From PROWRESTLING.NET

4/29 Powell's WWE Extreme Rules results and review: Brock Lesnar vs. John Cena, C.M. Punk vs. Chris Jericho in a Chicago Street Fight for the WWE Championship, Sheamus vs. Daniel Bryan in a best of three falls match for the World Hvt. Championship

Posted in: WWE PPV Reports, MUST-READ LISTING
By
Apr 29, 2012 - 10:00 PM

By Jason Powell

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Dot Net Members can look forward their exclusive audio review of WWE Extreme Rules pay-per-view with Jason Powell and Jake Barnett after the show tonight. Join us on the ad-free version of the website by signing up right now via the Dot Net Members' Signup Page. We also encourage you to download our FREE apps on iPhone, Android, and Amazon Fire.

WWE Extreme Rules
Aired live on pay-per-view
Chicago, Illinois at Allstate Arena


Pre Show

Michael Cole and Matt Striker introduced the show from ringside and ran through the matches...

The Miz headed to the ring for his match with a mic in hand. He said he was in the preview match for Extreme Rules and asked, "Really?!? Really?!?" He said he was in the main event last year. He said he's not in a Falls Count Anywhere match or a Street Fight.

"I don't care where you put me," Miz said. "Because I will be the most talked about superstar of all time. People will be talking about me tomorrow... I will make this the most popular pre-show in WWE history." He said that wherever Miz is it's the place to be and tonight that's Youtube. He said he would win the U.S. Title and it will be the best moment in everyone's life. He also railed against Chicago. He was about to deliver his "Awesome" line, but Santino's music interrupted him...

Powell's POV: A good promo from The Miz. Granted, we've heard a lot of it before and he hasn't backed it up, but he showed good fire and continues to be a dynamic talker.

1. Santino Marella vs. The Miz for the U.S. Title. The crowd rallied behind Santino early following the Miz promo. After some back and forth action, Santino put Miz away with The Cobra.

Santino Marella defeated The Miz to retain the U.S. Title in 4:40.

Powell's POV: The outcome pleased the live crowd. It sounds like any other arena right now. They were hot for the pre-show match and all, but I haven't caught any fun chants or anything out of the ordinary just yet. By the way, if you're wondering why this match wasn't on the pay-per-view preview channel, it's exclusive to Youtube and the WWE Facebook page.

The announcers previewed the pay-per-view matches... Cole said they expect over 15,000 fans to attend the pay-per-view...

Backstage, Eve and Teddy Long stood between Big Show and Cody Rhodes and they all stood in front of the roulette wheel. Eve took credit for coming up with the "innovative" roulette wheel approach. She had Teddy spin the wheel, which landed on tables match. Big Show laughed and said, "Good luck trying to get me through the table." Cody was flustered. "Teddy, this is all your fault," Cody said. Teddy asked what he did...

Powell's POV: A match that doesn't require a pinfall? I'm more confident than ever that Cody gets the Intercontinental Title back tonight.

At ringside, Striker and Cole agreed that the stipulation was unfair to Cody Rhodes... The announcers set up a video for the Sheamus vs. Daniel Bryan match... A video recapped the C.M. Punk vs. Chris Jericho feud... A video recapped the Brock Lesnar and John Cena story... A graphic counted down the remaining two-plus minutes before the pay-per-view...

WWE Extreme Rules Pay-Per-View

The show opened with a Brock Lesnar and John Cena video package... Narrator guy collected a check just for telling us that it's WWE Extreme Rules and rules are meant to be broken... Michael Cole (with Jerry Lawler and Booker T) introduced the show. Cole said there are 14,817 fans in attendance...

1. Kane vs. Randy Orton in a Falls Count Anywhere match. The announcers spoke at ringside. Musician and Resistance Pro Wrestling's Billy Corgan was seated behind the announcers. Kane threw an uppercut that knocked Orton to ringside to open the match. Kane grabbed a pipe from ringside, but Orton fought back and delivered the first shots with the pipe at 1:10.

Orton continued to work over Kane as they battled into the section on the floor between the fans on the main floor and first level. The wrestlers traded punches until they made their way to the stage, where Kane took control. They battled backstage and into a room where the wrestlers who aren't on the show were watching the pay-per-view.

Zack Ryder was among the wrestlers in the room. Ryder punched Kane, only to have Kane choke him and throw him down. Orton took advantage of the diversion and regained control briefly, but Kane came back and scored a near fall with the referee way out of position. They fought their way back inside the arena bowl. Orton got the better of the punch-fest.

