The John Report: WWE Money In The Bank 2023 Review
It’s WWE Money in the Bank with The Bloodline battling in a tag team match, two huge ladder matches, titles on the line and plenty more.
This is WWE Money in the Bank with a 3 p.m. ET start time for me since it starts at 8 p.m. in London, England. It’s actually Canada Day for me as we celebrate 156 years as a country, so it’s a big holiday and I didn’t do a live review as a result. I was really looking forward to the show. Let’s get right to it.
WWE Money in the Bank
From the O2 Arena in London, England
July 1, 2023
The opening video package promoted the key matches on the show as usual.
There is a sold out crowd at the O2 Arena in London, England with 18,885 people as the announced attendance. The commentary team was Smackdown’s Michael Cole and Wade Barrett. Normally Corey Graves calls the WWE PLE shows with Cole, but I guess since Wade is from England and was already there for Smackdown, they are letting Wade do it. That’s fine with me. Wade is great too.
It is the Men’s Money in the Bank Ladder Match up first. Butch got a big pop representing The Brawling Brutes with Sheamus and Ride Holland wishing him good luck before they went to the back. Shinsuke Nakamura was cheered heavily as well. There wasn’t much of a reaction for Santos Escobar of the LWO, but he is a talented performer. Damian Priest of the Judgment Day was up next as the biggest man in the match. Ricochet got a good pop. LA Knight was cheered heavily just like on Smackdown and the fans were chanting his name. Logan Paul was up last with the fans booing him loudly.
Men’s Money in the Bank Ladder Match: LA Knight vs. Logan Paul vs. Santos Escobar vs. Ricochet vs. Butch vs. Shinsuke Nakamura vs. Damian Priest
The six guys in the match attacked Paul to start the match. Everybody spilled out to the floor early on. Paul was the first guy to set up a ladder in the ring with Nakamura knocking him down. Priest kicked Nakamura and hit Nakamura with a ladder. Priest was trapped against a ladder by the turnbuckle and Ricochet superkicked him. Knight hit a DDT on Butch with the fans popping for that. Nakamura hit a spin kick on Knight followed by a knee drop to Priest’s head. Ricochet with a headscissors on Nakamura and then Butch/Nakamura kicked Ricochet. Nakamura and Butch exchanged punches, Escobar hit a cross body block off the top and Paul went back into the ring to send Escobar into a ladder. Paul tried to climb, but four guys pulled him down and beat him up. Butch pulled out two tables and a cricket bat that he used to beat up a few guys. Butch tried a climb, Priest stopped that and Priest hit Butch with a forearm on the floor. Paul begged Priest not to hit him and said they can work together. Priest and Paul set up two tables beside eachother in the aisle, but then Priest punched Paul with an uppercut and tossed Paul down. Escobar hit a suicide dive onto Priest on the floor. Ricochet hit a running somersault under a ladder onto three guys on the floor! Knight tried a climb, but Paul hit him with a legsweep off the ladder. Paul hit Butch with a ladder. Paul tried a leap over the top onto Priest, but Priest hit an uppercut forearm on Paul again. Priest set up a ladder bridge, Butch attacked Priest and stomped on the fingers. Nakamura put Priest on the ladder bridge and Paul tripped up Nakamura on the apron. Paul did a Frog Splash from the apron onto Priest, who was laying on the ladder. The ladder didn’t break and that looked painful for both guys.
Ricochet and Nakamura battled in the ring with Nakamura delivering a German Suplex while Ricochet was seated on a ladder. Nakamura dropped Knight with a DDT after trying a move that didn’t seem to work. Nakamura went up top, Escobar went after him and Nakamura applied an armbar through the ladder. Butch went up the ladder and choked out Escobar as they laid on a ladder. Ricochet hit a springboard 450 Splash onto Butch and Escobar as they were on a ladder. All seven guys were back in the ring brawling again. Priest hit Butch with a flatliner. Priest went up the ladder and Knight him with a back suplex off the ladder. Paul hit a Blockbuster on Knight and Ricochet hit a running SSP on Paul. Escobar hit a Phantom Driver on Ricochet. Nakamura pulled Escobar down and Nakamura hit a leaping knee to Escobar’s chest. Butch climbed a huge ladder on the floor and Butch jumped off near the top of a ladder and hit a moonsault onto a bunch of guys on the floor. Butch tried a ladder climb, but Paul pulled him down and hit a KO punch. Ricochet pulled Paul down and Paul knocked out Ricochet with a punch. Paul climbed again, Escobar pulled him down and Escobar hit a jumping side kick. Escobar hit a running knee attack in the corner. Escobar climbed, he touched the ladder and Nakamura pulled Escobar down. Knight was back up to hit Nakamura with a ladder. Knight was on a second ladder as Escobar gave Knight a hurricanrana off a ladder. That was impressive. Paul and Ricochet each jumped onto ladders so there were four guys fighting on ladders. Ricochet was touching the top of the briefcase, but Nakamura punched him. Knight pushed down Escobar and Nakamura off a ladder. Knight shoved Ricochet and Paul towards the ropes, so Ricochet hit a Spanish Fly slam on Paul through the two tables on the floor! They replayed it a few times and it looked like a nasty fall for both guys! Wow. Knight and Butch battled on the top of a ladder as Butch snapped the fingers of Knight. Butch had his hand on the top of the briefcase, but Priest stopped that with punches. Priest gave Butch a Chokeslam sending Butch back first onto a ladder. Knight threw Priest out of the ring. Knight hit a BFT on Escobar. Knight tossed Nakamura out of the ring. Knight climbed up, grabbed the briefcase and Priest was there. Priest hit a Broken Arrow slam on Knight off the ladder to the mat. Priest climbed up and grabbed the Money in the Bank briefcase to win the match at 20:25.
