13 WWE Extreme Rules 2019 Impulse Reactions

3. Kofi Kingston (c) Vs. Samoa Joe

Baron Corbin Becky Lynch
WWE

Even better for lingering in the shadow of AJ Styles' deconstruction of Ricochet, Samoa Joe's physical decimation of Kofi Kingston ending in failure provided a unique twist when all looked lost for The New Day member.

The match was objectively good, and cutely booked - Joe dominated before Kingston hit a Trouble In Paradise for a flash victory to subvert the ending of the United States Championship clash earlier in the evening - but it was yet another nothing match in a series of them for the Champion.

Kofi's run of victories has tragically masked a dull babyface reign akin to Styles' last year rather than the transcendent Daniel Bryan run that sat in between the two. Kofi's tear-jerking, history-making WrestleMania win remains the peak of the entire experience, classifying the rest of the tenure as a downward slide.

Joe was one of several men that seemed suited to dethrone the titleholder, but WWE may presumably be lining up Roman Reigns for a big babyface battle at the 'Biggest Party Of The Summer'. Finding tension may be a bigger test for 'The Big Dog' than reclaiming his old treasure.

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Michael is a writer, editor, podcaster and presenter for WhatCulture Wrestling, and has been with the organisation nearly 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. 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