At Money in the Bank, Brock Lesnar stunned the WWE Universe by reemerging to win the Men’s Money in the Bank Ladder Match. In addition, Bayley won the Women’s Money in the Bank Ladder Match and cashed in on new titleholder Charlotte Flair to become SmackDown Women’s Champion. Meanwhile, Universal Champion Seth Rollins overcame AJ Styles, Raw Women's Champion Becky Lynch defeated Lacey Evans, WWE Champion Kofi Kingston overcame Kevin Owens and so much more.
The Usos defeated SmackDown Tag Team Champions, "The New" Daniel Bryan & Rowan.
A couple of weeks ago, Daniel Bryan & Rowan became the SmackDown Tag Team Champions by defeating The Usos, who took advantage of the Wild Card Rule to vie for the titles. Consider the favor repaid: The Planet’s Tag Team Champions were one-upped by Jimmy & Jey on the WWE Money in the Bank Kickoff in a non-title match that blurred the battle lines between Raw and SmackDown LIVE.
Fittingly for Jimmy & Jey, they started things off with jokes, dubbing Bryan & Rowan “SpongeBob & Patrick” to the delight of the WWE Universe. It had the unfortunate side effect, however, of infuriating the champions, who made sure The Usos went through hell before they got even within a hair’s breadth of sweet victory. The main aggressor in the match was Rowan, whom Bryan deployed at will to pulverize The Usos. The Beard wasn’t entirely absent from the showdown, tagging in mainly to act as a closer, but Jimmy & Jey rightly identified Rowan as their biggest problem (literally and figuratively), and took him out with stereo superkicks outside the ring. When Bryan attempted to join the fray with a suicide dive, he, too, was met with a pair of simultaneous superkicks. The Double Uce that sealed the match was all but elementary, but the implications of the victory were anything but.
True, on its face, this win doesn’t mean The Usos are heading back to the blue brand — the bout was non-title, so Bryan & Rowan are still the champs. Nonetheless, it was a solid boost for Jimmy & Jey as they weigh a challenge from The Revival, and a blow to the barely-crowned titleholders who have already raised the hackles of a potential contender. And that’s before we even get to the Wild Card Rule, which could, conceivably, give The Usos leeway to challenge for the titles in earnest. True, nothing technically changed at the end of this match, but it’s looking more and more like what Bryan & Rowan always said they wanted, though not in the way they hoped: A different world. (Via WWE.com)
Fittingly for Jimmy & Jey, they started things off with jokes, dubbing Bryan & Rowan “SpongeBob & Patrick” to the delight of the WWE Universe. It had the unfortunate side effect, however, of infuriating the champions, who made sure The Usos went through hell before they got even within a hair’s breadth of sweet victory. The main aggressor in the match was Rowan, whom Bryan deployed at will to pulverize The Usos. The Beard wasn’t entirely absent from the showdown, tagging in mainly to act as a closer, but Jimmy & Jey rightly identified Rowan as their biggest problem (literally and figuratively), and took him out with stereo superkicks outside the ring. When Bryan attempted to join the fray with a suicide dive, he, too, was met with a pair of simultaneous superkicks. The Double Uce that sealed the match was all but elementary, but the implications of the victory were anything but.
True, on its face, this win doesn’t mean The Usos are heading back to the blue brand — the bout was non-title, so Bryan & Rowan are still the champs. Nonetheless, it was a solid boost for Jimmy & Jey as they weigh a challenge from The Revival, and a blow to the barely-crowned titleholders who have already raised the hackles of a potential contender. And that’s before we even get to the Wild Card Rule, which could, conceivably, give The Usos leeway to challenge for the titles in earnest. True, nothing technically changed at the end of this match, but it’s looking more and more like what Bryan & Rowan always said they wanted, though not in the way they hoped: A different world. (Via WWE.com)
Bayley defeated Carmella, Dana Brooke, Ember Moon, Mandy Rose (with Sonya Deville), Naomi, Natalya & Nikki Cross. (Women's Money in the Bank Ladder Match)
At what point does it stop becoming a surprise when Bayley wins big matches? True, the former Raw Women’s Champion had mostly faded into the background as the Women’s Money in the Bank Ladder Match drew closer and the odds shifted toward sentimental favorites, veterans or wild cards. However, Bayley never thrives more than when she’s been all but counted out. And while her ascension to the third-ever Ms. Money in the Bank may have clocked as an upset to some who had their money (ahem) on headline-grabbers like Dana Brooke, Nikki Cross and Naomi, for the rest (ahem) it was par for the course. If this was a surprise, you weren’t paying attention.
