Extreme Rules 2012 Results : Brodus Clay def. Dolph Ziggler

CHICAGO – It seems The Funksaurus won’t be facing extinction anytime soon. Despite a Herculean effort by Dolph Ziggler, The Funky One rolled through his opponent to keep The Show-Off in check at Extreme Rules at Chicago's sold-out Allstate Arena. (PHOTOS)

This unlikely rivalry between Ziggler and Brodus Clay first unspooled the night after WrestleMania XXVIII, when Ziggler attempted to charge U.S. Champion Santino Marella on the entrance ramp and Clay ran interference. Since then, The Show-Off has clashed with The Funkasaurus over several weeks, but on this night, the two took their issues to the pay-per-view stage. The contest was appropriately high-volume, with Ziggler relying on his technical prowess and Clay staying grounded in his signature power game.

Brawn ultimately prevailed in the end, when The Funkasaurus shook off a Ziggler sleeper hold (and Jack Swagger interference) and Clay administered his signature headbutt-splash combo to pin The Show-Off’s shoulders against the mat. When it was all said and done, Ziggler was left to retreat to the locker room area, while Hornswoggle and The Funkadactyls swarmed the ring and celebrated the only way they knew how: a dance party.

And funk is still on a roll.

Extrme Rules 2012 Results : Randy Orton def. Kane (Falls Count Anywhere Match)

CHICAGO –In an all-out brawl that went all over the sold-out Allstate Arena, Randy Orton gained a measure of retribution over Kane in a Falls Count Anywhere Match, vanquishing The Big Red Monster with a vicious RKO onto a steel chair.

The rules of this contest were designed to be simple, yet brutal. Pinfalls and submissions could be counted anywhere inside the arena, leaving both Superstars to their devices. Orton had vowed to show Kane how sick and twisted he could get and did just that.

It didn’t take long for things to get extreme, as Kane grabbed a lead pipe, setting off a brawl that saw the Superstars batter each other with all sorts of objects as they went out into the WWE Universe and backstage.

The match at Extreme Rules seemed to be the only way to settle things between the two. After Kane’s victory over The Viper at WrestleMania XXVIII, matters between the two Superstars intensified. Orton survived a vicious steel chair attack by Kane, defeating him in a No Disqualification Match on SmackDown. That same chair served as the tool to seal Kane’s end on pay-per-view.

The Big Red Monster took things to an extremely personal level soon after, attacking the father of The Viper, WWE Hall of Famer Cowboy Bob Orton, with a lead pipe on SuperSmackDown Live.

WWE’s Apex Predator tried to retaliate several weeks later on Raw SuperShow by locking Kane’s father, Paul Bearer, in a freezer. The Big Red Monster, however, could not have cared less, as he removed Bearer from the chilly enclosure for a spell, then putting him back on ice. The coldest blow, however, would come at Extreme Rules.

The end of this cruel contest brings the rivalry between Orton and Kane full-circle. During a Street Fight last summer on SmackDown, it was also a chair-assisted RKO that felled the giant. On that evening, Kane shook the hand of The Viper, a rare show of respect that sent The Devil’s Favorite Demon on a journey to shed himself of any humanity. Since returning to SmackDown, Kane has set his sights on Orton, aiming to exercise any trace of decency left in his demonic body.

In his continuing effort to make hatred the prevailing emotion in WWE, Kane targeted Orton, trying to bring out the real Viper and make him an instrument of destruction. The Big Red Monster may have succeeded, but unfortunately, Orton set out to destroy Kane.

At Extreme Rules, there was neither respect nor humanity between the two Superstars, just animosity. When all was said and done, it was Randy Orton who walked away from the carnage.

