Money In The Bank is one of my favourite WWE concepts. It just presents so many amazing booking opportunities, and in the past WWE have shown a number of ways (good and bad) that cash-ins, and reigns holding the briefcase can be played out. So I was very much looking forward to this part of my WWE 2K22 Universe Mode.
So part 3 will be the fallout from our first PPV (headlined by Roman Reigns retaining his Universal title), and the build to our second show ‘Money In The Bank’. As I’ve said I see this as a big show, so my card will be stacked and including both Men’s and Women’s Ladder matches. So… this is how I got my Universe Mode there…
Raw – June, Week 1
1- Raw Tag Team Championship: AJ Styles & Omos (C) defeat Viking Raiders & Moustache Mountain to retain
Walter backstage interview (on his win over Orton at WrestleMania Backlash, and his MITB qualifier later…)
Peyton Royce in-ring promo, before her match…
2. Women’s MITB Qualifier: Asuka defeated Peyton Royce (with Billie Kay)
3. Sheamus defeated King Nakamura
4. Lucha House Party defeated Mace & T-Bar
Rhea Ripley in-ring promo, interrupted by Toni Storm
5. Men’s MITB Qualifier: Walter defeated Braun Strowman
6. Riddle defeated Elias (I would plan for this to be very very quick. Sub-30 seconds I’d say.
Mustafa Ali promo package hyping up his match next week against Samoa Joe
7. Women’s MITB Qualifier: Carmella defeated Nikki A.S.H
Carmella backstage promo celebrating her win
Keith Lee in-ring promo, turns in to…
8. Bobby Lashley defeated Keith Lee – Backstage Brawl
SmackDown – June, Week 1
Roman Reigns (with Paul Heyman) in-ring promo, interrupted by Kevin Owens, then Seth Rollins, then Finn Balor (to set up the main event match)… Drew McIntyre’s entrance then ends the segment…
1- Men’s MITB Qualifier: Drew McIntyre defeated Happy Corbin
Bianca Belair backstage interview
2. Ricochet defeated Humberto Carrillo
Sasha – Natalya confrontation backstage
3. The Usos defeated The New Day & Street Profits to become number one contenders for the SmackDown Tag Team Championship
4. Shayna Baszler defeated Bianca Belair in a Backstage Brawl
5. Jeff Hardy defeated Apollo Crews (C) to win the Intercontinental Championship
Jeff Hardy in-ring promo after his win
6. Men’s MITB Qualifier: Big E defeated Sami Zayn
Paul Heyman backstage interview
7. Women’s MITB Qualifier: Natalya (with Many Rose & Sonya Deville) defeated Sasha Banks (with Naomi & Tamina)
8. Finn Balor defeated Seth Rollins & Kevin Owens to become the new number 1 contender for the Universal Championship
Raw – June, Week 2
Bobby Lashley in-ring promo (with MVP), “I don’t wanna see Keith Lee until he hands me MY WWE Championship”
1- Women’s MITB Qualifier: Io Shirai defeated Mia Yim
Samoa Joe backstage promo on Mustafa Ali match
2. Walter (with Fabian Aichner & Marcel Barthel) defeated Damian Priest – Miz & Morrison join in and all the heels attack Priest after the match
Rhea Ripley is backstage, when Carmella comes up and teases a future cash in
3. Asuka defeated Dana Brooke
4. Men’s MITB Qualifier: Riddle defeated Isaiah ‘Swerve’ Scott
Peyton Royce backstage promo with Billie Kay
5. Peyton Royce (with Billie Kay) defeated Nikki A.S.H – Mickie James comes out to console Nikki after
Mustafa Ali is interviewed backstage… but all he does is just smile at her when asked the first question, before walking away
6. Gran Metalik (with Lince Dorado) defeated AJ Styles (with Omos)
7. Rhea Ripley & Liv Morgan defeated Toni Storm & Carmella
8. Men’s MITB Qualifier: Mustafa Ali defeated Samoa Joe – Mace and T-Bar help Ali win (reuniting Retribution)
SmackDown – June, Week 2
1- Women’s MITB Qualifier: Charlotte Flair defeated Tegan Nox (with Shotzi)
Rollins & Owens backstage segment with Ricochet
2. Drew McIntyre defeated Austin Theory
Shayna Baszler in-ring promo
3. Rey Mysterio (with Dominik Mysterio) defeated Jinder Mahal
Naomi and Tamina backstage segment with Mandy Rose & Sonya Deville
Jeff Hardy promo package
4. Jeff Hardy (C) defeated X-Pac to retain the Intercontinental Championship
Roman Reigns (with Paul Heyman) and Finn Balor have an in-ring sit-down talking segment
5. Sonya Deville defeated Tamina in a Backstage Brawl
6. Women’s MITB Qualifier: Mandy Rose defeated Naomi
7. Breezango defeated Humberto Carrillo & Angel Garza
8. Men’s MITB Qualifier: Seth Rollins & Kevin Owens defeated Ricochet & Cesaro
Raw – June, Week 3
Retribution in-ring promo segment
1- Mickie James (with Nikki A.S.H) defeated Billie Kay (with Peyton Royce)
Sheamus promo (announcing the start of his won US title open challenge)
2. Sheamus (C) defeated Tyler Bate (with Trent Seven) to retain the United States Championship
Damian Priest backstage promo
3. Women’s MITB Qualifier: Liv Morgan defeated Mia Yim
Bobby Lashley (with MVP) in-ring promo, that is interrupted by Titus O’Neil
4. Bobby Lashley (with MVP) defeated Titus O’Neil
5. Omos (with AJ Styles) defeated Lince Dorado (with Gran Metalik)
6. Alexa Bliss defeated Mia Yim in a backstage brawl
Braun Strowman in-ring promo, interrupted by Imperium
7. Braun Strowman defeated Fabian Aichner (with Walter & Marcel Barthel)
Toni Storm – Rhea Ripley contract signing
