Jey Uso vs. Carmelo Hayes vs. Andrade vs. Chad Gable vs. LA Knight vs. Drew McIntyre – Money In The Bank ladder match

Background: The men’s Money in the Bank ladder match qualifiers also began on the June 17 episode of Raw and were also held as a series of six triple threat matches with three each on Raw and SmackDown. Jey Uso won Raw’s first spot by defeating Finn Bálor and Rey Mysterio. Two of SmackDown’s participants were determined on the June 21 episode of SmackDown where Carmelo Hayes qualified by defeating Randy Orton and Tama Tonga, with Andrade qualifying by defeating Grayson Waller and Kevin Owens. The second spot from Raw was earned by Chad Gable, who defeated Braun Strowman and Bronson Reed on the June 24 episode of Raw. SmackDown’s final spot was won by LA Knight, who defeated Logan Paul and Santos Escobar on the June 28 episode of SmackDown, followed by Drew McIntyre claiming Raw’s final spot by defeating Sheamus and Ilja Dragunov on the July 1 episode of Raw.

Previous PLE matches: This is a first match between these six men.

Money In The Bank PLE Record: Jey Uso is 3-2, Andrade is 0-1, LA Knight is 0-1, Drew McIntyre is 1-4, both Carmelo and Chad Gable wrestle at this event for the first time tonight.

Match: My problem with multi man ladder matches is that it follows the same formula that a spot happens in the ring whilst everyone else lays on the floor outside the ring. This match is no different. Every wrestler gets their moment, showcasing their offence and having the spotlight. Chad Gable is impressive, LA Knight then dominates before Carmelo gets his moment. There’s lots of CM Punk chants as McIntyre powerbombs Gable onto a ladder and then hits a claymore on Andrade. Carmelo comes close after hitting nothing but net on Jey Uso. There’s a nice spot with Andrade hitting a sunset flip powerbomb on Carmelo onto a ladder. Gable then hits a belly to belly suplex on LA Knight over the top and onto a ladder. There’s a spot with Chad Gable hanging from the briefcase, he falls face first and Jey hits him with a spear. Uso then climbs the ladder but McIntyre throws a ladder him before climbing the ladder and unhooking the briefcase for the victory. 

Result: Drew McIntyre wins Money In The Bank.

Review: This was a decent match. Not the best or more memorable money in the bank ladder match but not had some good spots. Drew McIntyre gets the win and was the obvious winner I guess. It plays into his storyline of getting the world championship back but he’ll know that CM Punk is always watching. A decent match to kick things off. 

Rating: 6/10

Sami Zayn (c) vs. Bron Breakker – Intercontinental Championship match

Background: On the June 17 episode of Raw, as Sami Zayn was celebrating his successful Intercontinental Championship defense from Clash at the Castle: Scotland, he was interrupted by Bron Breakker, who stated that he wanted Zayn’s championship. On the next episode, Zayn confronted Breakker backstage outside of Raw General Manager Adam Pearce’s office and agreed to defend the title against Breakker in Zayn’s home country of Canada at Money in the Bank, and Pearce made it official.

Previous PLE matches: This is a first match between these two men.

Money In The Bank PLE Record: Sami Zayn is 0-4, Bron Breakker wrestles at this event for the first time tonight.

Match: It’s a back and forth start to the match. Sami hits a moonsault outside the ring which gives him control. Breakker takes control with a Steinerline. It’s a pretty back and forth match. Both men get near falls from high impact moves. The fight goes to the outside where Sami shoves Breakker into the post. Zayn then looks for his trademark tornado DDT but Bron knocks him down with a clothesline. Sami counters a spear and hits a blue thunder bomb for a near fall. Bron hits a frankensteiner for a near fall. Breakker hits a big clothesline on the outside but back in the ring Zayn hits a belly to belly into the corner. Breakker hits a gorilla press slam but Zayn counters a spear and hits a helluva kick for the win. 

Result: Sami Zayn wins by pinfall.

Review: This match was another decent but not spectacular match. It had its moments but more than anything else I’m surprised that Breakker lost so cleanly. Sami Zayn continues his run as Intercontinental champion. 

