WWE Money in the Bank 2015: Results and observations from the show
It was pay-per-view time yet again from the WWE, as it presented Money in the Bank from Nationwide Arena in Columbus, Ohio on Sunday.
Overall, the show was no better than average in my opinion. While the second half of the show was quite entertaining, the first half left a lot to be desired.
Before I go into great detail about the happenings from the event, let's take a look at the full match results:
- Kickoff match - R-Truth def. King Barrett
- Money in the Bank ladder match – Sheamus def. Neville, Randy Orton, Roman Reigns, Kofi Kingston, Kane & Dolph Ziggler
- WWE Divas championship – Nikki Bella def. Paige
- WWE Intercontinental championship – Big Show def. Ryback via disqualification
- John Cena def. Kevin Owens
- WWE Tag Team championship – The Primetime Players def. The New Day
- WWE World Heavyweight championship – Seth Rollins def. Dean Ambrose
Seth Rollins-Dean Ambrose has another wonky finish
Technically, Seth Rollins defeated Dean Ambrose all by himself.
There wasn't any interference from The Authority. There weren't any run-ins from anyone else either. It was as about as straight up as a ladder match could be.
My only problem was that the finish wasn't necessarily straight up.
Instead of having Rollins definitively unhook the belt from atop the ladder, the WWE had Rollins and Ambrose both yank it down, and since the belt just so happen to fall onto Rollins' chest, he walks out with the title.
If this match was supposed to put over the fact that Rollins is in fact a legitimate champion, that finish didn't do him any favors.
If this match was supposed to make him look like a legitimate threat to Brock Lesnar once he returns, it didn't really matter. Rollins' credibility when it came to Lesnar has been long gone.
When Lesnar comes back and he's facing Rollins, it will look like the mismatch of the century.
The match itself was actually really good, which was expected — Rollins and Ambrose are two very capable performers have great chemistry when working together.
When you think about it, they have been feuding off and on for more than a year, but the matches still feel fresh, which is a testament to their talents.
But that finish didn't do much for me.
Kevin Owens, John Cena do it again
For the second special event in a row, Kevin Owens and John Cena had a match-of-the-year candidate Sunday night in Columbus.
The only complaint about the match I had was they relied heavily on near falls, but they didn't really take away from the match.
I know some people are upset that Cena beat Owens, but what did you all really expect? It's still Cena at the end of the day, and he's going to win as much or more than he loses.
Plus, with the level of quality with the last two matches, it is begging for a rubber match.
And how could I forget about the post-match angle of Owens power-bombing Cena on the ring apron?
Not only do you know have a rubber match, but now it is a rubber match with some little extra heat sprinkled on top.
Owens and Cena put on a great show again at Money in the Bank, and I can't wait to see the rubber match.
Bray Wyatt is at it again
Just like all of Bray Wyatt's feuds in the last year, he randomly popped up during the Money in the Bank match to attack someone without any rhyme or reason.
His victim this time was Roman Reigns.
Wyatt popped up just as Reigns looked as if he was going to grab the Money in the Bank briefcase, but knocked him off the ladder and put him down.
At the very least, I will say that this was surprising. I didn't see this coming. It's not that I could never fathom a feud between Wyatt and Reigns. I just didn't think the WWE would promote this feud this soon.
Instead, we're getting it now, as the WWE has already announced a match between them at Battleground.
Here's where the problems begin.
Wyatt's modus operandi about starting these feuds is nothing new. As I mentioned earlier, he's done this multiple times within the past year. He did it with Cena, he did it with Ambrose, he did it with Chris Jericho, and did it with Ryback.
It just shows a lack of creativity with a character that is begging for some creative, outside-the-box angles. Instead, we get the same thing he's done numerous times.
The main problem is that none of those feuds were all that eventful.
Another problem is that I have low expectations on the matches these two would put on together.
Then you have to worry about who is going to lose these matches. Which guy can afford the loss? Wyatt or Reigns? I think that neither guy can afford to lose.
Darren Young may be first openly gay champion in WWE
As of this writing, I haven't gotten a chance to research this fully yet, but when Darren Young won the Tag Team titles with Titus O'Neil he may have become the first openly gay champion in WWE history.
When I asked around on Twitter, I got answers that maybe Orlando Jordan or Pat Patterson may have been the first.
It may have been known throughout the business that Patterson was gay, but he never announced it to the public until last year.
When it comes to Jordan, I'm pretty sure that he didn't come out until after he left the WWE.
If Young is indeed the first openly gay champion in WWE, I'm surprised WWE didn't make a bigger deal of it.
Regardless, I'm happy for both Young and O'Neil. O'Neil could be a very entertaining babyface if given the chance and Young is very good in his current role.
Divas title match has "Dusty" finish
Here are the positives of the finish to the Divas title match between Paige and Nikki Bella: It was a bit of a tip of the hat to the late, great Dusty Rhodes. That was cool.
Also, the sight of Brie Bella pulling tissue out of her top to show that she wasn't the busty Bella twin was pretty funny.
Other than that, it was pretty miserable.
Firstly, how is it not a disqualification once Brie Bella hops into the ring and attempts to pin Paige? Once the official saw that it wasn't Nikki Bella, she should have been disqualified.
Secondly, it was just an awful way to end this match and further evidence that the Divas division desperately needs some new talent.