The Most Extreme Moments At WWE's Greatest Extreme Rules Matches

With Extreme Rules just on the horizon and already boasting a stacked card, the WWE Universe can’t wait for Oct. 8 to arrive. Every year, WWE holds its Extreme Rules premium live event and each year, its seems to top the last one with more wild stunts for the blood-thirsty fans than ever previously imagined possible.

With that being said, though, not all Extreme Rules moments are built the same. There are already dozens of painful memories of human car wrecks at Extreme Rules that shortened careers and left fans gasping and wincing in sympathy for the pain being doled out on their favorite Superstars. Here are just a few of the most extreme moments at Extreme Rules matches over the years.

Edge vs. Jeff Hardy – Ladder Match at Extreme Rules 2009

Edge vs. Jeff Hardy is the only full match that makes our list and that’s simply because it’s impossible to pick just a single moment from the bout that stands out. Both superstars showcased their creativity, toughness and resilience as they threw each other off of ladders and dove onto each other from jaw-dropping heights all in the name of Hardy’s World Heavyweight Championship.

The highlight of the match came when Edge tried to repeat his iconic signature Spear off a ladder to Hardy that was performed at WrestleMania 17, but he was caught in Hardy’s Twist of Fate finisher. In the end, Hardy was able to trap Edge inside the rungs of a ladder to retain his World Heavyweight Championship with Edge looking on, trapped only feet away. This was one of the best matches in Extreme Rules history and proved that both Edge and Hardy were still in the primes of their careers.

John Cena Destroys Batista – Last Man Standing Match at Extreme Rules 2010

In a match that rivals the violence, intensity, and creativity of our first entry, John Cena faced Batista in a Last Man Standing match at Extreme Rules 2010. Cena knew that in order to keep the Animal down for 10 seconds, he would need to do something extra special. Toward the end of the match, in what had already been a brutal war between the two, Cena carried Batista on top of a pair of steel ring steps and delivered his Attitude Adjustment finisher through the announce table.

Cena wasn’t done there either. In order to make sure Batista was not getting up, The Doctor of Thuganomics duct taped Batista’s legs around the ring post, making it impossible for him to stand. This wouldn’t be the last time Cena has won a Last Man Standing Match or defended his WWE Championship using his wit and thinking outside the box, as he also defeated Bray Wyatt a few years later by burying him under a pile of debris.

Kofi Kingston Smashes Sheamus Through Table – Extreme Rules 2011

By the time Extreme Rules 2011 rolled around, the feud between Kofi Kingston and Sheamus for the latter's United States Championship had reached a boiling point. Kingston, who was drafted to RAW earlier in the year, was riding tons of momentum as the former Intercontinental Champion, but faced his stiffest championship challenger yet in Sheamus. The two decided to settle their differences in a tables match, given the intensity and stakes of the rivalry.

The match paired The Irishman’s hard-hitting style with Kofi’s high-flying, unorthodox offense and quickly became a great bout. The highlight, however, and reason this moment makes our list is because of how Kingston ended the match to capture his second U.S. Title. With Sheamus stirring on the outside of the ring beside a table, Kingston lept from the third rope to the outside, and straight onto Sheamus with his iconic Boom Drop signature move. Kingston connected perfectly and sent Sheamus crashing through a table, smushed by The Wildcat’s legs. The moment looked absolutely devastating and was the perfect way for Kingston to win his second U.S. Title.

Roman Reigns Buries Big Show After War – Last Man Standing at Extreme Rules 2015

In one of the greatest and most brutal Last Man Standing matches in WWE history, Roman Reigns took on The Big Show in front of a raucous Chicago crowd. Both Superstars brought the fight to each other early on with kendo sticks being broken, barricades being smashed and tables being obliterated under the combined weight of nearly 700 pounds between both men.

Reigns was able to overcome the odds and do the unthinkable by Spearing Big Show through the barricade, but he wasn’t done there. Reigns proceeded to run across one announce table, Spear Big Show through the other, and bury him under a pile of rubble and debris to make sure The Giant wasn’t getting up and picked up the monumental victory.

Seth Rollins Jumps From The Crowd Onto Evolution – Extreme Rules 2014 

When WWE’s most dominant faction of the modern era faced off against the most dominant faction of the Ruthless Aggression era, fans knew they were in for a special treat. In arguably one of the greatest Extreme Rules matches of all time, The Shield took on Evolution in a six-man tag-team bout that saw both teams inflict unimaginable pain and violence on each other all in the name of a win and bragging rights. Rollins, Reigns, and Ambrose worked like a well-oiled machine against Orton, Batista, and Triple H, who looked to put The Shield in their place. About halfway through the match, fans noticed that Rollins had been missing for a few minutes. As things go in frenetic matchups like this, Superstars may disappear for a few minutes at a time to catch their breath or recover from a move, but Rollins had something more sinister in mind.

As Orton, Batista, and Triple H regrouped in the audience and beat up on Reigns and Ambrose, the camera slowly panned up to show Rollins who was standing on top of an audience section! The Architect then did the unthinkable as he leaped from the crowd, nearly 15 feet to the floor and on top of the rest of Evolution standing below. He took out his own teammates in order to hit his opponents, but the decision paid off as The Shield picked up the victory in the creative and violent matchup.

You can catch the next Extreme Rules match on Peacock on Oct. 8.