Welcome to POST Wrestling’s coverage of the WWE Money in the Bank event from the Allstate Arena,
Wai Ting and I will have a post-show up later tonight discussing this show, NXT Takeover, the G1 participants and taking your feedback.
Renee Young, Booker T., Peter Rosenberg, and David Otunga are on the kickoff panel.
Charly interviewed Kevin Owens in the back, he called her question ‘stupid’ about how he felt after taking Braun Strowman’s powerslam. He had a giant garbage bag of pancakes and had syrup delivered.
Rosenberg compared Bobby Lashley and Sami Zayn’s feud to the one between Drake and Pusha T.
Daniel Bryan was interviewed by the panel, he said for a good big man to beat a good little man, that means the big man has to be “good”. His plan is the same plan he has every day and it’s “plan to tap out the world.” His three attributes over Cass are legs, lungs, and heart. Booker compared Bryan to Royce Gracie.
When Renee brought up Cass working with Drew Gulak on submissions, Booker said we’ve seen how that works out and “to stick with what you know, we are in Chicago” as his subtle reference to CM Punk.
Charly interviewed Seth Rollins backstage, he was playing Elias’ broken guitar from Monday. He said Elias isn’t on his level and his greatest hits wouldn’t make the cut on his B-side.
Samoa Joe came out with the panel and was interrupted by Kevin Owens, who proposed working together tonight, Joe doesn’t trust Owens. He said he doesn’t need to trust them, it’s common sense that they take out Braun Strowman and then one of them goes for the briefcase. Joe threatened him, and Owens left.
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THE BLUDGEON BROTHERS VS KARL ANDERSON & LUKE GALLOWS FOR THE SMACKDOWN TAG TITLES
Harper got stuck going over the top and was hanging by his leg.
After the break, Rowan was in control of Anderson while Gallows was down on the floor.
Rowan missed and ran shoulder first into the post. He followed with a spinebuster to Harper, Gallows returned to the apron and received the big tag and sent Rowan to the floor.
Harper landed a big boot on Gallows, Anderson made the save to a big reaction. The Bludgeon Brothers stopped the Magic Killer, which got a huge reaction when they went for it, the Bludgeon Brothers hit Gallows with their Killer Bomb finish for the win.
WINNERS: THE BLUDGEON BROTHERS AT 7:36 TO RETAIN THE SMACKDOWN TAG TITLES
The audience was hot for the match, especially for Anderson & Gallows, they got into the comeback and Magic Killer tease. It was a good kickoff match.
Booker T. directly brought up CM Punk when discussing Ronda Rousey’s transition to the WWE. Booker said, “that boy got the brakes beaten off him” in the UFC.
This concluded the kickoff show.
DANIEL BRYAN VS BIG CASS
The audience went insane for Bryan’s entrance starting the main show. There was a lot of heat for Cass as he entered.
Bryan attempted the heel hook several times early and mixed in leg kicks. Cass nailed Bryan off the apron and into the barricade. He attacked the back and ribs of Bryan. Cass beat him down for several minutes, he did the Yes chant to mock him and then ran into a drop toe hold into the corner.
Bryan hit a pair of dragon screw leg whips and wrapped the leg around the post repeatedly.
Bryan did a multiple rotational tilt-a-whirl into the Yes Lock and Cass got to the rope.
Bryan could do no wrong in front of this crowd. They chanted, “Big Cass sucks.”
Cass hit a fall away slam from the second turnbuckle onto the previously injured ribs. This spot looked very good.
Cass missed a big boot and landed between the ropes, Bryan clipped the knee, dropkicked the knee and called for the Busaiku knee. Cass blocked it and landed the big boot for a near fall;.
Bryan popped off Cass’ shoulders and hit the Busaiku, knee and then locked on the heel hook, Cass screamed and tapped out again.
WINNER: DANIEL BRYAN AT 15:24
This was a fine opener and showcased Bryan’s ability to work around the one body part of Cass to weaken the knee and set up the heel hook.
The audience lifted this one up a lot as another crowd may have been indifferent to the length periods where Cass controlled the match.
This should signal the end of this program.
New Day is in the locker room and briefly mentioned the E3 tournament. Kevin Owens entered the locker room, he reveals the pancakes in a garbage bag with Canadian maple syrup. They won’t reveal which member is in the ladder match. Owens asks them about working against Braun Strowman, New Day states are not cheaters. Owens reveals he doesn’t like pancakes and isn’t a big breakfast person, admitted their cereal sucked. New Day threw a fit and kicked him out. Owens yells that iHOP was right to change their name and burgers are better than pancakes, New Day stole the syrup from him.
SAMI ZAYN VS BOBBY LASHLEY
There was a split among the audience. They began singing “Ole” after the bell rang.
