{"id":12577,"date":"2019-05-20T04:16:05","date_gmt":"2019-05-20T03:16:05","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/prowrestlingjournal.com\/?p=12577"},"modified":"2019-05-20T09:15:32","modified_gmt":"2019-05-20T08:15:32","slug":"money-in-the-bank-2019-review","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/prowrestlingjournal.com\/index.php\/2019\/05\/20\/money-in-the-bank-2019-review\/","title":{"rendered":"WWE Money in the Bank 2019, The Review"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Kickoff Interviews<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Kickoff Show had several different interviews\ninterspersed throughout so I\u2019m putting them all here and giving them an overall\ngrade.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Becky Lynch\u2019s kickoff interview was fairly solid. There wasn\u2019t anything new or different in her words; in fact, they were kind of the same thing she\u2019s been saying since she became the double champ.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Lacey Evans\u2019 promo oozed arrogance and confidence\nand really adds to her Lady character. I think she did a good job throwing\nshade but not coming off too much like a middle school bully. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Kevin Owens calling Sarah Schreiber \u201cRenee\u201d was gold and right on par with his character. His promos are fairly wordy but not in an off-putting way. I also think that Owens has been fantastic at calling Kofi Kingston an undeserving champ without absolutely burying him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nAfter a startling bit of personality change,\nNikki Cross shows us some more of the craziness that marked her character in\nNXT. Hopefully we see this utilized more, though I wouldn\u2019t mind if we continue\nthis flip-flopping of personalities\n\n\n\n<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Grade: B+<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Daniel Bryan and Rowan vs The Usos<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Rowan\u2019s name wasn\u2019t on the titantron graphics. Rude! Jimmy Uso and Rowan had a particularly good sequence where Uso kept trying to get the big man down and Rowan was just too big. Rowan was also doing his absolute best to solidly catch the Usos whenever they went flying. I respect that! Daniel Bryan trying to pick the bones after Rowan had caused damage was also great character work for their team; I actually do like this big enforcer and mouthy small guy dynamic. But, the Double Uce proved too much for the planet\u2019s champions. Overall, the match was soli, albeit a little slow. So do the Usos now have a shot at the Smackdown titles? How does this work?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Winner: The Usos<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Grade: B<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Women’s Money in the Bank Ladder Match-Naomi vs Carmella vs Nikki Cross vs Ember Moon vs Natalya vs Bayley vs Dana Brooke vs Mandy Rose<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

So this match started off with intensity and never took its foot off the gas. It was arguably more action-filled than the three previous women\u2019s Money in the Bank matches. It was definitely more brutal with several different great ladder spots. I\u2019m not sure if Carmella was actually injured or not but I did like the renewed aggression she showed to Mandy Rose after being escorted from the ring by officials then coming back. Sonya Deville fireman carrying Mandy Rose up the ladder was also impressive, but Bayley put a stop to that and snagged the briefcase for herself. The MVP of the match was Nikki Cross though; her unpredictability was a great wild card (haha) throughout the bout.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Winner: Bayley<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Grade: A-<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sami’s totally cool…<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sami Zayn\u2019s whining to Triple H made me laugh. I love that Hunter totally dismissed him and told him to tape his fists if he wanted protection. This version of Zayn is perfect for a multi-man match, much more than the version that wants to square up with the audience.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Grade: B+<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Samoa Joe vs Rey Mysterio-United States Championship<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Well\u2026this was actually somewhat of a match, unlike the WrestleMania squash. Joe did get his nose busted but Mysterio pulled a roll up. It looked like Joe\u2019s shoulder wasn\u2019t all the way down so I\u2019m fairly certain this is going to be used in a further storyline. I did like the post-match beatdown though. Joe looked like an absolute monster destroying Mysterio in front of his son.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Winner: Rey Mysterio <\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Grade: C<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Where’s Sami Zayn at?!<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

He\u2019s probably behind that prepositional phrase, Braun. Anyways, I love watching Strowman go on destructive rampages so yeah, I\u2019m good.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Not Graded<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Miz vs Shane McMahon-Steel Cage Match<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

I have two main thoughts about this match. First, the match itself was fantastic! It was essentially a grudge match because of what McMahon did to the Miz\u2019s dad at Fast Lane and Miz\u2019s loss at WrestleMania that was based on a technicality. It did exactly what it was supposed to do, which was allow Miz to take out all that anger on McMahon. The cowardice showed by McMahon also drove this point home. Second, this feud was fairly predictable in its beginnings but it has since morphed into a pretty good program. Miz has been on point in this face run, but it\u2019s gone on too long and this particular feud needs to end, especially since these two matches have ended in fluke victories.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Winner: Shane McMahon<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Grade: B+<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Tony Neese vs Ariya Daivari-Cruiserweight Championship<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Admittedly, I haven\u2019t been following 205 Live like I should be, but I didn\u2019t mind Daivari\u2019s fancy car entrance. Tony Neese\u2019s \u201cpremiere athlete\u201d moniker is certainly deserved because this man has ridiculous athleticism, but athleticism alone does not a good pay-per-view match make. I found this whole bout a bit dull and I think the live crowd agreed with me.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Winner: Tony Neese<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Grade: B-<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Papa Hunter is pissed<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Triple H\u2019s dad voice always gets me. Also he was scolding a man significantly taller than him so he had to use the \u201cI\u2019m your boss\u201d. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Not Graded<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Becky Lynch vs Lacey Evans-Raw Women’s Championship<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