At 11:00, Orton went to ringside and grabbed a chair, which he jabbed into Kane's stomach and then slammed over his back once back inside the ring. Orton smiled and the crowd cheered. Orton hit Kane with several chairshots to the back. Kane rolled to ringside. Orton followed and slammed his head onto the announcers' table.

Orton pulled the announcers' table apart, but Kane recovered and grabbed him by the throat. Orton fired back to break it up and then DDT'd Kane off the table for another near fall. Back inside the ring, Orton went for an RKO, but Kane avoided it and chokeslammed Orton for a really good near fall. Kane sold it by showing frustration. Orton came back a short time later and hit the RKO on a chair and pinned Kane in the ring...

Randy Orton pinned Kane in 16:45 in a Falls Count Anywhere match.

Powell's POV: A good WWE-style brawl. The nonstop punching early grew tiresome, but they worked hard. The near fall for Kane's chokeslam was great and the crowd was once again very pleased by the outcome. Here's hoping Orton gets to move on.

Backstage, John Laurinaitis told Eve that it was his first pay-per-view in charge of both Raw and Smackdown. She said she planned a surprise and called for Teddy Long, who wheeled in a cart with champagne while wearing a huge, "Hello, My Name is Teddy" sign on his jacket.

Laurinaitis and Eve toasted and were about to drink champagne together when Laurinaitis took a phone call. He noted that it was Triple H and said he was going to go somewhere more private so they could talk. Eve looked a little flustered...

Brodus Clay, the dancers, and Hornswoggle made their entrance. There were actually some boos when the lights went out as part of their entrance. Vickie Guerrero did the "Excuse Me" routine after the dance routine ended. Vickie introduced Dolph, who came out wearing a new sleeveless vest...

Powell's POV: The Brodus hysteria appears to have died down considerably based on the crowd reaction. The boos weren't loud, but the lack of reaction to his entrance theme was telling. Hornswoggle isn't helping. Meanwhile, the Chicago crowd loves Ziggler.

2. Brodus Clay (w/dancers, Hornswoggle) vs. Dolph Ziggler (w/Vickie Guerrero, Jack Swagger). There were loud "Dolph" chants followed by louder "Let's Go Ziggler" chants from what sounded like the young male demographic. Ziggler got most of the offense thanks to Swagger helping out. Brodus knocked Swagger off the apron late and came back with a battering ram headbutt followed by a big splash for the win...

Brodus Clay defeated Dolph Ziggler in 4:20.

Powell's POV: There was a good pop for the finishing sequence and Brodus going over. That sequence was nicely done and the splash looks impressive because of Clay's size. More than anything, I think the Clay fans are ready for something new and Hornswoggle wasn't what they had in mind.

The announcers set up highlights of the wheel spinning from the pre-show that established the Big Show vs. Cody Rhodes stipulation...

Powell's POV: Dot Net reader Michael Angus notes that Beth Phoenix will not be wrestling on the show, according to the WWE text service. Rather, Nikki Bella will face a mystery opponent.

3. Big Show vs. Cody Rhodes in a tables match for the Intercontinental Title. A table was set up in the corner early. Big Show tried to whip Cody into it, but Cody used it to set up the Beautiful Disaster kick. Fun spot. Show went right back on the offensive. Later, with a table set up on the floor, Big Show tried to reenter the ring right in front of it. Cody dropkicked Show's leg. Show stepped backwards to regain his balance and put his foot through the table on the floor. The referee saw it and called for the bell.

Cody Rhodes defeated Big Show to win the Intercontinental Title in 4:35.

After the match, Cody took the belt and celebrated. Show speared him and then chokeslammed him through a table. Wally Karbo, er, Michael Cole called for fines and suspensions for Show "assaulting" Cody. Show was about to leave. The fans chanted "one more time." Show obliged by pressing Cody over his head and then throwing him through a table on the floor...

Powell's POV: A clever finish with Show losing nothing other than the title by losing in the manner he did. Cody regains the belt in a flukey manner, and the crowd was satisfied with Show destroying Cody afterwards. The press slam through the table on the floor was a pretty big bump and Cody sold it big. The referees and trainers helped him up afterwards. He walked out on his own and the young male fans chanted Cody's name afterwards. By the way, Show's facial expression when he put his foot through the table was awesome.

