The WWE Superstars escaped from the Thunderdome in the middle of July, back on the road and in front of real people. Considering WWE is so resolutely itself I won’t say it completely changed the vibe, though for a little bit there it felt like everybody’s braces just got removed.
1. Last Man Standing Money in the Bank Qualifier: Kevin Owens vs. Sami Zayn (SmackDown 7/2/21)
On the Friday before the 4th of July, in the middle of a random SmackDown Live, Owens and Zayn said farewell to the Thunderdome with a beautiful, balls out Last Man Standing match that could work with or without a crowd. It might be nice if there was more thought behind all this, but they embraced the chaos and took the match to its natural psychotic and painful conclusion. As it came to an end I could only offer one comment to the group chat: “JESUS CHRIST THIS MATCH.” They’ve had two cool PPV matches this year but those were midcard and restricted by time; this was top-of-the-hour and restricted by nothing.
2. RAW Women’s Title: Rhea Ripley [c] vs. Charlotte Flair (Money in the Bank 7/18/21)
This feud has been so cold the match began with WE WANT BECKY chants, but instead of cracking under pressure Big Match Charlotte showed up and had the match of the night. They hit hard and bumped big and Ripley’s unbelievable recovery on a deadlift suplex flipped out a crowd that was already biting when the Queen told them to. Having a good match is cool, wrapping an unconvinced crowd into your good match is even cooler.
3. NXT Tag Team Title: MSK [c] vs. Tommaso Ciampa & Timothy Thatcher (NXT 7/6/21)
For 10 minutes on a Tuesday night in 2021, the energy of a prime TakeOver opener was felt inside the Capitol Wrestling Center. Around a traditional tag structure, Wes (Lee) was especially crisp, Nash (Carter) threw hands, and the whole thing felt like Rey vs. Angle in doubles or something. MSK is having a run while Ciampa and Thatcher remind you they can go and may actually be MSK’s ideal opponents.
4. Money in the Bank: Drew McIntyre vs. Kevin Owens vs. Big E vs. King Nakamura vs. Riddle vs. Ricochet vs. Seth Rollins vs. John Morrison (Money in the Bank 7/18/21)
The best Money in the Bank in years, partially because the crowd was fired up after Ripley/Flair but mostly because some of wrestling’s most extraordinary talents got right to the point and messed around with ladders. They kept the hits coming and everyone got a few nice moments, including Owens who must have it in his contract now that he gets to do the craziest thing. Maybe look past the mid-match McIntyre kidnapping.
5. Kyle O’Reilly vs. Adam Cole (NXT 7/6/21)
The nice thing about this match is it’s a TV main event vs. TakeOver main event, so they don’t try too much or go too long. Cole works the leg, Kyle sells the leg, and they maintain a frantic pace bell-to-bell. I don’t know if it got HBK’s seal of approval but it’s my favorite match of theirs in WWE.
6. WWE Title: Bobby Lashley [c] w/ MVP vs. Kofi Kingston (Money in the Bank 7/18/21)
Rare is the WWE match that is both effective and delivers actual feels, even if the feels are usually those of an ice cold reality. This felt like a less important but more tragic version of Brock/Cena from SummerSlam ’14, a 6-minute Lashley squash that both made a statement for anyone not keeping up with the All Mighty Era and made me feel how I feel when a buddy gets rejected for a job.
7. Edge, Rey Mysterio & Dominik Mysterio vs. Roman Reigns & The Usos w/ Paul Heyman (SmackDown 7/16/21)
8. Riddle & The Viking Raiders vs. AJ Styles, Omos & John Morrison w/ The Miz (RAW 7/19/21)
RAW and SmackDown both welcomed crowds back with 6-man tags, as they should have. There are zero surprises in either of these but they’re the type of crowd-pleasing match WWE excels at, especially when the crowd is popping like wrestling just came to town for the first time since Iran-Contra.
9. SmackDown Tag Team Title: Rey & Dominik Mysterio [c] vs. The Usos (Money in the Bank 7/18/21)
Not even taking into account that Mysterio & Son entered from another dimension, this was quality tag team wrestling from some of the most reliable wrestlers in the business. As a Kickoff Show match they kept it conservative but still managed some great near falls and the first post-Thunderdome This is Awesome chant.
10. Emilia McKenzie vs. Isla Dawn (NXT UK 7/1/21)
The most fun match among a batch of Honorable Mentions, a match where Dawn did try to cast a spell on McKenzie early on but also one where they kept a fast pace alongside some grade-A grappling and face-rocking strikes.
Honorable Mentions: NXT UK Women’s Title: Meiko Satomura [c] vs. Amale (NXT UK 7/15/21), A-Kid vs. Jordan Devlin (NXT UK 7/1/21), Championship Contender’s Match: Keith Lee vs. Bobby Lashley (RAW 7/19/21), NXT Women’s Tag Team Title: Candice LeRae & Indi Hartwell [c] vs. Io Shirai & Zoey Stark (NXT 7/6/21), Heritage Cup: Tyler Bate [c] vs. Jack Starz (NXT UK 7/1/21), KUSHIDA & Bobby Fish vs. Roderick Strong & Tyler Rust (NXT 7/20/21), Money in the Bank Qualifier: Cesaro vs. Seth Rollins (SmackDown 7/9/21)
Rey Mysterio vs. Jimmy Uso (SmackDown 7/30/21), RAW Tag Team Title: AJ Styles & Omos [c] vs. The Viking Raiders (RAW 7/26/21), NXT Breakout Tournament Qualifier: Desmond Troy vs. Joe Gacy (205 Live 7/2/21), Kyle O’Reilly vs. Austin Theory (NXT 7/20/21), Riddle vs. AJ Styles w/ Omos (RAW 7/5/21), U.S. Championship Contender’s Match: Sheamus vs. Damian Priest (RAW 7/26/21), Natalya & Tamina vs. Shotzi Blackheart & Tegan Nox (SmackDown 7/9/21)
