NWK reviews Money in the Bank 2017 (from the arena)

[NWK2000]

Pre-show
The Colons vs The Hype Bros

Basic tag match, my section was pro Hype Bros, and very pro Mojo
5.5/10

Women's MITB: Charlotte vs Becky Lynch vs Carmella w/ James Ellsworth vs Natalya vs Tamina

Becky got the biggest pops of this match, Carmella and Natalya got mixed reactions and Tamina was out right booed. Tamina is super stiff, her slams and offense were some of the most audible all night. Was genuinely surprised how safe the match felt live. Charlotte got a huge pop for the moonsault but I don't think people wanted her to win. A "yes" chant started when James got the breifcase, but it turned to boos when he dropped the briefcase to Carmella, I popped for half second because I thought he'd accidentally dropped it to Becky. I'm sure this was explained over commentary, but people seemed to think she won with her music played at the end. 6.5/10

The New Day vs The Usos (c) for the Tag Championship

You'd think the earth was shaking with the pop The New Day got. It felt like the whole arena was chanting for them and %100 into them. Their prison jokes got pop from the adults in my section. Again, everyone was 100 percent into The New Day all match, especially in my section, and were super salty when The Usos walked out.8/10

I'm just putting this next part here because I don't remember where it went
The Fashion Files- The crowd popped big for the graphic but sandbagged 99 percent of the comedy. Fandango's "Not next week, not tomorrow, not today, actually yes I needed them today" got a laugh from my friend and I. The tape was obviously from The Ascension but I was thinking that because.their faces were blacked out that they were debuting the Surf Dudes with Attitudes gimmick from Southpaw.

Daniel Bryan returns to Smackdown got a small Yes chant which was fun in which to participate
Lana cut a fucking great promo, which sounded pretty from the heart

Naomi (c) vs Lana for the Women's Championship

erfectly acceptable match for Lana's first single. Pretty sure my side of the arena saw Lana's asshole People starting freaking out when Carmella came out because they thought it was a cash in, again I'm sure it was explained on commentary but they came out with a ref but no cash in. The mark above me was freaking out about how smart this was, and personally I agree. This was one of the two finishes I actually missed because it happened so quick. A "We Want Rusev" chant was started by our section 4.5/10


People popped HUGE for the legends. I'm pretty sure that the earth shook when Bob got announced.

People began booing as soon as the World Title video package started. Yes folks, STL booed the country of India!

Randy Orton vs Jinder Mahal was a match that I was more or less non present for because I was wrapped up in the huge Randy pops/chants. It seemed like it picked up when The Singh Bros got thrown out and subsequently RKOed and people booed when Randy got hit with Jinder's finish. The whole "I''m going to wait in the ring and wait for the babyface to forget about me and hit my finish" translates super poorly live because you're always cognizant of the entire arena. With these things in mind I will not give it a rating


Maria and Mike Kanellis debuting got a pop, one again, from the adults in my section. Got our first "What" chant of the night. The lovey dovey couple gimmick plus them slow dancing to their theme song got over with me pretty well but no one seemed to care

The Fashion Police vs The Ascension

It's really sad that The Fashion Police aren't over in ring as they are in backstage segments. Which is weird because we popped huge for the bonus match. Cretins. Anyway, this is the other finish that I missed because Small Package lmao

2/10

Dolph Ziggler vs Shinsuke Nakamura vs Sami Zayn vs Kevin Owens vs Dolph Ziggle vs Baron Corbin in the male MITB match

The air got sucked out of the room when Nakamura got jumped. Between that and Jinder pinning Orton I was pretty sure people would just leave. All of the stuff you would expect that got pops did. The biggest one of the biggest pops of the night went to the Styles Nakamura face off. I hope those two have a program down the line. Baron got huge heat for getting the breifcase. Nakamura might have been winded in the finish as he spent some post match time with refs. Owens limped out and was helped to the back.

8.5/10

It was an amazing experience live and the next time WWE PPV comes to town I'm so there

[KILLdozer]

I stopped reading after the part about everyone liking the new day lol.

[NWK2000]

I stopped reading after the part about everyone liking the new day lol.

Dude, it felt like the earth was shaking, maybe it was just my section.

[KILLdozer]

I stopped reading after the part about everyone liking the new day lol.

Dude, it felt like the earth was shaking, maybe it was just my section.

You used that saying like three times already lol.

[cero2k]

Dude, it felt like the earth was shaking, maybe it was just my section.

You used that saying like three times already lol.

people love the New Day, there's no denying those guys are over

[KILLdozer]

Dude, it felt like the earth was shaking, maybe it was just my section.

