First PPV with fans fully back.
Kickoff Match: The Mysterios (c) vs. The Usos: Smackdown Tag Team Championship Match
Ricochet vs. John Morrison vs. Riddle vs. Drew McIntyre vs. Big E vs. Kevin Owens vs. King Nakamura vs. Seth Rollins: Men's Money in the Bank Match
Asuka vs. Naomi vs. Alexa Bliss vs. Nikki A.S.H. vs. Liv Morgan vs. Zelina Vega vs. Natalya vs. Tamina: Women's Money in the Bank Match
AJ Styles & Omos (c) vs. The Viking Raiders: Raw Tag Team Championship Match
Bobby Lashley (c) vs. Kofi Kingston: WWE Championship Match
Rhea Ripley (c) vs. Charlotte Flair: Raw Women's Championship Match
Roman Reigns (c) vs. Edge: WWE Universal Championship Match
Last edited by BGMaverick; July 16th, 2021 at 6:10 PM.
I mean, it's a realllly good card. Both MITB matches are going to be awesome, love everyone involved. It makes it extremely difficult to root for people. The championship matches look solid as well.
Picks:
Men's I'm going with Big E. I feel like it's something he can hold on to for awhile and people could challenge him for it like a championship.
Women's I'm going with Zelina Vega.
Styles/Omos retain
Lashley retains and Lesnar returns
Rhea Ripley retains
Roman retains and John Cena returns
Are 2, possibly 3 returns too much for one night? Maybe. But I definitely feel like Lesnar or Cena will be on this ppv in some way shape or form to set up Summerslam.
Drew would be the favorite but it seems like they are setting up a story where Jinder will cost him. I'd have no problem with anyone on the men's side winning, but I think I am going with Riddle. They have managed to make both Morrison and Ricochet look like contenders lately. Big E is a solid choice, but since Seth is rumored to be facing Edge at SummerSlam I think he's the least likely.
Roman has to be a huge favorite to win over Edge, as is Bobby Lashley over Kofi.
The tag divisions suck right now. I thought they'd have set up Usos vs Mysterios by now.
On the women's side, Rhea is having a hard time playing the face role, but Charlotte is far better as a heel. Rhea needs the win more.
I am getting close to picking Nicki ASH at this point, because nobody else has a better story. Naomi and Asuka both seem to be in the doghouse for unknown reasons. Alexa Bliss is more entertaining than anyone on the women's roster and she doesn't need the title nor the briefcase. Nattie is on the card to extend her record of most PPV appearances, and probably most losses.
Seth costing Edge the match with Roman seems likely right? They teased tension between them and Seth won the last two matches with Cesaro. Are the below matches going to happen for Summerslam.
Seth costing Edge the match with Roman seems likely right? They teased tension between them and Seth won the last two matches with Cesaro. Are the below matches going to happen for Summerslam.
Roman vs Cena
Lashley vs Lesnar
Edge vs Rollins
Do all the up and comers get wins?
I'll be honest here....Can we really call any of them "up and comers"? Especially Lashley v. Lesnar.
To answer your question, Roman goes over Cena, Lesnar and Edge win. Edge can't just come back and job. The story fits where he should beat Seth. Lesnar going over Lashley and then facing Roman at Survivors in the champion v. champion match would be insane. The rivalry they've had over the years and then crossing paths one last time, both men World champions of each brand. I know people aren't high on Lesnar as champ but that's a crazy story to tell.
I'll be honest here....Can we really call any of them "up and comers"? Especially Lashley v. Lesnar.
To answer your question, Roman goes over Cena, Lesnar and Edge win. Edge can't just come back and job. The story fits where he should beat Seth. Lesnar going over Lashley and then facing Roman at Survivors in the champion v. champion match would be insane. The rivalry they've had over the years and then crossing paths one last time, both men World champions of each brand. I know people aren't high on Lesnar as champ but that's a crazy story to tell.
You absolutely right. Up and comers is a poor choice of words. I guess full timers is more appropriate?
You absolutely right. Up and comers is a poor choice of words. I guess full timers is more appropriate?
