IMG Credit: WWE

I don’t know if it’s because of everything else that has been going on with WWE over the last few weeks or trying to learn how to count for the Wild Card Rule, but there is something about this year that has made the Money In The Bank build that much easier. The show feels like a complete afterthought at this point, though I’m not sure what the major thought is. There is a stacked card here (gotta fill those four hours somehow) so let’s get to it.

Kickoff Show: Daniel Bryan/Rowan vs. Usos

This is actually not a title match, because Bryan and Rowan defeating the Usos for the titles on SmackDown is totally different than the Usos challenging for the titles on pay per view. Then again I’m apparently not smart enough to understand that two Usos count as one superstar for the Wild Card Rule, because I’m slow enough to see two people as two people. Anyway, this is non-title because rules suddenly apply around here, which is fine enough.

Since the titles aren’t on the line, I’ll go with the champs winning in another rather good match. The Usos are long past being bullet proof in WWE so another loss here isn’t going to hurt them in the slightest. Bryan and Rowan need a few wins to establish themselves as champions (maybe a title defense would help that) and beating the Usos again is a good idea.

Cruiserweight Title: Tony Nese(c) vs. Ariya Daivari

I figured I’d knock this one out near the start because A, I expect it to be on the Kickoff Show and B, I’ll probably fall asleep if I do it much later. The annoying thing here is that these guys are trying as hard as they can to make the title match interesting and that’s something that I can always appreciate. The problem though is they feel like two midcarders who are headlining a C show instead of something worthwhile, which is more the fault of 205 Live losing all of its talent in the Shakeup (yet Buddy Murphy still can’t get on the show).

I’ll go with Nese retaining here as while he might not be the most interesting person in the world, he’s still better than the most stock villain you could have in Daivari. The division is dying for someone more interesting though and I don’t see that on the horizon at the moment. They’re trying to build something with Nese and he has gotten better in recent weeks, though they still have a long way to go.

SmackDown Women’s Title: Becky Lynch(c) vs. Charlotte

Oh yeah this is one of the reasons why those people don’t have time to get on: a double portion of Lynch (that’s not a bad thing). This is either the first or second title defense that Lynch has on the show and since it’s a Lynch match, she has to be facing Charlotte for the title. These two have been joined at the hip for years now and why bother making two new challengers when you can only make one? It’s not clear who Lynch faces first and it kind of makes a difference here.

I’ll take Lynch to retain here, assuming it’s the first match. My guess is that Lynch will be worn down in a successful title defense in the first match and then lose the title, so if this goes on second she can lose to Charlotte. This of course would set up a rematch, because these two have to fight until the end of time. The match is likely to be good, but I could go for something else.

Raw Women’s Title: Becky Lynch(c) vs. Lacey Evans

Something fresh like this perhaps. Evans is far from a perfect or well rounded character but she’s SOMETHING new and that’s what the division needs. It wouldn’t shock me to see her win the title here, which wouldn’t be the worst thing in the world. She has a unique character and can work well enough in the ring, but it still does feel a little early for Lynch to be losing either title.

I’ll go with Lynch retaining here, as Charlotte getting one of the titles makes more sense than Evans. This double champion on both shows thing is making for a complicated situation, but above all else it would be nice to have one champion per show for the sake of letting someone else get a chance in there. It’s clear at the moment that some new blood is needed up and down the show, which is why I’d rather have Evans get one of the title, even if I don’t think it’s going to happen.

Roman Reigns vs. Elias

Oh yeah there’s this match too. I’m not sure why anyone is going to buy Elias as a threat to Reigns, but that is the case with just about anyone on the roster at this point. That and the fact that it’s really Shane McMahon feuding with Reigns instead of Elias, which isn’t the most interesting thing in the world. Why anyone would expect anything but the obvious from this match is beyond me, but that’s never stopped WWE before.

Of course I’m going with Reigns here because Elias doesn’t win major matches and Reigns could get hit by a train, pop up and hit a spear for the pin. That’s just how Reigns matches go and while it (and the concert from Elias) is likely to be entertaining, it’s not going to be the most dramatic match. Hopefully they don’t give this one too much time because delaying the inevitable is rarely the most interesting use of time in a match.