All of which isn’t to say Bayley wasn’t facing long odds, even setting aside the fact that this was her first foray into the Money in the Bank Ladder Match. Natalya, the veteran, was surgical and deliberate in her use of the ladders; Naomi delivered a factor of unpredictability, bobbing and weaving to avoid damage at every turn. Ember Moon brought the daredevil factor with an Eclipse off a ladder to The Queen of Harts, and while Dana took every wild chance she could to prove she belonged; nobody could argue that she did not. Carmella, meanwhile, brought the grit, coming back from a knee injury at the hands of Mandy Rose to throw hands with God’s Greatest Creation in the waning moments of the battle.
More than anything else, Bayley was always in the right place at the right time, capitalizing on confusion, dishing out damage, and, inevitably, staring Mandy square in the eyes after Sonya Deville stormed out of the locker room area to physically carry her tag team partner up the ladder to the precipice of the briefcase. The Huggable One shoved Mandy and Sonya clean off the ladder without another word, seizing the briefcase in a definitive moment, proving she came to SmackDown LIVE to remind people what she’s capable of on her own. It’s a lesson the rest of the field forgot at their peril: For all the combined talents of the Money in the Bank competitors, they misread the situation entirely. They thought they had Bayley out of the running, yet it turned out she had them right where she wanted them. (Via WWE.com)
All of which isn’t to say Bayley wasn’t facing long odds, even setting aside the fact that this was her first foray into the Money in the Bank Ladder Match. Natalya, the veteran, was surgical and deliberate in her use of the ladders; Naomi delivered a factor of unpredictability, bobbing and weaving to avoid damage at every turn. Ember Moon brought the daredevil factor with an Eclipse off a ladder to The Queen of Harts, and while Dana took every wild chance she could to prove she belonged; nobody could argue that she did not. Carmella, meanwhile, brought the grit, coming back from a knee injury at the hands of Mandy Rose to throw hands with God’s Greatest Creation in the waning moments of the battle.
More than anything else, Bayley was always in the right place at the right time, capitalizing on confusion, dishing out damage, and, inevitably, staring Mandy square in the eyes after Sonya Deville stormed out of the locker room area to physically carry her tag team partner up the ladder to the precipice of the briefcase. The Huggable One shoved Mandy and Sonya clean off the ladder without another word, seizing the briefcase in a definitive moment, proving she came to SmackDown LIVE to remind people what she’s capable of on her own. It’s a lesson the rest of the field forgot at their peril: For all the combined talents of the Money in the Bank competitors, they misread the situation entirely. They thought they had Bayley out of the running, yet it turned out she had them right where she wanted them. (Via WWE.com)
United States Championship: Rey Mysterio defeated UNITED STATES CHAMPION, Samoa Joe.
Sometimes, the old saying sums it up best: What goes around, comes around. One month after defeating Rey Mysterio in less than a minute, United States Champion Samoa Joe was dethroned by the legendary luchador at WWE Money in the Bank in similarly sudden fashion, with Rey notching a flash pinfall that was so out-of-nowhere, it took both champion and challenger a second to register what had happened.
The maneuver that sealed the match was a hurricanrana powerbomb reversal, though an instant replay revealed the true source of Joe’s fury: Not that he had lost, but that the ref had seemingly missed a raised shoulder that should have registered as a kickout. Nonetheless, the decision stood, and Joe — purple-faced with both anger and a battered nose — made sure everyone in sight lived to regret it. Not only did The Samoan Submission Machine bulldoze Rey and his beloved son, Dominick, he picked The Ultimate Underdog apart with sentons and urinages while Dominick watched on in helpless terror.
