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CHICAGO — Ronda Rousey was more ready than Nia Jax gave her credit for when it came to the various rules and quirks of WWE-style competition. She was ready for the headbutts, ready for the slams, ready for all of it. But neither woman was ready for a Money in the Bank cash-in, and instead it was Alexa Bliss, not Nia or Ronda, who left WWE Money in the Bank as Raw Women’s Champion just 90 minutes after winning the contract.
Five Feet of Fury’s intrusion was shocking not just for its historical implications — she’s only the third Superstar to cash in their contract the same night as winning it, and the first woman to do so — but because Rousey had managed to claw back from a smothering offensive effort by Jax to finally tee up her dreaded armbar. The Baddest Woman on the Planet was subjected to the full scope of The Irresistible Force’s arsenal; her game plan mainly focused on peppering Jax with strikes where she could and try to maneuver her way into her dreaded signature hold.
That strategy proved easier said than done. Jax had said she challenged Rousey to take her reputation, and The Irresistible Force pulled out all the stops in the effort to expose Rousey as a Superstar who was woefully out of her depth. It seemed, ever so briefly, like she might have been, especially after Jax reversed her first armbar attempt into a gargantuan powerbomb and later incorporated maneuvers like bearhugs and a Samoan Drop.
As the match wore on, however, Rousey began to find her footing and her confidence. The punches landed harder. A judo throw hit its mark. And an armbar over the top rope took enough out of Jax that when Rousey finally got the champion in position for the armbar within the ring, even Nia knew she didn’t have enough left in the tank to counter it. And then, Alexa Bliss struck.
Ms. Money in the Bank, who had won the contract less than two hours prior, attacked from behind, bashing Rousey in the back with the briefcase to earn “Rowdy” Ronda a disqualification win over the champion. However, after Bliss tossed Rousey over the announce table and brutalized Nia’s arm with the briefcase, it became clear what was about to happen: The cash-in was called, a DDT and Twisted Bliss were administered, and Bliss swiftly became a five-time Women’s Champion. And while Rousey stirred by the commentary table and Bliss paraded back up the ramp, Nia was left dejected in the ring, clutching her arm with all the look of someone who realized that Ronda Rousey was ready after all, but she wasn’t.