Thumbs Up.
Despite screwjob finishes, Cena/Owens was exceptional. Everything from that match on made me forget how bad the preceding matches were.
Best match: Cena v. Owens.
This match was all wrestling, no gimmicks, and no BS finish. It should be a model for PPV matches and not the exception.
Worst match: Either the MITB ladder match or Paige v. Bella(s).
MITB had all of the bad elements of ladder matches. Spots with no story, underutilized abilities, unnecessary run-ins and interference. On top of that, the briefcase went to the guy that got the absolute least crowd reaction. Poor match. Poor choice of winner.
As the Divas match went on, the wrestling itself was no worse than Ryback v. Show. But the production of this was insulting. Cutting from the match to show backstage reactions told viewers that the actual ring action wasn’t worth paying attention to. The screwjob finish also made us question how the rules work, considering that another person interfered in a match without leading to an immediate DQ (-the ref actually counted to three). And on top of that, the finish was completely unnecessary. It didn’t matter whether Brie interfered if Nikki could just get a clothesline for the win. The production and booking made this match the worst, while the worst wrestling happened in the ladder match.
Other notes:
-The Rollins/Ambrose finish, if combined with a Reigns briefcase would have been the perfect setup for a Shield 3-way. So close to having that fantasy booking.
-Did every match before Cena/Owens have interference? I’m thinking the creators of “Swereved” are giving input to this PPV.
-I’m impressed with New Day. They followed Cena/Owens in a spot that was certain doom. My hat’s off to them for keeping the crowd into this.
-Cena’s stunner doesn’t look good. My wife has now asked me twice whether or not his opponent was just throwing him down on his butt.
-Glad to hear less talking during matches at this PPV.
—
Nick Garcia
Hey Dave
Pretty much agree with everything you had in your recap of money in the bank. MITB match was great even if it was “safer” than its predecessor’s. Crowd was relatively hot for it especially the wyatt spot. Alot of Reigns fans in attendance. He still comes off extremely corny and fake especially in person and crowd was mostly in love with bray when he ruined Romans chance to win. Could have been more of them being in love with the surprise but it still got a big pop.
Women’s match was what it was. Nothing special more paige fans than nikki the twin swap deal not working and nikki still winning is total bs and until they bring up nxt girls im over the divas.
Columbus has never been a good town for ryback I’ve seen him here many times and even a couple of years ago during the height of his push our fans could give a shit less about him. He’s tons better now than then but this match with big show was a complete flop and crowd was more into telling big show to retire than anything else with ryback.
Owens and Cena was tremendous. Never experienced anything like it in person. It was as you said electric in the building from start to finish and rightfully so. Alot of cena fans even adults in the crowd. Owens doesn’t get the entrance pop yet that a seasoned veteran like cena or Orton gets but by God when his matches get going they get behind the man and he’s special. WWE had been so smart putting him with cena and making his debut in mainstream matter. Amazing match and so glad they had him nail cena at the end I was about in induced vomiting when they did the handshake. Best of 3 series it looks like to me with the rubber match at battleground.
Tag match was nothing. Not sure why they dropped the belts here and to prime time players either. New day is a good act and I’m sure not having kofi in the match will play a big part in storyline. Not having kofi in the match also played a big part to me in the presentation of the match. New day is not the same without all 3 of them out there to play off one another.
Ambrose and Rollins was good but they aren’t a wwe main event right now and the crowd let them know it. Also doesn’t help that the mitb match and of course owens and Cena was much better and crowd was just drained after owens cena anyway. Dean and seth worked hard and crowd popped for the big spots just never kept up with their emotions for it after each spot was over it was dead again no cary over affect. Personally like the idea of the finish but it fell flat in the building and scuttlebutt in house was popular opinion said brock was going to be there people kept waiting and looking for it but never happened. Guess they thought of it as a let down. Also doesn’t help that dean cut a promo at the end saying he lost fair and square. Don’tknow if that made the broadcast or not but the way the finish was worked I definitely see some controversy almost like a possession conflict in football type of idea.
