Henry's Universe Mode returns today with Money in the Bank, one of the most important dates on the calendar, where eight men and six women get the chance to claim the briefcase that may someday lead to championship glory. The biggest focus of today's event, however, will not be on the two ladder matches, but instead with the main event, where Sasha Banks attempts to reach a year spent as SmackDown Women's Champion. It was last year, at The Bash, where Banks took the gold away from Ember Moon, and she hasn't looked back. The woman that stands in the way of "The Boss" and this incredible feat is perhaps the most successful female competitor in Henry's Universe Mode history, "The Man" Becky Lynch. Lynch was a three-time Raw Women's Champion during her days on the red brand, a decorated and feared athlete that has only continued to expand her game. Becky believes that her victory is inevitable, that Banks has nothing left to give and will fall tonight. But Sasha Banks hasn't been champion for almost 365 days for nothing. For the women of SmackDown, the stakes have never been higher. This is their moment.
Money in the Bank
July 12th, 2020
Location: Kansas City, MO
Money in the Bank 2020 Theme Song- "For The Glory"- All Good Things
Alexa Bliss vs Bayley vs Ember Moon vs Io Shirai vs Ronda Rousey vs Sonya Deville- Women's Money in the Bank Ladder Match
The three women representing Raw in this match were Moon (who defeated Nia Jax to qualify), Shirai (who defeated Asuka), and Rousey, who earned her spot at Extreme Rules. The three participants from SmackDown were Bliss (who defeated Candice LeRae and Liv Morgan in a triple threat), Deville (who defeated Nikki Cross), and Bayley, who was named to this match thanks to her win at Backlash. In the end, this match came down to Alexa's ability to sense the right opportunity to pounce. She dropped Shirai with a DDT on the floor, while Bayley took both herself and Moon with a superplex onto a ladder. Deville and Rousey, the two former martial artists, were engaged in a brawl, and that allowed Bliss to scurry up the ladder in the ring, unhooking the briefcase to put her back on the road to gold.
Winner: Alexa Bliss
Adam Cole(c) vs Kyle O'Reilly- United States Championship Match
Ongoing tension between members of the Undisputed Era led to this match, where Cole and O'Reilly looked to settle their various issues, with Bobby Fish and Roderick Strong stating on Raw that would play no role in deciding the winner of this conflict. O'Reilly was determined to rid Cole of the championship that inflated his ego so greatly, and this contest displayed just how proficient Kyle is in that ring. O'Reilly pulled out one counter after another, impressing the crowd with his wide array of grappling skills. Kyle's fighting spirit was also put to the test, as Cole focused on damaging's Kyle's head and neck, dropping the champion with multiple neckbreakers and two pendulum piledrivers on the ropes. But Kyle would not stay down, Cole needed something better to get the job done. The champion wanted the Last Shot, which could've been a decisive blow given the work Cole had already done, but O'Reilly countered once again, spinning Cole around, and then O'Reilly absolutely walloped the back of Cole's leg with a chop block. Quick as a whippet, O'Reilly locked in a kneebar, and Cole, writhing in pain, had no choice but to tap. A stunned silence filled the arena, as no one seemed to have given Kyle much of a chance, but the fans erupted in joy when Cole's downfall was complete as O'Reilly lifted his new prize high.
Winner and the NEW United States Champion: Kyle O'Reilly
Post-Match
Cole, with a sour look on his face, slowly tried to regain his footing, limping heavily on the leg O'Reilly had targeted. Kyle paused his celebration, and offered his defeated opponent a handshake, a courtesy after all both men had been through in their careers. Cole was not going to accept defeat lightly though, and abandoned all good taste and sportsmanship by booting O'Reilly in the groin, then laying out the new champion with a superkick. Fish and Strong ran down to try and talk to their leader, but Cole just walked off in a huff.
The War Raiders(c) vs Edge and Christian- SmackDown Tag Team Championship Match
Edge and Christian came up short in their return match at Backlash, and have used that loss at motivation to work their way up through the SmackDown tag division. Wins over Heavy Machinery, the eclectic duo of Jeff Hardy and Matt Riddle, and The Bar in a rematch of that initial loss put the two Canadian veterans in a position to strike gold here at Money in the Bank. Unfortunately for anyone rooting for the big comeback story, it wasn't to be for Edge and Christian, who ran into the buzzsaw known as the War Raiders. Erik and Ivar picked their challengers apart with educated strikes and brutish power, leaving Christian laying after a tandem flying clothesline and German suplex. Edge tried a Spear, but ran into a Busaiku Knee from Erik, who tagged in Ivar, and the champions put it away with the Fallout.
