Kevin Owens has secured the final place in the Men’s Money in the Bank Ladder Match after surviving Cody Rhodes and Johnny Gargano in a wild Triple Threat qualifier on WWE SmackDown.
The closing stretch featured every competitor landing major offense, Candice LeRae becoming involved at ringside, and Randy Orton making a decisive impact when Cody Rhodes appeared to have Owens beaten. Orton pulled the referee from the ring as Rhodes covered Owens following CrossRhodes, denying Rhodes what looked like a match-ending pinfall.
That opening allowed the match to swing again. Rhodes and Orton resumed their physical confrontation outside the ring, while Gargano briefly gained control with a tope suicida and the Final Heartbeat on Owens. But Owens recovered at the crucial moment, driving Gargano back with a big boot before delivering his popup powerbomb. With Orton preventing Rhodes from returning to break up the cover, Owens scored the winning pinfall.
The result places Owens in the Money in the Bank Ladder Match and leaves Rhodes with an especially clear grievance against Orton after the latter directly prevented a potential victory.
For more background on this topic, read MLW Sets Saturday Night SuperFight for November 7, Marking Return to Pay-Per-View.
A Three-Way Fight With No Room for Error
The qualifier was built around the contrasting styles and rivalries of its three participants. Owens brought his familiar blend of power, durability, and opportunistic striking. Rhodes looked to impose a faster, more polished rhythm when he could isolate an opponent. Gargano used movement, counters, and help from LeRae to keep both larger opponents off balance.
Early in the contest, Owens landed a clothesline on Rhodes before Gargano sent Rhodes crashing through the ropes with a spear. The brief opening did not last long, as Gargano found a way to turn the situation in his favor. Using Rhodes as a shield, Gargano lowblowed Owens, an underhanded move that immediately shifted the match’s momentum.
After the action returned from a break, Owens attempted to take control in a more punishing fashion. He set up a table and had Gargano positioned on his shoulders, appearing ready to send him through it. LeRae intervened before Owens could complete the attack, pulling Gargano free and denying Owens a potentially devastating table spot.
LeRae’s presence created another layer of unpredictability in a match that already required each wrestler to monitor two threats at once. In a Triple Threat environment, a single distraction can be enough to end a competitor’s chances. Owens learned that firsthand when Gargano escaped his grasp, while Rhodes also had to contend with LeRae’s attempts to influence the action.
Rhodes and Gargano Raise the Stakes
Rhodes responded with a burst of offense that showed why he remained dangerous throughout the match. He landed multiple jabs and followed with a bionic elbow on Owens, seeking to build momentum against the powerhouse. Owens halted that run by suplexing Gargano, but Gargano soon transitioned into the Gargano Escape on Owens.
Rhodes broke up the submission, unwilling to let Gargano force a tap-out or claim the victory without being involved. He then dropped Gargano onto Owens, using both rivals against one another in a smart three-way counter. Rhodes’ urgency was apparent: he was not simply trying to survive the qualifier, but trying to seize the decision before either Owens or Gargano could do the same.
LeRae again inserted herself into the contest by holding Rhodes against the ropes. Rhodes was still able to strike back, landing a big boot on Gargano. The impact sent Gargano into LeRae’s path, and LeRae bounced off the table at ringside. Rhodes then sent Gargano through the table, escalating the physical toll of the qualifier and momentarily removing Gargano from the immediate fight.
For Rhodes, the table crash appeared to create a promising path to victory. Yet Owens was still active, and the match continued to turn with extraordinary speed. Gargano and Owens fought on the top rope before Owens delivered a superplex, flattening Gargano and demonstrating the force that makes Owens such a difficult opponent to overcome in multi-person matches.
Near Falls Define a Chaotic Closing Sequence
The final stretch was packed with momentum changes. Owens headed back to the ropes, only for Rhodes to meet him there. Gargano then joined the exchange and powerbombed Rhodes, preventing Rhodes from capitalizing on Owens’ position. Owens later connected with a Swanton on Rhodes, but Gargano broke up the pin before Owens could secure the decision.