You used that saying like three times already lol.

people love the New Day, there's no denying those guys are over

They're literally the most plain and simple ridiculous thing they've done in a long while, I'm not gonna run down the entire list of everything they do/about their entire gimmick that's just nonsense, but man does it baffle me that it somehow works.

I guess Kingston has reached his peak though? Lol, and I still feel E Langston is being underutilized.

They don't even need him, put him in all black and have defeat them both in a two on one feud and go from there.

[Big Red Machine]

I guess Kingston has reached his peak though? Lol, and I still feel E Langston is being underutilized.

They don't even need him, put him in all black and have defeat them both in a two on one feud and go from there.

I agree that Big E. is currently underutilized, but I think you can use him in a more prominent singles role (something Smackdown needs right now) while still keeping him in New Day. I see no reason to turn him heel. If anyone from New Day should be a heel it's Xavier. I find their gimmick to often be very annoying, but Xavier is the only one I ever want to see get punched in the face.

[KILLdozer]

I guess Kingston has reached his peak though? Lol, and I still feel E Langston is being underutilized.

They don't even need him, put him in all black and have defeat them both in a two on one feud and go from there.

I agree that Big E. is currently underutilized, but I think you can use him in a more prominent singles role (something Smackdown needs right now) while still keeping him in New Day. I see no reason to turn him heel. If anyone from New Day should be a heel it's Xavier. I find their gimmick to often be very annoying, but Xavier is the only one I ever want to see get punched in the face.

I would just rather see him destroy everyone as a heel. Though to your point, it would at least even things up because it seems for things like title matches... you never know which two you're going to end up facing so how is that fair in any way?

Kingston though, I pretty much don't care about anymore at this point, other than the fact he has pigtails!

[Big Red Machine]

I guess Kingston has reached his peak though? Lol, and I still feel E Langston is being underutilized.

They don't even need him, put him in all black and have defeat them both in a two on one feud and go from there.

I agree that Big E. is currently underutilized, but I think you can use him in a more prominent singles role (something Smackdown needs right now) while still keeping him in New Day. I see no reason to turn him heel. If anyone from New Day should be a heel it's Xavier. I find their gimmick to often be very annoying, but Xavier is the only one I ever want to see get punched in the face.

I would just rather see him destroy everyone as a heel. Though to your point, it would at least even things up because it seems for things like title matches... you never know which two you're going to end up facing so how is that fair in any way?

Kingston though, I pretty much don't care about anymore at this point, other than the fact he has pigtails!

Kofi, to me, is the epitome of an effective babyface jobber to the stars. He fills a valuable role.

[KILLdozer]

Is that all he's ever gonna be though?

[Big Red Machine]

Is that all he's ever gonna be though?

Nothing wrong with that.

[KILLdozer]

Is that all he's ever gonna be though?

Nothing wrong with that.

I'm just wondering what his absolute fullest potential is. Have we seen the last of singles pushes for him?

[XIV]

Is that all he's ever gonna be though?

Nothing wrong with that.

Absolutely not. Take The New Age Outlaws for example, one of the most over tag teams in WWE history who have often fully admitted that they took the beating from everyone, and it's true, they did, whenever The Rock, Mick Foley, Undertaker, Kane or Austin or whomever Triple H was feuding with showed up to confront Triple H or DX as a whole, NAO took the first beatings and often jobbed out in subsequent matches despite still being considered hugely successful as a tag team.

If Kofi is in this vein, there is absolutely nothing wrong with that at this point in his career and being part of the hugely popular face group he is, you need one or two of them to be prepared to take that beating from the heel(s) in order to get that heel over and push a feud.

So don't underestimate this vitally important job to the overall roster.

[KILLdozer]

Undoubtedly, again, it's moreso me wondering where his glass ceiling truly is and if he'll end up shattering it. It's been a long time in WWE for him, so as you've said , maybe this it, and that's certain fine.

[KILLdozer]

So it's been said Bryan will deal with the Mitb "controversy", for lack of a better word, tonight.

Yeah ok, I'm so intrigued. What's he gonna do? Strip her?



Lol meaning take the case obviously, have another match with that dude removed?

I just thought of it while typing this whole thing- he'll probably declare Ellsworth the rightful winner and then oh boy...!

[KILLdozer]

So if you've seen SD, is the next step here that obvious?

[Big Red Machine]

Undoubtedly, again, it's moreso me wondering where his glass ceiling truly is and if he'll end up shattering it. It's been a long time in WWE for him, so as you've said , maybe this it, and that's certain fine.

Right. Not everyone gets to be world champion at some point. Kofi is perfect as a well-liked babyface jobber to the stars/occasional mid-card champion who you can occasionally (every two years or so) build up for a world title shot using the story of "will he finally be able to win the big one?"