A – Excellent
B – Good
C – Mediocre
D – Avoid
Release Date: September 15th 2014
Available From: www.wwedvd.co.uk
Price:
DVD £12.99
Blu-ray £13.99
(Prices from www.wwedvd.co.uk: high street prices will vary)
Format Reviewed:
DVD
(Also Available on Blu-ray)
What It’s About:
WWE’s
2014 Money in the Bank pay-per view from the T.D Garden in Boston,
Massachusetts on June 29th 2014 which featured the traditional Money in the
Bank Ladder Match as well as a Ladder Match to crown a new WWE World
Heavyweight Champion after Daniel Bryan was stripped of the title, plus much
more.
Strengths:
As
always, we begin with the best match on the card which is the Money in the Bank
Ladder Match which sees Seth Rollins vs Dean Ambrose vs Rob Van Dam vs Kofi
Kingston vs Dolph Ziggler vs Jack Swagger in an all action epic which only
slows at its conclusion with the involvement of Kane. It’d take too long to list
every high point from this match but I’ll do my best to try and cram everything
notable in. Beginning with the opening brawl, Dean Ambrose and Seth Rollins set
the match alight and really sell their story to audience who don’t quite grasp
what the pair are trying to do with chants of ‘Let’s Go Ziggler!’ It’s clear
he’s still one of the most popular wrestlers despite what WWE think of him.
Kofi Kingston impresses with some sublime ladder work which peaks with him
being pushed from the ladder only to land on the top rope and take flight with
a seamless plancha into the waiting mass at ringside. That is very special
indeed. For a short time, Rob Van Dam sparkles and the best of his interaction
comes with Jack Swagger and Seth Rollins at the top of the biggest ladder
you’ll have ever seen. Swagger’s Powerbomb on Van Dam from the apex is bone
crunching brilliant but nothing compared to the breathtaking Superplex from
Dean Ambrose to Seth Rollins which will take your breath away. Though Seth
Rollins is meant to be the star of this bout, Dean Ambrose steals his crown
some excellent moves which include a spinning DDT to Swagger from the middle of
the ladder. ‘The Lunatic Fringe’ is taken out of the bout with a storyline
injury which is meant to be a dislocated shoulder and whilst it risked making
him look weak, Ambrose does himself a favour by selling the move like a lunatic
trouper and shows guts by audibly shouting ‘I’ll pop it myself’. It gives the
character much needed depth. His triumphant return a few minutes later to foil
Seth Rollins is greeted with enthusiasm. I will add though that Seth Rollins’ new
ring attire makes him look like he’s about to go riding. The ending to the bout
which sees Kane stop Dean Ambrose and allow Seth Rollins a victory saves face
for Ambrose but Rollins could have done with a clean victory.
The
Usos vs Luke Harper and Eric Rowan gives the Money in the Bank Ladder Match a
run for its money with its sterling action which sees it go down as a thrill
per minute. Luke Harper and Jimmy Uso begin the bout at a hundred miles per
hour and even though his physique isn’t what Vince McMahon usually prefers in a
would-be star, Harper has something oh so special about him and its never more
noticeable than it is here. Had WWE made a monster heel out of him years ago
instead of failing with someone like Vladimir Kozlov then he’d be a leading
light by now. With their high flying, The Usos are breathtaking and there is
always something to watch with fluid action and edge of your seat near falls.
Harper’s sit down Powerbomb and double dive is a sight to behold, whilst The
Usos’ double suplex from the top rope and ‘This is Awesome’ chants are worth
the hype. If the tag team division was as good as this from top to bottom, then
all the company would have to do is put it on in the main event of raw each
week and all problems would be sorted in six months.
Dean
Ambrose’s promo on Seth Rollins and the Money in the Bank Ladder Match doesn’t
last long but is a small diamond in the rough. When considering whether to grab
the briefcase or smash Seth Rollins’ face in, Ambrose is perfectly demonic and unstable
which suits his abilities to perfection.
Paige
vs Naomi is a decent scrap even if it begins as nothing special. The moment it
really picks up us when Naomi plunges over the top rope like a falcon and
flatters her foe. Fans respond and the rest of the bout benefits from not going
on one spot before the main event or after a breath taker which is death for
any bout as Triple H and Brock Lesnar found at WrestleMania XXIX. What does
concern me is that Paige had lost too many matches in these months for a
champion and needed to look stronger than she did heading into her feud with
A.J. There are some sterling reversals including a series of rolling pin falls
which the challenger turns into sit down surfboard, illustrating just how much
she’s grown as a wrestler. The miscue where Naomi slips from the top rope and
takes Paige tumbling to the floor with her is sloppy and though chants of
‘Boring’ are audible; it’s not half as bad as the audience make it out to be.
Paige’s match winning fisherman suplex DDT is mouth watering.
