The week before a pay-per-view is always tricky. WWE has to push all the feuds that will make up the card, but it also has to make sure the regular weekly shows are more than just commercials for the upcoming event.
This past week saw a few new matches added to the Extreme Rules card, some storyline development in the established feuds and a few exciting moments.
As always, many different people made big impressions, but only one can be the Superstar of the Week.
Honorable Mentions: The Shield and Luke Harper
Anyone who watched Thursday's SmackDown likely suffered from flashbacks of a time when The Shield dominated every show.
Seth Rollins, Dean Ambrose and Roman Reigns reunited in a tag team match, albeit with Rollins on the opposite side of the ring with Luke Harper.
It was the best SmackDown main event in quite some time, and it showed just how well these Superstars work together, whether it's as opponents or allies.
Seeing something that good almost makes you wish WWE has never chosen to break up the stable in the first place. While each person has found an identity as a singles star, they were more than capable of finding success while remaining a cohesive unit.
Harper was just as important to the match as Rollins, Reigns and Ambrose. This is a 300-pound monster who moves like a 200-pound lightweight. There's nobody else like him.
The match they put on made us all miss the days of The Shield vs. The Wyatt Family, and hopefully someday we get to see the two groups reunite for one more showdown.
Luckily, we won't have to wait too long to see some of these men lock up again. Ambrose and Harper are scheduled for a Chicago Street Fight at Extreme Rules, and it should be one of the more physical bouts of the night.
Superstar of the Week for April 25: Randy Orton
The pre-PPV episode of Raw did a lot to push Extreme Rules, but nobody was featured as much as The Viper, Randy Orton.
Throughout the night, the challenger for Seth Rollins' WWE World Heavyweight Championship was RKOing everyone in sight, giving us a little taste of the unpredictable Orton we all remember from years past.
Nobody was safe from his wrath, and when the night was coming to a close, he accomplished his goal of hitting the one move he won't be allowed to use Sunday on the man who sells it better than anyone else.
As Rollins was having the cage lowered to protect him from Kane, Orton was able to sneak underneath the structure and trapped himself inside with the champ. Rollins tried to escape, but he was eventually taken down with one of the best RKO spots in recent history.
This is the kind of thing Orton has become known for, and it's one of his most enjoyable characteristics. His ability to hit the move on anyone in a variety of ways is just plain fun to watch.
The Apex Predator is the perfect opponent for Rollins because he is one of the most consistent talents in the entire company. Whenever you see Orton enter the ring, you know he is going to do his best to pop the crowd.
It seems like ever since he returned from hiatus, he has been on a different level. He might not win the title on Sunday, but there is no doubt that he will put on one of the best performances of the night.
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