Money in the Bank (2018)

Money in the Bank (2018)
Money in the Bank (2018) was a professional wrestling pay-per-view (PPV) event and WWE Network event, produced by WWE for their Raw and SmackDown brands. It took place on June 17, 2018, at the Allstate Arena in the Chicago suburb of Rosemont, Illinois. It was the ninth event under the Money in the Bank chronology.

The card comprised eleven matches, including one match on the pre-show. In the main event, Braun Strowman won the titular ladder match on the men's side, while Alexa Bliss won the women's ladder match. Bliss cashed in her contract later in the night to win the Raw Women's Championship from Nia Jax after causing a disqualification in the previous title match between Ronda Rousey and Jax. On the undercard, AJ Styles retained the WWE Championship against Shinsuke Nakamura in a Last Man Standing match and Carmella retained the SmackDown Women's Championship against Asuka with help from the returning James Ellsworth.

Background
WWE's Money in the Bank pay-per-view event centers around a match of the same name, in which multiple wrestlers use ladders to retrieve a briefcase hanging above the ring. The briefcase contains a contract that guarantees the winner a match for a world championship at any time within the next year. The contracts for 2018 specifically granted the male and female winners a match for the world championship of their respective brand. The 2018 event included two ladder matches, one for male wrestlers and one for females, each having eight participants, evenly divided between the Raw and SmackDown brands. Male wrestlers competed for a contract to grant them a match for either Raw's Universal Championship or SmackDown's WWE Championship, while female wrestlers competed for a contract to grant them a match for either the Raw Women's Championship or SmackDown Women's Championship.

Storylines
The card originally comprised ten matches, including one on the pre-show, that resulted from scripted storylines with results predetermined by WWE on the Raw and SmackDown brands. An impromptu eleventh match was added during the show. Storylines were produced on WWE's weekly television shows, Monday Night Raw and SmackDown Live.

Qualification matches for the men's ladder match began on the May 7 episode of Raw. Braun Strowman defeated Kevin Owens to qualify while Finn Bálor qualified by defeating Sami Zayn and Roman Reigns in a triple threat match, after Jinder Mahal interfered and attacked Reigns. The next night on SmackDown, The Miz and Rusev qualified for the match by defeating Jeff Hardy and Daniel Bryan, respectively. The following Raw, further triple threat matches yielded two more participants: Bobby Roode defeated Baron Corbin and No Way Jose while Owens (standing in for Mahal, who had been injured by Reigns) defeated Elias and Bobby Lashley after Zayn interfered and attacked Lashley. On the May 15 episode of SmackDown, Big E and Xavier Woods of The New Day defeated Cesaro and Sheamus in a tag team match, allowing one member of New Day to qualify. Samoa Joe secured the final spot by defeating Big Cass and Daniel Bryan in a triple threat match on the May 29 episode of SmackDown.

Big Cass and Daniel Bryan had begun feuding after Cass returned from injury during the 2018 WWE Superstar Shake-up. Cass had attacked Bryan on SmackDown and eliminated him from the Greatest Royal Rumble match. Bryan then defeated Cass at Backlash but was attacked by his opponent after the match.[14] Bryan returned the favor on the May 15 episode of SmackDown and a house show in Germany. By injuring Cass' leg, Bryan not only cost him his spot in an upcoming Money in the Bank qualifying match against Samoa Joe but secured that spot for himself by defeating Jeff Hardy on the May 22 episode of SmackDown. However, when Cass returned from injury in time, the match was turned into the aforementioned triple threat match, won by Joe. After the match, Cass attacked Bryan again. On June 2, another match between the two was made for Money in the Bank.

At WrestleMania 34, AJ Styles defeated Shinsuke Nakamura to retain the WWE Championship. After the match, Nakamura attacked Styles with a low blow, turning heel in the process. The two continued to feud through Greatest Royal Rumble and Backlash with their matches ending in draws. SmackDown Commissioner Shane McMahon scheduled a fourth match for Money in the Bank and promised there would a decisive winner. On the May 15 episode of SmackDown, Nakamura earned the right to choose a stipulation for the match by defeating Styles. The following week, Nakamura attacked Styles with a Kinshasa at ringside and chose a Last Man Standing match.

During the NBCUniversal Upfront event on May 14, Ronda Rousey was interviewed by Cathy Kelley. Raw Women's Champion Nia Jax interrupted the interview and challenged Rousey to a match at Money in the Bank, putting her title on the line. Rousey accepted the challenge. The following week, both Rousey and Jax signed the contract for their match.[18]. The following week, Jax demonstrated on an amateur wrestler that she would counter Rousey's armbar and perform a powerbomb.

On the May 15 episode of SmackDown, SmackDown Women's Champion Carmella celebrated her championship reign. SmackDown General Manager Paige interrupted Carmella and scheduled a title match between her and Asuka for Money in the Bank.

On the May 7 episode of Raw, Jinder Mahal cost Roman Reigns a chance to qualify for the Money in the Bank ladder match. The following week, Reigns attacked Mahal backstage and speared him through a wall. On the May 21 episode of Raw, after Reigns and Seth Rollins defeated Mahal and Kevin Owens, Mahal attacked Reigns with a chair. A match between the two was scheduled for Money in the Bank.