Yeah I don't see a problem if the "full timers" do the job at Summerslam if it fits the future narrative they're trying to tell. Personally I don't see where John Cena beating Roman Reigns does anything for anyone unless Cena ditches Hollywood. If he comes back and was going to do a solid year-even if it was a relaxed schedule ala HBK, Randy Orton then sure. Cena getting one last big run, beating Flair's acknowledged record and being the 17 time champion could open up a few different options for him.
Lashley and Rollins can take the L. Especially if we're looking 3-4 months in advance and we're aiming for Lesnar v. Roman.
I was never a big fan of Edge, but I feel like him coming back and losing more often than not just doesn't seem right. I actually thought they could've had him beat Roman and carry the strap for a little bit before Roman won it back. Now it's like.....Seth could lose because he's cemented as the #2 heel on SD as long as Roman is there and he's had a pretty whack heel run since turning back in late 2019. The Mysterio and Cesaro feuds went way too long for me. Have him lose and give Edge a feel good win because who knows what else they have planned for Edge moving forward.
I was watching NXT last night and thoroughly enjoyed the 2 video packages on the 2 chaps competing in the breakout tournament. Although some of the guys have been there too long, O'Reilly, Strong, Cole, Gargano, Ciampa etc, it's still creating decent characters and performers etc.
Then the advert for Money in the Bank came on. It's 2021, but if you'd told me beforehand that it was actually the same advert they used for 2017, I'd have believed you. Rollins, Orton, Asuka, Sheamus, Big E, Shinsuke, Nia, Bayley, Carmella, Kofi.
How bloody dull. Same old, same old.
Not been watching Raw or Smackdown for a long time now and I will watch the PPV, but the advert is almost off putting. Don't have to watch it, obviously, but I do out of pure habit, along with so many others.
I will say though, the card looks fresher than the advert, which is the main thing, I guess.
I was watching NXT last night and thoroughly enjoyed the 2 video packages on the 2 chaps competing in the breakout tournament. Although some of the guys have been there too long, O'Reilly, Strong, Cole, Gargano, Ciampa etc, it's still creating decent characters and performers etc.
Then the advert for Money in the Bank came on. It's 2021, but if you'd told me beforehand that it was actually the same advert they used for 2017, I'd have believed you. Rollins, Orton, Asuka, Sheamus, Big E, Shinsuke, Nia, Bayley, Carmella, Kofi.
How bloody dull. Same old, same old.
Not been watching Raw or Smackdown for a long time now and I will watch the PPV, but the advert is almost off putting. Don't have to watch it, obviously, but I do out of pure habit, along with so many others.
I will say though, the card looks fresher than the advert, which is the main thing, I guess.
I can respect not following the product and basing your opinion on an upcoming show on the one or two advertisements you saw last night.
Guys tend to stay on the roster for longer these days than in the 80s and 90s. I mean shit, Hogan was in the WWF for less than 10 years wasn't he Like 84 to 93? Then you have Fandango who was on the roster for 16 or some shit, so you're gonna have more frequent matchups as the roster doesn't vary as much.
WWE has made an art of making the best talent in the world dull shells. With the names on the card, you’d think this would have folks doing backflips in anticipation, but their current style is still soulless and inconsistent. And every time I glance over at the main roster, there’s yet another gimmick PPV involving tables or chairs or ladders. Everything is a playhouse when it should be a competition. I dream of the day where WWE (Raw and Smackdown) start becoming more of a serious product that actually takes its own shit seriously. I’m tired of the status quo they’ve dig themselves into for what feels like an eternity.
Pretty stoked for tonight. Ladder matches are my favorite stip match and MITB obviously only sweetens things with a bunch of folks involved and the prize on the line. Both MITB's have a few people that could possibly win, too. Folks like Ricochet and JoMo going to do some jaw-dropping spots, I'm sure, and with it still being a fairly new match type for the women, it's always intruiging to see what they do. SD tag title match should be good. RAW tag title match I'm less interested in. Flair/Rhea should be good. Lashley/Kofi will be a nice contrast of styles and both guys can definitely go so I'm sure it'll be a banger. Nice historical point, too, as it's the first time two African-American dudes fought for the WWE Title. Roman/Edge should also be cracking and it's nice that it'll be more than just the Spear vs. Spear bullshit we would have gotten with face Reigns if it were a couple years back. Add to all this the potential for a few people's returns and there's lots of good reason to tune in.
