What We Learned From Money In the Bank 2018
Less is more
It may be slightly ironic me focusing on this point considering I've written blog posts that can rival the length of a George R R Martin book but this past weekend we got a clear comparison to what two very different shows with very different cards can bring to the table. On Saturday night fans were treated to five must-see bouts all worthy of a very high rating. Everyone was invested in every single match and storyline and the night ended with floods of positive response thanks to high energy levels remaining throughout and the quality of the show. Last night's Money in the Bank pay per view didn't quite generate the same response. Several matches left fans rather bored and the general feeling of the show dragging was highlighted throughout. Ten matches on any card is a lot. Doubling what we had on Saturday doesn't mean we're going to get a better show and we didn't. There were matches including Mahal vs Reigns and Bryan vs Big Cass that could have been saved for RAW and Smackdown LIVE and hopefully in the future the WWE can point out what is needed and what isn't and save the best, even if it's not as much, for the bigger shows.Big Cass, Big Potential
While the match and storyline may not have felt like good enough quality to be apart of this pay per view the action overall was far better than many expected. It wasn't a technical wrestling masterclass but instead a solid bout between two very different superstars. Bryan without surprise picked up the victory after battling out for around twenty minutes but it must be noted how well Big Cass did this weekend. It's impossible to say he had the standout performance of the night considering how high the standard was however, he turned heads, impressed and proved a major point. Not booked in title bout nor the Money in the Bank ladder match he proved last night that that is where he could have been. Showcasing his dominance and power perfectly, Cass competed in one of if not his best singles match of his WWE career proving to the world there's great potential in him and looking towards the future a bigger push is something that could possibly work.
Absence Makes the heart grow Fonder
This one kind of resonates with my first point but it's something we have to talk about. Moving our attentions to Roman Reigns it's fair to say his match against Jinder Mahal last night wasn't... well... enjoyed. The fans in attendance used this match to hit the bathrooms, take over the show with several chants, and perform the Mexican wave while everyone at home pretty much zoned out. The story between the two was decent but forced and what we saw go down between them last night could have been saved for tonight's episode of Monday Night RAW. What instead should have been done last night was simply keep them both off the pay per view. When it comes to Reigns the WWE need to be trying new and different tactics in the efforts to get Reigns over. It would have done him far greater to miss the pay per view and instead look to create something stronger as we head into Summer Slam season. Absence does make the heart grow fonder and the WWE should consider that when having Roman Reigns in mind.It May Never Happen
After battling it out in several matches for the WWE championship many believed last nights Money in the Bank pay per view would be the night we would see Shinsuke Nakamura walk out as champion but that of course, did not happen and AJ Styles remains the guy at the top. This is interesting, very interesting. Nakamura has been far stronger and more entertaining since his heel turn and the last man standing match favored him and his new character far more than Styles'. Taking into consideration Nakamura was yet to score the win over the champ in a title bout and looking at the direction his character was heading in it made all the sense in the world to finally give him the championship at last nights show. The fact he didn't walk out with the title on his shoulder has indicated that it may never happen. Nakamura has all the potential in the world to stand at the top as champion but getting another match out of these two would just feel forced and unnecessary and so fans must come to terms with the fact Nakamura as Champion just may not happen.
Nia Jax vs Ronda Rousey Was a Massive Sucess
Now, I am planning a whole post looking at the Money in the Bank pay per view and what it did for the women's division so keep an eye out for that! For now, however, we have to talk about that RAW Women's championship match between Nia Jax and Ronda Rousey. While Alexa Bliss' cash in may not have been the conclusion many wanted to see but the match as a whole was fantastic and for many, the match of the night. Unlike Styles vs Nakamura it didn't feel like it dragged or went on for too long and in fact fans including myself were left wanting to see more! Jax and Rousey worked amazingly well together telling a story throughout and standing out in their own way from the get-go. Jax was a completely dominant force using her size advantage to just that! Throwing Rousey around the ring, she looked to prove this was a new world Rousey wasn't ready for. The former UFC star took one heck of a beating but was able to turn things around towards the end gaining some momentum changing the shift of the match. The whole thing was done very well and the only complaint I personally had was wanting to see more!
Who Needs's Storyline consistency?
Okay, so, while I personally didn't mind the Alexa Bliss cash in and I did believe she was a smart pick for the MITB win this year I understand exactly why so many were frustrated with the result. What we saw was Bliss given exactly the spot Natalay should have been given. Sure, there is history between Nia and Bliss but there is so much more in Natalya vs Rousey and why the WWE decided to give Bliss the literal spot Nattie should have I don't quite understand. We would have got better in-ring work between Natalya and Rousey not to mention the build to this pay per view and the match focused so heavily around their friendship and so it would have made more sense anyway! The division has an excellent showing but the storyline consistency failed massively.Elias Should be Champion
One of the standout matches of the night and one of my personal favourites came from Elias and Seth Rollins. The match was far better than I expected it to be and both men proved exactly why they are two of the most over talents on the roster right now. Rollins showed he should be in the main event picture while Elias proved he is heading in the right direction and worthy of a champion wrapped firmly around his waist. It would have made more sense, in my opinion, to give the title to Elias and allow Rollins to move onto something bigger like a possible feud with Brock Lesnar for the Universal Championship. Elias proved in this match he is championship worthy and able to compete in strong matches you would genuinely pay to see. This is a man who just keeps getting better and I really do hope we get to see more from him and a title reign very very soon!And that was pretty much Money in the Bank twenty eighteen. We didn't focus on the ladder matches much in today's blog post but coming on Wednesday we will be diving into these matches much more and taking a look at the best and worse moments from both Ladder matches! For now, any recent blog posts will be linked below including part one of my NXT Takeover review; and finally, you can get involved and tell me what you thought of both shows by leaving a comment below or by dropping me a tweet over at @TezangiVictoria.
Recent Blog Posts:
NXT TAKEOVER CHICAGO: HIGHLIGHTS & HONEST THOUGHTS
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