WWE Extreme Rules 2017 predictions: Fatal 5-Way

WWE returns to pay-per-view (PPV) -- if your cable provider is carrying the event, of course -- tomorrow night (Sun., June 4, 2017) live from the Royal Farms Arena in Baltimore, Maryland with its Extreme Rules event starting at 7:00 p.m. ET with the Kickoff show leading right on into the main course at 8 p.m. ET on the WWE Network.

Set for the card: A Fatal 5-Way to determine the next top contender to Brock Lesnar’s Universal championship, and more!

Luckily for you Cagesiders, our staff of learned wrestling blowhards is here to help figure out just how the event is going to play out with predictions for each match on the card.

Let's get to it.

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WWE EXTREME RULES PREDICTIONS

Roman Reigns vs. Bray Wyatt vs. Seth Rollins vs. Samoa Joe vs. Finn Balor

Geno Mrosko: Look, I know what promotion I’m watching. I am conditioned to believe. I must then predict accordingly. Pick: Roman Reigns

Sean Rueter: Since Roman Reigns and Samoa Joe were victorious this past Monday, momentum is clearly on their side. Okay, that’s the kayfabe half of my sure-to-be-wrong prediction. The smark-y half is me knowing it won’t be the Big Dog cause we’re saving that for New Orleans in ten months. For a little Steiner math, I’ll throw in another 41.67% and say it doesn’t matter since the winner ain’t winning at Great Balls of Fire, anyway. The numbers don’t lie. Pick: Samoa Joe

Kyle Decker: This is really a crapshoot but I'm going with Bray Wyatt here. Despite picking up the loss last Raw, they've positioned him well since returning. He got the win over Randy Orton and has had some type of featured segment most shows. Pick: Bray Wyatt

Cain A. Knight: Right away I am ruling out Reigns or Samoa Joe from winning this match, because Samoa Joe won the triple threat last Monday, while Roman has looked really really strong against both Balor and Rollins. Bray Wyatt is a chump who I can't take seriously in a match against Brock Lesnar, so I'll rule him out too. That leaves Rollins and Balor as the two most likely choices to win this match. Lesnar's next match seems like a one-and-done against an inevitable victim on Brock's way to a bigger championship defense at SummerSlam. I'm not sure that it's really the right choice to use Balor as a Lesnar chew toy for the July PPV, but it seems like the best fit, because Seth probably still has some unfinished business with Samoa Joe. Pick: Finn Balor

Reverend Kain: Bray Wyatt has been a WWE Champion more recently than any of the other five men in this match, so he's got that going for him. And, stepping outside of kayfabe for a moment, Brock has supposedly really wanted to wrestle him, and a B(alls) PPV like Great Balls of Fire seems like the time to do that. Really though, my main hope here is that they don't do anything that diminishes how much I've been enjoying Finn lately-- he's had an edge that's been missing since the Devitt days, of late. Pick: Bray Wyatt

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Alexa Bliss vs. Bayley

Geno Mrosko: This one’s for Phil, Tracy, and Alexa’s love of violence. Pick: Bliss

Sean Rueter: Will the Hugster give in to the dark side and get all Rob Liefield on the Goddess of WWE? Or will Bayley’s better angels prevail while costing her the title? More importantly, how did they make me not care about someone who was my favorite wrestler last year at this time? Pick: Alexa Bliss

Kyle Decker: I don't see a switch happening here, but I really have no idea with the Raw women's division. Pick: Alexa Bliss

Cain A. Knight: I remember arguing in 2015 that the WWE Championship reign of Seth Rollins was primarily ruined by terrible booking, and a popular counter-argument from the anti-Rollins side was that the best performers need to be able to overcome poor booking, and so that was no excuse for Seth. Many of those same people then cited NXT's Bayley as an elite level performer who was such a great worker and babyface talent that she would succeed on the main roster regardless of what creative threw her way. Well here we are 2 years later and babyface Bayley is struggling on the main roster, because the harsh truth is that sometimes elite performers cannot overcome awful booking, just like with Seth's run as WWE champ in 2015. That being said, I'm going to pick Bayley here because I think WWE needs to swap the title around for a while to kill some time, just like they did with Charlotte and Sasha last year. Pick: Bayley

Reverend Kain: Alexa has been so dominant through this entire feud that it makes it hard to get a read on what's going to happen. Is she going to just plow right through Bayley on her way to Sasha or Mickie or whoever else might be next? Or is it one of those deals where she's out of gas and Bayley will heroically struggle through and win the day? The kendo stick only being legal for the woman who grabs it first really boggles my mind as well-- why do that stipulation if you're not gonna use it? Maybe Bayley gets it and Alexa seizes the opportunity to get disqualified and retain her title? Pick: Bayley

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Dean Ambrose vs. The Miz

Geno Mrosko: The timing and situation feel right for The Miz to take the strap and freshen it up a bit. Really, I’m just hoping they move away from this feud sooner rather than later. It showed a brief flash of potential but has failed to generate any sustained interest. Pick: The Miz

Sean Rueter: Don’t worry, Dean-o. That LEATHER JACKET, AAAAAND JEEAANNNS you got will still look good without the belt. Pick: The Miz