Extreme Rules 2012 Results : United States Champion Santino Marella def. The Miz

CHICAGO – The Miz's quest to reclaim championship gold fell short yet again when he challenged Santino Marella for the United States Championship in the live WWE.com Pre-Show for Extreme Rules 2012. (PHOTOS) The Awesome One has made it a point to claw his way back to the top of the WWE ladder, and his chance to claim The Italian Stallion's championship has been his biggest opportunity since proving himself the hero of Team Johnny at WrestleMania XXVIII. (WATCH)

Miz said as much to the assembled throngs of the WWE Universe at the sold-out Allstate Arena in Chicago. As viewers tuned into the exclusive stream on WWE.com, WWE's Facebook page, and YouTube.com/WWE, the challenger stalked to the ring and declared himself more worthy of a main event bout than either John Cena or Brock Lesnar.

"I singlehandedly gave John Laurinaitis his powerful vision," snarled The Miz as the WWE Universe rained boos around him. “I don’t care where you put me," he said, claiming that he would be the most talked-about Superstar on the roster the next day.

"Understand this if you understand anything: I am winning the United States Title."

Alas, The Miz's ascent will have to wait, as The Milan Miracle withstood the high-octane offense of his foe to incapacitate The Awesome One and set himself up for the win. Santino, who was the captain of Team Teddy at WrestleMania, ultimately avenged his squad's loss at The Show of Shows by striking The Awesome One with the Cobra to retain his stars-and-stripes festooned championship. The blow was enough to send The Miz stewing back to the locker room, waiting and scheming for when his next opportunity comes.

Extreme Rules 2012 Matches » Nikki Bella vs Beth Phoenix (Divas Championship Match)

Only days after she captured the Divas Championship from a hobbled Beth Phoenix, Nikki Bella will get a chance to prove herself when she defends the butterfly championship against The Glamazon at Extreme Rules in Chicago.

The devious Diva shocked the WWE Universe when she capitalized on an injury to Phoenix on Raw SuperShow and pinned the dominant champion to capture the coveted prize. However, in a surprise move, WWE officials have cleared Phoenix to compete at Extreme Rules, and her bid for a rematch against Nikki for the Divas Title has been accepted.

Even with Phoenix rebounding from an injury, the contest will be a close one: Phoenix is one of the most physically dominating Divas in the history of the division, and her reign as Divas Champion was as dominant as the WWE Universe has ever seen. Nikki, on the other hand, is one half of the most cunning twosome in the Divas division, and the fact that she captured the title without the Bellas’ signature “Twin Magic” speaks volumes to her talents as a competitor. It will be a classic match of brains against brawn when The Glamazon and Nikki Bella clash for the Divas Title, but who will prevail?

SRC- WWE.com

Extreme Rules 2012 Matches » Santino Marella vs Dolph Ziggler (US Championship - YouTube Pre-Show)

United States Champion Santino Marella will put his championship gold on the line this Sunday against The Miz in an Extreme Rules Pre-Show event that streams live on YouTube at 7:30 p.m. ET/4:30 p.m. PT. (5.00am IST).

On a roll since winning the prestigious U.S. Championship on the March 5 edition of Raw SuperShow, The Milan Miracle has garnered victories over David Otunga, Jack Swagger and Dolph Ziggler in recent weeks. The Miz, meanwhile, has gradually built momentum since capturing the winning pinfall for Team Johnny at WrestleMania XXVIII.

Marella, one of the six members of the losing Team Teddy, will undoubtedly be looking to not just defend his championship, but also make up for the loss his team suffered on The Grandest Stage of Them All.

At the historic Extreme Rules Pre-Show, will The Awesome One avoid The Cobra and embark on his third U.S. Championship reign, or will the feel-good story of Marella-as-champion continue?

SRC- WWE.com

Extreme Rules 2012 Matches » Bigshow vs Cody Rhodes (Intercontinental Championship Match)

Intercontinental Champion Big Show will face former titleholder Cody Rhodes in a WrestleMania rematch at Extreme Rules. However, with the match’s stipulation still a mystery – it will be announced Sunday, the day of the match – both Rhodes and The World’s Largest Athlete are left preparing for the unknown.