Shane McMahon vs. The Miz

We might as well get this one out of the way next. This feud has been going since November 2 and that’s about six months longer than a McMahon feud should be going at the moment. I guess it’s still about Miz’s dad, who hasn’t come off looking good and isn’t exactly an inspiring plot device. This time it’s in a cage to prevent interference, meaning you can almost guarantee interference coming.

I’ll go with Miz winning here as we NEED a trilogy match between these two, probably in Saudi Arabia so the feud can enter a seventh month. This feud has been one of the biggest groan inducers in recent months as it just keeps going, even if the match itself should be entertaining. I still have no idea why McMahon, who is pushing fifty, is a semi-regular wrestler and the top heel in the company, but that’s the world we live in today. Miz wins here, but the feud still isn’t done.

Men’s Money In The Bank Ladder Match

It’s rather nice to be coming up on one of these things without having watched the same singles and tag matches over and over again to drive me away from things. On the downside though, I also have next to no idea who is actually in the thing as the match has left that little of an impact on me. Odds are it’s going to be someone that hasn’t gotten a ton of hype recently, because the idea of building momentum to these things is a bunch of nonsense.

I’ll take Andrade to win, which is more of a hunch than anything else. I don’t think he’ll win the title (which has been more of a trend lately) but it could be cool to see someone new near the main event scene. The SmackDown World Title scene feels like an upper midcard title at the moment and it’s not like anyone but Reigns feels like a top star on the show. Would Andrade as a World Title contender feel that out of the question at this point? Odds are it’s wrong but I’ll take Andrade here.

United States Title: Samoa Joe(c) vs. Rey Mysterio

For some reason this seems to be more about Mysterio’s son Dominic than the match or the title, but it’s not like the US Title has meant anything in months anyway. Samoa Joe beat Mysterio in less than a minute at WrestleMania so Mysterio beat him in a nothing match on Monday Night Raw to get another title shot. Then Mysterio’s son has been around and annoyed Samoa Joe, setting things up here.

I’ll take Samoa Joe to retain again because his pointless title reign needs to continue. It’s a shame that the US Title has become a near curse to the champions, but that’s where we are with the title these days. Hopefully things get a little bit better, but I’ve been saying that for so many months now that it’s almost impossible to buy that anything else is going to happen. Expect Dominic to get involved and likely become more of a focus in the coming weeks, which isn’t likely to be a good idea.

Raw World Title: Seth Rollins(c) vs. AJ Styles

They’ve been trying with this one but it’s still falling a little flat. I know they’re going for a dream match idea here but there’s a fine line between a dream match and an “oh that will be good” match. Rollins is still getting into being the face of the show and while Styles is an incredible talent, he is just coming off a year long reign as champion over on SmackDown, making a title change here not that likely.

I’ll take Rollins to retain here, which makes me all the more sad as it feels like we’re coming up on the dreaded Baron Corbin title push. He’s going to get to the main event scene at some point and it would make sense to go after Rollins rather than Styles. The match should be awesome though and hopefully it happens before the ladder match so we don’t have to worry about a cash-in to take away from the ending.

SmackDown World Title: Kofi Kingston(c) vs. Kevin Owens

This is an interesting one as Kingston won the title six weeks ago and while he still feels like a transitional champion, I’m not convinced that he’s going to be losing anytime soon. As mentioned earlier, the SmackDown main event scene feels like we’re just waiting for Reigns to come after the title and until then, everything is completely wide open. That brings us to here though.

I’ll take Kingston retaining, though a briefcase cash-in wouldn’t shock me. I don’t think that’s going to happen two years in a row, though it would be nice to not have the briefcase running around for another year. The match should be good and they have a story set up with Owens telling Kingston that he can’t do things on his own, though I think it’s a way for Kingston to get his first pay per view title defense.

