WWE Money In The Bank 2018

WWE Money In The Bank 2018

Chicago, IL - June 2018

CHAMPIONSHIP RUNDOWN: Coming into this show, Brock Lesnar is the WWE Universal Champion, while AJ Styles holds the WWE World Championship. The Intercontinental Champion is Seth Rollins, while the United States Champion is Jeff Hardy. The SmackDown Tag Team Championships are held by The Bludgeon Brothers, while the RAW Tag Team Champions are Matt Hardy and Bray Wyatt. On the female side of things, the RAW Women's Champion is Nia Jax and the SmackDown Women's Title is held by Carmella. Oh, and there's a Cruiserweight Champion named Cedric Alexander that I don't think has defended the title in a legitimate PPV spot ever.

COMMENTATORS: Cole, Coach (RAW), Saxton, Phillips (SmackDown), Graves (all)


The show began with Daniel Bryan taking on rival, Big Cass. As anyone could've predicted, Bryan got a huge reaction from the fans. Bryan took an awesome bump into the barricade early which Big Cass followed with a bunch of rudimentary offense. Just like at Backlash, Cass's gloating was limited to sticking his fist in the air like Diesel used to do - but at least this time he paired it with a look of glee. Cass not constantly trying to dominate, not adding more insult to injury at times, not showing any urgency was a bit weird considering that this was the tack that cost him the victory last month. Cass' gloating ended up allowing Bryan to go on a rally that culminated with an excellent splash from the top rope onto the arena floor - the kind of move that probably isn't great on the knees, but is much less risky (in terms of concussions and neck injuries) than the flying headbutts he used to deliver. Back to the top rope Bryan went, but Cass was able to regain momentum here, hitting a fallaway slam that threw Bryan three-quarters across the ring (as the crowd chanted "Big Cass Sucks!" and "Asshole"). Minutes later, Bryan went after Cass' knee with vengeance and then stunned the big man with a series of Yes Kicks, only to get cut off by a massive Big Boot from Cass that looked like it could've ended the match. As Cass wondered how Bryan had survived the hit, the big man paced around the ring and prepared to launch Bryan out of the ring. Bryan escaped, though, and hit his Flying Knee before locking in the heel hook in the middle of the ring. Cass tapped again, Bryan getting another clean victory over the 7 footer. An improvement from Backlash and a hot opener. (3/5)

Backstage, Kevin Owens delivered a heaping mountain of pancakes to the New Day. He tries to convince New Day to help him take out Strowman, but New Day refused to agree to cheating and was sent packing. 

Back in the ring, Sami Zayn came out to a fairly big pop (despite being the heel) for his match against Bobby Lashley. I haven't watched RAW for months now, but from what I hear, the Zayn/Lashley segments have been heavy on comedy and somewhat questionable in terms of whether they're effectively building Lashley as a main event-level player. Zayn controlled early, outsmarting his bigger/stronger opponent before the former Impact Wrestling Champion was able to mount a comeback, catching Zayn off the ropes and tossing him almost effortlessly with a fallaway slam (lots of those tonight, btw). Lashley's offense is impressive, no doubt, and Zayn is great as the whiny jerk, but Bobby could use a more definitive, exciting game-ender than a vertical suplex (and Zayn should be able to withstand a bit more punishment). The crowd seemed generally indifferent to this whole match, but as it didn't overstay its welcome, it wasn't too bad. (2/5)

After some commercials we got a promo from Elias, the would-be balladeer getting a warm reception from the crowd to the point that even after he insulted them, they chanted "We Are Scumbags" in agreement. His opponent, Intercontinental Champion, Seth Rollins, got an even bigger response, in no small part because of the roll of strong matches he's had over the past few months on RAW (according to what I hear). Rollins controlled early, landing a springboard clothesline and then a series of shots in the corner. Elias was able to cut him off with a clothesline on the apron, though, and went to work on Rollins' neck. Elias' control segment wasn't fancy, but it was effective enough. Rollins fought back, hitting his trademark suicide dive to the outside and then a blockbuster back in the ring. Rollins springboarded off the ropes at one point and tweaked his knee allowing Elias to hit an Ed Leslie Classic (the High Knee) right into the Architect's face for 2. Despite the injury, Rollins recovered and was even able to attempt a frog splash (that Elias countered by raising his knees). Elias then went to the top himself as the commentators pointed out how uncharacteristic that was - basically telegraphing that Elias was essentially just setting himself up for the superplex-into-a-falcon arrow. Coach and Graves questioned whether Rollins had been playing possum all along, a thought I had the very first moment he "tweaked" his knee and sold it to the nosebleed sections. Rollins attempted a suicide dive, but Elias countered it by sending Rollins into the wall. At this point, Elias turned the dial strung together his offense with serious urgency. A "This is Awesome" chant started up and though I don't think it was deserved, Elias' ability to hit that "second gear" certainly raised the suspense level. The finishing sequence came as Rollins and Elias attempted to take each other out with some fast pins (ultimately ending with Rollins pulling Elias' tights to snag the W). Rollins' willingness to bend the rules to hold onto the title is an interesting touch that you don't typically see in a babyface and the end also leaves things open regarding Elias. This finish made him a somewhat sympathetic character, but not so much that it could ever be mistaken for turning him face. Fun match, but not an all-time classic or anything. (3/5)

