Csonka’s WWE MITB 2018 Review

Csonka’s WWE MITB 2018 Review

OFFICIAL RESULTS
– Kickoff Match – Smackdown Tag Team Championship: Champions The Bludgeon Brothers defeated Luke Gallows and Karl Anderson @ 7:39 via pin [**¾]
– Daniel Bryan defeated Big Cass @ 15:13 via submission [***]
– Lashley defeated Sami Zayn @ 6:30 via pin [*]
– WWE Intercontinental Championship Match: Champion Seth Rollins defeated Elias @ 17:05 via pin [***¾]
– Women’s Money In the Bank Ladder Match: Alexa Bliss won @ 18:25 [****]
– Roman Reigns defeated Jinder Mahal @ 15:37 via pin [**]
– Smackdown Women’s Championship Match: Champion Carmella defeated Asuka @ 11:03 via pin [**½]
– WWE Championship Last Man Standing Match: Champion AJ Styles defeated Shinsuke Nakamura @ 31:08 [***¾]
– Raw Women’s Championship Match: Ronda Rousey defeated Champion Nia Jax @ 10:47 via DQ [***]
– Raw Women’s Championship Match: Alexa Bliss defeated Champion Nia Jax @ 0:35 via pin [NR]
– Men’s Money In the Bank Ladder Match: Braun Strowman @ 19:51 [****]

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Smackdown Tag Team Championship Match: Champions The Bludgeon Brothers vs. Luke Gallows and Karl Anderson: Rowan & Gallows to begin. Gallows works him over, Harper & Anderson tag in and the Good Brothers take control and clear the ring. The fight goes to the floor and the champions take control. Post break, and Harper works over Anderson with strikes; the cover gets 2. Gallows is down on the floor, Rowan in and hits a back breaker and lariat for 2. Anderson tries to fire up and fight back, but Harper again cuts him off and tags in Rowan. The running splash gets 2. Rowan works a cranium crunch and slams Anderson to the mat as Gallows continues to nap on the floor. Anderson fires up one last time, posts Harper and the spinebuster follows, Brother Gallows is alive and gets the hot tag. He runs wild, clears out Rowan and it breaks down with Rowan getting dumped and Anderson follows with a plancha. Harper takes out Anderson, but he returns and Rowan breaks up the magic killer, allowing the champions to hit the killer bomb for the win. Champions The Bludgeon Brothers defeated Luke Gallows and Karl Anderson @ 7:39 via pin [**¾] After so many quick and dominant wins, it was nice to see the champions get a bit of s test against a new team. While the titles changing hands wasn’t happening, they had a pretty good and fun match with a cool closing stretch.

Big Cass vs. Daniel Bryan: They lock up and Bryan fires away with kicks and strikes and avoids Cass’ strikes. Cass shoves him away, Bryan grounds things but Cass kicks him away. Bryan keeps working leg kicks, but Cass sends him to the floor and into the barricade. Cass follows, works him over and rolls him back in. he follows with rights and elbow drops, covering for 2. Bryan fires up but Cass locks on an exciting bear hug. Bryan fights out but Cass cuts him off. The bossman slam follows for 2. Cass hits a corner splash and mocks Bryan. Bryan counters the second charge, follows with leg kicks and hits a dragon screw. Bryan now slams the knee off of the apron, and then off of the post. Bryan up top and hits the missile dropkick. The corner dropkicks follow and then hits la mistica into the yes lock, but Cass makes the ropes. Bryan kicks him to he floor and dropkicks him to the barricade. Bryan up top, and flies to the floor with a clothesline. Back in and Cass crotches Bryan up top. He follows with rights and follows him up. The fall away slam follows and Cass covers for 2. Cass now works a torture rack, and hits something resembling a burning hammer for 2. Cass misses a boot and crotches himself on the ropes. Bryan chop blocks him and breaks him down. Bryan lays in kicks and runs into a flapjack; Cass hits the big boot and covers for 2. Back to the rack by Cass, Bryan counters out and hits the running knee strike. The heel hook follows and Cass taps. Daniel Bryan defeated Big Cass @ 15:13 via submission [***] Daniel Bryan is still so very good, and basically strapped Cass to his back here and carried him big time. Cass is still limited and looks lost at times when in control. He needs so much work, but will get chances because he’s big. It went too long, but thankfully was the Bryan show so it was actually good since Bryan was basically wrestling himself and the crowd loved him. Bryan won; we can move on now, thanks.

