Sunday night will become extreme for WWE when six world titles are defended at the annual Extreme Rules pay-per-view card set to take place in Philadelphia. The 10-match card brings with it a certain level of optimism considering the blockbuster additions to WWE creative of Paul Heyman and Eric Bischoff to the Raw and SmackDown brands, respectively.
Even though Extreme Rules offers 10 matches that, collectively, are anything but extreme from a stipulation standpoint, there's enough talent and interesting feuds to produce a memorable show. Let's now have a look at who our CBS experts predict comes out victorious at Extreme Rules, and be sure to check back on Sunday for live coverage of the show.
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2019 Extreme Rules predictions
Cruiserweight Championship: Drew Gulak (c) vs. Tony Nese
Brian Campbell, Adam Silverstein, Jack Crosby: Given that Gulak just recently captured the title, it would seem too premature for a change to be made. While both guys are credible performers, the current title picture is lacking a next-level personality to make this match a must-see. Hopefully the pair of cruiserweight surprise that thought with a memorable match. Pick: Drew Gulak retains the title
Aleister Black vs. Cesaro
JC, BC, AS: I'm sure that some may have been a bit underwhelmed with the reveal of Cesaro as "the one who knocks,' and this may not even turn into anything more than a one-off match before everything resets heading into SummerSlam. Whatever the case, there's little doubt that this will be one of the most entertaining pure wrestling matches of the night, and it may very well steal the attention of the entire Philly crowd coming out. In the end, it seems as if they have some pretty big plans for Black going forward, and a victory over an incredible worker the likes of Cesaro is a good launching point. Pick: Aleister Black wins
SmackDown Tag Team Championship: Daniel Bryan & Rowan (c) vs. The New Day vs. Heavy Machinery
AS, BC: Look, what exactly is the point of Bryan & Rowan declaring that they are going to take the tag team division into the main event scene if you're going to have them drop the titles here? Unless you are planning to bring Bryan back into the main event picture as a singles competitor -- and I will discuss why I do not think that is happening later -- keeping the titles on this team is the right move. The issue is that there needs to be more tag teams on this brand for them to feud with; changing the titles would be a wrong move. Pick: Daniel Bryan & Rowan retain the titles
JC: I tend to dabble in living on the edge with at least one match pick on these PPV cards, and this title match earns that role for Extreme Rules. Xavier Woods & Big E, quite frankly, really don't need another run with the titles. When it comes to Bryan, while he's done a fantastic job as a tag team champion, I get the hunch that when Eric Bischoff officially takes over the blue brand next week, he may want to utilize the former WWE champion as a singles star once again. Otis & Tucker, to the surprise of few, have been rapidly getting over with the crowds, and there's really no harm in strapping them up here and giving them a run with the titles. Pick: Heavy Machinery win the titles
Raw Tag Team Championship: The Revival (c) vs. The Usos
BC: If you're looking at the potential shoot elements of the booking in this match, it will be interesting to see whether an Usos victory meant The Revival was expected to leave WWE at the expiration of their contracts, which has been heavily rumored. Despite two turns with the Raw titles, The Revival hasn't exactly been booked into anything memorable -- save for a two-week stay in Shane McMahon's makeshift heel faction. A win for Jey and Jimmy would see the titles go back to safe hands as The Usos continue to build their legacy. Pick: The Usos win the titles
AS, JC: There would be no qualms from me if WWE decided to put the titles on The Usos. It's just that it is not a necessary move, especially so soon after Revival won the straps in the first place. There are plenty of face teams against whom The Revival can feud, it's just that WWE isn't putting them on TV. The winners here may go a long way to determining the future off Revival in WWE. Pick: The Revival retain the titles
SmackDown Women's Championship (2-on-1 Handicap Match): Bayley (c) vs. Alexa Bliss & Nikki Cross
BC: While WWE has dabbled in the past with the idea of a co-champion, it has never quite pulled the trigger. This would seem like a scenario in which it could be fun considering it's inevitable that Cross sobers up to learn who Bliss really is inside. The big piece of suspense surrounds whether Sasha Banks will return to rescue Bayley in this match and whether a much-needed heel turn happens to finally consummate the teases of them entering another epic feud. Pick: Alexa Bliss & Nikki Cross win the title