How corny is it that the Mysterios/Usos tag title match is on the fucking pre-show? I remember when the pre-show was basically a nothing match like Savio Vega v. Henry Godwin with a bunch of sweet video packages. Now they're putting top quality matches on the pre-show when there's plenty of time on the main card.
Originally Posted by VHS
WWE has made an art of making the best talent in the world dull shells. With the names on the card, you’d think this would have folks doing backflips in anticipation, but their current style is still soulless and inconsistent. And every time I glance over at the main roster, there’s yet another gimmick PPV involving tables or chairs or ladders. Everything is a playhouse when it should be a competition. I dream of the day where WWE (Raw and Smackdown) start becoming more of a serious product that actually takes its own shit seriously. I’m tired of the status quo they’ve dig themselves into for what feels like an eternity.
This is a problem that WWE and AEW have right now. Too much gimmicky bullshit. I don't even care what excuses the apologists of either promotion make, it's non-stop. TNA is just as bad but 12 people watch their product and we spent too many years shitting on their every other week gimmick shows.
We've seen plenty of matches from the WWE over the recent years that are incredible and for me that's where a lot of my disdain comes from. Especially when watching NXT. For me it's not always about the great match, the entire package means something. Too many times do we see this great potential angle or great match go down and then it's "RUN THIS INTO THE GROUND!" mentality time.
But unfortunately like many companies, once you get to a certain level and nobody is truly competition, you coast. Do we really think Vince cares if Raw and Dynamite are only a few points away from each other? Of course not, because the WWE have about 100 different tv deals across the universe where AEW doesn't even exist. Coasting.
As was the case Friday, the crowd was a big part of the story for this show. Whoever had the idea to pull up a bunch of old video and images to show previous accolades deserves some extra cheese on their burger. That was a good call.
The Mysterios (c) vs. The Usos: Smackdown Tag Team Championship Match
That entrance video for the champs was...something else lol. Did someone who made that watch Stargate recently or something? Pretty cool spot with Dom doing the splash from the top rope to the outside, just to see the Usos catch and toss him into the barricade. I don't think the match hit the highest gear but it was pretty dang entertaining. Really great spot to setup Jimmy taking the bullet on the 619 and the fantastic false finish. Pretty active setup for the actual finish of the match with the Usos robbing the Mysterios. Regardless, a good match and easily outdid the standard for a kickoff match. Afterwards, Rosenberg talked about how it doesn't get any closer than brothers. *Checks notes* They beat a team consisting of a father and son. Alright, Rosenberg... Solid segment later in the show with Reigns being the leader who still keeps the troops down, despite a success.
Asuka vs. Naomi vs. Alexa Bliss vs. Nikki A.S.H. vs. Liv Morgan vs. Zelina Vega vs. Natalya vs. Tamina: Women's Money in the Bank Match
I was pretty surprised that the crowd was totally dead for Nikki. Naomi was the only one who seemed to do the most with that opportunity. Kind of troubling from a storyline standpoint for how Alexa has been booked versus how the crowd responded to her (with them very much being okay to cheer for her). Very small sample size but that seems to be the most notable example of dissonance. That was a very anticlimactic finish for her but I did like the actual finish for the match. Nikki's been booked relatively favorable since she reappeared, but I wold have rather seen Naomi or Liv take it.
AJ Styles & Omos (c) vs. The Viking Raiders: Raw Tag Team Championship Match
Styles was over as hell with this crowd haha. The assisted tope huracanrana was bananas. Regardless of age, Styles made that look beautiful but the fact that he's 44 makes that even more impressive. Thought that all four guys did very well with their roles. The match had the fans entertained, which is ultimately what matters, but it just felt like it was there and was a little clunky in spots. Omos is still pretty dang limited but he's going to serve a pretty notable role until they take him down a peg.
Self-aware McIntyre's promo was good for what it was. Was rather interesting to see that the crowd seemed to be turning on him a little bit. Mixing the history tales and the staleness, seems like that has just led to the audience souring on him.
