The complete breakdown of WWE’s annual jackpot spectacle.
Good day, readers! Prince Osborne here back again with another new addition to my series “The Day After” where this entry belongs to WWE which is the latest instalment to a gala of ladder matches with a guaranteed briefcase of championship match contracts on the line – this is Money in the Bank.
Women’s Money in the Bank Ladder Match: Liv Morgan vs. Alexa Bliss vs. Raquel Rodriguez vs. Lacey Evans vs. Asuka vs. Becky Lynch vs. Shotzi
Liv Morgan won the match at 16:33
A very good starter in overall irrespective of the rough patches it had. Shotzi, Evans & Raquel had a warm crowd support entering as the dark horses but can’t really live up to the quest of bringing a breakout showing. All three women were not that memorable except Shotzi who will be remembered for her major misfires and will be criticized for not tuning herself up. Asuka & Lynch continuing their hostilities at the start was a nice move as the very nice move was made in making Morgan as the winner. She deserved this more than anyone, even Lynch, since her valiant effort in becoming a prominent face of the division.
Rating: 3.5/5
Singles Match | United States Championship: Austin Theory (C) vs. Bobby Lashley
Bobby Lashley def. Austin Theory by submission at 11:00
Surprisingly, a pretty good match where Theory put all his cheapskate tactics aside and tested his wrestling ability against the popularly powerful Lashley. Both had very good chemistry where Theory controlled a bit long but was good at the part and Lashley bounced back in his style and brought the victory home. Lashley as US Champion brings the lost relevancy around the title, and I do hope it stays the same.
Rating: 3.25/5
Singles Match | Raw Women’s Championship: Bianca Belair (C) vs. Carmella
Bianca Belair def. Carmella by pinfall at 7:14
A short, almost one-sided but solid defence for Belair against Carmella. The latter didn’t have a commendable chance of winning here as her offense was little to even acknowledge. This should be a filler run for Carmella, but we will see this get extended. I wish it ends in another TV match, not at SummerSlam because I expect Ripley to reclaim her contendership and challenge Belair at WWE’s summer spectacle.
Rating: 2.5/5
Tag Team Match | SmackDown Tag Team Championships: The Usos (Jey Uso & Jimmy Uso) (C) vs. The Street Profits (Montez Ford & Angelo Dawkins)
The Usos def. The Street Profits (Jimmy Uso def. Montez Ford by pinfall) at 23:00
WWE offered their tag team MOTY contender through this slow burnt barnburner. The initial control phase of The Usos might’ve been grueling but gave a great mental tussle for Street Profits that was replied with their own mental actions. After all those settled, these two excelled the mastery of physical action with great looking moves and seat-edge faux falls from both sides. The momentum shifted gears and elevated to the status of a phenomenal showdown that is the best between these two after all these years. The finish paves way for a rematch possibly at SummerSlam and I’m not mad at it as I’m ready for another scintillating thriller. Also, I get that Ford & Jey are the betterments of their teams but after this match, the other two join that talk too. So, I don’t want these two stalwart teams to split anytime.
Rating: 4.5/5
Singles Match | SmackDown Women’s Championship: Ronda Rousey (C) vs. Natalya
Ronda Rousey def. Natalya by submission at 12:31
Just like Theory/Lashley, this match was better than expected because of the cool chemistry these two have despite the build to here being awful. The flow of technicality might not be the best but it’s certainly a standout than the glaring attempts WWE did in the past as “technical clinics”. The finishing stretch was a nice thrill run with smooth exchanges of submission attempts and Rousey finally prevailed as the victor.
Rating: 3.25/5
MITB Cash-in | SmackDown Women’s Championship: Ronda Rousey (C) vs. Liv Morgan
Liv Morgan def. Ronda Rousey by pinfall at 0:31
Things escalated to unthinkable heights when Liv Morgan’s music hit and the cash-in was successful! Even Rousey acknowledged her motive as Morgan is well deserved of the spotlight that she’s on right now.
Grade: B
Men’s Money in the Bank Ladder Match: Matt Riddle vs. Seth Rollins vs. Drew McIntyre vs. Sheamus vs. Madcap Moss vs. Sami Zayn vs. Omos vs. Austin Theory (surprise addition)
Austin Theory won the match at 25:30
A very good ladder match that had the usual amazing moments like dismantling a giant in Omos, a breakout showing by one of the combatants which was Riddle and a surprise that could get the reaction on either side of the coin – that being Theory where it’s a mixed bag. Some are happy for his heel work reaping benefits while some are pissed on talents better than him not recognized here. I’ll side with the sour ones just because of the result. There’s no fault in the match flow at all. It was really enjoyable with some great spots pulled off by McIntyre, Sheamus, Riddle & Rollins. Theory’s win garners a lot of heel heat to him which is a fine work. Even though I rooted for Rollins or Riddle, the team went with the predicted asset.
Rating: 4/5
Overall Match Rating: 3.5/5
Overall Show Rating: 8/10
Match of the Night:
FINAL VERDICT:
This event started off pretty well with a well-deserved woman winning the briefcase, maintained its momentum with a good set of title matches, reached a new peak after Usos vs. Street Profits and almost arrived to be one of the best events of the year but it didn’t because of the polarizing decision took in the choice of winner for the men’s MITB match even though the match was great.
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