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Welcome back to the EXCELLENCE IN COLUMN WRITING exclusively here at LordsofPain.net / WrestlingHeadlines.com. It's MONEY IN THE BANK day as I boldly attempt to write the "INSTA-COLUMN" in which I post my review column a few mere seconds after the WWE Pay Per View ends. It's been a stable of my columns lately and it's working out well. Now, today's column is not without distraction... I am simultaneously watching the NBA Finals and Money in the Bank 2016. I'm watching the NBA on network television while holding my Smartphone for WWE Network... It's EXACTLY what I did last year when both events ran at the same time. In fact, the NBA Finals occurring on the same night as Money in the Bank 2015 is what caused me to try the FREE trial of WWE Network. Before that, I had an extensive public boycott of the WWE Network due to the WWE's mistreatment of CM Punk, Daniel Bryan, and Cesaro. While everyone else complained, I put my money where my mouth was and refused to buy the network for over a year. I wanted to watch Money in the Bank 2015 and the NBA Finals at the same time... However - NXT and various WWE Network exclusives (WWE event in Japan, for example) have kept me around... Truth be told, it's more convenient to watch Pay Per Views here with my family around and 2015 with Seth Rollins and John Cena were damn good Pay Per Views. Gee, why does Money in the Bank 2016 look so strong compared to the other 2016 Pay Per Views? Ummmm... Oh yeah, Rollins and Cena are back! No coincidence. Consider the context of my review... I'm watching on a Smartphone while also watching the NBA Finals. Some of you are like "why don't you DVR the NBA game"? And miss out on that live experience? And don't forget, I cut the Cable cord so there's no DVR. Can't watch Money in the Bank later because I need to review it... So I'll be on the rollercoaster ride of watching both AND writing this column. Time flies when you boldly do this... Mr. Tito's PHAT Money in the Bank 2016 Review Roman Reigns is all over the advertisements for this show. Such a manufactured WWE entity and as ratings, houseshows, etc. decline with him on top. I'd give anything to see how Roman Reigns draws as a pro wrestler without the full force of the WWE marketing machine behind him. Opening match was Enzo/Big Cass, Anderson/Gallows, Vaudevillains, and New Day (c) in a Fatal 4 Way for the WWE Tag Titles. This crowd is HOT for Enzo & Cass. What a blessing that Triple H delivered to the WWE from NXT. Could be his greatest achievement and this act has legs if Enzo remains Cass's manager/friend when Cass gets his big push. I love how simple and basic Big Cass speaks. Love the Vaudevillain entrance... Without any backstory, their entrance tell you who is about to hit the ring. Perfectly done. Heading into this match, I'm not sold on Anderson & Gallows. Just haven't seen their best efforts since their arrival despite the New Japan hype. And then there's the New Day... Usual microphone work, nothing special. Fun team, but they need something to freshen up their gimmick. Lots of solid wrestlers in this match to create lots of chaos throughout. Great spots, great action on the outside, and some unique moves hit (crazy spinning DDT by Enzo). And hey, New Day might finally have a finisher with Kofi jumping off the top rope to add extra impact onto Big E's finisher. Kofi pins the legal man from the Vaudevillains who was taken out by Anderson/Gallows. Afterward, Gallows/Anderson walk away upset to probably suggest the next feud. I thought Big Cass looked great on the hot tag, as he has serious upside as a big hoss main eventer someday. [ *** 1/2 ] Backstage, Kevin Owens argues with Chris Jericho. Then, Alberto Del Rio appears and reminds them of his past MITB success. Honestly, I'm zoned out and watching the NBA game during this segment. Up next, it's Baron Corbin vs. Dolph Ziggler... I thought this was going to be the Pre-Game show match? Sorry, I missed that lame WWE Network broadcast tonight. *looks at pre-game show matche* LOL, yeah, I didn't miss much. Corbin and Ziggler are high energy to start the match which is a product of having them wrestle many times... Problem with this feud is that Corbin is too new and Ziggler's use has irritated WWE fans. Thus, when WWE fans feel that Ziggler is just enhancement talent for the NXT talent that suddenly appeared one day, that results in missing heat for this feud. Corbin gets the upper hand and dominates on the offensive side with weardown moves. That prompts a "BORING" chant. NOT GOOD. Match has its best moments when Dolph Ziggler is on offense or when Ziggler is selling power moves for Corbin. In other words, match is at its best when Ziggler controls