WWE Extreme Rules Preview

This Sunday, the WWE will present us Extreme Rules on PPV. Much like it has been the last few years, the PPV after Wrestlemania is full of rematches. But they have EXTREME gimmicks, so it makes them cooler. The WWE sometimes extends these programs to Over the Limit, but often times they can end at this PPV. I could see Punk/Jericho going to Over the Limit, but that's about it.

I've said in a previous column, but it is PPV's like these that have completely water downed the gimmick match in the WWE. Now, I will give the WWE some credit. They have actually done a decent job making some of these matches seem like they need the gimmick. I think the two best examples are Lesnar/Cena and Punk/Jericho. I would still prefer to see a PPV without gimmicks, but that would result in the WWE actually having to try to book a rematch PPV that people care about. The WWE feels that a gimmick match would pop a buyrate for the PPV. It happens from time to time, but in the end, a compelling storyline is all that most wrestling fans care about.