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There's something about the month of May in WWE. The historical trend is that it's the most reliably bad month on the company's calendar and this month was no different. Despite assurances that the company would change, the traditional post-WrestleMania slump was and is in full effect, and the tanking ratings proved it.
If you're keen on skipping the entire month of May or forgetting it ever happened, I wouldn't blame you. Nevertheless, there were some good matches to be found, though only one rose to a match of the year level bout. The men's Money in the Bank ladder match was all set to, but a worst of all time caliber ending derailed any good that could have come from it, so I can't list it here.
Here are WWE's matches from this past month that you might want to check out if you ever had the desire to re-live some of it.
#10 Women's Money in the Bank ladder match (Money in the Bank)
The women's Money in the Bank ladder match was toned down compared to its male counterpart, but it was still a solid bout that had a little bit of everything. Nikki Cross, a last-minute addition, had a bit of a breakout, as her crazy antics got the crowd going.
Mandy Rose and Sonya Deville heeled it up, with the latter, despite not being in the match, helped her friend up the ladder and almost secured her the victory, but Bayley showed a bit of last-minute fire and pushed the pair off at the top, securing the briefcase, and later that night, the SmackDown Women's Championship.
Also, who will ever forget Ember Moon's Eclipse from the ladder into the ring? It wasn't perfectly executed, but no one will ever say that it wasn't cool.
#9 Ali vs. Andrade vs. Finn Balor vs. Randy Orton (SmackDown, May 14th)
As much as this was an annoying WWE trope - the multi-man match preview of an even bigger multi-man match, it was still an exciting bout. With the talent involved in the contest, there wasn't any way it wasn't going to be.
Each man got some time to shine, but Andrade got the most shine during the match. He won at the end of it with a Hammerlock DDT and then proceeded to climb the ladder. Ricochet made a sudden appearance due to the "Wild Card" rule and took the briefcase before Andrade, basically signaling neither of them would win.
Still, this was a fun adrenaline rush.
#8 Kofi Kingston vs. Kevin Owens (Money in the Bank)
This match didn't quite live up to its build, but it was nevertheless a fun showing. With Kofi Kingston and Kevin Owens in the ring, there wasn't any way it wasn't going to be.
There were elements of suspense as we reached the end. Kevin Owens hit a Stunner on Kofi Kingston, but the champion got his foot on the bottom rope. Kofi Kingston hit the Trouble in Paradise, but Owens rolled out of the ring.
It's rare that finishers like that are protected these days, in the sense that there wasn't a kick out to one of them. Eventually, Kingston was the one that won the war of attrition, remaining champion.
#7 WALTER vs. Pete Dunne (NXT UK, May 22nd)
This wasn't as good as their banger in New York in April, but it was a replay of sorts of the greatest hits of that match. WALTER put his power on display, and Pete Dunne had to fight from beneath that power in the gritty, smash mouth style he's become so famous for.
In New York, Pete Dunne was unsuccessful in his war of attrition but this time, it looked like he was going to win. Then, Marcel Berthel and Fabian Aichner intervened, and Imperium was born.
#6 The Usos vs. The Revival (Raw, May 20th)
It's a shame how this rivalry has unfolded. A scenario that fans had dreamed about for years was instantly degraded with back shaving and butt cream segments that only one man in the world finds funny.
Even despite such a horrendous storyline, though, this match was a banger. Both tag teams went high-octane, and it was a tantalizing preview of what could potentially come if they were ever to be given 20 minutes on pay per view. Sadly, that might be a long time coming.
The Revival won in surprising fashion, though, so there is some hope after all.
#5 Kofi Kingston vs. AJ Styles vs. Sami Zayn (SmackDown, May 7th)
The "Wild Card" rule has been a horrendous mess. Horrible. Hot garbage. Yet, it at least gave us this match (and one other soon to come) on the second night of its otherwise ignominious existence.
This was a thrilling match that made Kofi Kingston look like a bigger deal than he had been before. AJ Styles had been champion for over a year and looked like a serious threat, while Sami Zayn was the unpredictable component to the match.
Nevertheless, Kofi Kingston fought hard and pinned Kevin Owens' best friend. His Money in the Bank challenger looked enraged.
#4 Matt Riddle vs. Adam Cole (NXT, May 8th)
This match didn't quite live up to its hype, given the two men involved in it, but it was still a banger of a showing. Matt Riddle had Adam Cole scheming to find ways to outmatch his physically superior opponent, but this ultimately backfired when Roderick Strong's interference didn't go so well.
Adam Cole lost, and he blamed his ally in the Undisputed Era for it, teasing a split. It remains to be seen whether that actually happens, but this was a good match that set up a smart story.
#3 The Usos vs. Daniel Bryan and Rowan (SmackDown, May 7th)
As we knew from day one, the "Wild Card" rule would be used in an ad-hoc purpose, rather than anything designed to give us intriguing matches and rivalries on a consistent basis. Nevertheless, this match, on its second night, showed what it could potentially be.
Exceeding the sequel that occurred in the Money in the Bank pre-show, Daniel Bryan and Rowan went hard at each other for the vacant SmackDown Tag Team Championships. Although it made no sense that the now Raw-contracted Usos were challenging for them, this match was good enough to set aside WWE's maddening inconsistency.
Ultimately, Bryan and Rowan won. Predictable, but a hell of a ride.
#2 Ali vs. Andrade (SmackDown, May 21st)
Ali is brilliant. Andrade is brilliant. You put them in the ring together and you get brilliance. This shouldn't be a surprise to anybody. After both of them made a lot of highlights at Money in the Bank, they did battle in a singles match once again.
There were a lot of high impact moves between them. Ali's selling is low-key one of the best in the company. And ultimately, the babyface prevailed here. The crowd was certainly behind him as he did so.
Sadly, Andrade seems stuck forever in his role of making other big names and rising stars look good.
#1 Seth Rollins vs. AJ Styles (Money in the Bank)
If the men's Money in the Bank ladder match didn't have a worst of all time level ending, this match would have had competition for "best of the month," but sadly, it was what it was.
There was some concern going into this match. The build was not good, to say the least, and several of Styles' dream opponents, like Shinsuke Nakamura and Kevin Owens, didn't deliver. Thankfully, this time, the chemistry was there.
In a match that was as technical as it was a war of attrition, Rollins and Styles struggled for the Universal Championship. At times, it felt like it was student vs. teacher, but the student had now entered his prime, and the teacher was just a little bit slower that night.
Seth Rollins retained his championship and AJ struggled into the ring to shake his hand as a sign of respect.
What makes Sting special? His first AEW opponent opens up RIGHT HERE.
