Post by Slade on Jul 16, 2021 7:07:18 GMT -5
Date: Monday, July 12, 2021
From: The Pit in Albuquerque, New Mexico
Commentary Team: Michael Cole, Mauro Ranallo and Tony Schiavone
Backstage Reporting & Interviews: “Mean” Gene Okerlund
Ring Announcer: Howard Finkel
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REY MISTERIO JR. vs. “THE BEST MAN” MIRO : Rey Misterio Jr. flew over the top rope and hit Miro with a topé con hilo. He picked up Miro and rolled him into the ring. Jim Cornette started to complain about flying over the top rope being an illegal maneuver – apparently, it was still the 1960s to him – when Shelton Benjamin hit Misterio with a superkick. Rey Fénix and Penta El 0M ran around the ring and started fighting with Benjamin and Charlie Haas. Miro leaned through the ropes and showed off his impressive strength by lifting Rey Fénix off the ground from inside the ring. He was stretching out the eye holes of his mask. Misterio snuck into the ring and broke it up with a 6-1-9. With Miro in a daze, Misterio executed the West Coast Pop and hooked in the rana pin just long enough to secure the 3-count. He was immediately nailed from behind with a lariat from Miro, who then gave him a fallaway slam, shouted “Game Over!” and applied The Accolade. He didn’t release the hold until several officials tried to force him to break it. (9:31) -- Winner by Pinfall: Rey Misterio Jr.
MONEY IN THE BANK QUALIFIER: BIANCA BELAIR vs. TENILLE DASHWOOD : Without the IIconics around to help her, Tenille Dashwood had her hands full with the EST of WWE. Dashwood hit a cannonball in the corner and then gave Bianca Belair an exploder suplex. She lined her up for a Spotlight Kick but Belair moved out of the way. Belair hit her with a dropkick into the turnbuckles and then gave her a snap suplex out of the corner. She picked up Dashwood and gave her the K.O.D. and pinned her for the win. Belair earned the final spot in the women’s Money in the Bank ladder match. (11:16) -- Winner by Pinfall: Bianca Belair
Mean Gene spoke to “Macho Man” Randy Savage backstage. He told Savage that there appeared to be considerable interest in representing him by the managerial class of WWE. Savage said he doesn’t like many people and prefers to work alone but having someone take care of the business end of things while he concentrates of the wrestling end of things sounds nice to him. He said that having no unnecessary distracts would ensure that he quickly climbs the ladder of success in WWE. The top rung is the only one for the Macho Man and he has his sights set on winning the WWE Universal Championship. Bobby “The Brain” Heenan entered the picture and introduced himself to Savage. He said that if he needs a man whose aptitude for managing a wrestler’s business affairs, then he’s the man who is second to none. When Mean Gene tried to speak up, Heenan told him to stop interrupting, and Heenan walked off camera with the “Macho Man” while trying to sell him on what his managerial services could do for him.
MONEY IN THE BANK QUALIFIER: CHAD GABLE vs. EDDIE GUERRERO : Eddie Guerrero started shouting at Jason Jordan, who was simply slapping his hands on the mat and cheering for his partner. This brought the referee over. Guerrero complained and the referee spoke to Jordan. Meanwhile, Guerrero used the distraction to rake Gable’s eyes. He gave him a brainbuster and went to the top rope to execute the frog splash. 1…2…3! Eddie Guerrero cheated his way to a spot in the men’s Money in the Bank ladder match. (7:12) -- Winner by Pinfall: Eddie Guerrero
HARLEM HEAT & DUDLEY BOYZ vs. BILLION DOLLAR CORPORATION : This match turned into an all-out brawl, one that the referee could not reign in. Bubba Ray and D-Von gave Bobby Roode the 3-D on the arena floor. James Storm tried to give D-Von the Last Call, but he was clotheslined by Bubba Ray instead. They got out a table and put Storm through it with a powerbomb-neckbreaker combo. Meanwhile, “Million Dollar Man” Ted DiBiase put on his loaded black glove and hit Booker T right in the kisser with it. Stevie Ray was setting up John Bradshaw Layfield for the Slapjack when he saw what DiBiase did to his brother. The pause gave JBL time to counter out of the set up with a back body drop. DiBiase was chased away from ringside by both Dudleys. As they chased him up the entrance ramp, JBL nailed Stevie Ray with a Clothesline from Wall Street and pinned him for the win. (16:25) -- Winners by Pinfall: Billion Dollar Corporation.
