Leading into WWE Money in the Bank 2018, the WWE Universe thought that they had everything figured out. And just like a good magician, WWE had fans looking in the wrong direction as Money in the Bank proved to have a few surprises.
For starters, yes, there were predictable outcomes that included wins by Bobby Lashley, Roman Reigns, The Bludgeon Brothers, Seth Rollins, and possibly Braun Strowman. Yet, with the exception of Strowman, fans following Money in the Bank are talking about the surprises from Sunday night.
More times than not, WWE catches criticism from the WWE Universe for predictability and lack of imagination. This is a result of obvious foreshadowing leading into pay-per-view events that leave fans with little doubt to the outcome.
At Money in the Bank, it seemed obvious that Natalya would be the thorn in the side of Ronda Rousey. Natalya had been so nice to Rousey over the past month that it was almost a lock that Natalya would betray the former UFC Women’s Bantamweight Champion.
The only question was whether Natalya would interfere in Rousey’s match for the WWE Raw Women’s Championship out of jealousy or cash in following the match for that same championship. When neither of these options happened, it fooled a lot of the WWE Universe.
For once WWE used our own logic against us, the bait was too easy, and we fell for it. Let’s take a look at the three major surprises from Money in the Bank.
Credit: WWE.com
1. Best 2 Out Of 3? No! No! No!
From a broad perspective, is Daniel Bryan defeating Big Cass an upset? No. Yet the past couple months have been spent reintroducing Cass to the WWE Universe.
Cass is big in stature, was being booked strong before an ACL injury, and is getting increased time on the microphone. Surely Cass would return and become a force to be reckoned with, right? Wrong.
After Cass lost at WWE Backlash 2018 to Bryan, and with WWE Extreme Rules 2018 less than a month away, this is where WWE usually makes it the best 2 out of 3. This way leading into the tiebreaker the rivalry is being booked 50/50.
But in a shocking turn of events, Bryan beat Cass at Money in the Bank via a heel hook submission. Not only has Bryan beat Cass twice, but this is the second time that Bryan has made the much bigger superstar tap out.
Technically, this is the third time in the past seven weeks that Bryan has forced Cass to tap out if you include the May 15th segment with the two superstars on WWE SmackDown Live. This rivalry was definitively ended at Money in the Bank, and considering Bryan’s dominance over Cass recently, it is time for both superstars to move on.
Credit: WWE.com
2. Asuka Wasn’t Ready For Ellsworth
The idea of Carmella beating Asuka clean was so far fetched that there needed to be a catch. Just as Asuka was assuming control of the match, a figure walked up the steps and stood on the apron wearing the Asuka entrance attire.
The masked figure had the Chicago crowd buzzing, and at the same time Asuka was frozen. For the first time in her career the WWE Universe witnessed Asuka lose focus as The Empress of Tomorrow continued to glance back and forth between her fallen opponent and the masked figure.
Eventually the masked figure would reveal himself as a returning James Ellsworth. The surprise of a newly added challenge was all it took for Carmella to take advantage and secure the win.
The return of Ellsworth was an unexpected one, but also a wise one. WWE has traditionally given heel superstars like The Miz, CM Punk, Jinder Mahal, and now Carmella (again) additional ringside help to make their victories over a superior babyface more believable.
With plenty of big name matches on the card, this match had the potential to get lost in the shuffle. Yet, a brilliantly executed surprise return and reveal has this match up there as one of the most talked about from the night.
Photo by WWE’s Twitter
3. Ignorance Is Bliss
If anyone tells you that they predicted the exact events involving Alexa Bliss at Money in the Bank, they are likely bluffing. Bliss entered the Money in the Bank ladder match truly underestimated by the WWE Universe.
Popular picks included: Sasha Banks, Ember Moon, Becky Lynch, and Natalya. Despite all of Bliss’ accomplishments, she was still overlooked. When The Goddess unhooked the briefcase it became clear how perfect of a choice Bliss was to win the Money in the Bank briefcase.
Bliss has relished the spotlight in WWE since the brand split, and her cowardly persona was a perfect fit for the briefcase. The thought then became that Bliss could hold onto the briefcase for a while to give her a break from the title scene.
Then in shocking fashion, Bliss asserted herself (and the briefcase) into the Raw Women’s Championship match just as it looked like Rousey had the upper hand on Jax. Cleverly, Bliss eliminated Rousey as a threat first, before starting her assault on Jax.
There was nothing standing in Bliss’ way, as she finished off a battered Jax for the win. Bliss might be known for being Five Feet of Fury, but on this night she was larger than life.
The fact that Bliss was an excellent choice to win Money in the Bank, yet was still overlooked is what made both of her moments so special.