Backstage, Matt Striker interviewed Daniel Bryan, who blamed Striker and teachers like him for the U.S. educational system decline. Bryan boasted that he's better than Sheamus in every way imaginable. Bryan said Chicagoans think they're the best crowd in the WWE Universe, but they are like Sheamus in that they are overrated and unoriginal. Bryan closed out the promo by asking whether he would regain the title and concluded with "Yes! Yes! Yes!" After Bryan walked away, an angry A.J. was shown watching him...

Powell's POV: All that work to turn the Chicago crowd against Daniel Bryan only to have him lead them in a Yes! chant? Strange. Good mic work, though. The A.J. facial expression was interesting. Is she angry with him or obsessed with being with him?

A video recapped the Sheamus vs. Daniel Bryan saga...

4. Sheamus vs. Daniel Bryan in a best of three falls match for the World Hvt. Championship. Sheamus wore an "18 Seconds" t-shirt. Funny. Cole noted that the match had already passed 18 seconds. Sheamus hit a rolling senton for a near fall at 2:15. Sheamus applied a Texas Cloverleaf-like hold, but Bryan reached the ropes. Cole noted that 18 Seconds was trending on Twitter.

Bryan took control of the offense briefly. He dove onto Sheamus at ringside, only to have Sheamus catch him and drive him into the barricade, which looked vicious. There were dueling chants with the men rooting for Bryan and the women and kids apparently chanting for Sheamus.

Good back and forth action through 11:30. Sheamus got the most punishing offense, particularly with the usual forearms to the chest, but Bryan had his flurries as well. Sheamus got a couple more near falls. Bryan was setting up for a suicide dive at 12:15, but Bryan caught him with a forearm shot that kept him inside the ring.

With both men inside the ring, Bryan went for the Yes! Lock repeatedly. Sheamus managed to avoid it a few times, but Bryan shoved Sheamus through the ropes and his shoulder hit the ring post. Bryan followed up by ramming the shoulder into the post twice to weaken it for the Yes! Lock, which Cole was quick to point out. Bryan kicked Sheamus's shoulder repeatedly and ignored the ref's count.

Sheamus won the first fall by DQ in 14:15.

Bryan smiled as Lilian Garcia named Sheamus the winner by DQ. Cole did a good job of explaining the strategy while Booker mumbled about God knows what. Bryan applied the Yes! Lock at 15:30. Sheamus crawled toward the ropes. Lawler questioned how he hadn't tapped out already. Bryan yelled "Yes!" frequently. Sheamus was unresponsive, so the referee called for the bell.

Daniel Bryan won the second fall via ref stoppage at 16:45.

Lilian Garcia announced Bryan the winner via submission even though he never actually submitted. A pair of trainers entered the ring and joined the referee in checking on Sheamus. Meanwhile, Bryan led his fans in "Yes!" chants while the Sheamus fans chanted "No!"

Powell's POV: The crowd reaction for this match is great. It's probably 60-40 in favor of Bryan and the "Yes!" chants. The match has been excellent thus far. It was refreshing to not see the usual heel wins the first fall formula, and the approach they used was perfectly logical and made Bryan look like a strategic heel.

Sheamus got to his knees and assured the trainers and the ref that he could continue. Once the ref restarted the match around 19:00, Bryan charged at Sheamus, who blasted him with the Brogue Kick. Sheamus slowly made the cover and Bryan kicked out at the last moment. Later, Bryan blasted Sheamus with a kick to the side of the head and got a near fall of his own at 20:35.

With Bryan on the ropes, Sheamus hit him with several punches, yet stopped to sell the shoulder injury. Sheamus went up for a move, but Bryan got the better of it and shoved him down. Bryan went for a top rope headbutt only to have Sheamus move. Bryan recovered first and went for a running dropkick in the corner, but Sheamus moved. Sheamus pounded on his own chest and hit the Brogue Kick to win the third fall and the match...

Sheamus defeated Daniel Bryan to retain the World Hvt. Championship in a best of three falls match in 22:55.

Powell's POV: It took nearly 13 months to get the type of Sheamus vs. Bryan match that fans were hoping for. It was totally worth the wait. Bryan was strategic and looked strong in defeat, while Sheamus looks like a badass for coming back from the bad shoulder. Here's hoping we see a lot more from those two...

An ad aired for the Over The Limit pay-per-view, which takes place on May 20. Randy Orton was the featured player in the video...

Backstage, Santino Marella laughed and called for The Great Khali to join him as he watched a pair of enhancement wrestlers on a monitor...

