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

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SmackDown Women’s Championship Match

Carmella (c) vs. Asuka

Result: Carmella defeated Asuka via pinfall

Rating: 2.5 out of 5 stars

Carmella may be the best heel champion WWE has produced in years. She’s not the first one to threaten to leave a match and lose via countout to retain the title, but she seems gleefully evil when she does so. And her taunting of Asuka while in the ropes (and theoretically safe from attack) is like a kid poking a sleeping dog with a stick three seconds before getting bit.

But what may be the most surprising thing to those who don’t really pay attention is that Carmella was able to hang with Asuka throughout the match. For a long time since the draft in 2016, Carmella was kind of like an afterthought in the SmackDown women’s division. With Becky Lynch, Alexa Bliss, Naomi, Nikki Bella, and Natalya at first, then Charlotte after the first Superstar Shake-Up, Carmella was never expected to carry the division.

A hard fought match ended in some controversy though, because JAMES ELLSWORTH IS BACK BABY. It looked like Asuka was about to finally put the champ away and win her first main roster gold. But a “second Asuka” appeared in the corner of the ring, distracting the Empress of Tomorrow before revealing it was Ellsworth. The confusion led to a big kick from Carmella taking out Asuka, handing the formerly undefeated superstar another in a series of losses.

I don’t know how Asuka goes from here, but Carmella reuniting with Ellsworth is a glorious moment that I want to put in a bottle and save for a rainy day. And the Princess of Staten Island being able to wrestle at such a high level could mean big things for her down the road, including a pretty lengthy run as champ.