Women’s Money In The Bank Ladder Match

And then there’s this to close things out, which is quite the wide open field. Nikki Cross is replacing the (again) concussed Alexa Bliss and that….doesn’t really change anything as Bliss wasn’t the most likely candidate to win in the first place. That leaves a bunch of potential winners, though some of them are a lot less likely than others and can be cut off pretty easily.

I’ll take Mandy Rose to win, as it would set up an instant feud with Sonya Deville and give WWE the push that they’ve been wanting to run with for months now. That’s a fine choice too as Rose has gotten a lot better and could be worth a try in the title scene. I mean, it isn’t going to be Natalya, Brooke (I kind of want to see her get a run though, just for the sake of comedy), Moon, Carmella or Cross, which only leaves a few options. Rose seems to be the best of the remainders so we’ll go with her.

Overall Thoughts

Money In The Bank is looking like the most “oh dang we need to do a show” that happens to be one of the bigger events in recent years. It feels like WWE is trying to do all kinds of things at once and almost nothing is getting a real focus. That being said, I’ve had a far less annoying time with the build this year and that has made me a lot more interested in this show than in previous years. WWE feels like they’re booking day to day at the moment though and that needs to change, either starting with or the night after this show.

Remember to follow me on Twitter @kbreviews and pick up the paperback edition of KB’s Complete 2000 Monday Nitro and Thunder Reviews Part 1 (also available as an e-book) from Amazon. Check out the information here:

http://kbwrestlingreviews.com/2019/02/22/new-book-kbs-monday-nitro-thunder-reviews-volume-vii-january-june-2000/

And check out my Amazon author page with cheap wrestling books at:

http://www.amazon.com/Thomas-Hall/e/B00E6282W6

IMG Credit: Impact Wrestling

I feel like I always need to confirm that Impact Wrestling still does pay per views. This is their spring offering, though it isn’t clear who is rebelling against what. Lately the company has been rebelling against the idea of going with anything fresh and it has become a bit of a chore to watch. That being said, their pay per views tend to be much better than television because it’s all about the in-ring product, which is usually an improvement. Let’s get to it.

Knockouts Title: Taya Valkyrie(c) vs. Jordynne Grace

We’ll start off with a match that could go either way as Valkyrie seems like someone they want as a long term champion but Grace is a monster who no one has been able to slow down yet. Now the problem with that is that once she loses, a lot of that momentum goes sailing out the window. I’m also thinking that the show taking place in Canada isn’t going to do Grace’s chances any favors as Valkyrie is of course Canadian.

I’ll take Grace winning though, as it might be a bad night for Valkyrie and her husband. The division has been needing some fresh blood for a long time now and Grace could be it. Let her run some people over for a few weeks or months before losing it back to someone else. Like the best female in the world not working for WWE (or perhaps including that batch) in Tessa Blanchard. But yeah, Grace wins here, as she should.

X-Division Title: Rich Swann(c) vs. Sami Callihan

This story has been more interesting than I would have guessed as Callihan oddly grows on me more and more. Swann is a good choice for the title as he can wrestle that X-Division style, but there comes a point where Callihan has to win something and that hasn’t been the case yet. He’s been chasing the title for a few months now and this might be the night he gets there.

So yeah I think Callihan gets the title here as there’s little reason to not give it to him. You can even go somewhere with the issues between Swann and Willie Mack. It’s a good idea to give Callihan something as he’s going to have suitors and putting a title on him could make him happier. I wouldn’t be surprised to see him move towards the World Title scene sooner rather than later either. For now though, the X-Division Title will do.

Tag Team Titles: Lucha Bros(c) vs. LAX

This is Full Metal Mayhem, which loosely translates to TLC With Pins. These teams have been feuding for months now with LAX dropping the titles and then turning heel, meaning it’s time for a major gimmick match to blow it off. LAX has looked like stars over the last year and getting them against a team like this, one of the best in the world (maybe even the best), has done nothing but good things for them.