5. Ryback vs. Aaron Relic and Jay Hatton in a handicap match. Before the match, the jobbers cut a promo about how two is greater than one. One of the jobbers kept saying "two is greater than one" repeatedly and one of the announcers even called for them to shut up. Ryback came out to very little reaction and received "Goldberg" chants from the crowd.

The smaller jobber kicked Ryback, who no-sold it. Ryback roughed him up and then dragged him to the corner and tagged in the other jobber. Ryback destroyed him with a clothesline as the "Goldberg" chants continued. Ryback hit finishing moves on both men and pinned them simultaneously. Khali and Santino were shown watching backstage again...

Ryback defeated Aaron Relic and Jay Hatton in a handicap match in 1:50.

Powell's POV: Ryback plays the dominator role well, but the live crowd nailed it with the "Goldberg" chants. The fans just aren't impressed by him destroying jobbers and it's not helping him get a reaction at this point. Perhaps it will change over time, but I don't think the babyfaces laughing at the scrubs he's beating is helping. They should be more impressed by his domination rather than laughing at his opponents.

Matt Striker interviewed C.M. Punk inside a locker room. Punk talked about the Chicago Street Fight and said he gets to beat Jericho in front of his family and in front of 20,000 of his closest friends...

Powell's POV: That seemed unnecessary. Punk didn't really have much to say and I would have saved his first appearance for his entrance. By the way, the mystery opponent for Nikki Bella has tweeted about it. We had details on the site about this on Tuesday, but I won't spoil it here for those who don't like spoilers.

A video that was brought to us by "Jericholics Anonymous" set up the WWE Championship match...

6. C.M. Punk vs. Chris Jericho in a Chicago Street Fight for the WWE Championship. Ring announcer Justin Roberts stressed that there are no DQs or count-outs, and that the only way to win is via pinfall or submission. Punk wore a t-shirt that read "Drug Free" on the front and "Poison Free" on the back. He gave a bandana to his sister at ringside, and Cole noted that Punk's mother was also in attendance. Jericho wore jeans and boots, while Punk wrestled in the t-shirt, jean shorts, and boots.

Punk went on the offensive early and threw two chairs inside the ring. He grabbed a kendo stick and looked like the love child of Raven and Justin Credible in his outfit. The crowd chanted "EC-Dub." Jericho went on the offensive and worked over Punk at ringside. He pulled the padding back from the barricade right in front of Punk's sister. She yelled, "Come on, Punk."

Jericho got in Punk's sister's face. She slapped him. Jericho went after the sister. Punk recovered and went aggressively after Jericho. Punk went for a piledriver on the floor, but Jericho backdropped him and then slammed a television monitor over his back. Later, Punk stumbled a bit coming off the ropes and Jericho hit him with a kendo stick. Jericho taunted Punk about his sister and then pulled out a can of beer and poured it over Punk's head.

"Let's have another one," Jericho said while grabbing another beer from underneath the ring. Punk regained control. The Master of the Spinaroonie told viewers that Jericho spent too much time showboating. At 14:35, Jericho tripped up Punk on the top rope and he crotched himself. Jericho went for a superplex. Punk fought him off and Jericho took a back bump off the second rope.

The crowd cheered as Punk went to the top rope and followed up with the top rope elbow drop for a near fall at 15:45. Jericho came back briefly, but Punk recovered and blocked his Lionsault attempt. Punk put him in position for the GTS, but Jericho slipped out and clotheslined Punk. Jericho ran Punk into a chair that was stuck between the ropes and rolled him up for a near fall. A "Let's Go Punk" chant started but didn't gain momentum.

Jericho hit the Codebreaker 17:55. He followed up a short time later with the Walls of Jericho (no Liontamer). Punk crawled to the corner. Cole quickly pointed out that the ref couldn't force Jericho to break the hold due to the nature of the match. Punk grabbed a fire extinguisher and then used it to break the hold after Jericho dragged him back to the middle of the ring.

Punk slammed the extinguisher into Jericho's gut. Jericho tumbled to the floor and Punk followed. Punk did a repeat flow with the extinguisher and then kicked the side of Jericho's head, which knocked him onto the Spanish announce table. The crowd roared in anticipation. Punk went to the top rope and nearly fell, but he kept his balance and then hit the top rope elbow on Jericho through the table.