Side note the dusty stuff was tremendous I had goosebumps everytime he was acknowledged. Many dusty chants throughout the night one set at the beginning was booming loud. A legend that will undoubtedly be missed and they did a good job tonight and I’m sure even more to come tomorrow.
Anyway there’s my take on the show from in person. We had amazing seats 5 rows up dead center of the ring so definitely got a good feeling for the show in its entirety. Thanks for everything you do.
Loyal observer fan
Ryan Fritch
Hi Dave,
Just wanted to provide some feedback on tonight’s Money In The Bank PPV. Wow! Big thumbs up for the show with best match being the rematch between Cena and Owens, and worst match being the I/C title match between Big Show and Ryback. Very good matches tonight and very emotional as well with the tribute to Dusty.
1. Money In The Bank Opener – Shamus, Orton, Reigns, Neville, Kofi, Kane, Dolph.
A very good match and good choice in my opinion with Shamus winning the contract briefcase to end the match. I thought it was strange to open with this match instead of having it as the semi main event, but I guess match order does not really matter. But a good match, and I’ve always thought it was better to have a heel win this type of match since it it’s just a heel thing to do when trying to cash in for a title match. Not really effective with a face running around with the briefcase for a year trying to be sneaky and cash in, lol.
2. Divas title – Paige / Nikki – Actually this was a pretty good match! Not the best divas match I’ve seen, but very good. Seems like they are stepping up the women’s action a little on the main roster since it’s become so popular in NXT. But for once the Divas match was not put in the “death spot” on the card and the women had a chance to shine and pull off some good moves. The Twin magic gimmick is a little corny though since clearly Nikki and Brie clearly have different body types, but funny when the ref noticed the size of Brie’s tits and it was not Nikki, lol!
3. Ryback / Show – The land of lumbering giants. I pray for the I/C title. Worst match of the night. Who is the worst possible opponent for Ryback? Well that would be Big Show. And who is the worst possible opponent for Big Show? Well that would be Ryback! I thought they were going to enhance the I/C title?
4. Cena / Owens – Wow! Clearly best match of the night and maybe a contender for match of the year! And I hate Cena! I can’t stand Cena matches and just wish he would go away. So this is big praise coming for me, and like I’ve said before speaks volumes for Kevin Owens to have such a spectacular match with Cena. Simply amazing. I really like the Owens character and I don’t think having him lose this match will affect his push at all. With a match like that who is going to remember that he lost? And good ending too to keep the feud going.
5. New Day / Prime Time Players – These poor guys had the misfortune of being in the death spot on the card. Plus the match was not really that good anyway. Seemed like a pointless title change to me, I’m not a big fan of title changes for no reason and believe a title change should tell a good story.
6. Rollins / Ambrose – Great main event for the world title. Great match but too many risks and too brutal for no reason. Is it really that necessary for this guys to take so many dangerous bumps like that during the whole match? Wouldn’t it be more effective with less bumps and longer selling? Instead of just crashing through a ladder every 5 seconds? Just seems risky to me, and less would have been more in my opinion and just as effective in the story telling.
Very good night of matches, very emotional with such a nice tribute video for one my favorites Dusty Rhodes and the 10 bell salute. Renee Young was clearly very emotional as was everyone else I’m sure. I couldn’t help but tear up a little myself during the tribute video and 10 bell salute. Dusty is on my personal Mount Rushmore of wrestling, and very touching tribute. He would have enjoyed tonight’s matches and to see so many superstars that he personally assisted with in NXT on the main roster now. Very good show and very special tribute.
Thanks,
Jon Southerland
Clovis, Ca.
Overall: thumbs up
Best match: Owens vs Cena
Worst match: Big Show vs Ryback
MONEY IN THE BANK LADDER MATCH
Decent match, but pretty far away from the standards of best MITB matches. It was good idea to not give Reigns a briefcase, cause it would hurt his babyface reaction. Still dumb to start feud with Wyatt after he pinned Bray clean in his third match of the night on Raw just a week ago!
NIKKI BELLA VS. PAIGE
They actually worked hard. And they managed to get crowd’s attention in the end… But the finish was stupid. Especially because Brie Bella is terrible actress. After referee realized it was Brie, shouldn’t it be DQ?
