Sunday, July 18th, 2021
Dickies Arena
Fort Worth, Texas
Follow me on Twitter: @WorkTheNetwork2
Just for documentation purposes, this is the first live pay-per-view of the return to live audiences.
Women's Money In The Bank Ladder Match
Alexa Bliss vs. Liv Morgan vs. Nikki A.S.H. vs. Natalya vs. Tamina vs. Zelina Vega vs. Naomi vs. Asuka
All the ladies run outside to grab ladders and Alexa Bliss is standing on the corner watching. She starts skipping in the middle of the ring and tries to use special powers to grab the briefcase, but she's attacked and now we get the spot where everyone runs in and hits a signature move. Tamina gets some big boos until Bliss jumps on her back. Asuka makes the save to start dominating and starts climbing on top or Tamina. Liv Morgan jumps on the ladder to slam it on Tamina and then knocks Asuka off. Natalya knocks her off the ladder. They start fighting over the ladder and then use it on Nikki. Naomi gets on top of it, but Tamina hits a Samoan Drop off of it. Natalya drives Liv into the corner and then Alexa attacks Natalya. She starts climbing up the ladder creepily, but is slowed down. She hits a drop toe hold onto the ladder onto Natalya. Alexa sets up the ladder, but Zelina climbs up to. Alexa starts using her powers on Zelina and makes her walk down. Natalya makes the save and hits the powerbomb. Naomi catches Liv Morgan and she powerbombs her onto Zelina onto a ladder. Naomi takes out the tag champs and hits a body slam and leg drop on Nikki onto a ladder. Natalya climbs up to the top of the ladder with Zelina on her back. Natalya loses consciousness and Zelina has her hands on the briefcase, but Liv runs up the ladder to make the save. Everyone starts brawling and then Nikki climbs to the top of the giant ladder and takes out everyone with a dive. Alexa stops her attempt of climbing and then she's attacked by the tag champs. On the outside of the ring the ladies all bury Alexa with a stack of ladders. Meanwhile, Liv tries to climb the ladder, but is taking forever to set it up. Tamina grabs her leg, but she drops down and hits a hurricanrana on her. Natalya clubs her with a forearm. Liv then fights off them and Asuka and starts climbing. Naomi is also there and then Naomi, Tamina, Asuka and Natalya are all up there. In comes Nikki and they all start brawling. Nikki sneaks up and grabs the briefcase. Umm...sure? This was pretty good, but it had a lot of awkward spots and not enough memorable parts. Nikki's a hard worker, but they are banking on her new gimmick being over. Liv Morgan to me was the only choice here, but what do I know?
Match Rating: ***1/4
They show clips of the Usos winning the SmackDown Tag Team Championships on the pre-show. Roman Reigns is backstage and they do more of the schtick that everyone loves except me.
Raw Tag Team Championship Match
Viking Raiders vs. AJ Styles & Omos
Styles starts, but instantly tags in Omos. He takes care of business and then in comes AJ to keep the momentum. The crowd is chanting for AJ here. AJ eats a huge knee from Erik and they get a nearfall. Omos tosses AJ over the top rope and he hits a hurricanrana on Erik. That was beautiful. This probably should have been the pre-show match, but AJ is doing everything in his power to take advantage of his time here. Erik hits a big back body drop and tags in Ivar. Ivar does the cartwheel and hits a big clothesline for a 2 count. AJ is able to make the tag to Omos. He catches Ivar by the throat off the second rope and then hits a big body slam on a big man. Oh boy, Omos uses the nerve hold. The Raiders use some double team work on AJ including a clothesline/German suplex combo. AJ fights back and hits the Pele kick on Ivar climbing the turnbuckles. In comes Omos and he gorilla presses Ivar and tries pinning him with one foot, but Ivar is able to kick out. The Raiders work together to get Omos down to one knee. Omos gets clotheslined over the top rope and the poor guy telegraphed that one by a mile. Erik hits a dive on him to the outside and AJ rolls up Ivar for a 2 count. The Raiders hit the Viking Experience, but Omos knocks Erik and he falls on top of Ivar to break up the pin. Omos is about as green of a wrestler as you will ever see in such a prominent role, but they have done a nice job of coming up with fun spots for him to hit to distract you from that. Omos hits a double handed chokeslam on Erik and the champs retain their titles. AJ busted his butt here and the Raiders looked good as well. This was entertaining and ended up being better than I had expected.