Punk rolled Jericho back inside the ring and went for a cover, but Jericho kicked out at two. Punk applied the Anaconda Vice submission hold. Jericho grabbed a kendo stick and slammed it over Punk's head and back to break the hold. The fans chanted, "This is awesome."

At 24:50, Jericho hoisted up Punk for his own finishing move. Jericho boasted that he's the best in the world and went for the move. Punk avoided it, kicked Jericho, and hit the GTS instead and scored the clean pin. The camera cut to Punk's sister clapping at ringside. Punk dove into the crowd by his family members...

C.M. Punk defeated Chris Jericho to retain the WWE Championship in 24:50.

Powell's POV: The first ten minutes dragged and the crowd was not nearly as hot as I expected them to be. Fortunately, the last ten minutes of the match were very good and the crowd had something to rally behind. Don't get me wrong, the first ten minutes definitely set things up and played an important part of the match. It's just that this was far from the Punk vs. Cena atmosphere. I didn't expect it to be that insane, but I did expect the crowd to be hotter early. Overall, though, it was a strong, hard-hitting Street Fight match that's right up there with Daniel Bryan vs. Sheamus for best of the night thus far. I'm curious to see where they go with Jericho from here following yet another pay-per-view loss.

Backstage, Beth Phoenix told the Bellas that she wanted the match. Eve showed up and said Beth did not receive medical clearance. Nikki questioned who her opponent was. Eve told her not to worry and said it wasn't Kharma. The Bellas breathed a sigh of relief and left the picture...

The Bellas came to the ring. Brie boasted about how the title is back where it belongs...

7. Nikki Bella (w/Brie Bella) vs. Layla for the WWE Divas Championship. The crowd wasn't exactly hot for the Layla surprise. There were "We Want Kharma" chants. Cole reminded viewers that Layla had been out for a year with a knee injury. Nikki worked over Layla's knee early on. The knee was covered by a large brace.

Layla got in some offense and kicked Brie off the apron, but Nikki took advantage of the distraction to hit her from behind. Later, the Bellas did Twin Magic, but Layla hit a neckbreaker on Brie and pinned her to win the match...

Layla defeated Nikki Bella to win the WWE Divas Championship in 2:25.

Powell's POV: Well, no Kharma tonight, which was heavily rumored and even Kharma teased it on Twitter. Perhaps they are saving it for Raw. As for the match, yawn. The crowd wanted Kharma and didn't seem to care about Layla coming back. Maybe the Bellas will protest since the illegal woman was pinned, which would actually be pretty funny considering how many times they've done the Twin Magic crap. By the way, Kharma followed up on Twitter by writing, "Never said it'd be ME punishing people tonight! I'm watching from home."

A video package set up the Brock Lesnar vs. John Cena main event...

There were dueling John Cena chants before the entrances. Brock Lesnar made his entrance to his WWE theme. He came out wearing his black t-shirt with MMA shorts, MMA gloves, and a mouthguard. John Cena made his standard entrance. He had a chain and padlock around his neck rather than the dog tags...

8. Brock Lesnar vs. John Cena in an Extreme Rules match. They went right at it MMA style with Lesnar taking Cena down. They got to their feet and Lesnar tagged Cena with a clothesline. Cena was bleeding big time from the top of the head. Cena applied a chin lock. Brock escaped. The ref kept them apart while a trainer tended to the cut on Cena's head, which drew a lot of boos. Brock mugged for the fans.

A replay showed that an elbow from Lesnar opened the big cut on Cena's head. They started the match again and Lesnar took Cena down again and fired away with repeated punches and then a knee to the side. Lesnar shoved Cena out of the ring and to the floor with his foot. Referee Charles Robinson went to ringside to check on Cena.

Brock stood in the ring and smiled while striking a fighter's pose again. Cena made his way back inside the ring. The trainer stepped in again to tend to the cut. "This has to be done," Cole said on commentary. They started again and this time Cena got Lesnar up for the Attitude Adjustment, but Lesnar avoided it and suplexed Cena.

Moments later, Cena hit Lesnar with repeated elbows to the side of the head. Cena shoulder-blocked Lesnar, who backed into the referee, who took a bump to the floor. Lesnar came right back. The dueling Cena chants started up again. Lesnar punched Cena. As Cena was selling, Lesnar wiped some of the blood from his glove on his own tongue and on his chest. He might hear about that one.

At 5:55, Lesnar applied arm hold on Cena, who sold it by yelling in pain. Lesnar whipped Cena shoulder-first into the turnbuckle. Brock threw Cena to ringside and then did his pre-fight dance in the ring before going after him again. As Brock was roughing up Cena, they showed the ref bump again.

