WWE Wrap-Up
This week in WWE: The MITB build begins with several surprises
May 9, 2018, 5:45 am
This is a weekly look at the action in the WWE:
Kurt Angle opened the show announcing two Triple Threat Matches that would work as qualifiers for the Money in the Bank (MITB) Ladder match. Both Kevin Owens and Braun Strowman were upset to have not been placed in the men’s match, so Angle placed both men in a singles match with the winner qualifying. Braun Strowman bulldozed Kevin Owens in said match to qualify for the MITB match. Baron Corbin and the Revival defeated Titus World Wide and No Way Jose.
Ember Moon defeated Sasha Banks and Ruby Riott to qualify to the Women’s MITB match. A video package and interview of Bobby Lashley aired to give the fans a better idea of who Bobby is, and where he’s been in the last decade. Jinder Mahal defeated Chad Gable and viciously attacked him after the match. Drew McIntyre and Dolph Ziggler defeated Heath Slater and Rhyno. Bobby Roode defeated Elias. After the match, he expressed his desire to be in the MITB ladder match.
Seth Rollins issued an open challenge that was answered by Mojo Rawley. The Champion retained the title after hitting Rawley with his signature Stomp. Matt Hardy and Bray Wyatt defeated Curtis Axel and Bo Dallas. Finn Balor defeated Sami Zayn and Roman Reigns after Reigns got taken out of the equation by Jinder Mahal. A Coup De Grace to Zayn sealed the win for Balor, and qualified him for the MITB ladder match.
Paige opened the show explaining how, much like on Raw, there will be qualifying matches for MITB on the show. The Miz and Jeff Hardy were the first match of the night, and the first qualifier of the night. The US Champion gave it all he had, but Miz stole it from Hardy rolling him up. Nakamura remembered enough English to promise AJ Styles that they are not done. Payton Royce of The Iconics met with Charlotte in the first match of the night to qualify for the Women’s MITB match. Charlotte picked up the win submitting Royce with the Figure Eight.
The New Day stuffed The Bar’s bags with pancakes. Naturally, this led to a match between Cesaro and Xavier Woods, who defeated Sheamus last week. Woods came off the top rope and was caught by an uppercut from Cesaro, allowing him to pick up the win. Paige proved she is not going to show any favoritism to her former friends as she banned Sonya Deville from ring side for Mandy Rose’s match against Becky Lynch. Lucky for Mandy, she did not need Sonya as she upset Lynch with a roll up. Rusev pulled off the biggest upset of the night when he defeated Daniel Bryan in the main event to qualify for the MITB ladder match.
Money in the Bank, which will air on June 17th, is still over a month away and the build is off to a great start.
For the Men’s match, Braun Strowman, Finn Balor, The Miz and Rusev have qualified. Balor and Miz have both proved in the last few years that they are great in WWE ladder matches. Both being in this match will hopefully allow us moments where they showcase their talents. Rusev will be an interesting case. He’s obviously a fan favorite, but that has not changed the way the company perceives him, yet. He will be great in this match, though I do not see him winning it. It goes without saying, but Strowman being in this match is absolutely hilarious. He has a clear height advantage over every man that has qualified so far. He probably only has to climb the ladder half-way to reach the briefcase. We’re only half-way though the men’s qualifiers, and I think Miz should be the favorite to win.
The women’s MITB match has two qualified in Ember Moon and Charlotte. It is no surprise to see the former SmackDown champion in this match, though I was surprised to see Moon. Looking at who she defeated, Sasha Banks and Ruby Riott, it is a little surprising that she won. It is an awesome opportunity for the newly ascended Moon. If we get an Eclipse from the top of the ladder, I will be completely satisfied with the match no matter who wins.
I make no gripes about it, MITB is one of my favorite PPV’s. The rest of the card be dammed. The ladder matches always deliver, and this year should not be an exception considering who has been announced so far.
The Houston Texans have a big challenge in store as they look to start the season with a win against the Colts this Sunday. When these two teams met in Week 2 last year, the Colts dominated the Texans, despite losing their QB Anthony Richardson to a concussion after the first quarter.
Keeping Richardson contained on Sunday will go a long way in increasing the Texans' chances of coming home with a win. The Texans defense will have their hands full containing the Colts backs and tight ends in the passing game.
Scoring touchdowns with their wide receivers could prove difficult, as the Texans allowed the second-fewest TDs (10) to the receiver position in 2023.
Limiting running back Jonathan Taylor will also be a top priority. While the Texans had an elite defense against the run last season, they struggled with Taylor in Week 18 as he almost rushed for 200 yards.
Houston's D allowed only four carries to running backs in 2023 that went for 20 or more yards. Two of which were to Taylor in the final game of the regular season.
Finally, DeMeco Ryans and company have to find a way to get pressure on the QB. They only had one QB hit and zero sacks on Richardson and Garner Minshew the first time they faced off last year.
On offense, the Texans have two big x-factors to watch for on Sunday. The offensive line that suited up to play the Colts in Week 2 last season is completely different from this year.
The o-line was ravaged with injuries to start the 2023 campaign, so we expect a big jump in productivity in the trenches this year.
Another big addition in 2024 is the presence of running back Joe Mixon. The running game only produced 2 yards per rush in Week 2 against Indy last year, so there's clearly room for improvement.
Be sure to watch the video above for our in-depth preview of Texans-Colts!
And catch Texans on Tap (a Texans podcast) live on our SportsMapTexans YouTube channel following every game this season!