Bobby Lashley (c) vs. Kofi Kingston: WWE Championship Match
The AR stuff bad when its bad but its fun when its good, and the AR for New Day is fun. Kingston was over with that crowd. Lashley's entrance looked pretty good with the live crowd, and he just looks magnificent with the gold. Lashley's running fireman's carry into the ringpost outside always looks so good. Nice to see the story from Monday continue to play out as Lashey was just beating the breaks off Kingston. Stinks for Kingston but he'll be alright because the tag team is still there for him (but where was Woods?). Lashley...well, if he gets what is reported...yuck.
Rhea Ripley (c) vs. Charlotte Flair: Raw Women's Championship Match
The crowd seemed a bit underwhelmed with Rhea but I can't blame them. Those "We want Becky" chants set Charlotte off haha, dropping a suck it and flipping off the crowd. If Rhea was able to transition smoother on that suplex she attempted, it would have been bonkers. Good on Charlotte being "there" and helping get the move accomplished. Rhea has had spotty in-ring chemistry with various women since coming up to Raw but it bodes well for her that she continues to have great chemistry with Charlotte (going back to their Mania match two years ago). That chemistry allowed them to fight the crowd revolting against them and put together a fun, competitive match. Great Natural Selection from the top rope and a razor thin kick out by Rhea. Smith did a really good job with calling the finish for that match. This was like Bianca/Sasha from Mania where the booking was terrible but the match more than delivered.
Very bad on WWE's part to have that long of a snafu with Peacock hitting the fan lol.
Missed it live but the Orton admiration society and Owens' reaction was funny.
Ricochet vs. John Morrison vs. Riddle vs. Drew McIntyre vs. Big E vs. Kevin Owens vs. King Nakamura vs. Seth Rollins: Men's Money in the Bank Match
Big match so I guess Ricochet had to wear trunks again. All of the timed interactions were very fun and entertaining. The Two-Man Power Drip was particularly fun. Don't have a clue what Morrison was trying to hit from the top rope but he didn't get very much of it lol. At least he knew it was a one in a million shot before he tried it lol. As expected, McIntyre was close to getting the briefcase but Mahal and his cronies ruined it. Talked about spotlight moments in the women's match (which pales in comparison to this one), Ricochet clearly maxed out his moments. My word! Meanwhile, Owens is always just like, 'yeah, I'll destroy myself for this brief moment of glory.' Good callback to Fryday, where Rollyns got E but E got him tonight. Very inspired choice for the winner. With the crowd being a barometer, they loved this decision. I dig it.
Could've had a cooler epilogue with Rollins' interview but I guess it served its purpose.
Roman Reigns (c) vs. Edge: WWE Universal Championship Match
As usual, simply fantastic video package to lead into the match. Felt like Edge got a better pop Friday but this one was still good. Stupid AR aside, Reigns has that Final Boss entrance down. Everything in the lead-up certainly climaxed to a big fight feel when the bell rang. Based off the previous two matches, it was a bit fitting that the pace for this one was slow but they were testing the limits of the execution of that. Don't know why but the spot where Edge slipped the big right from Reigns, rather than ducking was cool. The replay made it look better too. Obvious ref bump but I do like how Reigns and Heyman played it off. That subtle awareness felt fresh. You usually don't see medical come out for a ref bump so Robinson legit might have gotten hurt. Good to see the Mysterios cut the Usos off and then we got our setup for the summer with Rollins kicking Edge and running in again to distract for the finish. They've planted the seeds for that well and now its got the time to develop into an emotional feud.
With the brawling continuing between Edge and Rollins that set up for something big to end the show. Reigns talking definitely wasn't going to end it. Cue the trumpets. No boos this time for Cena haha. Easily the biggest pop of the night. Fun way to tease and make you want to tune in Friday. They were going back and forth rather well in 2017, so this go round should be fun. Kayfabe wise, way more people are going to want Cena to wyn this round and that would be crazy to think that back during their first encounter.
Last edited by BGMaverick; July 19th, 2021 at 12:01 AM.
-“Congrats Jimmy on the DUI, here are the tag titles.”
-Kofi getting squashed, when the RAW main event scene is desperately lacking top faces, so we can probably get
54 year old two move five minute match Bill Goldberg.
-Making one of the future “stars” of the Women’s division look weak so Charlotte can put another notch on her resume.
