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Money in the Bank was a great event that saw WWE cook up some interesting matches behind closed doors and at a brand new venue. The WWE Headquarters was the center of attention during the end of the show as twelve Superstars battled for a chance to win the Men’s and Women’s Money in the Bank contracts.
The Money in the Bank PPV also saw the WWE Championship and the Universal Championship get defended at the event, as Drew McIntyre took on Seth Rollins while Braun Strowman competed against his former leader, Bray Wyatt.
The New Day was also set to defend their SmackDown Tag Team Championships against three other top teams from the Blue brand, while Bayley put her SmackDown Women’s Championship on the line against the much improved Tamina.
Jeff Hardy made a great return to the ring at Money in the Bank, and R-Truth got another chance to have a big comic moment during the show before he was put away by Bobby Lashley in a matter of minutes.
In this article, we will look at the 5 things WWE got right at the Money in the Bank PPV last night.
#5 Jeff Hardy’s return to the ring at Money in the bank
The Kickoff show of the event hosted two of WWE’s hardest working veterans, Jeff Hardy and Cesaro. Hardy had been away from SmackDown for quite some time now and was making his in-ring return, while Cesaro has been involved in a series of mixed bookings that haven’t hurt his performance but have taken a toll on his credibility.
The Swiss Cyborg looked to give Hardy the return of his life as he took control of the match from the opening bell and took down The Charismatic Enigma. Hardy wasn’t ready to stay down for too long and continued to find openings to remain in the match.
We saw a slightly different side to Hardy in this match, as he was ready to pull off some power moves such as spinebusters and slams along with his usual high flying maneuvers. Cesaro still had the advantage as he was the more powerful Superstar, and he kept Hardy down with a series of strikes.
Both men hit every big move they could on one another until Hardy scored the victory with a Swanton Bomb to make a big return at Money in the Bank.
This was a great match that would have gotten the crowd going if a live audience was present. Both men took each other to the edge and reminded the WWE Universe that they are still fit and ready to deliver whenever the opportunity presents itself.
Hardy scoring a victory over Sheamus’ former partner could end up being an interesting storyline point as the two men will go head to head sooner than later.
#4 The New Day’s defense
The first match after the Kickoff at Money in the Bank saw Kofi Kingston and Big E of The New Day defend their SmackDown Tag Team Championships against Miz & Morrison, The Forgotten Sons, and Lucha House Party.
Kingston and Gran Metalik started the match and gave the fans some great spots to watch before Morrison entered the ring to show what he can do with the high-flyers too.
The entire match was fun and chaotic and was a Fatal 4-Way Tag Match in the truest sense. The Forgotten Sons managed to get some big spots during the clash, while New Day seemed like the favorites throughout.
Outside interferences from Jaxson Ryker of The Forgotten Sons allowed them to remain a close second, and no one would have been surprised had they taken the victory and bagged the titles.
However, Big E put Metalik away to retain the titles and protect the other two major teams in the competition. New Day retaining the titles was the right choice as they only recently won them again and need to have a good one-on-one match with another team to lose it.
The Forgotten Sons seem like the perfect trio to dethrone the team at the time being, and it will be interesting to see how the company builds the storyline between these two teams in the weeks to come.
#3 Braun Strowman’s mind games at Money in the Bank
With ‘The Fiend’ absent from the arena, Bray Wyatt arrived as himself in his red sweater to take on ‘The Monster Among Men’ Braun Strowman for his Universal Championship.
Strowman’s power seemed to be too much for The Eater of Worlds, but his mind games and the support of Huskus The Pig Boy was enough to keep him focused and on top of his game.
Wyatt laughed off most of Strowman’s attacks, showing that pain meant nothing to the now-transformed Superstar who has a new agenda every time he enters a rivalry.
After Strowman kicked out of Sister Abigail, Wyatt showed some emotions as he wasn’t sure what to do to put down the big man. Strowman then decided to play mind games of his own on Wyatt as he put his black sheep mask on for the first time in years as Wyatt rejoiced.
While it looked like The Monster Among Men was ready to accept Wyatt’s invitation, Strowman showed that he had learned enough from his former leader and removed the mask, only to step on it and hit Wyatt with a powerslam to pick up the victory.
This match was nicely done as a long, drawn-out affair doesn't suit both Superstars. Given the events of the match, WWE can surely build on the story that exists between the two. We’re sure The Fiend wouldn’t be happy with Strowman’s actions in this match.
#2 Miss Money in the Bank, Asuka
Asuka has been one of the most entertaining figures in WWE since the company began filming matches behind closed doors, and it was great to see her start the Women’s Ladder Match with a big spot.
With names like Shayna Baszler, Carmella, Nia Jax, Lacey Evans, and Dana Brooke all trying to get to the top of the WWE Headquarters, it was great to see the company give each woman some spotlight during the chaotic match.
After being the first one to the elevator, Asuka never looked back during the match and was able to outdo the other five women in the match to finally become Miss Money in the Bank.
Asuka has won the Royal Rumble in the past and has had a great stint in NXT followed by some great performances as the SmackDown Women’s Champion and WWE Women’s Tag Team Champion.
The briefcase win could really help her develop her character more and give fans some more comic segments and allow her to finally dethrone Becky Lynch form the top of the RAW roster when she least expects it.
While many fans wanted to see Baszler win the match and take the briefcase home, Asuka could do much more with it as the premier heel who is using some tactics in her storylines as compared to Baszler who is literally just bulldozing through her opponents.
#1 Mr. Money in the Bank, Otis
While the women were getting started in the lobby of the WWE Headquarters, AJ Styles, Aleister Black, King Corbin, Otis, Rey Mysterio, and Daniel Bryan were looking to gain the advantage in the weights room.
The men had equally good spots during their match, where we saw Styles and Bryan getting thrown out of a room by Vince McMahon, while Styles also found himself locked in a room with a casket.
The spots everyone was looking for came to life as Black and Mysterio both got “thrown off” the WWE HQ, reminding fans that everything is possible in the world of WWE.
In the final moments, Styles and Corbin both managed to get the briefcase but after Elias' interference, it fumbled out and landed in the safe hands of SmackDown’s Otis.
Otis has seen an impressive rise in recent months, and he managed to score his biggest singles victory after a great performance at WrestleMania 36 where he defeated Dolph Ziggler and won over Mandy Rose.
Even though Otis doesn’t have the looks like Finn Balor or a physique like John Cena, he is currently one of the most loved Superstars in WWE. Otis’ win comes as a pleasant surprise for the fans, and it will be interesting to see whether he will chase the Universal Championship or partner up with Tucker to cash in for a shot at the SmackDown tag titles.
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