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

6. Women's Money In The Bank Ladder Match

Jinder Mahal STAR RATING 1
WWE.com

This was a less ostentatious Money In The Bank match, and absolutely excellent because of it.

The dreaded spot-fest accusations did not materialise. This boasted and absorbed into a coherent whole several great subplots in which the characters stayed true to themselves, to their benefit and detriment - some achievement, in the inconsistent world of WWE. Sasha Banks, again, tried too hard to please in a babyface role incompatible with her character, with this impetuousness realising itself as a gruesome back-first ladder spot. Perhaps this bump will make her realise that she needs to rediscover the Boss within.

But probably not.

Becky Lynch showed the babyface fire for which she is so beloved. Similarly, Naomi wowed with her flashy repertoire, wonderfully transposed to the MITB environment. Charlotte, always arrogant even in the babyface role, tempted and was struck down by fate when ducking underneath the ladder. In a great, almost meta spot, Naomi interrupted the ladder tug-of-war between Charlotte and Becky. Always self-mythologising, this was a choice reminder that "Ric" and "Sting" are not at the forefront of everything. The real winner was the woman who did the least amount of work: Alexa Bliss, who's clearly been studying Adam Cole in NXT.

It was just refreshing to see the Horsewomen interact in a manner that felt both meaningful and well-earned. It was plain nice, too, to care about an overarching story WWE otherwise relies on the shorthand of.

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!