WWE’s first PPV in front of a packed house in 15 months, Money in the Bank featured a tonne of action and excitement.
It was so great to see and hear the crowds back and along with what went down in the ring, it made for a memorable night.
The first match of the night was the women’s ladder match. All eight women put it all on the line for the opportunity to become Ms Money in the Bank.
The match had a real eclectic mix of talent, which made for some great spots. Asuka destroying Tamina and trapping her under the ladder, Nikki ASH leaping from the ladder and Naomi power bombing Liv Morgan onto Zelina Vega were specific highlights.
But, the match suffered from some awkward sequences such as the ladder tug-of-war spot, which went on for what seemed like 5 minutes and the spot where all competitors buried Alexa Bliss under ladders hampered the flow of the match as it built to its crescendo. Despite those bits, the action was fun and made for an entertaining match overall.
Bliss was great fun throughout and remains thoroughly dedicated to the character. Her physicality in the match was top-notch but judging from the lack of fan reaction to the hypnosis spot WWE need to rethink her direction now that live fans are back.
Asuka and Naomi received mega pops and had some great sections of the match to shine. Vega looked like a star and had some impressive moments during the fight. Nattie and Tamina were featured heavily and were booed from start to finish while the crowd urged Liv Morgan to step up and claim the briefcase. Morgan shone in the match and showed she is ready for that next level if WWE sees fit. However, it was Nikki A.S.H. who saw her opportunity and took it with aplomb.
In the second women’s match of the show, Charlotte became 14-time women’s champion by defeating Rhea Ripley in a tremendous match.
Charlotte and Ripley have awesome chemistry in the ring and showed that to the fullest at Money in the Bank. The two warriors took each other to the limit with a variety of jaw-dropping manoeuvres and incredible near falls.
The match started with Charlotte telling the crowd what to do with their Becky Lynch chants before her and Ripley put on a masterclass of how to win over a confrontational crowd.
What followed was an intense back-and-forth exchange between two performers at the top of their game. Ripley dominated with her amazing power executing an incredible deadlift suplex. Charlotte executed her expertise hitting a top rope Natural Selection and picture-perfect moonsault to the outside.
The fierce action came to a close when ‘The Queen’ snapped and destroyed Ripley’s knee in the ring steps before applying Figure Eight for an emphatic victory.
Let’s get to the winners and losers of the night.
Winner: Nikki A.S.H
Nikki A.S.H. may not have been everyone’s first pick to win the briefcase, but it is nothing more than she deserves.
Not too long ago, she was wallowing in the Main Event land and in a few short weeks she has reinvented herself and now holds a golden opportunity to reach the top of the mountain.
Winner: Charlotte Flair
It’s crazy to think the last time she held the RAW Women’s Championship was in 2016. But, she now cements her legacy as the most decorated woman in WWE history.
Charlotte overcame a hostile crowd who were chanting for Becky Lynch, a terrible build-up and constant negativity online to rise above and put on one of the matches of the year.
Loser: Liv Morgan
Nothing to do with the performance at all but just when everything seems in Morgan’s corner she fails at the last hurdle. She had all the momentum and support going into the match but couldn’t complete her mission. Hopefully, it leads to a storyline of passion, perseverance and finally success.
What did you make of Money in the Bank and who were your winners and losers? Let us know in the comments below.
