WWE Money in the Bank (July 2022)

Original Airdate: July 2, 2022

From Las Vegas, Nevada; Your Hosts are Jimmy Smith, Byron Saxton, and Corey Graves (RAW); Michael Cole and Pat McAfee (Smackdown)

Opening Money in the Bank Ladder Match: Becky Lynch v Alexa Bliss v Asuka v Liv Morgan v Lacey Evans v Raquel Rodriguez v Shotzi: “It’s like trying to strategize for the inside of a tornado,” the announcers note of the match type. Isn’t that exactly what you should do? Everyone but Becky and Asuka bail out right away, and Asuka beats Lynch up. She goes for a climb, but Becky blocks her, only to miss dropping a ladder on her. Morgan comes in, but gets knocked silly, and then Rodriguez comes in trying to lift both Becky and Morgan up with the ladder… but can’t quite manage the feat of strength. I feel like that old advice about how a trial lawyer should never ask a question they don’t already know the answer to is a lesson a lot of workers need to learn these days. Everyone trades off with overly complex and contrived ladder spots, ending in Bliss doing a dive that looks like it knocks her a little silly. She’s just so small to be doing those kinds of dangerous spots. Alexa tries climbing, but Rodriguez cuts her off, so Bliss sends her into a ladder with a headscissors. We get Asuka and Evans climbing opposite sides of the same ladder, but Becky tips them over, and the three of them trade off, dominated by Lacey. Everyone takes turns doing climbs/getting stopped, and Lynch nearly gets it, before Morgan sneaks past for the win at 16:33. I didn’t really feel this. It was just sort of the usual ladder stuff, with no particular story, or artistry to it. *

WWE United States Title Match: Theory v Bobby Lashley: Theory, outmatched by Bobby’s power, stalls some to start. Lashley goes after him, so Theory tries sticking and moving next, but just can’t overcome Lashley’s power. Spear looks to finish, so Theory drops into fetal position, and begs off. Lashley shows no mercy, and unloads turnbuckle smashes, as the announcers wonder about Bobby’s ‘maternal instincts’ without even a hint of irony. Theory manages a left hand for two, as the announcers go on and on about how young Theory is. He was a month shy of 25, not exactly that young for a professional athlete. That kind of says a lot about the state of the roster at this point. Theory gets a chinlock on, but Lashley powers to a vertical base, and nearly gets the full-nelson on, but Theory slips away. Bobby goes on the comeback trail anyway, as the announcers note that the ‘complexion’ of the match has changed. Complexion? Bobby with a press-powerslam for two, but the champ escapes the Dominator, so Lashley hooks a schoolboy for two. Theory responds with a drop-toehold into the buckles, and a dropkick gets the champion two. Fireman’s carry, but Lashley counters with a cradle for two, so Theory goes to the eyes. That allows him a spear, but Lashley counters another attempt at a fireman’s carry with the full-nelson at 11:01. ½*

WWE RAW Women's Title Match: Bianca Belair v Carmella: Both women have ‘money’ themed gear tonight, like they’re auditioning to be Ted DiBiase’s valet, or something. Belair takes her down at the bell, so Carmella bails to the apron to stall her. Carmella tries a matslam on the way back in, but Belair just isn’t having it, and throws a dropkick. Carmella tries a headscissors, but Belair counters with a two-alarm backbreaker, but Carmella dodges a handspring moonsault, and bails. Belair chases for a shoulderblock on the floor, so Carmella tries running away again, and she snaps the champ’s throat across the top rope when Belair chases. Carmella with a superkick for two, and a bronco buster is worth two. There’s a spot you wouldn’t think would still exist in 2022. Carmella works the rings of saturn, but Belair counters to a cradle for two, and she turnbuckle smashes her challenger. Bodyslam, but Carmella counters with another matslam. Belair fights back with a clothesline, and a hanging vertical suplex follows. Belair with a ten-punch in the corner, but a charge misses, and Carmella covers for two. Cradle gets her two, and another superkick is worth two. Carmella makes the mistake of slapping her around and talking trash, however, and the KOD retains at 7:12. This wasn’t terrible, but it was a little listless. ¾*

WWE Tag Team Title Match: The Usos v The Street Profits: The announcers wonder, if the Usos lose tonight, will it hurt Roman Reigns’ momentum in his feud with Brock Lesnar? Roman really is becoming Poochie. The challengers frustrate the Usos in the early going, but Angelo Dawkins runs into trouble, and gets worked over. The Usos cut the ring in half, but a collision allows Dawkins to get the tag to Montez Ford. Ford dives in, but lands in a superkick from Jey Uso for two, and the champs go back to work with their new victim, as the crowd starts to die off because the match is dragging on for so long. Ford reverses a suplex on the apron from Jimmy Uso to allow the hot tag back to Angelo, and Dawkins dives onto both champions. Dawkins runs wild on Jimmy, and a double-arm neckbreaker gets him two. A combo on Jimmy gets the Profits two, so Jey tags in, but eats an electric chair/flying somersault neckbreaker combo for two. Jey and Dawkins stagger to a vertical base for a slugfest, won by Dawkins. The Profits go for another combo, but Jimmy cuts it off, and the Usos hit Ford with stereo superkicks for two. Usos try a combo on Ford, but both champs end up getting dumped, and Montez does a suicide dive out after them. He rolls Jey back in for Dawkins to grab with a spinebuster, and Ford adds a flying splash for two - count broken by Jimmy. “The sound you hear is hearts breaking around the globe,” note the announcers. Yes, people everywhere want this thing to be over. It’s the great unifier. Everyone slugs it out, won by the Profits, but Dawkins gets superkicked on the outside, and dumped into the crowd. That allows the Usos a stereo superkick on him, and a pop-up/cutter combo finishes at 22:59. Not ‘bad,’ but nothing about this needed twenty three minutes. *