I’m basically flipping a coin here but I’ll take the Lucha Bros to retain. We can worry about no one but LAX being on their level later, because this match is going to rock. These four work so well together and the Lucha Bros can turn anything they do into a classic. I’ve been nearly drooling over this match since I first heard about it and that’s not going to change now. It should be great and could go either way but I’ll take the Bros to retain.

Gail Kim vs. Tessa Blanchard

I’ll spare you another rant about Impact’s obsession with Kim and go with how well this match has been built up. The story started months ago but thankfully they’ve waited until the pay per view to actually set it up. As worried as I am about where this match is going to go, the story has been well done and I’m hoping that the match itself is as good as the buildup has been.

As for the winner, I’m going to do something probably not that bright and give Impact Wrestling the benefit of the doubt. I’ll take Blanchard for the win, because there is no reason whatsoever to go with Kim. She’s retired and not likely to wrestle again and Blanchard could be one of the biggest stars in the company very soon. Go with what makes sense instead of giving Kim another tribute that she doesn’t need.

Impact Wrestling World Title: Johnny Impact(c) vs. Brian Cage

Somehow this feud feels like the third (or arguably fourth) biggest match on the show and that’s not a good sign. I haven’t been a fan of this one since it started nearly four months ago and it hasn’t gotten much better. For some reason it just isn’t interesting and I don’t know how much better this match is going to make things. Their match at Homecoming was good, but I need something more to make me care than Impact suddenly turning heel.

I’ll go with Cage winning, because he’s been built up so much that he has to win the title at some point or there’s nowhere for him to go. Now hopefully that means that the story is done between these two, because there is no need for it to stretch on into the summer. The feud hasn’t been very interesting in months and Lance Storm as guest referee isn’t the cure. Cage wins, and I’ll try to make myself care.

Overall Thoughts

And that’s it. Seriously the show has five matches announced and we’re less than forty eight hours away. They’ve also announced a live Smoke Show from Scarlett Bordeaux which will likely set up a sixth match but egads man. How do you only have five matches set up when you had more than two months to get the show ready? I’m sure it will be fine (Impact pay per views always are) but we’re in for a mystery box show and that’s not the most thrilling.

Remember to follow me on Twitter @kbreviews and pick up the paperback edition of KB’s Complete 2000 Monday Nitro and Thunder Reviews Part 1 (also available as an e-book) from Amazon. Check out the information here:

http://kbwrestlingreviews.com/2019/02/22/new-book-kbs-monday-nitro-thunder-reviews-volume-vii-january-june-2000/

And check out my Amazon author page with cheap wrestling books at:

http://www.amazon.com/Thomas-Hall/e/B00E6282W6

Finally.

I’m exhausted just reading the card and that’s a bad sign the day before the show. WrestleMania is supposed to be the top show of the year and the most important thing that happens in the WWE year. The problem is WWE can’t get out of its own way most of the time and I’m worried that they’re going to do it again this year.

As usual, this year is going to be about the moments, and if WWE doesn’t give us enough of them, it’s not going to work. A happy ending (Lynch finally conquering Rousey and holding up both titles) is the right way to go and if Kingston happens to win as well, we’re in good shape. That’s all that matters, but I just can’t imagine WWE actually going in the right direction every single time.

History has been made.

And now we have the truly historic moment in something that I didn’t think would ever actually happen. The women’s match is headlining the show to complete the Women’s Revolution, as they’re finally reaching the unreachable goal. With the history out of the way, we get on to the important part, which is the result itself. It should be an obvious ending….but it’s WWE.

With a close of my eyes and a deep breath, I’ll take Lynch to win in the moment that we’ve been building towards for months now. As much as I could see Rousey winning here and then losing the title in her post-pay per view title defense or Charlotte because SHE’S CHARLOTTE and we need to build towards one more (of many) lynch vs. Charlotte match. I’ll go with Lynch and hope that WWE doesn’t overthink things for once in my life.

A B+ isn’t that bad.

I’ve gone back and forth on this one since before the match was announced and that hasn’t changed yet. We’re at the point now where Kingston either needs to win the title or do something completely different because he has all the momentum in the world right now. Kingston is more than qualified to win the title (period) and it would be the awesome moment if he wins the title.