There is, of course, some poetry to the idea of Rey winning at all. It’s long been proven that he’ll climb any mountain, given time and opportunity, but the circumstances of the win don’t bode for the typical victory lap that accompanies The Ultimate Underdog’s grittiest triumphs. Clearly, this is less a storybook ending than a prelude to something darker. Yes, Rey Mysterio is United States Champion. Before long, he may wish he wasn’t. (Via WWE.com)
The maneuver that sealed the match was a hurricanrana powerbomb reversal, though an instant replay revealed the true source of Joe’s fury: Not that he had lost, but that the ref had seemingly missed a raised shoulder that should have registered as a kickout. Nonetheless, the decision stood, and Joe — purple-faced with both anger and a battered nose — made sure everyone in sight lived to regret it. Not only did The Samoan Submission Machine bulldoze Rey and his beloved son, Dominick, he picked The Ultimate Underdog apart with sentons and urinages while Dominick watched on in helpless terror.
There is, of course, some poetry to the idea of Rey winning at all. It’s long been proven that he’ll climb any mountain, given time and opportunity, but the circumstances of the win don’t bode for the typical victory lap that accompanies The Ultimate Underdog’s grittiest triumphs. Clearly, this is less a storybook ending than a prelude to something darker. Yes, Rey Mysterio is United States Champion. Before long, he may wish he wasn’t. (Via WWE.com)
Shane McMahon defeated The Miz by escaping the Cage. (Steel Cage Match)
Maybe he really is “The Best in the World.” Shane McMahon is now 2-0 over The Miz in increasingly savage stipulations, having followed up his daredevil victory at WrestleMania with a gnarly win in a Steel Cage Match at WWE Money in the Bank. That’s a bitter pill to swallow for Miz, who (fairly) gauged his WrestleMania loss on the fluky side and selected the Steel Cage stipulation for the specific reason that Shane-O-Mac would be unable to escape his former tag team partner’s wrath.
Ironically, “escape” was the cornerstone of The Prodigal Son’s strategy; he made a run for it early and often, leaving Miz scrambling to simply keep him in the cage during the match’s early goings. The A-Lister, meanwhile, was out to simply punish Shane as much as he possibly could, leading to a strange strategic stalemate where Shane tried to drag himself out of the cage while locked in a particularly agonizing Figure-Four Leglock. He failed to do so, but Shane did manage to pull a steel chair back into the ring with him, setting up the showdown’s brutal, convoluted endgame.
On the one hand, The A-Lister visibly kicked it into another gear once he laid hands on his weapon of choice, laying blow after blow across Shane O-Mac’s spine. On the other, the ref seemed reticent to allow a member of the McMahon family to lose, calling a rope break on a pinfall attempt that technically, given the rules of the match, should not have counted. Miz, of course, did not turn down the opportunity to further pulverize his rival, leading to a slugfest on the edge of the cage, a frog splash off the top rope, and, finally, a fateful confrontation with Shane slung over the side of the cage, with Miz trying desperately to wrench him over the top and into a superplex. As The Awesome One grasped for his opponent, Shane finally got what he wanted, writhing free of his shirt to plummet, gracelessly but decisively, to the floor to earn the victory.
Shane’s win left the WWE Universe stunned, Michael Cole visibly pursed with disapproval, and Miz deflated atop the cage. Understandably so. True, he got his licks in on an opponent who deserved it by any measure. But punishment isn’t the name of the game, victory is. Shane remembered, Miz didn’t. Despite the result, that’s going to be a hard conclusion to escape. (Via WWE.com)
Ironically, “escape” was the cornerstone of The Prodigal Son’s strategy; he made a run for it early and often, leaving Miz scrambling to simply keep him in the cage during the match’s early goings. The A-Lister, meanwhile, was out to simply punish Shane as much as he possibly could, leading to a strange strategic stalemate where Shane tried to drag himself out of the cage while locked in a particularly agonizing Figure-Four Leglock. He failed to do so, but Shane did manage to pull a steel chair back into the ring with him, setting up the showdown’s brutal, convoluted endgame.
On the one hand, The A-Lister visibly kicked it into another gear once he laid hands on his weapon of choice, laying blow after blow across Shane O-Mac’s spine. On the other, the ref seemed reticent to allow a member of the McMahon family to lose, calling a rope break on a pinfall attempt that technically, given the rules of the match, should not have counted. Miz, of course, did not turn down the opportunity to further pulverize his rival, leading to a slugfest on the edge of the cage, a frog splash off the top rope, and, finally, a fateful confrontation with Shane slung over the side of the cage, with Miz trying desperately to wrench him over the top and into a superplex. As The Awesome One grasped for his opponent, Shane finally got what he wanted, writhing free of his shirt to plummet, gracelessly but decisively, to the floor to earn the victory.