WWE Smackdown Women's Title Match: Ronda Rousey v Natalya: I’m honestly having trouble telling Natalya and Lacey Evans apart these days. Feeling out process to start, and Natalya grabs an anklelock to try for the submission but Ronda reverses. Natalya escapes, and tries a seated dropkick, but Ronda blocks, and goes back to the anklelock. Natalya makes the ropes before she can really lock it in, however, and the challenger bails to regroup. Ronda chases her back inside, but gets reversed into the ropes, and Natalya drops her with a discus clothesline for two. Natalya with mounted punches, and she works a chinlock, but Ronda won’t stay down. Natalya responds by putting the boots to her, as the announcers talk about how Natalya thinks this is “her moment, her time,” literally moments after reminding us that she’s been in the promotion for fifteen years. Well, I guess she just likes going at her own pace, then. Natalya works an abdominal stretch, but Rousey reverses. Natalya reverses back, and I feel like this would be triggering Gorilla Monsoon so hard right now. Ronda escapes, so Natalya drops her with a hangmans clothesline, followed by a corner whip. Charge, but Ronda blocks her with an elbow, and makes a comeback. Firemans carry, but Natalya counters to a rollup for two, and tries putting the champion in a cross-armbreaker. Ronda counters to the sharpshooter (complete with Shawn Michaels’ taunt, to really rub it in), but Natalya makes the ropes. Ronda goes for the arm, but Natalya dumps her to the outside to block, and Rousey injures her knee on the landing. Natalya slaps on a Sharpshooter out on the apron, but Ronda manages to send her onto the post to escape, in a nasty bump. Natalya beats the count, so Ronda picks her up in the firemans carry, but the knee gives out. That allows Natalya to go for the Sharpshooter again, but Rousey counters to an anklelock. Natalya counters back to the Sharpshoter, but but Rousey blocks, getting the armbreaker on for the submission at 12:32. The work was really basic, but it told a story, and I’m bigger on a good story than a bunch of eye-popping spots, so this worked for me. **

WWE Smackdown Women's Title Match: Ronda Rousey v Liv Morgan: Liv shows up as soon as the last match ends, cashing in on Rousey’s injured knee. She tries kicking Rousey’s leg out from under her leg, but Ronda catches her leg, and takes her to the mat in the anklelock! Morgan manages to kick her in the bad knee to escape, however, and a schoolboy wins her the title at 0:31. DUD

Main Event: Money in the Bank Ladder Match: Drew McIntyre v Seth Rollins v Sheamus v Riddle v Sami Zayn v Omos v Madcap Moss v Theory: Theory is a last minute surprise addition to the match, so one guess who is going over here. Omos dominates the field early on, but fails to get up the ladder, and Sheamus tries. That leads to a slugfest with Drew, so Theory sneaks past both to climb, but that just unifies Drew and Sheamus. Theory gets beat up, but Drew and Sheamus can’t get along, and Rollins knocks both out of the ring with a ladder. Seth sets up a pedigree onto the ladder for Riddle, but gets backdropped onto it before he can deliver it, and Riddle hits Seth with a senton splash. Sami dumps Riddle before a climb can be made, however, and Sami climbs, but Moss cuts him off. Omos comes back in, so everyone attacks him with ladders, and literally bury him. Theory nearly gets the briefcase, but Moss pulls him off, and delivers a fallaway slam. Moss climbs, as McAfee gets very excited, noting that Moss should remember that “they’ll make documentaries about you forever” if he can do it. So, that’s the big prize in the world of professional wrestling these days? I guess royalties > title wins. Ric Flair could probably back me up on that one. Sheamus comes in and runs wild with his signature moves, as the announcers again discuss what winning this could ‘do for Sheamus’ family,’ as if he’s a young up and comer, and not a dude who has been in the promotion for over a decade, and already won multiple world titles. Omos digs himself out of the ladder grave the others buried him in, but the others again gang up on him again, and put him through the announce table. Everyone looks at each other and makes a mad dash for the ladders, and after a bunch of near gets, Riddle looks to have it won, but Theory shoves him off the top, and grabs the case at 25:29. I was really bored with this, and it went on forever. ½*

BUExperience: This one is notable for being the final show of the Vince McMahon era, and… that’s about it. 

DUD