Favourite "Extreme rules" matches

[tiger_rick]

With the PPV tonight, what are your favourite matches with "Extreme" rules attached?

 

I've been racking my brains to think of the first one I can ever remember seeing, other than cage matches. Nasty Boys/LOD at SummerSlam 1991 had a no DQ/Countout attached but never made anything of it. I can't think of anything before Savage/Crush at WrestleMania 10. I remember loving that match but I've read a lot of criticism of it. Might watch it today to jog my memory.

 

The hardcore title often provided some fun "hardcore" matches. Loved the Holly/Snow match at St. Valentine's Day Massacre that ended up in the river. Not sure if I'm just rose-tinting the golf cart stuff but remember loving Kane/Raven/Show at WM17 too.

 

From the PPV itself the Cena/Lesnar match is the obvious high. The Punk cash in was pretty memorable too. The lowlight has got to be Cole & Swagger vs. Ross & Lawler!

 

My favourite is probably the Cena/Umaga LMS match that I revisited for the Review a Rumble thread earlier this year:

 

I’m excited for this one even after 8 years and the brilliant build up video only adds to it. Umaga's awesome jungle drum music hits and out he walks with Armando Estrada. You have to wonder how he made such a success of this gimmick. On paper it’s so fucking lame. But he looks incredible. The teeth, the tattoo’s, the gear and the thumb. It’s so 80’s but not only does it work in 2007 but you buy him as a real threat to the WWE Champion. Who knows why he’d want the title, presumably Estrada wants the money and fame and is using the big man to get it. It’s the sort of motivation that a character like Bray Wyatt lacks.

 

Cena gets a huge reaction which is mostly positive. He’s wearing a camouflage cap and a "chain gang assault battalion" shirt. He sells the abdomen early and takes a big bump into the steps. Despite being a savage, Umaga is smart enough to go after the midriff and then halts a Cena fight back by taking his head off with a clothesline. He looks around and milks the growing cheers. His work is as great as I remember, I’m pleased to report. It’s hard to believe he was the clumsy fat lad in three minute warning in his previous run. Everything about the way he delivers this character is brilliant. Was it wrestling’s last great stereotype? Until Rusev anyway?

 

Umaga chucks the stairs into the ring but Cena drops him neck first onto the top rope. Cena then picks up the fucking stairs and pegs them over the rope at Umaga. It’s an incredible spot and draws a trademark “GOOD GOD ALMIGHTY” from JR. Lawler thinks Cena could benchpress a VW. The replay shows Umaga got his hands up and halted the impact. He could play in goal for Samoa easy.

 

The big man hits a wheel kick and then slaps on a bearhug. JR speculates whether it's due to Estrada's coaching or his instinct to just squeeze people. He follows up with a big belly to belly which keeps Cena down for an 8 count. The crowd want tables. Probably because the highlight video showed Umaga put Cena through one on Raw.

 

Instead Umaga goes for the the big bottom half of the steps and sets them up in the corner. He leans Cena against them and charges with his running arse thrust. He misses which is a good job or he'd actually have killed him. Cena hits him with the stairs. Umaga gets up at 6. Cena then tries a crossbody from the ropes. What a muppet. He takes a big tilt-a-whirl and deserves to. What was he thinking? Cena blocks a second bonsai drop and sends Umaga into the stairs twice. It’s not enough to keep him down. He then tries an FU (AA) on top of the steps but topples under the weight and crashes into the steps with Umaga’s weight on top of him. It’s a brilliant spot and it could easily have been the end. Cena gets up bleeding at 9. Umaga literally smells blood and viciously attacks him. This is glorious.

 

Duelling chants start up from the crowd which has gotten behind Umaga more as the match has gone on. Cena hulks up but takes a Samoan drop "with the velocity of a car crash". He then blocks the samoan spike but ends up in the tree of woe. There’s a gbit of camera work and direction as they shoot a very bloody Cena. The champ avoids the running headbutt and pulls himself up to hit a top rope legdrop. I’m not convinced headbutting the mat should have hurt Umaga given the stereo type. Cena then takes a TV monitor off Estrada at ringside and clobbers him. This allows “You-maga” (thanks JR) to get up again and go on offence again. Very smart and selfless from the manager to swing it for his man.

 

It’s a match of constant action and terrific spots but this next one is something else. There are three commentary tables side by side at ringside. Umaga sets up Cena on the left hand commentary table (which conveniently has a well-placed cemara man next to it) and runs across the other two before attempting a diving headbutt. Cena moves and he takes the brunt of it. JR is in full on gravelly-voiced sell mode and claims Umaga “tried to end John Cena's professional career”. Umaga gets up at 9.9.

 

Estrada then takes the top turnbuckle right off the ring post and gives it to Umaga to take out Cena with the huge bolt. Cena turns it into an FU and then wraps the ropes around his neck and slaps on an STF. A ridiculously bloody Cena tries to choke the life out of Umaga as JR screams “even monster's gotta breathe”. Umaga somehow makes it to his feet but Cena slaps it on again and pulls even harder. It’s pretty uncomfortable to watch in truth. I doubt even Benoit went this far. Daniel Bryan certainly got the sack for something that paled in comparison.

