WWE Money in the Bank 2017 Review

Hello Misfits! It’s the Wrestling Classic here with my Money in the Bank review. It’s one of my favourite nights of the year because the Money in the Bank PPV is always unpredictable and has a history of being memorable. This even would follow that same formula as it was the host of the first ever Women’s Money in the Bank, Jinder Mahal’s first defence as WWE Champion, Lana’s in ring debut and much more. The Money in the Bank ladder match itself has always been one of my favourite matches since its inception with such a great reward for the victor in a contract to cash in at any time throughout the year. There were only five advertised matches for this show, so I was really intrigued how they were going to fill the time. I was 4-1-1 in my predictions for this show. Lets find out and get to my review about the this years show.

Image via wwe.com

The 2017 edition of Money in the Bank comes from the Scott Trade Centre in St Louis, MO.

– The opening video package was actually pretty awesome and got me hyped for the event. The announce team tonight is Tom Phillips, Byron Saxton and JBL. There was no pyro and ballyhoo to start the show.

Women’s Money in the Bank Match
Carmella w/ James Ellsworth def. Charlotte, Becky Lynch, Natalya & Tamina
in 13:20 by capturing the briefcase
This is a historic match as it is the first ever Money in the Bank match for the Women’s Division. The video package prior to the match was done brilliantly. The people who put together the video packages don’t get enough credit. It was weird though that they presented it after three of the women had their full entrances. It was time for the women to showcase what they could do with this opportunity and I think they actually did a great job. There was rumours of surprise sixth entrant but that wasn’t the case.There were fun spots, with nothing being too dangerous. The crowd was more invested than I expected. I think it was smart to kick off the show with this match as if they went back to back with the other Money in the Bank match on the card it would be hard to not be underwhelmed with this one. Every woman had their moment of momentum and dominance. The only real slow part of this match was when Natalya and Becky Lynch played tug a war with a ladder which seemed to have lasted at least a minute and a half but the crowd was invested in it cheering on Becky. Also, I expected Charlotte to do a ladder match moonsault which didn’t happen but I’m totally okay with that because honestly, she’s too valuable to the womens division to risk injury. The only other expectation I had was for Ellsworth to take a big bump which didn’t happen. Instead Becky Lynch took a big bump courtesy of Ellsworth.
This was followed with Ellsworth climbing the ladder and retrieving the briefcase and dropping it into Carmella’s arms. I know there is a lot of heat for this because a man getting the briefcase was basically the finish of the first ever Money in the Bank match. Personally, I already predicted that Ellsworth would play a part in the finish. I just expected him to take the big bump causing Carmella to take advantage to win the briefcase. In the scenario we had I would have preferred Ellsworth pushing Becky off the ladder and then Carmella climbing the ladder or Ellsworth putting Carmella on his shoulders to help her get it rather than him doing so but whatever. It’s wrestling and I believe this furthers the story for TV. Solid match overall.
Rating – ***

– Lana was interviewed by Dasha Fuentes backstage. It was a basic promo where Lana just said she would be the next Smackdown Women’s Champion.

Tag Team Championship Match
The New Day def. The Usos
in 12:00 by count out
This was a really good match. I knew these two teams were talented and worked really well with each other but I don’t think I’ve been this invested in a tag team match on either Raw or Smackdown as I was with this one. The match went back and forth and was extremely competitive. I didn’t realize it but half way through the match I realized that I REALLY didn’t want The New Day to win. I went into this match being okay with either team winning. I became a fan of the Usos again ever since their recent turn and gimmick change. I also started to miss The New Day while they were off TV for those few months. However, some time during this match I hated the idea of The New Day being tag team champions again being reminded of their extremely long tag team title run on Raw where a lot of the other teams suffered because they wanted New Day to be the longest reigning tag team champions. Plus I remembered my feelings about how The New Day do not need the tag team titles because they’re just props to their shtick that they’re already over with. Mid-way through the match I found myself heavily cheering on the Usos. The match played on these emotions perfectly because the New Day looked to have the win in the bag on more than one occasion with Jimmy Uso making the save last minute multiple times. It was really a roller coaster ride and had me on the edge of my seat. It ended with a  count out which was a bit of a “meh” finish but I understand it. Both teams stay strong and nobody takes the L. They’ll be able to continue the feud and The New Day could pick up the victory without winning the titles. I think I enjoyed this match more than other people but it was because I really got invested into not wanting the New Day to win.
Rating – ***1/2