I’ll take the plunge here and say the title changes hands here, though there’s next to no chance of Kingston making it to the middle of May as champion, which is just fine. The whole point here is the title win, which is the kind of moment that you need on a show like this. Kingston doesn’t need to be a main eventer long term, but being a former WWE Champion sounds just fine.

No more happy ending?

Now we’re down to the final three matches and since it’s WWE, we’re just not getting three happy endings (it’s all about the chase and the heat you see). That makes you wonder which face has to take the fall and you could go with any of the three. Starting here, we have the Royal Rumble winner against Lesnar, who is STILL Universal Champion, as has been the case for almost two years straight now and somehow WWE is cool with that.

And yes I think Lesnar retains the title here, mainly because WWE still thinks he’ll win the UFC Heavyweight Title again and hold up both titles. You know, as has been promised for YEARS now. I’m still not sure how that instantly equals money, but WWE seems obsessed with seeing it happen. I think Rollins falls short here though, as we get another Lesnar vs. Reigns match down the line. Or here, if Lesnar pulls a WrestleMania IX and somehow Reigns gets the title back Sunday. Would it really shock you?

In case it wasn’t clear.

I’ve been pleasantly surprised by this build as Batista has been nearly perfect with being a delusional jerk, which tended to be his strong suit. Triple H’s comedic promo responding to him was good, though completely missing the point of the story so far. With Triple H’s career on the line, you kind of know what’s coming here, again proving that Triple H is the smartest man/best politician in wrestling.

Yeah Triple H wins here because Batista doesn’t need to wrestle again and Triple H can still wrestle an occasional match when necessary. The match itself should be a solid brawl because these two know how to do a street fight style match very well. I’m sure it will be entertaining and get a lot of time (because Triple H) and hopefully they don’t go too long and ruin things.

Expect what should be expected.

This is another match that doesn’t need to be on the show but is anyway because we need to get these eight people, most of whom have been inconsequential in recent weeks, on the show. It should be a nice little nine minute match at most, but the entrances alone will add close to ten mote. I like the Usos but I’d definitely prefer seeing them face the Hardys in an actual dream match.

I’ll actually go with Black vs. Ricochet just to mix things up a little bit. The SmackDown tag team division is dying for some fresh blood and it makes sense to have the newer teams getting the titles. That being said, since it makes sense, the Bar or Nakamura/Rusev are probably the favorites. I’ll take what I want to see, though with very little confidence in seeing it happening.

For those of you who think Natalya is a legend.

So we have the first champions, the annoying challengers, not Trish Stratus and Lita and those two monsters who won’t stop appearing on every single show for reasons. I’m not sure why we need Phoenix and Natalya on the show but I guess since they came up with the idea of a legends team (Natalya: Legend), they couldn’t just drop it and do champions vs. red team vs. blue team.

I’ll go with the champs retaining, though the IIconics stealing the titles wouldn’t shock me. Bayley and Sasha Banks are way too early into their reign to lose and it’s not like there are a ton of teams for either heel team to face anyway. Keep them on the champs and figure out what you want to do with the belts later on.

Or so it seems.

Now here’s one where I’m not sure because it’s not clear who’s going to be in the match. Mysterio is already injured and might not be able to make the match….and it just so happens that John Cena has been rumored for a match on the show, which has just so happened to have Cena vs. Samoa Joe for weeks. As much as I’d like to see Samoa Joe vs. Mysterio, I think you can tell where I’m going.

So yeah, I’m going with the theory that the injury is a work and Cena comes out to challenge Samoa Joe instead. I’ll go with the champ retaining in a surprise, which doesn’t feel right but would be a great way to push him. The problem with putting the title on Cena is that he’d have to lose it, and unless that takes place in the next two nights, I’m not sure I see that happening. Unless…..say to someone debuting on Monday Night Raw or SmackDown Live in a US Open Challenge? But what kind of a Freak would you have to be to do that?