Review for WWE Money in the Bank 2014

8 / 10

Money in the Bank is one of those matches that always has a Big Match feel. Much like the Elimination Chamber or the Royal Rumble it is a match that can really make a huge impact on the wrestling world and never more was that to be than this year.

With Champion Daniel Bryan forced to give up his championship due to injury the WWE World Heavyweight Championship was on the line in the main event. When I heard this I lamented on the loss of the Money in the Bank contract not being in force this year. Thankfully, they decided to have a Money in the Bank Contract Ladder match too. This made both of these matches mean something and both having a huge impact on the WWE year.

WWE Tag Championship match between The Usos vs. The Wyatts should have been a mismatch, but it's not. Th match reminded of the old matches between The Rockers and the giant teams they used to go up against. Some great action and a great way to start off the PPV.

Divas Championship match between Paige and Naomi is fine in general. Nothing special, but I never expect anything more than what they delivered. It is always surprising that they don't try a Divas Ladder match to make it mean something. Adam Rose against Damien Sandow was pointless and should have just been saved for a segment on one of the TV shows.

The first ladder match for the Money in the Bank Contract features Rob Van Dam, Seth Rollins, Kofi Kingston, Jack Swagger, Dolph Ziggler and Dean Ambrose. Of those involved, all felt like they had a chance of winning. This was obviously (especially with RVD and KIngston involved) going to be the Highlight Reel match and boy was it! The sight of Kofi being pushed from the ladder, bouncing off the top rope and splashing those on the outside is amazing! As for RVD? Seeing him doing Rolling Thunder on a ladder is such a great trip down memory lane.

My only issue (as it is with all multi-man matches) is that there is far too much time where people just seem to be nowhere to be seen. I understand this is to allow certain things to happen, but it does break the reality element for me. However, although I have no issue with the winner, I do think they way it was won left a bitter taste in the mouth, also after you see the bump and beating they took you wonder how they would be able to?

Ryback and Curtis Axel against Goldust and Cody Rhodes' new persona Stardust is a great tag match. I will say that it was no different to a TV match and didn't feel like PPV quality, but nonetheless it was enjoyable. Rusev against Big E again does not feel like a PPV match. The introduction by Lana again is a little distasteful and surely WWE should realise that with all the things happening in the real world that they should tone this down. Yes, I understand this is just to get cheap heat for Rusev. But there's cheap heat and then there is Supermarket Own Brand Heat. That's not a good thing.

Summer Rae against Layla, despite how amazing they look, makes Paige and Naomi look like a classic Flair and Steamboat match!? This could have been interesting to see Fandango turn on Layla, but instead it was an utter waste of time.

WWE World Heavyweight Championship Ladder match features John Cena, Randy Orton, Sheamus, Bray Wyatt, Alberto Del Rio, Roman Reigns, Kane and Cesaro. This is a pretty good match, but I would say that it really needed a Kofi or an RVD for some crazy OMG antics. However, it has some great moments even if every time Reigns or Cesaro climbed the ladder I knew that they would not be doing anything. Seeing blood in a match is also such a rare thing these days that the sight of Orton's face covered was shocking.

I remember when this match was being promoted was when the WWE stock tanked and I predicted that there would be no way that they would take a risk with a new champion. Instead of what was needed, which was a new face in the main event, the winner was so predictable that I knew that Cesaro, Reigns, Wyatt and Del Rio had no chance. It was just a case of watching to see who of the others that WWE would put their faith behind.

The Bluray is filled with Extras including an interview with Daniel Bryan. It is surprising that they didn't have this on the PPV as I would rather have watched this than Layla/Summer Rae or Rose/Sandow. The crowd reaction is better than most of the people who actually performed on the PPV and that is always great to see. Bo Dallas' interruption was slightly pointless, but as I say anytime I can see the crowd chanting Yes is a wonderful moment.

There are a number of matches from Raw and Smackdown. There is a great match between Roman Reigns and Randy Orton. This includes one of the most shocking moments for a while. I do wish that it had not happened, but I understand.

4 on 3 Handicap match between John Cena, Roman Reigns and Sheamus against Randy Orton, Bray Wyatt, Alberto Del Rio and Cesaro is fine in general and could have been a great elimination style match. Instead it is a bit of a mess at times, but still enjoyable. The Usos against The Wyatts in two separate singles matches are again fine, though proves that both the Usos and The Wyatts work much better in tag matches.

Finally, there s a great match between RVD, Dolph Ziggler and Kofi Kingston against Seth Rollins, Bad News Barrett and Jack Swagger. This would have made more sense if Ambrose had been in this instead of Barrett, but I understand why. This is another great match with some perfect almost PPV quality moments.

Also included is a number of Money in the Bank moments. It is odd that they don't include them all. Instead they include the wins and cashing in of the contract by Jack Swagger, Randy Orton, Dolph Ziggler, though oddly Daniel Bryan's only includes him winning the contract. All are great to relive, but would have been nice to have included all of them especially as they only less than two minutes long.

Instead we have a rather pointless interview with Fandango and Layla. Batista quitting Evolution which was again pointless and not something I cared to relive. Seth Rollins announcing the second Money in the Bank match, which showed just how much everyone hated the idea of him turning on The Shield, though I suppose that's the reaction they wanted. His interaction with Triple H in the other clip to allow Dean Ambrose in Money in the Bank was again slightly pointless, as if Stardust and Goldust accepting Rybaxel's challenge.

Money in the Bank 2014 is almost a great PPV. It has two amazing main event level matches and a wonderful tag match. It it just a shame that everything else feels like something you would see on regular TV. Maybe because the two ladder matches used the majority of their stars they had no one else, but even then this was the time for people like Big E, Rusev, Rybaxel and the rest to show why they should be on the PPV in the first place. However, for those three awesome matches and the rest of the features on the Bluray, this is definitely a PPV to watch again.

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