By Sean Ross Sapp (@SeanRossSapp)
As with most pay-per view shows, I went into Money in the Bank with high expectations. The show is usually a point of optimism for many fans, as a good night of creative booking can completely change the landscape of the WWE. However, instead the WWE gave its fans a retread, the same thing, a repeat.
John Cena won his 15th world title, and I have no problems with that. I get it. However, that sense of optimism isn’t present as I look forward. I know Brock Lesnar is coming back, I hope Daniel Bryan is coming back, and something different has to happen, or I personally will become disinterested in the show.
Since WrestleMania, the show has been on a steady decline, as its roster has had unnecessary additions, and mind boggling subtractions. Its had its fair share of high spots, but as compared to last year, the show just hasn’t been good.
– The show started off with the Usos taking on the Wyatt Family in a tag team title match. The Usos have truly earned their spot in the company, as they took themselves from a bad, dead end situation, got over, and stayed over. They worked well with the Wyatts, especially Luke Harper. Harper is another character that gives me a glimmer of optimism for the future, as that guy is just unique, which is what the WWE needs. The Usos retained their titles in a good match, and we’ll likely see the rematch at Battleground.
– Paige took on Naomi in a Diva’s title match. These girls tried, but unfortunately together, were not at the speed that they should have been. They couldn’t command the crowd at all, and nobody cared. I won’t say it was a bad match, because it wasn’t, but these two weren’t ready for a PPV spot. Paige retained her title, and will likely feud with Cameron in what I imagine will be disgusting to watch.
– Comedy match between Damien Sandow dressed as Paul Revere and Adam Rose. My god, Sandow is hilarious. He screamed “the elbow is coming! the elbow is coming!” before landing the Elbow of Disdain. Also not a bad match for what it was, with Rose winning. I like the Sandow gimmick, too. Much better than Santino in the comedy role
– Money in the Bank ladder match in what was easily the match of the night. Seth Rollins bumped his ass off all night, and the crowd was incredibly hot for Dean Ambrose and Dolph Ziggler. I’m sure I sound like a real mark, but with a struggling show, its pretty ignorant to not use Ziggler in a manner other than getting people over based on the heat that he has.
Kofi Kingston, RVD, Jack Swagger all did exactly what they should have and helped make this match special. Take note, indy wrestling– spotfests are special when they’re made to be special, and don’t happen in every single match or event. You all need to go watch this match, particularly Rollins’ spots in it. Kane came down and prevented Ambrose from winning, giving Rollins the victory.
– Goldust and Stardust took on Rybaxel in a tag team match, which was an interesting one. Cody Rhodes is playing the Stardust character well, and these two teams had a great ending for this match, which Stardust won. Ryback got some support from the crowd and allowed his personality to shine through, which seems fantastic when he’s allowed to show it. Ryback is an enigma to me– the WWE has two big, musclebound guys in Big E and Ryback with a ton of personality, and won’t push them. Its something the WWE has starved for several years, and now that they have it, don’t utilize it. Also, Curtis Axel had a weird singlet on. Looked like Typhoon’s.
– Speaking of Big E, he took on Rusev in a surprisingly good match. Rusev having good matches with Big E is promising, but I still think the Camel Clutch is a turd of a finisher. I’d imagine a U.S. or Intercontinental title reign is in the near future for him, especially if he can have matches of this magnitude. Also, Big E’s YOLO dive is crazy.
– After this match, the PPV went downhill, with the last hour leaving a sour taste in my mouth. Layla and Summer Rae put on a bad, bad match. Having this on a PPV is inexcusable, even with 14 top stars involved in ladder matches. Miz, Christian, Big Show, Mark Henry, are all sitting on the sidelines with nothing to do, but Layla and Summer are on PPV. Oh yeah. Layla won.
– The final ladder match didn’t improve on things, as it was a slow, poorly paced match, that was outdone tenfold by the contract match earlier in the night. Cesaro, Roman Reigns and Bray Wyatt all got great reactions, as the crowd didn’t seem interested in Randy Orton, Sheamus, Kane, or Alberto Del Rio. John Cena received his typical reaction, which was okay, since he won the match, but as I mentioned earlier, it seems like a retread, although Daniel Bryan’s injury has painted the WWE back into a corner. This was not a memorable ladder match, and was among the worst in Money in the Bank ladder match history.
The highlight of the match was the very cool balancing act with the ladders, which was a nice dose of something new and fresh.
– The WWE is slipping, and its only partly their fault. There is no Undertaker. There is no Daniel Bryan. They’re without CM Punk, The Rock, or Brock Lesnar. They’re hurting right now as they move into a crucial part of the year, and hopefully something interesting happen.
There are some real changes that need to be made in order to freshen up the show, and having Kane in the role he’s currently in isn’t helping either. I respect the guy, and consider him among the top 5 giants in wrestling history, but at 47, it may be time to turn him into an attraction. As for the likes of John Cena and Randy Orton, there are ways to remain a focal point in the company, without having the title around your waist. In the long run, the title is a prop to help someone get over, and those two are either already over, or not getting over with the aid of that title. The fans were so excited to see Orton not win the title that Cena got a huge reaction for winning, which was cool.
However, I am excited for the possibility of Brock Lesnar vs. John Cena. I guess we’ll see how it goes.
– That’s all for now. Not a bad show by any means, just not the blockbuster to be expected from Money in the Bank. I’ll be back for Raw live tomorrow night!.
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