Rusev
vs Big E. is even better than their Payback encounter which has to be a
candidate for match of the year and will be in the upcoming Wrestling God end
of year awards (keep your eyes peeled to the left hand column for polls on
different categories so you can vote in each. It begins slowly and with a
insert promo by Langston which appears to have come straight from the eighties
and sounds like Big E. is about to break into song. After the opening few
exchanges have past, the pair sprint to the finish in an outstanding effort.
Both men hit German suplex’s like they’re going out of fashion but its
impressive the height both get on the move considering the weight of their
target. Big E’s belly to belly looks thrilling as does his dead weight Rock
Bottom in Rusev countering a charge. Needless to say, it’s his spear through
the ropes which once again steals the show. However, it’s Rusev who benefits
from the finish and though Langston fights the Accolade, he’s eventually forced
to tap. Rusev is being set up for a programme with John Cena so guess who will
be the first man to break it.
The
WWE World Heavyweight Championship Ladder Match which sees John Cena vs Bray
Wyatt vs Roman Reigns vs Randy Orton vs Kane vs Sheamus vs Cesaro vs Alberto Del
Rio is overcrowded which means most of the men mentioned spend an age selling
normal moves at ringside whilst the important stuff is happening inside the
ring whilst the commentators moronically state that if you grab one belt then
they’ll come down together because they’re attached. They’re wrong. The titles
are attached separately to the hook but if you pull one then only one will come
down because the two titles aren’t attached to one and other. They should have
stated for clarity, that to win the gold you have to unhook the plate both sit
on. Nonetheless, its still and action packed stun fest and the highlights are:
Bray Wyatt planting John Cena face first on a ladder in a nice looking move;
Randy Orton receiving a very nasty hardway cut after a ladder rebounds and
cracks him on the skull. That’s one moment Triple H and Stephanie do begin to
visibly panic as the claret flows; the short exchanges between Bray Wyatt and
Roman Reigns are gripping; Cesaro breaking up the five knuckle shuffle with a
corking uppercut; Sheamus and Cesaro hanging from a tilted ladder and Cesaro
climbing from one side to the other with only his arms; Randy Orton can be
heard shouting ‘No, no, no, no!’ when Sheamus has him in the wrong position for
the Irish curse which could have ended up in a broken neck; Bray Wyatt
suplexing John Cena over a balanced ladder looks excellent; Roman Reigns’ spear
through the ladder to Kane is exemplary; Roman Reigns, the star of the bout,
taking out everyone in sight with spear’s and superman punches looks
tremendous; as does Randy Orton’s backbreaker off of the ladder and RKO on a
falling Cesaro before the blood flows once again which only adds to the drama
on display. Sadly the only real downside is John Cena, who after taking a
beating races up the ladder like he’s warming up. His selling is getting worse
and no one has the balls to pull him up on it. The commentators are gleeful in
announcing that John Cena is a 15 time world champion and that he has nearly
beat Ric Flair, which will happen sadly, but just imagine how much more
impressive that statement would be had he earned it inside the ring. And no
Cena fans, I do not mean having one great match in a blue moon. To really
deserve the claim, you have to make stars like Ric Flair did in his heyday.
John Cena has made none and the claim that he’s the greatest champion in WWE
history is a false one. And if you want to preserve drama, then its probably
best not to release a SummerSlam poster advertising John Cena vs Brock Lesnar
for the title before the event has gone live.
As
for the Extras:
‘Daniel
Bryan Interview’ serves as the only portion of the Kick-Off show we’re given
here instead of the customary Kick Off bout. IN this interview with Michael
Cole, Daniel Bryan explains his situation to the audience who don’t like the
announcement that his neck needs more surgery, but Bryan pulls them around
quickly and when he tries to quiet them from chanting ‘Yes’, they think on
their feet and chant ‘No’ in a funny little moment. The segment is frank and honest
and excels in its interaction especially when Bo Dallas makes his presence
known only to be verbally ripped apart by Daniel Bryan, who calls him ‘Bo-ner’
and tells him to “Bo...leave!”
‘Money
in the Bank Moment 2 – Daniel Bryan’ (July 7th 2011), ‘Money in the Bank Moment
3 – Dolph Ziggler’ (July 15th 2012) and ‘Money in the Bank Moment 4 – Randy
Orton’ (July 14th 2013) are all take them or leave them highlight packages of
said people winning the Money in the Bank Ladder match and cashing in their victories.
For people who haven’t seen these moment’s they are great information pieces.
For those who already own the Money in the Bank Anthology, then you’ll probably
want to give these a miss.
Weaknesses:
Damien
Sandow vs Adam Rose is a nothing bout just thrown out there to fill time on the
card. Neither man care about this outing and it shows in their work.
Lacklustre, lazy and completely banal it’s clear that their treatment at the
hands of the company has jaded them towards the entire industry. I wish someone
would fire Damien Sandow just to put the poor sod out of his misery, his
imitation of noted American historic characters is monotonous beyond belief now
and his act as Paul Reveer here is wrist-slittingly dire. Adam Rose’s character
has outstayed its welcome and as I’ve said before, even though his theme tune
is catchy, it doesn’t make for a successful character. This is an unnecessary
waste of time which could have been allocated to The Usos vs Harper and Rowan.