it... Ziggler had a few close calls on several of his mini finishers (Superkick, Fameasser) but Corbin hits his main finisher to win. [ *** ] Dolph Ziggler needs to leave the WWE and make it big elsewhere. Period. Up next we have Dana Brooke/Charlotte vs. Natalya/Becky Lynch... I hope that Natalya and Becky are better tag team wrestlers than commentators. Their voicework for RAW was just awful. Thankfully, the tag match was better than the commentating. Ladies were pretty physical and each had good teamwork. The ending was damn good with Dana throwing Becky into Natalya and that allowed Charlotte to hit her finisher and get the win. Short and sweet. [ ** 3/4 ] Afterward, Natalya snaps and attacks Becky Lynch. Backstage, Dean Ambrose cuts promo about his match and discusses his former Shield buddies as well. Sheamus vs. Apollo Crews is up next... I curse as this match will be the carrying into Halftime. Match starts off with Sheamus beating the crap out of Apollo as if there is any sense of urgency by the mainstream WWE fans to care about Apollo Crews. When you debut him with ZERO HYPE to your non-NXT watching mainstream WWE audience, they won't care. WWE should have built Crews up in NXT, gave him a NXT Title reign, and then debut him. By the way, not much Ninja Turtles 2 heat for Sheamus. That movie underwhelmed domestically... Nice looking Belly-to-Belly over the top rope on Sheamus by Crews and then he hit a beautiful moonsault. That's what Crews is great at... But wrestling weardown move matches against bigger men is his weakness. Don't forget that bad NXT Takeover match against Corbin which was the only weak match on that stacked card. Badass White Noise move by Sheamus off the top rope for a close pin and then afterward, Apollo Crews rolls up Sheamus. LAME finish. That does not help Crews with a tainted win as a babyface. Why protect Sheamus who hasn't done squat since Triple H devoured him after the injury angle? Some nice spots hit here and there but the match lacked heat and flow. [ ** 1/2 ] John Cena vs. AJ Styles is up next... I'm still perplexed why AJ Styles turned heel and used the Club on John Cena when he could have become WWE champion by doing that to Roman Reigns. Just a complete lack of logic by WWE Creative and goes to show you that WWE had no long-term plans for Styles/Anderson/Gallows. Just making stuff up... Good thing that AJ Styles is an amazing in-ring performer that allows for Creative fumbles. Crowd is RED HOT for this match. Wrestlers start off acting like blind men at an orgy by feeling things out. Hard rights by Styles which Cena sells like they are killing him. Belly to belly by Cena and now they brawl on the outside. Nice heads-up move by Styles leaping over the steel stairs when Irish whipped. To my surprise, lots of weardown moves followed... However, both of these guys will get time for their match so they are probably resting up for a finish. I think... And I was right, this match started to heat up!! Some nice moves on the outside by Styles but then Cena gets the advantage and slaps in his submission. Nice catch by Cena on the flying forecarm into the Attitude Adjustment but an even better reversal by Styles into the Calf Crusher submission! Because Cena doesn't submit, he escapes... Eventually DESTROYS AJ Styles with a clothesline! Damn! AJ Styles fights an Attitude Adjustment attempt but Cena hits it... But 2 count Only. Styles then counters a Cena toprope move into a Powerbomb. Damn... Pele Kick and then the Styles Clash... 2 count only! Attitude Adjustment attempt again, Styles slips out of it, misses Pele Kick... Fights off the STF submission and Cena's next Attitude Adjustment attempt hits the referee. Anderson and Gallows run down to attack for AJ Styles to win the match. Meh, you know that finish will get disputed on RAW tomorrow because of the contract they signed. Great match until the finish BUT that finish will serve for about 2 John Cena rematches which he'll win... [ **** ] Damn good match that got better by the minute! That's TWICE that we've seen Shaq selling Gold Bond spray tonight. OK... MONEY IN THE BANK Ladder Match is up next... Chris Jericho, Cesaro, Sami Zayn, Alberto Del Rio, Kevin Owens, & Dean Ambrose. Heading into this match, this is one of the most talented line-up for a MITB style match. Excellent stuff from Del Rio and Cesaro to start. Have they ever fought before? Sami Zayn does his flip over the rope to clear everybody early on. Not much danger other than that early but some great momentum runs by Cesaro, Kevin Owens, and Zayn to clean house in the ring. Now Zayn gets the BIG ladder... SICK stuff with Del Rio applying his armbar submission through the ladder, getting kicked off the ladder, and then Cesaro delivers