Well, WWE Money in the Bank 2017 has just concluded and what a divisive pay-per-view it was. There were some truly great moments – especially the Men’s Money in the Bank Ladder match main event – but there were also some truly terrible moments in a pay-per-view that promised much but ultimately did not deliver on the hype.
In a time when the WWE is accused of poor storytelling, the company’s creative team did very little to change that perception. A number of storylines were advanced, yes, but the method of advancement was questionable to say the very least.
This holds true in particular for the first three matches on the card which were all marred by a weird dusty finish and none more so than the opening match of the night – the inaugural Women’s Money in the Bank Ladder match where James Ellsworth climbed the ladder, retrieved the briefcase and dropped it off to Carmella who became the first ever Miss Money in the Bank.
While some members of the Smackdown Live roster came out looking like real stars, there were others who were robbed of their momentum. So, without any further ado, here is our list of the biggest winners and losers from WWE Money in the Bank 2017:
Loser #4 Mike and Maria Kanellis
The news that Maria Kanellis and Mike Bennett (now Mike Kanellis) were making their way to the WWE generated some decent buzz amongst fans of professional wrestling and this was seen as a great opportunity for the couple.
Unfortunately, they were given very little to do on their debut except for a short promo segment where they preached about “The Power of Love” of all things. It already seems like both Mike and Maria have an uphill task ahead of them to get over with the WWE Universe.
Winner #4 Carmella
Despite the laughable circumstances surrounding her victory, Carmella is indeed the first-ever Miss Money in the Bank after she won the inaugural Women’s Money in the Bank Ladder match with the help of James Ellsworth.
It’s a great opportunity for The Princess of Staten Island to make a real impact on the Smackdown Live Women’s Division and establish herself as one of the top heels on the blue brand. Whether she will be able to do so remains to be seen.
Loser #3 Tyler Breeze and Fandango
The Fashion Police have been one of the most entertaining acts of Smackdown Live and there was some real curiosity to see who was behind the attacks on Tyler Breeze and Fandango’s police work.
The reveal, though, fell way short of expectations as The Ascension came out to claim responsibility for the attacks. This led to a boring match where Breezango picked up the victory. This feels like a real missed opportunity to get Breeze and Dango a good feud.
Winner #3 Jinder Mahal
Well, no one can now say that Jinder Mahal is a transitional WWE Champion. The Modern Day Maharaja ensured that the WWE’s Hometown Curse continued as he overcame Randy Orton in The Viper’s hometown of St Louis, Missouri with the help of The Singh Brothers.
It might not be to everyone’s tastes but the fact of the matter is, Jinder Mahal looks like he’s going to be WWE Champion fo the foreseeable future. Make of that what you will.
Loser #2 The other competitors from the Women’s Money in the Bank Ladder match
The ending to the Women’s Money in the Bank Ladder match is a slap in the face of everything the Women’s Revolution has stood for over the course of the past year or so. Despite the presence of five world class female professional wrestlers, it was a male jobber in the form of James Ellsworth who technically won the match for Carmella.
While the victory saves Carmella from making it onto the Loser’s List, the same can’t be said for the rest of the women in the historic match.
Charlotte, Natalya, Becky Lynch, and Tamina did not come out of this match looking great because of the Ellsworth interference.
Winner #2 The losers from the Men’s Money in the Bank Ladder match
Wait, what? Losers on the Winner’s List? Well, you can lose and still come out looking like a million bucks. And, that’s exactly what happened for the five men who didn’t win the Men’s Money in the Bank Ladder match at WWE Money in the Bank.
Dolph Ziggler, Kevin Owens, Sami Zayn, AJ Styles, Shinsuke Nakamura all looked like megastars and come out of the match with their reputations bolstered rather than undermined. This is especially true for The Phenomenal One and The King of Strong Style.
Loser #1 Randy Orton
Randy Orton lost in his hometown against Jinder Mahal for the WWE Championship in the presence of legends such as Sgt. Slaughter, Ric Flair, and most importantly, his father, Cowboy Bob Orton. It doesn’t get worse than this for The Viper.
Winner #1 Baron Corbin
He’s Mr Money in the Bank after winning one of the best Money in the Bank Ladder matches in recent memory. What more needs to be said?
