New WWE Tag Team Champions
Raising the bar. Sheamus and Cesaro took on Matt and Jeff Hardy in a Steel Cage Match. Tricky, as both men have to exit so strategy is crucial. When Jeff Hardy was able to escape, Matt tried to do the same. Before Jeff escaped, it was all about The Hardy’s. They controlled a majority of the match, throwing both heavyweights in the cage numerous times and hitting Whisper in the Wind on both men. The physicality was really good and the pacing was back and forth, even though the champions controlled 60 percent of the offense.
It came down to Jeff Hardy having to come in and fly from top and take down both men. Matt would try and drag his brother to the door, while the heels began to climb out of the ring. As both teams were near, the heels fell to their feet first and picked up the WWE RAW Tag Team Championships.
This was a really good match and gave a surprising change to the titles. I found it amazing that Matt and Jeff won every single week heading into Extreme Rules, only to lose it tonight. The crowd really appreciated this steel cage match by their intense watching and appropriate chants. Was this change the right move? I do not think so. I think Matt and Jeff should have held the titles much longer and into the summer. Like the title change earlier in the night, this feud still has a lot of potential and plenty to build on. All four competitors tried to make an outdated concept into something good. That was accomplished.
Mixed Tag Teams and The Drifter
I was not expecting to love the mid card fluff that Extreme Rules was going to give us, but I was not completely upset with it. First, Sasha Banks and Baltimore’s own Rich Swann were able to pick up a win in short time against Alicia Fox and Noam Dar. It was a 6 and a half minute match where it was pretty basic and gave the faces a few nice moves. Sasha’s knees onto Noam Dar looked great and everything offensive move Rich Swann does is impactful.
The Drifter sang to the crowd of Baltimore. Man, I wanted him to talk about how he drifted to Pittsburgh (his hometown) and bash the Baltimore crowd, but he did just enough to get me even more interested in what he can accomplish. Like I mentioned, these segments were nothing too special but also made me feel a little more confident in how they are trying to make more pieces on a 3 hour and 10 minute weekly show more interesting.