Zayn kept avoiding Lashley and rolling to the floor, he was cheered for this. Zayn finally gouged his eyes, kicked Lashley to the floor and sent him into the post as he instructed the referee to count.
A chant of, “Bobby’s sisters” broke out.
There was a portion of the crowd booing Lashley’s offense.
Lashley hit two vertical suplexes and the announcers said this could bring Sami Zayn’s vertigo back. I could have sworn they announced a stadium event for Australia, so he should be fine.
Lashley hit another vertical suplex and pinned Zayn.
WINNER: BOBBY LASHLEY AT 6:36
This is all it needed to be, it probably could have been even quicker to get Lashley as far away from this feud as possible with the dominant win.
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Nia Jax and Ronda Rousey were shown getting ready with Rousey shadow boxing with Natalya in her locker room.
There was a trailer for the Miz & Mrs series coming out this summer. Oh, boy.
Elias was in the ring and began playing. He called the audience “scumbags”, so they chanted “we are scumbags.” He said the audience wasn’t worth playing for.
SETH ROLLINS VS ELIAS FOR THE INTERCONTINENTAL TITLE
Corey Graves said he asked Rollins how he felt after being hit with the guitar by Elias, Rollins said, “I’m sore, but I live my life sore.”
Elias got the advantage after clotheslining Rollins on the edge of the apron and damaging Rollins’ neck. Elias applied a cobra clutch that Rollins could not roll out of at first.
Rollins came back and hit a sling blade and suicide dive to the floor, which Elias barely caught.
Rollins came off the turnbuckle and tweaked his knee when he landed.
Rollins rolled and hit a superkick, he held his knee in pain as he went for the cover and Elias kicked out. Rollins hopped on one leg to the top, he went for a frog splash and landed on the knees of Elias.
Rollins ran to the top and hit the superplex and Falcon Arrow combination as Coachman suggested he was playing possum with the knee if he could pull that off.
Elias rolled to the floor, stopped a suicide dive and ran Rollins into the post, stairs and hit a top rope elbow for a big near fall. This was the best sequence Elias has EVER had.
Rollins tried to lift Elias from the corner and go for a powerbomb, but his knee gave out, which is the way he legitimately injured it in 2015.
They exchanged roll-ups with Rollins covering him while grabbing the belt of Elias to catch him for the pin.
WINNER: SETH ROLLINS AT 17:01 TO RETAIN THE INTERCONTINENTAL TITLE
This turned into a very good match, it was a tremendous performance for Rollins. Elias had a great sequence down the stretch and was probably the best match he has ever had.
EMBER MOON VS NATALYA VS SASHA BANKS VS ALEXA BLISS VS CHARLOTTE FLAIR VS NAOMI VS BECKY LYNCH VS LANA IN THE WOMEN’S MONEY IN THE BANK LADDER MATCH
Ember Moon was thrown into the timekeeper’s area, she came back with a somersault and didn’t fully connect with Becky Lynch on the floor.
Banks took a reverse crossbody from Moon and landed back first onto the ladder.
Charlotte and Becky fought for the ladder, the audience chanted for Becky. Naomi leaped onto the ladder and dove at Natalya. Naomi later hit a blockbuster to Bank off the apron to the floor and all the women were down.
Naomi and Moon fought for control of the ladder and Becky attempted to scale it as they held it vertically.
Banks stacked Lana and Moon on top of a ladder draped in the corner and came down on them with the double knees. The audience booed as Banks tried to climb, she was stopped by Charlotte.
Becky tipped the ladder, so Bank came off and dropped Charlotte and Natalya with double knees. Lana set up a larger ladder. Natalya hit Banks with a slingshot powerbomb to knock one of the two ladders over.
Charlotte powerbombed Moon onto a ladder in the corner.
Lana hit Bliss with a leg kick and was left on her own, she applied the Accolade and then climbed, Naomi springboarded onto the ladder and stopped Lana. Naomi was stopped by Lynch and Naomi was sent to the floor.
Becky climbed, as did Charlotte and they fought, Bliss tipped them over. Natalya returned and hit Lana with an electric chair and she was left alone. Charlotte climbed under the ladder to spear Moon onto a ladder in the corner. Charlotte was hit with a Bex-ploder and Lynch climbed and was about to grab it when Bliss was late tipping the ladder over. Bliss dropped her and she climbed and grabbed the briefcase.
WINNER: ALEXA BLISS AT 18:26
The match relied on a lot of teases of each woman winning and being stopped. It was laid out and it was clear from watching the sequences.
It was a good match, I wouldn’t say one of the better ladder matches but the audience was into it the whole way and popped big for the finish.
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Kurt Angle and Paige were backstage, Angle loves the dual brand pay-per-views and seeing old friends. Baron Corbin walked in, he said tonight is about bringing both briefcases to Raw for Stephanie McMahon. Paige made fun of Corbin failing to win the championship after winning Money in the Bank last year.