After mercilessly poking fun at Big Show’s past record at WrestleMania week in and week out, the cocky Rhodes lost his title to the giant at The Showcase of the Immortals, with the help of the devastating WMD.
The bubble of the second-generation Superstar’s over-inflated ego was burst on The Grandest Stage of Them All and all he could do is live with the humiliating fall-out­­­. Big Show fueled the fires, keeping the title just out of his adversary’s reach as he unleashed his own brand of payback – continuously displaying a photo of his foe getting knocked out at WrestleMania.

The cunning Rhodes would turn disgrace into action, costing Show a match against Del Rio on the April 20 edition of SmackDown by hitting him with the Disaster Kick as the referee was distracted. His revenge proved short-lived, however, as The World’s Largest Athlete knocked him out again during the six-man tag team main event that same night.

Days after the defeat, Rhodes’ fortunes worsened further, as he teamed with Del Rio in a losing effort against Show and The Great Khali. Rhodes’ chances of victory were nullified almost completely when The Mexican Aristocrat bailed midway into the match, leaving Rhodes to fend for himself against the two giants.

At Extreme Rules, the next chapter in the Show-Rhodes rivalry will be written. Yet, with the match’s exact rules yet to be decided, all bets are off. Will the match stipulation end up working to the champion’s obvious size advantage, or will the stipulation end up negating the large disparity in height and weight?

SRC- WWE.com

Extreme Rules 2012 Matches » Randy Orton vs Kane (Falls Count Anywhere Match)

At Extreme Rules, Randy Orton will face The Big Red Monster Kane in a Falls Count Anywhere Match. How extreme will The Viper go to finally put an end to his monstrous foe once and for all?

A WrestleMania rematch of epic proportions, the diabolic match stipulation will provide the perfect grounds for Orton and Kane to exorcise their inner demons . No strangers to brutal, dangerous bouts, it’s safe to assume that WWE’s Apex Predator and resident monster will take each other to the edge on Sunday, April 29, to determine who will put the exclamation point on what has been a year’s worth of dissension.

The roots of this intense rivalry date back to July of last year, when Orton and Kane battled in an unforgettable Street Fight on SmackDown. In an effort to purge his humanity, Kane repeatedly struck Orton with a steel chair, an object that he brandished often over the course of the bout.

After the Street Fight ended, Kane, limping and battered, staggered over to the victorious Orton — who was also limping from multiple, horrific chair blasts — and, in an unexpected moment, extended his hand to WWE's Apex Predator in the ultimate sign of respect. Orton took Kane’s hand and the two shook as men.

After battling John Cena for months on end, The Big Red Monster returned to Friday nights to find closure with The Viper — with a profound desire to expunge himself of all traces of humanity.

Stalking The Viper for weeks on end, Kane would soon face Orton at WrestleMania in a bout that ended with a victory for The Devil's Favorite Demon, courtesy of a ring-shaking chokeslam off the top rope . Then, just five nights later on SmackDown, Orton defeated Kane in a vicious No Disqualification Match. The Viper got some redemption after his loss on The Grandest Stage of Them All, overcoming a ruthless steel chair assault to plant Kane with a resounding RKO. Instead of putting an end to this rivalry, however, Orton’s victory only worked to raise the ire of the monster.

On SuperSmackDown LIVE: Blast from the Past on April 10, Orton’s world went red during his match against Mark Henry when Kane’s pyrotechnics interrupted the bout. Kane then appeared on the TitanTron to reveal that he had attacked Randy’s father and WWE Hall of Famer "Cowboy" Bob Orton, who lay motionless at the monster’s feet. The Viper rushed backstage to help his dad, but Kane was waiting in the shadows with a pipe.

The assault on two generations of Ortons brought WWE’s Apex Predator past his breaking point. On the April 20 episode of SmackDown, Orton emphatically stated his intentions for their Falls Count Anywhere Match at Extreme Rules, saying, "Kane’s going to find out how sick and twisted I can be."

When they faced each other a year ago in a Street Fight on SmackDown, there was a mutual respect between Orton and Kane. This time around, that once-held respect is replaced by pure, simple hatred. The Street Fight ended with an RKO that drove the monster’s skull down onto a steel chair. But now that Kane has fully exorcised his humanity, will their rematch at Extreme Rules have a different result? Or will WWE’s Apex Predator finally get retribution on The Big Red Monster?