RYBACK VS. BIG SHOW
Another bad finish. But at least the match was short, which is big plus. I liked Miz’s promo.
JOHN CENA VS. KEVIN OWENS II
It was amazing. But imagine how much better it would be, if we actually wait for this rematch. If they give story a bit more time it could be all-time classic. It is so easy. If they did second match in July, it would be a rubber match in SummerSlam. Now will they drop it before SummerSlam or will do the fourth match? Despite the loss Owens looked as strong as possible. Crowd was into it all the time. And post-match was very good.
BIG E & XAVIER WOODS VS. PRIME TIME PLAYERS
Smackdown match on PPV. Title change was surprising. Let’s see how it will play out. I can see Prime Time Players be transit champions to pass titles to Harper and Rowan.
SETH ROLLINS VS. DEAN AMBROSE
Great story. Only reason I didn’t choose them as a best match, cause crowd was pretty flat in the first half. No interferences, no screwjobs. Close match with the beautiful finish. Can’t believe some people is being upset with this finish. After all this matches with million of interferences from Kane and others, we finally get a clean PPV main event, where Seth was just a little bit better in the end. Now we have to wait, how they will explain return of the Brock.
Dmitry Shakhov, Russia.
Hi Dave
Thumbs up
Best Match: Cena vs Owens
Worse Match: Big Show vs Ryback
I skipped most of the preshow, but did tune in for the Dusty Rhodes tribute. That, as you’d expect, was very good, and Renee Young being so visibly upset was especially moving. We don’t usually get to see human reactions in WWE. The ten bell salute was also touching, though I wish that guys with silly gimmicks that weren’t working on the show, like Curtis Axel, didn’t have to be in character.
Money in the Bank match: I dunno, but I thought this match was pretty dull. Not because there weren’t a lot of big spots, but because it felt very formulaic, with everyone taking turns being the pair in the ring for awhile. I Can’t say that anyone particularly stood out. Not sure what to make of the Bray Wyatt appearance; he’s a character that just doesn’t feel as important at WWE seems to think he is. I’m not sure a feud with Roman Reigns is good for either man. As for Sheamus, I’ve always liked him and thought he was underappreciated, so I hope the briefcase win can help elevate him back up the card. Don’t know what you do with a heel MITB winner and heel champion though.
Paige vs Nikki: Match was pretty good. Paige’s attempt to channel CM Punk in her prematch promo felt pretty hollow though. I don’t know why the Bellas are heels all of a sudden, but then I didn’t know why they were faces either. Nikki is much more effective as a heel, and I can get behind Paige as a babyface. That finish though… I like the idea of twin magic backfiring and Paige pinning Brie, and Brie immediately trying to prove her true identity, but the ref restarting the match was super dumb. He should have declared Paige the winner by DQ, so Nikki doesn’t lose the title, and then she can still beat Paige up afterwards.
Ryback vs Big Show: Not gonna lie, I watched a minute or two of this, then went to find something else to do. Saw enough to know it was the worst match of the night. This is a bad spot for Big Show, though at this point I don’t know what a good spot for him is.
Cena vs Owens: Wow, what a match. WHAT A MATCH. I think that it was, in fact, better then the first one. I’ve never been a Cena fan, but I can’t deny his presence makes a match feel like a big deal. He and Owens really put on a show. My only quibble is that the Springboard Stunner just looks worse and worse every time I see it. While I was annoyed that Owens lost, once it became clear they were doing a rubber match, hopefully at SummerSlam, I was fine with it. Loved the postmatch angle. My hope is that Cena is kept of TV until the Tokyo special, then he helps cost Owens the NXT title to Balor. So Owens loses the title but is protected, and there’s grudges on both sides to settle in a third match.
New Day vs the Prime Time Players: Pretty basic. I wish the WWE would change up the tag team formula a bit. I think it was a mistake to take the titles off the New Day so soon.
