Extreme Rules is airing live on pay-per-view and the WWE Network from the PPG Paints Arena in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The WWE Extreme Rules kickoff show started at 6 p.m. EST, and it featured two opening contests. The kickoff opened with the news that Hulk Hogan is indeed in the arena, and that he has been reinstated into the WWE Hall of Fame. Shinsuke Nakamura was supposed to be interviewed, but he pretended like he didn’t hear the panel from his earpiece. Aside from that, not much happened until the preliminary matches began.
Sin Cara vs. Andrade Almas
These two faced off for the first time on SmackDown last Tuesday, and this was another barnburner. Zelina Vega was in Almas’ corner. As expected, the two told a great in-ring story, and they made sure to make this contest different from the one they had on SmackDown . “Cien” started the bout off by slapping the high flyer right in the face. Sin Cara then got the shine by applying a series of moves, and he delivered a back body drop on Andrade that sent the WWE superstar flying over the top rope to the ringside floor.
After some more shine, Almas turned the tide to get some heat on his opponent. After a few moves and applying an armbar, Sin Cara made it to his feet, and the two exchanged blows. In a high spot, Sin Cara delivered a wicked Quebrada on “Cien.” Sin Cara nailed a frog splash, but Vega was distracting the referee, so he didn’t get the pinfall. “Cien” took advantage of the situation and delivered a hammerlock DDT for the three-count.
.@AndradeCienWWE & @SinCaraWWE are going to BATTLE on the #ExtremeRules kickoff! pic.twitter.com/wyoslEmBfc
— WWE (@WWE) July 15, 2018
The New Day vs. Sanity
Kofi Kingston, Xavier Woods, and Big E squared off against Alexander Wolfe, Eric young, and Killian Dain in six-man tables match. Unsurprisingly, the action started with all six men attacking each other. Big E ended up alone in the ring, and Alexander and Eric pummeled him.
It’s absolute pandemonium in the #TablesMatch between #TheNewDay & #SAnitY at the #ExtremeRules kickoff show! pic.twitter.com/GYfkI6boyj
— WWE (@WWE) July 15, 2018
Big E continued to receive some heat, but then Kingston and Woods stunningly delivered a double Tope con Giro. Shortly after, Killian returned the stunning move with one of his own; the six-foot-four behemoth ran the ropes and hit a huge suicide dive on The New Day.
The #BeastOfBelfast @KillianDain has been UNLEASHED in devastating fashion! #ExtremeRules pic.twitter.com/YLKYecqa6E
— WWE Network (@WWENetwork) July 15, 2018
The live crowd was really into this one from beginning to end, popping for nearly every move they performed. For the finish, Wolfe and Young put Kofi Kingston through a table with a wheelbarrow and diving elbow combo. That victory marked the last match for the WWE Extreme Rules pre-show.