WWE presented its 14th Money in the Bank event live at the legendary O2 Arena in London on Saturday night and to say the show was over the top would be an understatement. Records were broken and dreams shattered when the “world's leading provider of sports entertainment” hosted its biggest MITB event ever.
M&F was in London all weekend to bring you all the action and here we've picked five of the most exciting moments from a crazy night out in the English capital. One thing is certain: neither I nor top sports commentator Ariel Helwani, who also covered the event, could be sure what was going to happen.
Courtesy of WWE
Jimmy Uso is stuck in Roman Reigns
Roman Reigns is the reigning and longest-serving undisputed WWE Champion, but his empire began to crumble when his family feud finally dealt him a pivotal loss during the Civil War tag team confrontation with the Uso's. Twins Jimmy and Jay Uso challenged Reigns and Solo Sikoa in an emotional and chaotic match.
In the end, Jey Uso pinned his former chieftain and gave Reigns his first pinfall loss since December 2019 after a top-rope splash. While the end of the game was exciting enough, what comes next gets even more exciting as the fallen "league leader" must regain his authority if he has any chance of keeping his gold.
Courtesy of WWE
We saw Cena!
These days, wrestler-turned-movie-star John Cena makes infrequent appearances on WWE screens, and when he does appear, those moments are usually hyped weeks in advance for shows like WrestleMania. So when, without warning, the well-known music of the great John played, the O2 almost blew the roof.
Cena, looking leaner and significantly more muscular, told the London crowds that he respected them and wanted to bring WrestleMania to London. And while that historic feat is yet to be seen, the You Can't See Me star entertained fans by cheering Australian Grayson Waller in an impromptu match. You're always welcome back, John!
Courtesy of WWE
Damian Priest wins the Men's Money in the Bank Ladder Match
Fans around the world were fairly evenly split in their predictions of who would win the men's Money in the Bank ladder game, with a nearly 50/50 split picking either Logan Paul or LA Knight as the likely winner. So when Damian Priest managed to climb the steps and grab the promised briefcase, our jaws dropped.
"As far as men's Money in the Bank goes, I think Logan Paul will win," Ariel Helwani said in a pre-show conversation with me. I had made the same prediction. Renowned for his insightful coverage of sports including MMA and boxing, Helwani is also a huge pro wrestling fan, presenting his Run In show on BT Sport — the same channel that broadcasts RAW and SmackDown live in the UK. The fact that none of us could pick the right winner here just goes to show just how exciting WWE is right now.
Priest's ownership of the WWE Money-in-the-Bank contract isn't a bad thing, however, and the Judgment Day member had an excellent match with the music sensation; Bad Bunny at BackLash just a few months ago. He's becoming a worthy star of the Main Event. Also, Logan Paul didn't win, so the fans went home happy!
I like this sport @WWE pic.twitter.com/iq6pNbuiqO
— Logan Paul (@LoganPaul) July 1, 2023
Iyo Sky wins the women's Money in the Bank ladder game
Speaking of the unpredictable winners, Becky Lynch and Trish Stratus were the hot favorites for many WWE fans when it came to finding out who would win the women's briefcase, and while most of us were wrong once again, no one was disappointed when Iyo Sky climbed the rankings success. While I predicted Becky Lynch would take the case, my buddy Helwani was right. "As far as women go, I think it's going to be either Iyo Sky or Becky Lynch," he said. “Becky vs Rhea (Ripley) would be a lot of fun. If I had to pick a winner, I would choose Iyo Sky.”
There's no question that Sky is one of the most exciting women on the roster, and her match with Bianca Belair at BackLash is undoubtedly one of the greatest WWE matches of all time. The London finish came as Sky was able to handcuff their Damage CTRL partner; Bayley to "The Man" Becky Lynch, allowing Sky to climb the mountain and secure a future championship shot.
WWE
Shayna Baszler turns on Ronda Rousey
Longtime friends Ronda Rousey and Shayna Baszler entered the O2 Arena on Saturday night as the undisputed WWE Tag Team Champions ahead of their title defenses against Liv Morgan and Raquel Rodriguez, but good friends turned into bitter foes when Baszler showed up to snap and attacking former UFC champion before leaving them to their own devices. After losing the numbers game, Morgan and Rodriquez slammed Rousey and won the match when Morgan was able to press her shoulders to the mat for a three count.
There is now much speculation about Baszler's motives for breaking up the famous friendship. Perhaps there was always a hint of the increasing distance, as Baszler revealed in a conversation with me hours before the game that they both live across the country and rarely find time to train together. w we're waiting with bated breath to see how Rousey will react to losing her tag team title and her best friend. While the action was unpredictable, one thing is for sure: WWE is hot as hell right now! As confirmed by Triple H in the post-show press conference, Money in the Bank 2023 was the highest-grossing WWE arena event in its history.
BT Sport is the home of WWE in the UK. From July 19th, TNT Sports will be the new name for BT Sport. To learn more visit https://www.bt.com/sport/monthly-pass
