WWE Money In The Bank 2019: Analysing and grading each match
The 2019 WWE Money In The Bank pay-per-view took place in Hartford, Connecticut on Sunday, May 19.
Baron Corbin, Drew McIntyre, Ricochet, Ali, Andrade, Finn Balor and Randy Orton participated in the men’s Money In The Bank ladder match, while Dana Brooke, Naomi, Natalya, Nikki Cross, Bayley, Carmella, Ember Moon and Mandy Rose were part of the women’s ladder match.
Four world titles were on the line, with Universal champion Seth Rollins facing AJ Styles and WWE champion Kofi Kingston taking on Kevin Owens, while Becky Lynch defended the Raw Women’s Championship against Lacey Evans and the SmackDown Women’s Championship against Charlotte Flair.
Elsewhere on the card, the following matches took place: Roman Reigns vs. Elias, The Miz vs. Shane McMahon (Steel Cage), Samoa Joe vs. Rey Mysterio (United States Championship), Tony Nese vs. Ariya Daivari (Cruiserweight Championship), Daniel Bryan & Rowan vs. The Usos (kickoff show).
In this article, let’s break down every match and take a look at what was good and bad about the show.
#1 Kickoff show: Daniel Bryan & Rowan vs. The Usos
Storyline background: Daniel Bryan & Rowan defeated The Usos to become SmackDown Tag Team champions after the titles were vacated by Matt Hardy and the injured Jeff Hardy. Despite The Usos being assigned to Raw, they have continued to appear on SmackDown Live as part of the ‘Wild Card Rule’, meaning their rivalry with the new champions has continued.
Match summary: The Usos mocked their opponents pre-match with Spongebob Squarepants references, prompting a "Spongebob Squarepants" chant from the crowd. Bryan & Rowan were in control for large stages but The Usos turned things around when they hit a series of superkicks on Rowan at ringside before landing top-rope splashes on Bryan at the same time. Jimmy Uso then pinned Bryan for the win.
Verdict: The match was of good quality, as you would expect from these four guys, but this weekly theme of champions losing non-title matches has got to stop, especially against opponents from a different brand. Bryan & Rowan only won the titles two weeks ago and they have already lost fair and square in a tag match. How are we supposed to take title reigns seriously when champions lose so frequently?
Grade: C+
#2 Women's Money In The Bank ladder match
Storyline background: Dana Brooke, Naomi, Natalya, Nikki Cross, Bayley, Carmella, Ember Moon and Mandy Rose were selected to compete in the eight-woman Money In The Bank ladder match. Alexa Bliss was originally supposed to be involved but she was replaced by Cross after WWE declared that she had not been medically cleared.
Match summary: After Cross controlled the first few minutes by swinging a ladder into her opponents, Carmella suffered a knee injury and had to be helped to the back. Brooke came agonisingly close to winning at one stage but she was unable to unhook the briefcase. Carmella, still hobbling, then returned and began to climb the ladder after attacking Rose. However, Sonya Deville prevented her from doing so and carried Rose to the top of the ladder. Just when it looked like Rose would win, Bayley shoved her and Deville off the ladder and grabbed the briefcase to get the win.
Verdict: The first few minutes were full of miscommunications and unfortunate botches, notably when Rose fell to the mat despite Cross not even hitting her with a ladder. From then on, this match improved a lot, with Brooke, Cross and Rose all looking like possible winners at various stages. Bayley's victory was a swerve that I didn't see coming. Fair play to WWE!
Grade: B+
#3 United States Championship: Samoa Joe (c) vs. Rey Mysterio
Storyline background: Samoa Joe defeated Rey Mysterio in 60 seconds at WrestleMania 35 after making him pass out to the Coquina Clutch. Since then, Mysterio has defeated Joe in a non-title match, while he promised to win the United States Championship to make his son Dominick proud.
Match summary: Joe's face was covered in blood after Mysterio landed on his face with a senton early on. Mysterio then turned a hurricanrana into a pinfall and the referee counted the 1-2-3, despite Joe's left shoulder clearly being off the mat. Following the 100-second match, Mysterio walked towards the stage area with Dominick when Joe returned and attacked the new US champion inside the ring in front of his helpless son.
Verdict: Confusion! Did WWE plan this quick finish as a way for Mysterio to gain revenge for his quick loss at WrestleMania? Or was the finish changed due to Joe's bloodied face? Or was this a horrible botch by the referee? If I had to put my life savings on one of those options, I would say it was a botch. If not, Joe's reaction to the defeat was Oscar-worthy!
Grade: C
#4 Shane McMahon vs. The Miz (Steel Cage)
Storyline background: Shane McMahon defeated The Miz in a Falls Count Anywhere match at WrestleMania 35. The rivalry has continued since then, with McMahon aligning with Elias to target Miz on Raw and Roman Reigns on SmackDown Live.
