Divas Champion Nikki Bella def. Naomi
Although she ditched her nice girl mentality and forced herself into the No. 1 Contender’s spot, Naomi still came up short in her quest for the Divas Championship against the Fearless Nikki Bella at Extreme Rules, thanks to some assistance from her twin sister, Brie.
Since WrestleMania 31, the reinvigorated Naomi said she was overlooked for a title opportunity, having defeated titleholder Nikki, Natalya and Brie Bella, and sidelined Paige with a vicious attack. On Extreme Rules Kickoff, Naomi told Eden “she’s going to take what she truly earned” – the Divas Championship – but The Bella Twins had another plan.
Nikki control of the match early, but Naomi – who came to the sold-out Allstate Arena with a bold new look, complete with neon color-changing shoes – refused to back down from the challenge. While she missed the move she calls the “Rear View,” Naomi forced Nikki from the ring and followed her to the ringside, where she kicked Brie. Naomi taking her focus away from the champion gave Nikki an opportunity to gain more momentum.
After several near falls, with Naomi nailing an inverted DDT, attempting a split-legged moonsault and nearly pinning Nikki for her first Divas Championship, The Bella Twin backed Naomi onto the ropes, where Brie was waiting with payback – a kick to Naomi’s face as the referee was distracted by Nikki. This allowed the Divas Champion to hit her opponent with a Rack Attack for the win!
With her Extreme Rules victory, Nikki continues her domination, having held the Divas Title for more than five months! Who will dare to step in the Fearless Diva’s – or her helpful sister Brie’s – way?
United States Champion John Cena def. Rusev (Russian Chain Match)
Four weeks after toppling then-unbeaten Rusev at WrestleMania 31 to become United States Champion, John Cena held his star-spangled prize high above his head at Extreme Rules, where The Champ valiantly defeated The Super Athlete in WWE’s first televised Russian Chain Match.
The rules of this unique contest were straightforward, but that simplicity made this barbaric confrontation no less grueling for either Superstar. The rivals were tethered to one another by unbreakable Siberian steel, and the first warrior to incapacitate his opponent long enough to touch all four corners of the ring would be the victor. In the end, it was Cena who was up to that seemingly insurmountable task, but it was far from easy.
Even though The Windy City is often viewed as enemy territory for the Cenation leader, The Champ was met with “USA!” chants as he battled the Russian aggressor. The Super Athlete nevertheless took control early in the match, keeping the Cenation leader on the defensive with skull-rattling kicks and liberal use of the titular chain.
After countering one of Cena’s signature shoulder tackles with a well-timed fall-away slam, Rusev incapacitated The Champ with a massive kick that seemed to seal Cena’s fate. However, when the WWE Universe in Chicago chanted for Lana, prompting some surprising acknowledgement from The Ravishing Russian on the apron, an enraged Rusev ordered her to the back.
Had Lana remained at ringside, she might have devised a way to prevent what would transpire just moments later.
Ryback ended Bo Dallas’ in-ring address
At Extreme Rules, Ryback came. He saw. He feasted on Bo Dallas.
As Dallas disparaged fans inside Chicago’s sold-out Allstate Arena, Ryback charged to the ring to silence the self-centered Superstar. When the two collided, Dallas got a few shots in on The Big Guy, but they weren’t nearly enough to keep him down.
First, the 290-pounder blasted Dallas with a Spinebuster. Next, as the arena erupted in chants of “Feed Me More,” Ryback leveled his foe with a Meathook Clothesline. Then, he finally laid Dallas to waste with a crushing Shell Shocked.
The display of brute force was reminiscent of Ryback’s past Extreme Rules appearances. Making his pay-per-view debut at Extreme Rules 2012, The Big Guy completely decimated two local competitors. One year later, he brutally bulldozed then-WWE Champion Cena through the entrance stage, causing the Last Man Standing Match to end in a rare No Contest.
If Dallas or the WWE Universe didn’t “Bo-lieve” in Ryback before Sunday night, The Big Guy certainly gave them good reason to do so now.
