5 shocking moments from Money In The Bank 2018 

There are few pay-per-view concepts left on WWE’s extensive calendar that invoke a feeling of excitement out of wrestling fans and Money in the Bank is genuinely one of those shows. From superstars doing crazy stunts with ladders to dream matches coming to fruition, Money in the Bank delivers nonstop action every year.

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This year WWE took a subtler approach in building up their card, but their common approach to this pay-per-view was an actual swerve, as the surprises on the show ranged from few to far too many.

However, with a few must-see matches and an otherwise underwhelming card, WWE delivered a reasonably entertaining show that had finishes no one could’ve predicted and action that thrilled when it needed to. Therefore, when it is all said and done, all a wrestling fan expects from a Money in the Bank pay-per-view is trainwreck action, deserved winners and high octane drama in between, WWE sort of ticked everything off that list as their trail of unpredictable moments raged on.

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#1 Bliss captures the Money in the Bank contract

A moment no one saw coming, well maybe except for Becky Lynch.

The 2018 edition of the newly created Women’s Money in the Bank ladder match was pegged as a resurgence for the women’s division, as months of predictable booking, hot stars stuck in limbo and the possibility of seeing a new face of the product emerge was interesting enough to get fans engaged.

Moreover, with the likes of Ember Moon, Sasha Banks and Charlotte in the marquee bout, there was no way WWE could screw things up with the booking of this match, and while many feel this was the time to crown a new pack leader in the women’s division WWE had other plans, as they always do.

That plan was Alexa Bliss obtaining her first Money in the Bank briefcase, and while this came as a shock to many, it was exciting to witness “Little Miss Bliss” winning the match, but it was kind of a head-scratcher to be truly honest.

Bliss had just been the main feature of the Raw women’s division for the entirety of last year, and WWE pushing her over Superstars such as Ember Moon and Becky Lynch who could genuinely grow with the contract in hand was a confusing decision. Furthermore, if fans felt outraged by the fact, Bliss had got another opportunity to reign on the mountain of the women's division they did not see what was coming next.

#2 Bliss becomes the Raw Women's Champion again

Bliss becomes a 5-time Women Champion after shocking the world by cashing in her contract.

The storyline that was given to Ronda Rousey and Nia Jax was truly disappointing, as WWE wasted several opportunities to construct an engaging narrative and this made this feud feel less important than it could've been. But, when it comes to Ronda Rousey, her performances on the mic are a small glimpse of what she can do in the squared circle, and at Money in the Bank, Jax and Rousey delivered a stellar championship match that got interrupted at the last minute.

As just when things were coming to a breaking point, Alexa Bliss showed up and beat the living daylights out of both competitors with her newly won briefcase, she then went on to destroy Ronda Rousey and pin Nia Jax to become a five-time Women's Champion.

Now there is no denying that this was one of the best moments on the card as any Money in the Bank cash-in is, as Bliss's intelligence to cash in when she knew Nia Jax was defenceless, Rousey was spent and her awareness to not let Rousey win the title as Bliss has beaten Jax before was brilliant.

But from a narrative standpoint it is genuinely baffling what WWE was trying to accomplish here, as Bliss’s narrative with Jax was concluded months ago, and why is Bliss champion again when she held it for months on end just recently?

Nevertheless, fans could be wrong as WWE could redesign Bliss’s character and move her away from the cowardly heel character and more into a defending champion persona, as her much-expected match with Ronda Rousey down the road should not be the typical Bliss runs scared scenario.

#3 Rollins wins via cheating

Rollins was wearing his old heel attire, just saying.

Rollins vs. Elias was a match that most slept on during the build to Money in the Bank, as WWE did not do much to convince fans that this bout would almost steal the show. Moreover, when it comes to stealing the show Styles vs. Nakamura or the Money in the Bank ladder matches might have done just that, but this match turned out to be unexpectedly fun. Elias put on one his best in-ring performances to date and Rollins exceeded expectations once again.

The only thing that hurt the quality of this match was the finish that saw Rollins roll up Elias, grab his tights and secure the pinfall, while most would say that shocking decision is bad booking by the creative as Rollins is a face, not a heel, there might be evidence to support this action. As Seth had to fight throughout the match with a knee and neck injury, he sustained at the hands of Elias, and it made sense that Seth would want to retain his championship somehow, as he is called "the architect" after all.

From analyzing the situation, brainstorming different outcomes and choosing a solution is sort of what Rollins character is all about, while some might find this moment shocking, the only thing surprising about it is that the WWE creative is finally putting their creative abilities to use.

#4 The return of James Ellsworth

The chinless wonder has returned.

Going into the 2018 Money in the Bank pay-per-view, many were intrigued to see how WWE would handle the Smackdown Live Women Title match between Carmella and Asuka. As Carmella has just started to pick up steam as an annoying heel, Asuka's badass aura was in need of a boost, and WWE needed to find a way to make this match interesting as both competitors are vastly different from each other when comparing in-ring ability.

The people asked, and WWE decided to reply with a terrific answer, and this answer came in the form of everyone's favorite jobber James Ellsworth, Ellsworth injected a dose of excitement into this contest when he appeared and cost Asuka the match.

While few nitpicks about why Asuka would be stunned by a man that has been ragged dolled during his initial stint in WWE and how could WWE afford Asuka her second clean loss with such little fanfare are valid points for discussion. Anyhow, Ellsworth reappearing and stunning the WWE Universe is reason enough to tune into Smackdown Live this week, as this shocker was not about what transpired after the reveal but the thrill of the moment.

#5 Strowman wins the Money in the Bank contract

The face of every wrestling fan after realizing Braun Strowman doesn't need the Money in the Bank briefcase to be in the main event scene

The three leading candidates to walk out of the men's Money in the Bank ladder match with briefcase were either The Miz, Finn Balor or Samoa Joe as all three of those men needed the career-defining contract to bring them to the main event scene. Instead, WWE went with a man that needs no prop to kick ass and be immensely over while doing so.

Bruan Strowman winning the Money in the Bank ladder match was not by any means a wrong decision, in fact, it guarantees fans that Strowman would snatch the Universal Title from Brock Lesnar, but the fact remains it was not the right decision for now.

Strowman is a Superstar that thrives in the chase, as his brutal force, badass nature and mind-blowing feats of strength can send any monotonous Raw crowd into a frenzy. However, the thought of Strowman carrying around a briefcase every Monday night waiting for Brock Lesnar to show up doesn't fit his character.

Moreover, Smackdown came out of Money in the Bank empty-handed as stars like Samoa Joe and The Miz would’ve made the blue brands already energizing broadcast ten times more exciting if they had captured the contract.

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Which was your favorite match from MITB? Let us know in the comments below!