rich Swann def. Ariya DaivariI saw this exact same match on Main Event last week and it was infinitely more fun than this. Is that because officials don't micromanage what the wrestlers do on that show and instead let them do whatever they want? This was really just a match and nothing more. WWE is limiting these guys to the point where their matches aren't as good as they have the potential to be. At any rate, Noam Dar attacking Swann afterward indicates their feud is continuing, and I couldn't care less. WWE Cruiserweight Champion Neville and Austin Aries Engaged in a War of WordsI love when they take this side-by-side approach to interviews because it's a refreshing change of pace from the norm. It worked wonderfully here as Aries and Neville recapped their rivalry dating all the way back to WrestleMania 33, touched upon the Submission stipulation, and stated their case for why they feel they will walk away champion at Extreme Rules. I'm excited to see what type of match they'll put together at the event.
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SmackDown Live Commissioner Shane McMahon Announced the Money in the Bank ParticipantsThis might quite honestly be the most stacked and star-studded Money in the Bank line-up WWE has had in years, if not ever. Not only are all of the participants exceptional wrestlers, there is a sense of unpredictability as to who will win. I could see virtually anyone but Ziggler capturing the briefcase, so needless to say, I'm extremely excited for it. Plus, the mic work from everyone involved in this segment was good while two notable matches were set up for later in the night. Becky Lynch and Charlotte Flair def. Carmella and NatalyaPersonally, I'm still not buying Charlotte as a babyface. That isn't to say she can't thrive in the role, but it was way too soon to turn her. Hopefully it's only a matter of time before she attacks Lynch and/or Naomi and returns to her roots as an awesome villain. At any rate, this was a decent tag team match, but I've lost all interest in this faction war if I had any to begin with. Lynch got pinned at Backlash, yet beat the same woman who defeated the SmackDown Women's Champion last week. Basically, wins and losses don't matter with the women on SmackDown, and that's a shame.
TJP def. Gran MetalikHow sad is it that this was the final match in last year's Cruiserweight Classic tournament and the rematch was held on Main Event of all places? Their initial encounter was one of the best bouts of 2016, and this was merely a watered down version of it. Don't get me wrong, this was a good matchup, yet far from the classic they produced a year ago, which is basically the biggest problem with WWE's Cruiserweight division in a nutshell: they won't let these talented athletes showcase their skills to their fullest ability. Heath Slater and Rhyno def. Curt Hawkins and Curtis AxelHasn't Axel been a babyface for the last seven or eight months? The lack of explanation as to why he teamed with Hawkins here bothered me, but I guess I shouldn't be surprised considering it's only Main Event. The match itself was fun while it lasted because although they haven't been regulars on WWE TV in a long while, Slater and Rhyno are still over with the audience. Once again, Rhyno used the spinebuster as a finisher, and although it's a believable finish, I'm not sure why he hasn't been using his signature Gore as of late.
Roman Reigns def. Bray Wyatt by DisqualificationI appreciate how Wyatt's promos aren't as abstract as they once were, but they still aren't all that compelling considering he loses whenever it matters most. Reigns' retort, albeit brief, was fine and effectively set up the subsequent match between the two. It's hard to say anything about it because it didn't last long, but the bout was best to keep it short and sweet since they would clash in a tag team match later on in the night. Akira Tozawa def. Ariya DaivariIt's been a long while since we last saw Tozawa in singles action on Raw if my memory serves me correctly, which is weird with how much he was getting over with the audience earlier this year when he first arrived on the scene. This was a pretty standard squash match and Tozawa received a favorable reaction from the crowd, especially after the awesome finisher he used. I'm looking forward to him and The Brian Kendrick facing off in a Street Fight on 205 Live Tuesday night.
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