Roman Reigns def. Big Show (Last Man Standing Match)
Roman Reigns defeated Big Show in a brutal Last Man Standing Match at Extreme Rules by trapping his 450-pound opponent underneath the announce table, preventing him from answering the referee’s 10-count.
Reigns entered Chicago’s Allstate Arena with a lot to prove. In the weeks since Reigns’ loss in WrestleMania 31’s main event, Big Show cost him a No. 1 Contender’s Match and viciously assaulted him during WWE’s European tour.
The bruises from those beatings healed, but The Big Dog still had to demonstrate that he could overpower one of WWE’s most destructive competitors. However, under Last Man Standing rules, which require a Superstar to incapacitate his opponent to the point where he cannot rise to his feet before the referee counts to 10, Reigns had a giant task ahead of him.
Big Show asserted his size advantage from the opening bell, yelling “I’m a giant!” after repeatedly knocking Reigns over with ease. Big Show, winner of the second annual Andre the Giant Memorial Battle Royal at WrestleMania, crushed Reigns’ attempts to employ tables and foreign objects early. He literally smashed a table in two by driving his fists through it, then snapped a Kendo stick over his knee like a twig.
Yet The Big Dog wouldn’t be intimidated, and evened the odds by pounding The World’s Largest Athlete with
a chair, prompting the referee’s longer counts. First, the official counted to seven before Big Show could get to his feet. Then Reigns needed an eight-count after suffering a KO Punch. Reigns countered with a Samoan Drop through a table that nearly knocked out both competitors.
Neither Superstar would stay down, though. Reigns endured a spear, a splash and a chokeslam through two tables. The 450-pounder, meanwhile, withstood a top-rope gorilla press slam, two Superman Punches and a Spear through the ringside barricade.
When Big Show stumbled to his feet among the rubble of the barricade, Reigns realized he needed to get creative to keep his colossal opponent down.
With Big Show standing on the English announce table, Reigns sprinted to Spear him through the Spanish one. Then he flipped the still-standing table on top, sandwiching Big Show for a count of 10 to become the Last Man Standing.
Days before stepping into the ring against Big Show, Reigns admitted he could be knocked down, but wouldn’t be kept down. After battling through a KO Punch and literally crushing his much larger rival, made believers of everyone who doubted him.
WWE World Heavyweight Champion Seth Rollins def. Randy Orton (Cage Match, with the RKO banned)
In a Steel Cage Match where the RKO was banned, Randy Orton’s signature maneuver proved to play a pivotal role in the bout’s outcome. Although, in classic RKO fashion, it appeared in a way nobody saw coming.
How The Viper would approach his WWE World Heavyweight Title opportunity against Seth Rollins without the use of his greatest weapon was one of the many questions the WWE Universe was considering going into Extreme Rules. What would the champion do with his J&J Security cronies unable to get involved? And, most pressing, what role would The Authority’s Director of Operations, Kane, play as the bout’s gatekeeper?
Seth answered the second question when he tried to climb out of the cage the moment the bell rang in an attempt to retain his title in the most painless way possible. It wasn’t going to be that easy, though. Orton pulled the champion back into the ring and immediately turned this bout into a fistfight. Despite the punishment he was receiving, Rollins stayed focused on escape – clearly his Plan A going into this defense – and latched onto the wall like Spiderman and climbed to the top whenever Orton attempted to launch him into the steel.
Still, Orton was methodical, abusing Rollins at a deliberate pace. Rollins would attempt to climb out and The Viper would cut him off before brutalizing him with exacting kicks and punches. Rollins soon realized that evasion wasn’t going to work, and found himself trading kicks and punches with the challenger. As the bout progressed, so did the champion’s confidence. He even took a moment to mock The Viper, shouting, “You wanted this!” at his downed opponent.
The bulk of this match proved to be a pure brawl with each competitor throwing their best stuff at the other. The sound of ribs crunching under boots and flesh connecting with bone echoed throughout the All State Arena for the length of the battle.