Rating: 6/10

Damian Priest (c) vs. Seth Rollins – World Heavyweight Championship match

Background: On Night 2 of WrestleMania XL on April 7, Seth “Freakin” Rollins lost the World Heavyweight Championship to Drew McIntyre, who would in turn immediately lose the title to Damian Priest in the latter’s Money in the Bank cash-in match. Rollins then took time off due to a knee injury. On the June 17 episode of Raw, Rollins made his return from the injury, stating his intentions to reclaim the title. As Rollins was about to announce his participation in the men’s Money in the Bank ladder match, he was interrupted by Priest, who said that out of respect, he had actually wanted to cash-in on Rollins at WrestleMania. Rollins noted their similarities in which both had won their first world championships via a Money in the Bank cash-in at WrestleMania, with Rollins’s occurring at WrestleMania 31 in 2015. After being asked by Rollins what he wanted his legacy to be, Priest decided to challenge Rollins at Money in the Bank with the World Heavyweight Championship on the line and Rollins accepted. The match was subsequently made official. The following week, Priest declared that Rollins would never see “the mountaintop” as long as he was champion. Rollins came out and proposed that if he lost, he could never challenge for the title again for as long as Priest was champion, but if he won, Priest would be forced to leave The Judgment Day; Priest accepted.

Previous PLE matches: This is a first PLE match between these two men.

Money In The Bank PLE Record: Damian Priest is 1-0, Seth Rollins is 6-4.

Match: It’s a back and forth start to the match but Seth soon takes control, hitting three suicide dives and also calling out Drew McIntyre. Priest hits a headlock driver and he too looks towards the entranceway for Drew McIntyre. It’s back and forth as Rollins hits a frog splash for a near fall. Seth hits a buckle bomb but Priest then hits a sitout last ride. The two men exchange kicks before countering each others finishers. Rollins hits a stomp but Priest kicks out at two. Priest hits a Razor’s Edge for a near fall of his own.  Seth hits a superplex into falcon arrow and only gets a two? Priest didn’t move, it was a three count. Priest could be knocked out. Drew McIntyre’s music hits and out walks Drew! He cashed in his money in the bank briefcase!

Damian Priest (c) vs. Seth Rollins vs. Drew McIntyre – World Heavyweight Championship match

Match: Drew takes out Rollins and looks for a claymore but Priest hits a clothesline. Drew then hits a claymore of sorts but out comes CM Punk! He lays into Drew with a steel chair and chokes him outside the ring! Punk then grabs the world heavyweight championship and nails Drew with it. Priest hits Drew with the south of heaven chokeslam and pins him for the three!

Result: Damian Priest retains the World Heavyweight Championship by pinfall.

Review: This became a really fun match. But man what a botch with him not kicking out of the falcon arrow. I can only assume he’d had his bell rung. All hell then broke loose with McIntyre and Punk to further their rivalry. This was always going to happen at some point but it was tonight. A big win for Priest tonight. 

Rating: 7.75/10

Iyo Sky vs. Chelsea Green vs. Lyra Valkyria vs. Tiffany Stratton vs. Naomi vs. Zoey Stark – Money In The Bank ladder match

Background: Qualifying matches for the women’s Money in the Bank ladder match began on the June 17 episode of Raw. The qualifiers were held as a series of six triple threat matches, with three each on Raw and SmackDown. Iyo Sky claimed Raw’s first spot by defeating Kiana James and Zelina Vega. Chelsea Green became the first from SmackDown to qualify by defeating Bianca Belair and Michin on the June 21 episode of SmackDown. On the June 24 episode of Raw, Lyra Valkyria became the second to qualify from Raw by defeating Kairi Sane and Shayna Baszler. SmackDown’s final two spots were determined on the June 28 episode of SmackDown where Tiffany Stratton defeated Jade Cargill and Candice LeRae, with Naomi defeating Blair Davenport and Indi Hartwell. Raw’s final spot was won by Zoey Stark, who defeated Dakota Kai and Ivy Nile on the July 1 episode of Raw.

Previous PLE matches: This ia a first match between these six girls.

Money In The Bank PLE Record: Iyo Sky is 1-0, Naomi is 1-4, Zoey Stark is 0-1 and all of Chelsea Green, Lyra Valkyria and Tiffany Stratton all make their MITB PLE debut.

