WWE spent weeks building up the rematch between Jeff Hardy and Sheamus on television. Sheamus picked up a win over Jeff Hardy at the Backlash pay-per-view event.
As part of the ongoing storyline where WWE is using Hardy’s issues with alcohol, WWE booked a Bar Fight between the former WWE Champion and Sheamus.
Although WWE never confirmed the match for Extreme Rules, many people including media outlets believed that WWE was going to make the match official during Friday’s episode of SmackDown for Extreme Rules.
However, during a backstage segment, Sheamus attacked Hardy and told him that he would see him next week on SmackDown. Thus, the match isn’t taking place at Extreme Rules as originally believed.
On this same episode of SmackDown, WWE did add Big E and Kofi Kingston vs. Shinsuke Nakamura and Cesaro in a tables match for the SmackDown Tag Team Titles at Extreme Rules.
Although this hasn’t been confirmed, there’s speculation that WWE decided to move the Bar Fight from Extreme rules to SmackDown as a way to help SmackDown’s viewership numbers, which have been struggling.
It was reported this week that this is the same reason that WWE saved Big Show vs. Randy Orton in an unsanctioned match for Monday’s Raw.