Ambrose vs Rollins: This match. I’m not sure how I feel about it. A lot of the work was very good, and the guys sure killed themselves, but I just never fully got into it. The crowd seemed to feel the same way. It was a mistake, I think, to book a two person ladder match on the same show as the Money in the Bank match. Even though both were laid out very differently, they still felt the same. I liked that Seth Rollins worked over a body part, particularly a body part that was greatly needed in a match that would involve a lot of climbing. But Ambrose was inconsistent with his selling; one minute he’s racing into Rollins and leaping off the announce table, the next he’s crawling like he’s been shot. His goofy overdone facial expressions didn’t help either. Frankly, I think he’s about due for a heel turn. The ending sequence, with those two brutal Powerbombs to the guardrail, and the Sitout Powerbomb on the ladder, was something, though why you’d do a Sitout Powerbomb onto a ladder, meaning you land on it yourself rather then just throw your opponent on it, is a mystery to me. I know some people didn’t like the finish; I didn’t mind it, other then Ambrose popping back up after that beating, but I was fine with them continuing to fight for the belt after it was unhooked. Baffling that Sheamus wouldn’t cash in on Rollins though.
Thanks,
Ken Raining
Thumbs down show. Everybody worked their tails off but the booking was not on their side. I’m honestly just frustrated as a fan because WWE can do better than this.
OVERALL: Thumbs down
BEST MATCH: Ambrose vs. Rollins
WORST MATCH: Ryback vs. Big Show
Money In The Bank Ladder Match — Sheamus winning was kind of out of nowhere. They should have just given it to Reigns. They need to defecate or get off the pot with him. I don’t think a feud with Bray Wyatt will help either Reigns or Wyatt. Good action in the match though. (***1/2)
Nikki Bella vs. Paige, Divas Title — Good match because they were given time. Really bad finish though. (**3/4)
Ryback vs. Big Show, IC Title — This match wasn’t that bad but it wasn’t that good either. Stupid finish hurt the match quite a bit too. They are completely wasting Ryback at this point. (*1/4)
Kevin Owens vs. John Cena — I had a strong feeling Cena was going to win this because of how WWE books things. Not to mention that he’s still the United States champion and his championship wouldn’t have meant as much had Owens beaten him twice. Great match with lots of kickouts to finishers and hard work but I honestly didn’t think this was as good as everybody is making it out to be. I think the crowd made the match feel better than it was. Nice ending to protect Owens by having him dismantle Cena. (****)
New Day vs. Prime Time Players, Tag Team Title — Pretty solid match between these two teams. I guess the big push for PTP is coming because Titus O’Neal is starting to get over some. Good for them as I do like them both. (**1/4)
Ambrose vs. Dean Ambrose, WWE World Championship — So I guess Dean Ambrose’s push is once again halted. I really wish the WWE would just pull the trigger and have him get the title and face Lesnar at SummerSlam. As much as I love Seth Rollins, they’re not doing much with him and I feel like him scheming to regain the title he lost would help. But I guess they’re trying to kill the feud between the two of them. I get it. The match itself was tremendous and I think would have had way more heat had everybody not already known the outcome beforehand. (****)
Craig Reeves
Thumbs Up
Best Match Cena-Owens
Worst Match- Show-Ryback
As much as I want to give this show thumbs down, I can’t hate on a show that had two really good matches. The Main Event might gone a little long, but it was nice a dramtic tension filed ladder match that didn’t turn into a stunt show.
Other than those two Matches, the show was awful. Sheamus winning makes zero sense… and I never felt that match had the tension that Money in the Bank Matches usually have. The Women’s match was ok.. but the finish made zero sense… (the ref saw Bri Interfere, why was there no DQ, Ryback and Show was awful, with an worse finish, and the tag match was short, and why take the titles off
your hottest act. At the end of the day this was a two match show.. but those two matches were good enough to make me go thumbs up….
—
Michael Anderson Kruse
Fuck this company.
How could anyone give a fuck about anyone after this show?
Best match: Cena/Owens
Worst match: Ryback/Show
MITB Match
It was fun until Sheamus won. Can’t wait for Bray to job again! **3/4
Divas Title Match
Ahahahahahahahaha RIP Dusty. *
IC Title Match
Was easy to tell that Miz was going to interfere. It took 8 minutes. 0 stars.