– New Day meets backstage as Big E hydrates. Kevin Owens arrives and brings them a rash bag full of pancakes and some syrup. Owens tries to find out who is in MITB, ns then tries to get them to takeout Braun. They refuse to cheat and argue before stealing the syrup.

Sami Zayn vs. Bobby Lashley: This feud has been horrible, hopefully the match is good. Sami runs away to begin. Tons of stalling by Sami who finally rakes the eyes and sends Lashley to the floor, hoping for a countout. Sami then posts him a few times and rolls back in. Lashley follows and hits a clothesline, Sami looks for a high cross, gets caught, and Lashley hits a fall away slam. It’s all Lashley, but no one cares, likely due to how horrible the fed was. Lashley hits the delayed suplex and another as the crowd slowly gets into the match a bit. Lashley works a back breaker and slams Sami down and hits another delayed suplex, and that’s that. Lashley defeated Sami Zayn @ 6:30 via pin [*] This was essentially a squash, which is fine to allow Lashley revenge, but it really wasn’t any good as a match since there wasn’t much of a connection with the crowd either. If they were going to have Lashley basically squash him it should have been a short, explosive, ass kicking by Lashley.

– Elias arrives and cuts a promo on Rollins. Elias refuses to play a tune as Chicago isn’t worth it.

WWE Intercontinental Championship Match: Elias vs. Champion Seth Rollins: They lock up to begin, Rollins grounds things and is outwrestling Elias with ease early on. Elias finally cuts him off and lays the boots to Rollins. Rollins fights back, picks up the pace and hits a dropkick and then a plancha. Back in and Rollins hits a springboard clothesline. He follows with strikes in the corner, but as Rollins heads to the apron, and Elias turns him inside out with a lariat. Elias is fired up and beats down Rollins, focusing on the neck. Elias then plants him with a DDT for 2. Elias grounds the action, maintaining focus on the neck. Rollins tries to fight back, Elias misses a knee drop and Rollins fires up and starts outing offense together and hits sling blade. Elias to the floor and Rollins follows with a suicide dive. Back in and Rollins hits the blockbuster for 2. Rollins was running wild, but came up selling his knee, and Elias wipes him out with a knee strike, covering for 2. Elias now rolls him up for 2. Elias hits a running boot, but Rollins fires back with a superkick for 2. Rollins heads up top, slowly and selling the leg. The high fly flow eats knees and Elias covers for 2. Elias heads up top, Rollins cuts him off and follows him up. Elias knocks him off but Rollins pops back up and hits the superplex and transitions into doing the deal for 2. Elias avoids the stomp, and then counters the suicide dive a posts Rollins, slams him to the steps; back in and Elias hits the elbow drop for a great near fall. That was a great flurry of offense from Elias. Elias beats on Rollins, takes him back up top and Rollins slides out, his knee gives out, but he cradles Elias for 2. They trade roll ups and Rollins finally uses the tights and retains. Champion Seth Rollins defeated Elias @ 17:05 via pin [***¾] While switching from Elias working the neck all of the sudden to Rollins tweaking his knee was a bit jarring and odd, this was a, overall very good match as Rollins continues to deliver and Elias really stepped up and delivered on PPV. He felt like a believable contender, he felt like he could win, and Rollins had to dig deep and showed desperation as he had to cheat to beat him Elias continues to grow as an overall performer and this was an important step in that.