Winner: Damian Priest
Analysis: ****1/4 I thought it was an excellent match. It’s probably one of the best Money in the Bank matches ever. These guys did an amazing job. It’s not the result I wanted because I was hoping for LA Knight to win just like the crowd wanted him to win, but there was Damian Priest to prevent Knight from winning. I’m not angry about the loss or anything like that, but I just think Knight was the right guy at the right time. We have to see how it plays out. Kudos to Ricochet and Logan Paul for having the best spot of the match by going through that table together. It looked especially rough for Paul. Ricochet hit some incredible moves in the match as usual. It looked like Knight was going to get the win after he cleared the ring, but that’s when Priest came back and put Knight down to get the win. It wasn’t the guy I picked because I went with Knight, but I thought Priest had a pretty good chance of winning too. All of these guys deserve a lot of respect for putting on a show in that match. Great choice for an opener.
Damian Priest celebrated the win wit the Money in the Bank briefcase. They showed the other wrestlers on the floor and Logan Paul had a huge gash on his right shoulder, which was bleeding. With the briefcase, Priest can cash in on any champion at any time for a championship match.
There was a WWEShop commercial. A Ronda Rousey video aired.
Women’s Tag Team Championships: Ronda Rousey & Shayna Baszler vs. Raquel Rodriguez & Liv Morgan
Ronda and Shayna look angry all the time while Raquel and Liv smile a lot. Liv had UK colors on so Barrett was saying Liv was looking like Spice Girl Geri.
Morgan was in control of Baszler with a headscissors and then Morgan knocked Baszler out of the ring. Rousey went into the ring, so Morgan sent her to the floor. Raquel picked up Morgan and tossed her onto the two opponents on the floor. Rousey did a cheap shot on Morgan, so Baszler slammed Morgan down and attacked Liv’s injured left arm. Rousey was tossing around Morgan with arm drags and Baszler tagged in with a running knee for two. Baszler kept Morgan isolated from her partner and Morgan kicked Baszler away, but Rousey was able to tag back in. Rousey applied an Ankle Lock on Morgan’s left foot. Morgan kicked Rousey’s leg for a two count. Morgan with knees on Rousey. Rodriguez tagged in with clotheslines and a fallaway slam. Rodriguez hit a powerslam on Rousey for two. Rousey charged, Raquel got a boot up and then Rousey tried an armbar, but Raquel hit a Powerbomb off the turnbuckle for a two count. Morgan tagged in against Baszler with Morgan going for a cross body block. Baszler applied an armbar on the left arm while Rousey applied an Ankle Lock, but Raquel saved her partner. Morgan did a step up enziguri on Baszler. Rousey pulled Raquel off the apron and threw Raquel into the ring post. Baszler hit a German Suplex on Morgan and Baszler applied a Kirifuda Clutch submission on Morgan, but Liv got out of it. Rousey went into the ring and Baszler attacked Rousey from behind with a forearm! What the hell! Baszler choked out Rousey with a Kirifuda Clutch. Baszler left on her own while Rousey was down in the ring selling. Raquel tagged in with a Texana Bomb. Morgan got the tag and Morgan hit Oblivion on Rousey (it wasn’t done that well) and it was enough for Morgan to pin Rousey for the win. It went 9:01.
Winners by pinfall AND NEW Women’s Tag Team Champions: Raquel Rodriguez & Liv Morgan
Analysis: **1/2 It was a solid match, but the turn by Baszler on Rousey is what fans will remember. There’s another shocking finish to a match because I doubt many people thought that Baszler & Rousey would not only lose this match, but also have Baszler turn on Rousey like that. That was shocking. There was no tease of a split or anything like that in recent weeks, but Baszler decided to hit Rousey in the back and choke her out. After that, Rodriguez & Morgan finished off Rousey with their two finishing moves and that was it.
The replays of the first two matches were presented from Bud Light and there were more of them later in the show. That might upset some people. I don’t know. I’m not into the political stuff. Just saying.
Liv Morgan and Raquel Rodriguez celebrated with the Women’s Tag Team Titles. They are now two-time Women’s Tag Team Champions as a team.
A commercial aired for SummerSlam at Ford Field in Detroit on Saturday, August 5th. I think I’m going because it’s only two hours away from me, but I don’t have a ticket yet.
Damian Priest was interviewed backstage by Kayla Braxton. Priest said it’s “Senor Money in the Bank.” Priest said there’s a lot to think about while mentioning the possibilities as he mentioned the various titles: Intercontinental, United States, World Heavyweight and Undisputed WWE Universal Title. Priest said he will beat whatever champion he cashes in on.
