Powell’s WWE Extreme Rules predictions: Seth Rollins vs. Rey Mysterio in An Eye For An Eye match, WWE Universal Champion Braun Strowman vs. Bray Wyatt in a non-title Swamp Fight, Asuka vs. Sasha Banks for the Raw Women’s Championship, Drew McIntyre vs. Dolph Ziggler for the WWE Championship

By Jason Powell, ProWrestling.net Editor (@prowrestlingnet)

These predictions were made with no help from the betting lines because I’m not a dirty, rotten, filthy, stinking, cheater. In other words, I’m guessing just like you are. Join me for live coverage of WWE Extreme Rules beginning with the Kickoff Show at 5CT/6ET. Dot Net Members will have exclusive access to the audio review hosted by Jake Barnett and I after the show. Join us on our ad-free website via PWMembership.net.

Predictions are back! I’ve heard from enough of you that missed my guesswork. I was going to dust off my lucky prognostication quarter, but these are tough economic times, so the quarter has been replaced by a nickel and will only come into play when I have zero confidence in making a prediction. Speaking of no confidence, WWE clearly has none when it comes to their ability to write traditional pro wrestling television shows that lead to compelling pay-per-view matches. Rather, they have opted for the freak show approach to pay-per-views, or Horror Show to use their actual slogan for this event.

WWE officials seem to think they need to overcompensate for the lack of fans in attendance with stunt booking spectacles in order to entice viewers to order WWE Network to see their monthly pay-per-views. Their television ratings scream that what they are doing is not working. They would presumably point to the lack of fans in attendance, but do you think they’ve actually pondered the possibility that this stunt booking and their inability to present quality pro wrestling television shows on a weekly basis are contributing factors? Nah, that couldn’t be it.

Seth Rollins vs. Rey Mysterio in An Eye For An Eye match: Someone is going to lose an eye. Seriously, this match is built around the idea that one of these wrestlers will pluck an eye out of the other wrestler’s head. Did the company hire special effects wizard Tom Savini for the night? Will there be a swerve such as Dominick Mysterio or Aleister Black turning on Rey to distract you from the fact that no one actually loses an eye? Will Seth adopt Snake Plissken’s look going forward? Truth be told, I don’t give a damn. Marketing a match with this stipulation is pathetic and reeks of absolute desperation on WWE’s part.

We all lose, but the nickel landed on tails, meaning Mysterio wins the match.

WWE Universal Champion Braun Strowman vs. Bray Wyatt in a non-title Swamp Fight: The cinematic madness continues. The key wording above is that this is a non-title match. So the logical assumption is that Wyatt will win to set up Strowman vs. The Fiend for the title at SummerSlam. Gee, I can’t wait.

Drew McIntyre vs. Dolph Ziggler for the WWE Championship (Ziggler chooses the stipulation): Ziggler could announce that the stipulation is that he gets to shoot Drew McIntyre right between the eyes with a gun when the bell rings and that still wouldn’t be enough to convince me that Ziggler will win the WWE Championship.

Drew McIntyre retains the WWE Championship.

Asuka vs. Sasha Banks for the Raw Women’s Championship: Wait, there’s not a ridiculous stipulation? They’re just having an actual pro wrestling match? Rejoice! I like the scenario that Jake Barnett laid out during the latest Dot Net Weekly audio show. Sasha helps Bayley retain the championship, but somehow Bayley fails to do the same for Sasha, which launches the breakup.

Asuka retains the Raw Women’s Championship.

Bayley vs. Nikki Cross for the Smackdown Women’s Championship: See above.

Bayley retains the Smackdown Women’s Championship.

Apollo Crews vs. MVP for the U.S. Championship: I have enjoyed the story of MVP attempting to to become Crews’s manager. Crews has looked good for rejecting him thus far. I assume Crews retains the title and will then have to contend with Bobby Lashley as his next challenger.

Apollo Crews retains the U.S. Championship.

Big E and Kofi Kingston vs. Shinsuke Nakamura and Cesaro in a tables match for the Smackdown Tag Titles: This match is replacing the Sheamus vs. Jeff Hardy bar fight that has been pushed back to Smackdown. New Day doesn’t need the tag titles. Nakamura and Cesaro could really use the boost. The tables match gives New Day an easy out since it doesn’t require them to be pinned or submitted. WWE typically delivers a title change during their pay-per-view events. I’m picking with my heart rather than my head.

Shinsuke Nakamura and Cesaro win the Smackdown Tag Titles.