7 Ups And 9 Downs From WWE Extreme Rules 2018
3. Going Low For The Win
Unlike the SmackDown Women’s Championship match, which also ended due to screwy circumstances, the United States Championship match ended after a less than honorable action.
Just after ring introductions had been finished, Shinsuke Nakamura hit a now-signature low blow on champ Jeff Hardy, dropping him before the bell. Foolishly, Hardy told the referee to ring the bell, leading to an immediate Kinshasa and a new U.S. champ.
In this case, it fit perfectly, with Nakamura resorting to such tactics regularly to try unsuccessfully to win the WWE Championship from AJ Styles, so it was bound to pay off at some point. On top of that, it helps that Nak can actually back up his tactics in the ring when it’s needed.
This time, Hardy’s hubris led to his downfall, as he agreed to start the match before he could even stand on his own. And this dastardly win opens the door for the two to have a serious rematch in the future.