Money In The Bank 2023 Review

Saturday, July 1st, 2023
O2 Arena
London, England

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Men's Money In The Bank Ladder Match
Butch vs. Shinsuke Nakamura vs. Santos Escobar vs. Damian Priest vs. Ricochet vs. LA Knight vs. Logan Paul

I did not realize that LA Knight is 40 years old. So three of the competitors are in their 40s and Santos is just months away from it. Knight hits a big DDT to a huge pop from the crowd, but then eats a kick to the head by Nakamura. Nakamura then hits a knee to the head of Priest, who is pinned behind a ladder in the corner. Butch pulls out a cricket paddle and starts clearing the ring. Priest takes him out and then Logan Paul talks him into working together. They both set up tables outside the ring next to each other. Paul wants a high five, Priest hits him with a fist to the face. Escobar hits Priest with a suicide dive and then Ricochet leaps through the ladder to the outside. LA Knight is left alone in the ring, but Paul takes him down before he can climb too high. Nakamura sets up Priest on the ladder, but he is tripped up by Paul. He goes up on the apron instead and hits a splash that couldn't have felt good for either men. Butch jumps on the back of Escobar at the top of the ladder and puts on a choke hold. He lays them down on the ladder on the ropes and the set up ladder and then they both get hit by a 450 splash from Ricochet. This sets up a brawl between all 7 men. Butch climbs the giant ladder outside the ring and hits a moonsault to the group. He starts climbing, but Paul pulls him down and starts climbing himself. Ricochet makes the save there and we then get Escobar, Nakamura and Knight climbing. Escobar hits a hurricanrana on Knight off the ladder. Nakamura climbs up with Escobar and then Ricochet and Paul springboard their way onto the ladders as well. They knock down the other ladder and battle up top. La Knight pushes them onto the ropes, but Paul slips. They decide to still do the spot and hit a Spanish Fly off the ropes and through the two tables set up earlier. That could have been bad. Yikes. Butch and Knight are at the top now. Butch goes for the joint manipulation on Knight's hand and sends him to the mat. Priest runs up and Butch tries again, but is sent to the mat. Knight gets to be the hero and the crowd can feel it. He disposes of Nakamura too and climbs up the ladder. He grabs the briefcase, but Priest grabs him by the throat. Priest throws him off the ladder. He falls too, so he climbs back up and picks up the briefcase for the victory. He was rumored to be the favorite, but I think I would have went with Paul. I also think Knight was a better choice here. The match itself had a good pace, but never got past the good zone.

Match Rating: ***1/2

We get a lengthy Ronda Rousey video package, leading to her and Baszler. Rousey just feels like another woman on the roster at this point. 

WWE Women's Tag Team Championship Match
Ronda Rousey & Shayna Baszler vs. Liv Morgan & Raquel Rodriguez

Rodriguez launces Morgan over the top onto both opponents early on in the match. I remember when Rodriguez and Baszler were both dominant and then they just weren't any more. Rodriguez gets a hot tag after a short heat segment and hits a fall away slam. Rousey is able to get an arm bar in on the top rope, but Rodriguez battles out of it and hits a powerbomb. The pin attempt is broken up by Baszler and both ladies make a tag. Rousey and Baszler put a double submission on Liv, but Rodriguez is able to break that up. Why is this show 3 hours and 38 minutes long? I thought they were starting to realize that going over 3 hours was a mistake? Baszler slaps on the Kirifuda Clutch, but Liv is fairly easily able to get out of it. Rousey tags in and then Baszler attacks her from behind? Liv just watches in shock and tags in Rodriguez. They both get in some offense and pin Rousey to win the highly coveted Women's Tag Team Championships. This was a match.

Match Rating: **

We get an interview with Damian Priest and he lists all of the championships for us. 

Intercontinental Championship Match
Matt Riddle vs. Gunther

Things start off intensely, with Gunther of course hitting some chops. Riddle is trying to continue to be aggressive, but Gunther has an answer for most of it. Riddle lands on his feet from a German suplex, but is immediately clotheslined. Riddle hits a knee strike and a kick to the face. He hits the Floating Bro, but Gunther kicks out. Gunther goes off the top rope, but Riddle catches him in a triangle choke. Gunther counters out into a powerbomb and then a half crab. Riddle tries to kick his way out of it, but Gunther attacks the leg more and Riddle taps out? Really? 

Match Rating: **

After the match, Drew McIntyre's music hits. Gunther shoves him, but Drew hits him with a Glasgow Kiss. He hits the Claymore Kick and holds up the Intercontinental Championship over Gunther. 

Dominik Mysterio vs. Cody Rhodes

This seems like such a random match to me. Dominik gets in a few shots and then tries to head to the back. Cody rips off his cast that he apparently doesn't need any more and chases after him. Dominik escapes a Cross Rhodes attempt and again tries to leave, this time through the crowd. Cody gets him again and this time Rhea distracts Cody. This allows Dominik to take off the top turnbuckle. Rhea trips up Cody and Dominik hits a suicide dive. After lots of chanting from the UK crowd, Cody makes a comeback. He hits a Disaster Kick, but Dominik kicks out at 2. Cody blocks a 619 attempt and hits a spinning Alabama Slam. Cody hits the Cody Cutter and Cross Rhodes for the victory. That's 3 matches in a row that just felt like Monday Night Raw.

