MATCH CARD PREVIEW
Hardcore Championship: Brett Diamond (C) vs. Shawn Midnight
Back in January, Diamond pulled a huge upset when he beat Big Mutha Trucker for the Hardcore title, ending Trucker's 4th reign. The win was huge boost for the "Professional"... but was yet another jealous moment for Midnight. Seeing his former friend getting all the love was enough to push Midnight over the edge, as he continued to relentlessly attack and challenge Diamond for the coveted title. Midnight was unsuccessful against Diamond in February, and couldn't win the belt in a 5-man Championship Scramble in which Diamond retained again. This month has seen each man getting the upper hand, and Diamond agreed to one final title match in order to finally "shut him up". The last we've seen between these two was a vandalism strike by Diamond on Raw, and the champ got a big victory in a mixed-tag match on Superstars. With the Extreme Rules, Falls-Count-Anywhere stipulations in play and the title on the line, which "playa" will reign supreme?
ECW Championship (Fatal 4-Way Elimination):
Rusty (C) vs. Craig Bullet vs. Guy Justice vs. Paulie Dominos
This 4-way battle has been due for 2 months now, as Craig, Guy and Paulie D. each won qualifying matches to challenge for Rusty's belt. Rusty has been strong in his title reign since beating Zach Wesley at Tribute to the Troops back in late December, but he's clearly got a big challenge on his hands. Despite being fan favorites, it's been obvious that Rusty and Justice can't get along... which has allowed Craig and Paulie to maintain an edge in this feud. On Smackdown, Justice was dominant in a 4-man battle royal preview match, knocking out each competitor... including champ Rusty himself! Will the "Savior" be able to ride the momentum into a big title win this Sunday? Can Rusty fend off 3 hungry challengers and remain the "toughest" man on the blue brand? Or can the "High-Flyin' Criminal" or "Mr. Amazing" outlast all to claim their 1st ECW title reign?
Intercontinental Championship:
Antonio Jordan (w/ Audrey Vega) (C) vs. Joseph T. Lutte (w/ Eve)
The bad blood between "America's Favorite" and his French counterpart has been intense, which each man getting a 1 up on their foe as the weeks have passed. Lutte has been in a foul mood since Jordan upset him at WrestleMania for the belt, and we have seen him resort to both physical violence and verbal abuse in order to throw the "Mastermind" off his track. But Jordan has definitely gained strength in numbers, as partner Krizz Torture and new beau Audrey Vega have been by his side the whole way. Fans have been buzzing about this matchup and the predictions have been 50-50. Can Antonio use his athletic skill to retain the prestigious title, or will Lutte use dirty tactics to claim his 3rd reign?
United States Championship (Triple Threat):
David Degenerate (C) vs. Big Mutha Trucker vs. Tank Blazer
Consider this match to be the official ending of what was once the most-powerful stable on Raw. These 3 former Badass Coalition members will now fight over the U.S. belt in a brutal, 3-way war. Trucker has risen up the ranks and appears to be the most worthy challenger, but former tag partner Tank has staked his claim to be the #1 contender. Their match on Raw a few weeks ago ended in a double-countout draw, but GM Stephanie McMahon's attempt to solve their dispute in a civil debate last Monday was ruined by the "Dangerous Genius" and his snarky attitude. In revenge, Steph put BOTH challengers in the match and decided to let them all physically solve their issues. Can the sneaky David D. keep the belt again, or will one of his former friends pull a major upset?
World Heavyweight Championship (No DQ):
Rebel Ford (C) vs. Ace
On the 1st Smackdown of the new season, Vince McMahon made his TV return to do one major thing... interrupt then-champ Ace and schedule a World title match against a new draftee! That drafted competitor turned out to be the rebellious Rebel Ford, who shocked the world by winning the match and the belt! The win naturally angered Ace, who vowed to win the belt back and prove that Rebel's upset was a fluke. Since then, the war of words and physical altercations have led to Ace leaving Rebel in a world of hurt, Rebel & Hitman Jack teaming up to beat Ace & Zach Wesley, and finally... Rebel putting Ace through a table during their contract signing last Friday! With the No DQ stipulation in play, who will take advantage and leave the PPV with Smackdown's top title?
WWE Championship: Carson Pain (C) vs. DMK
Fans of all ages have been talking about and filling up social media with their thoughts, opinions and excited comments about this main event. When "The Original" pulled the biggest upset by beating DMK at WrestleMania for Raw's top belt, he sent a big shockwave through the WWE and gave the fans the victory of a lifetime! Since then, DMK has been basically playing mind games with the champ and surprisingly his tag partner David D. in order to gain some type of advantage heading into the PPV. On Raw last Monday, the two met in the ring and DMK finally issued his rematch challenge. A very strange distraction involving flickering lights and creepy music allowed DMK to lay out Carson with a vicious Checkmate finisher, ending Raw standing tall and letting the rumors fly. Can DMK win the belt back and reclaim his spot as Raw's best? Will Carson retaliate and keep the fans in high spirits with another big win? And of course... what was with the weird distraction, and will it again play a role in this match?