WWE MITB: Shortening Roman Reigns vs. Elias was the best option

Last night’s match at WWE Money in the Bank between Roman Reigns and Elias turned out to be much shorter than expected, but it was also the perfect amount of time needed for both men to provide a memorable segment.

Last night’s edition of WWE Money in the Bank was scheduled to feature a good ole fashioned grudge match between Roman Reigns and Elias. However, that is not quite what we got. Not exactly, any how.

Instead, Elias clobbered Roman over the back backstage with his guitar. From there, Elias proceeded to make his way to the ring, give his usual in-ring musical performance – accompanied by his signature jaw jacking against the city – and wish the crowd good night. “I love none of you,” he added. Suddenly, a wild Roman Reigns appeared to deliver a Superman Punch to The Living Truth at the ramp. He then rolled Elias in the ring to officially start the match and seconds later hit a Spear for the win.

Yes, it was a quick win and yes, it was more of a segment than a match, but considering how much the feud had lost steam on the road to Money in the Bank, this was the best option. As a result, the whole thing received one of the better reactions of the night.

Admittedly, this feud has lost a ton of momentum on the road to Money in the Bank. In fact, quite frankly, people weren’t too jazzed to see this feud come to fruition ever since the night that Roman Reigns hit Vince McMahon with a Superman Punch during his first night on SmackDown Live. Critics were not excited to see the prospect of WWE reviving the classic Authority angle and were even less excited to see Elias play lackey to Shane McMahon.

Thankfully, WWE seem to have took note to the average fan reaction and followed suite. Fans found it hard to care about this storyline in the build-up to the PPV, but the audience certainly cared last night thanks to a rocking segment.

The segment played to the strengths of both men rather well. Elias – while a solid in-ring hand despite his inexperience – is at his best when committing to character work and riling up a crowd. He riled up the crowd enough to get cheers for Roman Reigns last night. Meanwhile, Reigns himself – who is a great competitor in his own right – is at his best when delivering high octane moves in large doses. He did just enough of that last night to keep the crowd on their feet.

This made for an ideal match between the two. Not only was the segment executed well, but it showcased some great chemistry between the two.

Maybe one day when their feud manages to pick up in the steam department, we could get a longer match between these two, but for now, what they did last night was perfect.