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WWE Money in the Bank 2016 Predictions and Analysis

WWE Money in the Bank 2016 is certainly an unbalanced card. With three potential match of the year candidates at the top, its undercard is jam packed with repeat matches, tag matches, tag matches where title defences would make more sense and… more tag matches. If ever there was a card to try to promote the strength of WWE tag wrestling this would be it, with four tag matches and 10 tag teams represented. If you do not like tag wrestling, this might not be the card for you.

The attention really comes down to the top three matches, with John Cena facing AJ Styles for the first time ever, a Money in the Bank match full of potential glass ceiling breakers and the main event return of a feud that ended prematurely because of Seth Rollins getting injured and having to vacate the WWE World Heavyweight championship. Re-starting the feud in June feels a little premature for a match that could have been held off until August, but I guess the WWE needed someone fresh to face Roman Reigns. The real intrigue comes down to whether third wheel of the Shield Dean Ambrose can capture the Money in the Bank briefcase and possibly make this The Shield Triple Threat match we have been waiting years for. It’s probably best to keep that until Wrestlemania, but I have a feeling the WWE might want to get it done at Summerslam.

Kick-Off Matches

Tag Team Match
The Lucha Dragons vs. The Dudley Boyz

Winners
Aaron: The Dudley Boyz
Ryan, Josh, Rich: The Lucha Dragons
Who Pins Who
Aaron: Bubba Ray pins Sin Cara
Ryan, Rich: Kalisto pins D-Von
Josh: Kalisto over Bubba Ray
Thoughts by Richard Laconi: The smart money is on the Lucha Dragons winning this win. After Kalisto’s loss of the United States title, the team needs a spark to be a bit more credible. Facing the larger tandem of Bubba and D-Von should give the Dragons something to work from as the tag division will be split over two shows. The Dudleys do not need to win to make them more credible whatsoever. Unless they cheat to win, the Dudleys will put the Dragons over in this match.

Tag Team Match
The Golden Truth vs. Breezango

Winners
Aaron, Josh: Breezango
Ryan, Rich: The Golden Truth
Who Pins Who
Aaron: Fandango pins Goldust
Ryan: Goldust pins Tyler Breeze
Josh: Tyler Breeze over Goldust
Rich: R-Truth over Fandango
Thoughts by Aaron Wrotkowski: I love Breezango. I love everything about it. I love that the WWE finally took notice to two wrestlers with striking similarities and realized they would be much better as a unit. I think there’s some real legs to them, similar to the unfortunately handled Rhodes Scholars. Golden Truth feels more like cobbling two veterans together and hoping for the best. Breezango could get some legs and actually compete for the WWE Tag Team Championship. At least in my mind. Also, give it up for Goldust still going strong.

WWE Money in the Bank 2016

Apollo Crews vs. Sheamus

Winner
Aaron, Josh: Sheamus
Ryan, Rich: Apollo Crews
Thoughts by Ryan Smith: Vince McMahon has been criticized for how he has been utilizing the new NXT talent, and if Apollo Crews loses to Roman Reign’s punching bag, it’ll be very hard to rebuild him. The WWE have already made the mistake of having the young guy lose with Baron Corbin, and unless they plant on stretching this feud until Summer Slam, Crews has to go over.

Dolph Ziggler vs. Baron Corbin

Winner
Aaron: Dolph Ziggler
Ryan, Josh, Rich: Baron Corbin
Is This Their Last Match
Aaron: Nope.
Ryan: God I hope so.
Josh: Yes
Rich: Please
Thoughts by Josh Hendrickson: When these two first met I thought it would be a quick one and done but Corbin Ziggler III is upon us. I think Ziggler has been the quintessential pro in this feud but ultimately he will fall to the lone wolf to move on to someone else and Ziggler will probably fade into the background (for some reason unbeknownst to me.)

Tag Team Match
Charlotte and Dana Brooke vs. Natalya and Becky Lynch

Winners
Aaron, Ryan, Rich: Natalya and Becky Lynch
Josh: Charlotte and Dana Brooke

Who Pins Who
Aaron, Rich: Becky Lynch pins Charlotte
Ryan: Natalya pins Dana Brooke
Josh: Charlotte over Becky Lynch

Thoughts by Ryan Smith: After a strong start, it looks like the Women’s division is reverting back to the way things were before. Despite having a talented group of girls to work with, we get a short tag team match, in which the premature dissension between Brooke and the Women’s Champion may cost them the match.

