Money In The Bank has become one of WWE’s better PPVs. In the last few years, it’s tended to be notable and not just because of the briefcase that’s on the line. However, with the brand split era meaning these Network Specials are becoming less and less unique, it’s tough to build up enthusiasm for events you don’t care about, and WWE’s booking sometimes suggests that they agree. Don’t let that put you off too much, though, as here are ten observations that we made about Money In the Bank.
Dodgy Finishes
Money In The Bank was a show of dodgy finishes. The Usos walking out with their tag titles was disappointing after a good match, Corbin’s grabbing of the briefcase felt flat, and Orton and Jinder repeated last month’s go home segment. However, the biscuit for shit finishes was handed to the Women’s MITB match where WWE decided that rather than having one of the talented women unhook the briefcase, they’d send a man to do the job. Even in a company that routinely fucks up this decision was dumbfoundingly stupid. It made the women look bad, and the heat that should be on Ellsworth and Carmella is deflected onto the booking. On what would have been a historic night for women’s wrestling we instead got this shit, and I don’t care how many tweets Bryan and Shane send, it doesn’t make up for an atrocious piece of storytelling.
Despite That The Women Do Alright
Awful finish aside, the women’s MITB match was perfectly fine. They avoided going all out on the crazy spots, and while that is slightly disappointing, it was the right decision for their careers and Charlotte’s twisting moonsault to the outside still gave us a dose of spectacular. The four women in this match that aren’t Tamina range from pretty talented to great and it’s time to ditch the multi-women matches and let them pair off into their own feuds.
Lana Is Okay
The title says everything that needs to be said. In her second match, Lana was okay. She wasn’t awful, and she certainly wasn’t good, but she was okay. WWE obviously sees something in her (and hopefully it’s more than her looking good in a tight dress) and want her to succeed and this match won’t force them to press the self-destruct button. She’s still clunky in the ring, and there was a no flow to her offence but considering her lack of experience there’s a slight chance Lana could become a good worker.
More Usos vs. New Day Please
The Usos and New Day were on course to have a stand out tag-team match when the count-out finish happened. The Usos’ heat building sections are fun to watch, particularly when you have Kofi Kingston bumping around like a maniac, while the near fall off of Midnight Hour was perfectly executed. I wasn’t blown away by the ending, but if it means we get more of these two teams further down the road, then I’m happy to forgive.
The Ascension?
The Fashion Police’s shtick is a lot of fun, but I can’t think of a less inspiring team to have at the end of it than The Ascension. On a roster that has American Alpha sitting on the bench is that truly the best they could do? I skipped this match because I couldn’t build up the motivation to watch it. I can’t imagine I missed anything.
Mike And Maria
Mike Bennett is a boring wrestler but he and Maria have a good gimmick going, and they’ll fit right into the world of WWE. However, I’m already worried about Mike having taken Maria’s name. I can see this being used to emasculate him at every opportunity possible and that feels like a disaster waiting to happen. These two could be a good acquisition for WWE but not if it’s been done solely to embarrass Mike.
Jinder Is Hindered
Jinder Mahal is doing some good work on the mic as a heel champion even if I have issues with the racial aspects of his character. However, his work in the ring still leaves a lot to be desired, and when he’s put in there with a man who has always wrestled a flat style, it’s only going to lead to encounters like this. This match didn’t get going until Orton did his now monthly murdering of a Singh brother (seriously, did they piss in his tea?) and then it was over.
Nakamura Feels Like A Star
For the first time since debuting on SmackDown WWE did something right with Nakamura. The end of this match saw him look like a star as he ran roughshod over the other competitors and eventually came face to face with AJ Styles. Those two have magic chemistry, and even the smidgen of action we got between them showed that off. After weeks of faffing around with him, this match proved that WWE have at least an inkling of what they’ve got in Shinsuke and that’s one hell of a relief.
Everyone Impresses Apart From The Winner
In fact, Shinsuke wasn’t alone in impressing in the MITB match. Each man got their moment to shine with Sami Zayn and Kevin Owens, in particular, coming out looking great. The one man who didn’t step up to the plate was Baron Corbin. Now, Corbin has improved a lot from the days when he struggled to move past the one facial expression on NXT but let’s be honest; the guy is still average at best. There are wrestlers on a handful of matches who can do everything that he does. He’s another talent who WWE have got behind, but off the back of this match, he was the least exciting person in that ring.
These Events Are Struggling
These lower card Network Specials are a right slog to get through. This is the second one in a row that has only become noteworthy because of its main event. I know WWE isn’t going to go back on the brand split but if they keep churning out this product people will only stick around for so long. Either cut down on the number of shows or make an effort to make them worthy of our time.
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