Kyle Decker: The Intercontinental title belongs on Miz. Dean Ambrose doesn't need it. There's plenty he can do without it. Return the gold to its rightful owner and restart the World Tour. Pick: The Miz

Cain A. Knight: My interest level in Raw is inversely correlated with how strongly Miz and Strowman are being pushed, and so I'm hoping that WWE keeps the strap on Ambrose and moves him into a championship program with the Drifter. But WWE doesn't ever really know what to do with the Miz other than book him in Intercontinental Championship feuds, so he's probably winning this one. Then he'll be sure to kick off his underwhelming summer tour of mediocre PPV matches as champ. Pick: The Miz

Reverend Kain: On the other hand, THIS stipulation makes it rather easier to prognosticate. Whether Miz pays the Drifter off to attack him and get Dean DQ'd or what, this is a title-changing stipulation for sure. Pick: the Miz

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The Hardy Men vs. Cesaro & Sheamus

Geno Mrosko: A loss for Cesaro & Sheamus would almost certainly mean breaking them up, right? It would also force some new blood in the tag team division but with The Revival still weeks away from a return and Enzo getting beat up in arenas across America, what options do they have? Pick: Cesaro & Sheamus

Sean Rueter: While I want this to be the start of an interesting new story for Matt & Jeff, I’m afraid it’s the same old Raw tag tale... just with the Boyz as New Day and Shea-Saro as Gallows & Anderson. Pick: The Hardyz

Kyle Decker: Sheamus and Cesaro have to win here, right? Despite a heel turn, they've lost every match with the Hardys. Even if Matt isn't going to be technically broken, it'd be best for both teams if they dropped the straps to Shesaro here. Cesaro and Sheamus are too good not to have the titles as heels. And the Hardys need a shake up. A loss here would spark that, even if it's not officially Broken. Pick: Cesaro and Sheamus

Cain A. Knight: The Hardy Boyz have yet to lose a match since they returned at WrestleMania 33, in both tag team and singles competition. It really hurts Sheamus and Cesaro to lose so many times after turning heel, but it probably makes more sense to keep the belts on the Hardyz for now until the Revival are back and ready to take out the invincible babyface duo. Regardless of who wins, this should be a terrific match. Pick: Hardy Boyz

Reverend Kain: So our European pals have been talking an awful lot about BREAKING the Hardyz... The Boyz are gonna have it won when Brother Nero gives into his spot monkey tendencies and falls off the cage rather than escaping, and that's Cesaro and Sheamus right in for the win. Pick: Cesaro & Sheamus

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Neville vs. Austin Aries

Geno Mrosko: Aries can’t possibly lose yet ANOTHER match to Neville ... can he? Surely he’s figured it all out by now ... hasn’t he? Bad position to be in if not. Pick: Austin Aries

Sean Rueter: Pretty sure I’ve picked him every step of the way in this program. Third times the charm? I mean, he does have plant power on his side. He’s got too much potassium in his system to come up short again. And just think of the nice, big package we’ll get to see when he wins! Pick: Austin Aries

Kyle Decker: Feels like these two have been feuding forever. If Aries win, they will need to continue feuding because Neville will have his obligatory rematch. It'd be better if Neville wins and goes on to face Tozawa, who finally finished his feud with Kendrick. Aries can win the title eventually, but could work better if he turns heel first. Pick: Neville

Cain A. Knight: Considering that Neville just tapped out on Raw, I think that means Aries is tapping out on Sunday. After failing to win the title in so many attempts, Austin Aries should probably turn heel and get out of the cruiserweight division as soon as possible because WWE desperately needs some fresh and interesting heels elsewhere on the card. Pick: Neville

Reverend Kain: Who is even on deck for Aries if he wins? Kendrick, who just lost a feud to Tozawa? Perkins, who is Neville's lapdog? Gulak would be an awesome feud for him, but it would mean sidestepping the Campaign For a Better 205 Live, and that would be a shame. Dar? No thanks. Whereas Alexander, Tozawa, Gallagher, even Swann would all be fun feuds for Neville. I kinda hate going so thoroughly meta like this, but it only makes sense. Pick: Neville

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Sasha Banks & Rich Swann vs. Alicia Fox & Noam Dar

Geno Mrosko: Sasha and Swann are an actually fun pairing, aren’t they? They’ll also almost certainly win here. Pick: Sasha & Swann

Sean Rueter: Never underestimate how hard Vince McMahon laughs when Noam says Alicia’s name. Pick: Alicia Fox & Noam Dar

Kyle Decker: I see both Sasha and Swann re-entering their respective divisions soon where they can both be featured. Because of that, they’ll need to pick up a win here. Pick: Sasha Banks and Rich Swann

Cain A. Knight: Sasha Banks is a much bigger star than Alicia Fox, and Rich Swann is a much bigger star than Noam Dar. I just don't see any reason to have the heels win this one. Pick: Sasha Banks and Rich Swann

Reverend Kain: The Boss ain't hanging out with my tiny mens unless she's winning the match, and you can bank on that. Pick: Sasha Banks & Rich Swann

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That’s how we see the card playing out. How about you?