‘WWE Money in the Bank 2021’ DVD Review
It’s one of the most anticipated events in the WWE calendar – Money in the Bank! Superstars battle to climb the ladder and grab a guaranteed championship opportunity! But which Superstars will take that next step to WWE immortality? Plus, Edge vs. Roman Reigns for the Universal Championship and two huge returns – the fans of the WWE Universe and John Cena!
Match #1: The Usos (Jey Uso and Jimmy Uso) defeated Rey Mysterio and Dominik Mysterio (c) – WWE SmackDown Tag Team Championship Match
The following is courtesy of wwe.com:
On the WWE Money in the Bank Kickoff, the second stop on WWE’s return in front of live audiences, Jimmy & Jey Uso fulfilled the prophecy of their cousin, Universal Champion Roman Reigns, and defeated Rey & Dominik Mysterio to capture the SmackDown Tag Team Titles. Cheered by the vocal WWE Universe inside the sold-out Dickies Arena, the father-son alliance of Rey & Dominik used a vast arsenal of high-flying moves to put The Usos on their heels, and The Mysterios appeared primed for victory as Rey dialed up the 619 against Jimmy. Jey, however, sacrificed himself in the name of family and took the blow for his brother, giving Jimmy time to recover and drill The Ultimate Underdog with a thunderous superkick. The Usos then prepared to put away the elder Mysterio with a double top-rope splash, only for Dominik to save the day by ripping Jey off the turnbuckle. In the chaotic moments that immediately followed, Jimmy rolled up Rey, and Jey, outside the ref’s sightline, provided an assist by putting his weight behind his twin brother’s pin attempt, denying Mysterio any chance of kicking out. The Usos’ victory marks their fifth reign as SmackDown Tag Team Champions and seventh tag team title win overall. But if you were to ask Jimmy & Jey, odds are they’d say even those incredible milestones pale in comparison to what matters most: making The Head of the Table proud.
My Score: 3 out of 5
Match #2: Nikki A.S.H. defeated Alexa Bliss, Asuka, Liv Morgan, Naomi, Natalya, Tamina, and Zelina Vega – Money in the Bank Ladder Match
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Nikki A.S.H. can’t fly (yet), and she might not be faster than a speeding bullet, but after winning the first Money in the Bank Ladder Match of the night, the caped competitor possesses something even sweeter: a World Title Match contract that she can cash in anytime, anyplace, for up to a year. Nikki’s path to the career-defining W was perilous to say the least. Standing in her way was a field of seven other fierce competitors, including past contract-holders Alexa Bliss and Asuka, WWE Women’s Tag Team Champions Natalya and Tamina, former SmackDown Women’s Champion Naomi, plus the ever-plucky Liv Morgan and the cunning Zelina Vega. Morgan was a persistent threat throughout the match, finding opportune moments to scale the ladder whenever she could. She jumped on Natalya’s back while The Queen of Harts was near the top of the ladder and applied a sleeper hold, nearly putting Natalya out and coming within inches of grabbing the briefcase. Tamina used her strength and mean streak to brutalize everyone in sight, while Naomi’s unparalleled speed and agility kept her a step ahead of the pack. A.S.H. wasn’t afraid to throw caution to the wind, flattening the entire field with a huge cross body block off a ladder. Perhaps the most dangerous threat came in the form of Bliss’ supernatural powers; at one point, her icy glare put Vega into a trance, stopping Vega in her tracks just before she reached the briefcase. To neutralize Bliss’ otherworldly powers, the seven other Superstars teamed up to bury Bliss under a deluge of ladders. With Bliss ostensibly done, Asuka, Morgan, Naomi, Natalya, Zelina and Tamina focused on the prize and fought their way up three ladders in the middle of the ring. That’s when Nikki seized her moment, and with her opponents paired off and exchanging fisticuffs, she climbed on Natalya’s back and unclasped the briefcase for the win. Believe in yourself and anything is possible. So goes the Nikki A.S.H. creed, and perhaps nobody epitomizes that more than Nikki herself. Sure, she is Almost a Superhero, but after tonight, there’s no denying that she is Ms. Money in the Bank.
