The referees deserve a raise tonight. So many too-close-too-call near falls which they made look oh-so dramatically close.
The Pre-show sees The Bludgeon Brothers defeat Gallows and Anderson in a tag team championship defense. This seemed obvious, but nonetheless we got a good match. I just feel the SmackDown tag team situation has grown stale and WWE needs to find a way to breathe some new life
The main show kicks off with a solid bout where Daniel Bryan defeats Big Cass by Submission. It was so well done. I know the big guy has a lot of haters, myself included, but tonight he did a good job of playing the “big man” role with big boots and big slams. Very well done, Bryan dominated a decent chunk of the match by taking out the legs. A few close calls which teased Cass winning, but ultimately Bryan rallied and forced a tap out.
I have to say, the “Yes!” chants have not lost their touch. When WWE production tells the camera crews to pan back and get a wide shot of the crowd, you can’t help but smile and feel drawn into the Yes! Yes! Yes! which the entire crowd participates in. It must be truly amazing to partake of it live. During the match… I could have sworn I heard a “Casshole” chant.
Bobby Lashley destroys Sami Zayn – Yes. Not much to it. Zayn was weird coming down the ramp. Staggering around, flopping around on the floor. Lashley just mauled the poor guy. Three stalling suplexes did him in. I hope this debacle is finally over.
Seth Rollins vs. Elias – Intercontinental Championship Match
Really annoying my Network connection stalled a few times. But still enough for me to say this match became a contender for runner-up match of the night. Rollins and Elias did it. If you listened to the Bob Culture Podcast, you would have heard we all expected this to be a fantastic match. In a great twist, no finishing moves were used to end this one, it came to a roll-up reversal for Seth Rollins to retain the championship. Elias busted his ass. He didn’t have anything else to prove, we all know he is main event material. This should have erased any lasting doubts if those still existed. Rollins, always at the peak performance we expect him to be. Due to Rollins using a typically considered heel tactic to win, we may see this happen again at SummerSlam.
Women’s Money in the Bank Ladder Match
Wow. Lots of fast-paced action. Great teases and spots to hype up the crowd. Only negative to the match were the sudden mad dashes to race up the ladder. Crowd was very anti-Natalya. Geez. Alexa Bliss got the nod and won the match. Very well done too. Some short teases where it seemed Lana would win. Cute. Big spots from Ember Moon and Charlotte. Crowd was popping huge for Becky Lynch, really thought tonight was going to be hers.
Roman Reigns defeated Jinder Mahal because of course he is. I really have little to say. Jinder was the MVP. He actually made the match look good, where Reigns just looked bored and did his usual wake up for a Superman Punch and Spear. Lots of booing from the crowd. Guess mid-carding him against a heel isn’t going to work, wonder what WWE will try next to try to change the fans minds.
Carmella retained the SmackDown Women’s Championship against Asuka… by pinfall. Yes. I wrote that. On the Bob Culture Podcast, we were so sure this one would end by DQ or count out, because how on Earth could WWE give Asuka another loss?
Well. They did. Shockingly Carmella looked pretty good, but the win, came when we all expected the inevitable distraction by a returning James Ellsworth who dressed up in Asuka’s ring entrance gear, allowing Carmella to hit a superkick and pin, actually pin Asuka for the win.
Let’s see… in NXT she goes forever undefeated, and in WWE, she’s got two losses already. We get it Vince, you want her to be human. You want her on the same level as everyone else. But geez, way to kill a novelty.
Shinsuke Nakamura vs. AJ Styles – WWE Championship Last Man Standing Match
Oh. My. Lord. Sweet Primus. This was ridiculous. Insane. Another contender for runner-up match of the night. No words. All jaw dropping fast paced action. No clear dominator during the fight, but man, so many good looking spots. I’ll cut to the chase, the action spilled to the outside of the ring and things got crazy. Kinshasa across the tables. Chairs, tables, chaos. Big pivotal moment when Styles hits a clash off the steel stairs onto the arena floor, Nakamura beats the 10 count and shouts the trademark “Come On!” only to receive a field goal kick right between the uprights. Styles follows it with a Phenomenal Forearm through the announce table and Nakamura is out cold. AJ Styles retains the WWE Championship.
Ronda Rousey vs. Nia Jax
Decent match. Jax brutalizes her all match, powerbombs, slams, throws, and the big Samoan Drop. Credit to Rousey, she sold everything like she meant it. Following an early powerbomb, Rousey fell through the ropes to the outside, I couldn’t tell if she got disoriented and that was a legit fall. Rousey starts hulking up and seems ready to force the submission victory… UNTIL ALEXA BLISS INTERFERES! Causing the DQ, she clobbers Rousey and tosses her over the announce table. She strikes Jax a few times with the briefcase for good measure and then CASHES IT IN! Bliss hits a DDT and the Twisted Bliss… ref counts… three! NEW CHAMPION! Alexa Bliss has cashed in and wins the RAW Women’s Championship!
Good move. Jax didn’t lose to Rousey and Rousey’s win was robbed. I never liked the direction of this match, as they pushed Jax into a heelish mode, even though she really did not need to be pushed that way. In all her promos, it was simply about her being bigger, stronger, and way more experienced, and yet they opted to make logical arguments a heel tactic. Bliss has the belt. I’m happy.
Men’s Money in the Bank Ladder Match
I still love it when Aiden English comes out to introduce Rusev. Except they hit his music before English could cap off the musical number. We finally learned Kofi Kingston got the nod for entry into the Money in the Bank match. Match kicks off with Kevin Owen’s plan by all ganging up on Braun Strowman. Action goes to the outside, where everyone hits him with ladders, and then they bury him underneath the huge ladders decorating the entrance stage.
The spots were awesome. Fantastic match. Well paced, everyone played their roles perfectly. Kofi had a great showing, Balor Coup de Grace off the ladder onto Roode and Kevin Owens hurled by Strowman off a super ladder through tables on the floor.
Braun Strowman fought off Balor, Miz, and Kofi to climb and claim the Money in the Bank Briefcase.
Let’s see if WWE lets him cash in on Brock Lesnar.Â
Although there is a big problem. Strowman can’t cash in because Lesnar never shows up. Instead, Strowman should cut a promo on just that. He should roar about how he wants to cash in right now, but can’t because Brocky Boy doesn’t show up to work. That will make Braun uber-face, and potentially put him in the anti-corporate position WWE tried to hard to shove Reigns into.
That’s a wrap folks. The ladder matches did not disappoint. Seth Rollins and Elias killed it in the ring. Styles and Nakamura blew the roof off the arena. Bliss cashing in was a great highlight. The other mid-card matches were good. Overall, Money in the Bank lived up to the hype.
The good heavily outweighed the bad. MITB 2018 gets an 8 out of 10.