Shane’s win left the WWE Universe stunned, Michael Cole visibly pursed with disapproval, and Miz deflated atop the cage. Understandably so. True, he got his licks in on an opponent who deserved it by any measure. But punishment isn’t the name of the game, victory is. Shane remembered, Miz didn’t. Despite the result, that’s going to be a hard conclusion to escape. (Via WWE.com)
WWE Cruiserweight Championship: WWE CRUISERWEIGHT CHAMPION, Tony Nese defeated Ariya Daivari.
In their WWE Cruiserweight Championship Match at WWE Money in the Bank, challenger Ariya Daivari rolled into the arena in a fancy car, white pants and a chain befitting the self-styled “Daivari Dinero,” while champion Tony Nese mounted a no-frills, no-nonsense defense of his championship, fighting all the way from underneath to cement himself as the man to beat in the Cruiserweight division. There is often a debate as to whether championship status is something inherent or earned; this match will likely not be enough to settle it, but there was little doubt about which comes first and foremost for this particular titleholder.
Though Daivari certainly strolled into WWE Money in the Bank with the air of foregone conclusion about him, he certainly put together a smart match, picking The Premier Athlete apart piece by piece in the hopes of taking all of Nese’s physical attributes away from him. That’s a tall order, but by blinding Nese, targeting his leg and wrenching him into a reverse Boston Crab, The Persian Lion did indeed bring Nese to the brink of defeat.
That the champion didn’t succumb to a blistering hammerlock lariat was a sign of desire more than anything, but Daivari’s failure to convert on his brutal maneuver left him a little shaken, and perhaps, a little desperate. Nese, who had spent the whole time fighting an uphill battle, had an air of last-resort about him, yet when he got his opportunity, he took it, blasting Daivari with the Running Nese the first second he got the chance. It proved to be enough to retain the title, hand Daivari his first defeat of 2019, and keep his reign going — and, perhaps, reframe the conversation about what makes Tony Nese such a worthy champion in the first place. Talk about his abs all you want; it was his heart that won the day here. (Via WWE.com)
Though Daivari certainly strolled into WWE Money in the Bank with the air of foregone conclusion about him, he certainly put together a smart match, picking The Premier Athlete apart piece by piece in the hopes of taking all of Nese’s physical attributes away from him. That’s a tall order, but by blinding Nese, targeting his leg and wrenching him into a reverse Boston Crab, The Persian Lion did indeed bring Nese to the brink of defeat.
That the champion didn’t succumb to a blistering hammerlock lariat was a sign of desire more than anything, but Daivari’s failure to convert on his brutal maneuver left him a little shaken, and perhaps, a little desperate. Nese, who had spent the whole time fighting an uphill battle, had an air of last-resort about him, yet when he got his opportunity, he took it, blasting Daivari with the Running Nese the first second he got the chance. It proved to be enough to retain the title, hand Daivari his first defeat of 2019, and keep his reign going — and, perhaps, reframe the conversation about what makes Tony Nese such a worthy champion in the first place. Talk about his abs all you want; it was his heart that won the day here. (Via WWE.com)
RAW Women's Championship: RAW & Smackdown WOMEN'S CHAMPION, Becky Lynch defeated Lacey Evans by submission.
Becky Lynch is still Raw Women’s Champion, but Lacey Evans made a believer out of her. There is simply no other takeaway from the performance of Lynch’s relatively untested challenger for the red-hued half of Becky’s Two Belts, as Evans made good on months of trash talk to take The Man to the absolute limit. The battle left the champ-champ a shell of herself just seconds before Charlotte Flair strolled to the ring for Lynch’s second consecutive match of the night. That Becky managed to retain the Raw Women’s Title is a testament to her skills. That it took her so much to do so is a testament to Lacey’s.
