Sasha Banks

Only a few days separate WWE from what might be one of the year's most memorable events for fans. 

The 2020 edition of Extreme Rules is a wild card in the same way WrestleMania 36 and other events have been this year. It's hard to tell when WWE will pull a major swerve and especially hard to tell which matches—especially the pre-taped cinematic ones—will offer something fans won't forget. 

As always, the full card for Sunday remains an unknown and things can change at the last moment. But for now, fans have a handful of high-profile title matches and at least one cinematic match to count on as WWE continues the slow march to SummerSlam on August 23. 

Match Card and Predictions

• Apollo Crews vs. MVP (WWE United States Championship match)
• Jeff Hardy vs. Sheamus (Bar Fight match)
• Rey Mysterio vs. Seth Rollins (Eye for an Eye match)
• Bayley vs. Nikki Cross (SmackDown Women's Championship match)
• Asuka vs. Sasha Banks (Raw Women's Championship match)
• Drew McIntyre vs. Dolph Ziggler (WWE Championship match)
• Braun Strowman vs. Bray Wyatt (Wyatt Swamp Fight, non-title match)

Asuka vs. Sasha Banks (Raw Women's Championship match)

The knee-jerk reaction might be to think Sasha Banks, one of the hottest things going in WWE right now, is destined to win some individual gold to go alongside the tag team belts she holds with Bayley. 

But that might be pulling the proverbial trigger too soon in WWE land. 

Banks is all over the place as the top female star in the company right now in the wake of Becky Lynch's absence. She might just be the outright best Superstar given her promo and in-ring work.

Not that any of that is a surprise—but it is a surprise to see WWE lean into it so hard, letting the tag belts be an excuse to get her on all three weekly programs. 

Written another way, The Legit Boss doesn't really need another title to keep her momentum. And stripping a title off Asuka right now, again damaging her, wouldn't make a ton of sense. WWE seemingly can't afford to lose one of its top titleholders right now before the second-biggest event of the year. 

Fun as it might be to see Banks get a win and have it potentially mess with her friendship with Bayley, she will remain red hot regardless and a title doesn't need to change hands to have the friendship splintering potentially be a part of SummerSlam. 

Prediction: Asuka wins

Drew McIntyre vs. Dolph Ziggler (WWE Championship match)

It isn't hard to see what WWE is doing here. 

The company needs a carryover feud and one that makes a champion look like a million bucks while keeping the title scene in a holding pattern. 

That's when WWE dials up Dolph Ziggler. 

The Showoff is still one of the best sellers in the company and a guy who can make anyone look great. It's always predictable when he shows up in big programs, but it's always entertaining, too. 

And it sure doesn't hurt that WWE has smartly leaned into history to make this work instead of just randomly throwing something together. Drew McIntyre has spent the months since his big 'Mania moment and coronation as the promotion's top guy righting the wrongs of his past. 

His former friendship with Ziggler is next on the list and perfectly timed as a holdover feud before he gets involved with somebody bigger for SummerSlam. There will undoubtedly be flirtations of an upset here, of course, but the Scot is moving on to much bigger things as top champ in August. 

Prediction: McIntyre wins

Braun Strowman vs. Bray Wyatt (Wyatt Swamp Fight, non-title match)

By comparison, Braun Strowman's universal title run hasn't been nearly as interesting as McIntyre's so far. 

Which isn't to say The Monster Among Men was dealt a great hand, unexpectedly getting the title shot at WrestleMania against Goldberg. WWE needed to give the belt to someone in a pinch and it says quite a lot they picked Strowman. 

He's certainly made a much better run of it in recent months thanks to his long-awaited feud with Bray Wyatt. Their history doesn't need a lengthy explanation, though that history and the buildup here makes it clear this feud is still only just getting started. 

Translation: Strowman is going to win. But he's probably going to emerge from it changed in dramatic fashion. 

WWE has billed this one as a "Wyatt Swamp Fight," meaning it's a cinematic match where everyone can get really creative in how things unfold. Fans are bound to see implementation of The Fiend in the happenings, which will only make things more interesting long after Sunday's pay-per-view. 

In some fashion, Strowman will keep the title as he heads for SummerSlam, but the layers on this feud are only beginning to unfold into something special that can help headline the massive upcoming event. 

Prediction: Strowman wins

The upcoming Extreme Rules pay-per-view, dubbed the "The Horror Show at Extreme Rules," figures to be about as WWE in 2020 as it gets. 

The company and its wealth of Superstars continue to put on engaging contests and shows amid an audience-less environment and that will only continue Sunday. At least one pre-taped cinematic match has a chance to close out the event. 