ROMAN REIGNS VS JINDER MAHAL
Sunil Singh was out in a wheelchair, sling and neck brace to introduce Mahal after the match with Roman Reigns on Raw.
As expected, Reigns was heavily booed and began a big “CM Punk” chant. From there they moved to a “boring” chant and an NXT chant.
Reigns went for a Drive By, Sunil stood up from the wheelchair and shoved Reigns into the post from behind. There was a “Rusev Day” chant, “this is awful, and “Johnny Wrestling”.
They started chanting, “Let’s Go, Cena, Cena sucks” and Mahal seemed entertained by that one as he was in control of the match.
The wave began.
Reigns made a comeback, the audience hated it as he set up for a superman punch and Mahal avoided it.
Mahal kicked out from a superman punch, Reigns went for a spear and was kicked and ran into the post shoulder first. Mahal was cut on his cheek.
Reigns caught him with a leg drop onto the edge of the apron and hit the Drive-By. Sunil tried to attack him again, he was caught and hit with a superman punch. He also hit one to Mahal from the floor. He speared Sunil on the floor.
Reigns kicked out of an inside cradle and then speared Mahal for the win.
WINNER: ROMAN REIGNS AT 15:40
The audience took over this match and to the credit of the performers, they had their match laid out and did their match. This should never have been booked to go so long as the reaction was a detriment to the match and not like many of John Cena’s that enhance it. The crowd hated both guys and this was predictable the second they booked this match for this city.
There was a video on Katie Millar, a powerlifter in the Special Olympics and was shown in the crowd and they chanted her name.
CARMELLA VS ASUKA FOR THE SMACKDOWN WOMEN’S TITLE
Carmella slapped her and led to Asuka attacking her with several hip attacks, including one sending Carmella off the apron to the floor.
Carmella yanked Asuka by the arm into the post from the apron. Carmella was in control for a while, until Asuka caught a kick and went for a kneebar. Asuka threw a dropkick that barely connected but Carmella went down.
Asuka nailed her with strikes, ran at her, missed and flew through the ropes to the floor. Carmella kicked her off the edge of the apron and Asuka took a big bump to the floor onto her back. Carmella hit a suicide dive.
Asuka came back with two spinning back fists when an Asuka impersonator appeared on the apron to distract Asuka. There was a light “CM Punk” chant.
The fake Asuka unmasked and it was James Ellsworth. Carmella nailed Asuka with a kick and pinned her.
WINNER: CARMELLA AT 11:04 TO RETAIN THE SMACKDOWN WOMEN’S TITLE
I didn’t think this was a very good match. Asuka was significantly limited with her opponent and the booking did her no favors either.
Ellsworth got a pop as you would expect and it’s a positive for Carmella to have him back as part of the act.
They promoted the Super Show-down in Melbourne in October at the MCG.
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AJ STYLES VS SHINSUKE NAKAMURA IN A LAST MAN STANDING MATCH FOR THE WWE TITLE
On the floor, Nakamura suplexed Styles onto the steel plate at the bottom of the ramp.
Nakamura dominated the match, he attacked the ribs, threw him around the ring and into the crowd. Styles fought back with strikes, set up for a springboard on the barricade and Nakamura knocked him off balance and he crashed onto the floor.
Styles landed a dropkick as Nakamura came off the turnbuckle, both were down being counted and Graves noted we could see another double countout. Begs the question of why this match was made, if that’s the case.
Styles went for the Styles Clash, Nakamura attempted the low blow and Styles escaped before it could land.
They returned to the floor, Nakamura vertical suplexed Styles onto one of the announcer’s desks, he ran across all the desks and hit a Kinshasa to Styles. Styles gets to his feet at the count of nine.
Nakamura set up a table inside the ring, he went for a superplex, it was countered, and Styles couldn’t lift him for a powerbomb. Nakamura dropped Styles onto the edge of the table with Styles’ ribs. Styles was launched through a table set up in the corner. Styles fought up to his feet to beat the count.
Nakamura missed with a knee and ran it into the exposed buckle. Styles applied the calf crusher and he tapped but it doesn’t matter. Nakamura fought to get up on his injured knee, which Styles attacked with kicks. Styles grabbed a chair and hit him in the knee and back. Nakamura begged Styles to stop, Styles went to swing the chair and was hit with a low blow.
Styles beat the count and then was levelled with the Kinshasa, that Nakamura used the injured knee to hit. Styles got up at the count of nine.
Nakamura attempted a Landslide on the announcer’s desk and his knee gave out. Styles hit a Phenomenal Forearm off the desk. Styles lifted Nakamura onto the steps and hit a Styles Clash off it to the floor. Nakamura just gets up as Styles thought he had won.