Even the victory was something of a surprise, as Becky had suffered a coordinated assault on her left arm for nearly the entire duration of the match, all the better to take away the full strength of the Dis-Arm-Her. Evans’ mistake was gloating in her strategy too much; rubbing her handkerchief in The Man’s face fired up the Irishwoman and brought things back to an even keel. Evans didn’t even get within spitting distance of her fearsome Women’s Right after that, and Becky managed to get that Dis-Arm-Her locked in anyway, reversing a roll-up into the submission hold and earning a near-instant surrender from The Lady of WWE. It was, by any measure, a hard-fought victory, but “Becky Two Belts” was about to learn the hard way in her next bout that being a fighting champion comes with its drawbacks. (Via WWE.com)
Even the victory was something of a surprise, as Becky had suffered a coordinated assault on her left arm for nearly the entire duration of the match, all the better to take away the full strength of the Dis-Arm-Her. Evans’ mistake was gloating in her strategy too much; rubbing her handkerchief in The Man’s face fired up the Irishwoman and brought things back to an even keel. Evans didn’t even get within spitting distance of her fearsome Women’s Right after that, and Becky managed to get that Dis-Arm-Her locked in anyway, reversing a roll-up into the submission hold and earning a near-instant surrender from The Lady of WWE. It was, by any measure, a hard-fought victory, but “Becky Two Belts” was about to learn the hard way in her next bout that being a fighting champion comes with its drawbacks. (Via WWE.com)
SmackDown Women's Championship: Charlotte Flair defeated RAW & SMACKDOWN WOMEN'S CHAMPION, Becky Lynch.; Bayley defeated the new SmackDown Women's Champion, Charlotte Flair. (Bayley's Money in the Bank Cash in)
Goodbye, “Becky Two Belts.” And goodbye, Charlotte Nine Times. In a stunning turn of events, the SmackDown Women’s Championship left WWE Money in the Bank with neither the woman who carried it into Hartford, nor the woman who won it from the champion. Instead, it belonged to the woman who won the Women’s Money in the Bank contract less than two hours earlier, Bayley.
That’s right, Bayley is your new SmackDown Women’s Champion, having taken advantage of a truly chaotic conclusion to the latest installment of the eternal Lynch-Flair rivalry. Despite immediately swooping in on Becky while she was depleted from a match with Lacey Evans, The Queen struggled to put The Man to bed until Lacey herself intervened, blasting Becky with the Women’s Right she never got a chance to hit in her own bout. Despite a last-ditch roll-up attempt, The Man was out on her feet after that, and a big boot from Charlotte relieved Becky of “One Belt,” though The Queen’s victory lap would be short-lived.
Amid a two-on-one beatdown from Lacey and Charlotte against The Man, Bayley made her presence known, clearing Lacey from the ring and alley-ooping Charlotte face-first into the ring post when The Queen moved to dispatch her. Following some initial hesitation, Bayley did what needed to be done, cashing in her contract and flattening Flair with a top-rope elbow drop to claim her first SmackDown Women’s Championship. And all things considered, Charlotte perhaps should have known better. It’s not the fist time Bayley has shocked the WWE Universe, or even Charlotte specifically. It’s been proven, time and again, that given the opportunity, Bayley will make believers out of those who write her off. It was a lesson foolishly forgotten and learned the hard way, once again. (Via WWE.com)
That’s right, Bayley is your new SmackDown Women’s Champion, having taken advantage of a truly chaotic conclusion to the latest installment of the eternal Lynch-Flair rivalry. Despite immediately swooping in on Becky while she was depleted from a match with Lacey Evans, The Queen struggled to put The Man to bed until Lacey herself intervened, blasting Becky with the Women’s Right she never got a chance to hit in her own bout. Despite a last-ditch roll-up attempt, The Man was out on her feet after that, and a big boot from Charlotte relieved Becky of “One Belt,” though The Queen’s victory lap would be short-lived.
Amid a two-on-one beatdown from Lacey and Charlotte against The Man, Bayley made her presence known, clearing Lacey from the ring and alley-ooping Charlotte face-first into the ring post when The Queen moved to dispatch her. Following some initial hesitation, Bayley did what needed to be done, cashing in her contract and flattening Flair with a top-rope elbow drop to claim her first SmackDown Women’s Championship. And all things considered, Charlotte perhaps should have known better. It’s not the fist time Bayley has shocked the WWE Universe, or even Charlotte specifically. It’s been proven, time and again, that given the opportunity, Bayley will make believers out of those who write her off. It was a lesson foolishly forgotten and learned the hard way, once again. (Via WWE.com)
Roman Reigns defeated Elias.
Give credit to Elias for knowing what he was up against. Facing the challenge of Roman Reigns at WWE Money in the Bank, The Living Truth attempted to win the match before it even began by shattering his acoustic guitar across the broad back of the former Universal Champion. But if what happened next was any indication, he should have brought a bigger guitar.
