The lineups for the men’s and women’s Money in the Bank Ladder Matches are set and the buildups to several title matches will reach their pinnacle on Sunday. SmackDown on FOX featured MITB hopefuls compete in a trio of tag team matches.
Mandy Rose vs. Sonya Deville
The friendship-turned-rivalry grew over the last several weeks and culminated in Rose and Deville squaring off in the ring. Deville distracted her ex-friend and cost Rose a spot in the women’s MITB Ladder Match.
Rose charged Deville as the bell rang. Rose cornered her opponent and the referee encouraged her to back off. Deville was hit with a clothesline and Rose continued frantically throwing hands.
Deville exited the ring and gained an edge upon reentering, rolling up Rose and putting her in a submission. She ran toward the ropes to charge Rose, only to be countered and thrown from the ring.
Rose bounced Deville off the top of the announcer’s table and sent her into the steel steps, much like how she was on the opposite end last week following her match with Carmella.
Rose rolled Deville back into the ring and held her between her legs. Deville countered and stepped aside a high knee to roll up Rose and earn a victory.
Lucha House Party and New Day vs. The Forgotten Sons and The Miz and John Morrison
The four tag teams garnering the recent spotlight on SmackDown came together in an eight-man tag team match. All four will compete in a Fatal Four-Way Match for the SmackDown Tag Team Championships on Sunday.
Kofi and Miz locked up to begin. Miz fought out of Kofi’s hold to drag him to his corner only for Kofi to target his four opponents. All eight men fought in the ring and dove through the air as the match spilled out of the ring.
Back inside, Big E and Kofi hit a double team to Blake. Lucha House Party followed suit and hit several splashes to Blake. Kofi hit the top of a ring post after charging Blake, allowing Miz to tag in. John Morrison hit a DDT followed with a knee off the ropes to Kofi.
Gran Metalik jumped off his corner’s ropes to halt Morrison from continuing to beat down his team. The Forgotten Sons received a double springboard stunner and Lucha House Party’s acrobatics impressed. Both hit backflips from the top rope to Morrison for a two-count.
Morrison missed a backflip from the top rope but Miz tagged in while Dorado did not notice. Dorado hit a DDT to Morrison with his legs and Miz caught Dorado for a Skull Crushing Finale to earn a victory in a match that featured big moves both inside and outside the ring.
Jeff Hardy returns
WWE has taken a look back at Hardy’s career and how he has rebounded from life challenges in a four-part video series. Renee Young spoke with the returning wrestler in the middle of the ring. She asked Hardy what he has left to prove and as Hardy spoke, the camera cut backstage to Sheamus mocking Hardy on a television. Lately, Sheamus has shown aggression toward Michael Cole for touting Hardy, and The Celtic Warrior appeared during Hardy’s return.
Seconds after calling out Sheamus, the two bantered back and forth. Sheamus said the fans were tired of Hardy and questioned his wasted second chances. He tried entering the ring only to be kicked by the wrestler for whom he has been waiting.
Hardy hit a Whisper in the Wind and a Twist of Fate to halt Sheamus’s response. As Sheamus lay on the mat, Hardy hit a Swanton Bomb to put away Sheamus after weeks of being called out.
Bray Wyatt and Braun Strowman face-to-face
Two former members of the Wyatt Family will fight for the Universal Championship on Sunday. The Champion entered and dismissed the fact Wyatt created him.
Wyatt came to the ring. He asked for Strowman to apologize and said he always cared about him. Wyatt demanded Strowman “come home” and he needed to get the Universal Championship back.
Wyatt held out a black sheep mask and the Firefly Fun House echoed with “come home.” Strowman responded saying he already is home and exited the arena.
Lacey Evans and Tamina vs. Bayley and Sasha Banks
Bayley and Tamina have a championship match set for Sunday and Evans will compete in the women’s MITB Ladder Match. Banks has remained loyal to Bayley despite being cost a chance to compete in the ladder match due to her friend overstepping her bounds.
Tamina double-clotheslined her opponents as they debated who would begin the match. She fended off the confusion and slammed Bayley to the mat.
Banks and Bayley used double-teams to take out Tamina. The two tried taking a “break” and walked to the ramp where they were stopped by Evans. Tamina grabbed the champion and pulled her back into the ring.
Evans was countered atop the ropes as Banks and Bayley returned to double team moves. Tamina tagged in but was knocked off the apron by her two opponents. Banks was thrown into a barricade and Bayley was thrown to the floor once Tamina regained her stature.
Bayley lifted her knees from the mat as Tamina tried jumping from the top rope. Bayley hit a belly-to-belly and climbed a turnbuckle to hit an elbow for a two-count. Tamina held Bayley on her back and Evans hit a Woman’s Right to Banks, allowing Tamina to hit a Samoan Drop to Bayley and earn her team the win.
Daniel Bryan, Drew Gulak and Otis vs. King Corbin, Cesaro and Shinsuke Nakamura
During an interview earlier in the night, Corbin talked down about Otis. This prompted Bryan and Gulak to ask Otis to be their third partner in the six-man tag team match.
Bryan began the match with a charging kick to Corbin. Corbin quickly executed a crab submission but Bryan countered by tagging in Gulak. Cesaro caught Gulak, who countered with a push and quick pin attempt.
Otis and Nakamura met in the ring and Otis dealt several clotheslines and attempted a slam. After a small counter, Otis was able to drop Nakamura and charge him after backing into a corner. Otis hit a Caterpillar to Nakamura but did not pin as Cesaro entered the ring. Bryan and Gulak joined their partner and tossed their three opponents from the ring.
The six men returned to their corners and Gulak and Cesaro became active. Gulak threw Cesaro behind him and rolled Cesaro into a left arm submission after jumping from the top rope. Gulak hit an elbow to Corbin in the ring and Bryan delivered a running knee from the apron to Nakamura and Cesaro, who had thrown Otis into a ringpost.
In the ring, Corbin pinned Gulak to put a quick and surprising end to the match. Following the bell, the six men fought around the arena and brought two ladders into the ring with Bryan, Otis, and Corbin attempting to climb the ladder. The show closed with Corbin grabbing the men’s briefcase atop a ladder.
