Welcome along to the first of two WWE Events in July, as one is a Premium Live Event and the other one of the Big Four PPVs. Yes, you read that correctly. It may only be the second of July, but SummerSlam is exactly four weeks away on the 30th, so there is still technically a lunar month between the two shows. Also, two PPVs in a row are airing on a Saturday night. As a fan based in the UK, I am delighted about that.

Not only that, but this is the first of three shows that map out what will probably be a huge Summer for WWE. Not only is SummerSlam only four weeks away, but then the show to follow is Clash at the Castle from Cardiff, Wales. It’s been a long time since WWE held a major event in the UK and the show is bound to be a wild one. The fact that WWE were advertising matches for SummerSlam ahead of Money in the Bank even taking place created a feeling that this trilogy of shows would feed into each other.

As soon as Lesnar vs Reigns was announced for SummerSlam – to a mixed reaction – saw a number of fans, online, speculate that this would lead to Rollins winning Money in the Bank and then cashing in at SummerSlam. While I wouldn’t be against this, I just question whether it’s something that WWE would actually do. Not only to repeat Rollins’s cash-in but to do so with the exact same combination of characters. While it may give the fans what they want – the titles off of Roman – would it only result in it watering down the memory of Seth’s previous cash-in?

Anyway, that’s probably a conversation for another time. Right now, we have Money in the Bank to talk about. Six matches, all of which with huge stakes. So, allons-y.

Women’s Money in the Bank Ladder Match
Lacey Evans vs. Alexa Bliss vs. Liv Morgan vs. Raquel Rodriguez vs. Asuka vs. Shotzi vs. Becky Lynch

For the second year in a row, the women’s ladder match opened the show. The difference this year is that there were no pre-show matches, yet the Las Vegas crowd didn’t appear to be suffering from a lack of warm-up. It helped that this match was frantically paced from the off, with everyone involved clearly up for it. As always, when it comes to matches like these, there’s no accounting for an inanimate object, like a ladder, not playing ball. There were a couple of such instances, including Alexa Bliss landing awkwardly on a ladder, likewise, Shotzi appeared to hit the back of her bed on another ladder as she landed too.

A particularly impressive moment was when Morgan landed a Sunset Flip to Evans from the top of the ladder. Later on, a ladder bridged the gap between the ring apron and the commentary table. When Asuka was laying unconscious on the ladder, Lynch climbed another ladder at ringside and landed an Atomic leg drop. However, the ladder didn’t break. It was a moment that looked particularly painful for both women.

The closing moments of the match consisted of a familiar flurry where multiple competitors attempted to climb multiple ladder matches. But it came down to Lynch and Morgan. As they climbed ladders side by side, Becky kicked the other ladder away. The quick-thinking Liv was able to use the ropes and spring her ladder back into place, where she kicked away Big Time Becks. That left a clear opportunity for Liv to climb the remaining rungs and seize the briefcase for her own.

Winner: Liv Morgan

Verdict: Considering we regularly see two Money in the Bank Ladder Matches every year, by this point, we’ve seen a lot of familiar faces year in, year out. For that reason, it was great to see some new additions this year. Namely, Shotzi and Raquel Rodriguez, who both made their debut outing this year and both looked like they belonged, particularly when it came to the daring stunts. A case could’ve been made for any of the women involved to win this match, but I’m delighted it was Liv. Over the past year, she’s really proven herself as a singles star. The Money in the Bank contract can springboard careers, and Liv definitely looks ready for that next major step.

WWE United States Championship
Theory (c) vs. Bobby Lashley

This was the story of a man who learnt, very early on, that he’d bitten off more than he could chew. Despite his attempts to fight fire with fire, it was clear from the offset that Theory didn’t have the strength to match Bobby. Lashley could’ve put the match away very early, but Theory avoided the Spear. The youngest ever United States Champion had to rely on his speed, tactically avoiding the running attacks of Lashley, causing the All Mighty one to do more harm to himself in the process. Theory also relied heavily on a headlock, which grounded Lashley and appeared to sap most of the energy out of him.

The tide turned once Lashley was able to power out of the headlock. After a brief period of tossing around Theory like a ragdoll, Lashley landed a Dominator for a two-count. An acrobatic rolling Dropkick from Theory earned him a close fall too. Theory raked the eyes of Lashley when the ref didn’t see it, and then he landed a Spear on Lashley. Theory attempted his finish, but Lashley reversed it into the Hurt Lock for the submission victory.

Winner: Theory

Verdict: That certainly wasn’t the ending I’d expected. While I never expected a clean loss for Lashley, either, I thought that Theory would ‘escape’ with the title via some sort of dirty deeds. I also felt that it was an abrupt end to a short title reign for Theory. That said, this was a good match, not a great match. At eleven minutes, it was short and sweet.

