Latest news with #MoneyIntheBank
Time of India
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Time of India
The Undertaker's Role in WWE may be changing — And It can be big!
Image via WWE The Undertaker might step into a very different role for WWE in the future. The Undertaker carved out one of the most illustrious and tenured careers in WWE. The Phenom spent decades inside the squared circle and made a legacy that cannot be replicated by any superstar after him. Moreover, he has acquired a wealth of knowledge and insights about the business. Following recent events that have come to light, it can be assumed that The Undertaker's role in WWE may change in a significant way, perhaps for the first time. Which new role can The Undertaker possibly take? In the recent edition of Keepin' It 100, WCW legend Konnan revealed that The Undertaker has shown interest in joining the WWE creative team. He also added that The Demon from Death Valley has attended a few creative meetings for events like Worlds Collide and Money in the Bank as well. Konnan said, 'I think that, bro, I was running around. So, I think that The Undertaker wants to get into creative. He likes it a lot, and he's been, you know… he was in creative meeting for Money In the Bank, he was in the other one (Worlds Collide)… and I think he's very interested in being a part of the creative team.' Konnan on: behind the scenes of World's Collide AND future AAA/WWE plans The Undertaker might possibly have anecdotes and insights that other backstage personnel would have about WWE. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like เทรด CFDs ด้วยเทคโนโลยีเทรดสุดล้ำ และ รวดเร็วกว่า IC Markets สมัคร Undo After all, he spent thirty years in the business as an active performer and worked with some of the top minds in the industry, including former WWE Chairman Vince McMahon. In 2020, he wrestled his final match at WrestleMania 36 against AJ Styles in a winning effort and retired from in-ring competition at Survivor Series, which marked three decades to the date of his debut. Following that, The Undertaker was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame class of 2022 and signed a legends deal. He has been making public appearances for them, hosting his solo performer show, the 1deadMAN show, and discussing the current wrestling scenario on his Six Feet Under podcast. With The Deadman reportedly joining creative meetings and showing a significant interest in an active behind-the-scenes role, there is some certainty that Taker would prove to be a huge asset to the WWE creative team. Also read: Liv Morgan suffers legitimate injury on WWE RAW amidst huge upcoming feud
Yahoo
12-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Shotzi Blackheart inspired by WWE's Ron Killings controversy: 'Shows you how much power the fans do have'
Shotzi Blackheart is one of the many wrestlers happy to see Ron "R-Truth" Killings make his unexpected return to WWE this past Saturday. The past couple of months have been chaotic for WWE regarding talent releases and contract expirations. Blackheart received her walking papers in early May, making her the first of many eventual casualties from the WWE roster. However, no departure had as large of an impact as Killings' brief exile before fan outcry led to his surprise return at WWE's Money In the Bank main event. Advertisement Debate on the legitimacy of Killings' release has raged throughout the wrestling community since WWE CEO Paul "Triple H" Levesque claimed that it was "all part of the show." Appearing in-studio Tuesday on Uncrowned's "The Ariel Helwani Show," Blackheart, 33, expressed how much inspiration a situation like Killings' can give to a veteran wrestler like herself. "I do think that they actually let him go," Blackheart said. "I just feel like [that] because, also at the same time, Carlito and Sarah Logan, [WWE] told them that their contract wasn't getting renewed. So I think it would be really messed up of WWE to capitalize on that, too. 'I think the fans got him [to get re-signed] back, and that just shows you how much power the fans do have. I think that's really cool ... it's amazing. Yes, he's 53, [but] that just gives us hope that I could be 53 years old and be put in some crazy storyline, right?' Killings' unexpected saga has already bled into "WWE Raw." In a viral segment on Monday, he declared that he'll no longer be known as "R-Truth," the persona Killings wrestled under for the past 17 years. Advertisement Prior to her own release, Blackheart said she did her best to find her lane within the WWE universe. 