There was an exclusive look at the latest Mission Impossible: Dead Reckoning movie starring Tom Cruise. I’ve seen most of the MI movies, so I’ll probably see that one too.
Intercontinental Championship: GUNTHER vs. Matt Riddle
Riddle had his left foot/ankle taped up to sell his injury going into the match. Riddle went for a submission right away, but Gunther slammed him. Riddle worked over Gunther with kicks to the body until Gunther came back with a hard chop. Riddle came back with chops, Riddle did an up kick and a running forearm. Gunther blocked a suplex attempt, Riddle avoided a chop and Riddle went for a kneebar submission, but Gunther stomped his way out of it. Gunther slapped and punched Riddle along with a knee drop. Gunther swept Riddle’s legs. Gunther unwrapped some of the tape on Riddle’s left ankle and slammed the ankle into the mat. Riddle hit a pump knee to the jaw, but Gunther came back with a German Suplex across the ring. Gunther applied a submission on the left leg, Riddle fought out of it with kicks to the body and Riddle hit an overhead suplex. Riddle went for a broton only for Gunther to catch him with a sleeper. Gunther with a German Suplex, Riddle landed on his feet (with Riddle selling the foot injury) and Gunther hit a stiff lariat for two. Riddle hit a knee to the jaw for two. Riddle with a running PK kick to the chest and a Floating Bro off the top for two. Gunther knocked down Riddle with a hard chop. Gunther tried a splash off the top, Riddle grabbed an armbar and Gunther hit a Powerbomb for two. Gunther applied a half crab submission and Gunther punched/slapped Riddle’s left foot repeatedly. Gunther applied a kneebar/leg submission or an Achilles Lock on Riddle and Riddle tapped out. It went 7:46.
Winner by submission: GUNTHER
Analysis: *** A methodical victory by Gunther targeting a weakness in Riddle, who had his left ankle taped up heavily, so it made sense for Gunther to go after the ankle right away. I don’t think anybody watching this believed Riddle had a shot to win here. This was the most predictable match on the card.
Drew McIntyre is back and what a pop! The British crowd popped loudly for the Scottish Warrior, who walked out with a tank top and jeans. The announcers said that the rumors of the demise of Drew McIntyre are not true Drew slowly got into the ring with GUNTHER as they had a staredown. Gunther shoved Drew in the face, so Drew hit him with a Glasgow Kiss headbutt. Drew hit a Claymore Kick to a huge ovation. Drew held up the Intercontinental Title. The British fans were cheering loudly for McIntyre, who looked into the hard camera and said: “I’m back.”
Analysis: That’s going to be an incredible match when it happens. I assume it will be at SummerSlam. We have been writing stories about Drew McIntyre coming back for the last two months and it always made sense for the comeback to happen in the UK in front of these fans that are going to pop for him as loud as anybody on the show. Drew is awesome. I’m excited to see him back in action. I really hope he re-signs with WWE long term too and gets a big raise because Drew has been incredible, especially in the last four years.
He's baaaaaaack!@DMcIntyreWWE returns at #MITB with a message for Intercontinental Champion @Gunther_AUT! pic.twitter.com/IpxJ7vDQdE
— WWE (@WWE) July 1, 2023
The NXT Great American Bash is on Sunday, July 30th.
A video package aired for the Cody Rhodes-Dominik Mysterio match. It was called a main event by Cole on Smackdown, but it’s clearly not the main event.
Dominik Mysterio made his entrance first with the Women’s World Champion Rhea Ripley by his side as usual. Ripley had a unique hairstyle for this match. Cody Rhodes got a huge ovation with the fans singing along with his song and doing the “WHOA-OH” parts very loudly as usual.
Cody Rhodes vs. Dominik Mysterio (w/Rhea Ripley)
Cody was wrestling with the black brace/cast on his left arm for the worked “broken arm” injury. Dominik posed on the turnbuckle leading to boos from the crowd. Dominik with a punch to the face. When Cody tried a punch, Dominik bailed to the floor to get heat. Back in the ring, Dominik slapped Cody in the head. Cody pulled off his cast with Cole saying that medical personnel said that Cody was fully healed. Dominik tried to run away, so Cody brought him back in and hit an uppercut punch. Cody hit a running powerslam like the British Bulldog. Cody tried Cross Rhodes, but Dominik slipped out of the ring and Dominik went over the barricade. Cody went after Dominik and brought him back to ringside. Dominik hid behind Ripley and then Dominik went into the ring to loosen a turnbuckle, but the referee saw it. That led to Ripley tripping up Cody on the apron (the referee didn’t see it) and Dominik was back out to send Cody into the ring post. They were back in the ring, then back out and Dominik send Cody into the hood of the commentary table with Cody’s hands hitting the table. Cody beat the ten count back in the ring and Dominik hit a back elbow for a one count. The fans were singing a song, which led to Dominik hitting two suplexes and Cody hit a delayed suplex into a slam. Cody hit a running forearm, then he jumped over a charging Dom and Cody hit a powerslam. Cody hit a Disaster Kick off the ropes for two. The fans were doing some Cody Rhodes song as Ripley distracted Cody and Dominik got a rollup for two. Dominik with a dropkick into the ropes, but Cody blocked a 619 kick attempt. Cody hit an Alabama Slam. Cody with the springboard Cody Cutter followed by Cross Rhodes for the pinfall win at 8:41.