Not only did Reigns make it to the ring despite Elias’ ambush, he defeated The Living Truth in the ensuing match, though “match” is a little generous: Moments after Elias hit his John Bender, fist-in-the-air pose atop the ramp, Reigns surged out of the curtain, flattened the guitarist with a Superman Punch, and chased him to the ring. The bell rang, Reigns pounced with a Spear and the 1-2-3 followed. Again, well played by Elias. And good for him for getting through a song. But when it comes to bragging rights — “greatest acquisition in SmackDown LIVE history,” and all that — it’ll take more than that to bring it all back home. (Via WWE.com)
Not only did Reigns make it to the ring despite Elias’ ambush, he defeated The Living Truth in the ensuing match, though “match” is a little generous: Moments after Elias hit his John Bender, fist-in-the-air pose atop the ramp, Reigns surged out of the curtain, flattened the guitarist with a Superman Punch, and chased him to the ring. The bell rang, Reigns pounced with a Spear and the 1-2-3 followed. Again, well played by Elias. And good for him for getting through a song. But when it comes to bragging rights — “greatest acquisition in SmackDown LIVE history,” and all that — it’ll take more than that to bring it all back home. (Via WWE.com)
WWE Universal Championship: WWE UNIVERSAL CHAMPION, Seth Rollins defeated AJ Styles.
The first-ever WWE match between Seth Rollins and AJ Styles delivered as advertised. They are two of the very best, move for move, hold for hold, step for step in pursuit of the top title on WWE’s flagship show. It was the sort of battle that pay-per-views were created to accommodate, and World Titles were meant to showcase. That Rollins won to retain his Universal Title wasn’t necessarily a surprise — he’s on too much of a hot streak to be slowed by anything short of divine intervention — but it was an accomplishment, as Styles brought each and every one of his hard-earned skills to bear.
The Phenomenal One was as crisp as Rollins was wild; while The Beastslayer is a typically methodical competitor, he seemed set on winning in emphatic fashion. Rollins flew around the ring with abandon and relentlessly hounded Styles while he tried to recover. The Phenomenal One answered where he could with crisp, pinpoint defense that always seemed to come at the right place at the right time and forced Rollins to start from scratch. In terms of a style clash (no pun), it was surgery vs. sledgehammer.
That’s not to say Rollins was undisciplined in his efforts. Both Superstars’ game plans were clearly well-scouted; with both champion and challenger narrowly evading or reversing what would otherwise have been homerun swings from the other. It was only when they dug deep into their playbooks that advantages started to form. Rollins dished out the reverse variation of his superplex/Falcon Arrow combo, and Styles locked in a torturous Calf Crusher that The Beastslayer was woefully unprepared for.
As one could have expected, it came down to a dead heat, and who wanted it more. Dueling chants, dueling blows and dueling reversals. First, the move of the match by Styles when he turned a Stomp into a Styles Clash; and, later, a last-gasp interception of the Phenomenal Forearm by The Beastslayer that led to a Revolution Knee and, finally, a decisive, match-ending Stomp. It appeared, for a moment, as though the hostilities would not even end there — Styles stormed the ring during Rollins’ victory lap, seemingly ready to throw hands. Instead, The Phenomenal One offered his hand, which Rollins clasped after a long, hard pause in a mutual show of respect, and, perhaps, solidarity.
In a match that was founded on the question of which Superstar was “second best,” the main takeaway was that neither man was. Clearly, these two stand alone, together. Second best is everyone else. (Via WWE.com)
The Phenomenal One was as crisp as Rollins was wild; while The Beastslayer is a typically methodical competitor, he seemed set on winning in emphatic fashion. Rollins flew around the ring with abandon and relentlessly hounded Styles while he tried to recover. The Phenomenal One answered where he could with crisp, pinpoint defense that always seemed to come at the right place at the right time and forced Rollins to start from scratch. In terms of a style clash (no pun), it was surgery vs. sledgehammer.
That’s not to say Rollins was undisciplined in his efforts. Both Superstars’ game plans were clearly well-scouted; with both champion and challenger narrowly evading or reversing what would otherwise have been homerun swings from the other. It was only when they dug deep into their playbooks that advantages started to form. Rollins dished out the reverse variation of his superplex/Falcon Arrow combo, and Styles locked in a torturous Calf Crusher that The Beastslayer was woefully unprepared for.