-i’ve got a lot of time for Nikki Cross, but she shouldn’t be the one with that briefcase.
-If John Cena goes over Roman, so help me God…
The only thing this shit company did right was giving Big E the briefcase, but the booking staff will probably fuck that up too.
Mysterios weird portal entrance was garbage. Match itself was very good. Usos always seem to win the titles after a DUI which is kind of questionable but I do like them so at the same time, hard to be mad. Funny when McAfee mentioned Jimmy coming back from rehab my immediate thought was not for his injury and i was a bit confused 'cuz he's been on TV since the arrest.
Women's MITB was pretty good. Nice to hear crowd reactions again to gague how people are feeling about different folks. Solid enough match. Finish was unique and I'm not mad about Nikki getting the win, just mad that I won't get points in the predictions thread.
Enjoyed the RAW tag title match more than I expected. Figured it'd be decent but it was really good. Nice approach with the Raiders trying to two-on-one Omos as much as possible. Some impressive lifts from Omos on Ivar a couple times, that military press near the end was a jaw dropper. AJ was over like gangbusters. That assisted 'rana to the outside was dopes as hell.
Lashley vs. Kingston wasn't as competitive as I would have liked or I supposed preferred but I'm also not mad about Lashley getting to look like the beastly beefhorse of a man that he is, either. All hail the All Mighty. And I hope the rumors for SummerSlam are wrong but if not, welp, hopefully he just does this shit again to that dude, too.
Ripley vs. Charlotte was my MOTN. They absolutely brought ti and killed it. Crowd was chanting "We want Becky" and they were like, fuck that, you're getting what we give you and shut that chant up every time and were getting "this is awesome". Great work from both. Ripley looked fantastic in defeat and got to look beastly kicking out of everything and refusing to stay down. I was also really impressed at the two spots where she was going for lifts and seemed to stall but then powered through them and pulled it all off anyway (to a nice pop from the crowd). Charlotte was heeling it up like a champ. Top rope Natural Selection was killer and I was sure that was going to be it. Not mad about Charlotte winning other than i got the prediction wrong.
Men's MITB delivered everything you'd want from it. Ricochet was a show stealer with those flips and dives. My god, that man is amazing. KO always taking the nasty bumps like Foley, Jr.. Not surprised to see Jinder & Co. screw Drew over. Thought maybe Riddle was going to get it done but very pleased to see Big E with the big win (and the Biggest Ending was very nice). Huge moment, can't wait for him to cash in down the line.
Reigns/Edge was slow going at first but picked up and got pretty damn good. Hope Lil Naitch didn't really wreck his leg. Usos/Mysterios getting in there and leveling things back out was good. Expected Seth the first time but not the second. Marked out hard for Big Johnny C.'s return and so did the crowd. Kind of expected more than just a few glances and a taunt between them before things went to black but whatevs. They delivered a really good one their first time and now that the dynamics have changed, this one's only going to be better.
Three passing thoughts after rewatching the men's MITB match:
1. Raw would be better off if they had a two-man booth. Graves/Smith mesh pretty well together. Saxton, or literally anyone, would just feel like excess.
2. They've really gotta figure out how to utilize Ricochet. Dude can have a banger match when its promoted/advertised or not. He delivers. Yes, he can't cut a promo worth a damn but figure it aht.
3. I know they tend to book by the seat of their pants but I have to think they had a pretty good idea who was going to win for the last 2-3 weeks (at least). If that's the case, the stuff with the one fka Aleister Black is a little more baffling. E could lose the feud there but he'd be pretty cold going into this. At least he got a win over Crews and stayed yn the mind's eye leading up to the PPV.
Ripley looked anything but weak in that match. What a smark remark. People getting worked by heels winning cracks me up.