WWE United States Championship
Titus O’Neil vs. Rusev (c) with Lana

Is Rusev more American than Titus
Aaron: 100%
Ryan: Obviously
Josh: USA USA USA… clearly Titus.
Rich: Yes
Winner
Aaron, Ryan, Josh: Rusev
Rich: Titus O’Neil (by DQ)
Thoughts by Aaron Wrotkowski: Rusev is one of the only reasons I still pay attention to the WWE and while I feel he’d be the perfect heel foil against Roman Reigns, they got him owning the United States championship. I’m a little disappointed, but it’s still a great place for him. Unfortunately, all the WWE knows how to do when it comes to booking anyone against Rusev is try to make them jingoistic as fuck. Rusev has now started combating that by imitating American patriotism and doing a better job than guys like Titus O’Neil. Sorry Titus, but the magic is gone with you until WWE thinks of something better than you doing a lame Jack Swagger impression.

WWE Tag Team Championship
Fatal Four Way Match
Gallows and Anderson vs. Enzo and Big Cass vs. The Vaudevillains vs. The New Day (c)

Winners
Aaron, Ryan: Gallows and Anderson
Josh, Rich: New Day
Who Pins Who
Aaron, Ryan: Luke Gallows pins Simon Gotch
Josh: Kofi Kingston over Luke Gallows
Rich: Xavier Woods over Simon Gotch
Thoughts by Richard Laconi: This is any easy way for the New Day to finally drop the titles, but going into the brand split they are one of the most popular acts on the card. Having held the titles for a long while now, the team that does eventually beat them for the straps should get the rub of a traditional tag match and not a four way title match win. For that reason alone, I do not see a title change here. The Club does not need the title just yet, as they are important with the championships. Enzo and Cass would get a much louder pop climbing the mountain to defeat a heel champion and the Vaudvillians are simply not ready to carry the titles, not until they gain more notoriety,

Money in the Bank Ladder Match
Kevin Owens vs. Sami Zayn vs. Cesaro vs. Chris Jericho vs. Dean Ambrose vs. Alberto Del Rio

Winner
Aaron, Ryan, Rich: Kevin Owens
Josh: Dean Ambrose
Thoughts by Josh Hendrickson: Time and time again Dean Ambrose had had his fingers in that brass ring only to have it abruptly and unjustly taken away. Money in the Bank against Seth, Royal Rumble, Roadblock and the list goes on and on. His fellow shield brethren have tasted great success and it is finally time for WWE to give that same respect and backing to a consistent fan favorite in Ambrose. His MITB run will be one of the best in the history of the concept! The squared circle become the ambrose asylum tonight.

John Cena vs. AJ Styles

Winner
Aaron, Ryan, Rich: AJ Styles
Josh: John Cena (by DQ)
Thoughts by Ryan Smith: AJ Styles has yet to convincingly win a feud with the WWE. Sure, he beat Chris Jericho on Raw to become the number one contender, but only after he lost to Jericho at WrestleMania. His feud with Reigns was entertaining, but Styles never looked like he had a chance. The trending joke is that Styles will win the first match, and then lose to Cena in the following pay per views. It’s a funny joke, but it’s also not wrong.

WWE Money in the Bank 2016 Main Event
WWE World Heavyweight Championship

Seth Rollins vs. Roman Reigns (c)

Winner
Aaron: Seth Rollins
Ryan, Josh: Roman Reigns
Rich: No Contest
Does the Money in the Bank winner Cash-In
Aaron, Ryan, Josh, Rich: No
Thoughts by Richard Laconi: This match will end in controversy, but I do not believe that it will involve a cash-in. The men can wrestle to a no-contest, pushing the feud to next month and eventually including Ambrose as part of a triple threat for the title at Summerslam, a match that the WWE has been building towards since Rollins turned on his brethren. With both men having something to prove, this could be the match of the night, especially if it goes on after Cena/AJ. Nobody in the company has wetter hair than these two and they are going to make sure everyone knows it.

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