Match summary: McMahon attempted a Coast to Coast after an early spell of dominance but Miz reversed it into a Figure Four. When McMahon introduced a steel chair, Miz took hold of it and slowly assaulted his opponent with multiple chair shots. McMahon then got his foot on the rope after a Skull Crushing Finale and the referee stopped his pinfall count, despite the fact that cage matches have a No Disqualification stipulation. The finish saw Miz (hanging inside the cage) attempt another suplex, much like at 'Mania, but McMahon (hanging outside the cage) slipped out of his t-shirt and his feet landed at ringside.
Verdict: The WrestleMania match between these two was among the best of the night. This, however, fell a little short of expectations. Maybe it was because there was nothing on the line, or because the big pay-off should have been at 'Mania, or because Miz should technically have won when the referee invoked the rope break rule, but it felt like something was missing. Overall, this six-month storyline has been very good. It's just a shame that the finish came across as underwhelming.
Grade: B-
#5 Cruiserweight Championship: Tony Nese (c) vs. Ariya Daivari
Storyline background: Tony Nese defeated Buddy Murphy at WrestleMania 35 to become the new Cruiserweight champion, while Ariya Daivari defeated Akira Tozawa, Gran Metalik and Mike Kanellis in a Fatal 4-Way match on 205 Live to earn an opportunity at the title at Money In The Bank.
Match summary: Daivari made a big-time entrance by arriving in a car at the top of the stage area. He went on to work methodically throughout the match, dominating the champion early on and in a short spell towards the end, and he even looked set to get the win after following up a top-rope splash with a lariat. Nese kicked out and then connected with The Running Nese into the corner to pick up the victory.
Verdict: The Hartford fans had zero interest in this match. When they weren't chanting "Boring", it felt as though they desperately wanted the referee to count 1-2-3 for either man to win, not because they cared but simply so the match would finish. It's a shame for Nese and Daivari – the match wasn't necessarily bad – but the storyline build-up has not been explained anywhere near enough for this to be included on a PPV main show.
Grade: C
#6 Raw Women's Championship: Becky Lynch (c) vs. Lacey Evans
Storyline background: Lacey Evans defeated Natalya on Raw to become the #1 contender for the Raw Women's Championship. With two titles to defend, Becky Lynch was forced to face Evans at Money In The Bank in a Raw Women's Championship match, as well as Charlotte Flair in a SmackDown Women's Championship.
Match summary: This was a competitive back-and-forth match which looked as if it could go either way. Evans was in control towards the end when she hit a modified stunner off the ropes. She then rolled up her opponent for a pinfall, which the referee did not count because he felt that Lynch's shoulders were not down. Within seconds, Lynch reversed it into the Dis-arm-her to make "The Lady of WWE" quickly tap out.
Verdict: Evans looked like a star here, from her special entrance at the start to her unique mannerisms throughout the match, but the quick manner of her submission defeat made her look very weak. It will be interesting to see where she goes from here.
Grade: B
#7 SmackDown Women's Championship: Becky Lynch (c) vs. Charlotte Flair
Storyline background: Charlotte Flair defeated Bayley on SmackDown Live to become the #1 contender for the SmackDown Women's Championship. Within a minute of Becky Lynch's win over Lacey Evans, Flair walked down the ramp with a purpose – and a huge smile on her face – as it was revealed that "Becky 2 Belts" would have to defend her titles back-to-back.
Match summary: Flair's plan to quickly take advantage of a tired Lynch didn't quite go according to plan, as "The Man" put up a good fight and looked as though she could retain. Evans then reappeared at ringside and caught Lynch with a Woman's Right when the referee was not watching. Flair just kicked out of a roll-up before landing a big boot to Lynch's face to win the SmackDown Women's Championship.
Post-match: Evans and Flair joined forces to attack a defenceless Lynch, prompting Bayley to even up the numbers and cash in her Money In The Bank contract. With Evans and Lynch recovering at ringside, Bayley landed a top-rope elbow drop on Flair to win the title.
Verdict: Well, I wondered a moment ago where Evans goes from here... and now we know. Not only did she help Lynch lose her title, but she failed to help Flair retain her title! This was by far the best moment of Bayley's main roster career so far. Fans will no doubt complain that WWE felt the need to give Flair yet another, albeit brief, title reign, but does it really matter? This was all about Bayley.
Grade: A
#8 Roman Reigns vs. Elias
Storyline background: Vince McMahon announced Elias as the biggest acquisition in SmackDown Live history during the Superstar Shake-Up. This prompted an appearance from Roman Reigns, who attacked both McMahon and Elias to set up a rivalry that has been ongoing for the last month.