WWE Raw Women’s Championship
Bianca Belair (c) vs. Carmella

It was only the third match of the night, but before the bell even rang, the dynamic had shifted. With the knowledge that Liv Morgan is now Miss Money in the Bank, the question had to be there at the back of every mind of every fan watching the show: Would Liv have some sort of impact on this match? Maybe that had a factor on the tone here, as the crowd felt a little flat during this match.

This match was especially brief for a PPV where there aren’t a lot of matches on the show. It was only seven minutes. Carmella had a couple of close opportunities to win, namely a rollup and a Superkick. But Bianca fired back with a right hand, quickly followed by a KOD for the victory.

Winner: Bianca Belair

Following the match, a frustrated Carmella attacked the celebrating champion.

Verdict: By no means a classic. It seems clear that the women’s division is a little lacking right now. This is mostly due to a number of releases in recent years, but it doesn’t help that Ripley (the original opponent) is currently out injured. Then, with seven women needed for the ladder match, it essentially became a case of who’s left to challenge Bianca? This match didn’t feel like it really got into second gear for me. Still, onwards we go.

Undisputed WWE Tag Team Championship
The Usos (Jey & Jimmy Uso) (c) vs. The Street Profits (Angelo Dawkins & Montez Ford)

A match like this makes it difficult to ever remember a time when the Usos wore vibrant colours and face paint. Their performance and personality here were as far removed from those days as it’s possible to be. Thanks to being a part of the Bloodline, they’ve grown into the role of vicious Samoan badasses. The story from the commentary table was speculation that the Street Profits may not currently be on the same page. That story was told in the ring too as the twin brothers proceeded to divide and conquer their opponents, wearing and breaking them down in a methodical way.

The first half of this match was slow in a good way, as the Usos earned all the hate from the crowd. Then, at the times when the Profits managed to take their limited opportunities, the reaction from the fans was electric, just in the hope that Ford and Dawkins might be able to get the job done. There was a sequence of fantastic teamwork from the profits, culminating in a huge double blockbuster. When Jey did barely kick out, the fans seemed like they were in as much pain as the Profits. Likewise, Montez kicked out of a double Superkick and the fans went wild. Pat McAfee described it as heart-breaking, and the fans had to get used to that feeling when the Usos retained their match thanks to the 1D.

Winners: The Usos

Following the match, a replay showed that Montez didn’t have both shoulders down during the closing pinfall. The replay actually showed that his shoulder was hooked as part of the cover from Uso, so it may well have been deliberate.

Verdict: This was an incredible match, thanks to the wonderful chemistry these two teams have together. The only downside is that due to the current Bloodline storyline, it never felt like the Usos were in jeopardy of losing their titles. Then again, it didn’t hamper the enjoyment of the fans in attendance. The controversial pinfall suggests that this feud may continue into SummerSlam, but they’ll have a tough task in topping that match.

SmackDown Women’s Championship
Ronda Rousey (c) vs. Natalya    

Of course, it’s been well publicised that Ronda used to train with Natalya when she initially made the switch from MMA to pro wrestling. With Natalya’s technical wrestling expertise – thanks to her Hart family heritage – and Ronda’s experience in Olympic judo and UFC, this match was a fine blend of technical, amateur and pro wrestling. And it’s perhaps all the more fitting that Natalya got this opportunity on Bret Hart’s birthday.

The two former friends, better foes, went from bell to bell, blow for blow and hold for hold. As expected, the fact that both women are submission specialists came into play, along with the goal of one-upmanship. Natalya attempted an armbar but to no avail. Ronda did apply a Sharpshooter, mixed with the iconic HBK pose. Oh, if only this match took place in Montreal, what a reaction it would’ve got then.

Late in the match, Natalya attempted a Sharpshooter of her own, but Ronda transitioned into an ankle lock. References were made to the fact that Ronda’s first WWE match was teaming with Kurt Angle. Natalya escaped and tried once again for a Sharpshooter, but Rousey transitioned into an Armbar for the submission victory.

Winner: Ronda Rousey

Following the match, Ronda sold the effects of the match, looking like she could barely stand. Then Liv Morgan’s music hit, and Miss Money in the Bank came running down briefcase in hand.

SmackDown Women’s Championship match – Money in the Bank cash-in
Ronda Rousey (c) vs Liv Morgan

The announcement was made, the bell rang and Liv charged at Ronda. However, Rousey immediately put Morgan in an anklelock, and the moment looked bleak. For a moment, I genuinely believed that Liv was about to tap out and become the first woman to squander her cash-in. Yet somehow, Liv escaped the hold and rolled up Rousey for the three-count.

Winner: Liv Morgan

Chants of “You deserve it!” broke out as Liv emotionally celebrated a huge win. There’s certainly no doubt how popular she is. If handled right – granted, that’s a big “if” – WWE may have a huge star on their hands.