And with SummerSlam plans still seemingly in flux, Extreme Rules feels more important than ever as a stepping stone to the company's second-biggest event of the year. A handful of Superstars have a chance to steal the show and build some serious momentum. 

Match Card

• Apollo Crews vs. MVP (WWE United States Championship match)
• Jeff Hardy vs. Sheamus (Bar Fight match)
• Rey Mysterio vs. Seth Rollins (Eye for an Eye match)
• Bayley vs. Nikki Cross (SmackDown Women's Championship match)
• Asuka vs. Sasha Banks (Raw Women's Championship match)
• Drew McIntyre vs. Dolph Ziggler (WWE Championship match)
• Braun Strowman vs. Bray Wyatt (Wyatt Swamp Fight, non-title match)

Nikki Cross

Superstars seemingly destined to lose in a predictable outcome still have a way of stealing shows. 

Nikki Cross is one of the best examples out there. She's one of the more unique characters on the roster right now, and WWE has been doing some really interesting things in that regard. She's second fiddle to Alexa Bliss and isn't winning a ton (she's won once since the second week of May). 

And yet, the Scot is so entertaining and good in the ring that she's guaranteed to squeak the most out of a title match against Bayley. 

In the end, it wouldn't make a ton of sense for Cross to take the SmackDown women's title right now. It's more functional on The Role Model, whose importance next to Sasha Banks cannot be understated. 

But if fans get some great character work out of Cross and WWE decides to create a divide between her and Bliss for the SummerSlam build, it'll go down as one of the highlights of Sunday's show. 

Braun Strowman

Braun Strowman isn't typically the sort of Superstar who steals shows. 

He usually has his big set pieces in matches (like the sprinting around the outside of the ring hammering opponents along the way), but fans are used to what he brings to the table. It's still impressive he moves so fast for such a big athlete, but fans know what to expect. 

Such a narrative could all change Sunday. 

Strowman is involved in a match with Bray Wyatt in what is surely a pre-taped cinematic match since WWE has billed this as a Wyatt Swamp Fight. That means more mystical elements like The Fiend and fewer instances of traditional wrestling. 

That's the sort of work fans don't get to see from The Monster Among Men often. Given how well cinematic matches have revived Superstars like Undertaker and already permitted Wyatt to excel, Strowman will be the latest to benefit. 

Considering the backdrop is what has otherwise been a ho-hum, if not disappointing, universal title run for Strowman so far, WWE has positioned Sunday as a chance to turn things around in unforgettable fashion. 

Sasha Banks

Part of what has made the current Banks run so enjoyable for longtime fans is the fact that it's seen as a reward for her hard work over the years. 

The Legit Boss, after all, routinely steals shows. 

While she's been stuck in the midcard in the past and used as a secondary character—even with a title around her waist—next to Charlotte Flair, Banks is now top dog.

She's one of the few Superstars who have excelled during audience-less shows, and there haven't been any hiccups with her stepping into the Becky Lynch-sized void in the roster. 

But it's understandable if fans go into Sunday thinking The Boss is in a no-win situation. She's in an unexpected title match against Asuka for the Raw women's belt. She's already a tag champ and WWE keeps using that belt alone as a device to get her on all three weekly programs. In a vacuum, it wouldn't make a ton of sense to have her rip a title from and damage The Empress of Tomorrow right now. 

Regardless of the outcome, though, fans know all too well Banks is capable of putting on a near-classic in any match. Extreme Rules should be no exception. 

And that's before considering the chance of a surprise. WWE has SummerSlam to build, and if the company wants to start some budding problems between Banks and Bayley, Sunday is the spot to do it.

If there is a dusty finish, regardless of the winner, there's a chance the character work in the background by The Boss makes for one of the year's top moments outright. 

Banks stealing the show isn't unusual, but how she does it Sunday is what makes her appearance in the title match so eagerly anticipated. 

WWE isn't doing much to take the foot off the gas ahead of the upcoming 2020 Extreme Rules pay-per-view event. 

While some of the card for Sunday remains a mystery (not unusual lately), the known matches boast one of the company's top titles, both of the top women's titles and fun stipulations fitting the theme dubbed "The Horror Show at Extreme Rules."

Based on some of the monumental storylines involved, the PPV should be anything but horrific. What plays out Sunday night is a critical stepping stone as WWE heads toward its second-biggest event of the year, SummerSlam. 

