The Best Match From Every 2021 WWE PPV

Rife with red flags, plagued by poor planning and mired in mediocrity, Extreme Rules 2021 actually did produce one gem, albeit with a myopic conclusion.

When eleventh-hour complications scuttled a planned WrestleMania rematch between Bianca Belair and Sasha Banks at SummerSlam, an audible was called for Becky Lynch to return from a 16-month hiatus for a surefire blockbuster in Sasha's stead. However, in the aftermath of 'The Man' halting Bianca's four-month reign in 26 seconds, the wheels fell off. What started as lightning in a bottle became a flood of nonsense weeks later.

At its nadir, September's fare hosted a cacophony of shredded dolls, collapsing turnbuckles, the brand new WWE Champion nearly being overlooked and a neglected overall premise with only ONE match contested under Extreme Rules. At its peak, a pair of promising main events couldn't stick the landing--one more damaging than the other.

While Roman Reigns retained the Universal Championship and ended the undefeated streak of Finn Bálor's 'Demon' through the sheer happenstance of poor ring assembly, Becky and Bianca avoided the same nosedive. 'Big Time Bex' and 'The EST' entered a fantastic 17-minute outing most expected during their initial encounter. While intervention from a returning Sasha Banks resulted in a dispiriting no-contest and retention for Lynch, this would at least culminate with a gratifying triple threat match at Crown Jewel, where Lynch escaped again by topping 'The Boss'.

Bianca would follow Becky to RAW in the WWE Draft days later and has been a looming threat to the champion ever since.