Women’s Money In the Bank Ladder Match: Ember Moon vs. Charlotte Flair vs. Naomi vs. Becky Lynch vs. Alexa Bliss vs. Natalya vs. Lana vs. Sasha Banks: They all brawl at the bell and spill to the floor. It’s pandemonium in Chicago here. Moon takes out Lynch and Natalya, and then battles with Naomi. She takes out banks and dumps Naomi. Moon running wild here, Banks cuts her off and Moons fights back and hits a high cross and Banks lands on the ladder. Lana cuts her off and attacks with the ladder, including an x-factor onto the ladder. Lana now looks to climb but Natalya cuts her off and slams her onto the ladder. Natalya then takes out Naomi a well. It comes down to Charlotte and Lynch, they fight over the ladder as Naomi is in and takes them down. Bliss takes away the ladder and Naomi hits a plancha on Bliss. Naomi then hits a blockbuster to the floor onto Banks. Moon and Naomi fight over the ladder, Lynch climbs but I knocked off and eats the ladder and dropkicks from both. Naomi with speedball kicks, Moon hits a superkick as they trade. Moon then hip tosses Naomi onto the ladder. Banks cuts off Moon, sets her onto a ladder and stacks Lana onto Moon and hits the corner knees. Banks looks to climb. Charlotte cuts her off and thy brawl and try to climb. Charlotte hits a neck breaker, looks for a powerbomb but banks escapes and climbs the ladder. Natalya grabs Charlotte and Lynch shoves banks of the ladder and Banks hits meteora onto Charlotte and Natalya. Lynch climbs, cut off by Bliss and now Banks and Lynch Battle on the ladder. Lana sets up another ladder and she starts climbing as Moon is back and Natalya is back and they are all climbing and fighting for position. Natalya powerbombs Banks onto a ladder and knocks people off and to the mat. Bliss cuts off Lana, Charlotte then powerbombs Moon into a ladder in the corner. Charlotte cuts off Bliss but Bliss hits code red to counter. Lana cuts off Bliss, they brawl and Lana drops her with a head kick and locks on the accolade. She climbs, Naomi springboards on onto the ladder, cuts of Lana and Naomi almost has the case but Lynch cuts her of and she climbs. Charlotte follows, they go face to face and Bliss topples over the ladder. Charlotte spears Bliss, Banks cuts her off and Naomi cuts her off. Lana takes out Naomi and Natalya stops her with an electric chair drop. Moon superkicks Natalya and Charlotte spears Moon onto the ladder. Lynch hits the XPLODER, she climbs and almost has the case, but Bliss cuts her off and sends her off into a ladder and Bliss gets the case for the win. Alexa Bliss won @ 18:25 [****] Last year’s Women’s Money In the Bank matches were “good,” they tried hard but they were missing something. This year was a different story as this was legit great. It had a better flow, execution, layout, and not only allowed everyone to shine, but incorporated the ladders more and had a much better sense of urgency. This was tremendously fun and the ladies did a hell of a job. The crowd wanted Becky to win so bad, and the teases of her winning were great. Moon also had a great performance here, continuing her strong main roster run so far.

– We get bullshit with Kurt, Paige, and Corbin. Paige makes fun of Corbin for being a loser.

– The announcers are he drizzling shits tonight, constantly talking over each other and adding nothing at all to the matches.

