June 17, 2018. Allstate Arena in Rosemont, Illinois. If you were there, you remember the noise. Chicago crowds are notoriously fickle, but for Money in the Bank 2018, the energy was just different. It wasn't just another pay-per-view. It was the night the "Monster in the Bank" was born, and Alexa Bliss proved why she’s one of the most calculated characters to ever step into a ring.
Honestly, looking back at it now, the show was a turning point for several careers.
People forget how massive Braun Strowman was at the time. He wasn't just a big guy; he was a force of nature that the WWE Universe actually wanted to see as champion. Then you had the women’s ladder match, which featured a lineup so deep it felt like a WrestleMania showcase. You had Charlotte Flair, Becky Lynch, Ember Moon, Naomi, Lana, Natalya, Sasha Banks, and of course, Alexa Bliss.
The Chaos of the 2018 Men's Ladder Match
The men's main event was a car wreck in the best way possible. You had eight guys: Braun Strowman, Finn Bálor, The Miz, Rusev, Bobby Roode, Kevin Owens, Kofi Kingston, and Samoa Joe.
The strategy was simple: stop Braun.
It didn’t work. Early on, everyone literally piled ladders on top of Strowman to keep him down. It looked like a construction site gone wrong. But the highlight that everyone still talks about is Kevin Owens. Poor Kevin. He took a giant leap off a massive ladder through a table, courtesy of a Strowman toss. It was one of those "please get up" moments.
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Eventually, Braun just bulldozed through the field. He climbed that ladder like it was a step stool and snatched the briefcase. At that moment, it felt like a Strowman title run was inevitable. We all thought he’d be the one to finally dethrone Brock Lesnar in a way that felt permanent.
Alexa Bliss and the "Five Feet of Fury" Heist
Earlier that night, the women’s Money in the Bank match set a high bar. While the men relied on brute force, the women relied on high-risk spots and incredible timing.
Becky Lynch was inches away. The crowd was ready to explode for her. But Alexa Bliss, playing the ultimate opportunist, tipped the ladder. She climbed up, grabbed the contract, and didn't wait around to celebrate.
She had a plan.
Later that evening, Nia Jax was defending the Raw Women’s Championship against Ronda Rousey. It was Ronda’s first big singles televised match, and she was actually winning. She had Nia in the armbar. The arena was buzzing. Then, out comes Bliss.
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She didn't just tease a cash-in; she committed. She attacked both women with the briefcase, cashed in right then and there, and became the new champion. It was a masterclass in heel booking. It protected Ronda, kept the heat on Nia, and made Alexa the most hated (and respected) person in the building.
What People Get Wrong About the 2018 Card
A lot of fans fixate on the ladder matches, but the rest of the Money in the Bank 2018 card was actually surprisingly dense.
AJ Styles and Shinsuke Nakamura had a Last Man Standing match for the WWE Championship. This was the culmination of a feud that started at WrestleMania 34. While some felt their previous matches lacked that "New Japan" spark, this one finally delivered the grit people wanted. Styles retained, but both men were absolutely spent.
Then you had Seth Rollins versus Elias for the Intercontinental Championship. This was peak "Monday Night Rollins." He was putting on clinics every week, and even Elias looked like a main-event player that night.
But not everything was a home run.
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The Roman Reigns versus Jinder Mahal match? The crowd hated it. Not because of the work—both guys are pros—but because the Chicago fans were tired of the "Big Dog" push at the time. They spent most of the match chanting for CM Punk or playing with beach balls. It’s a stark reminder of how much the landscape has shifted between then and the "Tribal Chief" era we see now.
The Long-Term Fallout
Looking back with 20/20 hindsight, Money in the Bank 2018 had some weird consequences.
Braun Strowman, despite winning the briefcase, had one of the most botched cash-ins in history later that year at Hell in a Cell. It ended in a no-contest because of Brock Lesnar. A no-contest. In a Hell in a Cell match. Fans were furious. It arguably cooled Strowman off so much that he never quite regained that specific 2018 momentum.
On the flip side, Alexa’s win solidified her as a top-tier star. It showed that the briefcase could be used to skip the line and create an immediate champion, rather than just being a prop held for months.
Actionable Insights for Wrestling Historians
If you're revisiting this era of wrestling, there are a few things to keep in mind to really appreciate what happened in 2018:
- Watch the Women’s Ladder Match First: It’s arguably better structured than the men’s match from that same night. The spots involving Ember Moon and Naomi are genuinely innovative.
- Analyze the Ronda Rousey Factor: This show was the blueprint for how WWE handled Ronda—using distractions and "screwjob" finishes to keep her strong while putting the belt on full-time roster members.
- Contrast the Crowd: Watch the Styles vs. Nakamura match versus the Reigns vs. Mahal match. It is a perfect case study in how "work rate" vs. "forced booking" affected crowd psychology in the late 2010s.
- Note the Commentary: Listen to how they hyped Strowman. At the time, he was being positioned as the successor to the "big man" legacy of Undertaker and Kane.
The 2018 edition of this event proved that the briefcase remains the most effective storytelling tool in the WWE kit. It can make a career or, if handled poorly in the months following, stall a giant's momentum.