Carmella Wins WWE Money in the Bank 2017 Women's Ladder Match

Carmella won the first-ever women's Money in the Bank ladder match at Sunday's Money in the Bank pay-per-view to earn a SmackDown Women's Championship match at a time of her choosing.

WWE captured Carmella's reaction:

The match wasn't without controversy, as James Ellsworth was the one to climb the ladder and ensure Carmella received the briefcase:

SmackDown Live general manager Daniel Bryan and Commissioner Shane McMahon were quick to provide their thoughts on Twitter:

Charlotte Flair, Natalya, Becky Lynch and Tamina all sounded off after the match, while Ellsworth celebrated and Carmella explained why she deserved to win:

As expected, the reaction on social media was mixed:

McMahon announced the revolutionary match a couple of weeks ago when what was supposed to be a Fatal 5-Way for the No. 1 contendership between Charlotte, Lynch, Carmella, Natalya and Tamina devolved into chaos.

Before the referee could signal for the bell, the five Superstars engaged in a massive brawl that saw Charlotte execute a moonsault and then powerbomb Nattie through the announce table.

Shane-O-Mac was impressed with the aggressiveness and decided to give them an opportunity that has long been discussed and hoped for by the WWE Universe.

All five combatants appeared on Talking Smack following the announcement, and Tamina expressed her belief that it was a long time coming, according to WWE Network:

With women's wrestling entering the spotlight more so than ever before in WWE over the past few years, these types of firsts have become commonplace.

Charlotte and Sasha Banks had the first-ever Iron Man match, Hell in a Cell match and pay-per-view main event match between women on the main roster as part of Raw.

SmackDown has lagged behind a bit in terms of breaking down barriers for the women, but Sunday's ladder match was a step in the right direction, Ellsworth controversy notwithstanding.

In addition to what the match means when it comes to advancing women's wrestling, it is significant from the perspective of providing the SmackDown women's division with a fresh and intriguing storyline.

Things are always a bit more interesting when a potential Money in the Bank cash-in is looming, and that is something current titleholder Naomi must now be aware of.

Since joining forces with Ellsworth, Carmella has essentially been relegated to a heel comedy act, but hidden among that is the fact that she is a talented performer, especially from a promo perspective.

With Naomi as champion, a strong heel rival is ideal, and Carmella could develop into precisely that if she is handled correctly in the wake of her big win.

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