Match Rating: *3/4

John Cena is out for a surprise and a big reaction. He's shocked that he's getting cheered here after years of getting booed. He wonders why it's taken so long to bring a show back to London. He says it's the decision makers choice and blames it on London being a hostile environment with the crowd taking over the show. Cena says that he is here to try to bring WrestleMania to London and the crowd goes crazy. Grayson Waller's music hits and he lets Cena know that he loves his jorts. Waller insults the crowd and the weather. He says that if WrestleMania is going international, Australia is a better choice. Waller talks about Cena losing his last few matches, so he offers to help save Cena's career by having him on his show. Cena passes on the offer and Waller attacks him from behind. Cena hits him with an Attitude Adjustment and that's it? That seemed like a pretty forced segment. I still can't get used to skinny Cena. 

Women's Money In The Bank Ladder Match
Bayley vs. Iyo Sky vs. Zelina Vega vs. Zoey Stark vs. Trish Stratus vs. Becky Lynch

This is sort of an odd mix of women. Damage Control get rid of the other women and then both climb at the same time. The hesitance allows Lynch to take both out. I have to admit, I don't know much about Stark at all. Sky hits a moonsault onto all of the women in the ring. It seems like there shouldn't have been two of those in the same night. Trish climbs up to the top, but Lynch is up there to greet her. They battle up at the top and Becky shoves her off. Zelina climbs and hits a crossbody on Becky and Trish. Zelina climbs up to the top, but Trish and Becky work together to powerbomb her. They start brawling again and again Becky gets the better of her. Becky goes off and hits a Manhandle Slam onto a ladder on Trish. Zelina starts to climb, but Stark runs up there. Vega hits a sunset flip powerbomb onto the horizontal ladder in a surprising spot there. Sky starts to climb, but her partner Bayley shoves her off the ladder. Becky and Bayley start climbing, but Sky handcuffs them together with their hands between the ladder. Sky climbs the ladder and grabs the briefcase in one of the most clever finishes to one of these matches that I can remember. The rest of the match was pretty uneventful, however. I think everyone in the building knew Sky was going to win, which is fine and they at least came up with a good finish to get there.

Match Rating: **3/4

World Heavyweight Championship Match
Finn Balor vs. Seth Rollins

This one feels like it could have been saved for SummerSlam. Rollins gets Balor out of the ring and hits a suicide dive. We then get a nice little series of counters ending with Balor stomping Rollins. Rollins comes back with a spinning clothesline and both men are down. Balor hits a Sling Blade, but Rollins hits a superkick. Rollins hits a buckle bomb and goes up top. Balor gets his knees up on the Frog Splash and then hits the running dropkick. Balor now heads up to the top rope. Rollins leaps up to meet him, but Balor pushes him off. Balor misses with the Coup de Grace and it ends up with Rollins hitting a Pedigree. Rollins rolls over and gets a 2 count on the pin attempt. Out comes Damian Priest with the briefcase in hand. The distraction allows Balor to roll up Rollins for a nearfall. Priest grabs a chair to watch and Rollins gets nailed by a running dropkick outside the ring. Balor hits a Coup de Grace from the table and then another from the steps. He rolls Rollins back in the ring and hits another dropkick. He goes up to the top rope again, but Priest stands up and gives him a look. Rollins avoids another Coup de Grace, Rollins hits the Stomp and that's enough for the victory. That was quick and never got into second gear. 

Match Rating: ***

Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn are interviewed in a suite at the arena. Sami predicts that tonight is the night that Roman Reigns gets what is coming to him. 

Usos vs. Roman Reigns & Solo Sikoa

Why do both ring announcers talk exactly the same? They have never really found someone worthy of carrying on the Fink's legacy. As with every Roman Reigns match in this era, there's lots of stalling to start. Lots of a guy hits a move and then the crowd chants. I think I am at least 10 minutes into this thing and it's just been a slow burn so far. Jimmy goes for a tag, but Solo Sikoa runs around the ring and takes Jey off the apron to prevent it. Jey does finally tag in and picks up the pace of the match. Roman comes in, but the Usos hit a double Spear. Sikoa comes in and breaks up the pin attempt as Michael Cole and Wade Barrett try to convince us that it would have been enough for the victory. Yeah, okay. All four men are in the ring and are tired from the 2 minutes of wrestling they have done in the first 15 minutes. Solo and Jey spill outside and Roman hits a Superman punch on Jimmy for a 2 count. Jimmy hits 2 superkicks and goes up top, but Roman catches him on the splash attempt into a Guillotine. Jimmy gets the arm up and then powers his way up and breaks the hold. Jey tags himself in, but Roman hits him with a forearm before entering. We get ourselves a ref bump and the Usos hit a 1D. Of course there is no one to count, so the crowd does. The Usos both go up top, but Solo knocks Jimmy off and then he and Solo hit double uranages. They they hit a Samoan Spike/Spear combo and the ref is conveniently starting to get up. Roman covers both Usos, but they both kick out. Solo misses with a splash on the table, but Roman hits a Spear on Jey and he kicks out. We get lots of superkicks and Jey hits an Uso splash for the victory and first pinfall defeat of Roman in forever. This match took fooooorrrrever to get going and even once it did, it was mostly the same old stuff. A disappointing ending to a disappointing show.

Match Rating: **1/4

This show had quite a bit of promise and pretty much delivered on none of it. When the highlight is a clever finish in a ladder match, that's usually not a good sign. The crowd was into it, but you can skip this one. 

Overall Rating: 42%