As one could have expected, it came down to a dead heat, and who wanted it more. Dueling chants, dueling blows and dueling reversals. First, the move of the match by Styles when he turned a Stomp into a Styles Clash; and, later, a last-gasp interception of the Phenomenal Forearm by The Beastslayer that led to a Revolution Knee and, finally, a decisive, match-ending Stomp. It appeared, for a moment, as though the hostilities would not even end there — Styles stormed the ring during Rollins’ victory lap, seemingly ready to throw hands. Instead, The Phenomenal One offered his hand, which Rollins clasped after a long, hard pause in a mutual show of respect, and, perhaps, solidarity.
In a match that was founded on the question of which Superstar was “second best,” the main takeaway was that neither man was. Clearly, these two stand alone, together. Second best is everyone else. (Via WWE.com)
Lars Sullivan crashed The Lucha House Party.
Lars Sullivan was not scheduled to appear at WWE Money in the Bank. But it’s not like that was going to stop him.
The Freak reared his head during an appearance by The Lucha House Party and summarily picked apart Kalisto, Gran Metalik and Lince Dorado in short order, adding three new victims in his cross-brand path of annihilation. At this point, the question isn’t whether Lars Sullivan is going to show up, but a question of when, and who will pay the price. (Via WWE.com)
The Freak reared his head during an appearance by The Lucha House Party and summarily picked apart Kalisto, Gran Metalik and Lince Dorado in short order, adding three new victims in his cross-brand path of annihilation. At this point, the question isn’t whether Lars Sullivan is going to show up, but a question of when, and who will pay the price. (Via WWE.com)
WWE Championship: WWE CHAMPION, Kofi Kingston defeated Kevin Owens.
According to Kevin Owens, Kofi Kingston only won the WWE Championship in the first place because The New Day got him there. He might be changing his tune right about now. KO successfully convinced Kingston to leave Xavier Woods in the backstage area and defend his title without help, but The Dreadlocked Dynamo still retained the title against his challenger, extending the “magical ride” of his incredible championship run.
The victory was hard-earned and well-deserved. Owens was his usual braggadocious self, and it seemed for a while like his trash-talk had some merit to it: Without New Day to run interference, KO forced Kofi to fight from underneath for almost the entire match. He didn’t hesitate to use anything and everything to his advantage, either — at one point he slammed Kofi head-first into the ring post, the impact of which sent the champ careening off the apron and into the cameraman. He also locked Kingston into a pair of torturous Boston Crabs, perhaps seeking to soften up the champion’s back for the ring apron powerbomb that has hobbled many a foe in the past.
Every time, however, Kofi was there to answer. He escaped or kicked out of everything Owens threw at him, including a Stunner and a Pop-up Powerbomb, and, crucially, managed to hold firm against Owens’ rabid brand of psychological warfare. After Kingston broke the Stunner pinfall by reaching the ropes, Owens yanked the champion’s kicks clean off his feet, screamed “He’s done!” and ascended the turnbuckle for a Swanton Bomb … only to be met with knees to the lumbar and a shoeless Trouble in Paradise that nonetheless put KO down for three. Only after the pinfall was counted did Woods finally emerge, joining Kingston in a renewed celebration of brotherhood — and a far more accurate depiction of how Kofi Kingston got here in the first place.
If there’s one thing this “magical ride” has taught us, it’s that Kofi Kingston is not alone and never has been. Kevin Owens’ mistake was thinking he couldn’t do it himself. (Via WWE.com)
The victory was hard-earned and well-deserved. Owens was his usual braggadocious self, and it seemed for a while like his trash-talk had some merit to it: Without New Day to run interference, KO forced Kofi to fight from underneath for almost the entire match. He didn’t hesitate to use anything and everything to his advantage, either — at one point he slammed Kofi head-first into the ring post, the impact of which sent the champ careening off the apron and into the cameraman. He also locked Kingston into a pair of torturous Boston Crabs, perhaps seeking to soften up the champion’s back for the ring apron powerbomb that has hobbled many a foe in the past.