Winners and still SmackDown Tag Team Champions: The War Raiders
Kevin Owens vs Tommaso Ciampa- No Holds Barred Match
Tommaso Ciampa's decision to reunite with Johnny Gargano at Backlash caused Kevin Owens to lose his spot in the Money in the Bank ladder match, leaving KO in search of vengeance against Ciampa. They met here in a No Holds Barred encounter, and Ciampa knew he couldn't afford to be stuck in an elongated brawl with the violent Kevin Owens. Ciampa overwhelmed Owens with strikes early, going for frequent covers, but even a sliding knee strike couldn't kept the powerful Owens on the mat. The Psycho Cutter was countered, and Owens, almost casually, turned the tide with a nasty powerbomb on the apron. Owens targeted the back of Ciampa, ramming Ciampa into the ringside steps, barricade, and planted him on the floor with a sidewalk slam. Ciampa was rolled into the ring, where Owens brutalized his back with four full-force steel chair shots. Owens laid the chair on Ciampa's back, and risked his own safety to take flight with a Frog Splash, dropping all of his weight onto Ciampa, who now could barely stand. Owens finished off the assault with a Pop-Up Powerbomb on the chair, winning in dominant fashion.
Winner: Kevin Owens
AJ Styles and Ricochet(c) vs The Miz and John Morrison- Raw Tag Team Championship Match
AJ and Ricochet's latest challenge for their tag straps were the outspoken and egotistical duo of The Miz and John Morrison, who earned this championship opportunity after defeating the Street Profits. Miz was clearly outmatched going against two of the best wrestlers in the world today, but Morrison was a difference maker in this one, drilling Ricochet with a Starship Pain, and surviving a DDT on the apron from Styles. AJ couldn't hit the Phenomenal Forearm, crashing onto the canvas, and Morrison quickly followed up with a standing moonsault to Styles. Morrison connected with the Starship Pain for a second time, and Miz made sure Ricochet couldn't save his partner, hitting a low blow with the referee distracted by the pinfall. AJ and Ricochet had come so far as champions, and while their reign had ended here, there was certainly no reason for either to feel let down by what they had accomplished.
Winners and the NEW Raw Tag Team Champions: The Miz and John Morrison
Charlotte Flair(c) vs Peyton Royce- Raw Women's Championship Match
The IIconics had earned a title match for one member of their duo thanks to a tag team win over Asuka and Charlotte several months previous, and they decided that Royce would be the one to compete, with Billie Kay standing by at ringside. Royce was definitely not quite at the same level as Flair, who was coming into this match on an incredible run, tearing through every challenger. Charlotte looked set to do the same to Peyton, planting her challenger with multiple big power moves, including a backpack stunner. Charlotte connected on a Spear, and was lining up Natural Selection, when the wild card of this match came into play. Billie Kay grabbed hold of Charlotte's leg, distracting the champion, and Peyton struck with a spinning back heel kick. Royce took Flair to the mat with a perfectly executed backslide, and the dazed champion kicked out a hair too late! In an absolute shocker, we had our third title change of the night, and the two scheming friends didn't stick around to see what how the former champion would react, as Peyton snatched her new prize from the referee and the two bolted.
Winner and the NEW Raw Women's Champion: Peyton Royce
Robert Roode(c) vs Daniel Bryan- WWE Championship Match
Both of these men have accepted the need to win at all costs, and both were extremely motivated to leave this one as WWE Champion, especially Bryan, who had embraced a vicious new attitude in pursuit of the gold. Roode and Bryan both established their targets early, as Roode focused on the neck and head of Bryan, while the latter worked on the champion's leg. This was done on both parts to set up the Glorious DDT and Heel Hook, respectively, the biggest weapon in each man's arsenal. Roode's power is what gave him the biggest advantage in this match, and he used it effectively, escaping the devastating Heel Hook by dragging his body, Bryan attached, over to the bottom rope to force a break. From there, Roode used his intellect, as Bryan charged in, only to spiked onto the middle rope with a drop toe hold from the champion. That left Bryan wheezing for air, and in prime position for Roode to strike, which he did with the Glorious DDT, finishing off another title retention. Robert Roode's stature as WWE Champion continues to grow, as this was a decisive win over one of the best in the world.