Match summary: Elias attacked Reigns with a guitar backstage, so he was forced to use an electric guitar for his usual pre-match shtick. Following a derogatory song about Hartford, WWE's resident guitarist bid farewell in his own unique way ("Thank you, good night, I love none of you") before he was caught with a Superman Punch on the entrance ramp by Reigns, who went on to win a 10-second squash match after a spear.
Verdict: This match was presumably cut short because WWE knew that fans would turn against Reigns and end up cheering for Elias if it went long. This was an entertaining segment for what it was, but it's difficult to grade it any higher than C+ because the match was so short. It would be nice to see Reigns involved in a more meaningful rivalry when he receives his next opponent.
Grade: C+
#9 Universal Championship: Seth Rollins (c) vs. AJ Styles
Storyline background: Seth Rollins defeated Brock Lesnar at WrestleMania 35 to become the new Universal champion, while AJ Styles won a one-night tournament on Raw to set up this 15-years-in-the-making title match.
Match summary: This was a typically high-tempo match between two of WWE's top male Superstars. Styles attempted an early Styles Clash off the ring apron but Rollins escaped and landed two dives through the ropes. Rollins went on to hit a Buckle Bomb and a splash but he struggled to put away Styles, who reversed a Stomp into a Styles Clash at one stage but only managed a 2-count. In the end, after a must-see sequence in the last couple of minutes, Rollins followed up a kick to the face with a Stomp to get the 1-2-3. Post-match, Rollins reluctantly accepted a handshake from Styles.
Verdict: Expectations for this match were low, at least for me, after so many disappointing 'dream' matches in recent years. This one definitely lived up to the hype, though. It would be an exaggeration to say that the Stomp-to-Styles Clash reversal was as good as the Stomp-to-RKO reversal, but it was second-best to that! The added drama with the post-match handshake was a nice storyline development, too.
Grade: A
Short segment: Lars Sullivan brutally attacked Lucha House Party before a six-man tag match (the opponents were not announced). He headbutted Kalisto so hard that he cut his own head open – at least that's what the commentators said – but Kalisto later claimed that it was his punches that caused Sullivan's head to be bloodied.
#10 WWE Championship: Kofi Kingston (c) vs. Kevin Owens
Storyline background: Kofi Kingston defeated Daniel Bryan at WrestleMania 35 to win the WWE Championship. Due to an injury to Big E, Kevin Owens became an honorary member of The New Day, nicknaming himself "The Big O", before he turned against Kingston to earn an opportunity at his title at Money In The Bank.
Match summary: The early stages focused on Kingston's acrobatics, while Owens repeatedly attempted to make his opponent submit to a Boston Crab. Kingston had some good moments, notably a double stomp on the apron and an SOS, but Owens kept fighting back. In the end, after Kingston kicked out of a Pop-Up Powerbomb and grabbed the ropes after a Stunner, the New Day member hit a second Trouble In Paradise to retain his title.
Verdict: In terms of match quality, this was very good. However, the fans hardly reacted to some major moments, particularly when Kingston hit an SOS – a move that he has used many times to win matches – and at one stage when he escaped a Boston Crab. Kingston and Owens are both great, so I'm hesitant to criticise a match that had few faults, but this did not feel like a WWE Championship encounter at all. That viewpoint might not be shared by most people, but opinions are opinions!
Grade: B
#11 Men's Money In The Bank ladder match
Storyline background: Baron Corbin, Drew McIntyre, Ricochet, Ali, Andrade, Finn Balor and Randy Orton were chosen to participate in the men's Money In The Bank ladder match. The eighth member was supposed to be Sami Zayn after he defeated Braun Strowman on Raw to take his place, but the former NXT champion was attacked earlier in the show by Strowman. As a result, the match only had seven participants.
Match summary: Orton dominated early on by launching Ali, Balor and Ricochet back-first onto the announce desk. The ladders then came into play, notably when Andrade sent Balor crashing onto a ladder with a sunset flip powerbomb from the top of another ladder, while Corbin made his mark by chokeslamming Ali through an announce desk before betraying McIntyre. In the end, it looked as though Ali was set to retrieve the briefcase but Brock Lesnar's music hit and "The Beast" raced down to the ring, where he took out Ali before climbing the ladder to win the match.
Verdict: That match summary could have been 500 words and it wouldn't have done justice to how chaotic this main event truly was. Every Superstar in the match was involved in a crazy bump or moment with a ladder at some stage, and then Lesnar showed up completely unannounced and won the match, despite not being a participant! Some people will hate the ending. Personally, I found it entertaining. Either way, it makes Raw must-see viewing on Monday.
Grade: A
Quick Links
Rahul Arun