John Cena vs. Kevin Owens
These guys just shit out ****3/4 matches like no ones business. Cena winning was awful, but it was a ****3/4 quality match dumbed down to a **** match because Cena pinned Owens after a fucking Springboard Stunner. God damn this booking. ****
Tag Team Title Match
Heels get all the heat and then are beat within a minute. Please hurry back, Tyson. *3/4
World Heavyweight Title Match
Never got bored during this match. Was amazingly well paced, great flow, and a story that made sense. Jobrose showed, once again, that he’s the best seller in the company. And then all my time was wasted with another goddamn fuck finish. I fucking hate this company. ***
Brady Childs
Thumbs Up
Best Match: Cena Owens II
Worst Match: divas
The Owens rematch was not quite as good as last months as a whole but certain points of it were better than things in the first match. Rollins and Ambrose went through a war. Odd booking to take the titles off New Day and the briefcase to sheamus but they have at least hammered home how the holder doesnt not automatically win anymore so Sheamus could cash in and lose.
The MITB match itself wasnt quite on par with many others. Seemed to be a tad off at points and didnt like everyone being wiped out so early by lesser moves so folks could do one on one spots. Also never care for ladders and climbing come in to play right off the bat prefer a build to first usage. Show may have been a thumbs middle or down without the Owens and title matches but those saved the grade!
Michael OBrien
Brockton MA
Thumbs up!
Best match: Ambrose VS Rollins followed by Owens VS Cena
Worst match: None really.
Money in the bank ladder match: Good match with some nice spots! However, all those matches look and feel the same. Kofi Kingston getting back up on his feet 30 seconds after being powerbombed on the ladder and getting another guy powerbombed on him is ridiculous. Interesting choice with Sheamus winning. It gives him momemtum and adds a new face to the main event picture.
Divas match: Good match given a lot of time. I taught the finish was clever.
Ryback VS Big Show: Short match, better than I expected. Ryback lifting Big Show for the shell shock should have been on this show and not on RAW.
Cena VS Owens: Great match, as good as the first one. Owens deserves everything he is getting lately.
Tag title match: Happy to see the Prime Time players get some spotlight finally. I was surprised by this win, however. Match was fun.
Ambrose VS Rollins: This is EXACTLY what professional wrestling is all about: storytelling! If there is one thing to remember from the great late Dusty Rhodes is that selling… sells! Ambrose did a fantastic job selling his injuries, even his post-match facial expressions were great. They didn’t just do a bunch of crazy stuff just for the sake of it. Everything they did meant something. This match reminds me of the forgotten HBK VS Jericho ladder match from 2008. It was a brutal grudge match, and even after all what Rollins did to Ambrose, Ambrose was always coming back. With all the crazy over the top matches of the last 10 years blending all together in a fuzzy mess in my head, this ladder match will stand out because of the selling and storytelling. And the stunned audience at the end made this match even better. This match will be remembered.
PS: Bring back the curb stomp!
Manuel A. R.
Hey Dave,
Overall: Thumb up show. It was a three match show, and each marquee match delivered to some degree. Owen’s solidified himself as a main player, and perhaps more importantly, a heel character. It appears as though Reigns and Wyatt will be heading into Summerslam. This has the potential to be good for both guys who still need to sharpen the tools they have and add some additional instruments to their respective tool belts. The main event presented an admirable fight from Ambrose, and a vicious and competent victory for Rollins.
Best Match: Owens vs. Cena was on par with their first encounter. In other words, it was great.
Worst Match: The finish for Ryback and Show was about as unsatisfying as it gets. It was not even worth a boo, so it was met with silence.
Cool to see the public acknowledgment and celebration of the life of Dusty Rhodes. The roster is obviously touched by his passing, and the crowd was respectful and appreciative as well.
1. Money in the Bank Contract Ladder Match: Randy Orton vs. Neville vs. Kane vs. Kofi Kingston vs. Sheamus vs. Roman Reigns.