Winner by pinfall: Cody Rhodes
Analysis: **3/4 A dominant win by Cody Rhodes, but they were able to stretch it to nearly ten minutes due to Rhea Ripley helping Dominik Mysterio cheat at different times in the match. It was a predictable result because Dominik just isn’t on Cody’s level in terms of star power, so Cody winning clean was the right result.
Cody Rhodes celebrated the win, greeted the crowd, kissed the mat and the fans chanted “WHOA-OH” right on cue again.
Analysis: There were rumors of Brock Lesnar showing up to attack Cody Rhodes, but there was no sign of him. I assume we get Cody-Brock at SummerSlam with a stipulation since
A commercial aired about Most Wanted Treasures and Stone Cold Takes On America on Sunday night. Both shows are on A&E.
John Cena’s music hit to a huge pop! It’s John Cena making a surprise appearance. Wow. The crowd was going crazy because this wasn’t rumored or advertised. Cena was in his usual gear looking ready to go. The fans were singing his song.
Let’s Hear from John Cena
John Cena: “Surprise!” Cena said he’s used to hearing the crowd sing that “John Cena Sucks” and instead they flipped it around by singing his song. Cena said that this was the first Premium Live Event in London in over 20 years. Cena asked what the hell took them so long to spend some time with them? Cena said it’s not up to him, it’s up to the decision makers. Cena claimed that they don’t know how to necessarily feel about London. Cena claimed that they think is a hostile environment, the fans are sometimes a distraction and even try to take over the show. The fans cheered that! Cena said that you are the voice, you are the heartbeat and you are not trying to take over the show because you are the show. Cena asked: “So why am I here?”
Cena said he was there on behalf of the fans. Cena said he wants the world to know that these fans are underappreciated. Cena said he’s big on respect and over 20 years of his experience, the fans have earned his respect. The fans did a loud “Thank You Cena” chant. Cena said that they don’t like when the performers stop and the fans do that, but Cena said it makes it so much fun. Cena said that there is not a more exciting audience than the audience in the United Kingdom. Cena said he was there to try to bring WrestleMania to London. The fans were cheering and going crazy. Cena said he’s not there for one more match. Cena said that he wants to give something to the audience that he loves. Cena told the crowd to make some noise and let them know what WrestleMania is going to sound like. The fans cheered…but here’s an interruption.
Grayson Waller from Smackdown interrupted the promo saying he loved everything from Cena’s career. Waller said he loved the jorts and he has watched every one of Cena’s movies. The fans were chanting “shut the f**k up” and Waller praised Cena’s performance in Scooby Doo. Waller got into the ring to tell Cena he was disappointed that Cena was lying to these people. Waller dismissed the idea of WrestleMania in England. Waller said that if WrestleMania is going overseas it needs to be somewhere beautiful, good weather, nice beaches and it needs to go somewhere like Australia, so that led to boos. The fans were chanting “wanker” at Waller, who said “trust me I don’t need to.” Good line! Waller claimed that things aren’t going well for Cena since he lost to Austin Theory at WrestleMania, lost to Roman Reigns and lost to The Fiend at WrestleMania. The fans were chanting “f**k him up, Cena” and Waller said that Cena needs to have a viral moment.
Waller claimed he could help Cena save his career. Waller pitched his talk show with Cena as the guest at WrestleMania Australia. Cena passed on that. Waller claimed nobody says no to him. Cena said that he was trying to have the fans tell the world why WrestleMania should be in London. Waller hit Cena in the back with a forearm. Waller celebrated that, Cena got right back up and hit the Attitude Adjustment. Waller took a big bump and went out to the floor. Cena quickly left to cheers.
Analysis: That was an incredible moment with a surprise appearance from John Cena. I certainly didn’t see that coming, nor did most people, I’m sure. It’s awesome that they gave the British fans that special moment. I loved what Cena said about WrestleMania going to London, which would probably be at Wembley Stadium. We know WrestleMania 40 is in Philadelphia next year, so maybe WWE has a plan to have London host WrestleMania 41 in 2025. I don’t know why you would have Cena out there pushing it unless WWE had a plan to do it. Waller played the role of the cocky, young heel being disrespectful and he got his ass kicked as you would expect. I liked the segment overall.
There was a video package promoting the Women’s Money in the Bank Ladder Match. All six women in the match qualified for it by winning matches over the last month.
Bayley was up first as the only woman in the match that has a Money in the Bank win in her career. Ring announcer Samantha Irvin goofed and said Bayley was in Judgment Day instead of Damage CTRL. Oops. IYO SKY was up next as Bayley’s ally in the Damage CTRL group. Zelina Vega was the third woman introduced in the match. Zoey Stark was next as a newcomer on the main roster. Trish Stratus was up next as my favorite woman in the match and she walked down to the ring with Stark at the same time. That left Becky Lynch to make her entrance as the final woman in the match with the crowd giving Becky the loudest ovation out of any woman in the match.
Women’s Money in the Bank Ladder Match: Bayley vs. IYO SKY vs. Zelina Vega vs. Trish Stratus vs. Zoey Stark vs. Becky Lynch
The six women are competing for the white Money in the Bank briefcase that is hanging above the ring.