'I was really hopeful that I was going to get something on 'SmackDown,'" Blackheart said. "They told me I would possibly be working with Chelsea [Green] in something. I was pitching some storylines with her. It was just week after week, they were like, 'Oh, we're going to move it back.' Then it wasn't until around [WrestleMania 41] where I was like, 'Maybe they're not going to renew my contract.' So it started to get real around then.' Blackheart remembered feeling a strong mix of emotions when she sat idle during that time. In an effort to remain positive, the former NXT Women's Tag Team Champion said she'd convince herself that WWE's creative team would eventually use her again, so she continued pitching ideas left and right. Blackheart returned to NXT this past December after an ACL tear took her off WWE television in early 2024. Upon her arrival, she was told it'd only be a two-month stint with NXT before her main roster return. But that return never came, and Blackheart instead was sitting around alone at home when the call came that she was no longer needed in WWE. Advertisement 'Part of me was like, 'OK, I need to get ready for this because my contract is going to be up and I don't get those 90 days to figure out my stuff and get bookings lined up, get merch lined up,'" Blackheart said. "So I also have to think, 'OK, what am I going to do if they don't re-sign me?' I was kind of just in the mode of, 'Get to work.' 'Unfortunately, that's just how it is. I probably will never know why they released me, but WWE doesn't owe me anything. That's showbiz, right? They just didn't think that I was money, and that's OK. I can take that." Shortly before her release, Blackheart cut an emotional self-produced promo, highlighting her lack of utilization in WWE. The shoot-style promo was good enough that people around her worried whether it was the reason she was released. Blackheart herself doesn't believe that was the case, though. Advertisement Although the wounds are still relatively fresh, Blackheart didn't want to waste time and put her career on hold following her WWE departure. She made her GCW debut this past Sunday, competing against Matt Tremont and Jimmy Lloyd in a three-way deathmatch. Blackheart claimed she made as much money in her two days back on the independent circuit as she'd make in a week with WWE. 'I was like, I need to work as soon as my contract is up. That's me hustling, though," Blackheart said. "That's me, including what I've sold online and meet-and-greets, [plus] payout for my matches, of course. I know that it's not going to be like that forever. 'When you first get back on the indies, everyone's so hyped, so everyone wants to buy your merch and [support] you. I know that won't be forever, but it felt good that I can make it on my own." Whether the next chapter of her career continues to come on the independent scene or elsewhere, Blackheart made it clear that no doors are being closed on her options moving forward. Advertisement "I would love to be back in WWE. I loved working there," Blackheart said. "I didn't love not working there. It was only when I wasn't being used that I was unhappy, but any time I was being used, [it was a] good time. [I] loved the locker room, loved everyone I was working for. That's just it. I just don't want to go back and not work. 'I love TNA, I love AEW. AEW [could be a next step] for so many reasons. I love their freedom. I have a lot of friends there who are doing really awesome things. I've heard many stories of how [AEW owner] Tony [Khan] treats talent. I do love that he really cares for his talent. That is super important to me."
Yahoo
07-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
WWE SmackDown results, highlights (June 6): John Cena hit with R-Truth chants
John Cena finally went out with the last word on one of his final WWE TV appearances. (Photo by Georgiana Dallas/WWE via Getty Images) WWE returned to Bakersfield, California, for "WWE SmackDown" before the big weekend of action in Los Angeles. The time for talk about the Money In the Bank briefcases is over, and beatings to get the upper hand were dealt. Those were mostly delivered by the faces trying to run the place over on "WWE Raw." ⚔️ Crossover of the Night An appearance from the "Sethriders" wasn't expected to open "WWE SmackDown," but that's exactly what happened, and they ran roughshod throughout the night. Advertisement It instantly became a turf war when Seth Rollins, Paul Heyman, Bronson Reed and Bron Breakker were interrupted by Solo Sikoa, Jacob Fatu and JC Mateo. That was an unexpected cherry on top of what was already transpiring. Rollins' promo beforehand was nothing special other than your typical pre-Money In the Bank "I'm going to win the briefcase" claims. This was all a fresh, pleasant surprise, though. Sikoa and Rollins' sides did an incredible job of creating tension without ending the segment in a brawl. Well done, Triple H. I'll give you your flowers for avoiding the implosion between two heel stables — something rare enough in its own right. That's the beauty of matches like the Money In the Bank ladder match. Sikoa shined in this interaction, saying Rollins had his own version of The Bloodline, and questioned which roles his henchmen were. He specifically called back to Reed's history, teaming together at War Games. That only further added to how silly and nonsensical Reed being with Rollins was, but there clearly won't be a reasonable explanation too soon. Advertisement Ultimately, this whole opener made me want Fatu vs. Breakker as soon as possible, and preferably on a PLE so that it doesn't end in a bogus DQ finish. WWE teased that match heavily, so fingers crossed that it happens one day. Another feud I never knew I needed was LA Knight vs. Rollins. 