The hour of extreme is almost upon us, and the WWE locker room is hedging its bets. With John Cena set to defend the WWE Title against the monstrous Ryback, The Shield challenging for the U.S. and WWE Tag Team Titles, and Brock Lesnar taking his war with Triple H to the confines of a steel cage, the implications of Extreme Rules reach far beyond Sunday. The landscape of Raw and SmackDown, as the WWE Universe knows, could change in the blink of an eye, making Extreme Rules a must-watch pay-per-view for the WWE Universe and Superstars alike.

And needless to say, the locker room remains firmly divided on the evening’s two biggest matches.

“You go with  Brock Lesnar and Triple H in a steel cage, it’s one of those times that it’s gonna be hard-hitting and it’s gonna be entertaining,” said The Miz, who will  face Cody Rhodes on the Extreme Rules Pre-Show. “I think Triple H is gonna come out on top once again.”

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U.S. Champion Kofi Kingston, meanwhile, was left singing a different tune. “It’s really hard to put a finger on it, but I would go with Brock Lesnar in this one only because I think he has a little bit more to prove based on  what happened at WrestleMania.”

John Cena’s  WWE Title Match against Ryback drew a similarly split reaction. Even though both Superstars praised Cena’s heart and tenacity, it was ultimately Kingston who verbalized what must surely be lurking in the back of the Cenation’s mind before the injured Champ squares off against his former friend.

“I always have a hard time betting against John Cena,” Kingston said. “But if I were to bet against John Cena, I’d definitely pick Ryback to do it.”

WWE Champion John Cena joins with WWE Tag Team Champions Team Hell No to face The Shield in an Elimination Six-Man Tag Team Match.

In WWE’s Google+ Hangout on Thursday, Layla offered her opinion on Team Hell No’s  Tag Team Championship defense against The Shield’s Seth Rollins & Roman Reigns.

“Kane’s a legend,” she said, pointing that The Shield’s talent is immense, but the veteran wisdom of their opponents poses a formidable challenge for the NXT alumni. “[Kane’s] been through it all, he [and Daniel Bryan are] definitely gonna outsmart them … [Rollins & Reigns] are going to make an error.”

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As for his own match, Kofi chose a path of realistic optimism for his U.S. Title defense  against Dean Ambrose. “Anytime you go up against one member of The Shield you’re going against all members of the Shield,” he said. “I always believe in myself, regardless of what the odds are. I know I have to have my eyes peeled and just bring everything I have, so that’s really all I can do. I’m gonna go with myself because I don’t go into a match thinking I’m gonna lose.”

The Miz, meanwhile, picked Cody Rhodes to defeat him in the Pre-Show.

Just kidding.

“Miz makes Cody Rhodes tap, tap, tap to the Figure-Four Leglock,” The Awesome One said.

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As for the  “I Quit” Match between Alberto Del Rio and Jack Swagger to determine the No. 1 contender to the World Heavyweight Championship? Well, for that, WWE.com got the opinion of a very interested third party.

“I hope they beat the crap out of each other,” World Champion Dolph Ziggler said, still recovering from his  Swagger-induced concussion last week and already looking ahead to his future title defense against the winner of this particular bout. “It’s an ‘I Quit’ Match so someone’s gonna be in a lot of pain. It’s either gonna be an armbar or an ankle lock. And whatever happens to that Superstar, it’s gonna be hopefully left on way too long to where I can go out there [down the line] and pick up the pieces.”