SRC- WWe.com

Extreme Rules 2012 Matches » CM Punk vs Chris Jericho (WWE Championship - Chicago Street Fight Match)

This may have been something as simple as a rivalry once, a dispute between two men to be settled the squared circle. But in the case of WWE Champion CM Punk and Chris Jericho, it has long since become something darker and more personal.

Jericho had made it known, since the moment of his return on Jan. 2nd, 2012, that he had come back to WWE to “reclaim what was his” - the WWE Title and the mantle of “Best in the World,” both of which had sat comfortably in the clutches of CM Punk for several months. Jericho wasted no time in targeting The Second City Saint and the gold around his waist, and though he came up short in the Royal Rumble and Elimination Chamber Matches, a Battle Royal victory on Raw secured his spot as Punk’s chief opposition for the supreme prize at WrestleMania XXVIII.

From then on, the rivalry took a decisively cerebral turn. Jericho, who has long made it his M.O. to destroy his opponents mentally before they ever set foot against him in the ring, attempted to burrow into Punk’s psyche by uncovering the champion’s long-buried family secrets. Jericho methodically exposed Punk’s father’s history with alcoholism (the reason for The Voice of the Voiceless’ lifelong commitment to a straight edge lifestyle), and by slandering the name of his sister and mother, Jericho hoped to unman his enemy and strip him of his title on The Grandest Stage of Them All.

His plan failed. CM Punk prevailed at The Show of Shows, forcing Jericho to tap to the Anaconda Vise. The jilted challenger’s response was ruthless. Jericho attacked Punk on Raw SuperShow after the champion was left battered and defenseless by Mark Henry, emptying a bottle of whiskey into The Straight Edge Superstar’s mouth and smashing a second bottle over his head, seemingly undoing the straight edge lifestyle Punk had lived his whole life.

And yet, Punk persisted, even as Jericho jeeringly named him “CM Drunk,” insisted he’d become an alcoholic himself, and continued to attack Punk’s principles by dousing him with a six-pack of beer the following week on Raw.

In fact, the first time CM Punk seemed happy during all of this was when Jericho announced that his endgame had succeeded: the two will face off again in a Chicago Street Fight at Extreme Rules. “Perhaps it’s poetic justice,” Punk sneered at his enemy, who hid safely behind a satellite feed and communicated over the TitanTron. The rivalry was once about such things, he explained, but now, Punk just wants to fight. And as he told Jericho, “In Chicago, when we fight, there are no disqualifications.”

Will CM Punk retain his title against Jericho for a second time? Or will the conniving challenger finally reclaim that which he says is his? Find out at Extreme Rules, Sunday, April 29 at 8/5 PT, only on pay-per-view!

SRC- WWE.com

Extreme Rules 2012 Matches » Sheamus vs Daniel Bryan (World Championship)

At Extreme Rules, World Heavyweight Champion Sheamus will attempt to defend his title against Daniel Bryan in a 2-out-of-3 Falls Match. Will The Celtic Warrior once again reign supreme over his WrestleMania foe and deprive Bryan of the title?

Coming off his 18-second loss to The Great White at WrestleMania, Daniel Bryan is contractually guaranteed a rematch. Bryan is a submission specialist who has spent more than a decade plying his trade around the world. His selection of a 2-out-of-3 Falls Match may very well play directly into this skill set. Sheamus, known across the WWE Universe as an imposing and powerful competitor, generally relies on a strength game inside the squared circle, utilizing power moves to put his opponents away. Bryan is the polar opposite, a man with countless submission holds who chips away at opponents throughout the course of a match.

In any event, the clashing of styles will be interesting, to say the least, and if Sheamus plans to walk out of Extreme Rules with the World Heavyweight Championship around his waist, he may have to beat Daniel Bryan at his own game.