Lynch was attacked by Stark and Stratus on the floor to start the match. Vega hit double knees on Bayley on the floor. The fans were singing the “Hey Bayley” song that they like to do. Trish threw Sky into a ladder and Stark sent Bayley into a ladder. Stark delivered a kick to Bayley while on the floor. Sky tried a move off the apron, but Stark sent Sky into a ladder. Lynch got back into things briefly, but Stark knocked her down again. Trish and Stark set up a ladder, but Bayley and Sky stopped that. Vega hit Stark with a running knee. Bayley yelled at the fans to shut up during their singing routine. Bayley brought a big ladder into the ring, so Vega dropkicked Bayley. Vega hit a hurricanrana on Sky. Bayley and Sky took turns ramming Vega into the ladder repeatedly. Sky and Bayley couldn’t decide who should climb, so Lynch got back into it to knock both of them down. Lynch tried a climb, Stark stopped that and Lynch sent Stark into the ladder. Lynch delivered repeated kicks to Stark’s chest. Lynch applied an armbar to Stark using the ladder, but Trish made the save with a headscissors on Lynch. Trish took down Bayley with a headscissors. Trish tried a climb while Sky was on the other side, but Trish managed to kick Sky down. Vega stepped over Trish’s back to try a climb, but Stark stopped that. Bayley sent Trish into the turnbuckle. Bayley sent Lynch into one of the ladders and Bayley hit an elbow drop off the ladder onto Lynch. Sky tried a climb, but Stark and Vega pulled the ladder away. Sky wasn’t near the briefcase, but she was at the top of the ladder and Sky hit a moonsault off a huge ladder onto four women! Wow. That was great. The crowd chanted “Iyo” for that. The replay showed that Trish was holding the ladder for Sky there. Trish did a ladder climb, she had her hand on the briefcase and then Lynch was there as they exchanged punches. Lynch shoved Trish down and Lynch punched Stark. Vega jumped off a ladder with a cross body block on Lynch and Trish at the same time. Sky tried a springboard move, Vega avoided it and Vega sent Sky out of the ring. Lynch and Trish hit a double Powerbomb on Vega. Lynch and Trish got into a slugfest as Lynch sent Trish into the turnbuckle. Bayley and Sky set up a ladder bridge. Lynch kicked Sky out of the ring and Trish hit Stratusfaction on Bayley onto a ladder. Stark sent Lynch into the ring post.
Stark grabbed handcuffs from under the ring. Trish worked over Trish with punches. Stark put a handcuff on Lynch’s left wrist but Lynch avoided the right hand from being handcuffed as Lynch beat up Stark and Trish. Lynch avoided a double team attack by Stark and Trish. Lynch sent Trish over the commentary table and sent Stark onto a ladder bridge from the apron to the table. Lynch fought with Trish on the commentary table and Lynch hit the Manhandle Slam on Trish onto a ladder! Ouch. Stark hit a Blockbuster neckbreaker on Lynch on the floor. Back in the ring, Vega and Stark fought on top of a ladder as Vega hit Stark with a flip flop. Vega hit a Code Red off the top of the ladder onto the ladder bridge! Wow. That was a crazy move. Cole was screaming about it and the fans were chanting “this is awesome” for them. Sky was all alone in the ring as she climbed up the ladder and she touched the briefcase, but Bayley pushed the ladder over to send Sky into the ropes. Cole put over the story that Bayley screwed over her teammate Sky. Bayley tried a climb, but Lynch used the handcuff to fishhook Bayley’s mouth. Lynch and Bayley were both trying to climb and then Lynch kicked Sky down. Bayley was trapped in the middle of the ladder, so Sky used the handcuffs to handcuff Lynch’s left wrist to Bayley’s right wrist! The fans cheered. Sky climbed over Bayley’s body and Sky sat on top of the ladder and reached up to grab the white Money in the Bank briefcase for the win! Iyo Sky wins! It went 18:05.
Winner: IYO SKY
Analysis: **** That was a great match, especially in the second half of it. They took some huge bumps in this match too, so kudos to all six women for taking a beating in this match and putting on a show. The handcuff going on Lynch’s hand early in the match and then Sky using it for the finish was a brilliant way to end it. That match ending really puts over Sky for being a smart wrestler that figured out a way to get the win by using the handcuffs to her advantage. We saw Vega take out herself and Zoey Stark with the Code Red onto the ladder to show how crazy some of these women were in the match. Sky hit some big moves including that moonsault. I thought Stratus & Stark had some smart heel moments in the match, but they were never really threats to win. I’m glad Sky won. She was my pick.
IYO SKY celebrated with the Money in the Bank briefcase as the fans chanted “you deserve it” for her.
Analysis: I think we are going to see IYO SKY as a babyface in the future. The fans are really getting behind her, so this could lead to Sky getting pushed as a face in the near future.
There were replays of the Men’s Money in the Bank Ladder match earlier in the night won by Damian Priest.
A video package aired setting up the World Heavyweight Title match between champion Seth “Freakin” Rollins and challenger Finn Balor.