Match Rating: ***
Drew McIntyre is backstage for an interview. He says that he doesn't want to win this match tonight, he has to win this match.
WWE Championship Match
Kofi Kingston vs. Bobby Lashley
Kofi starts off with a sloppy sunset flip for a 2 count, but Lashley just takes out his anger immediately after with a vicious clothesline. Lashley catches Kofi off the second rope and then hits a variation of the spinebuster. Lashley tosses Kofi over the top rope to the floor and drives him into the ring post. Lashley puts on the full nelson, but Kofi spins him around and hits a suplex. Lashley is all in here tonight and Kofi is bumping around like crazy. Lashley hits the Dominator not once, but twice. Make it three times. Where has this Lashley been all these years? He puts on the Hurt Lock and that is all. This was an absolutely awesome display by Lashley and credit to Kofi for helping make him look so good here. These types of matches are hard to rate, but as far as matches like this go, this was really well done.
Match Rating: **3/4
Raw Women's Championship Match
Rhea Ripley vs. Charlotte Flair
We have the "We want Becky" chants right off the bat here. Ripley hits Charlotte off the apron, but misses with her somersault off the apron. Charlotte hits a running dropkick that sends Ripley into the barricade. Ripley battles back and this time hits the somersault. Ripley hits a really nice German suplex and it feels like they are trying to break the record for the most instant replays in a match. Charlotte sidesteps a missile dropkick and she puts it into a Boston Crab. Ripley counters that and then a Figure Four attempt into a pin attempt. Charlotte hits a big boot to the face and goes up for the moonsault. Ripley knocks her down and puts her up on her shoulders. Charlotte counters and then Ripley counters that into an impressive suplex. Charlotte hits a top rope moonsault to the floor on Ripley and tosses her back in the ring. Ripley goes for Rip Tide, but Charlotte counters it into a DDT, but Ripley kicks out. You'll never guess it, but Charlotte is shocked that she kicked out. Charlotte is now crying and they start trading forearms. Charlotte hits a weird back elbow and then puts her feet on the rope for the pin, but the ref sees her. Charlotte hits a Natural Selection from the top rope and Ripley somehow kicks out. They are really working hard and they have really won the crowd over here. Charlotte drives Ripley's head into the ring post and then places Ripley's leg between the steps and post. She starts kicking the steps and puts her in the Figure Eight. Ripley taps and Charlotte is once again the Raw Women's Champion after a really good match. Charlotte shows a little bit more fire than usual as she celebrates her victory.
Match Rating: ****
Men's Money In The Bank Match
Kevin Owens vs. Riddle vs. King Nakamura vs. Ricochet vs. John Morrison vs. Big E vs. Seth Rollins vs. Drew McIntyre
Well, Peacock is having terrible technical difficulties here and has been glitching through all of the entrances here. The issue is not exclusive to me, it seems to be everyone. I can't believe they are starting this when they have to know that no one is able to watch it at home. Finally the stream is working, but I have easily missed about 5 minutes. After the fact review begins here: Everyone starts brawling to start things off. We get a dive fest early on from Ricochet and Riddle and the ring clears to Big E and Drew. The two big men fight off the rest of the competition and then go at it. Big E hits the Spear through the ropes on Drew and that looked scary. Owens and Nakamura are next to battle and Owens hurts his knee. Nakamura sets up the ladder, but Morrison interrupts. Morrison does a corkscrew over the ladder onto Nakamura. Morrison starts climbing, but Nakamura puts on an arm bar on the ladder. Rollins comes in and hits Nakamura with a knee off the top rope. Rollins and Morrison start taking out the competition with a ladder. End of the after the fact review. Morrison and Rollins set up a ladder on the table and ring. Owens is limping around and Morrison and Rollins attack him. Owens hits a moonsault off the second rope and onto the ladder, taking out both of them. His momentum is quickly stopped though, as Morrison and Rollins hit a double suplex onto the side of a ladder. McIntyre is now in there and he takes out both men. Morrison goes for some crazy flip off the top rope, but it didn't connect that great. Rollins turns on Morrison and