WWE Money in the Bank 2018: Results, Highlights, and Grades

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Men’s Money in the Bank Ladder Match

Samoa Joe vs. Finn Balor vs. Rusev (w/ Aiden English) vs. Kevin Owens vs. Bobby Roode vs. The Miz vs. Braun Strowman vs. Kofi Kingston

Result: Braun Strowman retrieved the briefcase to become Mr. Money in the Bank

Rating: 3.75 out of 5 stars

Right off the bat, having Kofi Kingston represent New Day in the MITB match is the right call. He’s been on WWE TV for a decade, and if anyone “deserves” a spot like this, it’s the guy who had to fake a Jamaican accent and see his push ruined by backstage politics.

The entire New Day is great, but I feel like Kofi being a part of the crew helped legitimize the stable in the eyes of those who matter because of his veteran status.

Perfect strategy from the get go, with everyone (except for The Miz, the smartest man in the match) turning their attention to Strowman. Get the most dangerous competitor out of the way, your odds of winning go up drastic.

And then, much like the women’s match earlier, everything devolved into chaos. Bodies were flying every which way, and Kofi and Finn Balor took the sky to the outside in a beautiful spot. Of course, that gave Braun time to recover and return to the match.

Strowman’s return led to the demise of Kevin Owens, who apparently was unable to convince everyone throughout the night to focus on eliminating Strowman early. You had to know KO wouldn’t be able to hit the bullfrog splash from the height of the giant ladder. But you also had to know that he wasn’t going to get off the ladder by climbing.

Braun’s rampage was excellent, as was Miz’s face upon realizing what was happening. I question the wisdom of Balor going for the Coup de Grace from the top of the giant ladder, but if he wants to break an ankle that’s his business.

Despite Raw winning the women’s match earlier, this one ended with Strowman grabbing the Red Team’s second briefcase of the night. And as much as I love Braun Strowman, uh, why? It makes no sense for a Raw superstar to have the opportunity to challenge a guy who’s never there. Plus, other superstars in the match were a better fit for the case, namely The Miz and Samoa Joe. Even Kofi Kingston would have given us a better story if he won the case: would it lead to friction within New Day, or greater unity as the trio worked together to become WWE Champion?

Don’t get me wrong, Braun Strowman is one of the guys who should have beaten Brock Lesnar last year when he challenged for the Universal Championship. But he’ll end up holding the case forever because we have to wait until Lesnar decides to grace the WWE Universe with his presence again. And that makes the case just something Braun will carry around for a few months instead of something important.

Next: WWE Super Show-Down Headed to Australia, Triple H vs. Undertaker to Headline

What are your thoughts on WWE Money in the Bank 2018?