Verdict: Holy smokes! What a moment. Liv becomes only the second person to get a singles victory over Rousey, so this is a pretty huge deal. In theory, it was done in a way that Rousey is still somewhat protected, due to having only just competed in a gruelling match, but Liv had also survived a ladder match, so that should be pretty even. Presumably, this means that Liv, a RAW superstar at the start of the night, is now moving to SmackDown. The downside is that Carmella is the only female contract winner to hold it for longer than 24 hours. Everybody else has cashed in the same night or the following night. It seems telling that WWE has no long-term ideas when it comes to having the Money in the Bank contract on a woman.

Men’s Money in the Bank Ladder Match
Seth “Freakin” Rollins vs. Drew McIntyre vs. Sheamus vs. Omos vs. Sami Zayn vs. Riddle vs. Madcap Moss vs Theory

The 7 advertised competitors made their entrance and the match was about to begin when Adam Pearce came out to the entranceway. Pearce stated it had been a great night in Vegas but now it was time to add to the night by adding a man to this match. He introduced Theory, and the crowd unanimously groaned. (I think they were expecting somebody else). The commentary team speculated that this must be the doing of Mr McMahon.

This was the thirtieth Money in the Bank ladder match, and I must’ve seen them all. Maybe I’m becoming numb to them, but there was nothing here that I hadn’t already seen before. And I hate to sound like I’m being critical without offering something constructive, but I don’t know what else they can do with it. I genuinely think they might’ve milked this match concept dry, and maybe it’s time to give it a rest for a period of time, while there can still be other ways of putting a contract on somebody that they can cash in at any place and any time.

That said, there were some entertaining scenes within this match. The obvious would include Omos playing the role of Big Show or Braun Strowman from years gone by. He was the biggest man in the match, so naturally, the rest of the field ganged up on him. They buried him under a stack of ladders – the same thing happened to Alexa Bliss last year – but he climbed out of the wreckage. Six of the competitors teamed up to powerbomb Omos through the commentary table. There was also a moment where Sami Zayn must’ve thought he was in Jurassic Park. He opted to hide from Omos, pressing himself against the ring post, presuming the Nigerian Giant couldn’t see him if he didn’t move.

Theory was the unwelcome guest at the party. Sheamus and Drew McIntyre put their differences aside to inflict a special kind of pain on Theory, and in the process, they tried to figure out who was better at the Beats of the Bodhrán. Between them, they lit up Theory’s chest with fifteen beats.

Riddle was fun to watch in this show and presented a bit of a Randy Orton highlight reel. The highlight had to be an RKO to Rollins from the top of the ladder. I suspect this may lead to a marquee match between Rollins and Riddle at SummerSlam. Plus it keeps the Riddle and Orton storyline alive while Orton is out recovering from his latest injury. Riddle also has the consolation prize – not that it’s really a thing – of being the penultimate man to touch the briefcase. It came down to him and Theory, right at the end. But it was Mr McMahon’s protégé who seized his opportunity and retrieved the briefcase.

Winner: Theory

Verdict: From the moment that Theory was announced as a surprise entrant, it may have been a foregone conclusion. To that end, the structure of this match was well done in the fact it kept Theory off-screen for a lot of the time. So much so that I forgot he was even in the match on a number of occasions.
This reminds me a little of The Miz first winning his contract in 2010. Like Miz then, Theory isn’t ready to cash-in in the near future. I suspect this is the sort of storyline where he can carry that briefcase around for a while, like the ever-present threat who constantly lingers. Yet, I don’t see any reason why Roman Reigns would feel threatened by Theory in any way, unlike if the contract had ended up on the likes of Rollins or McIntyre.

Overall: Good and bad. Like yin and yang, there’s good in the bad and there’s bad in the good. For me, this show didn’t feel ‘Premium’ in any way. Most of the matches could’ve just taken place on RAW or SmackDown. Like the two previous big events, this show suffered heavily from not having a men’s World title match on the card. I understand that Roman is now part-time, but that makes it all the more catastrophic that they’ve put both belts on him. If someone like AJ Styles was the current WWE Champion, for example, then it wouldn’t be an issue if Roman wants to sit at home and not defend the Universal title for the best part of three months.
That said, for all the criticism that WWE gets for relying on the same names over and over again, this was a night where they put their money where their mouth is and put a spotlight on two new names. I am super pleased for Liv Morgan, even if I wouldn’t have had her cash in so quickly. I hope she gets a lengthy title reign and the chance to prove what she can do.
Likewise, with Theory, we already know he will be a star. We all know that the powers that be want him to be the next John Cena. He’s on his way, but these things can’t be rushed. They have the opportunity now to create an intriguing storyline as to how and when Theory cashes in to become a World Champion. And that shouldn’t be this side of the New Year.

All images courtesy of WWE