10 HUGE WWE Extreme Rules 2019 Predictions You Need To Know
24 hours before Paul Heyman and Eric Bischoff take over, could Brock Lesnar take the title?
Stomping Grounds wasn't anywhere near as awful as loads of folk predicted.
It played out in front of half a crowd, and fell off a cliff about half way through, but WWE doesn't do things by halves so why should you, the loyal audience? Much of first hour or so was very good Sports Entertainment with occasional bursts of quality pro wrestling too - the absolute maximum anybody could realistically be permitted to request from a unnecessary WWE B-show.
The show could flatter to deceive. The card looks good on paper, which has been something of a curse in comparison to the events with no expectations. Extreme Rules also has a wrinkle of additional intrigue - WWE's creative process will change a night later when Paul Heyman and Eric Bischoff assume more creative control of the Raw and SmackDown Live in their new Executive Director roles.
The slow stroll to SummerSlam will presumably shoot up a gear as the new starters look to test what old ideas might work yet again, but Sunday's supercard may sneak in early with a few of the oldest tricks...
10. Drew Gulak (c) Vs. Tony Nese
Drew Gulak's Cruiserweight Championship victory at last month's Stomping Grounds came as 205 Live was experiencing a community-level renaissance thanks to episodes laced with action that took place in the preceding weeks.
Gulak's victory, with no disrespect intended to slightly bland babyface Nese, was testament to that.
The man once booked to ban flips unless they were animations on a powerpoint presentation was now finally being promoted as one of the best hybrid talents on the brand, and looked pitch perfect in the position of Champion the second he was given the strap.
It's for this reason he has to keep it, too. A singles match between the pair will support and sustain the new Champion as the best in show, whilst Tony Nese's time at the top may now have reached its premature climax.
Unideal for the WrestleMania Kickoff show winner, but this at least marks his third consecutive pay-per-view - three more than former champion and now-all-too-literal 'Best Kept Secret' Buddy Murphy.
Winner - Drew Gulak