Winner and still WWE Champion: Robert Roode
Roman Reigns(c) vs Finn Balor- Universal Championship Match
Every title match from the Raw brand on this night had seen the gold change hands, leaving Roman Reigns, the self-professed "Head of the Table" at a seemingly big disadvantage going against former Universal Champion Finn Balor. Reigns appeared to be cruising towards a straight-forward title defense in the first few minutes of this one, dominating his challenger with stiff uppercuts and forearms. Balor did thrill the crowd with a big tope to the outside, but that did little to slow the champion down, who easily overpowered Balor and spiked him with a Crucifix Powerbomb. Reigns lined up the killing blow, a Spear, but Balor saved his title chances in impressive fashion, leaping over the charging champion. From there, Balor unleashed a tidal wave of the best he could offer, chaining together a Sling Blade, Shotgun Dropkick, and getting Reigns up to nail the Bloody Sunday! A new champion appeared to be on the horizon, but this time, it was Reigns who dug deep to survive, just kicking out before the three count. Finn still had one more bullet in the chamber, as he scaled up top, intent on going for the Coup de Grace, but Reigns rolled out of harm's way, and while Balor managed to land on his feet, he was greeted with a Superman Punch. A second Superman Punch then followed, and Balor couldn't achieve a dramatic kick out of his own, falling just short.
Winner and still Universal Champion: Roman Reigns
Bobby Lashley vs Drew McIntyre vs Johnny Gargano vs Mustafa Ali vs Pete Dunne vs Sami Zayn vs Seth Rollins vs Tyler Breeze- Men's Money in the Bank Ladder Match
The four men representing Raw in this match were Bobby Lashley (who qualified at Extreme Rules), Pete Dunne (who also qualified on the same night), Sami Zayn (who defeated Randy Orton), and Seth Rollins (who defeated Andrade "Cien" Almas). For SmackDown, it was Drew McIntyre (who defeated Braun Strowman), Johnny Gargano and Mustafa Ali (both qualified at Backlash), and Tyler Breeze (who upset Intercontinental Champion Samoa Joe thanks to a distraction from Big E). Like with the opener, this match would come down to whomever struck at the most opportune moment. It seemed like that would be McIntyre, who won a hoss fight against Lashley by dropping Bobby with a Claymore Kick, but Zayn proved himself by powerbombing McIntyre off the ladder, then connecting with a Blue Thunder Bomb. Sami, exhausted, didn't have enough energy to climb, but did have enough to hold back Pete Dunne, believing that "The Bruiserweight" was the last threat remaining. Zayn failed to notice Mustafa Ali until it was too late, as Ali sprung off the ropes onto the ladder, scurrying to the top to unhook the briefcase! Ali, a man whom many believe could be the future of SmackDown, now holds a golden ticket to a potential world title reign.
Winner: Mustafa Ali
Sasha Banks(c) vs Becky Lynch- SmackDown Women's Championship Match
Becky started this one out with a focus on weakening Sasha's arm, slamming the champion on her right arm on multiple occasions, including on the outside of the ring. But Sasha hasn't been champ for nearly a year just to go down this easy, and she was more than willing to take some chances to ensure she left with the gold. Banks leapt off the apron to drive Lynch onto the floor with a thrilling meteora, then tried to drill the challenger with a Frog Splash back in the ring, though Lynch got her knees up to counter. Becky showed off some suplexes, but got caught with the Bankrupt for a near fall. The Bank Statement was almost applied, but Becky rolled Sasha away, then drilled the champion in the face with a knee! Banks traded back with two high-impact forearms, but that did extra damage to Sasha, who struck with her injured arm. That created an opening for Becky to apply the Dis-arm-her, but with the title hanging in the balance, Sasha refused to tap, just about finding the ropes. It was bottom of the ninth stuff now, as both women were reaching their limit. Perhaps the exhaustion of remaining a champion for almost one whole year got to Sasha, who just seemed to be a tiny bit slower than Becky, losing a strike exchange after the challenger connected flush with an uppercut. Lynch was gaining in confidence now, and sent the champion flying with a Bex-ploder Suplex. Lynch lifted Banks to the top rope, and followed up with an avalanche Bex-ploder! Beaten, exhausted, and facing the end, Sasha defiantly rose to her feet, and spit in Lynch's face! Becky took Sasha down for another Dis-arm-her, dragging the champion to the center of the ring, nearly wrenching the arm out of it's socket before the champion finally gave in and tapped. It was an incredible journey for Sasha Banks, who will likely be back sooner than later, but for now, Money in the Bank proved to be the end of her story. There will be no one year reign, as instead, "The Man" now rules SmackDown.
Winner and the NEW SmackDown Women's Champion: Becky Lynch
Want to follow the series, but missed a few posts? No problem! Check out my Universe Mode Wiki, constantly updated to keep you up to speed with the latest Universe Mode happenings.
Comments