Roman Reigns vs. Jinder Mahal: Singh is out in a wheelchair following the ass beating from Reigns on Raw last week. They brawl at the bell to a chorus of CM Punk chants. We then get boring chants 90-seconds in and then NXT chants as commentary masturbates over “THE BIG DAWG.” Singh was of course faking and got out of his chair and helped attack Reigns. The crowd has the greatest hits on shuffle for chanting a they move into Rusev Day as Mahal takes the heat. No one cares about this as Mahal lays on Reigns so he can do his famous lay there and make pouty faces selling. I believe we have some beach balls now. Mahal lays in elbows and covers for 2. Mahal maintains the heat, working the blandest shit possible as Reigns makes sad faces and attempts to fire up a the crowd continues to entertain themselves. Mahal amusingly talks shit claiming, “I’m the show.” In a shocking turn of events, the big dawg makes a remarkable comeback and fires up to the sounds no fucks being given as we now have the wave rolling. They are desperately trying to shoot this tight, and change camera angles to avoid showing the crowd. They work into some back and forth; Mahal hits a gut buster, and covers for 2. Reigns counters the Khallas and hits a superman punch for 2. Mahal cuts off the spear, posts Reigns, and Reigns takes control on the floor, and superman punches Singh and then Mahal. Reigns then spears Singh, and back in a spear for Mahal finishes it. Roman Reigns defeated Jinder Mahal @ 15:37 via pin [**] The actual content of the match was OK, but as a booker, I have no clue why you would put these two out there for so long in what you had to know would be a toxic environment. Mahal is a complete non-factor, and Reigns was going to win. Have Mahal work him over for 30-seconds, Reigns fires up, hits his shit and finishes in under three-minutes; get in and out and be done while avoiding the torture. WWE wants Reigns to be a big deal, but I don’t think he’s ever felt colder.

Smackdown Women’s Championship Match: Asuka vs. Champion Carmella: Carmella plays around and then runs from Asuka and hides in the ropes. She screeches and moonwalks, and slaps Asuka. Asuka likes it and hits ass attacks. Carmella powders and teases walking away with the title. Asuka then about kills her with a sliding knee strike and as they work to the apron, Carmella posts Asuka and covers for 2. Carmella rolls her back in and grounds the action, working a chicken wing variation. She then lays the boots to Asuka and hits a superkick and grounds things again. Asuka fires up and then avoids the missile dropkick. Asuka gets a heel hook, but Carmella makes the ropes. Asuka follows with kicks, a German and ass attack for 2. Asuka lays in strikes, but Carmella low bridges her to the floor. Asuka looks to climb back in, but knocks her to the floor and then hits a suicide dive. Back in and Carmella covers several times for 2. Asuka fires up and someone in an Asuka mask and robe arrives, and everyone acts confused. Carmella rolls up Asuka for 2. Asuka then hits the knee strike and we see it’s Ellsworth. Superkick by Carmella and that’s that. Champion Carmella defeated Asuka @ 11:03 via pin [**½] I think that the Ellsworth finish took too long to develop, and felt REALLY stupid, but while I have been critical of Carmella, this was easily her best main roster performance and way better than her last PPBV match against Charlotte. She kept up the heelwork, added new things to her offense, and really felt like a complete performer for the first time. But the lack of crowd heat came from the fact that people didn’t believe in Carmella’s offense, and aren’t into seeing Asuka sell for so long.

HE'S BACK?! @realellsworth just cost @WWEAsuka the #SDLive #WomensChampionship! #MITB pic.twitter.com/CuTPSjv6Zc