🙄 DQ of the Night Not that a reminder was needed of how good he is when speaking, but Knight received some solid mic time before his match with Aleister Black to cut a fantastic promo for Money In the Bank. He targeted all the participants and highlighted how he and Rollins haven't interacted much, which added to the intrigue of that pairing. Advertisement Then there was the surprise that shouldn't have been a surprise, which was Rollins giving Knight the win over Black with a DQ when he attacked him. Every. Single. Show. It's so damn annoying, man. Any match between decently pushed talent can't end cleanly on TV anymore. It takes the wind out of everything beforehand. 🫠 Miss of the Night WWE had the opportunity to keep all this Rollins momentum going after his trio took out Penta and Andrade. Heyman jumped on the mic to cut a promo and get cut off by Cody Rhodes, which led to the final segment between him, Uso, John Cena and Logan Paul. Advertisement You know what Rollins and crew did? They hit the bricks and just left the ring. What? They attack numerous wrestlers throughout the night, then decide not to be a part of the "biggest" angle in the company. In kayfabe, that couldn't have made less sense. Once Cena arrived, the crowd erupted with the loudest cheers of the night. Some heel champion, huh? Outside of Cena and Paul coming out on top for a change, hitting finishers on Uso and Rhodes, it was another nothing interaction, with Cena repeating everything he has already said in recent weeks. He's going to ruin wrestling, they're humble, blah, blah, blah. Fittingly, it was all capped off with "We want Truth" chants. Cena then appeared to riff off the cuff, saying, "You can't handle the truth." That was the best part of all of this, but still, the absence of Rollins was absurd. Somehow, the closing segment wasn't the... 😂 Joke of the Night WWE has to have some inside rib going on with the attempts to make as many Zelina Vega vs. The Secret Hervice matches as possible. This time, it was Vega vs. Piper Niven in a "Bakersfield Brawl." It's absolutely stunning to see the level of repetition that there's been in this women's U.S. title scene. Thankfully, this has to be the end. Advertisement Vega won with the help of Giulia, powerbombing Niven through a table. Then she attacked the champion. Overall, it was whatever. Before the match, the teasing between her and Giulia continued, which was enough evidence that Giulia won't win her ladder match tomorrow night. Regarding Giulia, she had one hell of a night overall. 👑 Uncrowned Gem of the Night 👑 The women's Money In the Bank ladder match is the better of the two on tap for the event, and with that much talent packed into one match, that should be no surprise. Put each half of the match against each other in a trio match, and you're destined for a banger. That's what we got as a little appetizer before Saturday. Advertisement The babyface squad of Rhea Ripley, Alexa Bliss and Stephanie Vaquer got the win over Roxanne Perez, Giulia and Naomi when the latter let Perez get hit with the Riptide. It was a smart move, honestly, and the commentary team pointed it out. There was essentially no point to that match other than for one team to weaken some of the competition, which was what Naomi did despite it being her partner. It was just a great match from start to finish, with everyone getting their hits in, mixing some together for fun spots. Circling back to Giulia, however there was a reference from Wade Barrett on commentary to Giulia possibly cashing in on Vega if she wins the ladder match after what she did earlier. With Vega as one of the weakest champions in recent memory, I don't know if a stupider and more unnecessary booking decision could possibly come to mind. 👍 FRIDAY NIGHT FIRE 👍 1. Interferences and dirty finishes are almost mandatory in WWE now, so if they're done even somewhat creatively, it's a plus. And that's what happened when Jimmy Uso defeated Mateo with a roll-up after Sikoa and Fatu's failed distraction attempt. Advertisement Mateo clocked Fatu off the apron, furthering the dissension in the group. That's all the match was good for. 2. To springboard off that latter highlight, Sikoa talking smack behind Fatu's back was too good not to give a separate bullet. When this guy gets really into character, it's hilarious, man. 3. The King and Queen of the Ring tournaments are back starting next week. WWE appeared to give us a possible tease for the Queen of the Ring finals between Jade Cargill and Charlotte Flair. I know the fans certainly won't like that with Flair's side, but that's a great match and rivalry we need to see, especially with Cargill going over. 4. All of the top tag teams on "WWE SmackDown" gathered around backstage with general manager Nick Aldis to try and solve the Wyatt Sicks problem. This was pretty clever and cool to see, actually. It ended with Fraxiom being the ones to call for a match first. Nothing was made official, but I'm very curious to see how this whole overbooked tag team scene is handled. 