I think it depends on how it's built. Let's be honest, Rhea was not made to look like a good champion. From what I recall, she fought Asuka to a draw, then finally beat her in a triple threat (with Charlotte). Then that ridiculous DQ victory over Charlotte at HIAC. Other than that, either nothing matches on Raw or silly segments like the crutches one. If she was really supposed to be able to "beat her at her own game", then she should have beaten her here. An incensed Charlotte comes out on Monday and whines again, attacks her, but then you have Becky make the save. Build the two of them for Summerslam. Yes, it would be a rehash of Charlotte and Becky, but apparently people want to see them fight forever ( ) but you can also have Rhea fight another opponent. Maybe even make it Nikki, since the heroic thing to do would be to say you're cashing in at such and such time, and have more of Rhea's supposed heelish-ness come out in that match. As it is now, where would they go from here? Nikki would NOT win against Charlotte. Even if they switch to Becky, she would NOT win against her, either. Or Bianca. True, she doesn't need to win a cash in, but I've always felt such gimmick shots should have high winning ratios.
I know we're "supposed" to hate Charlotte, but at this point it becomes eye rolling. It's one of the reasons people hated Cena for so long. Well, me, at least All that being said, I do like that they were able to get the crowd on their side after the "we want Becky" chants.
Now, if I had my druthers, you have Naomi win, cash in on Bianca on Smackdown, switch to her as a heel, then you have Roman's entire bloodline stable with all the gold.
It's kinda like Kofi. No, he didn't need to beat Lashley, but he doesn't need to be squashed either (from what I've read how it went down). Just makes him look like the whole build up years ago was too much of a fluke and a flash in the pan. Unless it leads to something. But if it is never followed up on in any substantial way, it's just disappointing.
It's kinda like Kofi. No, he didn't need to beat Lashley, but he doesn't need to be squashed either (from what I've read how it went down). Just makes him look like the whole build up years ago was too much of a fluke and a flash in the pan. Unless it leads to something. But if it is never followed up on in any substantial way, it's just disappointing.
I really don't see anything wrong with that match or potential fallout in a micro sense. They told a story, teased something, and actually followed through on it. Kofi actually pushed the champion to reach a higher level. I really don't think it's going to be an issue for Kofi because he's still part of the most bankable tag teams in the history of the company. The problem is not the match, the problem is WWE hasn't been able to build up a string of qualIty challengers. Kofi is wonderful, don't get me wrong, but if he's who you were relying on to get you from point A to point B, that speaks to a systemic problem of relying on quote unquote retreads rather than having bullets in the chamber. Again not an indictment on Kofi but they reached to find a challenger. To elaborate...look no further than what they're reportedly going to do with Lashley at Summerslam.
tbh i didn't really enjoy anything on this show. found the whole production unpleasant to watch. i fell asleep during edge/roman so maybe that was good. luckily i woke up just in time to see cena's return which was cool. i'll watch summerslam.
the pre-show tag was pretty good actually, at least the ending stretch was.
Very very good show. Little shit I didn't like-Usos winning the titles on the pre-show and Nikki Cross winning MITB in what was kind of a mediocre ladder match. But everything else was great. Big E winning MITB was incredible and what an incredible MITB match. Tag title matches were very good, Rhea v. Charlotte=great. Lashley v. Kofi, holy shit Kofi got his ass kicked! Incredible main event. The return of John Cena!!
Looking forward to Big E appearing on RAW (maybe next week if they go one more destruction on Kofi and Woods) and channeling the promo work he did with Apollo.
Big E comes out, goes to that place, and does the "Now, I got to get you"".
Looking forward to Big E appearing on RAW (maybe next week if they go one more destruction on Kofi and Woods) and channeling the promo work he did with Apollo.
Big E comes out, goes to that place, and does the "Now, I got to get you"".
I'm there for it.
So are we thinking Big E coming for revenge and dethroning Lashley?
That would be pretty awesome. Big E wins the title at Summerslam in front of the fans?
I feel like they need one big moment for the fans at Summerslam. Big E seems the most likely to me.
If he were to interject himself into the reported match, that'd be a win for everyone. That'd be a big win for him, considering he's fond of big beefy man slapping meat.
Oh shit, I didn't think of E putting himself in there with Lashley and rumored guy. Yeah, I'm all for that. Especially knowing how E feels about rumored guy.
Seeing Cena back really shows how Vince hasn’t done much in terms of making new stars. Since John’s been gone, we really only have Roman as the top top unstoppable mega star. Other than him it’s just upper midcarders running around it feels like.
I don’t mind Cena coming back…. But I think it’s the wrong opponent. They ran this with Roman, who defeated him pretty soundly. And that was before this iteration. I’d be much more interested in Big E/Reigns and Cena/Lashley.