Luckily for The Great White, he is no stranger to his challenger. Their showdown at the extreme pay-per-view will only add to a years-long rivalry that began when The Celtic Warrior overcame Bryan to claim the United States Championship in 2011. After his win at the 25th Anniversary of the Royal Rumble in January 2012, The Great White once again had his eyes set squarely on Bryan, this time with another title in mind.

Sheamus followed through with a record-breaking victory on The Grandest Stage of Them All, flattening Bryan with a devastating Brogue Kick then pinning the champion in just 18 seconds to claim his first-ever World Heavyweight Championship. After what must have been the fastest 18 seconds of his life, Daniel Bryan found himself lying on the mat as the capacity WrestleMania crowd cheered on the new champion.

On a special edition of "Piper’s Pit" — part of SuperSmackDown on April 10 — Bryan made an appearance to announce his intentions for the 2-out-of-3 Falls rematch against The Great White at Extreme Rules. He now has an opportunity to make up for everything that was lost in those 18 seconds on The Grandest Stage of Them All. While Bryan blamed his WrestleMania defeat on then-girlfriend AJ, the 2-out-of-3 Falls stipulation ensures that there will be no repeat performance, as the victor of the match will undoubtedly have to earn a pair of pinfalls or submissions.

Will Daniel Bryan reclaim his illustrious title? Can Sheamus drop the submission specialist twice in the same night? For that matter, can the WWE Universe expect a long match typically associated with such a stipulation, or can The Great White repeat his WrestleMania feat and retain his title in under a minute? Find out when the two Superstars clash at Extreme Rules, Sunday, April 29 at 8/5 PT, only on pay-per-view!

SRC- WWE.com

Extreme Rules 2012 Matches » Brock Lesnar vs John Cena (Extreme Rules Match)

Raw General Manager John Laurinaitis proclaimed Brock Lesnar is the new "face of WWE." Not if John Cena has something to say about it!

Lesnar will enter the squared circle for his first WWE match in eight years when he goes to war with Cena at Extreme Rules.

Lesnar turned the WWE Universe upside down when he returned to WWE on the April 2 edition of Raw SuperShow and immediately targeted Cena with a devastating F-5. The Cenation leader didn't back down the following week on Raw and responded with an emphatic slap that triggered a near-uncontrollable brawl and left Cena with a busted lip. Little did Cena know he'd later be taking another ride in the whirlwind of the F-5, proving that Lesnar is not only intent on establishing himself as the most dominant WWE Superstar; he wants to dish out punishment every chance he gets, too.

Extreme Rules, one of the most ruthless WWE pay-per-views of the year, will provide the ultimate opportunity for these two to settle their differences in the most brutal of circumstances.

It will be the first WWE in-ring action for Brock since WrestleMania XX on March 14, 2004. In just two years with WWE, Brock tore through some of the biggest and baddest competitors like an oversized wrecking ball and racked up an impressive list of accomplishments, including three WWE Championships, a Royal Rumble victory, and being crowned King of the Ring.

Now, after achieving great success in the world of mixed martial arts, Brock has his wild eyes locked on the very man he tangled with nearly a decade ago. It was early in 2003 when Cena was a cocky, trash-talking performer looking to rise up the ranks of WWE by picking a fight with "The Next Big Thing." Armed with insult-laced raps that got under Brock's skin, Cena continued to antagonize Lesnar until a final showdown for his WWE Title at Backlash on April 27, 2003.

Even though the two rivals haven't squared off since, it's very clear that Brock still wants to inflict pain on the 10-Time WWE Champion after all these years. Well, there isn't a more suitable domain to unleash that hunger for pain than at Extreme Rules, which takes place live on pay-per-view April 29 from the Allstate Arena in Chicago.

Coming off a very close loss to The Rock at WrestleMania, Cena will surely be looking to make a powerful statement in what could be the most physically demanding battle of his career. And judging by Brock's recent unpredictable attacks, there's no telling what he's capable of doing on the one night of the year when the entire WWE throws out the rulebook.

SRC- WWE.com