Every time, however, Kofi was there to answer. He escaped or kicked out of everything Owens threw at him, including a Stunner and a Pop-up Powerbomb, and, crucially, managed to hold firm against Owens’ rabid brand of psychological warfare. After Kingston broke the Stunner pinfall by reaching the ropes, Owens yanked the champion’s kicks clean off his feet, screamed “He’s done!” and ascended the turnbuckle for a Swanton Bomb … only to be met with knees to the lumbar and a shoeless Trouble in Paradise that nonetheless put KO down for three. Only after the pinfall was counted did Woods finally emerge, joining Kingston in a renewed celebration of brotherhood — and a far more accurate depiction of how Kofi Kingston got here in the first place.
If there’s one thing this “magical ride” has taught us, it’s that Kofi Kingston is not alone and never has been. Kevin Owens’ mistake was thinking he couldn’t do it himself. (Via WWE.com)
Brock Lesnar (with Paul Heyman) defeated Ali, Andrade, Baron Corbin, Drew McIntyre, Intercontinental Champion, Finn Balor, Randy Orton & Ricochet. (Men's Money in the Bank Ladder Match)
You didn’t think it would be that easy, did you? What – either Finn Bálor, Andrade, Ali, Randy Orton, Ricochet, Baron Corbin or Drew McIntyre was just going to scale a ladder, take the briefcase and jump to the next-man-up position for a World Title opportunity? If there has been any lesson over the last seven years, it’s that the next man up is always Brock Lesnar, and The Beast Incarnate made it official when he crashed the Men’s Money in the Bank Match, dispatched Ali from the top of a ladder, and seized the contract for himself. Those destructive 10 seconds put an unexpected exclamation point on what was one of the most hellacious Money in the Bank Matches of all time.
Lesnar’s involvement aside, no one can accuse any of the remaining seven competitors of giving anything but their best. Ali and Ricochet engaged in a move-for-move dogfight, seemingly hovering inches off the ground at all times. Not to be undone, Bálor and Andrade threw hands on the rungs of a ladder, with Andrade getting the better of the exchange via a sunset flip onto a second ladder that bounced the Intercontinental Champion roughly 10 feet in the air. Orton turned back the clock, dropping dudes on tables and dishing out a textbook RKO to McIntyre, who ran through the entire field singlehandedly. Corbin was, of course, his usual underhanded self, breaking his alliance with McIntyre and sending Ricochet through a ladder that had been bridging the ring and announce table, shattering it in half with the impact.
Conspicuous by his absence had been Sami Zayn, who was found strung up by his ankles in the backstage area during the early hours of the show. Although a rampaging Braun Strowman was blamed, the question of his fate and attacker grew more and more distant as the carnage began to stack up. In the end, it was Ali who was perched atop the ladder when Lesnar’s music blared and the former Universal Champion sprinted to the ring, knocking a ladder into a cameraman, throwing Ali from his crow’s nest, and scaling up to grab the briefcase with a shark-like grin spread across his teeth. “That’s too bad,” he leered as the Superstars who had sacrificed almost everything stirred feebly. If you’re Universal Champion Seth Rollins, or anybody who wants to be Universal Champion, that’s an understatement. (Via WWE.com)
Lesnar’s involvement aside, no one can accuse any of the remaining seven competitors of giving anything but their best. Ali and Ricochet engaged in a move-for-move dogfight, seemingly hovering inches off the ground at all times. Not to be undone, Bálor and Andrade threw hands on the rungs of a ladder, with Andrade getting the better of the exchange via a sunset flip onto a second ladder that bounced the Intercontinental Champion roughly 10 feet in the air. Orton turned back the clock, dropping dudes on tables and dishing out a textbook RKO to McIntyre, who ran through the entire field singlehandedly. Corbin was, of course, his usual underhanded self, breaking his alliance with McIntyre and sending Ricochet through a ladder that had been bridging the ring and announce table, shattering it in half with the impact.
Conspicuous by his absence had been Sami Zayn, who was found strung up by his ankles in the backstage area during the early hours of the show. Although a rampaging Braun Strowman was blamed, the question of his fate and attacker grew more and more distant as the carnage began to stack up. In the end, it was Ali who was perched atop the ladder when Lesnar’s music blared and the former Universal Champion sprinted to the ring, knocking a ladder into a cameraman, throwing Ali from his crow’s nest, and scaling up to grab the briefcase with a shark-like grin spread across his teeth. “That’s too bad,” he leered as the Superstars who had sacrificed almost everything stirred feebly. If you’re Universal Champion Seth Rollins, or anybody who wants to be Universal Champion, that’s an understatement. (Via WWE.com)