🤷 IT HAPPENED 🤷 1. Penta and Andrade defeated American Made. This was a great match and showed how awesome of a team Penta and Andrade can be together. Why isn't this an overall positive, though? Because they're not a real tag team like the Creed Brothers are. So, the Creeds were just used at the expense of Chad Gable and his story. It's fine and to be expected at this point, but it would be better to see them secure wins for the division, as "WWE Raw" is currently lacking. Advertisement To make it even worse, and more hilarious, considering what happened to Knight, Rollins and crew attacked Penta and Andrade afterward. Poor American Made isn't even worth enough of a damn to Triple H to lose via his beloved DQ. 👎 DOWN & OUT 👎 1. Regarding the Wyatt Sicks, a cryptic and non-explanatory vignette preceded the tag team meeting with Aldis. All Bo Dallas said was that he and his crew were now family, and would take what they're owed. OK. Honestly, Dallas resembling a young Jack Black was more distracting than anything. 2. Jey Uso legitimately felt like nothing more than a meme, catchphrase wrestler next to Rhodes. 👑 This "WWE SmackDown" was really weird, and you felt the three hours. As usual, a lot of mixed feelings. I give this show a Crown score of: 6/10. 👑
Yahoo
03-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
WWE Raw results, highlights (June 2): El Grande Americano beats CM Punk, AJ Styles
The WWE Money In the Bank matches are set — and folks, CM Punk will not be involved. "WWE Raw" in Tulsa, Oklahoma delivered a shock ending with the men's triple-threat main event to decide the final entrant in the men's Money In The Bank ladder match. Things are getting out of hand, because El Grande Americano defeated Punk and AJ Styles to round out the participants. 😱 Swerve of the Night I'm not even sure how to start this one. Chad Gable's luchador gimmick has been pushed far beyond what anyone could've expected. We all love a good swerve, but this just felt wrong, especially after how "WWE Raw" opened. Advertisement Punk laid down the gauntlet with a promo that was simple but to the point, claiming he was coming after both world champions, starting with Jey Uso and then John Cena. The callbacks were solid, and Cena feels like the type of direction Punk should be heading toward at the end of all this. If he's the one to dethrone Cena, it would be beautifully poetic. Everyone remembers Punk walking out with the title after that historic moment they shared back in 2011. The reversal in 2025 would be Punk taking the belt with Cena on his way out. Hopefully we get there, but for now it's just a continuous loop of the Seth Rollins forever feud. That's fine, but WWE needs to find ways to keep it fast and fresh. Sami Zayn came out to tell Punk he needed to win the Money In the Bank ladder match, otherwise Rollins would ruin everything. It was hilarious to hear Zayn say that because Cena is the one literally trying to ruin wrestling. In the end, Zayn promised that he and Punk will meet again when Punk is the champion. Well, it's not looking so good at this rate, bud. There were some nice wrinkles to everything around this match throughout the night, like Paul Heyman's attempt to persuade Styles to go for the Intercontinental title instead. Sadly, "The Phenomenal One" arguably looked like the biggest bozo of the night. Advertisement Regarding the match, first and foremost, Styles is one of the greatest triple-threat match wrestlers of all time. If you know, you know. And seeing him and Punk together in a match again was pretty insane. It was nice to see them tell the referee to check Americano for the steel plate in his mask. The match had plenty of unsurprisingly awesome sequences, then Bron Breakker and Bronson Reed prevented Punk's pin of Americano off a GTS, prompting the arrival of Zayn and Uso. Here's where it was particularly silly. Still in the ring as the non-match chaos unfolded on the outside, Styles just decided to jump off the top rope onto the pile of bodies, excluding Americano. My guy, how many years have you been in the business? The booking of that spot makes Styles look so incredibly dumb. Ultimately, it set up his attempt at the Phenomenal Forearm on Americano, who was still in the ring, only to be countered with a headbutt that earned Americano the pin. Advertisement This is nuts, and I'm unsure how to feel about it. If anything, there's now no chance Rollins wins the ladder match for as long as Punk is still breathing. And like I said last week, his boys