There were two matches left. The challenger Finn Balor made his entrance wearing the black/purple colors of The Judgment Day. Seth “Freakin” Rollins made his entrance as the WWE World Heavyweight Champion with the fans singing the song loudly as usual. At one point while Rollins was making his entrance, Balor was shaking his head “no” as if to say he hates this entrance.
WWE World Heavyweight Championship: Seth “Freakin” Rollins vs. Finn Balor
Rollins had some black Kinesio tape on the left side of his ribs to sell the injury he has going into this match. The fans kept singing Seth’s song even though the music stopped playing. Balor kicked Rollins in the left side of the ribs along with punches. Rollins sent Balor out of the ring followed by a suicide dive on Balor on the floor. Rollins ran over Balor with a clothesline on the floor. Rollins hit a leg drop to the back of the head while Balor was near the ropes. Balor went for a stomp on the ribs, Rollins avoided it at first, but Balor tripped up Rollins and hit a stomp to the ribs. Balor hit an elbow drop to the ribs. Balor rammed Rollins ribs-first into the turnbuckle. Balor tired up Rollins against the ropes leading to a hard kick to the right side of the ribs. They were battling on the floor with Balor stomping on Seth’s ribs repeatedly. Back in the ring, Balor hit a running shoulder tackle to the ribs. Rollins kicked a charging Balor followed by a clothesline. Rollins worked over Balor with punches, kicks to the face and a backbreaker. Rollins hit a running knee, but Rollins was too hurt to make a cover. Balor came back with a reverse DDT with an elbow smash for two. Rollins sat up telling Balor to bring the fight to him, so Balor worked over Rollins with punches. Balor hit a Slingblade neckbreaker. Rollins came back with a superkick and Buckle Bomb into the turnbuckle. Rollins went for a Frog Splash off the top, Balor got the knees up and Balor hit a dropkick into the turnbuckle. Balor went up top, Rollins went after him and Balor did a front suplex off the top. Balor went for the Coup de Grace, Rollins avoided it, Balor avoided The Stomp and Balor got a rollup for two. Rollins with a step up enziguri, Rollins blocked a kick and Rollins hit a Pedigree leading to a slow cover for two. That was the cue for Damian Priest to arrive with the Money in the Bank briefcase at ringside.
Rollins was looking at Priest, so Balor got a rollup for two. Rollins superkicked Balor out of the ring. The fans were chanting “Cash It In” at Priest, who sat down on a chair at ringside. Balor capitalized on that by hitting a dropkick into he barricade. Balor sent Rollins ribs-first into the commentary table. Balor hit a double foot stomp on the floor two times in a row. Back in the ring, Balor dropkicked Rollins into the turnbuckle. Balor went up top, Priest stood up at ringside, Balor looked at Priest, so Balor was distracted and Balor jumped off the top, which led to Rollins moving. Rollins hit The Stomp on Balor for the pinfall win at 12:30.
Winner by pinfall: Seth “Freakin” Rollins
Analysis: ***1/2 I thought it was a very good match that was never great at any point, but an entertaining World Title match overall. Balor did a nice job of attacking the ribs throughout the match. That was the right story to tell. Balor stomped on Rollins multiple times on the floor, but then Balor was distracted by his buddy Priest at ringside and that delay allowed Rollins to move out of the way. One stomp from Rollins and that was it. This wasn’t as long as I thought it would be, but it was still a competitive match that was fun to watch.
After the match, Rollins had a staredown with Priest.
Following some replays, Finn Balor argued with Damian Priest about why he was there. Balor was yelling about how he waited seven years for this. Priest was trying to explain that he was just watching the match.
Analysis: It will be interesting to see if Priest or Balor leaves The Judgment Day due to their issues. I think Priest is more likely to be a face, but I think it’s better for The Judgment Day to stay united for the long term.
This Friday on Smackdown: The Grayson Waller Effect hosts Edge.
A video package aired about Edge. He recently celebrated 25 years since his WWE career started.
The Undisputed WWE Tag Team Champions Kevin Owens & Sami Zayn were interviewed by Kayla Braxton from a private box they were sitting in. Owens said it was great to be there in London and they successfully defended their titles on Smackdown. Owens said the crowd has been electric and thanked them. Sami Zayn spoke about The Bloodline Civil War match saying tonight’s the night that Roman Reigns will get exactly what’s coming to him.
Analysis: That’s fine to have a quick interview like that before the main event. It’s also smart to do it with Zayn and Owens since they were involved in The Bloodline story so much.
A commercial aired for SummerSlam again.
This Monday on Raw in Baltimore: Rhea Ripley will defend the Women’s World Title against Natalya.
There was a lengthy video package for The Bloodline Civil War match between Roman Reigns & Solo Sikoa against The Usos. Excellent video package. It went about five minutes.
The Usos (Jimmy & Jey Uso) made their entrance to a huge pop. They were wearing their “Down Since Day One Ish” shirt. The fans were solidly behind The Usos in this match, no doubt about that. Jimmy had a very serious look on his face while Jey was focused as well.
