On Saturday night in Las Vegas, the careers of two WWE superstars will change at Money in the Bank.
WWE’s signature ladder match event takes place at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas and features two MITB matches, one for the women’s division and the other for the men’s. The winner of each event will be locked into a world title shot of their choosing at any time they wish to cash in.
Also on the line are both women’s singles championships with Bianca Belair defending the Raw title against a late replacement in Carmella, who stepped in after Rhea Ripley wasn’t medically cleared, and Natalya challenging Ronda Rousey for her SmackDown belt.
Follow along as Mike Coppinger recaps all the action as it happens.
Match in progress: WWE SmackDown women’s championship: Ronda Rousey (c) vs. Natalya
Results:
Women’s Money in the Bank ladder match: Liv Morgan def. Lacey Evans, Alexa Bliss, Raquel Rodriguez, Asuka, Shotzi and Becky Lynch
Liv Morgan is Miss Money in the Bank.
In a fantastic, frenetic Women’s Money in the Bank match, it was Morgan who climbed the ladder and captured the briefcase for a guaranteed shot at one of two women’s championships (currently held by Ronda Rousey and Bianca Belair).
The action kicked into gear when Morgan and Becky Lynch attempted to double-suplex Raquel Rodriguez — before it was reversed. Both women were then suplexed simultaneously onto the ladder.
Shotzi attempted to run up a ladder that was set up as a bridge to attack Rodriguez, but she fell through. With a pile of women now stacked on the ladder bridge, Lynch connected with a Springboard Splash onto all of them. Alexa Bliss then took out a group with a 450 splash before she made the first climb up the ladder. Rodriguez stymied her climb before Bliss used a Hurricarana to throw Rodriguez into the ladder bridge.
Shotzi then absorbed a hip toss from Asuka onto that same ladder before she started another climb with Lacey Evans ascending on the other side. Becky tried to tip them over, but they caught themselves and landed on their feet. Evans was able to grab the briefcase, but she couldn’t unhook it as Rodriguez was there to stop her.
Morgan then reached for the briefcase, but decided to go on the offensive and performed a sunset flip powerbomb on Evans in one of the high spots of the match. That left Rodriguez alone atop the ladder, but Shotzi stopped her and threw her in a Tree of Woe on the ladder.
Shotzi then put Bliss onto her shoulders and connected with an Electric Chair Slam, with Bliss awkwardly crashing into the ladder back-first. Shotzi continued to push the pace and attempted a senton off the top rope onto Lynch, but Lynch moved out of the way and Shotzi hit the ladder back-first.
Asuka returned to the mix and took out Lynch with a kick to the head. She climbed the ladder but Rodriguez threw her out of the ring. Rodriguez then set up the ladder as a bridge to the announcer table on the outside and attempted to send Asuka through the ladder. Instead Asuka countered and put Rodriguez into a triangle.
Lynch joined the action and set up Asuka flat on the ladder before she connected with a modified senton before they both bounced off the ladder in another high spot that whipped the Las Vegas crowd into a frenzy.
With three ladders set up in the middle of the ring and the rest of the field climbing, Lynch tipped over Shotzi and Rodriguez off one ladder, then tipped Evans and Bliss off the other ladder before climbing herself. Morgan made her appearance to stop her ascent and set up another ladder next to Lynch’s. Lynch tried to tip her ladder over, but Morgan stopped the fall by pushing off the top rope and took out Lynch. Morgan then grabbed the briefcase and cried tears of happiness as the Las Vegas crowd popped in a major way.
.@YaOnlyLivvOnce ISMS. MONEY IN THE BANK!!!! #MITB pic.twitter.com/Ylc8XtzXDA
— WWE (@WWE) July 3, 2022
What’s next: Morgan will now have her pick of two WWE championships, though she’s on the Raw brand so she could be in line for an eventual shot at Bianca Belair. Lynch could find herself in a singles program with Asuka moving forward, though they’ve wrestled plenty over the past few months.
WWE United States championship: Bobby Lashley def. theory (c)
The reign of the youngest United States champion in history is over. A bloodied Bobby Lashley forced Theory to submit from the Hurt Lock to regain the US championship.
Theory attempted the A-Town Down, but Lashley reversed the finisher into a roll-up. Theory then raked Lashley’s eyes to escape a Powerslam before he hit Lashley with the All-Mighty’s own finisher, the spear. Theory went again for the A-Town Down before Lashley countered and sunk in the Hurt Lock for the win.
The match kicked into high gear earlier when Theory went to work with a series of elbows, followed by an extended chin lock after a Superkick took Lashley off the top turnbuckle. After nearly two minutes, Lashley nearly powered out of the chin lock before Theory dug the lock in deeper for another 90 seconds or so.
Lashley finally escaped and connected on a serious of clotheslines and a belly-to-belly suplex. Theory later attempted his somersault into a clothesline but was caught and Gorilla-pressed. Theory kicked out of a roll up, then used a drop toe hold to smash Lashley face-first off the turnbuckle. He finished that sequence with a somersault into a shotgun drop kick.
Lashley then hit his Powerslam, which was the beginning of the end for Theory’s first championship run.
.@fightbobby wants that #USTitle! #MITB pic.twitter.com/LSFsLLYF2J
— WWE (@WWE) July 3, 2022
What’s next: It was a mild surprise that Lashley won considering the meteoric push Theory has enjoyed since he joined the main roster in October. However, Theory still looked strong in defeat. He was facing the most formidable opponent of his career, so a victory would have been yet another signal that Theory is earmarked for stardom. It’s possible WWE wanted the belt off Theory so he could move onto even bigger things, but a rematch with Lashley could lie ahead, although a future match with John Cena was teased on Raw.
Undisputed WWE tag team championship: The Usos (c) def. The Street Profits
Recap to come.
FEELIN’ FROGGY!@MontezFordWWE #MITB pic.twitter.com/yhTDyF4EDQ
— WWE (@WWE) July 3, 2022
WWE Raw women’s championship: Bianca Belair (c) def. Carmella
In yet another successful defense of her Raw Women’s championship, Bianca Belair defeated Carmella with the KOD. After the match, while Belair was celebrating the victory on the turnbuckle, Carmella attacked her and then followed with a series of punches, leaving the champion hurt and teasing a cash-in attempt. But Liv Morgan’s music never hit.
What’s next: This felt like a placeholder title match for Belair, who should find a new rival for SummerSlam, whether that’s Liv Morgan — who uses the briefcase to set up the match — or a matchup with Becky Lynch or Asuka.
Still to come:
Men’s Money in the Bank ladder match: Seth Rollins vs. Drew McIntyre vs. Sheamus vs. Omos vs. Sami Zayn vs. Riddle vs. Madcap Moss
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