should literally just help him try to win from the beginning of the match because they can. There are a lot of holes in all of the logic around this storyline at this point, but I'll tell you what, I won't even be surprised if Americano actually wins it now. This might be Triple H's comedy replacement for R-Truth and Carlito. I wish I were joking. Maximum unpredictability Perhaps my investment is just deeper than I realize, but the women's Money In the Bank ladder match realistically could — and should — have anyone but Rhea Ripley win. That's no knock on Ripley; she simply could use it the least of any other five options, and any of them makes sense — choosing the right person feels impossible. That's a good problem to have because of how any can be good. Advertisement However, no one right is looking better than this show's... 👑 Uncrowned Gem of the Night 👑 Let's lay a little foundation for the final qualifier match that happened on "WWE Raw." It was Liv Morgan vs. Ivy Nile vs. Stephanie Vaquer, the last of whom is now officially a member of the "WWE Raw" roster after recently dropping her NXT Women's Championship to Jacy Jayne. Spoiler alert: She won. This woman is a megastar in the making and should be treated as such, so push her beyond the moon. Her presentation should automatically lead viewers to think she'll win the briefcase. It's been the definition of investment in "La Primera" and rightfully so. She's so damn good. ♻️ Repeat of the Night Regarding one of the Women's Tag Team Champs Morgan, this was another case of WWE devaluing titles by putting them in qualifier matches. WWE did it with both U.S. Champions participating — and losing — in Money In the Bank qualifiers this year. It's so, so dumb, and it hurts the already hurting Women's Tag Team titles more than the others. 🫨 Contrast of the Night After mentioning the Women's U.S. Championship, we have to talk about the difference between how WWE is treating that title and its Intercontinental counterpart. It's stunning. Zelina Vega and Chelsea Green are in a perpetual loop of nonsense with the U.S. strap, while Lyra Valkyria is doing the best work of her career on the mic with Becky Lynch — a main event caliber dance partner. Advertisement Lynch delivered a solid video promo before she was called out by the almost unnecessarily angry Valkyria in the ring. She justified it quickly and dug into the former world champ with great barbs. Lynch's focus on the hand-raising from Valkyria after their match is pretty silly, and this program really should've continued after WWE Backlash, but as long as Valkyria hangs onto the title, it will have been a win for her. 🚫 DQ of the Night There's no point to some of these matches in WWE under Triple H, other than to highlight how dumb they can be. Jey Uso and Sami Zayn defeated Bronson Reed and Bron Breakker by DQ when Seth Rollins attacked Uso. So why bother? Advertisement The match didn't even progress the storyline between everyone, as Punk arrived to even the numbers, and that was that. 👍 MONDAY NIGHT MONEY 👍 1. Michael Cole made good on his bet after the New York Knicks beat the Indiana Pacers in the NBA playoffs, which meant he had to wear a Pacers jersey for the whole show. That was just good wholesome fun. 2. WWE probably wasn't thrilled about it, but there were several "Bring back Truth" and "We want Truth" chants in honor of the recently released R-Truth throughout "WWE Raw." It's pretty wild to hear that type of support, but you love to hear the crowd let their voices be heard. 3. Kairi Sane defeated Raquel Rodriguez in their match thanks to the aid of Iyo Sky, who stopped Morgan's interference. The positive here is Sane staying strong since she returned and picking up wins, somewhat single-handedly embarrassing the Women's Tag Team Champions. However, WWE is clearly going to inject Morgan somehow back into the Women's World title picture, as evidenced by these Sky interactions. Advertisement Ideally, the Roxanne Perez Judgment Day involvement will steer her from that path. 4. Karrion Kross continued his attempts to persuade the "real" Zayn to come out backstage after his match against Reed and Breakker. This has to build to something, whether that's a team with Kross or turning heel on his own to pursue a world title, either works. 👎 RAW DEAL 👎 1. The backstage Rusev video packages continued. When he popped on screen tonight, I legit thought to myself: "Miro!" Rusev is WWE Miro now, and it's pretty disheartening, especially when Miro was so good and could've been great if utilized effectively. The callbacks to his history with Sheamus were good, but to do it with the same old style is lame. Give this guy something new. I'm begging you, Triple H. Advertisement 2. The Judgment Day (Finn Balor and JD McDonagh) defeated The War Raiders — with the help of Perez, because The Judgment Day might literally not be allowed to win without an interference. The match was fine, but a rehash of something we've seen before. Outside of The Judgment Day story progression, which was very minimal with this, there's zero reason to care about this tag-team division. 3. WWE showed a hype video for Uso and Gunther's rematch next Monday, which was loaded mainly with footage of everything before WrestleMania 41. You know. Because nothing new has happened between them since — and for Gunther specifically, he's only had one match, and it was against a commentator. 👑Despite that wild booking choice that closed out this "WWE Raw," there was more good than bad, and it was an enjoyable show. I give it a Crown score of: 7.5/10.👑