 

It’s an incredible match. I found it exhausting actually - the end was almost a relief. I think I liked it even more than I did the first time. It’s a bit of a shame that Umaga didn’t win. You know he was never going to but it would have made for great matches and with the benefit of hindsight, Cena chasing him to WM would have been better than the alternative.

[Undefeated Steak]

I love me a good No DQ match.

 

The first one that springs to mind is Raven vs Rhyno from Backlash 2001. Somebody mentioned it recently. Definitely the most 'fun' hardcore/brawl match I can think of.

 

Undertaker vs Triple H from Wrestlemania 27 is one of my favourite matches ever. I won't even try and justify it. There are others on here who've done it better than I ever could.

 

How about Sting v Triple H from this year's Wrestlemania? Actually, scratch that Raven vs Rhyno match - THIS is the most fun NO DQ match ever!

 

Kurt Angle vs Shane O'Mac from KotR 2001. The suplexes through the glass are some of the best bumps you'll see. If you wanna see why Kurt's in the shape he's in then you just need to trace it back to matches like this.

 

Lesnar vs Cena vs Rollins from Royal Rumble. I'm not sure if this was actually a No DQ match but with it being triple threat it was by proxy. Did somebody put this in the wrestlers who looked good in defeat thread? Rollins increased his star power ten fold and Cena and Lesnar looked stronger for it.

 

Edge vs Foley from Wrestlemana 22(?). I can't remember if this is as good as I think it was. I'll watch it on the Network later.

Rock vs Foley from Royal Rumble '99. This was one of my favourite hardcore matches until Benoit. Not sure if I could even go back and watch it now. Those chair shots.

 

Shawn Michaels vs Vince McMahon at Wrestlemania 22. As far as wrestler vs non-wrestlers go, this was as good as any. The diving elbow off the ladder was perfect.

 

Edge must've been in some more memorable street fights/extreme rules matches but I can't think of any (not counting TLC's).  

[air_raid]

The first "no disqualification" match that I watched where they actually made something of the stipulation and surprised me with how far things went was Diesel VS Bret Hart at Survivors 95. It does not hold up today at all compared to everything we've seen since and the average episode of Raw features spots more "extreme" but as a teenager watching that match at the time I was shocked by the action and moreover the tone of the match ; whether it was what the wrestlers were doing to each other, the way Vince/JR/Perfect sold it on commentary or a bit of both, but there was this feeling in the air that somebody was going to get severely hurt. Even before Bret took his spill through the table (which convinced me he was finished), you get to see him tying Big D up with a microphone cord and smacking his leg wantonly with a chair while Earl just stands there watching, powerless. I thought "Umm.... you're going to cripple him here, Bret." For its day I found the match somewhat alarming but compelling.

 

Of course, five months later Shawn Michaels has to top what Bret accomplished here (as was his wont) by permitting the Kevster to strangle him with the ref's belt and Jacknife him through a table, as well as using a fire extinguisher and ending up conking him with a false leg. If I'd seen that match in its entirety and unspoiled at the time it probably would have blown my tiny mind.

[spotlightmagnet1]

Not technically No DQ but it certainly did seem that way in the end, the epic match between The Undertaker and Mankind at King of the Ring 1996. 

 

It was the first time Taker seemed passionate rather than the unfeeling zombie, those over hand punches to Foley in the corner looked so mesmerising as a kid and Foley's head snapping back really showed these two would hate each other for ever. Introducing a steel char, Paul Bearer and other hardcore traits including the elbow from the apron were a revelation. Right finish for the feud too. 

 

While I'm here, James Storm vs. Chris Harris in a Death match was just brutal and gripping. The two had alot of prove after that awful blindfold match and the blood flowed and the action was just bigger than both men could produce at that time or arguably again. Great match.. 

[Professor Paul's Bin]

Not saying it was the best but I am pretty sure the first match in WWE to be an "extreme rules match" was between Chris Benoit and a Gene Snitsky on the go home episode of raw prior to One Night Stand 2005. I recall it being a fun match and setting the PPV rather nicely.

[Arch Stanton]

Rick's review of Cena vs Umaga is great, echoes all my feelings about that match. It's one of my favourite matches of any type, ever. In my top five easily.

 

Also mentioned in that opening post is the sensational Cena vs Lesnar match from 2012. Again, this one would feature in my all time top five.

[HarmonicGenerator]

Many of my favourites have already been mentioned, but if you want an Extreme Rules match, the ECW Originals vs New Breed from the episode of ECW after WrestleMania 23 was tons of fun.

[DCW]

Orton vs Foley at Backlash 04 or 05 is my favourite. Foley got himself into decent shape, and Orton was on his way to the top, and in cracking form. Great storyline and promos from Foley in the lead up too, which made the match even better.

[Callum1993]

I really enjoyed the triple threat hardcore match at Wrestlemania 17 with Kane, Big Show and Raven. Hell of a lot of fun.