6 Best WWE Extreme Rules PPVs Ever

Having first debuted in the WWE calendar in 2009, the Extreme Rules pay-per-view is one of the more recently devised concepts.

But in those six years, the event has nonetheless managed to establish itself as one of the more impressive “B-list” PPVs. The fact that it boasts a variety of stipulations makes it arguably more exciting than the likes of Hell in a Cell or TLC, and the fact that it boast any kind of stipulations at all puts it ahead of our gimmick-less Fast Lane or Battleground shows.

But of the six evenings since 2009 that the WWE has brought back the hardcore style, which night has been the most impressive?

It’s difficult to gauge what exactly makes a PPV better than another, but that doesn’t mean we can’t take a stab at it. This article take into account a variety of factors such as the overall strength of the card itself, the magnitude of the occasion and the names involved as well as the number of memorable moments created.

Make no mistake though, this doesn’t mean that the lowest entry on this list was necessarily a disaster of a show—merely the worst of a very good bunch.

We kick-off the list with the first official instalment of Extreme Rules from 2009.

The show was headlined by what was in-fact a quality ladder match between Edge and Jeff Hardy for the WWE Championship. And to add to the excitement, Hardy’s victory was followed shortly by a successful Money In the Bank cash-in from CM Punk to close the night in style.

But prior to that, fans had to sit through over 19 minutes of a John Cena vs. Big Show submission match—whereas Randy Orton and Batista only got seven minutes for their WWE title cage match. Furthermore, the finish to Cena vs. Show was shoddy to say the least.

In an attempt to lock in the STF, Cena tried to hook Show’s leg between the ropes. That in itself seems ridiculous enough—even more so when the World’s Largest Athlete’s leg became untangled. Locked in can only be called a choke, and with his foot underneath the bottom rope, Show somewhat lost.

We did see Dreamer’s ECW title pay-off and an excellently booked Intercontinental Championship clash between Chris Jericho and Rey Mysterio, but then came the Hogpen match pitting Santina Marella against Vickie and Chavo Guerroro. Need I say anymore?

Truth be told, the show probably suffered from the fact that it followed the previous years’ One Night Stand show which featured some truly extreme matches—including Cena vs. JBL in a First Blood match and Edge vs. Undertaker in their classic TLC affair.