Yahoo
03-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
WWE Raw results, highlights (June 2): El Grande Americano beats CM Punk, AJ Styles
The WWE Money In the Bank matches are set — and folks, CM Punk will not be involved. "WWE Raw" in Tulsa, Oklahoma delivered a shock ending with the men's triple-threat main event to decide the last entrant in the men's Money In the Bank ladder match. Things are getting out of hand because El Grande Americano defeated Punk and AJ Styles to round out the participants. 😱 Swerve of the Night I'm not even sure how to start this one. Chad Gable's luchador gimmick has been pushed far beyond what anyone could have expected. We all love a good swerve, but this just felt wrong, especially after how "WWE Raw" opened. Advertisement Punk laid down the gauntlet with a promo that was simple but to the point, claiming he was coming after both world champions, starting with Jey Uso and then John Cena. The callbacks were solid when Punk mentioned Cena, and that feels like the type of direction Punk should be heading at the end of all this. If he's the one to dethrone Cena, it would be beautifully poetic. Everyone remembers Punk walking out with the title after that historic moment they shared back in the day. The reversal in 2025 would be Punk taking the belt with Cena on his way out. Hopefully, we get there, but for now, it's just a continuous loop of the Seth Rollins forever feud. That's fine, but WWE needs to find ways to keep it fresh and fast. Sami Zayn came out to tell Punk he needed to win the Money In the Bank ladder match, otherwise, Rollins would ruin everything. Circling back to Cena, it was hilarious to hear Zayn say that because Cena is the one literally saying he's trying to ruin wrestling. Meanwhile, this story is being portrayed as Rollins trying to ruin it. Not from him, but his rivals. In a way, he really has been somewhat of the good guy in all of his storylines for roughly the past year now. In the end, Zayn promised he and Punk would meet again when Punk is the champion. Well, it's not looking so good at this rate, bud. There were some nice wrinkles to everything around this match throughout the night, like Paul Heyman's attempt to persuade Styles to go for the Intercontinental title instead. Sadly, "The Phenomenal One" arguably looked like the biggest bozo of the night. Advertisement Regarding the match, first and foremost, Styles is one of the greatest triple-threat match wrestlers of all time. If you know, you know. And seeing him and Punk together in a match again was pretty insane. It was nice to see them tell the referee to check Americano for the steel plate in his mask. The match had plenty of unsurprisingly awesome sequences, then Bron Breakker and Bronson Reed prevented Punk's pin of Americano off a GTS, prompting the arrival of Zayn and Uso. Here's where it was particularly silly. Still in the ring as the chaos unfolded away from the match on the outside, Styles just decides to jump off the top rope onto the pile of bodies, excluding Americano. My guy, how many years have you been in the business? The booking of that spot makes Styles look so incredibly dumb. Ultimately, it set up his attempt at the Phenomenal Forearm on Americano, who was still in the ring, only to be countered with a headbutt that earned him the pin. Advertisement This is nuts, and I'm unsure how to feel about it. If anything, there's now no chance Rollins wins the ladder match for as long as Punk is still breathing. And like I said last week, his boys should literally just help him try to win from the beginning of the match because they can. There are a lot of holes in all of the logic around this storyline at this point, but I'll tell you what, I won't even be surprised if Americano actually wins it now. This might be Triple H's comedy replacement for R-Truth and Carlito. I wish I were joking. Maximum unpredictability Perhaps my investment is just deeper than I realize, but the women's Money In the Bank ladder match realistically could — and should — have anyone but Rhea Ripley win. That's no knock on Ripley; she simply could use it the least of any other five options, and any of them makes sense, and choosing the right person feels impossible. That's a good problem to have because of how any can be good. Advertisement However, no one right is looking better than this show's... 