JC, AS: The recurring theme in this well-put-together storyline to this point has simply been: Bayley has no friends. So ... you don't need to be a Rhodes Scholar to figure out what WWE has been hinting at. Yes, I do believe that Sasha Banks will return to even the odds and help her best friend walk out of Philadelphia with the SmackDown women's title. But with SummerSlam looming right ahead, it shouldn't be long before "The Boss" reveals her true intentions, backstabs her hug-loving buddy and sets her sights on the championship heading into the second-biggest event of the year. Matter of fact, Banks should swerve everyone and turn right upon assisting Bayley with the victory on Sunday, giving these two a good month to tell their story. Pick: Bayley retains the title
Braun Strowman vs. Bobby Lashley (Last Man Standing Match)
BC, JC: If you have faith in WWE finally giving Lashley a legitimate push to the main event title level, a victory here would make sense. But for whatever reason, a feud involving Lashley and the likes of Brock Lesnar just doesn't appear to be in the cards despite how obvious it seems to book it. WWE loves to prop up Strowman with wins, create scenarios in which his massive strength can break things on television and then never quite push him anywhere. With that bit of overthinking in mind, expect the status quo. Pick: Braun Strowman wins
AS: You may not want to believe WWE is giving Lashley the push we have been waiting to see since his debut, but it sure feels that way. Remember that Strowman got the big moment on Raw and hurt himself in the process, sidelining him for two weeks. The Last Man Standing stipulation gives Strowman and out to lose here, and a win by Lashley would rocket him into the main event for a potential match against Rollins at SummerSlam. The involvement of Lesnar in that match would make things even more interesting. Pick: Bobby Lashley wins
United States Championship: Ricochet (c) vs. AJ Styles
AS, BC: Is this a tough prediction? WWE just put the title on Ricochet, who they are clearly looking to push. The U.S. championship has basically been a hot potato for the last couple of years, and it needs to settle somewhere. Samoa Joe had a decent run with the title until they inexplicably took it off of him in a botched (purposeful or otherwise) finish a few months ago. Now you're going to take the title of Ricochet after one month ... so he can maybe win it back from Styles at SummerSlam? No thanks. Pick: Ricochet retains the title
JC: Is a short run with his first singles title the best idea for Ricochet? Maybe not. But on the contrary, you can't have the newly re-formed Club come away looking like buffoons here, especially considering that sort of happened on Raw with both Gallows and Anderson losing to the champ. You get the title on Styles here and then have a red-hot babyface Ricochet eventually defy the odds to conclude his chase of regaining the title at some point. Ricochet is still fresh, and truth is, he could benefit from a proper program where he has an endgame in sight. Pick: AJ Styles wins the title
Roman Reigns & The Undertaker vs. Shane McMahon & Drew McIntyre (No Holds Barred Match)
JC, BC, AS: I mean ... of course, anything is possible, but it seems highly unlikely that The Undertaker is going to return to the ring following that Saudi Arabia debacle with Goldberg to team with the top star in the company just to lose. The babyface super team should get the victory here, and McMahon can move along to his escalating feud on SmackDown with Kevin Owens. Meanwhile, if the reported plans of Taker feuding with McIntyre leading into SummerSlam are accurate, then that's a post-match angle to maybe watch play out. Pick: Roman Reigns & The Undertaker win
WWE Championship: Kofi Kingston (c) vs. Samoa Joe
AS, BC, JC: To be candid, I'm legitimately shocked that my cohorts here agreed with this pick. Despite me begging for WWE to give Kingston a main event run with the WWE title, I did think it was coming off of him last month at Stomping Grounds, so obviously I am sticking with Samoa Joe (his latest heel foe) taking it off him here. Do I love that the SmackDown-brand title is being defended against a Raw guy? Of course not. Do I love that this match was hot-shotted? No. But what I do love -- more specifically, who I do love -- is Samoa Joe. He may be doing the best mic work in WWE right now, and he's certainly the most believable pure heel. He's great in nearly every regard, but all of his main event pushes (Styles, Lesnar, Reigns, Fatal 4-Way at SummerSlam a few years ago) have resulted in losses for the big man. Samoa Joe is made to carry the WWE title, and the company has to figure out a couple heels to come out of this event as winners considering every -- yes, every -- singles champion on the main roster is a face. Pick: Samoa Joe wins the title
Winners Take All -- Seth Rollins & Becky Lynch (c) vs. Baron Corbin & Lacey Evans (Extreme Rules Match)
BC, AS, JC: It's hard to imagine a scenario in which WWE would have the guts to put its biggest title upon the waist of Corbin in a move that would only troll the fans. This seems to have babyface pop written all over it and a celebration of Lynch and Rollins' real-life relationship. With that said, WWE has spent enough time putting over the potential of Lynch or Rollins costing each other their collective titles with a mistake and potentially creating a divide between them that it's a wonder whether Paul Heyman and the new creative team would consider trying something so spicy. Pick: Seth Rollins & Becky Lynch retain their titles
