WWE Money in the Bank 2018: Results, Highlights, and Grades
By Bryan Heaton
Photo Source: WWE.com
Raw Women’s Championship Match
Nia Jax (c) vs. Ronda Rousey
Result: Ronda Rousey defeated Nia Jax via disqualification
Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars
Her name is @RondaRousey, and she was BORN READY to compete as she takes it to the #RAW #WomensChampion @NiaJaxWWE! #MITB #RondavsNia pic.twitter.com/vBVpeLHAde
— WWE (@WWE) June 18, 2018
So, everything I said about this one going on last? Whoops! Shows what I know…
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You want an example of perfect booking to hide faults? Here it is.
The big fear most fans had coming in to this was that Rousey, while progressing and full of potential, wasn’t quite ready for a major singles match yet.
So how did WWE work around that? By having Nia just dominate the majority of the match. It wasn’t totally one-sided — Ronda managed to do a little bit here and there. But one of the first things you learn when you start pro wrestling training is bumping. That means if there’s anything Rousey is proficient at, it’s taking offense. It’s frankly a great idea.
This is one way to escape the #Armbar, right?#MITB #RondavsNia pic.twitter.com/voRn3mjyZy
— WWE (@WWE) June 18, 2018
And once Rousey got going on the offensive, everything was tailored to her strengths — judo, striking, and submission wrestling. For those who thought it was absurd for Rousey to get Nia over on the throws, judo is all about leverage. It doesn’t matter how big your opponent is if you position yourself right and use momentum and gravity to your advantage.
TAKING TO THE SKIES!@RondaRousey just LAUNCHED herself off the top rope against @NiaJaxWWE! #MITB #RondavsNia pic.twitter.com/2hidbm8sF9
— WWE (@WWE) June 18, 2018
Of course, right when Ronda was about to cinch in her arm bar and win the Raw Women’s Championship, out came Ms. Money in the Bank with her briefcase to put a stop to things. Rousey picked up the win via DQ since Bliss hit her first, but she was neutralized quickly as Alexa cashed in her contract.
From #LittleMissBliss to #LittleMissMITB to #LittleMissCHAMPION...@AlexaBliss_WWE has cashed in her contract to become a 3-TIME #RAW #WomensChampion! #MITB pic.twitter.com/0PTe4pDXM3
— WWE (@WWE) June 18, 2018
Raw Women’s Championship Match
Nia Jax (c) vs. Alexa Bliss
Result: Alexa Bliss defeated Nia Jax via pinfall
Rating: N/A
So it turns out the title change at WrestleMania was meaningless. Bliss is once again Raw Women’s Champion, Jax comes out with nothing, and Rousey — after a great performance — is probably in line for a shot at Bliss at SummerSlam.