WWE Money In The Bank 2019: Star Ratings For All 12 Matches
3. Seth Rollins Vs. AJ Styles - Universal Champiob
Is it hysterical to state that both men—and the fans—really needed this?
It’s funny; RAW didn’t magically become good once Brock Lesnar dropped the Universal Title to Seth Rollins. Whether through AJ Styles’ rut, or the derivative all-babyface storytelling, this feud failed to ignite in the TV arena. It all felt like two wrestlers telling us they were the best in the world without actually showing it. Developing an air of CM Punk Vs. Chris Jericho about it, on the night, this thing flat-out f*cked.
This was leagues better than WWE’s patterned your-turn-my-turn big match; Seth Rollins, in unleashing a new, killer variation on his superplex/falcon arrow bit, really put over AJ as a genuine threat deserving of his best, a performer he had to strategise around. This was beautiful, state-of-the-art pro wrestling, but not too beautiful; AJ’s struggle to apply the heel hook felt as agonising as the hold itself, informing a seesawing sense of drama, and the athleticism boasted by both men informed a genuinely incredible, unforgettable and emblematic spot in which Styles seamlessly countered the Curb Stomp with a Styles Clash. The resulting near-fall set the arena ablaze. On this night, AJ Styles restored his reputation, and Seth Rollins emerged as the super-working babyface Champion.
This triumph exorcised the bullsh*t surrounding the prize for which it was so breathlessly, fiercely fought—and then, hahahaha…
Star Rating: ****1/2