WWE Money In The Bank 2018: Star Ratings For All 10 Matches

7. Seth Rollins Vs. Elias

Jinder Mahal STAR RATING 1
WWE.com

At Backlash, Charlotte Flair lost the SmackDown Women's Title after tweaking her knee. A couple of weeks later on RAW, Natalya tweaked her knee, or maybe she didn't, in a match opposite Nia Jax. Maybe she was faking it ahead of lulling Ronda Rousey into a false sense of security, a plan Vince McMahon decided to change, as is his prerogative. Or maybe it was a continuity error made by a company in which the left knee has no clue what the right knee is doing.

In any event, once per year is enough to dust off a trope that reaches for sympathy but, through over-use, touches pure geek territory. This narrative development in the Seth Rollins Vs. Elias match manifested as a cheap dramatic shortcut a means of building to a rematch. Rollins, through desperation, grabbed the tights to secure the pin, giving Elias an excuse to demand the "opportunity" of a rematch tonight...justifiably. Rollins cheated to cover his own mistake. This poor character inconsistency diluted last-stretch drama that was only really generated through the dry mathematical near-fall festival formula typical of Monday nights.

Shawn Michaels defined his euphoric comeback run through selling his back in virtually every match. Done well - and Rollins can sell very well - this can be excused. This didn't put any heat on Elias. It was an open goal missed; dramatic in Russia, daft in WWE.

Some may deem the rating harsh - Rollins and Elias alike worked hard, and did command the attention of the crowd throughout - but it was proper carny stuff performed for a dubious purpose. 17 full minutes, and the cheap, inconclusive result meant it may as well have not happened.

Star Rating: **1/4

Contributor
Contributor

Michael Sidgwick is an editor, writer and podcaster for WhatCulture Wrestling. With over seven years of experience in wrestling analysis, Michael was published in the influential institution that was Power Slam magazine, and specialises in providing insights into All Elite Wrestling - so much so that he wrote a book about the subject. You can order Becoming All Elite: The Rise Of AEW on Amazon. Possessing a deep knowledge also of WWE, WCW, ECW and New Japan Pro Wrestling, Michael’s work has been publicly praised by former AEW World Champions Kenny Omega and MJF, and current Undisputed WWE Champion Cody Rhodes. When he isn’t putting your finger on why things are the way they are in the endlessly fascinating world of professional wrestling, Michael wraps his own around a hand grinder to explore the world of specialty coffee. Follow Michael on X (formerly known as Twitter) @MSidgwick for more!