A really cool segment here done by both men. You’ll never hear McMahon called a technician, but he has always had an understanding in the ring of pacing and what needs to be done, and he delivers. He looked good here, and the blood on McMahon made things very old school.
Punk got an early advantage attacking McMahon from behind. Over time, McMahon gained control only to lose it to a vicious low blow. As Punk looked to finish off McMahon, Ryback hit the ring and, with Cena’s help, ran Punk out of the arena. Afterward, Vince told Punk he had one week to decide on his opponent for Hell in a Cell.
Now, who will Punk choose? As I said last week, I like the way WWE is building Ryback as it is getting him over, but he should not get a title shot. It’s nice to give the guy a rub as a developing face, but he cannot main event a PPV yet.
It was a fantastic brawl between two of the WWE’s top stars that was entertaining for every single one of the 26 minutes that it took up. Extreme Rules was one hell of a pay-per-view, and the best match of the night might very well have been CM Punk vs. Chris Jericho in a Chicago Street Fight for the WWE Championship. Perhaps it’s better for everyone—Punk and Jericho, included—if we just move on to something else.
When the match ended and Punk emerged victorious, that gave Punk the 2-0 advantage in this series and sure looked like the blow-off bout to this great rivalry.
In several ways, a CM Punk-Daniel Bryan WWE Championship Match was always fated to be. The two Superstars are among the purest athletes and finest technicians WWE has ever seen. Their championship reigns were some of the most dominant in late 2011 and early 2012, and they come from a hardscrabble, old-school wrestling background that has endeared them to the WWE Universe in a way that is not typically seen amongst modern Superstars. And now, at Over the Limit, they will finally meet with the supreme prize on the line.
