WWE Money in the Bank
Wells Fargo Center, Philladelphia, PA
July 14, 2013
by Mike Killam
All scores out of a possible five points.
WWE Money in the Bank kicks off with a great video package that follows the briefcases from the back of an armored truck, to the ring, and highlights the various matches scheduled for tonight. I liked this promo much more than last month's silly Chicago mobster-influenced package.
Dean Ambrose is already in the ring for the first match, following The Shield's pre-show victory, and WWE is wasting little time kicking things off with the world championship ladder match! Zeb Colter is out with his militia, cutting his typical promo about America; this time he claims Betsy Ross should have knit the American Flag out of tacos. I definitely agree. Team Rhodes Scholars comes out together – this is relevant.
WORLD TITLE MONEY IN THE BANK LADDER MATCH
Winner: Damien Sandow
Rating: ****
A lot of solid story telling went into this Money in the Bank ladder match. How often do we get a chance to say that?
Cesaro and Swagger worked the whole match as a cohesive unit, and perked my interest in Colter's Militia for the first time. Team Rhodes Scholars united entrance set the stage for the shocking finish. The two teams worked each other for a lot of the early going, which gave a much different dynamic than we're used to seeing from these types of matches. The Shield attack set up Dean Ambrose, with The Usos getting a giant reaction for the save; one of my personal picks for moment of the night.
Good story telling. Cody Rhodes stole the show from where I was sitting, and he sold the betrayal from Judas Sandow like a champ; proverbial crimson mask and all.
Not everyone was essential to the match, but nobody stunk up the joint either. Fandango wasn't hugely effective, but his sunset flip powerbomb and springboard leg drop provided some memorable high impact spots. I barely remember Wade Barrett. Dean Ambrose could have been involved more than he was, but utilizing The Shield in more of a storyline manner is also perfectly acceptable.
I'm excited to see what fallout from this match creeps into the Raw scripts this week.