— WWE (@WWE) June 18, 2018

WWE Championship Last Man Standing Match: Champion AJ Styles vs. Shinsuke Nakamura: They lock up, we get some back and forth and Styles connects with the dropkick. The ref stupidly starts working the 10-count two-minutes in off of a dropkick. Styles takes him to the floor, and follows with a plancha. Nakamura fires back and hits a suplex onto the ramp. Nakamura follows with knee strikes and stomps, and back in they go. Nakamura follows with strikes and kicks. Styles tries to fire up but Nakamura drops him with a spin kick. Knee strikes send Styles to the floor and we get another count. Styles makes it to his feet and eats knee strikes and Nakamura chokes him out on the steps. They battle into the crowd, and Nakamura maintains control. Styles fires up with rights and kicks and back to ringside we go. Nakamura cuts off the barricade dive and the count is on again. Nakamura then slams him to the steps. Back in and Styles hits a desperation enziguri and follows with a dropkick. Styles now lays in strikes and kicks, and hits a face plant and both are down. Styles avoids the low blow, and Styles looks for a PELE, but something went wrong and it looked back. XPLODER by Nakamura and Styles cuts off Kinshasa. The ushigoroshi follows and Nakamura is down. Nakamura cuts off the springboard, they spill to the floor and Nakamura suplexes Styles onto the barricade and clears off the announce table and suplexes Styles onto the table. Nakamura runs across the announce tables and hits Kinshasa. The count is on. Styles beats the count and Nakamura posts him. More knee strikes follow. Nakamura gets a table, slides it in and then lays in kicks and sets up the table. They work up top and Styles slips out and looks for a powerbomb but Nakamura fights him off. Nakamura suplexes him onto the side of the table gut first, and sets the table in the corner. He tosses Styles through it. Styles beats the count. The buckle is exposed now, they fight to throw each other into it but Nakamura fires up and hits knee sand kicks, but Nakamura charges and hits the exposed buckle with his knee. Styles attacks the knee, and the ref counts on Nakamura. Styles gets the calf crusher, attacking the bad leg as Nakamura taps and Styles finally releases it. The ref counts again. Nakamura make sit to his feet and Styles again attacks with kicks. Nakamura rolls to the floor, Styles follows and gets a chair and attacks the knee with it. Nakamura begs off and Styles lays in more chair shots. Nakamura begs of again and finally hits the low blow and Styles is too stupid to wear a cup after how many matches? Styles beats the count but eats a Kinshasa. The count is on and Nakamura is up. Styles beats the count and they work onto an announce table and Styles shoves him off into the steps. The flying forearm follows and then a slash on the floor off of the steps. Nakamura beats the count. Styles then punts him in the balls, and then springboards out and puts Nakamura through the table. Styles beats the count and wins. Champion AJ Styles defeated Shinsuke Nakamura @ 31:08 [***¾] Well that should thankfully end the feud, which really ended up overstaying its welcome. Nakamura loses yet another title match and should be shuffled down the card after losing something like 6 or 7 title matches. which in many ways is a shame, but it’s not as if he’s been delivering great matches. The second half was much better than the first, but like many LMS standing matches, there was way too much down time and forced attempts at drama to make it truly great. It was very good with a great finish and likely their best WWE match together, but it’s most certainly time to move on.

Raw Women’s Championship Match: Champion Nia Jax vs. Ronda Rousey: Jax attack sand runs wild, tossing Rousey around. Jax misses a charge, lays in strikes and Jax cuts her off with a head butt. Jax hits a corner splash and then counters the Samoan drop and works for the arm bar and transitions to a triangle. Jax powers up and hits a sitout powerbomb. Rousey rolls to the floor, she took a rough landing on the powerbomb. Jax follows her out and slings her into the barricade. Back in and Jax covers for 2. Jax hits a press slam and covers for 2. Rousey pulls a guillotine. Jax escapes and slams her to the mat repeatedly. Jax now works a bear hug, Rousey fires away with strikes and escapes. Jax then hits a sloppy Samoan drop for 2. Jax misses the leg drop, and the posts herself. Rousey works a hanging am bar in the ropes and has to break. Rousey now heads up top and hits a high cross for 2. Rousey fires up and lays in strikes and a knee strike. She hits a huge judo throw and covers for 2. Rousey looks for the arm bar and Jax rolls her up for 2. Rousey hits a uranage into the arm bar attempt, Jax fights but Bliss arrives and attacks Rousey with the MITB case. Ronda Rousey defeated Champion Nia Jax @ 10:47 via DQ [***] This was good, it was all action and no filler, and Rousey looked great again; she has a great presence and really is doing the right things at the right time. I wish her out of the ring could be as good. The finish also protects her, smartly, and gets some good heat on Bliss. This was easily one of Jax’s better matches, and the Alexa cash in played well.

