by Chris Asbrock
The brand split has had its moments, some amazing and some miserably bad. While each brand has their own specific pay-per-views, things have been headed south on both brands. Even with the recent call ups of big talent from the NXT brand, creative has struggled to bring out the best in most of the rosters. While all is not bad, it has been the recent performance of each show that hasn’t been up to expectations recently. SmackDown Live rolled out their show last night, Money in the Bank in front of a solid crowd in St. Louis. Let’s take a look at the results.
Hype Bros defeat The Colons (kickoff match)
This was a match that was placed on the card to reinvigorate the Hype Bros who saw the return of Zack Ryder. This match was really nothing more than putting them back into the picture.
Carmella wins first ever Women’s Money in the Bank ladder match
This was the historic first ever women’s Money in the Bank ladder match for the #1 contender spot in the women’s division. In what was a good match, it was until the finish when things went very sour. Having James Ellsworth get involved in a historic match like this, really takes all of the luster away from it. This was the first ever match of it’s kind, so there will never be another first in this type of match. That is the unfortunate part of it all. While having Carmella win is fine, it was the involvement of having Ellsworth grab the briefcase and drop it to Carmella which ruined the match.
This was a fine result, especially since the Usos retained the titles due to the count out. Having The New Day on the SmackDown brand does add a lot to this division, it wasn’t the right time to have them take the titles just yet. The New Day are the right team to dethrone the Usos, which will most likely happen at SummerSlam.
Naomi (C) defeats Lana to retain SmackDown Women’s Championship
This was a match that was tossed on the card last week and was a bit puzzling. Lana is just not at the point to garner a title opportunity. While some segment of the crowd wants her to be there, she is just not even close to being in the picture. Naomi winning was certainly the right thing.
Jinder Mahal (C) defeats Randy Orton to retain WWE Championship
The WWE has focused a lot of attention on Jinder Mahal and their push into India. Mahal has done a great job in rehabbing his look recently and it has paid off. While it is some luck that has resulted in his push, a lot of credit does go to Jinder and his championship reign. Mahal does a great job as a heel champion and will now look to continue his reign throughout the summer and into SummerSlam. With the Money in the Bank briefcase in the picture, time will tell how long he is at the top.
Fashion Police (ie Breezango) defeat The Ascension
Breezango have had some entertaining spots in their Fashion Files segments on SmackDown. This was a match that was tossed onto the card as a buffer between the title match and the MITB match. Fashion Police stay hot with an easy win over The Ascension in what was a throw away match.
Baron Corbin wins Money in the Bank ladder match
This was a fantastic match that saw some really good spots. With Shinsuke Nakamura getting attacked before the match by Corbin, it was great to see him come back out and face off against AJ Styles. It was great, espeically with their incredible history prior to their arrivals in the WWE. In looking at the participants, it was a no-brainer to have Corbin win, especially having a heel with the briefcase. With a program between Styles and Nakamura on the horizon, it will be interesting to see what the future holds for Corbin and the briefcase.
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