On the May 22 episode of SmackDown, Luke Gallows and Karl Anderson defeated The Usos (Jey and Jimmy Uso) to become the number one contenders to face The Bludgeon Brothers (Harper and Rowan) for the SmackDown Tag Team Championship at Money in the Bank.[16] The match was scheduled for the Money in the Bank pre-show.

During a tag team match on the April 23 episode of Raw, Bobby Lashley performed a one-handed suspended vertical suplex on Sami Zayn, which Zayn claimed gave him vertigo and why he missed the Greatest Royal Rumble. At Backlash, Lashley and Braun Strowman defeated Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn. During an interview on the May 7 episode, Lashley spoke dearly about his family, including his three sisters. In response, Zayn said that Lashley was not a nice guy and promised to bring out Lashley's sisters, to tell the truth. On the May 21 episode, three men dressed up as Lashley's sisters accused Lashley of violence. Lashley interrupted the segment and attacked the imposters along with Zayn. The following week, a match between the two was made for Money in the Bank.

On the May 28 episode of Raw, Seth Rollins interrupted Elias, who was once again trying to sing for the crowd, and forced him to leave. After Rollins's match, Elias smashed a guitar on his back. On May 31, a match between the two for the Intercontinental Championship was made for Money in the Bank.

Pre-show
During the pre-show, The Bludgeon Brothers (Harper and Rowan) defended the SmackDown Tag Team Championship against Luke Gallows and Karl Anderson. Harper and Rowan performed The Reckoning on Gallows to retain the title.

Preliminary Matches
The actual pay-per-view opened with Daniel Bryan facing Big Cass. In the climax, Bryan performed a running high knee on Cass and forced him to submit with a heel hook.

Next, Bobby Lashley faced Sami Zayn. In the climax, Lashley performed three delayed vertical suplexes on Zayn for the pinfall.

After that, Seth Rollins defended the Intercontinental Championship against Elias. In the end, Rollins pinned Elias with a schoolboy whilst holding Elias's tights to retain the title.

In the fifth match, Ember Moon, Charlotte Flair, Alexa Bliss, Becky Lynch, Natalya, Naomi, Lana, and Sasha Banks competed in the Women's Money in the Bank match. In the end, Lynch attempted to retrieve the briefcase only for Bliss to push the ladder causing Lynch to fall. Bliss ascended the ladder to retrieve the briefcase to win the match.

Next, Roman Reigns faced Jinder Mahal, who was accompanied by an injured Sunil Singh in a wheelchair. Singh pushed Reigns into the ring post, proving his injury was fake. During the match, Reigns performed a superman punch and a spear on Singh. In the end, Reigns performed a spear on Mahal for the win.

Next, Carmella defended the SmackDown Women's Championship against Asuka. In the end, Asuka was distracted by a person masquerading as her. The masked figure revealed as a returning James Ellsworth. Carmella took advantage of the distraction and performed a Princess Kick on Asuka to retain the title.

After that, AJ Styles defended the WWE Championship against Shinsuka Nakamura in a Last Man Standing match. Early in the match, Nakamura countered Styles' Phenomenal Forearm by kicking Styles's leg. On top of a broadcast table, Nakamura performed a Kinshasa on Styles, however, Styles stood up at a nine count. Nakamura threw Styles through a table, which was positioned in the corner in the ring, only for Styles to stand at a nine count. Styles began to target Nakamura's leg and applied the Calf Crusher on Nakamura. Styles struck Nakamura with a chair, however, Nakamura retaliated with a low blow; Styles stood at an eight count. At ringside, Nakamura performed a Kinshasa on Styles, who stood at a nine count. Styles performed a Phenomenal Forearm and a Styles Clash on Nakamura onto the steel steps, who stood at a nine count. In the end, Styles attacked Nakamura with a low blow and performed a Phenomenal Forearm on Nakamura through a broadcast table. Nakamura could not stand by a ten count, thus Styles won the match and retained the title.

Next, Nia Jax defended the Raw Women's Championship against Ronda Rousey. In the end, as Rousey applied the armbar on Jax, Alexa Bliss appeared and attacked Rousey with her Money in the Bank briefcase causing a disqualification. Jax was disqualified, but retained her title. Bliss further attacked Rousey and Jax and then cashed in her Money in the Bank contract and performed a snap DDT and Twisted Bliss to win the title for a third time.

Main Event
The main event was the men's Money in the Bank ladder match involving Braun Strowman, Finn Bálor, The Miz, Rusev, Bobby Roode, Kevin Owens, Samoa Joe, and one member of The New Day, revealed to be Kofi Kingston. All of the participants attacked Strowman, and buried him underneath a pile of ladders. Strowman later recovered and attacked Bálor and Kingston. Joe, Owens, and Rusev placed Strowman on a table, with Owens climbing a large ladder to leap unto Strowman. Strowman broke free, climbed the ladder, and threw Owens through two tables. Joe attacked Strowman with a ladder. Bálor performed a Coup de Grâce on Roode off a ladder. Bálor ascended the ladder and attempted to retrieve the briefcase, only to be stopped by Strowman. Strowman then performed running powerslams on both Miz and Joe. In the end, as Bálor and Strowman ascended the ladder, Kingston jumped unto Strowman's back. Strowman pushed both opponents off and retrieved the briefcase to win the match.