The entrance of the Undisputed WWE Universal Champion Roman Reigns, Solo Sikoa and the “Wise Man” Paul Heyman was next. Reigns was wearing the gold Undisputed WWE Universal around his waist while Heyman was carrying the WWE and Universal Titles. I was told by people that the WWE Title Heyman was carrying actually has Brock Lesnar’s logo on the side plates, so maybe they forgot Roman’s WWE Title in the US. I don’t know. It’s been 1,035 days for Roman Reigns as the Universal Champion. Cole said the last time Reigns was pinned or submitted was December 15, 2019. Roman’s entrance took about five minutes with the longer entrance area in this building. Ring announcer Mike Rome did the introductions to begin the match.
The Bloodline Civil War: Roman Reigns & Solo Sikoa (w/Paul Heyman) vs. The Usos – Jimmy & Jey Uso
Jimmy started the match against his younger brother Solo, who shoved Jimmy into the turnbuckle. Jimmy charged leading to a body slam from Solo. Jimmy delivered some chops, Solo delivered an uppercut and a chop to the chest. Jey delivered a cheap shot kick to Solo, then Jey tagged in and Jey hit a corner splash. Reigns demanded the tag so Solo obliged. Reigns faced off against cousin Jey leading to Reigns hitting a shoulder tackle. Reigns knocked down Jey again with a back elbow. Reigns worked over Jey with a headbutt. Jimmy tagged in as The Usos went for a double superkick, but Reigns bailed from the ring. Heyman tried to motivate Reigns saying that The Usos want Roman’s sons to acknowledge them – The Usos. Reigns was focused as he faced off with Jey again Reigns beat up Jey with some punches. After Jey got some punches in, Reigns came back with an uppercut on Jey. The heels were in control as Solo headbutted brother Jey (headbutted his own hands while stomping on the mat) a few times. Solo squeezed on Jey’s shoulder, Jey broke free and Jimmy got the tag as The Usos hit a double kick. Jimmy went for a leaping attack, but Solo nailed brother Jimmy with a forearm to the head. The crowd sang a song about how if you hate Roman then stand up, so most of the crowd was standing and Reigns sat down on the apron. Reigns told Heyman that England are bunch of idiots and it’s the dumbest place of all time. Anyway, Solo kept on working over Jimmy in the corner and Solo hit a running hip attack on Jimmy. After some more strikes from Solo, Reigns tagged in. Reigns hit the Drive By kick on the apron on Jimmy for a two count. Reigns worked over Jimmy with corner clotheslines and a big boot for two. Solo applied the nerve hold on Jimmy’s left shoulder. Reigns tagged in, Jimmy tossed Solo out of the ring and Solo pulled Jey off the apron to prevent a tag. Reigns clotheslined Jimmy to knock him down. Solo decked Jimmy with a clothesline while they were on the floor. The fans were chanting “Tribal Wanker” at Reigns, which is a chant they chanted a few times during the match. Back in the ring, Reigns wanted a Superman Punch, Jimmy avoided it and Jimmy hit a cross body block on Reigns to send them both over the top to the floor.
Jey tagged in against Solo with Jey hitting a kick to the gut, uppercut and a spinning kick to the head. Jey was on the apron, jumping kick to Solo and Jey jumped off the top with a cross body block on Solo for two. Jey hit the running hip attack on Solo in the corner. Jey charged again, Solo caught him, Reigns made a blind tag and Jey clotheslined Reigns out of the ring. Jey hit a suicide dive on Reigns on the floor. Jey hit a suicide dive on Solo on the other side of the ring. Reigns blocked a dive by Jey with a punch. Back in the ring, Reigns hit a Superman Punch. Reigns set up in the corner, Jimmy made the tag and The Usos hit a double Spear on Reigns for a two count because Solo made the save. All four guys were down in the ring. They took their time getting back up and it turned into a four way fight. Jey and Solo left the ring with Jey sending Solo into the ring post. When Jimmy tried a head kick, Reigns avoided it and Reigns hit a Superman Punch for two. When Reigns charged this time, Jimmy kicked him and Jimmy hit another superkick. Jimmy went up top and jumped off with a splash, but Reigns caught Jimmy with a Guillotine Choke in the middle of the ring. Jimmy looked like he was going to pass out, but Jimmy was still alive. Jimmy drove Reigns into the turnbuckle, Jey made the tag and Reigns tried to choke Jimmy again, so Jimmy pushed back on Reigns and referee Dan Engler bumped to the floor. Here we go. Jey hit Roman with a superkick and The Usos hit 1D…but there was no referee to count. The crowd counted Reigns down, but there was no referee to do it. The Usos tried a double splash, but Solo was back up and Solo/Reigns hit uranage slams on both Usos. Solo hit Jimmy with a Samoan Spike. Solo hit Jey with a Samoan Spike at the same time that Reigns hit Jey with a Spear. Reigns stacked Jimmy on top of Jey so that both of their shoulders were covered as referee Engler was back up for one…two…and no! Both Usos got their shoulders up. Wow. What a great nearfall there. The fans popped huge for that double kickout.
