[2018-06-17-WWE-Money in the Bank] Nia Jax vs Ronda Rousey

[KawadaSmile]

This match was absolute perfection. Not only Nia really stepped up her game, looking like the monster she should always play right from the get-go, but Ronda... is bordering on Volk Han levels of incredible.

 

The bumping, the facial expressions, the comebacks. She is just perfect and does little things that many other more experienced people don't do. This was almost 10 minutes long and it was a complete blast.

 

Bliss interferes in the match, cashing in the MitB contract. While it does keep both Nia and Rousey looking like two incredibly strong wrestlers and it does keep the mistery intact (Nia didn't tap to RR and Rousey wasn't beaten), Alexa being the focus of the Women's Division almost as much as Charlotte (who also was pushed way too strong) is... iffy.

 

With that said, fucking masterpiece. Not even Coach's all time bad commentary hurts this.

[Boss Rock]

Ronda is a natural. Her selling and facial expressions are phenomenal. The moment as Ronda is peeling Nia's fingers apart for the armbar was great stuff. Not thrilled about the ending, though.

[SmartMark15]

It's insane to think that Ronda is THIS good on only her second pay-per-view outing. This was a world class performance not just for someone transitioning from a different sport but from any professional wrestler. That lady is clearly putting the work in. I mean, just look at the the bumps she was willing to take for Nia. That's insane.

 

Nia really brought the heat and offense on this too, really upping the pace to make the limited time they had feel as action packed as possible. Also, while Coach gave one of the worst commentary moments of his life, Ronda put on a brilliant sell job of a bear hug. She was ACTIVELY trying to escape the hold even as she sold its effects. Just brilliant.

 

****1/4

[Childs]

The beauty of Ronda's performance was she didn't allow herself a passive second. Every movement and every expression put over the struggle and drama of the match. Her work in the bear hug was next-level shit. And that's on top of her coordination and explosiveness. I'm eager to see where this goes.

 

Don't want to shortchange Nia either. She was very good in the hoss role.

[G. Badger]

This match was absolute perfection. Not only Nia really stepped up her game, looking like the monster she should always play right from the get-go, but Ronda... is bordering on Volk Han levels of incredible.

 

Man, where's Shodate when ya need him?

[nivvad]

I'd say the jury is still out on whether or not I think Ronda is a great wrestler, but I can't deny this was a great performance. Sure her matches are booked in a way to only show off her strengths, but I can't complain too much about that. Her bumping was great, and her come back was even better. Nia was actually pretty good here too! The finish is meh to me, but hopefully we get to see Ronda on the mat again soon, ***3/4.

[cactus]

Much better than it had any right to be. Ronda is still going to be a bit green, and Jax is going to be well... a bit shit. Ronda looks to be in her element and Jax works her arse off to make this work. No time is wasted as Jax rushes Rousey. Jax looks like a total monster and it's her best performance to date. Ronda actively trying to escape Jax's bearhug was one of those touches that makes this make next-tier level brilliant. Rousey intensely hulks up and laid a gruesome knee to the face of Jax. The screwy finish leaves room for another Rousey/Jax match and a Bliss/Rousey match that could headline a major PPV. ★★★¾

[Matt D]

It's honestly shocking to me that they're not just having Rousey steamroll everyone. Instead, they're protecting her and everyone else on the roster by portraying her as almost superhuman in one aspect of the game, but actually inexperienced and vulnerable in a lot of others. The commentary was overbearing as always but pointing out the fact she's not used to fighting people twice her size or that she's never taken a powerbomb before really helped things. It's making matches far more compelling than you'd ever expect them to be, because it's not just balanced but it's also telling a story that has rarely been told in these rings at least. Suddenly, a single flying body press means more than twenty dives might in a different match. It even makes some of the physical awkwardness forgivable. I really, really hope that in the eventual Alexa match, they have Alexa cheating left and right and Ronda vulnerable because she's never encountered someone doing that quite in that manner. There are a lot of possibilities if they're willing to really commit in this direction. Also, it's going to go a long way to allow her to be a sympathetic babyface instead of having the crowds turn against her.

[klhare]

Ronda is incredibly natural. Great facials, great selling, great basically everywhere. I worry that she is wrestling too much like a "pro wrestler" and not to what her skillset should be, but otherwise she has been very impressive.

[ShittyLittleBoots]

Everybody likes to throw shit at her, and while some of it is warranted, I do think that Nia low key rules tbh. She has always delivered in the monster role when she has gone against terrific babyfaces such as Bayley, Sasha & Asuka - and here, in her first match vs. Ronda, she delivered quite possibly her best monster performance yet. I wrote "she was on that Vader shit, so to say" the day after it happened, and I still like that line, so LET'S PUT IT HERE AS WELL W/ THE QUOTATION MARKS. And of course: Ronda F'N Rousey! In her first ever singles match she delivers a fabulous scrappy underdog performance w/ her bumping, selling & facial expressions. The Bear Hug spot is still one of the best things in all of wrestling in 2018 - it's such a simple, small thing, but Ronda actively trying to fight her way out of it while Nia squeezes the life outta her was amazing. Absolutely unreal that someone delivers a match & a performance this GREAT in their singles match debut. My personal women's wrestling MOTY. ****1/4

[BruiserBrody]

I thought Ronda was dead on that Samoan drop that looked at first like Rousey took like a pancake flop.

[Ricky Jackson]

Only match I watched from the show. Only one I cared about because Rousey feels real and, even though this is only her second televised match, her matches feel different and more important than anything else. Loved the match. Rousey is great. Having her chase the title is the right call. Can't wait for her next match

[Tim Cooke]

So Rousey is a natural. Her bumping, facial expressions, selling were all fantastic. I wish they went back to the bear hug spot again because that's maybe the second time I have seen a bear hug spot done well (the first being Big Show vs. Eddy Guerrero from 4/15/04 Smackdown).

 

Meltzer named someone recently that he thought was the best rookie ever. Matt Riddle maybe? I can't remember.

 

It's been a while since I watched the Akiyama vs. Kobashi debut match but for her second match ever and first singles match, this was probably better than that.

 

Nia Jax was good. She had a nice Bull Nakano leg drop and played the part well. Would love to see what 1994 Aja Kong vs. 2018 Rousey would look like.

 

And the finish was absolutely fine by me. I'm good with logical funky finishes. I think double count outs could be re utilized today to freshen matches up. The cash in, via DQ, on MITB, with a win, is a pretty unique finish and left a lot of storyline and match possibilities open.

 

****