Credit: WWE.com
The results of WWE's Money in the Bank 2014 pay-per-view are in, so it's time for us to look back on the evening and break down the highlights and low points that made the event what it was.
This year, the regular setup for the Money in the Bank event was thrown out the window. Rather than having two title defenses and two briefcase-related Ladder matches, WWE found itself with a single vacated title.
While still booking around the concept of two Ladder matches, the stakes were altered to a degree which some would say was even greater than before.
The audience was essentially guaranteed a new WWE World Heavyweight champion and a new permanent top contender for that same title in this event.
Did the events that transpired forecast a bright and interesting future for the WWE Universe, or was the PPV a disaster that spells certain doom?
Which matches were fun and entertaining, and which ones fell flat?
Let's break down the positives and negatives of the night, presented to you in order of appearance.
Credit: WWE.com
All signs seemed to point to The Wyatt Family taking home the tag team titles, but this did not end up happening.
Some people may be disappointed at the result if they are fans of Luke Harper and Erick Rowan, but the crowd was eating the match up.
Who could blame them?
This was a perfect opener to warm the crowd up without going straight into a Money in the Bank Ladder match. Both teams looked strong, and there was a quick enough pace to avoid having any kind of lulls in the action.
The shock of the victory would not be enough to put it on this list. However, seeing that the match leading up to that outcome was highly entertaining, these four men definitely deserve to be classified as a highlight.
Credit: WWE.com
It almost goes without saying that a Divas Championship match at a pay-per-view is a low point.
Thankfully, the many fans who were expecting this to be the case were proven wrong.
There were some great high-flying maneuvers from Naomi, who has rarely been able to showcase her athleticism. Paige had her fair share of comebacks and impressive moves as well and has finally started to look like a legitimate champion.
Both women go against the grain of models who know nothing about wrestling, as they have proven here that they can hold their own in crafting an actual match.
For all those defenders of the Divas division who claim the only problem is a lack of allotted time, this showcased that the right women can perform admirably in spots of any length.
The issue is with actual wrestling talent, and both Paige and Naomi definitely have that.
Credit: WWE.com
Last year, Damien Sandow was winning a Money in the Bank briefcase and convincing the WWE Universe that he would become a future World Heavyweight champion.
This year he has been relegated to a comedic jobber who dresses up like historical figures.
While some may find it entertaining, it's disappointing to see someone who undoubtedly has more to offer do something like this.
Losing in general can be problematic, but when you're made to look like an afterthought with which WWE's creative team couldn't be bothered, too, it just illustrates that you've hit a low point in your career.
Credit: WWE.com
From start to finish, the Ladder match to determine the new Mr. Money in the Bank was action-packed and just pure fun.
Quite literally speaking, everybody involved had several opportunities to look like stars.
As expected, people like Kofi Kingston and Dolph Ziggler made it a point to keep the energy up with some nice spots peppered throughout.
Others such as Rob Van Dam looked better than they have in ages.
The story of Dean Ambrose seeking vengeance and Seth Rollins being a tool of The Authority was woven in several times but never made the other competitors look like background players.
In particular, the end of the match had fans really pumped for Ambrose to win. Seeing it all crumble in front of them gave the audience the perfect reason to boo Rollins as he took the case.
Credit: WWE.com
For as good as the Divas Championship match was at defying the odds and proving detractors wrong, this match did the total opposite.
Nearly every criticism that women's wrestling receives was showcased in this match.
The crowd clearly wasn't into it and even chose to chant for CM Punk rather than pay attention.
It was sloppy and built as a bathroom break before the main event.
The commentators couldn't resist in making fun of it and facetiously made comments about the match after it had concluded.
Can you blame them?
Credit: WWE.com
Although the Ladder match for the briefcase title shot will probably be the fan favorite of the night, as it had more enthusiasm behind it, this one was no slouch either.
Several times it appeared as though WWE would go with someone fresh like Cesaro or Roman Reigns as champion.
Once more, even the less important wrestlers like Sheamus and Alberto Del Rio were still given some time to shine.
Roman Reigns was a standout in this match and may have silenced some critics who feel he is not yet ready for a main event spot.
While you may not like the results, the WWE Universe has a new world champion in John Cena, and fans should at least be hopeful that good things will come out of it in the future.
What were your favorite and least favorite moments from the event?
Tell us in the comments below!
Anthony Mango is the owner-operator of the wrestling website Smark Out Moment as well as the host of its podcast show Smack Talk on YouTube, iTunes and Stitcher. You can follow him on Facebook and elsewhere for more.
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