👑 Uncrowned Gem of the Night 👑 Let's lay a little foundation for the final qualifier match that happened on "WWE Raw." It was Liv Morgan vs. Ivy Nile vs. Stephanie Vaquer. The latter of which is now officially a member of the "WWE Raw" roster after she recently dropped her NXT Women's Championship to Jacy Jayne. Spoiler alert: She won. That woman is a megastar in the making and should be treated as such, so push her beyond the moon. Her presentation should automatically lead viewers to think she'll win the briefcase. It's been the definition of investment in "La Primera" and rightfully so. She's so damn good. ♻️Repeat of the Night Regarding one of the Women's Tag Team Champs Morgan, this was another case of WWE devaluing titles by putting them in qualifier matches. WWE did it with both U.S. Champions participating in — and losing — Money In the Bank qualifiers this year. It's so, so dumb, and it hurts the already absolutely pointless Women's Tag Team titles more than the others. One could argue that it doesn't really matter because of its non-existent value. On top of it, something is already getting teased between Morgan and the Women's World Champion Iyo Sky, which I can't imagine many people have an interest in. I certainly don't. 🫨Contrast of the Night After mentioning the Women's U.S. Championship, we have to talk about the difference between how WWE is treating that title and its Intercontinental counterpart. It's stunning. Zelina Vega and Chelsea Green are in a perpetual loop of nonsense with the U.S. strap, while Lyra Valkyria is doing the best work of her career on the mic with Becky Lynch — a main event caliber dance partner. Advertisement Lynch delivered a solid video promo before she was called out by the almost unnecessarily angry Valkyria in the ring. She justified it quickly and dug into the former world champ with great barbs. Lynch's focus on the hand-raising from Valkyria after their match is pretty silly, and this program really should have continued after WWE Backlash, but as long as Valkyria hangs onto the title, it will have been a win for her. 🚫DQ of the Night There's no point to some of these matches in WWE under Triple H, other than to highlight how dumb they can be. Jey Uso and Sami Zayn defeated Bronson Reed and Bron Breakker by DQ when Seth Rollins attacked Uso. So why bother? Advertisement The match didn't even progress the storyline between everyone, as Punk arrived to even the numbers, and that was that. 👍MONDAY NIGHT MONEY👍 1. Michael Cole made good on his bet after the New York Knicks beat the Indiana Pacers in the NBA playoffs, which meant he had to wear a Pacers jersey for the whole show. That was just good wholesome fun. 2. WWE probably wasn't thrilled about it, but there were several "Bring back Truth" and "We want Truth" chants in honor of the recently released R-Truth throughout "WWE Raw." It's pretty wild to hear that type of support, but you love to hear the crowd let their voices be heard. 3. Kairi Sane defeated Raquel Rodriguez in their match thanks to the aid of Sky, who stopped Morgan's interference. The positive here is Sane staying strong since she returned and picking up wins, somewhat single-handedly embarrassing the Women's Tag Team Champions. However, WWE is clearly going to inject Morgan somehow back into the Women's World title picture, as evidenced by these Sky interactions. Advertisement Ideally, the Roxanne Perez Judgment Day involvement will steer her from that path. 4. Karrion Kross continued his attempts to persuade the "real" Zayn to come out backstage after his match against Reed and Breakker. This has to build to something, whether that's a team with Kross or turning heel on his own to pursue a world title, either works. 👎RAW DEAL👎 1. The backstage Rusev video packages continued. When he popped on screen tonight, I legit thought to myself: "Miro!" Rusev is WWE Miro now, and it's pretty disheartening, especially when Miro was so good and could have been great if utilized effectively. The callbacks to his and Sheamus' history were good, but to do it with the same old style is lame. Give this guy something new. I'm begging you, Triple H. Advertisement 2. The Judgment Day (Finn Balor and JD McDonagh) defeated The War Raiders — with the help of Perez, because The Judgment Day might literally not be allowed to win without an interference. The match was fine, but a rehash of something we've seen before. Outside of The Judgment Day story progression, which was very minimal with this, there's zero reason to care about this tag team division. 3. WWE showed a hype video for Uso and Gunther's rematch next Monday, which was loaded mainly with footage of everything before WrestleMania 41. You know. Because nothing new has happened between them since, and for Gunther specifically, he's only had one match, and it was against a commentator. 👑Despite that wild booking choice that closed out this "WWE Raw," there was more good than bad, and it was an enjoyable show. I give it a Crown score of: 7.5/10.👑
