WWE Wrap-Up
This week in WWE: The MITB build begins with several surprises
May 9, 2018, 5:45 am
Ember Moon upset Banks and Riott to qualify for the MITB match Hour 1. Photo by WWE.com
This is a weekly look at the action in the WWE:
Raw
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.
SmackDown Live
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.
What looked like a minor blip after an emotional series win in Los Angeles has turned into something more concerning for the Houston Astros.
Swept at home by a Guardians team that came in riding a 10-game losing streak, the Astros were left looking exposed. Not exhausted, as injuries, underperformance, and questionable decision-making converged to hand Houston one of its most frustrating series losses of the year.
Depth finally runs dry
It would be easy to point to a “Dodger hangover” as the culprit, the emotional peak of an 18-1 win at Chavez Ravine followed by a mental lull. But that’s not the story here.
Houston’s energy was still evident, especially in the first two games of the series, where the offense scored five or more runs each time. Including those, the Astros had reached that mark in eight of their last 10 games heading into Wednesday’s finale.
But scoring isn’t everything, not when a lineup held together by duct tape and desperation is missing Christian Walker and Jake Meyers and getting critical at-bats from Cooper Hummel, Zack Short, and other journeymen.
The lack of depth finally showed. The Astros, for three days, looked more like a Triple-A squad with Jose Altuve and a couple big-league regulars sprinkled in.
Cracks in the pitching core
And the thing that had been keeping this team afloat, elite pitching, finally buckled.
Hunter Brown and Josh Hader, both dominant all season, finally cracked. Brown gave up six runs in six innings, raising his pristine 1.82 ERA to 2.21. Hader wasn’t spared either, coughing up a game-losing grand slam in extra innings that inflated his ERA from 1.80 to 2.38 in one night.
But the struggles weren’t isolated. Bennett Sousa, Kaleb Ort, and Steven Okert each gave up runs at critical moments. The bullpen’s collective fade could not have come at a worse time for a team already walking a tightrope.
Injury handling under fire
Houston’s injury management is also drawing heat, and rightfully so. Jake Meyers, who had been nursing a calf strain, started Wednesday’s finale. He didn’t even make it through one pitch before aggravating the injury and needing to be helped off the field.
No imaging before playing him. No cautionary rest despite the All-Star break looming. Just a rushed return in a banged-up lineup, and it backfired immediately.
Second-guessing has turned to outright criticism of the Astros’ medical staff, as fans and analysts alike wonder whether these mounting injuries are being made worse by how the club is handling them.
Pressure mounts on Dana Brown
All eyes now turn to Astros GM Dana Brown. The Astros are limping into the break with no clear reinforcements on the immediate horizon. Only Chas McCormick is currently rehabbing in Sugar Land. Everyone else? Still sidelined.
Brown will need to act — and soon.
At a minimum, calling up top prospect Brice Matthews makes sense. He’s been mashing in Triple-A (.283/.400/.476, 10 HR, .876 OPS) and could play second base while Jose Altuve shifts to left field more regularly. With Mauricio Dubón stretched thin between shortstop and center, injecting Matthews’ upside into the infield is a logical step.
*Editor's note: The Astros must be listening, Matthews was called up Thursday afternoon!
The Astros are calling up Brice Matthews, their top prospect on @MLBPipeline
via @brianmctaggart pic.twitter.com/K91cGKkcx6
— FOX Sports: MLB (@MLBONFOX) July 10, 2025
There’s also trade chatter, most notably about Orioles outfielder Cedric Mullins, but excitement has been tepid. His numbers don’t jump off the page, but compared to who the Astros are fielding now, Mullins would be a clear upgrade and a much-needed big-league presence.
A final test before the break
Before the All-Star reset, Houston gets one last chance to stabilize the ship, and it comes in the form of a rivalry series against the Texas Rangers. The Astros will send their top trio — Lance McCullers Jr., Framber Valdez, and Hunter Brown — to the mound for a three-game set that will test their resolve, their health, and perhaps their postseason aspirations.
The Silver Boot is up for grabs. So is momentum. And maybe, clarity on just how far this version of the Astros can go.
There's so much more to discuss! Don't miss the video below as we examine the topics above and much, much more!
The MLB season is finally upon us! Join Brandon Strange, Josh Jordan, and Charlie Pallilo for the Stone Cold ‘Stros podcast which drops each Monday afternoon, with an additional episode now on Thursday.
___________________________
*ChatGPT assisted.
Looking to get the word out about your business, products, or services? Consider advertising on SportsMap! It's a great way to get in front of Houston sports fans. Click the link below for more information!