Carmella definitively earned the title of “Ms. Money in the Bank.” The match was held a couple of weeks ago after a controversial finish at the Money in the Bank pay-per-view saw James Ellsworth – indeed, not one of the five participants in the match – grab the briefcase and drop it to Carmella.
The Internet was in an uproar after the event, and the WWE wisely used it to tell a story. Daniel Bryan eventually overruled the decision and set up the rematch that we saw that Tuesday night. Both were above average matches, but the consistency of having Carmella walk away with the briefcase was the right call to make. I can certainly understand the issues many had with the first match, but it did lead to the women’s division essentially taking hold of Smackdown Live. It was the main segment for two weeks in a row. The second show concluded with Carmella climbing the ladder and retrieving the briefcase herself. So, it seems this case is closed.
Moving forward, Carmella will emerge as one of the blue brand’s top heels.
First of all, can we all just take a moment to say THANK YOU WWE for finally editing Carmella’s entrance music?! My goodness, they timed the original cut horribly. It led to an awkward entrance and near-dead audience reactions. Thankfully, they’ve ripped a few seconds out.
Second, she’s obviously athletic. But, she didn’t exactly debut on the main roster with the best reputation for putting on stellar matches (though the stuff with Bayley was awesome). That’s changed. Carmella has shown visible improvement both as a wrestler and as a character over the course of the last year. She’s at a point where she can become a focal point of the division.
She has her own stooge in Ellsworth. “The Chinless Wonder” provides a certain depth and dynamic to Carmella the same way a traditional heel manager would. So, her developed skills and association with a lackey combine to form a certain sort of heel credibility. She can win matches in a number of ways, including a dastardly heelish way, or a credible pinfall victory.
The overall depth of the division is something to consider as well. Simply put, the numbers aren’t there. For the better part of the last year, we’ve seen the division built around just four to six women tops. As time passes, the WWE is eventually going to be recycling feuds.
They could’ve gone with Charlotte Flair, Becky Lynch, or Natalya, but those ladies are already established stars. They elected to create a new star in Carmella. It was simply the right call to make for the sake of the future of the division.
This act has a high ceiling, as Carmella has shown a lot of potential as a heel. The sky’s the limit, and I, for one, can’t wait to watch the journey.
Stoney Keeley is the editor of The SoBros Network and covers the WWE for WrestlingNews.co. Follow on Twitter @StoneyKeeley, @WrestlingNewsCo
