Damien Barling: Money In The Bank Review

This was a one match show but it was a hell of a match with some moments I hope foreshadow whats to come.

BECKY LYNCH VS NATALYA VS CHARLOTTE VS CARMELLA VS TAMINA (WOMEN'S MONEY IN THE BANK LADDER MATCH)

Entrances, a five minute video package that started after the entrance, and a horrible finish destroyed this match. I mean, absolutely destroyed it. They built this match up to mean something special, it meant nothing. It never built to a climax. It started. Couple ladder spots. Then the finish no one thought was the finish.

In what looked like just another exchange, Becky Lynch knocked Carmela off the ladder and went to reach for the briefcase. Ellsworth (who jumped the shark about 6 months ago) tipped the ladder sending Becky into the ropes. While trying to revive Carmela, Ellsworth looks up and starts a relatively fast climb up the ladder. You could hear the crowd waiting for someone to stop him. No one came. The second he grabbed the briefcase and dropped it into Carmella's waiting arms, the crowd went silent. They didn't cheer. They didn't boo. They just rolled their eyes and shook their head. Absolute garbage.

THE USOS VS THE NEW DAY (TAG TEAM CHAMPIONSHIP)

Fantastic match, crabby finish. Crowd was super flat from the women's finish. These two teams worked really hard to get the crowd back involved and they very much succeeded. Big E did his spear through the middle rope to the floor which is always really impressive. For some reason the match got really sloppy at the end, particular an exchange between Jay and Kofi. There was a blown 3 count somewhere in there also. After some fun near falls, The Usos left. No seriously, they just left.

LANA VS NAOMI (SMACKDOWN WOMEN'S CHAMPIONSHIP)

This PPV is dying an awful death. Naomi sells her knee like death. Carmella's music hits and she teases cashing in. She doesn't. Naomi wins then forgets she was selling her knee like death and smiles while walking around the ring. Then she starts to limp for about 4 steps as she heads up the ramp.

67 minutes in, this PPV is the equivalent of a 30 point lead after the first quarter. I don't want to watch anymore.

MARIA KANELLIS RETURNED WITH HER REALLY LIFE HUSBAND, AND FORMER TNA STAR, MIKE BENNETT. WHO HAS APPARENTLY TAKEN ON THE NAME OF HIS WIFE AS THEY ARE KNOW AND AS MIKE AND MARIA KANELLIS.

RANDY ORTON VS JINDER MAHAL (WWE CHAMPIONSHIP)

They introduced a bunch of St Louis legends before this match started including Cowboy Bob Orton, which obviously played into the finish of the match. This was a typical Randy Orton match. He's kinda paint by numbers at this point. Nothing wrong with it, just wasn't special. Jindar pinned Orton after multiple distractions. I don't know how they're gonna send this crowd home happy. This show has been pretty bad.

SHINSUKE NAKAMURA VS BARON CORBIN VS DOLPH ZIGGLER VS KEVIN OWENS VS SAMI ZAYN VS AJ STYLER (MONEY IN THE BANK LADDER MATCH)

If you thought Nakamura's entrance would liven up this dead show, you were wrong. Baron Corbin jumped the King of Strong Style in the aisle before his entrance got going. This match was extremely intense. One of the best Money in the Bank matches in years capped by some crazy spots including a Sami Zayn suplex on the ring apron to Kevin Owens, a power bomb on the ladder to AJ Styles and Shinsuke Nakumara returning to clear house and then, a moment we should all remember come Wrestlemania season, a stare down and brief one on one battle with AJ Styles. The crowd was very receptive to that moment. Baron Corbin went on to win but the biggest take away from this match, and this show, was Nakamura and AJ Styles are the two biggest stars on the Smackdown roster and should headline the biggest show of the year.