With Cena back inside the ring, Lesnar grabbed Cena's chain from the corner and wrapped it around his fist. He smiled, but then dropped the chain on the mat. Lesnar caught Cena with knees to the gut and then wrapped the chain around Cena's legs and motioned for him to get up. "Stand up," Lesnar said. When Cena did get to his feet, Lesnar ran the ropes and clotheslined him.

Lesnar took Cena's legs with the chain and hung him from his legs on the ring post with his body hanging outside the ropes. Lesnar took his shots at Cena, who cried out in agony. Lesnar dropped Cena to the ground. Lesnar walked over and looked at the referee. Cena got back to his feet and hit Lesnar with a few punches, but Lesnar grabbed him and whipped him into the stairs.

Lesnar picked up referee Charles Robinson by his belt with one hand and threw him back inside the ring. Awesome. "Wake your ass up," Lesnar told Robinson. Cena crawled inside the ring. Lesnar stood on Cena's hand. He picked up the chain and threw it to ringside. Cena went for the Attitude Adjustment again, but Brock avoided it. Lesnar hit the F5 and knocked out Robinson again in the process.

Lesnar went for the cover and a second referee ran out to make the count. When Cena kicked out, Lesnar beat up the other referee. Cole reminded viewers that Lesnar can't be punished because of what John Laurinaitis agreed to. Additional referees ran out to ringside.

Lesnar brought a piece of the ring steps inside the ring and stood on top of them. Cole said he was king of the mountain. Cena recovered and went after Lesnar, who put him in an armbar. Cena teased tapping out. The dueling Cena chants started again. Cena powered up to his feet with his arm still in the hold and slammed Lesnar onto the steps.

Cena went to the top rope and went for the leg drop, but Lesnar rolled out of the way. Brock acted a bit weary and looked around for Cena, who had ended up on the floor. Lesnar stood on the ring steps in the middle of the ring again and struck a fighter's pose and performed his dance.

Cena stood on the ring apron. Brock ran the ropes and used the stairs as a springboard while going for an elbow. Cena moved and the both tumbled to the floor. Lesnar landed awkwardly and came up holding his knee. Seconds later, he was back on his feet acting as cocky as ever. Brock went for the same move again. Cena struck him with the chain this time and the Cena fans popped huge as Cena fired up.

The announcers pointed out that Lesnar was also bleeding. Lesnar struggled to get back to his feet. Cena hoisted him up and performed the Attitude Adjustment on the ring steps. Cena covered Lesnar on the steps and the referee counted 1-2-3...

John Cena pinned Brock Lesnar in 17:45.

After the match, the referee checked on Cena, who appeared to tell him, "My left arm is f--cked." Cena looked frustrated and he held his arm at his side as he sat up on the ring steps that were still in the middle of the ring. The announcers replayed the footage. "Cena is still the face of WWE," Cole said.

Cena stood on the steps and held his arm up in the air and saluted the fans. "I may be taking a vacation, but I love you guys," Cena said. He looked into the camera and asked how his mom how he looks. "I'm still in one piece and my arm is all messed up," Cena said.

Cena took a seat on the steps. "I'm probably going to get sent home for speaking when I'm not supposed to," Cena said. "But I'm probably going home anyway." Cena said something about how his boss would probably like to send him home anyways. Cena said he hopes this was airing on TV. He said he knows Chicago is C.M. Punk's town, but it's a wrestling town first and foremost. He told the fans he might have to take a vacation, but he wouldn't go out any other way.

Powell's POV: That was one hell of a match. That's as physical of a match as I've ever seen in WWE with Lesnar crushing Cena with so much of his offense. I hate the finish as it takes away a lot of Lesnar's monster mystique and ends the Cena losing his mojo story so prematurely. I guess the story will become how Cena won the battle, but Lesnar won the war because of Cena's "injury."

As for the injury, it looked to me like he was selling the armbar. The fact that they stayed with Cena's promo and caught so much of what he was telling the referee's left me assuming it's part of a story they are telling. I'm sure we'll find out soon enough. Overall, this a great pay-per-view. The big three matches delivered in a huge way, and Lesnar vs. Cena was so much better than I expected it to be despite my hatred of the finish. I'll have more to say in tonight's Dot Net Member Exclusive audio review along with Jake Barnett, and in Monday's WWE Extreme Rules Hitlist.

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