WWE Extreme Rules is a
professional wrestling event produced annually by
WWE, a Connecticut–based
promotion, and broadcast
live and available only through
pay-per-view (PPV). T he name of the event stems from term "Extreme Rules," which WWE uses to refer to its bouts that are contested under
hardcore wrestling regulations;
the defunct
Extreme Championship Wrestling
(ECW) promotion originally used the term to describe the regulations
for all of its bouts. The event name was established in 2009, however
its theme began with its predecessor,
One Night Stand (est. ), which was promoted in
2005 and
2006 as an ECW reunion show. In
2007, WWE promoted the show as one of its own regular
PPV events
but kept the ECW concept of Extreme Rules matches. In 2009, WWE renamed
the One Night Stand event to WWE Extreme Rules. The 2009 Extreme Rules
event was noted by WWE to be a direct continuation of the One Night
Stand chronology. However, the 2010 event was later promoted as only the
second event under a new chronology, one that is no longer a direct
continuation of the One Night Stand events.
Starting in
2010, Extreme Rules was moved from June to late April/early May to replace
Backlash as the post-
WrestleMania pay-per-view event.
For 2013, the event is scheduled to take place in mid-May and replace
Over the Limit, which will likely move to the Fall.
John Cena has competed in three out of the four main event matches in the pay-per-view's history.