Nakamura tells him to bring it, Styles soccer kicked him in the balls, returned to the ring and proceeded to hit a springboard Phenomenal Forearm that put Nakamura through the table. Both are down, Styles got up first and Nakamura didn’t make it.
WINNER: AJ STYLES AT 31:05 TO RETAIN THE WWE TITLE
This was easily the best match on the show and blew away their previous WWE matches.
It makes a lot of sense to keep the title on AJ Styles and does have a longer list of potential opponents on the heel side.
This was a great match for both, specifically, Nakamura needed a performance like this.
NIA JAX VS RONDA ROUSEY FOR THE RAW WOMEN’S TITLE
Jax immediately hit a biel and splashed her in the corner. Rousey came back with strikes before Jax hit a headbutt.
Jax lifted her onto her shoulders, Rousey applied a kimura to take her to the mat, she transitioned to her back and tried to lock the arm. Jax lifted and hit a sit-out powerbomb.
Rousey slipped through the ropes and dumped herself on the floor. Jax lifted and swung Rousey into the barricade.
Rousey applied a jumping guillotine, she flipped over for a sunset flip and Jax just rammed her into the mat repeatedly. Jax applied a bear hug. Coachman explained the bear hug favors Rousey and she is resting. Coachman was eaten alive by Cole and Graves with Graves asking how he is still employed.
Rousey moved away from the leg drop attempt, Jax ran shoulder first into the post missing Rousey and Rousey applied the armbar in the ropes.
Rousey climbed to the top and hit a crossbody. She fired up with strikes, a flying knee hit Jax and threw her with a judo throw for a two-count. She went for the armbar but Jax stacked her for a two-count.
Rousey hit the standing reverse kata guruma, which looks like a Samoan drop.
Rousey was about to apply the armbar when Alexa Bliss appeared from behind and attacked Rousey and Jax with the briefcase.
WINNER: NO CONTEST AT 10:50
Bliss continued her attack on Rousey and sent her over the announcer’s desk.
Bliss nailed Jax with the briefcase.
Bliss cashes it in.
NIA JAX VS ALEXA BLISS FOR THE RAW WOMEN’S TITLE
Bliss hit a DDT onto Jax and attacked the injured arm of Jax.
Bliss hit Twisted Bliss and pinned Jax.
WINNER: ALEXA BLISS AT 0:32 TO WIN THE RAW WOMEN’S TITLE
They got themselves out of a match in a creative way and delivered something big with the title change.
This keeps both Jax and Rousey as a babyfaces, provides Rousey a longer chase for the title and recharges Bliss on the Raw side.
Rousey was outstanding, she sold far beyond her experience level and takes to wrestling naturally.
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FINN BALOR VS SAMOA JOE VS KEVIN OWENS VS BRAUN STROWMAN VS BOBBY ROODE VS RUSEV VS THE MIZ VS KOFI KINGSTON IN THE MONEY IN THE BANK LADDER MATCH
New Day chose Kofi Kingston to enter the match.
They fought to the entrance and buried Strowman under a huge pile of ladders. The Miz was left alone in the ring, Joe sprinted back to stop Miz.
Owens and Balor fought by the announcer’s desks. He placed Balor on a desk, climbed a giant ladder on the floor but then climbs back down as Rusev tries to climb for the briefcase. They were going through each guy having their chance to climb and being cut off.
Kingston hit a trust fall to everyone on the floor, Balor returned from the desk and hit a tope con giro to them.
Strowman emerged from underneath the pile of ladders.
Owens plots with Rusev to get rid of Strowman by the entrance. Joe applies the Coquina Clutch to Strowman and Owens superkicked him. Joe and Rusev placed Strowman onto a table as Owens climbed a massive ladder, Strowman fought them off and Owens remained at the top. Strowman wouldn’t let Owens climbs down and he sent Owens off the ladder and through a table on the floor. It was not shot at a great angle and didn’t get the crazy reaction I envisioned from that height.
Strowman ran down the ramp and bulldozed through a ladder that was held up by Roode and Rusev. Strowman pulled Miz down from the main ladder. Joe attacked Strowman and sent him to the floor.
Rusev killed everyone and applied a double Accolade to Kingston and Roode. He superkicked Miz on top of both and applied a triple Accolade but was stopped by a Coquina Clutch from Joe.
Balor set up Roode in the ring, climbed a ladder on the floor and hit the coup de grace into the ring onto Roode.
Strowman hit powerslams to Joe and Miz. Strowman and Balor climbed, Kingston springboarded onto Strowman’s back and all three were fighting on top of the ladder. Balor was dropped and Strowman threw Kingston off and Strowman grabbed the briefcase.
WINNER: BRAUN STROWMAN AT 19:55