hits him with the ladder. He goes to climb, but in comes Riddle, Ricochet and Big E. Riddle hits the RKO on Rollins. Rollins and Nakamura have a cool little segment and then McIntyre hits them with a double Claymore Kick. He hits the Future Shock on Big E and then slams Ricochet face-first onto a ladder. Drew then hits a leaping senton over the top rope onto his opponents. McIntyre begins to climb the ropes and then gets attacked by Jinder Mahal and his cronies that I didn't know existed. Really? They drag him to the back and then Riddle starts climbing. Ricochet walks on the ropes and jumps on the ladder. He knocks Riddle off, so Riddle pushes over the ladder. Ricochet lands on the top rope and he hits a springboard dive to teh floor. Ricochet comes back in and battles with Riddle again up top. Rollins is back in and sets up a ladder. Big E grabs Rollins and tosses him out. Riddle hits a RKO on Big E and Ricochet and then Rollins hits him with the Stomp. Nakamura hits a Go To Sleep and he climbs the ladder by himself. Morrison is up there and sprays him in the face. Owens knocks Morrison off and hits the Stunner. Nakamura slows him down, but he too eats a Stunner. Ricochet pulls Owens down, blocks the Stunner, but gets a pop up powerbomb instead. Owens gets his hand on the briefcase, but Rollins grabs him and hits a powerbomb over the top rope and through the ladder that was set up earlier. Rollins is climbing, but Big E is there. Big E hits the Big Ending from the ladder and grabs the briefcase to a a big pop from the crowd.
Match Rating: ****
Seth Rollins is snapping backstage while in pain after the match. He then says that he needs a new plan and that he's next in line for whoever wins the Universal Championship match tonight.
Universal Championship Match
Edge vs. Roman Reigns
The crowd is super into this, which is no surprise. Also as expected, this match starts off slowly with lots of character work. Reigns hits a series of clubbing blows and then throws Edge into the ring post shoulder first. Reigns hits a Drive By, but Reigns misses with the Superman Punch. Edge almost scores a victory and they hit a double kick. Edge hits a clothesline and Edge-cution. Edge gets Reigns in the tree of woe and stomps a mudhole. Edge puts him in the STF, but Reigns is able to get to the ropes. Reigns goes for the Guillotine and Edge begins to fade. Edge counters by forcing Reigns to the ropes and both men fall to the floor. Edge moves out of the way of a Reigns Spear and he goes through the barricade. Edge stops the ref's count and then hits him with a Spear, sending him through another barricade. He carries Reigns back to the ring, but Reigns kicks out of the pin attempt. Reigns battles back and hits the Superman Punch. Edge bumps into the ref and he is down. Reigns grabs a chair and he kicks off a piece of the chair and brings it into the ring. Robinson for some reason has now rolled out of the ring and to the floor. Reigns tries to use that in a submission, but Edge fights out of it and hits a series of headbutts. Edge puts on the crossface with the piece of chair in his mouth. Out come the Usos, but the Mysterios are there to stop them. All of this is occurring behind the back of Edge, while he continues to apply the pressure. Now Seth Rollins is there and he hits a kick to the back of the head of Edge. Reigns goes for the Spear, but Edge hits him with it first, but there is no ref. A new ref runs in, but Reigns kicks out at 2. Rollins gets on the apron, but Edge kicks him off. Reigns hits Edge with the Spear and that is all. Reigns retains in a lengthy main event match that took it's time to get to the finish. I didn't dislike it, but probably didn't like it as much as most people. After the match, Rollins attacks Edge and tells Reigns that he'd be champ if it weren't for him. Edge then attacks Rollins and they start brawling in the crowd. Reigns grabs the mic and says now the whole world can acknowledge him. Cue JOHN CENA's music and an explosion from the crowd. He gives Reigns the "You can't see me" treatment and we go off the air. Well that was a way to end a show, huh?
Match Rating: ***
This was the WWE that we have all been missing. Good matches, good character work and a big surprise to end the show. I will have to go back and watch the beginning of the men's match tomorrow to give my official ranking, but either way, this one was an absolute winner. Awesome show.
Overall Rating: 87%
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