‘WWE Extreme Rules 2013’ Blu-ray Review
The first pay per view following Wrestlemania, Extreme Rules is the one PPV of the year that sees the WWE let their performers loose in matches that are hyped as some of the most dangerous and exciting of the year, with an “anything goes” attitude and all weapons, objects and nefarious means legal… Yeah WWE, go tell that to someone less gullible. What it actually means is that the WWE allows the use of chairs, tables and cages in their PG rated show.
Stipulations in this years Extreme Rules matches include a Steel Cage match (Triple H vs. Brock Lesnar), a Last Man Standing match (John Cena vs. Brock Lesnar), a Strap match (Mark Henry vs. Sheamus) and an I Quit match (Alberto Del Rio vs. Jack Swagger). Other matches feature a laughable one on one between Fandango and Chris Jericho, Tag Team Championship Match: Team Hell No vs. The Shield, an Extreme Rules match between the Big Show and Randy Orton, and a U.S. Championship Match featuring Kofi Kingston vs. The Shield’s Dean Ambrose.
And the highlights?
Well other than the ‘Texas Tornado’ Tag Team match between Team Hell No and two members of The Shield there really wasn’t any. Even Dean Ambrose’s match for the US Championship wasn’t that memorable – I’d forgotten what happened before the PPV even ended! Fandango is a joke, the I Quit match was a shambles, and as for the Strap match – since when do they use almost ring-side straps? The stipulation that either wrestler had to touch the corners to light them up was ridiculous. I guess not being able to show people choking each other with the straps – as they used to do in the Attitude era – has hurt what was one of the more brutal “extreme” matches. Surprisingly Cena vs. Ryback, despite starting slowly, does build into a crazy hardcore match, even if its letdown by a weak “no winner” ending… And don’t even try to compare it to the work of Mick Foley (which JR and co. in the commentary booth do).
Of course we do get the ‘Texas Tornado’ Tag Team match, which features some brilliant aerial manouveres from The Shield and Daniel Bryan not usually seen on WWE programming. The fast pace and all the high-flying in and around the ring really does build more excitement in this match than the rest of the matches in this PPV. Best of all, at no time did the end of the match feel like it was going to be predictable – which cannot be said for the majority of Extreme Rules!
Another disappointing release, this is probably worth a rental for hardcore wrestling fans – if only for the Tag Team match (who though I’d ever say what WWE for a tag team match?) and to see John Cena and Ryback take the action outside the ring and into the stage lights (literally). WWE Extreme Rules 2013 is released on DVD and Blu-ray on Monday July 29th, courtesy of WWE Home Video and FremantleMedia.
