Money in the Bank has become one of those shows that you should not miss. It might be time WWE’s Big Four pay per views gains an addition. There were some skeptical moments from the show, but huge hits with cash-ins and a match of the year candidate.
Roman Reigns vs. Elias
Elias did his typical shtick with mocking the crowd while on the guitar. As he goes up the ramp, Roman Reigns gets the superman punch and tosses Elias back in the ring. A spear and it is over in seconds. Strange booking that did not help either superstar. Grade: D
United States Championship: Samoa Joe vs. Rey Mysterio
Like their WrestleMania 35 match, do not blink. Rey Mysterio won the title, but Samoa Joe clearly had his shoulders up. It seems like that was part of the match, even though Joe was busted open very early. We will have to see how Dominick plays into the rest of the program. There was not much to score and it gets a few points because of Joe’s post-match beatdown. Grade: C-
RAW Women’s Championship: Becky Lynch vs. Lacey Evans
Money in the Bank was a busy night for Becky Lynch as she defended both of her titles in one night. We have not seen too much of what Lacey Evans has on TV, so this title match could dictate her future. For someone who has only been on the main roster for a few months, Evans looked okay; although there were a few sloppy spots. I do not know if the performance showed a future main event superstar because Evans needs is still green. The ending was a bit strange, which was a theme for the entire show. Grade: B-
Daniel Bryan & Rowan vs. The Usos (Jey Uso & Jimmy Uso)
The wildcard rule has allowed RAW and SmackDown superstars to now do battle, which is what brought us to our pre-show match. The Usos have run the tag division for the past decade, but Rowan & Daniel Bryan make for an interesting pairing. The match was fine, but I thought we had crowned new champions. It was not until after the match that we learned the titles were not on the line. That key piece of information being withheld would have spoiled the ending. Grade: B
Cruiserweight Championship: Tony Nese vs. Ariya Daivari
In one of the biggest shockers of the year, the Cruiserweight Championship was not on the pre-show. Not the best from 205 Live as they usually make a case for match of the night. We will have to see where they land on the next pay per view. Grade: B
Steel Cage Match: The Miz vs. Shane McMahon
In their previous meeting, The Miz and Shane McMahon fought all around the arena. This time, the steel cage would stop that from happening. The main storyline here was the referee bending the rules to accommodate Shane. The Miz was going to town with the chair shots and Shane took that nasty fall from the top of the cage. You had to figure a steel cage match meant Shane would take a crazy bump. The ending of Shane slipping through his shirt and to the ground keeps the feud going. Maybe, they finish this inside Hell in a Cell. Grade: B
Women’s Money in the Bank Ladder Match: Natalya vs. Dana Brooke vs. Naomi vs. Bayley vs. Mandy Rose vs. Ember Moon vs. Carmella vs. Nikki Cross
Looking at the participants, the entrants did not seem like the best choices. Then they went out there and had arguably the best female MITB match to date. Dana Brooke was impressive and showed that she deserves a legit program against a champion. Naomi was built for ladder matches with Nikki Cross keeping things interesting. Carmella could have sold the leg injury much better and Ember Moon’s eclipse off the ladder was probably spot of the match. Although, Dana dangling from the the briefcase is also up there. Bayley winning makes me wonder if that spot was originally designed for Sasha Banks. Still, Bayley needed a major victory and she made a huge statement later in the evening. Grade: B+
SmackDown Women’s Championship: Becky Lynch vs. Charlotte Flair. Bayley Cashes-In Money in the Bank
I like how Becky Lynch did not even get up the ramp before Charlotte Flair headed down and demanded her title match. Of course Becky accepted and it was a brilliant move by someone with the last name Flair. Then things got crazy in a great way. Lacey Evans punches Becky and Flair gets the pin to win the SmackDown Championship. Bayley comes out to help Becky and then pins Flair to leave as champion. Great cash-in and there are so many storylines WWE can use. Grade: A-
WWE Championship: Kofi Kingston vs. Kevin Owens
What a crazy few months it has been. Kevin Owens was out for a lengthy period and returned as a face for the first time in his WWE career. That did not last long due other circumstances, so Owens turned heel. Then, Kofi Kingston’s popularity skyrocketed and he became WWE Champion after 11 years with the company. I figured Big E would return or at least Xavier Woods would help his fellow New Day member. That was not the case and Kingston got a clean pin over Owens. They delivered in a compelling bout. Grade: A-
Men’s Money in the Bank Ladder Match: Ricochet vs. Drew McIntyre vs. Ali vs. Finn Bálor vs. Andrade vs. Randy Orton vs. Baron Corbin vs. Brock Lesnar
During the match, Michael Cole stated “what is wrong with these guys” and he was spot on. They hit some ridiculous spots thanks to Ricochet, Ali, Balor and Andrade. Then we had Baron Corbin and Drew McIntyre bring the power moves. Plus, Randy Orton played the role of veteran. The ending with Brock Lesnar was unexpected and disappointing because one of those other seven wrestlers who put their bodies at risk should have left with the briefcase. Grade: A-
Universal Championship: Seth Rollins vs. AJ Styles
Sometimes, it seems like putting anyone against AJ Styles is a dream match because it never felt like he would join WWE. We have said ‘dream mach’ with Styles too many times and the hype never lived up to our hope. That was not the case for Seth Rollins and Styles meeting for the first time. The crowd chanted “this is awesome” and I could not agree more. Possibly two of the most talented guys in WWE right now produced an easy candidate for match of the year. Both made a statement on how good they really are by delivering as promised. Grade: A
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