Sasha Banks, Becky Lynch, Charlotte, Ember Moon, Lana, Natalya, Naomi, and Alexa Bliss then competed in the second ever Womens' Money In The Bank match. There were lots of hits and just a few misses in this one as the match featured plenty of impressive spots but also suffered from the usual (maddening) stretches where various participants were basically "sleeping" at ringside to allow other workers to "get their shit in." Highlights included Ember Moon hitting a cross body on Banks into a ladder, Naomi taking a split-legged bump onto a ladder, and Sasha hitting double knees on a stack of Lana, Ember, and a ladder. There were some telegraphed moments and at least one clumsier-than-expected sequence (the Sasha/Charlotte/Becky stretch failed to recapture the awesomeness of their show-stealing WrestleMania 32 match), but there were also some wonderful non-ladder-related bits (Lana applying The Accolade as the crowd chanted "Lana Day!" and Becky Lynch purposefully not hitting the Becksploder on Flair into a ladder in a subtle show of restraint and respect for their friendship that might've also cost her a victory). Alexa Bliss didn't necessarily shine, but she might've been the most over talent in the match anyway (despite being the sole heel), and her win got a huge reaction from the crowd. Very fun match, but not necessarily one I'd call truly "must see." (3/5)

After a quick backstage segment involving GMs Angle and Paige (and Baron Corbin), it was time for Roman Reigns vs. Jinder Mahal, a match most expected would get heavily booed. In this case, most were right too as the crowd chanted "CM Punk," "Boring," "Rusev Day," and "This Is Awful" as Reigns and Mahal put on a slow-paced match that featured multiple chinlocks and very little in terms of exciting sequences or innovation. To make matters worse, the match was unnecessarily long, further irritating the crowd to the point that there was a loud "End This Match" chant about two-thirds of the way through. If the WWE somehow thought that Jinder would get cheered over Reigns by the snarky Chicago crowd (which was, at times, it seemed like the commentators were trying to get over), they really overrate his skills because at no point did he win over anyone in the live (or likely home) audience. Someone wrote that this match might've seemed okay on mute, that the audience's derisive chants made it seem worse than it was, but the Chicago fans didn't get it wrong. This was a plodding, uninteresting slog of a match that went too long and felt "beneath" Reigns at this point as Mahal, no matter how hard they've tried, still doesn't look or perform the part of an engaging, top level star. Point awarded for the entertainment value of hearing 20,000 people actively shit on a match. (1/5)

The SmackDown Women's Championship followed, Carmella defending the title against Asuka. These two had their work cut out for them having to perform in front of a crowd that was more than a bit irritated by the previous match. Unfortunately, whoever laid this one out seemed to actively want to antagonize the audience further as Carmella controlled more than 70% of it. Asuka can bump and sell expertly, but nobody ever wanted to see The Ultimate Warrior wrestle like Terry Taylor and Asuka not being able to dismantle the much less experienced Carmella went against everything that had made Asuka one of the company's brightest new talents of the past couple years. That being said, Carmella has obviously improved and, storyline-wise, it makes some sense that Carmella would last longer now than she would've 12 months ago, but there's a difference between Carmella putting up a strong effort and uncharacteristic dominance and, at times, Carmella was doing the latter when the former would've made more sense. On the positive side, the finish was stupendous and well-executed and a genuine surprise that worked extra well in Chicago (where at least a portion of the crowd might've been wondering if the person under the mask could've been recent rumored signee Io Shirai). (2.5/5)

Nakamura challenged AJ Styles in a Last Man Standing Match for the WWE Championship next. This was a high stakes match in more ways than one as the critics have been somewhat split on Nakamura's WWE run so far. The match started out a touch "slow," but everything Styles and Nakamura threw at each other was impactful. Unlike the previous night's Chicago Street Fight, Nak and AJ built this one around signature strikes - Nakamura's lethal kicks and knees and AJ's Phenomenal Forearm - rather than weaponry, and while the crowd was respectful, I'm sure at least some were disappointed. Over the course of this match, the approach proved to be a wise one as the tension and suspense grew gradually to the point that relatively "regular" moves ad sequences took on extra weight as the battle became one of attrition and endurance rather than video game violence. Now, that's not to say there weren't a handful of really cool, risky moments (including a Styles Clash off the steel steps onto the floor), but Styles and Nak spent considerable time getting there by raising the level of carnage incrementally over the course of 30 minutes rather than putting the pedal to the metal from minute one the way Gargano and Ciampa did. By the end, the crowd was fully invested in the match, even if some at home might've been unimpressed with a match that relied so heavily on (and was really built around) character-driven storytelling rather than merciless use of weapons and furniture destruction. (3.5/5)