I hadn\u2019t put much stock in Lacey Evans in the past couple of weeks, but she proved me completely wrong. I wish she had been given more opportunity to show her in-ring abilities before this, but regardless Evans put in some work. It wasn\u2019t the best match by any means, but her character game was on point. Given a little more time or the proper storyline, Evans could have a good title run in the future.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Winner: Becky Lynch<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Grade: B-<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Becky Lynch vs Charlotte Flair-Smackdown Women’s Championship<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

This was a brilliant move by Flair and pretty much what I expected her to do. Flair fired on all cylinders from the beginning, trying to take advantage of an exhausted Lynch. This was a highly physical match with both women trading some hard blows. Flair and Lynch do have great in-ring chemistry and I don\u2019t really mind seeing them fight constantly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Winner: Charlotte Flair<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Grade: B+<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Cash In! Bayley vs Charlotte Flair-Smackdown Women’s Championship<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Bayley doing her elbow drop onto Flair\u2019s lifeless body has to be one of the highlights of the night. This was perfectly done and I hope Bayley gets a better title run this time around. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Winner: Bayley<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Grade: A+<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Elias vs Roman Reigns<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

I love that Elias can actually sing and play the guitar and I did like the pre-match guitar attack on Reigns. But at the same time I\u2019m somewhat getting tired of Elias. He keeps getting built up but there\u2019s no payoff. At some point this is going to run out. However, I also didn\u2019t mind Reigns just straight up spearing Elias in half while not even being fully dressed to compete. Reigns has shown a different fire since returning from his leukemia battle; I wonder when we\u2019ll get to see it fully unleashed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Winner: Roman Reigns<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Grade: B<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Seth Rollins vs AJ Styles-Universal Championship<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

This was a fantastic match! The breakneck pace added so much intensity; the pedal was to the metal the entire time. It seemed like both men were pulling all their tricks out of the bag in order to prove who was better. This is another pair with phenomenal (haha) chemistry. The multiple counters and near falls were amazing. And the two showed each other mutual respect at the end of the match. This was the match of the night by far! <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Winner: Seth Rollins<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Grade: A+<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Freak crashes the Lucha House Party<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Supposedly there was a 6-man tag team match scheduled, but Sullivan showed up and promptly murdered Lucha House Party. I\u2019m not even sure what this was, maybe just more build up for Sullivan. It made Lucha House Party look silly and I didn\u2019t care for it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Grade: F<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Kofi Kingston vs Kevin Owens-WWE Championship<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I feel like we could\u2019ve gotten a few more weeks of Big O, but there honestly wasn\u2019t a better choice for a first true title defense for Kingston. The two worked well here, trading offense fairly equally. Owens also did a great job of pissing the crowd off, getting them even more behind Kingston. There were a couple of near falls, but there was never a point where Kingston didn\u2019t look credible as a champion.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Winner: Kofi Kingston<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Grade: B+<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Men’s Money in the Bank Ladder Match-Sami Zayn vs Drew McIntyre vs Baron Corbin vs Ricochet vs Andrade vs Finn Balor vs Ali vs Randy Orton<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The start wasn\u2019t as intense as the women\u2019s match but the fists were flying fairly early. Orton did what I expected, which was be a veteran pair of hands and perform a couple of spots. Despite the slower start, once the match got going it was great. I enjoyed quite a few of the spots, but my absolute favorite had to be Andrade\u2019s sunset flip powerbomb on Finn Balor that landed on a ladder. It looked positively devastating. I do think this match suffered a tiny bit from its placement on the card and that may have added to the longer amount of time it took the crowd to get into it. There was a decidedly mixed reaction from Brock Lesnar taking the eight spot in the ladder match after Sami Zayn was left incapacitated and I can\u2019t exactly say I\u2019m excited for this. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Winner: Brock Lesnar<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Grade: A-<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Final Thoughts<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

From start to finish, I thought this was a great Money in the Bank. I wasn\u2019t too keen on Lars Sullivan having a random squash match or the fact that the women\u2019s tag team titles were not defended on the show. I felt like the matches all had the appropriate amounts of time. I do feel like the men\u2019s ladder match suffered by coming after the two title matches, but it did prevent two immediate cash ins from happening on the same night. All in all, I feel like this was a good kickoff for the summer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Overall Grade: B+<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Kickoff Interviews The Kickoff Show had several different interviews interspersed throughout so I\u2019m putting them all here and giving them an overall grade. Becky Lynch\u2019s kickoff interview was fairly solid. […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":29,"featured_media":12585,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":true,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_bbp_topic_count":0,"_bbp_reply_count":0,"_bbp_total_topic_count":0,"_bbp_total_reply_count":0,"_bbp_voice_count":0,"_bbp_anonymous_reply_count":0,"_bbp_forum_subforum_count":0,"tdm_status":"","tdm_grid_status":"","_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2},"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[2,194,22,193,185,35],"tags":[1018],"class_list":["post-12577","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-featured","category-raw","category-reviews","category-smackdown-live","category-wwe","category-wwe-reviews","tag-wwe-mitb"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p9jnWd-3gR","jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/prowrestlingjournal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/46202-15579595067601-800.jpg?fit=700%2C394&ssl=1","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/prowrestlingjournal.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12577","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/prowrestlingjournal.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/prowrestlingjournal.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/prowrestlingjournal.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/29"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/prowrestlingjournal.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=12577"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/prowrestlingjournal.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12577\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":12586,"href":"https:\/\/prowrestlingjournal.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12577\/revisions\/12586"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/prowrestlingjournal.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/12585"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/prowrestlingjournal.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=12577"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/prowrestlingjournal.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=12577"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/prowrestlingjournal.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=12577"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}