In 2009, WWE debuted a new Pay-Per-View called Extreme Rules. The idea was to host an event where the majority of the matches had a stipulation. Ladder matches, Tables matches, Street Fights, Steel Cage matches, and more all in one show.
Since most editions of Extreme Rules have come in April and May, it is usually one of the first big shows in the post-WrestleMania part of the year. That could mean WrestleMania rematches or fresh battles we've never seen before. We've looked back at a decade of Extreme Rules and ranked the events from the worst up to the best.
10 Extreme Rules 2013
Following a WrestleMania that most found to be underwhelming, we were given an Extreme Rules that featured three rematches. Chris Jericho vs. Fandango, Brock Lesnar vs. Triple H, and Alberto Del Rio vs. Jack Swagger. Unfortunately, none of those really did much to improve upon the WrestleMania encounters.
There's not anything on this show that would be considered terrible. It just features a whole lot of wildly average stuff while being completely forgettable. The only notable thing to happen on this night was that the Shield all captured their first titles on this night. Dean Ambrose won the United States Title from Kofi Kingston, while Roman Reigns and Seth Rollins bested Team Hell No for the Tag Team Titles.
9 Extreme Rules 2010
This time around, Extreme Rules featured four WrestleMania rematches. And while CM Punk and Rey Mysterio had a better match this go around, the rest of the show came across as a lesser version of the biggest show of the year. Adding the Last Man Standing stipulation to the rivalry between Batista and John Cena didn't help, and the same goes for the Steel Cage stipulation to the Edge and Chris Jericho feud.
What hurts this show is how it pretty much peaks with the second match. After Punk vs. Mysterio, it's pretty downhill. That includes a Strap match pitting former tag partners JTG and Shad Gaspard against each other that is in contention for the worst match in the history of this event.
8 Extreme Rules 2017
With the brand split in full effect, this show was exclusive to the superstars from Raw. They may have wanted to spread out the roster a bit more. The main event saw five of the best wrestlers in one match to determine a new challenger for the Universal Title. Bray Wyatt, Samoa Joe, Finn Balor, Roman Reigns, and Seth Rollins put on one hell of a performance to end the night.
Everything before that Fatal Five Way was either solid (Hardys vs. The Bar, Austin Aries vs. Neville) or forgettable (Dean Ambrose vs. The Miz, Alicia Fox and Noam Dar vs. Sasha Banks and Rich Swann). However, this show also featured a Kendo Stick on a Pole match between Alexa Bliss and Bayley that many fans considered among the worst of the year.
7 Extreme Rules 2015
A show that featured what may have the weirdest stipulation ever as Dolph Ziggler and Sheamus met in a "Kiss Me Arse" match. It was pretty good, though. The Flag match between Rusev and John Cena, the Divas Title match, and the WWE Title match all left a lot to be desired as well.
However, the rest of the card mostly delivered. Who could forget the wild chase that spanned half the night between Dean Ambrose and Luke Harper? Or Roman Reigns overcoming Big Show in a Last Man Standing match? This also marked the first Tag Team Title victory for New Day, when they beat Tyson Kidd and Cesaro in a really good match.
6 Extreme Rules 2018
Last year's edition of Extreme Rules was one of the better installments. The Kickoff Show let us know we were in for a treat with an exhilarating contest pitting Andrade against Sin Cara. That set the tone for a show mostly filled with good matches.
The New Day vs. SAnitY, the reunion of Team Hell No, a hoss battle between Bobby Lashey and Roman Reigns, and an Ironman match for the Intercontinental Title that went into sudden death all made for a strong show. And then there was AJ Styles and Rusev stealing the show in one of the better WWE Title matches of the year.
5 Extreme Rules 2009
The first Extreme Rules set a pretty high bar. It opened with a fast-paced fatal four-way United States Title match and almost never slowed down. That was followed by Rey Mysterio and Chris Jericho having what was arguably their greatest encounter ever, which is saying something given their history.
Admittedly, the show hit a lull in the middle. A rough "Hogpen" match, lackluster Steel Cage, and overly long Submissions match made the show slog a bit. But then it ended with a bang. Jeff Hardy defeated longtime rival Edge in an epic Ladder match to become World Heavyweight Champion. His celebration was short-lived, as CM Punk made a surprise appearance and successfully cashed in his Money in the Bank briefcase to steal the title.
4 Extreme Rules 2011
A show filled with highly entertaining contests and some historic moments. It started with a bang as CM Punk and Randy Orton bested their WrestleMania encounter with the addition of the Last Man Standing stipulation. The same went for Cody Rhodes and Rey Mysterio with the Falls Count Anywhere gimmick. John Cena also picked up another WWE Title when he overcame Miz and John Morrison in the main event.
History was made with the World Heavyweight Title match. Hall of Famer Edge was forced into retirement due to injury a few weeks prior. He vacated his championship and at this event, Edge's rival Alberto Del Rio and Edge's best friend Christian competed in a Ladder match to crown a new champion. After over a decade in the business, Christian won the big one and celebrated with his best friend.
3 Extreme Rules 2016
One of the most consistently good iterations of Extreme Rules. On the whole show, there are only two matches that didn't deliver. We saw Kalisto and Rusev put on a better than expected United States Title fight, while the Club took on The Usos in a blast of a tornado tag match.
Where this show truly shined was in the two top title matches. The Miz successfully defended his Intercontinental Title against Cesaro, Sami Zayn, and Kevin Owens in a stellar contest. To close out the night, Roman Reigns and AJ Styles faced off in an incredibly Extreme Rules Match for the WWE Championship. And then Seth Rollins returned after several months away with injury in an awesome moment.
2 Extreme Rules 2014
Coming out of WrestleMania XXX, WWE was on a hot streak and interest was high. Extreme Rules continued that trend. For starters, Hornswoggle and El Torito competed in the only WeeLC match in history and it was one of the most fun outings you'll ever see. Fans were also treated to Bad News Barrett winning the Intercontinental Title and the first Pay-Per-View appearance of Paige.
Daniel Bryan got to have his one major WWE Title defense before leaving due to injury when he bested Kane after using a flaming table as a weapon. This was the show that also featured the reunion of Evolution for the first time in nearly a decade as they lost to the Shield in an outstanding six-man tag.
1 Extreme Rules 2012
The pinnacle of the Extreme Rules event. The big news in 2012 was the return of Brock Lesnar. He immediately stepped up to challenge John Cena. They headlined this show with one of the most intense brawls anywhere. Both men were battered and bloodied by the end.
But this was far from a one match show. CM Punk and Chris Jericho had a war of a Chicago Street Fight, while Daniel Bryan and Sheamus put on a fantastic show in a Two out of Three Falls contest. The rest of the show is solid, but even if it wasn't, those three were great enough to make it a standout night.