My Score: 3.5 out of 5
Match #3: AJ Styles and Omos (c) defeated The Viking Raiders (Erik and Ivar) – WWE Raw Tag Team Championship
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AJ Styles & Omos’ phenomenal Raw Tag Team Title reign lives to see another day, as the former World Champion and his personal colossus staved off the potent challenge of The Viking Raiders. Fed up with Styles’ constant putdowns of the Viking culture, Erik and Ivar were hungry for a fight, and Styles was happy to oblige… by tagging in Omos at the outset. This gave the WWE Universe a closer look at Omos, the competitor, than ever, as he manhandled Ivar and Erik with frightening ease. Later, he and Styles showed off their tandem offense when Omos threw The Phenomenal One over the top rope and onto the floor, where he landed on Erik with an eye-popping hurricanrana. The Viking Raiders fought back, and through a tenacious tandem effort, they even ejected the massive Omos from the ring, though they were never able to take the big man off his feet completely. Still, Omos’ unparalleled power was a gamechanger anytime he flexed his muscle, like when he press-slammed Ivar, disposing of the 305-pounder like a used tissue. Refusing to go down without a fight, Ivar and Erik forged ahead and connected with a well-timed Viking Experience that nearly spelled the end for the champions. But as Ivar covered Styles, Omos shoved the charging Erik into the dogpile, breaking up Ivar’s pin attempt. The colossus then reentered the match and sent Erik plummeting to the mat with a two-handed slam to score the deciding fall.
My Score: 3 out of 5
Match #4: Bobby Lashley (c) (with MVP) defeated Kofi Kingston – WWE World Championship Match
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If there were any lingering doubts that WWE Champion Bobby Lashley had rediscovered his killer instinct, they were laid to rest at WWE Money in the Bank, where The All Mighty Superstar demolished Kofi Kingston in one of the most dominant title defenses in recent memory. Kingston, an oft-thought underdog who has proven his best-in-the-world bona fides before, came close to regaining the WWE Title once, during the early goings: MVP grabbed Kingston’s foot right as the bell rang, but Kofi broke free, evaded the charging Lashley, and collected a near-fall after a double foot stomp. That close call was more than enough for The All Mighty, who promptly snapped into beast mode and proceeded to thrash Kingston with unbridled intensity for the remainder of the fight. The WWE Universe tried to rally The New Day member with chants of “Kofi,” to no avail. If anything, their support for Kingston only fueled the champion’s rage. Lashley hurled Kingston over the ropes and onto the floor, unleashed a series of organ-quaking throws and punished his challenger with not one, not two, but three Dominators before shushing the stunned WWE Universe. The scene resembled a lion toying with its prey. Lashley finally showed a modicum of mercy by cinching in the Hurt Lock and sending Kingston to dreamland, leaving the referee no choice but to call for the bell.
My Score: 2.5 out of 5
Match #5: Charlotte Flair defeated Rhea Ripley (c) – WWE Raw Women’s Championship Match
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Eight years and one day after making her NXT in-ring debut, Charlotte Flair cemented her legacy as one of the most decorated Superstars of all time by upending Rhea Ripley to regain the Raw Women’s Championship. The victory extends Flair’s record for most Women’s Title reigns at 11, and it may have been the most trouble she’s had reclaiming the throne yet. Haymakers and kicks were thrown with reckless abandon, underscoring the deep-seated animosity that has defined the rivalry. The Nightmare battered Flair with every ounce of energy she had, fighting off fatigue late in the match to muscle Charlotte into a suplex that nearly blew the roof off Dickies Arena. Not to be outdone, Charlotte returned fire with a moonsault from the top rope to the floor. A desperation Natural Selection from the top rope stunned Ripley but only garnered a two-count, causing the WWE Universe to erupt into chants of “This is awesome!” As the match wore on, Ripley countered the Figure Eight by sending Charlotte head-first into the ring post. Charlotte nonetheless regained her senses and turned up the ruthlessness, trapping Ripley’s left knee between the ring post and steps and repeatedly kicking the steps, decimating The Nightmare’s knee in the process. With Ripley in clear agony, Charlotte then reapplied the Figure Eight, forcing the submission and securing title win No. 14.