Women’s Championship
Naomi (C) def. Lana
in 07:30 by submission
Well this was Lana’s in ring debut. I believe she really was put in this position to pick up where Eva Marie left off before being suspended and ultimately leaving the company to pursue other ventures. To be honest, although she still seemed a bit green she did a fairly good job. This was her first match on live TV since Wrestlemania 32 and she has been working on her skills at NXT Live events and with that in consideration she did really well. I think she’ll only improve from here. From my perspective here, the biggest difference between Eva and Lana is that Lana seems to actually want to succeed in the WWE as a wrestler where as Eva seemed to have done it for show and the opportunity but lacked that passion. Lana has that passion and it may be because she has fallen in love with the business or that she’s married to a wrestler herself, maybe a combination of both. Naomi did her best to have a good match while making Lana look good. Talking about Lana looking good, GOD DAMN, did she look fine in her wrestling gear tonight. I enjoyed the tease of Carmella coming out as if she was going to cash in. This caused a big enough distraction for Lana to cause he the match. It was another finish that made sure neither competitor really got hurt here. Lana didn’t exactly lose cleanly and Naomi retained the championship rightfully so. This wasn’t the greatest match but it wasn’t the worst. It wasn’t Naomi’s fault either because we know how athletic and talented she is, hence why she’s the champion but more because this was Lana’s first singles match in which she didn’t do so bad. I can imagine them having a match 5-6 months from now if Lana continues to wrestle and it being way better because Lana will get better over time. Solid stuff.
Rating – **

– There was Fashion Police segment. Funny and creative as per usual. I loves these guys and these segments.

Mike and Maria Kanellis Debut
There were rumours of them joining the WWE and making their debut on Smackdown Live for months now. There was even a picture of them at the airport in St. Louis from the night before which featured Epico having people speculate that Maria would be the sixth competition in the Women’s MITB match or on the following Smackdown Live. When the hearts appeared on the stage and it was something we’ve never seen before I assumed it still had to do with the Fashion Police segment we just saw but then I saw the cheesy “Maria & Mike Kanellis” graphic appear on the trot and marked out a little. The music was cheesy, the promo was cheesy and for fuck sakes he took her last name. The last part actually made me laugh a little. I don’t understand why he couldnt have just been Mike or Michael Bennett or they couldn’t be Bennett-Kanellis or something. However, Maria is already well known face to the WWE crowd so maybe because she’s the bigger star they thought it would make more sense. It’s also possible their gimmick intended that Mike is whipped which I could see as well. These two met on the independents and then worked together as a couple in ROH, NJPW and TNA until making their debut as a couple in the WWE. They already have the chemistry and experience working together. I’m happy for them and expect them to make the most of this opportunity and whatever gimmick is given to them. I couldn’t be happier for them from a long-time support standpoint. They belong her and fir the WWE mould perfectly. Plus, BROTHER LOVE WOULD HAVE BEEN PROUD THAT THEY’RE ALL ABOUT LOOOOOVEEE.

WWE Championship
Jinder Mahal (C)w/ The Singh Brothers def. Randy Orton
in 20:50 by pin
Jinder Mahal has really got his entrance mannerisms and character mannerisms down. Since becoming the number one contender out of nowhere, he really has found his place on the top of the card and plays his part perfectly. He does everything he needs to do to make sure you don’t like him and he does it exactly the way he should. It’s insane that its 2017 and the foreign heel gimmick still works. If you disagree with me, just read the racist ass comments on my IG posts when it comes to Jinder Mahal. Randal was super over here as well since we were in his hometown of St. Louis. They also had a handful of legends sitting at ringside for this match including Randal’s old Evolution mentor, Ric Flair and Randy Orton’s Dad, Cowboy Bob Orton. This was very similar to their match at Backlash but also a bit more polished since I think they’re getting used to working with each other. The first half of the match had Orton selling the work being done to his knee and the second half which was the finish was similar to their previous match with a bit more added to it. I loved the little things such as Mahal taunting Flair by doing the figure four and really getting the heat from the crowd. I loved that the crowd was so hot for Orton during his comebacks. In the end though it was the Singh Brothers that played the biggest role to the finish and again taking some of the most brutal bumps. The referee was sending both Brothers to the back due to their distractions and as per Randal’s request. However, they made a last minute plan to attack Bob Orton which led to Randy going on a rampage attack on them which I absolutely loved. They took similar bumped to what they took at Backlash besides this one really badass looking RKO Harv (or Samir or whatever) took from Orton crashing through the table. It was the spot of the match and the crowd went wild for it. After Orton went back into the ring he was caught by Jinder’s cobra clutch slam and defeated. This was entertaining stuff and these two work really well together. I do however wonder whats next for them and how it’ll be different from their last two bouts if they wrestle again…punjabi prison match?
Rating – ***1/2