Match Card

• Apollo Crews vs. MVP (WWE United States Championship match)
• Jeff Hardy vs. Sheamus (Bar Fight match)
• Rey Mysterio vs. Seth Rollins (Eye for an Eye match)
• Bayley vs. Nikki Cross (SmackDown Women's Championship match)
• Asuka vs. Sasha Banks (Raw Women's Championship match)
• Drew McIntyre vs. Dolph Ziggler (WWE Championship match)
• Braun Strowman vs. Bray Wyatt (Wyatt Swamp Fight, non-title match)

Top Storylines

All Eyes on an Eye for an Eye match

Leave it to two Superstars like Rey Mysterio and Seth Rollins to just make something work. 

Rollins is away from the main event scene right now while working with his stable and superb heel gimmick so WWE threw him in a slow-burning feud with Mysterio. Not that it didn't escalate quickly, as The Monday Night Messiah kicked things off by piercing the veteran's eye with a set of steel stairs before sparring with his rival's son, Dominik. 

There are multiple must-know factors to consider for this feud and what could be a big payoff. One, Mysterio has been reportedly working without a new deal, according to Wrestling Observer Radio's Dave Meltzer (h/t Robert Gunier of Wrestling Inc), so this could be the last fans see of The Master of the 619. 

And besides this simply being a contest between two of the best talents in the company, it's important to remember this is one of those new cinematic pre-taped matches that has been propping up WWE pay-per-views while they work without live audiences, according to Meltzer (h/t Gunier).

So not only is this a serious feud, it also has a chance to steal the show in a memorable way like prior recent cinematic matches if it's done well. Knowing the two involved and the stakes at play, it will be. 

The Wyatt Family Showdown 

The layers between Bray Wyatt and Braun Strowman are impossible to ignore. 

Wyatt, the challenger, is on a warpath to take down a monster he says he created. Technically it's true given the history between these two, though it's Wyatt framed as the bad guy here while The Monster Among Men has been riding high. 

Strowman eventually getting a shot at Wyatt has been one of the most anticipated matches of modern WWE. It's a shame his universal title run started with a dud (beating Goldberg at WrestleMania 36) and then a prior match with Wyatt was more building than delivering. 

However, the two have a chance to make something unforgettable happen at Extreme Rules in their Wyatt Swamp Fight. While it stinks there's no title on the line as of this writing, if it's another cinematic pre-taped affair, it could end up stealing the show anyway while laying important groundwork for a later date. 

Presumably, WWE would like to prolong this feud with so many top stars like Roman Reigns out and live audiences still an impossibility.

Down in the swamp, fans could see The Fiend itself entering this feud, which makes for gripping storytelling as these two continue to play out their complex histories. 

Sasha Banks' Ascent 

To say Sasha Banks is one of the best things going in WWE right now would be an understatement.

The Legit Boss, using the tag team titles as a show-hopping device alongside partner Bayley, has been putting on epic performances on all three weekly shows. She's had great tag team matches taking down the likes of The IIconics and also put on must-see encounters with names such as Io Shirai. 

It's not hard to see why WWE is all-in on Banks right now, as she has effortlessly stepped into the void left by a heavyweight like Becky Lynch, performing like one of the top talents in WWE as a whole. 

And the reward is a match against Asuka for the Raw women's title Sunday. 

Besides Banks herself simply being must-see material for ring, mic and character work, there's the potential for anything to happen Sunday.

Bayley has a top women's individual title right now, the two have a long history together, and WWE needs a must-see SummerSlam build.

It has intrigue written all over it, as Banks winning a title or some form of Bayley interference that might hint at a split of the tag champs and friends could lead to the two outright headlining SummerSlam on August 23 together. 

Even if things go the ho-hum route, a Banks-Asuka match has the potential to easily be the best thing on Sunday's card. 

Bleacher Report catches you up on the latest news from the WWE Universe.

Slater Talks Returning on WWE Raw

Heath Slater made a surprise return to WWE on Monday's episode of Raw after getting released from the company in April.

Slater was brought in by Dolph Ziggler as an example of WWE champion Drew McIntyre turning his back on his friends. Slater claimed McIntyre hadn't called him since his WWE release, which led Slater to challenge McIntyre to a match.

McIntyre won in quick fashion, but he and Slater ended on a good note, as McIntyre saved The One Man Band from a post-match attack at the hands of Ziggler. After that, McIntyre and Slater shared an emotional embrace.

Slater was interviewed backstage following his return and discussed what it meant to get some closure in WWE:

"[I]t was just something that had to be done. You know, me and Drew, we go way back. He is a brother of mine and he promised me something, you know, and I wanted it, so I confronted him and thank God it happened, but then again, you know, he's the man, he's the champ, he's my best friend. A brother inside and outside the ring. Pretty sure he still loves me after he helped me up he gave me a hug. I hope anyway because he's a bad dude. But no, this was a nice closing of a chapter. So let's see what the future brings for me."