I would be much more interested in Big E v. Roman with the right build. Unfortunately you don't really go from wrestling Apollo Crews 200 times to winning MITB to facing Roman at Summerslam within a few weeks. It could backfire, trying to give Big E the rub by beating an extremely dominant wrestler like Roman Reigns.....
I would rather see Big E win the title from Lashley.
Or we could see something totally different and Big E stays on Smackdown, continues to be built up away from New Day and Brock Lesnar comes in to face Lashley. Raw is going to be very important tonight for them going into Summerslam. Smackdown has JOHN CENA V. ROMAN REIGNS 2. The closest they're going to get to a Rock v. Cena type vibe despite them already facing each other once before but still, kind of the same vibe. The man of yesterday versus the man of today/tomorrow.
Big E v. Seth Rollins @ Summerslam would be a big deal for both men. Seth helping elevate Big E while still being in the conversation due to his status as #2 heel on the show. Big E gets a rub from one of the best of this era. Maybe they put the MITB case on the line?
Excellent show all around. I hope WWE would get their shit together and save their A- game for a packed arena.
Great crowd, great show. Thought maybe Kofi would've won to set up a showdown with Big E. Looking at the mens MITB guys, Big E, maybe Rollins would've been the only two guys I'd say should've won. Thought maybe Riddle could've won, too, have Orton guilt him into giving up the briefcase, but Big E is the right choice.
Womens title match was spectacular, other than them having Rhea and Charlotte both seemingly heel it up in recent weeks this was the right finish.
Really looking forward to Summerslam. No need for them to tease both Cena AND Big E deciding on an opponent, or if Big E even cashes in for then.
She's had too many "breaks" where she's there for a few months then vanishes. I get injuries, personal issues, I'm not slighting her at all I'm just saying it's kind of like Wade Barrett. Wade was destined to be a main eventer, and aside from questionable booking his first 6 months with Nexus, his injuries kept killing his momentum. Just as you were about to sink your teeth into a push, the dude would tear his bicep or break his neck, something that would take him out for 6-8 months.
WHAT A POP for big John Cena at the end. That was nuts. I'm all in for Cena/Reigns at Summerslam.
Other than that I tried to watch the women's MITB which I found pretty cold and uninteresting, and the men's which was good and I'm happy for Big E finally getting his due. He should really be going out there and challenging Lashley for Summerslam after he's just killed Kofi but sounds like it's going to be
Goldberg
. Maybe he'll cash in after, idk. Wouldn't be the right way to go about it imo. Also, why would you not give Shanky a mask and/or cool outfit? He looks like shit.
The Men's MITB match was one of the best ladder matches they've ever done. Creative spots and good storytelling help. While I was disappointed that Shanky/Veer/Jinder came in to haul Drew away, I can't say it was unexpected. Ricochet stole the show. Riddle's facial expressions were terrific. I am worried for KO taking so many big bumps. Glad the crowd reacted so well for Johnny Drip Drip.
I was pleased that Nicki ASH won because I predicted it, but the MVP of the match was probably Nattie. I liked how everyone piled ladders on Bliss to stop her from making eye contact, taking her out of the match. The finish was clever and executed very well. I didn't expect any of the women to take ladder bumps like KO or Seth took, nor jaw dropping spots like Ricochet pulled off. It was a good opening match. I hope Nikki holds onto the briefcase until Mania.
Charlotte and Rhea had fantastic match. The crowd was against them to start as they wanted Becky, but it didn't take long for these two to get the crowd cheering for them both, as they knew they were watching a great match. Charlotte has had a lot of great matches and she has the ability to get the most out of her opponents. I am looking forward to what's next from Ripley.
I was bored with Lashley and Kofi.
The Viking Raiders are so much better than lumbering Omos, but AJ is terrific. I am not a fan of AJ being in the tag division.
Roman and Edge put on a hell of a match. The ref bump and Seth interference seemed clumsy and overbooked, but given where they are going with the stories it is understandable.
I am looking forward to Roman and Cena beating the hell out of each other.
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Originally Posted by PurePlayer
All that being said, I do like that they were able to get the crowd on their side after the "we want Becky" chants. 
