Review for WWE: Extreme Rules 2017/Money In The Bank 2017

This set includes the Raw PPV Extreme Rules and the Smackdown PPV Money in the Bank and really should be a home run… instead it is a horrid mix of some of the most insane booking and matches I have ever seen, topped off with a little drizzle of great matches, but they are few and far between. When you consider the talent that is on show it is almost shocking that this is what the WWE decided was how they wanted to showcase it?

Extreme Rules was an insane PPV and one that WWE needs to get rid of. In the PG-era this type of PPV doesn’t work. Of the seven matches (including the Kickoff match) only three are worth watching again and even then I still have issues with them. When I looked at the stipulations flying around I thought I was watching 1999-2000 era WCW and wondered if WWE had hired Vince Russo back?

The Kickoff match between Kalisto and Apollo Crews was fine, but nothing special. The WWE Intercontinental Championship match between Dean Ambrose and The Miz had an insane stipulation which stated that if Ambrose was Disqualified he could lose his belt. May I remind you this PPV is called ‘Extreme Rules’?? This match was painful to watch mainly due to the OTT theatrics of the referee and the fact that the stipulation didn’t even come into place? This is such a shame as I usually enjoy their matches.

The Mixed tag team match between Rich Swann and Sasha Banks against Noam Dar and Alicia Fox was just pointless. I’m not sure who was meant to benefit from it and how the mighty has fallen with Sasha Banks as far away from the title scene as she could ever be?

Next up we have the Russo-inspired Kendo Stick-on-a-Pole match for the WWE Raw Women's Championship between Alexa Bliss and Bayley which made absolutely no sense whatsoever. If I listen to the rules it says that whoever takes down the Kendo stick can sue it… Bayley retrieves the stick, but it’s Bliss who uses it? What? This was probably one of the worst women’s matches I have seen in a long time.

One of the saving graces of the PPV was the Steel Cage match for the WWE Raw Tag Team Championship between The Hardy Boyz against Cesaro and Sheamus was a really good match. It was filled with some, dare I say, ‘Extreme’ moments. It was just a shame that the whole ‘tag team’ element was lost somewhere with no one seeming to understand what the rules of this match were.

Submission match for the WWE Cruiserweight Championship between Neville and Austin Aries should have been match of the night. It isn’t. With these two and this type of match it should have been a Five Star Classic, a match that would be a Match of the Year contender, spoken about for the ages. It isn’t. This is a ‘Submission Match’ which at times looked like it could have ended with a DQ? It was not an awful match, it just wasn’t very memorable or the match I expected.

The PPV ended with the Fatal Five Way Extreme Rules Match to be Universal Championship Number 1 Contender between Finn Bálor, Seth Rollins, Samoa Joe, Roman Reigns and Bray Wyatt. This was a good match. It had some amazing moments, but it was hampered a little by there being five people and this odd number meant there were times when I forgot people where even in the match, but this is the issue with most multi-man matches. A great match overall and the outcome was certainly a surprise and a pleasant one to end a somewhat awful PPV.

Money in the Bank 2017

Money in the Bank is usually one of the PPVs that I look forward to and this year it was a bit more interesting with the introduction of a Women’s version. It seemed like this would be a great PPV. Oh how I was wrong as once again Vince Russo must have been hired back for this PPV. Again most of the seven matches (Kickoff match included) were painfully bad with only a few worth watching again.

Once again the Kickoff match between The Hype Bros and The Colons was fine, but nothing special. It is a shame as I did expect a bit more an exciting match from them.

We come to the ground breaking, monumental, first-time ever Women’s Money in the Bank Ladder match between Charlotte Flair, Natalya, Carmella, Tamina and Becky Lynch… which was won by James Ellsworth??? I don’t care if this was not against the rules it makes no sense and absolutely destroys what should have been one of the best moments in women’s wrestling. My brain almost shut down watching this and the worst thing is that this was actually a classic example of an amazing match RUINED by the finish.

WWE SmackDown Tag Team Championship between The Usos and The New Day was fine in general. I do like the new Heel attitude of the Usos and The New Day are always nice to see, but it again felt more like a TV match than a PPV. Same could be said for the match for WWE SmackDown Women's Championship between Naomi and Lana which was actually not that bad. It at least showed that Lana was more than just a pretty face, but that’s not exactly saying much. It could have been better though.

This seems to be the theme of this PPV with even the WWE Championship match between Jinder Mahal and Randy Orton being painfully bad. I so wanted this to be the match that showed me why Mahal had been chosen as the new face of the WWE. Instead it showed why he was always a good worker and that’s about it. I feel that this is the wrong time to be doing this kind of 1980/1990s racist angle and although race is not being brought into it… we know that it will only be a matter of time before this is brought up.

The match between Breezango and The Ascension was a waste of time and probably should have been on the Kickoff. Unsure why it was here and higher than the WWE Championship match?

Finally, we have the Money in the Bank ladder match for a WWE Championship match contract between AJ Styles, Shinsuke Nakamura, Baron Corbin, Dolph Ziggler, Sami Zayn and Kevin Owens. This match should and to some extent is the best match of the night. However, after everything beforehand this isn’t hard. I liked the fact that everyone in the match looked like they had a chance and even with Nakamura being taken out at the beginning it was great to see him come back. The match had some amazing moments, but I will be honest that I absolutely hated the end of the match and much like the Women’s it ruined the whole effect of the match. I don’t know who wanted to see Baron Corbin as Champion, but it certainly isn’t me and watching him with that briefcase instead of someone who I would want to see such as Styles, Owens or even Nakamura. Basically anyone other than Corbin left a bitter taste in the mouth.

It could be said that getting two PPVs for the price of one is the best things WWE have ever done… but not when it comes to these two PPVs. At times, I am baffled by how horrible the WWE booking is. Again at times I was utterly convinced that Vince Russo had been hired back to book some of the worst and most insane matches that make his WCW stuff look like pure gold. These two PPVs have some good things, but they are rare and it is a chore to get through them.