8. Men’s MITB Qualifier: Randy Orton defeated The Miz & John Morrison & Pete Dunne & King Nakamura & Damian Priest in a Battle Royal
SmackDown – June, Week 3
Finn Balor in-ring promo, interrupted by Jey Uso
1- Big E (with Drew McIntyre) defeated Kevin Owens (with Seth Rollins)
2. Charlotte Flair defeated Tegan Nox
Bianca Belair backstage promo
3. Bianca Belair defeated Shayna Baszler in a backstage brawl
Bayley backstage promo
4. Sasha Banks & Naomi & Tamina defeated Natalya & Mandy Rose & Sonya Deville
5. New Day defeated Roode & Ziggler
Jeff Hardy promo package
6. Cesaro defeated Jinder Mahal
7. Women’s MITB Qualifier: Shotzi (with Tegan Nox) defeated Bayley
8. Finn Balor & Dominik Mysterio defeated The Usos
Raw – June, Week 4
Bobby Lashley (with MVP) in-ring promo, interrupted by Damian Priest
1- Riddle & Randy Orton defeated Mustafa Ali & Walter
Io Shirai backstage interview
2. John Morrison defeated Damian Priest in a backstage brawl
3. Alexa Bliss defeated Dana Brooke
4. Mickie James & Nikki A.S.H defeated The IIconics by count-out
Retribution backstage promo
5. Liv Morgan (with Rhea Ripley) defeated Carmella (with Toni Storm)
Sheamus in-ring promo
6. Sheamus (C) defeated Isaiah ‘Swerve’ Scott to retain the United States Championship
7. Io Shirai defeated Asuka
8. Bobby Lashley (with MVP) defeated Damian Priest by DQ, as Keith Lee returns and attacks Lashley and MVP. Raw ends with MVP getting thrown over the top rope onto Lashley, and Keith Lee standing tall with the WWE Championship.
SmackDown – June, Week 4
Roman Reigns (with Paul Heyman) in-ring promo
1- Bianca Belair & Naomi defeated Shayna Baszler & Sonya Deville
2. Jeff Hardy (C) won by DQ in a match for the Intercontinetal Championship against Ricochet after Apollo Crews attacked Ricochet, and then Hardy
Dominik Mysterio (with Rey Mysterio) in a backstage promo
3. Sami Zayn defeated X-Pac
4. Sasha Banks defeated Mandy Rose & Charlotte Flair & Shotzi
5. Drew McIntyre & Big E defeated Seth Rollins & Kevin Owens in a tornado tag
Street Profits backstage promo
6. Street Profits defeated Alpha Academy
7. Cesaro defeated Murphy
8. Roman Reigns (with Paul Heyman) defeated Dominik Mysterio
Finn Balor attacks Roman Reigns after his match
And so after that build up, it is now time for the PPV. And what a show this was, both in terms of results and the matches. My word this was a lot of fun to play out… Given both my ladder matches went legitimately OVER 40 minutes EACH, I wont have clips of all the matches on the card… But regardless here is how my MITB PPV played out…
Money In The Bank – June, Sunday Week 4 (Charlotte, North Carolina)
Match 1:
This would be a decent match, with Finn putting in an admirable performance. But the run of the Tribal Chief is far FAR from over…
After this, I would have the cameras cut to the backstage area, where Riddle is found laid out having been attacked. But nobody was around to see or knew who did it…
Match 2:
This was a heck of a long match in-real time. But Liv Morgan is the one who walks out of it with the briefcase. I feel like there’s a lot that can be done with her, and the potential there is limitless.
Match 3:
This would be a solid match, but Rhea takes the W.
Match 4:
This would be another solid affair, but it’s really The Usos time. All a part of The Bloodline dominating SmackDown.
At this point in the show, I would have it announced that Riddle (after the attack earlier in the show) would no longer be in the MITB match later. He will though be replaced…
Match 5:
Now THIS was a heck of a Last Man Standing match. After all the attacks and back and forth between these two, the feud ends here with Lee having to really get fired up to finally keep Lashley down. I loved how the finish came off here, as definitive as I wanted.
Match 6:
Fairy straight forward win for Bianca. As much as I like Shayna, Belair is the star. And at this point in the show as well, it’s really all about the main event…
Match 7:
So the replacement for Riddle wouldn’t be announced until he came out for the match (last of course)… and that would be… EDGE!
After what was a quite unbelievable match (so long that some 15 hours or so later I am STILL waiting for the video of the finish to be processed by YouTube, so that’ll have to wait… more videos next blog I promise), it is the returning EDGE who walks out (once again) as Mr Money In The Bank. He of course has history with this concept, having twice previously used the briefcase to become world champion (famously he was the first ever winner of the Money In The Bank case, and thus this eventually garnered him his first world championship). I’d have Edge kind of play his part in the match as a tweener, but as the weeks and months go on his character will become very clear…
So that was my Money In The Bank pay per view! I thought it went very well, as I had planned it to. And now this lets me do a number of things as the Universe Mode goes on. Next up is my Cyber Sunday PPV, which (to fit in with the theme of fan votes etc.) I will have a number of different factors regarding the PPV card, that I will dictate purely by chance what they are… but all that and more will be explained in the next blog post in this series…
You won’t be able to see what’s next…
Josh.