Reigns and Solo beat up The Usos some more as Solo sent Jimmy into the steel steps. Solo cleared off the commentary table. Solo superkicked Jimmy onto the commentary table. Solo climbed onto the barricade, he jumped off and Jimmy moved so Solo went crashing through the table. Reigns was stunned by what he just saw. Back in the ring, Jey superkicked Reigns, then Reigns hit a Superman Punch, Jey hit a superkick and Reigns hit a Spear. Jey kicked out of it with a right handed uppercut that was like a low blow to Reigns. It’s a kickout that Reigns has down in the past as well. The fans were chanting “this is awesome” for them. On the replay, the announcers pointed out Jey doing the low blow kickout. Jimmy tagged in, then both Usos each hit superkicks and then a double Uso superkick. Double Uso superkick on Solo. Double Uso superkick on Roman. Jey went up top and he hit an Uso Splash on Reigns for the one…two…and three! The Usos did it! It went 32:10.
Winners by pinfall: The Usos – Jimmy & Jey Uso
Analysis: ****1/4 It wasn’t great the whole way, but it definitely was in the second half. That was a lot of fun. Very dramatic. I thought the first half was really slow, but then the second half really picked up the pace and had a lot of dramatic moments. There were so many awesome near finishing spots in this match especially when Reigns tried the stacked pin and both Usos kicked out at the same time. I don’t necessarily love the referee bump, but we are used to them in Roman matches. The low blow kickout by Jey is what led to Roman’s downfall because then The Usos hit Roman with a barrage of superkicks followed by Jey hitting the Uso Splash for the pinfall win. The way they put over the low blow kickout as a big moment was really well done because it’s something Reigns used in the past to win matches, so having Jey use that against Reigns is brilliant storytelling. All four guys did great in the match, but having Jey pin Roman to win was absolutely the right call for the finish.
This photo is so awesome. Jimmy’s reaction to Jey pinning Roman tells the story perfectly.
The Usos celebrated the win by hugging. Cole was screaming about how Reigns was beatable and it was the first time that Reigns was pinned in 3.5 years since it was December 2019.
The Usos remained in the ring while Reigns was down on the side of the ring while Solo was down on the table. The fans loved it as The Usos had their hands raised in the ring. Reigns had an angry look on his face while The Usos continued to celebrate. End show.
Analysis: The obvious direction for where things go next will probably be Jey Uso challenging Roman Reigns for the Undisputed WWE Universal Title at SummerSlam. Since Jey pinned Reigns in this match, Jey has earned that title shot and I think that’s what will happen. They could have somebody else challenge Reigns, but I think for the story they are telling, it makes the most sense for Jey to challenge Reigns since he beat Reigns here.
There was a video package recapping the show.
This event had a runtime of 3:40:00 on WWE Network. It was 23 minutes longer than Night of Champions. That’s not a complaint. Both shows were around the right length.
[sided-debate-embed debate-id=”27813″]
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Five Stars of the Show
- The Usos
- Damian Priest
- IYO SKY
- Roman Reigns-Solo Sikoa
- Ricochet, Logan Paul, Becky Lynch, Seth “Freakin” Rollins and more.
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Final Thoughts
I’m going with an 8 out of 10 for this show.
It was another great WWE PLE/PPV this year. All six of them so far this year have been excellent. The two Money in the Bank Ladder Matches were outstanding. I rated the men’s match a bit higher due to the overall craziness of it (that Ricochet/Logan Paul spot on the tables was crazy!), but the women’s match was a lot of fun with a brilliant ending. Having IYO SKY handcuff Becky Lynch and Bayley together so that Sky could climb to win was so cool. I loved the creativity of it. Damian Priest wasn’t my pick to win the men’s match because I wanted LA Knight to win (so did the amazing London crowd), but Priest has had a very good year, so it’s nice to see hard work being rewarded like that.
The main event tag team match with The Usos beating Roman Reigns & Solo Sikoa was yet another emotional Reigns match except this time it had a different ending because Jey pinned The Tribal Chief. It was Roman’s first time being pinned in 3.5 years, so that’s a big deal and it could lead to Jey challenging Roman for the Undisputed WWE Universal Title at SummerSlam. Why not? I think that would be the right decision for sure. The first half of the match was a little slow, but then the dramatic nearfalls happened in the second half and it was incredible to watch. All four guys killed it. That family should be proud.
I liked the Seth Rollins-Finn Balor match from a story standpoint with Finn working on the ribs and Rollins coming back to win because Balor was looking at Priest on the floor. I certainly didn’t expect Shayna Baszler to attack Ronda Rousey to cost that team the Women’s Tag Team Titles against Raquel & Liv. That felt weird. Easy wins for Cody Rhodes and GUNTHER as expected. It was awesome seeing Drew McIntyre make his return and confront GUNTHER. They killed it at WrestleMania 39 as a triple threat, so let’s see it as a singles match at SummerSlam.
Lastly, I loved seeing John Cena making a surprise appearance just to say that England deserves a WrestleMania. He’s right about that. I hope it happens. Grayson Waller got to be the annoying heel, so Cena hit the Attitude Adjustment and the fans loved him for that. The London crowd was incredible. No surprise there.
My WWE PLE/PPV rankings for 2023 look like this.
WrestleMania 39 – 8.75 (out of 10)
Elimination Chamber – 8.25
Backlash – 8
Money in the Bank – 8
Night of Champions – 7.75
Royal Rumble – 7.5
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As a reminder, I have a listing of every WWE PPV that I reviewed in order by year. Thank you for supporting us at TJRWrestling. We appreciate you.
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Email: mrjohncanton@gmail.com
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