WWE Money in the Bank 2014: Seven things we learned in Boston

A satisfactory night in the run-up to Summerslam or more of the same from WWE?

Usos and Wyatts show there is still life in the WWE tag team scene Money in the Bank got off to a fine start with the contest between The Usos and Luke Harper and Erick Rowan of the Wyatt Family. The WWE tag team division has been a stop-start affair for a number of years now, with little focus and stop-gap title reigns blighting what was once a key part of the WWE’s makeup. This match, however, was a great vehicle to show just what can be achieved when two teams are allowed to build a feud and are given time to put on a strong showing. With the action rarely slowing, all four men deserve great credit for setting the tempo for the night’s action, and ended up putting on the second best match of the evening. It may have been somewhat of a surprise to see The Usos come out victorious here, but if it leads to a series of rematches then that surely cannot be a bad thing.

Naomi could prove to be a diamond in the rough for WWE’s blossoming Divas division With the Funkadactyls looking like they are heading for a break up, now could be a good time for Naomi to make a play to become one of the next stars of the women’s division. While her match with Paige was not without its problems, Naomi’s athleticism was the highlight of the contest, with her running plancha and Hurricanrana pulled off with ease. It appears we are approaching somewhat of a ‘Golden Age’ in the WWE Divas division, with great wrestlers such as Paige, Natalya and the emergence of Ric Flair’s daughter Charlotte in NXT, with countless others looking to improve and make a name for themselves. Huge credit must go to Sara Amato, the trainer who once wrestled as Sara Del Ray, who has become a key asset in the development of the next generation of female WWE Superstars.

Dean Ambrose has all the tools It was interesting to note that with a card containing John Cena, Roman Reigns, Daniel Bryan (albeit on the pre-show) and countless other fan favourites, it was Dean Ambrose who got the biggest reaction from the live crowd. Following an excellent pre-match interview, Ambrose put on a heroic babyface performance, which showcased his many talents in ring, and the ovation for his comeback after seemingly being put out of the match through injury was the loudest of the night. Unfortunately before he gets to Seth Rollins, he may have to battle Kane, which leads to...

Time to put Kane out to roost Kane has had a Hall of Fame career in the WWE, but after seventeen years it’s time for ‘The Demon’ to move along and let someone else step up. While there may be depth issues within the WWE, the fact remains that anybody who is put into a feud with the long past his sell by date ‘Big Red Machine’ comes out of it worse than when they started, whether they win or not. The groan as Kane cost Dean Ambrose the MITB briefcase was evidence enough.

Briefcase match delivers in spades The traditional Money in the Bank briefcase match was the bout of the night, and saw some innovative and reckless moves which kept the Boston crowd at fever pitch. Kofi Kingston showed that he could amount to so much more if he was utilised correctly, and even convinced the crowd at one point that he was about to win the briefcase, despite his low place on the WWE’s totem pole. His bounce off the top rope onto a group of the other participants was only topped by Seth Rollins’ insane backdrop bump. It would be Rollins who would come out victorious in this affair, and it will be interesting to see where this leads to for the former Shield man.

Title bout fails to match hype With the WWE World Heavyweight Championship on the line and the various qualities of the superstars involved, it seemed all set for another classic ladder match. Instead, we got a largely disappointing contest, which delivered the obvious result, as John Cena won his fifteenth world championship, and, unless plans change at the next Pay Per View, Battleground, he will defend against Brock Lesnar at Summerslam. While the efforts of the wrestlers involved cannot be questioned (especially Randy Orton, who required twelve stitches to close a nasty gash on the top of his head), the match never seemed to get past plodding until the final few minutes, and at times seemed overcrowded with eight men in the ring at some stages. It did produce a great moment however, as the Boston crowd, who had been booing Cena heavily for the most part, exploded with joy upon his win. Some people just can’t make their minds up.

Bo Dallas is the best We end with the pre-show, and the sad news that Daniel Bryan delivered – namely that he may face a second surgery and that he has no date set for his return. The WWE pulled off a masterstroke in quickly bringing a smile back to their faces by sending out Bo Dallas, who has quickly become one of the funniest characters on WWE television. While Bryan’s response was hardly PG, Bo played it to the hilt, and proved why we all should bo-lieve.