‘WWE: Money in the Bank 2023’ PPV Review
Welcome to this review of WWE’s 2023 Money in the Bank pay per view, which kicked off with the titular match – at least the men’s version of the event… so let’s get into it!
Match #1: Men’s Money in the Bank – Damian Priest def. Logan Paul, Shinsuke Nakamura, Ricochet, Santos Escobar, Butch and LA Knight
The following is courtesy of wwe.com:
The Judgment Day’s reign of terror just became even more dangerous as Damian Priest scaled the ladder to become Señor Money in the Bank, guaranteeing himself a future championship match whenever he chooses. The action was chaotic as every Superstar battled for themselves, but not before they teamed up to teach Logan Paul a quick lesson in respect. With ladders and tables strategically placed throughout the ring and ringside area, the carnage was taken to a whole new level when Ricochet hit a Spanish Fly on Logan Paul from off the top rope through a pair of tables, which was just moments after he dove through a ladder and the ropes at the same time to take out the competition at ringside. With everyone seemingly down and out, LA Knight looked destined to win, but Priest reappeared and hit a Broken Arrow from off the top of a ladder before climbing back up and unhooking the briefcase, delivering him the coveted contract.
My Score: 3.5 out of 5
Match #2: WWE Women’s Tag Team Championship – Liv Morgan & Raquel Rodriguez def. Ronda Rousey & Shayna Baszler
The following is courtesy of wwe.com:
Liv Morgan and Raquel Rodriguez won the WWE Women’s Tag Team Championships from Ronda Rousey and Shayna Baszler to recapture the gold that they were never defeated for. The champions looked like they were going to retain after Baszler countered Morgan’s attempt at Oblivion, but after Rousey tagged in, Baszler snapped and ruthlessly attacked her tag team partner. After Baszler left, Rousey was a sitting duck. Following a Texana Bomb from Rodriguez, Morgan nailed Oblivion as she and Rodriguez once again became WWE Women’s Tag Team Champions.
My Score: 2 out of 5
Match #3: WWE Intercontinental Championship – Gunther def. Matt Riddle
The following is courtesy of wwe.com:
Gunther extended his legendary Intercontinental Championship reign after defeating Matt Riddle via submission at Money in the Bank. Riddle was as formidable of an opponent as anyone Gunther has faced due to his MMA background, but his precision strikes were met with pure brutality from the champion. Gunther strategically attacked Riddle’s already injured ankle, but Riddle fought valiantly, even locking in a triangle. Unfortunately for Riddle, the champion kept thrashing his ankle and finally forced The Original Bro to tap out.
My Score: 3 out of 5
Match #4: Cody Rhodes def. Dominik Mysterio
The following is courtesy of wwe.com:
“The American Nightmare” Cody Rhodes taught Dominik Mysterio a lesson by defeating The Judgment Day Superstar in convincing fashion. Mysterio tried to play mind games and even attack the injured arm of Rhodes by ripping off the cast, but Rhodes remained undeterred and even kept the villainous Women’s World Champion Rhea Ripley at bay. After countering Mysterio’s attempt at the Three Amigos suplexes, Rhodes nailed a Disaster Kick, Cody Cutter and a Cross Rhodes to walk out the victor.
My Score: 2 out of 5
Match #5: Women’s Money in the Bank – IYO SKY def. Becky Lynch, Zelina Vega, Bayley, Trish Stratus and Zoey Stark
The following is courtesy of wwe.com:
The Money in the Bank briefcase belongs to Damage CTRL as IYO SKY became the Superstar to climb the ladder and secure the life-changing contract that she can use on a champion of her choosing. The team of WWE Hall of Famer Trish Stratus and Zoey Stark dominated the field early, but the unpredictability of the match allowed the other Superstars to quell that threat and continue battling for the contract. The action quickly devolved into a free-for-all that saw Becky Lynch hit Trish Stratus with a Man-Handle Slam onto a ladder and Zelina Vega connect for a hellacious Code Red on Stark onto a ladder. After Bayley cost SKY a chance at the contract, The Genius of The Sky returned the favor by handcuffing Bayley and Lynch to each other through the rungs, allowing herself to climb the ladder unimpeded to become Ms. Money in the Bank.
My Score: 4 out of 5
Match #6: World Heavyweight Championship – Seth “Freakin” Rollins def. Finn Bálor
The following is courtesy of wwe.com:
The World Heavyweight Championship remains with Seth “Freakin” Rollins after a grueling match against The Judgment Day’s Finn Bálor. Rollins was clearly not 100 percent as he was still favoring his injured midsection suffered at the hands of Bálor over the past few weeks. As the champion gutted through the pain, Señor Money in the Bank Damian Priest appeared at ringside, and his presence caused a distraction for his teammate. With Bálor potentially closing in on victory as he prepared to go for the Coup de Grace, Priest rose from his chair at ringside, causing Bálor to hesitate. When Bálor went airborne seconds later, Rollins moved out of the way and hit the stomp for the victory, leaving Bálor and Priest to argue at ringside.
My Score: 3.5 out of 5
Match #7: The Bloodline Civil War – The Usos def. Roman Reigns & Solo Sikoa
The following is courtesy of wwe.com:
With the battlelines drawn and The Bloodline Civil War in full effect, Jimmy and Jey Uso walked out of London as the victors in the battle amongst family. The London crowd was unkind to the Undisputed WWE Universal Champion, but that didn’t stop Roman Reigns and Solo Sikoa from inflicting an incredible amount of pain onto their former Bloodline teammates. As The Usos battled Reigns, the referee inadvertently got hit and caused the match to be without an official. Moments later with the referee back in the match, Reigns and Sikoa combined to hit Jey with a Spear/Samoan Spike combo, but both Usos kicked out after Reigns stacked them. After Sikoa crashed through a table, Reigns was all alone, and The Usos took advantage by using their incredible tandem offense. After a flurry of moves, Jey soared through the London skies with an Uso Splash and became the first Superstar to pin Reigns in more than three-and-a-half years while also winning The Bloodline Civil War.
My Score: 4.5 out of 5
Final Verdict: 4/5
If there’s any proof needed that a crowd can make or break a live event, especially wrestling, is this year’s Money in the Bank. Our very own UK crowd were rabid for everything that went on during this PPV…. sorry, Premium Live Event… and it made Money in the Bank one of the best pay-per-views of the year so far. Plus we got some great wrestling action too, complete with some real surprises! The women’s tag match was a shocker, even if the match itself wasn’t that great; then we got what I think, frankly, was one of the best spots in a Money in the Bank EVER! What spot was that? IYO SKY handcuffing Bayley and Becky Lynch together – one of which is her own tag partner – to stop them from getting the briefcase and then climbing over them for the win! Brilliant! But this PPV was all about the Bloodline and the “civil war” match that closed the show – in which THAT theory was proven to be true… The entire storyline has never been about Roman Reigns, it was all about Jey Uso. It always has been…