a beautiful flying forearm. Owens shoves off both Jericho and Zayn fighting on the ladder in a big spot. Big Swing by Cesaro on Del Rio... Funny how the WWE actually censored that move a few years ago because it was getting too over. Another Swing but this time on Jericho and Cesaro swings Jericho into a ladder... Ouch! Ambrose elbow off the top of the ladder but Cesaro waited forever to get hit with that. Poor Kevin Owens was bodyslammed on the ladder. OUCH! Zayn climbing the ladder but Del Rio grabs another ladder and beats him with it! That second ladder is set-up like a platform with Del Rio and Zayn fighting on it... Jericho tried to climb but Cesaro hits him with a 3rd ladder and then that ladder is set up like a platform. 6 wrestlers on top of this contraption and danger is coming soon! 4th ladder now standing. Del Rio took a horrible bump falling off the ladder and near the ropes. HARD TO WATCH THIS with the NBA Finals under 3:00 now, LOL! Ambrose and Owens fighting at the top and Owens is knocked off HARD and Dean Ambrose wins the Money in the Bank briefcase for 2016! EXCELLENT battle between these guys! High risk and great energy among them. Delivered! Happy for Ambrose! [ ****1/2 ] Rusev vs. Titus O'Neil is up next... Excellent timing of this match as the NBA Finals are at 1:09 in the 4th as I write this. Physical match early on between the two, as both probably want to make some sort of impression. But it's the United States Title which has been flushed down the toilet since Cena had the belt. OK, I had to shut the phone off as it was ringing and bombarding me with texts... LOL. Seemed like a good match developing. CLEVELAND CAVS WON BABY! YEAH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! The MAIN EVENT was Roman Reigns vs. Seth Rollins... Seriously, this match could SUCK and I'm in the greatest of moods because Lebron James delivered an NBA Title to Cleveland. O-H-I-O baby!!! Heavy boos for the babyface WWE Champion, once again... Good clock management by WWE by letting this Pay Per View go beyond 11:00pm tonight to avoid the 4th quarter of the NBA finals. Much of the match was Roman Reigns trying to act physical and Seth Rollins selling as much as he can. Meanwhile, the ENTIRE match consisted of Michael Cole trying to describe how "great" Roman is as a wrestler. Vince McMahon is definitely in his headphones and it is killing the match. Anytime you have to sell that hard for a babyface WWE Champion, it's time to reconsider his spot on the roster. Nice Razor's Edge into a Powerbomb by Reigns. Reigns is just sucking wind out there and it's killing any momentum of big moves hit by him. To my surprise, Rollins is allowed to hit the Turnbuckle Powerbomb on the prized Reigns, the same move that badly hurt Sting. Beautiful Superplex into a modified Suplex by Rollins (excuse me if I'm poorly calling that second move). ACL tear and he can still do that... It SICKENS me that Seth Rollins has the Pedigree as his finisher. I HATE IT SO MUCH! Another Turnbuckle Powerbomb but Reigns no-sells it to hit a Superman Punch. Good lord, let's stop selling moves guys! Reigns misses the spear on the outside and hits the barricade... Sells an injury and as Rollins tries to hit another Pedigree, Reigns pushes back and hits the referee. Spear by Reigns, 2 count only by a slow moving referee. CRAZY counter to a Spear by Rollins leaps and hits a Pedigree in midair, 2 count only. But then another Pedigree hit by Seth Rollins and 3 count!!!! HOLY COW, IT'S LIKE CLEVELAND CAVS WINNING ALL OVER AGAIN TONIGHT FOR ME! YEAH!!!! [ *** ] AFTER THE MATCH, Dean Ambrose's music hits but he sneak attacks Seth Rollins by blasting him with the MITB Briefcase. Ambrose hits the Dirty Deeds DDT to become the NEW WWE Heavyweight Champion! Wow... Yeah, that will set up SummerSlam 2016 with the hype being that on June 19th, all 3 members of the Shield were champions in ONE night. THE LAST WORD: Just make "Money in the Bank" as the official member of the "Big 4" Pay Per Views. Bump Survivor Series and add MITB to Wrestlemania, Royal Rumble, and SummerSlam as the most important Pay Per Views. WWE seems to care about this show and it's actually helping their summer business. This event benefited greatly by (a) having John Cena/Seth Rollins back and (b) putting many of the next level guys in the Money in the Bank and letting them shine. GOOD WWE event which be a shame to split this roster up when together, they can accomplish an event like this. [ A ] SO JUST CHILL... 'TIL THE NEXT EPISODE! Comments and feedback are welcome. Follow and Tweet me @titowrestling or login in below to post comments. © Mr. Tito and LordsofPain.net/WrestlingHeadlines.com - 1998-2016
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