Breezango def. The Ascension
in 03:50 by pin
This was seemed to be thrown together last minute. I figured the Ascension might be getting a gimmick change or some sort of character development but it wasn’t the case. The Fashion Police gimmick is over and Breezango is over so I think that was both to get them on the card and fill time. In a quick match Breezango defeated the Ascension and I enjoyed it. It was quick but made both Fandango and Tyler Breeze look good.
Rating – **

Money in the Bank
Baron Corbin def. Shinsuke Nakamura, AJ Styles, Kevin Owens, Sami Zayn & Dolph Ziggler
in 29:45 by capturing the briefcase
Similar to Extreme Rules when most of the card felt like an episode of the weekly show, the main event saved the show and was the best match of the show. I didn’t expect anything less with the talent involved. There were big bumps, stories told and moments that got us on the edge of our seats. During Nakamura’s entrance, Corbin jumped him and attacked him with a camera, sending him to the back for the first half of the match. I thought this was a clever way to not over expose Nakamura but as well as build a story for later in the match and for TV the following weeks later. The rest of the guys were game to bring out the big bumps. There were too many spots to mention, but some of the highlights saw a Zayn sunset flip bomb, AJ hanging from the briefcase due to Ziggler pulling the ladder from beneath him and taking a scary fall to the mat and Kevin Owens showing us why he calls any show he’s on the Kevin Owens Show. Kevin Owens would get the MVP vote from me for this one. He took some brutal bumps from a DVD onto a ladder to Zayn tossing him from the top onto a ladder to an insane spot where Styles hit ushigoroshi onto a ladder bridge on him. Owens was part of everything. Nakamura would return midway through the match and like a great ball of fire destroyed everybody in sight. It was truly the fire we haven’t seen from Nakamura on the main roster yet. It was badass and it is what we need to see from Nakamura time from time so the casual fans can understand why us hardcore fans love him and that he is dubbed the King of Strong Style. The stare down and battle between Styles and Nakamura had to be the highlight of this match if not the highlight on the entire night. For someone who watched their WrestleKingdom match and know the potential they have to steal away or at least be a close second MOTY from Omega and Okada if given the chance and time, it had me on the edge of my seat. The fans were invested in it and really wanted either one of them to win but Corbin found a way to sneak in and tip over the ladder, before pulling down the briefcase himself. The match was really good and is really symbolic to what a Money in the Bank match should be. Crazy spots, cool moments and a show stealing exchange from Styles and Nakamura. I predicted Sami Zayn was going to win but Baron Corbin was my second choice. From a WWE booking standpoint they were the only two that made sense. Styles, Owens and Nakamura could have won it but it wouldn’t have benefited them at all and they didn’t need it unless they had a solid plan for them. Similar to when Orton won it in 2014. The leaves Ziggler, Corbin and Zayn in which I didnt see Ziggler winning it at all because that seemed like a step backwards, Zayn could have used to overcome being the ultimate underdog and Corbin is that heel that we’re gonna boo every time he’s about to cash it in. They have a year to build Corbin to feel like a legitimate threat and possible future champion. Hopefully they make it work. I’m not disappointed with the result but more intrigued. WATCH THIS MATCH.
Rating – ****

Final Thoughts
Overall, I thought this show was decent. There are matches you should definitely watch and quite a bit of historic value as there is for most Money in the Bank events. The two ladder matches are of course something I’d recommend watching. I really enjoyed the tag title match and WWE Championship match as well. If you’re a big time Lana fan or loyal supporter of the Women’s Division then you definitely want to check out the first ever Women’s MITB match and Lana’s singles in ring debut. The face off between Nakamura and Styles was truly something special but Zayn and Owens may fight for the MVP spots in the main event. If you have time I do recommend checking out the event. I enjoyed it even more when I watched most of it a second time because the finishes didn’t bother me as much as watching it live. Dig it?!
Final Rating – 6.5/10

What were your final thoughts on Money in the Bank? What final grade would you give the event? Where would you rate it on a scale of ten? Do you agree with my review? Leave your comments, opinions and thoughts below in the comments section.