Gargano immediately followed with a Superkick on Owens, only for Rhodes to answer with a cutter on Gargano. Owens then hit Gargano with a Stunner. Rhodes, recognizing the danger, broke up Owens’ ensuing pin attempt. The match had become a sequence of split-second saves, with every wrestler needing to interrupt a pinfall, survive a finishing maneuver, or create just enough separation to strike.
Rhodes and Owens traded blows as the battle narrowed toward its conclusion. Owens attempted another Stunner, but Rhodes blocked it and reversed the attempt into CrossRhodes. With Owens down, Rhodes made the cover and appeared to have the qualifier won.
That was when Orton made his presence felt.
Orton pulled the referee out of the ring as Rhodes had Owens covered, stopping what could have been the match-winning count.
Orton’s interference changed the direction of the match at the exact moment Rhodes seemed closest to earning the final Money in the Bank berth. Rather than celebrating a hard-fought victory, Rhodes was forced to deal with Orton at ringside. Orton sent Rhodes into the steps, intensifying their issue and ensuring that the Triple Threat qualifier became about more than the three official participants.
Rhodes did not simply absorb the attack. He fought back, bouncing Orton off the announce desk and then the ringpost. But the time spent dealing with Orton gave Gargano and Owens another opportunity to recover, and that proved costly for Rhodes.
Owens Takes Advantage of Orton’s Interference
As Rhodes tried to return his attention to the match, Gargano launched himself with a tope suicida. Gargano then connected with the Final Heartbeat on Owens, creating another believable finish and putting himself within reach of the Money in the Bank Ladder Match.
Owens, however, found one final response. He caught Gargano with a big boot and followed with the popup powerbomb. Rhodes was in position to potentially stop the pinfall, but Orton kept him from getting back into the ring. That left Gargano without anyone to interrupt the count, and Owens earned the three-count.
The victory gives Owens a major opportunity in the upcoming Men’s Money in the Bank Ladder Match. A place in that match carries obvious stakes: the winner leaves with a Money in the Bank contract and a future championship opportunity. Owens now enters that environment after proving he can withstand sustained punishment, navigate outside interference, and capitalize when his opponents are unable to stop him.
Still, Owens’ win will likely be viewed through the lens of Orton’s involvement. Owens did not call for Orton to pull the referee away from Rhodes, but he undeniably benefited from it. Rhodes had Owens down after CrossRhodes, and the referee’s removal prevented the match from ending there. Later, Orton’s decision to keep Rhodes away from the ring ensured that Owens’ popup powerbomb on Gargano was enough to finish the contest.
For Rhodes, the loss is particularly frustrating because he was repeatedly within striking distance of winning. He broke up submissions and pinfalls, survived Gargano’s attacks, countered Owens’ Stunner attempt, and delivered CrossRhodes before Orton interrupted the count. His performance showed that he could hang with both Owens and Gargano, but Orton’s actions denied him the final outcome.
Gargano also came close on several occasions. With LeRae backing him at ringside, he used every opening available, applied the Gargano Escape, landed a Superkick, broke up Owens’ Swanton pin, and connected with the Final Heartbeat late in the contest. Yet even after weathering the table crash and returning to the fight, Gargano could not avoid Owens’ final big boot and popup powerbomb combination.
Money in the Bank Field Is Now Complete
Owens’ victory completes the Men’s Money in the Bank Ladder Match lineup. He enters the match with significant experience in high-pressure WWE situations and with the kind of toughness needed for a contest defined by ladders, collisions, and constant danger from multiple opponents.
The qualifier also leaves unresolved business on SmackDown. Rhodes has every reason to focus on Orton after an interference that directly cost him a chance to qualify. Orton did not merely distract Rhodes; he stopped a referee’s count on a potential winning pinfall and later prevented Rhodes from breaking up Owens’ decisive cover.
Owens, meanwhile, can move forward with the knowledge that he overcame two elite opponents to earn his place. The route was chaotic, physical, and affected by ringside interference, but the official result stands: Kevin Owens is the final man qualified for the Men’s Money in the Bank Ladder Match.
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Darryl Polo
Darryl Polo is a passionate wrestling fan covering WWE, AEW, TNA and beyond. He loves great rivalries, breakout stars and the moments that keep fans talking long after the bell. How we work.