Returning from commercial break, Mean Gene spoke to the Billion Dollar Corporation backstage. Roode and Storm were pissed off at the Dudley Boyz and challenged them to a match at Money in the Bank. Not just any match. They said they wanted to embarrass them at their own game. They want a tag team tables match. JBL said that pinning one of the tag team champions means he deserves an opportunity to win those titles. He and DiBiase want a match against Harlem Heat. Booker T and Stevie Ray entered the picture and said they had their match and told those rich fools that they were bringing the Harlem heat their way. The Dudley Boyz entered the seen carrying a table with them and said they were bringing it to Money in the Bank. Choice words were exchanged and a brawl began again.
RHEA RIPLEY & MICKIE JAMES vs. IICONICS : Rhea Ripley executed Rip Tide on Billie Kay. She pinned her but Peyton Royce came in and broke up the pin. Mickie James entered the ring and turned Royce around. She went for a Mick Kick. Royce dove out of the way and the kick hit Ripley instead. Royce grabbed James by the tights and threw her between the ropes, out to the floor. As Ripley started to get up, Royce grabbed her and gave her a spinning brainbuster. She tossed Kay on top of the WWE Women’s Champion and the referee counted the pinfall. 1…2…3! After the match, Ripley got angry at James for kicking her. James explained what happened. Ripley turned around to leave and James gave her a bulldog and then the MickDT. She grinned from ear-to-ear after dropping Ripley on the mat. She picked up the WWE Women’s Championship and looked intently at it before dropping it on Ripley. (6:35) -- Winners by Pinfall: IIconics
MONEY IN THE BANK QUALIFIER: DANIEL BRYAN vs. JASON JORDAN : Daniel Bryan hit a series of corner dropkicks and then placed Jason Jordan on the top turnbuckle. He climbed up and took him down to the mat with a frankensteiner. Bryan led the audience in a Yes! Chant as he waited for Jordan to get to his feet. Bryan ran at him. Jordan stepped forward and sent Bryan flying with an overhead belly-to-belly suplex. Jordan picked him up and attempted an Olympic slam but Bryan turned it into a Yes! Lock. Jordan submitted, giving Bryan the win and a place in the men’s Money in the Bank ladder match. (9:02) -- Winner by Submission: Daniel Bryan
Mean Gene was backstage with a worked up Jim Cornette who cut a scathing promo on Rey Misterio and the Lucha Brothers. He said that their flagrant abuse of the rules to steal a victory from the clutches of “The Best Man” Miro has resulted in thousands of dollars worth of damage inside the World’s Best lockerroom and when arena management send him the bill, he’s going to forward it on to them. What’s more, the only way to fix the wrongs done here is to have a 6-man tag team match at Money in the Bank. Then, WWE Women’s Champion Rhea Ripley entered the scene and threatened to kick Cornette’s ass if he didn’t leave immediately. Cornette ran off like a scalded dog. Ripley said that teaming with Mickie James was a mistake. It was all a set up. But the bigger mistake is what James did to her out there because now Ripley is angry and she’s going to destroy James on the way to successfully defending her title at Money in the Bank.
ROMAN REIGNS, RICKY STEAMBOAT & WALTER vs. ROWDY RODDY PIPER, AJ STYLES & KEITH LEE : In the dying moments of this match, WALTER sent Keith Lee out to the ring. AJ Styles hit WALTER with a Phenomenal Forearm that took him out of the ring. Ricky Steamboat paired off with Styles, and after a brief of exchange of chops, Steamboat ended up receiving the Phenomenal Blitz. Roman Reigns tried to give Styles a spear but he jumped clear over it and Reigns nailed Steamboat instead. Rowdy Roddy Piper entered the ring and got into a fist fight with Reigns. He dropkicked him out of the ring and went to the outside to continue to brawl. Lee managed to give WALTER a pounce that sent him crashing into the timekeeper’s position. Back in the ring, Styles took advantage of the miscue by picking up Steamboat and giving him the Styles Clash. 1…2…3! The challengers beat the champions and take that moment with them into Money in the Bank! (14:17) -- Winners by Pinfall: Rowdy Roddy Piper, AJ Styles and Keith Lee