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.
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The NFL Draft, NBA playoffs, and NHL playoffs all dwarf baseball in the sports pecking order this week, but that doesn’t detract from the Astros playing their best stretch of baseball in the still young season. Following up taking two of three from the previously sizzling hot Padres by sweeping the Blue Jays three straight has the Astros’ record at a just fine 13-11 as they open a three-game weekend series in Kansas City. 13-11 may not sound special, because it isn’t, but having come home from St. Louis last week with the record at 8-10 makes 13-11 a quality leap. Plus, a 13-11 pace over 162 games extrapolates to 87 wins, which last season were enough to win the American League West and for an AL Wild Card spot.
Batter up!
While no one will be confusing the potency of this Astros’ lineup with those of the 2017 or 2019 juggernauts, some welcome perking up may have kicked in, despite Yordan Alvarez still not getting rolling. After Joe Espada gave Christian Walker a “mental rest” game off Monday, Walker produced a three-hit game Tuesday and a two-hit follow-up Wednesday, including a home run. Walker’s .202 batting average and .640 OPS are still lousy, but a much lesser grade of lousy than the statistical abyss he was in starting the Toronto series. Yainer Diaz has been much worse than Walker to this point. Diaz managed at least one hit in all three games of the Jays series. Baby steps. He is still sitting on an unacceptable three walks in 78 plate appearances.
Speaking of hits and walks, Jeremy Pena carries a 14-game hitting streak into the weekend. One-quarter of the way to Joe DiMaggio’s big league record! Willy Taveras set the Astros’ record with a 30-gamer back in 2006. Pena hasn’t been crushing it during the streak, during which he has just two multi-hit games. He’s had stretches where he has hit better and slugged harder (2022 postseason anyone?), but while too small a stretch to declare a leap has been made, it is noteworthy that over the 14 games Pena has drawn six walks. That gives him eight free passes in 24 games this season. More math fun! That’s one walk drawn per three games, which over 162 games would make for 54. Last season in 157 games played Pena drew a paltry 25 walks. Add in that his defense has been superb so far this season with a number of fabulous plays made and just one error committed, and Pena could be making modest offensive improvement that makes him a meaningfully better player.
Furthermore speaking of hits and walks, it’s been a struggle on both fronts the last couple of weeks for Jose Altuve. A two-week funk does not represent a crisis, but there are troubling trends that bear watching as Altuve sets to turn 35 years old May 6. Over his last 14 games, Altuve’s OPS is a sub-Maldonadian .547. In this stretch he has two doubles as his lone extra base hits and drawn just two walks. Altuve has struck out 22 times in 24 games. Setting aside the short 2020 COVID season when Altuve never got it going, last year he had the worst strikeout percentage of his career, while his walk rate was his worst since 2015. So far this season, Altuve’s strikeout rate is more than 20 percent worse than last year’s, with his walk rate down 30 percent from 2024. He is hitting line drives at a much lower rate than ever before, and struggling to get the ball in the air. The season still isn’t 20 percent old, but since Altuve last season finished with his lowest OPS (.790, again, exempting 2020) since 2013, and his current .728 OPS is 62 points lower than that, the antennae of at least mild concern are up. This is the first season of Altuve’s five-year 125 million dollar contract extension. Remember, the Astros would not offer Kyle Tucker a contract that took him to age 35.
Bringing the heat!
Hunter Brown makes his next start Sunday in Kansas City. Good luck Royals! Until getting a doubleheader against the pathetic Rockies Thursday, K.C. was averaging under three runs per game. Brown's earned run average through five starts is 1.16! It's waaaaay early to focus on this, but the best season ERA for an Astro pitcher who qualified for the statistical lead (one inning pitched per team game played) belongs to Nolan Ryan who posted a 1.69 in the strike-shortened 1981 season. Over a full-schedule season, Justin Verlander's 1.75 in 2022 is the standard. Brown has fired 24 consecutive shutout innings. Ryan Pressly holds the Astros’ record with 38 consecutive scoreless innings pitched. Orel Hershiser set the Major League record by finishing the 1988 regular season with a ridiculous 59 straight shutout innings. Yes he won the National League Cy Young Award. The Cy Young is strictly a regular season award. Hershiser in 1988 also won the League Championship Series Most Valuable Player Award, and World Series MVP.
For Astro-centric conversation, join Brandon Strange, Josh Jordan, and me for the Stone Cold ‘Stros podcast which drops each Monday afternoon, with an additional episode now on Thursday.
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