Raw Women’s Championship Match: Champion Nia Jax vs. Alexa Bliss: Bliss beats down both Rousey & Jax and cashes in! Bliss hits the DDT and heads up top. Twisted bliss connects and we have a new champion. Alexa Bliss defeated Champion Nia Jax @ 0:35 via pin [NR] BULLIES NEVER WIN NIA! I so hope that Bliss gets a promo tomorrow talking about single-handedly beating 9 women to win MITB and become champion again.

– English is out in a fantastic CM Punk styled Rusev Day outfit to introduce Rusev.

Men’s Money In the Bank Ladder Match: Braun Strowman vs. Finn Balor vs. The Miz vs. Rusev vs. Kevin Owens vs. Bobby Roode vs. Kofi Kingston vs. Samoa Joe: Everyone attacks Strowman to begin, but he slowly fights them off. Strowman clears the ring, but as he goes for a ladder he gets gang attacked on the floor with ladders. They bury him under ladders and Miz sneaks in and climbs for the case but Joe sprints to he ring and cuts him off. Joe works him over but Kofi cuts him off and lays a ladder on Miz and hits a boom drop. Kevin returns and cuts off Kofi and climbs. Balor arrives and they brawl. Balor hits a standing double stomp, but Roode cuts him off. Balor hits a dropkick and dumps him to the floor, but Owens attacks with a ladder. They work to the floor and Balor gets slammed into a ladder and eats a superkick. Balor set on the table, Kevin sets up a huge ladder and climbs. Rusev in the ring and Kevin cuts him off but gets slammed into a ladder. Joe works over Rusev, but Kofi flies in and takes out Joe. He looks to climb. Miz in and cuts him off. Kofi now heads up top and flies onto the pile but they hold onto him and Balor follows with a tope. Balor looks to get a ladder but Strowman is alive and starts taking everyone out. Joe hits him with an elbow suicida. Kevin & Rusev deliver superkicks and take Strowman back up the ramp. Kevin gets a table and they take Strowman to the table, Joe joins in and gets the clutch and Kevin hits a superkick and Strowman is on the table, Kevin climbs the super ladder and Strowman fights off the others and he climbs the ladder and catches Kevin. He then tosses Kevin of and through some production tables; he’s dead Jim. Strowman chokeslams Kofi onto a ladder and runs through another ladder, breaking it. Miz climbs and Strowman cuts him off. Joe attacks him with ladder shots, and clotheslines him to the floor. Balor hits John Wooooooo on the floor and Balor cuts off Joe, but Roode post him. STJOE to Roode and Rusev dumps Joe. Rusev takes out Roode and kills Kofi with a head kick. The double accolade follows and Miz breaks it up and Rusev gets the triple accolade. Joe then chokes him out, but Rusev rolls out and hits a superkick. Rusev climbs but Miz topples over the ladder. Kofi climbs with him and they battle up top. Roode topples over the ladder, but Balor takes him out. He dumps Kofi and Miz, and hits an enziguri on Roode. Balor climbs the ladder on the floor and hits a HUGE double stomp onto Roode and climbs. Strowman is back, cuts him off and powerslams Joe and then Miz. Strowman and Balor climbs, Kofi flies in onto Strowman, but Strowman still climbs and Balor knocked off and Kofi climbs on the back of Strowman but gets tossed off. Strowman grabs the case and wins. Braun Strowman @ 19:51 [****] This was another great MITB match, different than the women’s as it was more chaotic and had crazier spots, but wasn’t quite as smooth at times. It was a really enjoyable way to close the show and lets hope that Braun beats Lesnar and soon.

– End Scene.

– Thanks for reading.

“Byyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyye Felicia!”

7.0

The final score: review Good

The 411

Overall I felt that the WWE MITB 2018 PPV was a good show. There was some rough and average stuff, but the two MITB matches were great, Alexa’s cash in played well, while Rollins vs. Elias & Styles vs. Nakamura were very good. The show still felt long and a bit bloated, but it was a good rebound from the horrific backlash event.