10 Best WWE Pay-Per-Views Of The Past Decade

7. Extreme Rules 2012

CM Punk Brock Lesnar
WWE.com

John Cena's decimation at the fightgloved hands of Brock Lesnar was diluted slightly by the farcical decision to put 'The Champ' over after a pillar-to-post pasting from the recent returnee. It survives scrutiny on rewatch as much due to the sheer ferocity of Brock's 'Beast'-like beatings and his hilarious handling of downed referee Charles Robinson.

So often (rightly) accused of not giving a single f*ck, Lesnar used the emotion to his advantage by creating hitherto unseen chaos amidst his every destructive step. Shock and awe filled the scene as the realisation of what his return truly represented seeped through an open-mouthed crowd.

The card also played host to WrestleMania rematches far superior to the disappointing originals. Chris Jericho and CM Punk naturally benefitted from the Chicago locale (and Street Fight stipulation), whilst Daniel Bryan and Sheamus atoned for their infamous 18 second opener with a spectacular two-out-of-three falls tussle.

The Big Show returning the Intercontinental Title to Cody Rhodes by stepping through a table was a disappointing and dispiriting back-track, but there was little else to complain about on a typically electric evening at the Allstate Arena.

 
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Michael is a writer, editor, podcaster and presenter for WhatCulture Wrestling, and has been with the organisation over 8 years. He primarily produces written, audio and video content on WWE and AEW, but also provides knowledge and insights on all aspects of the wrestling industry thanks to a passion for it dating back over 35 years. As one third of "The Dadley Boyz" Michael has contributed to the huge rise in popularity of the WhatCulture Wrestling Podcast and its accompanying YouTube channel, earning it top spot in the UK's wrestling podcast charts with well over 62,000,000 total downloads. Within the podcasting space, he also co-hosts Benno & Hamflett, In Your House! and Podcast Horseman: The BoJack Horseman Podcast. He has been featured as a wrestling analyst for the Tampa Bay Times, GRAPPL, GCP, Poisonrana and Sports Guys Talking Wrestling, and has covered milestone events in New York, Dallas, Las Vegas, Philadelphia, London and Cardiff. Michael's background in media stretches beyond wrestling coverage, with a degree in Journalism from the University Of Sunderland (2:1) and a series of published articles in sports, music and culture magazines The Crack, A Love Supreme and Pilot. When not offering his voice up for daily wrestling podcasts, he can be found losing it singing far too loud watching his favourite bands play live. Follow him on X/Twitter - @MichaelHamflett