Extreme Rules 2021 is now in the books. While it wasn’t set up as an all-time classic PPV, it did come at a unique time as WWE has been shaking up its programming of late, and demonstrating a bit of a heightened sense of urgency opposite a surging AEW. It was also the final PPV before a new draft offers bigger changes to the rosters associated with each brand. So, what pieces of trivia and subtleties took shape at the event? There were a number worth nothing
Alexa Bliss Comes Full Circle From Character To Title Contender At Extreme Rules
It may feel like ages ago, but it was at the most recent Extreme Rules PPV, specially branded as The Horror Show in 2020, where we first caught a glimpse of the darker persona that has come to redefine Alexa Bliss. After being a regular fixture in the title scene of one brand or the other The Goddess took a sharp left turn when she appeared in an eerie cameo for The Swamp Fight between Bray Wyatt and Braun Strowman. Though Bliss at first appeared a reticent participant—if not a victim—in Wyatt’s machinations, she settled into a more regular role as his sidekick before breaking out on her own.
Throughout Bliss’s supernatural run, she has largely operated as an island among the women’s roster, not wrestling much at all for an extended stretch before entering pointed feuds, away from any titles, first with Shayna Baszler and then with Eva Marie. This next round of Extreme Rules saw her come full circle, though, challenging for the Raw Women’s Championship after, for the first time in her main roster career, going over a year without working at title match.
Fiend Tactics Proved Ineffective At Extreme Rules
Fans can debate Bray Wyatt’s successes in WWE, including whether he ultimately benefited from big opportunities or was held back by WWE’s creative input. Regardless, he absolutely enjoyed a great deal of success in the ring, particularly under his Fiend persona. As The Fiend, Wyatt squashed Finn Balor, beat John Cena at WrestleMania, defeated Braun Strowman for the WWE Championship, and took the Universal Championship off of Seth Rollins. Among his defining characteristics were an overaching sense of mysticism around his character, and his signature red light for his matches.
Alexa Bliss has been largely unbeatable since taking on Fiendish mannerisms of her own, but fans saw the limitations of that run as she finally succumbed to a clean pin fall defeat at the hands of Charlotte Flair at Extreme Rules. Meanwhile, Finn Balor’s Demon character used red light to power up in the late stages of his match, only for the top ring rope to collapse and allow Roman Reigns to steal the victory. In each case, the kinds of tactics and personas that were attached to The Fiend came up short at this PPV. It’s probably a coincidence, but could also be a subtle jab if the rumors are true and Wyatt is gearing up to debut for another promotion soon.
The First Time Bobby Lashley Was Pinned Or Submitted On PPV Since June 2020
Bobby Lashley has had a great 2020. Though he lost his first two PPV outings, the first one saw the numbers game catch up to him as four men teamed up to get him out of the Royal Rumble. The second instance, at Elimination Chamber, saw Lashley lose his US Championship in a Triple Threat Match for which he wasn’t involved in the final pin. After that point, Lashley entered his every PPV match as reigning WWE Champion and walked out the same way. That is, until Extreme Rules.
Lashley actually hadn’t been pinned or submitted on PPV since June 2020, when Drew McIntyre pinned him at Backlash. Lashley was a largely dominant force from that point forward, up until Big E pinned him in the six-man tag team match at Extreme Rules 2021.
None Of The Women Who Wrestled At Extreme Rules Wrestled At The Previous Year’s Event
There’s a reasonable criticism that tends to apply to WWE’s women’s programming that there are a select few women who regularly get featured toward the top and get the championship spotlight. The former Four Horsewomen of NXT, Bayley, Sasha Banks, Becky Lynch, and Charlotte Flair represent the top tier, with Asuka and Alexa Bliss just behind them. Bianca Belair, Rhea Ripley, and perhaps Nikki ASH have knocked on the glass ceiling and are arguably approaching that top level.
Interestingly enough, though, not a single one of the women who worked a match at this year’s Extreme Rules worked a match at the same PPV in 2020. The two women’s matches at that event saw Bayley defend the SmackDown Women’s Championship against Nikki Cross and Asuka defend the Raw title against Sasha Banks. Bliss was the closest thing to a crossover performer, for having appeared in Cross’s corner and then made an appearance in the main event Swamp Fight in 2020, befor her loss in 2021.
All But One Of The Black WWE Champions To Have Ever Reigned Wrestled In One Match
While a number of black WWE Superstars have enjoyed success in recent years, WWE’s track record is not great, historically, when it comes to black wrestlers reaching the top of the mountain. Indeed, prior to 2021, only two black wrestlers had held the WWE Championship: The Rock (who identifies as half-black and half-Samoan) and Kofi Kingston.
When Big E took the WWE Championship off of Bobby Lashley, it marked the first time that title changed hands between two black wrestlers. With the two of them and Kingston working the opening six-man tag team match of Extreme Rules, that means that three out of the four black men to have ever held that belt were involved in this single outing.
The First PPV Post-ThunderDome Not To Have A Title Change
WrestleMania 37, Money in the Bank 2021, and SummerSlam 2021 all marked a major shift as WWE emerged from months of programming set in The ThunderDome to perform in front of proper live crowds again. Each of these events was marked by multiple title changes. WrestleMania and SummerSlam each saw both Women’s Championships and the Raw Tag Team Championship change hands. At Money in the Bank, the SmackDown Tag Team Championship and Raw Women’s Championship transitioned to new title holders.
These moves made sense as WWE popped live crowds with big moments. The dust began to settle at Extreme Rules, though. Despite five tites being on the line, every champion retained at this event.
Extreme Rules was a reasonably well received PPV that included the return of Sasha Banks and particularly good tag team action. The climactic two title matches each offered over fifteen minutes of excellent wrestling, despite underwhileming finishes. In the end, the PPV certainly won’t go down as one of the greatest of all time, but nonetheless had its moments—hidden or otherwise.