights on Orton, aiming to exercise any trace of decency left in his demonic body. In his continuing effort to make hatred the prevailing emotion in WWE, Kane targeted Orton, trying to bring out the real Viper and make him an instrument of destruction. The Big Red Monster may have succeeded, but unfortunately, Orton set out to destroy Kane. At Extreme Rules, there was neither respect nor humanity between the two Superstars, just animosity. When all was said and done, it was Randy Orton who walked away from the carnage.
United States Champion Santino Marella def. The Miz
The Miz’s quest to reclaim championship gold fell short yet again when he challenged Santino Marella for the United States Championship in the live WWE.com Pre-Show for Extreme Rules 2012. The Awesome One has made it a point to claw his way back to the top of the WWE ladder, and his chance to claim The Italian Stallion’s championship has been his biggest opportunity since proving himself the hero of Team Johnny at WrestleMania XXVIII. Miz said as much to the assembled throngs of the WWE Universe at the sold-out Allstate Arena in Chicago. As viewers tuned into the exclusive stream on WWE.com, WWE’s Facebook page, and YouTube.com/WWE, the challenger stalked to the ring and declared himself more worthy of a main event bout than either John Cena or Brock Lesnar. “I singlehandedly gave John Laurinaitis his powerful vision,” snarled The Miz as the WWE Universe rained boos around him. “I don’t care where you put me,” he said, claiming that he would be the most talked-about Superstar on the roster the next day. “Understand this if you understand anything: I am winning the United States Title.” Alas, The Miz’s ascent will have to wait, as The Milan Miracle withstood the high-octane offense of his foe to incapacitate The Awesome One and set himself up for the win. Santino, who was the captain of Team Teddy at WrestleMania, ultimately avenged his squad’s loss at The Show of Shows by striking The Awesome One with the Cobra to retain his stars-and-stripes festooned championship. The blow was enough to send The Miz stewing back to the locker room, waiting and scheming for when his next opportunity comes.