McIntyre and Slater further proved that they patched things up with the following exchange on Twitter after Raw:

Additionally, McIntyre made it clear to Ziggler that he intends to provide him with a world of hurt at Extreme Rules:

McIntyre will defend the WWE title against Ziggler at the upcoming pay-per-view in a match that was born from Ziggler's claiming that McIntyre owed him an opportunity after Ziggler brought him to Raw in 2018.

By using Slater to further his agenda, Ziggler only served to make the Scottish Superstar angrier and put an even bigger target on his own back.

It is unclear if his appearance on Monday's Raw could mean that a WWE return is in Slater's future, but he got to leave on a high note if it isn't, and he improved his stock on the free-agent market by cutting an excellent promo. 

Booker T Responds to Banks' Comments About Harlem Heat

WWE Hall of Famer Booker T shot down Sasha Banks' recent assertion that she and Bayley are a better tag team than Harlem Heat.

After Booker previously said on his Hall of Fame podcast that Bayley "may not be great at anything, but she's good at everything," Sasha took exception and fired back with the following tweet:

On Tuesday's edition of the Hall of Fame podcast, Booker gave Sasha and Bayley props but made it clear that he believes they have a long way to go before reaching Harlem Heat's level (h/t WrestlingInc.com's Joshua Gagnon):

"Sasha, Bayley, great tag team, but as far as those two being anywhere near as great as Hall of Fame tag team, 10-time World Tag Team champions—set the record. Along with the greatest manager in the history of the game: Sherri Martel.

"As far as Sasha Banks and Bayley goes—as far as tag team wrestling goes—and what Harlem Heat brought to the game, and still sprinkling out there all over the world right now. People are still singing the name on a yearly basis. ... Sasha, Bayley, congratulations on your success, keeping doing what you do, hopefully, you won't post anymore tweets about me, or anything like that."

Sasha and Bayley are perhaps already the most successful women's tag team in WWE history, as they are the reigning WWE Women's Tag Team champions and have held the titles twice.

The women's tag team division is still in its infancy, however, and they will need several more years of excellence to match what Booker T and his brother, Stevie Ray, did as a team in WCW.

Booker and Stevie held the WCW World Tag Team Championships 10 times and were inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame as a team last year.

Additionally, Booker went on to great success as a singles competitor with six world-title reigns between WCW and WWE, whereas Stevie Ray didn't do much on his own.

Individually, Sasha and Bayley are two of the greatest women's wrestlers of all time. A strong argument can be made that the individual talents of Sasha and Bayley have eclipsed those of Booker and Stevie, but when it comes to team success, Banks and Bayley will require many more tag title reigns to challenge Harlem Heat.

Jericho Talks Up Fyter Fest Match vs. Cassidy

Chris Jericho is set to face Orange Cassidy on Night 2 of AEW Dynamite's Fyter Fest on Wednesday, and Le Champion has fans expecting big things.

In an Instagram post, Jericho wrote: "Honestly....This is one of the best matches I've had in my 30 year career. I highly recommend checking it out THIS WEDNESDAY on #AEWDynamite!!!!"

Night 2 of Fyter Fest has already been taped, so Jericho knows what he and Cassidy accomplished, meaning he must be fairly confident that wrestling fans will enjoy it or else he likely wouldn't have gone out on a limb the way he did.

Jericho and Cassidy have been embroiled in a heated feud over the past few weeks after OC interrupted him when he was calling out Mike Tyson. Cassidy embarrassed Jericho on a couple of occasions, and Jericho made it clear he was in no mood to joke around when he beat Cassidy with a bag of oranges.

With the AEW World Championship match between Jon Moxley and Brian Cage getting pushed back to next week, Jericho vs. Cassidy may very well be the Fyter Fest main event, so there was plenty of pressure on both men to deliver.

Jericho has essentially seen and done it all, and he has faced many of the top wrestlers in the history of the business on the biggest stages, including Stone Cold Steve Austin, The Rock, Shawn Michaels, The Undertaker, Triple H and many more.

The list of great matches Jericho has had is about a mile long, and if his bout against Cassidy truly deserves to be on that list, it says a lot about what OC was able to bring to the table in perhaps the biggest match of his career.

Listen to Ring Rust Radio for all of the hot wrestling topics. Catch the latest episode in the player below (warning: some language NSFW).