WWE Money in the Bank 2018 Review: Most Important Moments of the PPV

With Money in the Bank 2018 in the rearview mirror, the results are in and WWE will start to build toward Extreme Rules as quickly as tonight's episode of Monday Night Raw.

Although every match on the card will factor into the plans in some fashion, there's no doubt that certain elements will be much bigger focal points than others.

Whether it is due to championship implications, surprises, or just sheer importance, if you missed out on Money in the Bank, you'll need to catch up, and we have you covered.

After sifting through the filler and the segments which simply don't resonate as much, here are the five key takeaways from the event that will be the most important going forward—listed in no particular order.

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#5 James Ellsworth costs Asuka the SmackDown Women's Championship

Having lost her undefeated streak at WrestleMania and losing a tag team match on SmackDown, Asuka doesn't have the same clout anymore, and if you thought she was going to be restored to her former glory with a championship win here, you were wrong.

Despite Carmella never being booked to be Asuka's equal or superior, WWE opted to forego the obvious conclusion of The Empress of Tomorrow being crowned champion, having her take another pinfall loss.

This didn't come about without some controversy, though, as Asuka was distracted by a returning James Ellsworth, who was dressed in Asuka's attire, including a replica of her mask.

Whether this signals a full return of Ellsworth is still unknown, but the goal of keeping the title on Carmella was accomplished regardless of where he ends up.

Either Paige will take umbrage with this outcome and institute some sort of rematch between the two, or, more likely, Carmella will move on to a new challenger very soon, with or without Ellsworth by her side.

#4 AJ Styles retains against Shinsuke Nakamura

Finally, after having five matches together and essentially feuding in one way or another since January, the feud between AJ Styles and Shinsuke Nakamura appears to be over.

While there was immense potential in their matches, the storyline became muddled with a low-energy start to it all, followed by a questionable decision to keep putting Nakamura in title shots despite coming up short in a loss and two draws.

In their Last Man Standing match here, Styles was able to retain the WWE Championship and prove yet again that he's the better man between the two.

Like with Carmella, it will be interesting to see who is built up as the next challenger for Styles and what direction Nakamura takes, now that his world title dreams should be on hold for a while.

#3 Braun Strowman wins the men's briefcase

The WWE Championship is safe from a potential cash-in from Mr. Money in the Bank, which is a good thing for AJ Styles, as Braun Strowman will be holding the briefcase this year.

The Monster Among Men absolutely wrecked his opponents, proving that he is an absolute force of destruction like no other.

Without a doubt, he was the standout featured player of the match not just for his win, but for the way he was booked, tossing Kevin Owens off a ladder through some tables from an insane height, charging through a ladder he would break in half with ease, and withstanding the onslaught from seven opponents at once.

The only thing keeping the Universal Championship out of Strowman's hands right now is the fact that Brock Lesnar is never around to cash in on, but that time will surely come, and the clocks are ticking.

#2 Alexa Bliss wins the women's briefcase

As far as the women's Money in the Bank ladder match went, the briefcase went not to the tallest and most imposing person in the field, but the smallest: Alexa Bliss.

The Goddess has accomplished a lot in WWE in a short time frame, but there were plenty of options that would have made sense as the winners here, making her far from an obvious favorite.

Instead of Natalya winning it to turn on her friend Ronda Rousey, or Charlotte Flair asserting her normal dominance, or even the underdogs of Ember Moon and Lana pulling out a surprise win, Little Miss Bliss climbed her way to the top and put herself back in the running for a fifth title reign.

As someone who has been characterized as a manipulator for a while, it wasn't long for her to put a plan in motion, as we'd see later on in the evening.

#1 Alexa Bliss cashes in on Nia Jax

For the third time in Money in the Bank history, a briefcase was cashed in the very same night it was won.

Kane and Dean Ambrose were impatient, much to the chagrin of Rey Mysterio and Seth Rollins, while Alexa Bliss was successful in stealing a victory away from Ronda Rousey and simultaneously taking the title back from Nia Jax.

This was a great means to an end, as a win for Rousey would have saddled her with the responsibility of holding the championship for the brand after only two matches, whereas a win for Jax would have deflated Rousey's reputation.

By having Bliss interrupt, cause a disqualification, put Rousey out of commission and then capitalize on a weak Jax, she is now back on top the women's division as many would argue she should be.

However, this makes her directly in the line of fire for what is sure to be not just an angry Jax with a rematch clause, but a furious Rousey who feels she's been cheated out of a title.

Her fifth title reign may not be one for the record books as far as length, but the belt is still around Bliss's waist, nevertheless.

What were your favorite moments from MITB? Comment below!