Ronda Rousey had her very first singles match ever, challenging Nia Jax for the RAW Womens' Championship next. At WrestleMania, Rousey proved that she could hold her own in a highly choreographed match on a big stage - but there was still ample reason to question how good she'd look just a few short months later in a 1-on-1 contest against the relatively unpolished Jax. I wrote in April that I thought it'd be best to position Rousey against Mickie James, arguing that she would need to be paired up with a "pro's pro" in order to prevent her inexperience from being exposed. Thankfully, I was wrong. In her very first singles match, Rousey bumped and sold with such spirit that it was impossible not to be impressed or root for her (there were some that expected she'd be booed by at least 50% of the crowd as they might've favored the "real wrestler" Jax over the "celebrity signing"). That shouldn't be a worry now either as Rousey, whose only mistake in the entire match might have been the dopey smile she sported during her entrance, is clearly in the WWE to do work and have quality matches. Jax, meanwhile, was noticeably sharper here than ever before. As others have noted, if this match was rehearsed (and it likely was, multiple times), the word "rehearsed" needs to stop being a dirty word when the resulting product is a match this entertaining. One's view of the finish will waver depending on your opinion of Alexa Bliss, who cashed in the briefcase she won earlier in the night to become the new RAW Women's Champion. As an avowed Bliss supporter (prior to tonight, she'd earned an average match rating of 2.76 across 17 bouts and has been on a recent tear), I don't mind that the company has booked her so strongly since joining the main roster. Is it "fair" to Sasha Banks or Bayley or Ruby Riot? That argument would hold greater merit if Bliss wasn't getting solid reactions, excelling in her promos, and delivering in the ring with such consistency. Is she the best worker in the company? Far from it - but this isn't a Jinder Mahal situation, no matter how much her detractors would like to paint her as "just a look." For some, the finish will prevent this from being a Match of the Year candidate, but I'm fairly confident that this will end up on my yearly Top 10 list. (4/5)

Main event time - Finn Balor vs. Samoa Joe vs. Rusev vs. Bobby Roode vs. The Miz vs. Braun Strowman vs. Kevin Owens vs. Kofi Kingston in an 8-man Money In The Bank ladder match for a chance to challenge either Brock Lesnar (the reigning Universal Champion) or AJ Styles (the WWE Champion) in an impromptu match. The first stretch of this match was (somewhat predictably) built around seven guys trying to take out Braun Strowman, eventually dragging him all the way to the stage area and burying him under a mountain of ladders. Back in the ring, this bout offered the same thrills and spills as the women's before it, though the level of violence was noticeably higher and the pace a touch quicker too. There were several highlights, including Rusev hitting a fallaway slam on Owens into a ladder, Kofi hitting a stage dive on 5 guys only for Balor to launch himself  atop them all with a cannonball splash immediately after, and an absolutely insane Kevin Owens bump from atop the mega ladder through a table in the stage area. The Owens bump should put him out of action, in kayfabe, for a number of weeks but because this is the WWE in 2018, he'll probably wrestle on RAW before I even post this. Braun Strowman emerging from under a pile of ladders and preventing Finn Balor from dragging another one towards the ring was an awesome visual as was the aforementioned Owens fall and The Miz's reaction as Braun set his sights on him in the ring. While Strowman dominated at multiple times, I was pleased to see Samoa Joe consistently positioned as capable of fending him off and, with the help of others, incapacitating him at times too. When Strowman wasn't the center of the match, we did get some other fun spots, including a Triple Accolade by Rusev and Balor hitting a Coup De Gras onto Bobby Roode from an insanely high ladder on the outside of the ring. Speaking of Roode, he was in the match. The finish followed soon after and featured one final hope spot from Kofi Kingston, who got a rather promising pop when it was revealed he would be representing New Day. I expected Big E to get the nod (and maybe even to win the thing), but Kofi was due for a spotlight singles appearance and the Chicago crowd lent their support. This match wasn't quite good enough to be considered the Match of the Night, let alone the Match of the Weekend, but it was still a very enjoyable, entertaining contest and while Braun didn't necessarily need the win, like Alexa Bliss, there's nothing wrong with booking a talent this popular consistently strong. (3.5/5)


With a Kwang Score of 2.83-out-of-5, the 2018 edition of the Money In The Bank PPV was an improvement from last year's show and, in terms of overall score, is the highest rated non-"Big 4" show since the surprisingly excellent Great Balls of Fire! show from right around this time last year. Despite its lengthy run time, the WWE did a good job of keeping the show moving, each match offering something slightly different - a tough thing to do when you've got two multi-person ladder matches, a Last Man Standing bout only 24 hours after a Chicago Street Fight, and nary a tag team match in sight. The Lashley/Zayn, Rollins/Elias, and Reigns/Mahal matches all felt like skippable TV bouts (is it a coincidence they were also all from the RAW brand?), but only one was outright offensive (the 5-minutes too long snoozer between The Big Dog and The Modern Day Maharaja). On the flipside, the matches that truly needed to deliver - Rousey/Nia, the ladder matches, and Nak/AJ - all did, with Bryan also carrying Cass to an exciting opener too. In terms of the booking, everything made sense and the right person won most every match...though seeing Asuka become "just another wrestler" is a tough pill to swallow after her remarkable run in NXT and respectable first few months on the main roster.

FINAL RATING - Watch It...With Remote in Hand