My Score: 4 out of 5
Match #6: Big E defeated Drew McIntyre, John Morrison, Kevin Owens, King Nakamura, Ricochet, Riddle, and Seth Rollins – Money in the Bank Ladder Match
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After nearly nine years on the WWE roster, Big E has finally secured the one opportunity that has eluded him up to this point: a guaranteed World Title Match. Big E sealed his fate by overcoming seven of WWE’s premier Superstars in a rough-and-tumble Money in the Bank Ladder Match that left the WWE Universe breathless and the squared circle looking like the scene of a car wreck. Bell to bell was total carnage, with the momentum changing every second. Big E and Drew McIntyre cleared the ring early, giving themselves enough space to lock horns in a short but spectacular showdown that had the WWE fans wanting more. Nakamura locked John Morrison in a triangle hold atop the ladder, only to be nailed with a springboard knee by Seth Rollins. After initially arguing over drip credentials (a debate that was broken up by Ricochet and Riddle’s high-flying attacks), the sartorial Rollins and Morrison formed a temporary alliance against the rest of the field. Kevin Owens halted those plans by rushing The Savior of SmackDown and JoMo as they held a ladder, sandwiching them beneath the steel. The eye-popping highlights kept coming. Riddle pushed over the ladder as Ricochet ascended it, but the quick-thinking Ricochet switched gears, leapt onto the top rope and with the grace of a high-wire trapeze artist, somersaulted onto the Superstars on the floor. The Scottish Warrior, for whom this match represented his last potential chance to challenge WWE Champion Bobby Lashley, devoured the field with Claymore Kicks and appeared on his way to winning the match, only to be denied at the last second by the interfering by Jinder Mahal, Veer and Shanky — payback, no doubt, for McIntyre’s destruction of The Modern Day Maharaja’s motorcycle last Monday on Raw. Mahal battered his former stablemate with a steel chair, leaving Veer and Shanky to drag McIntyre out of the arena. Paying tribute to tag team partner Randy Orton, Riddle connected with several RKOs. But as Riddle punched the mat to celebrate in Viper-esque fashion, Rollins capitalized with a well-timed Stomp. KO, too, staged a late-game effort to grab the briefcase after dishing out multiple Stunners, but his night was ended moments later when Rollins powerbombed him over the top rope, smashing Owens through a ladder that bridged from the ring apron to the announce desk. The coast looked to be clear for Rollins to retrieve the briefcase, but he had one more Superstar to account for: Big E. As Rollins neared the prize, The Powerhouse of Positivity reentered the ring, scaled the ladder and brought Rollins down to Earth with a gigantic Big Ending! With his competition laid out and the WWE Universe cheering him on, Big E climbed the ladder, grabbed the briefcase and savored the career win — a victory that may well carry him to his first World Title victory.
My Score: 3.5 out of 5
Match #7: Roman Reigns (c) (with Paul Heyman) defeated Edge – WWE Universal Championship Match
The following is courtesy of wwe.com:
Two things are clear after the thrilling main event of WWE Money in the Bank: Seth Rollins has hell to pay for costing Edge his match against Universal Champion Roman Reigns, and John Cena has The Tribal Chief in his sights. The second part first: The Cenation leader, in perhaps the most shocking moment of the year, returned unannounced to WWE for the first time in 15 months to confront Reigns at the conclusion of the title bout. The 16-time World Champion entered Dickies Arena to a thunderous ovation, got right in Reigns’ face and defiantly delivered his “You can’t see me!” hand gesture. Even though no punches were thrown, it was a moment that will live on in the WWE Universe’s collective memory for years to come. While Cena’s comeback will likely dominate water-cooler talk come Monday morning, not to be overlooked is the epic Universal Title Match that preceded it. In a fair world, the headline would read: Edge pins Universal Champion Roman Reigns. After all, the WWE Hall of Famer, in search of a fairytale ending to his comeback story, had The Tribal Chief’s shoulders pinned to the mat for three seconds and then some after connecting with a Spear late in the bout. The only problem? There was no referee to administer a count. To get to that point, Edge indeed manifested the anger he knew he’d need to unseat The Head of the Table. He endured Reigns’ punishing offense — from the Drive-By to the Guillotine — before mounting an incredible rally that was buoyed by a Spear through the ringside barricade. Reigns uncorked a Superman Punch minutes later, and the impact sent Edge hurtling into referee Charles Robinson, taking the official out of commission. Edge continued fighting, using the leg of a steel chair to lock in a crossface. With no ref in sight, The Usos approached the ring to help their cousin, but they were repelled by the intervening Mysterios. That’s when Rollins, who declared he wanted “next” despite losing the Money in the Bank Ladder Match, ran in through the audience and leveled Edge with a kick to the back of his head. Edge recovered, hit the second Spear and covered Reigns, while the WWE Universe took it upon themselves to count the three-count. A replacement official raced into the ring, but by then it was too late, and Reigns kicked out at two. Rollins then struck again, returning to distract Edge long enough for Reigns to hit the match-clinching Spear. After the bell, Rollins and Edge brawled through the WWE Universe, while Reigns took the microphone and said the whole world can now acknowledge him. Yet, as Cena’s subsequent arrival would suggest, such acknowledgment might come at a higher cost than Reigns bargained for.
My Score: 4.5 out of 5
Final Verdict: 4/5
This was the culmination of a pretty good two show streak (Hell in a Cell then Money in the Bank). Vince and the WWE don’t always have those, so when we get them, it’s cause for celebration. I’d say that Hell In A Cell was better than Money in the Bank, but not by much.