Match: There’s a great comedy bit at the start of the match with Chelsea Green. She’s too scared to climb the ladder so tries to knock it down with the ladder. Iyo Sky then takes control against Chelsea and then Tiffany until Lyra gets involved and sends Sky into a ladder. Valkyria slips on the top rope at one point but she does hit a tornado DDT. Lyra struggles to open a ladder but Zoey Stark doesn’t let her anyway. These girls are using the ladders as weapons a lot. Stark looks like she catches her head on a ladder. Tiffany then hits Naomi with an Alabama slam on a ladder. Tiffany and Chelsea are popular tonight. Iyo stomps the lights out of Lyra but Valkyria German suplexes Sky off the ladder. Tiffany and Chelsea set up two tables outside the ring. It breaks down with all six women. Ladders are set up all over the place. Chelsea and Naomi go at it on the ladders and Chelsea hits an unpretty-her of sorts on a ladder. Iyo hits an incredible backbreaker type move on Zoey off the top of the ladder onto another ladder. Chelsea then climbs the ladder but Tiffany pushes her off the top through the tables below! Tiffany Stratton unhooks the briefcase for the win!

Result: Tiffany Stratton becomes Miss Money In The Bank.

Review: Wow, this match was incredible from bell to bell. Great pacing, spots, it was hard hitting, it was just incredible. Tiffany Stratton wins, which I love. She is more than ready for her spotlight. What a match. 

Rating: 9.25/10

Cody Rhodes, Randy Orton, and Kevin Owens vs. The Bloodline (Solo Sikoa, Tama Tonga and Jacob Fatu)

Background: In April, Solo Sikoa became the de facto leader of The Bloodline after Roman Reigns lost the Undisputed WWE Championship to Cody Rhodes on Night 2 of WrestleMania XL, with Reigns subsequently taking a hiatus. On the following SmackDown, Sikoa introduced Tama Tonga as the newest addition to the group. During this time, Kevin Owens and Randy Orton, who previously had their own respective issues with The Bloodline, began to team up against the stable and at Backlash France, The Bloodline’s newest member Tonga Loa helped Tama and Sikoa defeat Owens and Orton in a Street Fight match. Orton and Owens then continued to be involved in numerous matches against members of The Bloodline. After Rhodes successfully defended the Undisputed WWE Championship at Clash at the Castle: Scotland, he was attacked by The Bloodline with Orton and Owens making the save. On the following episode of SmackDown, Orton and Tama competed in a Money in the Bank qualifying match, but despite Loa’s interference, the two lost. Later, Owens was attacked by Tama and Loa, which also cost him a qualifying match. Also that same night, a non-title match between Sikoa and Rhodes ended in a no contest after another interference from The Bloodline. Owens and Orton tried to save Rhodes, but they were all attacked by another new Bloodline member, the debuting Jacob Fatu. On June 24, a six-man tag team match pitting The Bloodline against Rhodes, Owens, and Orton was announced for Money in the Bank.

Previous PLE matches: This ia a first time six man tag team match involving these six men.

Money In The Bank PLE Record: Cody Rhodes is 2-4, Kevin Owens is 0-6, Randy Orton is 1-6, Solo Sikoa is 0-1, the other two men make their MITB debut tonight.

Match: Cody Rhodes and Tama Tonga kick off the match and it’s Rhodes who starts the better. Kevin Owens tags in and picks up the pace. Randy Orton tags in to a big pop. A thumb to the eye from Tama Tonga allows him to tag in Jacob Fatu. Randy hits him with a hangman’s DDT right away but Fatu is right back up. Fatu hits a Samoan drop and superkick before tagging in Solo Sikoa. Solo keeps control for the bloodline against Orton before tagging out to Tama Tonga. KO gets the hot tag and takes on anyone moving. He hits a cannonball and senton bomb for a two count. Jacob Fatu tags in and The Bloodline take control, making quick tags and keeping Owens away from his corner. Tonga Loa gets involved from the outside, throwing Orton into the barricade. Cody finally gets a hot tag and picks up the pace against Solo Sikoa and then the rest of The Bloodline. All bell breaks loose now. Solo hits a spear on Rhodes for a near fall. Solo accidentally takes out the referee and Rhodes then hits cross-Rhodes on Sikoa. Owens follows it up with a frog splash and Orton hits an RKO. All six men go at it on the outside, KO hits a frog splash on Jacob Fatu through the announce desk. Orton hits RKO’s on Tonga Loa and Tama Tonga. Solo takes out Orton but Cody hits Solo with two cross-Rhodes. Jacob Fatu wipes out Cody and hits an implant DDT. Solo hits Rhodes with a Samoan spike and the referee counts the three. 

Result: The Bloodline win by pinfall.

Review: This was a fun main event. It was a match that The Bloodline had to win. It sets up Cody and Solo for Summerslam too. I loved the chaos of it all. All six men come out of it looking good. A fun main event tonight. 

Rating: 8/10