WWE Money In The Bank 2019: Analysing and grading each match

#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