Notably, the announcers do not mention Sandow’s previous Money in the Bank
Ladder Match victory which is for the best. You don’t need that stigma attached
to Seth Rollins or anyone who comes after him. Had WWE done so it would have
read as “Just look at what the winner could become.”
Rybaxel
vs Goldust is dire though Stardust is the best thing about it. His reactions
and mannerisms may be baffling but Cody Rhodes seems to have upped his game
even further since donning the face paint. He’s flexible, fast and some of the
stuff he does actually does look good. But it’s not enough to save this filler
and as predicted, it outstays it welcome. Ryback shows some flair but Curtis
Axel is slow and uninvolving. On this evidence he won’t be a WWE star beyond
summer 2015. There’s just no place for someone like him if he doesn’t up his
game. Full of rest holds and the kind of action you’d expect to find on an
edition of Superstars, this won’t interest you despite its match ending
reversal which is actually quite good.
Summer
Rae vs Layla is the pits. Neither woman is particularly bothered as they trudge
through five minutes of crap with Fandango as the referee. Layla is completely
wasted in this role and Summer Rae looks like a fool lusting after the man who
supposedly dumped her via twitter. Apart from rolling around the canvas and
Summer Rae crying like a baby, there’s nothing to see here and it’s a poor
advert for the divas division.
As
for the Extras:
‘Money
in the Bank Moment 1 – Jack Swagger’ (March 28th 2010) doesn’t bode well for
anyone looking to see what heights a winner of the bout can achieve. At the
time it was an opportunity to build a new main event star, but in execution
Jack Swagger was buried by both Big Show and Rey Mysterio. His cash in wasn’t a
success in the long run and WWE should have replaced this with Edge’s who
reached heights no winner has since. You don’t need negativity associated with
the man you’re trying to push to the next level. And from this it could have
been had anyone gone back and looked at Swagger’s treatment after winning the
title.
‘Fandango
and Layla Interview’ falls into the category of every other meaningless and
short interview WWE have included on their releases this year and last.
Fandango speaks in riddles whilst Layla paws over him like a love sick puppy.
“Do I look happy?” is the sentence uttered about five times before he credits
Layla for his success. 1) Layla wasn’t with him from the word go and 2) what
success?
DVD and Blu-ray Special
Features:
Money in the Bank Kick-Off
Show
Daniel
Bryan Interview
Fandango
and Layla Interview
‘Money
in the Bank Moment 1 – Jack Swagger’ (March 28th 2010)
‘Money
in the Bank Moment 2 – Daniel Bryan’ (July 7th 2011)
‘Money
in the Bank Moment 3 – Dolph Ziggler’ (July 15th 2012)
‘Money
in the Bank Moment 4 – Randy Orton’ (July 14th 2013)
Blu-ray
Exclusive Extras:
Raw – June
2nd 2014
Batista
Quits Evolution
Roman
Reigns vs Randy Orton
The Main Event – June
17th 2014
Seth
Rollins Announces a Second Money in the Bank Ladder Match
Smackdown – June 20th 2014
John
Cena, Roman Reigns and Sheamus vs Randy Orton, Bray Wyatt, Alberto Del Rio and
Cesaro
Raw – June 23rd 2014
Jimmy Uso
vs Luke Harper
Jey Uso
vs Eric Rowan
Seth
Rollins Begs Triple H to Add Dean Ambrose to Money in the Bank
The Main Event – June 24th 2014
Rob Van
Dam, Dolph Ziggler and Kofi Kingston vs Seth Rollins, Bad News Barrett and Jack
Swagger
Smackdown – June 27th 2014
Stardust
and Goldust Accept Rybaxel’s Challenge
Conclusion:
It’s
always difficult writing a conclusion to an event that the majority of people
will have already have seen. Unlike seven hour box sets which no one will have
yet viewed, you’ll already have your own ideas on how Money in the Bank panned
out and those will be backed up by happenings at Battleground and SummerSlam.
So for those reading this that haven’t seen it or those wondering whether to
fork out thirteen or fourteen quid in money to have it in your collection,
Money in the Bank 2014 is one of the best pay-per view events of the year so
far.
True,
it hosts three forgettable clashes but everything else on the card will be
rewarding to different people for different reasons. Those just wishing to see
some ladder action will be enthralled at nearly and hour and a half of Money in
the Bank exchanges whilst those looking to see something a little more
technical will love The Usos vs Luke Harper and Eric Rowan, whilst Paige vs
Naomi and Rusev vs Big E. will provide adequate support. It’s a pay-per view
event which is well worth the money and won’t leave you disappointed at its
conclusion.
Rating:
A
Next Time in Review
Corner: WWE Battleground 2014 DVD and Blu-ray
Onwards
and upwards...