Well laid out and nicely executed Money in the Bank Ladder Match. Unarguably one of the better, and perhaps one of the top matches of its kind. It suffered from the traditional multiple man ladder match pitfalls (laying outside the ring, waiting, and slow climbing) but the peaks, valleys, twists and turns kept the match momentum moving upwards. There was enough “awe” spots to fill the time, but not too many to appear unsafe and reckless. The appearance of Wyatt was a surprise, and the Sheamus victory was perhaps more unexpected. I am hopeful that Wyatt and Reigns can bring something out of each other that has not yet been revealed to the general audience. ***3/4
2. Divas Title Match: Nikki Bella vs. Paige. They were given the time and the crowd gave them a chance. The action was here and there; some stuff was on point, other spots were choppy and mistimed. Part of me does not mind the screw job finish. If nothing else, it was a creative twist that used past history to surprise the audience. The other part of me shakes my head because the ref obviously saw the sin and yet did nothing to reprimand the sinner. *3/4
3. Intercontinental Title Match: Big Show vs. Ryback. The pre match promo by Miz was very well done. The in ring action between Show and Ryback was completely acceptable. The uncreative and anticlimactic finish was inexcusably unacceptable. To make matters worse, it followed another unsatisfactory tainted finish. *1/2
4. Kevin Owens vs. John Cena. At the onset of the contest, to quote Michael Cole, “The atmosphere is electric.” For once, this was not an overstatement. In layout, the match was similar to their first encounter. Perhaps, too similar. In execution it was a step behind. In crowd involvement, a step above. Most importantly, in overall enjoyment, it was on par. Was this an example of finisher inflation? Yes. However, I did think they gave adequate time between moves and counters to let the audience breath and to allow the wrestlers to sell. I enjoyed the referee’s role sub plot. It almost made up for the pitiful finishes in the prior two matches. Almost. The finish was a clean win for Cena. Maybe, that was a little disappointing. The after match attack by Owen’s was awesome. Nobody likes a sore loser, and a sore loser is a heel. I am not sure the live audience agreed with this basic fact of life. Owen’s laugh and facial expression after the attack is one of his attributes that sets him apart. ****
5. Tag Team Title Match: The New Day vs. The Prime Time Playas. Formulaic, but acceptable tag team match. They made the crowd wait for the hot tag, and the crowd showed some patience and reacted to the tag and the finish. I am surprised the Prime Time Playas got the win, but I am happy the finish was clean. I expect the New Day to get the belts back in the next month. *3/4
6. WWE World Championship Ladder Match: Seth Rollins vs. Dean Ambrose. Crowd was quite subdued to start. The beginning of the match was methodical, which was not complemented with a quiet live crowd. Using solid storytelling, the competitors were able to build empathy for Ambrose and create excitement and anticipation for each ascension up the ladder. By the end, I felt the match built nicely into a war of attrition, which showcased a mean streak in Seth and some admirable toughness for Ambrose. The finish gives credibility to Seth without pushing Ambrose back down the ladder (pun intended). In conclusion, it was a good, but not great, ladder match and an acceptable end cap to a solid event.
Thanks, Derrick Hubbard
Hello Dave,
Thumbs Up.
I was at the show tonight and almost the entire arena was filled. Crowd was hot even during announcer introductions.
Crowd really hot for Barrett v Truth. Let’s Go Barrett/Barrett sucks chants.
Roman received the biggest pop, Ziggler 2nd, Orton 3rd, Neville 4th
Crowd hated Kane and Sheamus but Kofi had most heat.
Everyone in the arena stood up for the Red Arrow on Sheamus.
Crowd was really disappointed when Sheamus won and there wasn’t a lot of heat. Music was pumped through the arena loudly to cover up lack of loud reaction.
Crowd was confused with Divas finish because the ref waved his arms like the match was thrown out and needed to get picked up after the awful Intercontinental Title match finish. So they brought out Cena & Owens to huge reactions.
Cena and Owens got a standing ovation at one point for having such an outstanding match. Crowd was into every move and loved the match.
Crowd loved the Primetime Players victory. It looked like Big E was legal man in match but I’d have to watch it again. Sets up Rowan and Harper for titles I guess.
Crowd reacted positively to Triple H’s pep talk but booed Rollins during entrance. Quiet during the first half and got a little excited when they brawled through the crowd but the match lacked heat. The crowd was gasped when Rollins’ music played and was apathetic until the show ended.
Erik Thibault