WWE Money in the Bank 2016 Preview and Predictions

    • WWE Money in the Bank 2016 Preview and Predictions

      Ladders and dream matches.

      Giving their thoughts and predictions on what to expect from the PPV are members of the site @JoeyOnEarth, @TimWelcomed and @TomBlargh.

       

      The Lucha Dragons vs. The Dudley Boyz on the kick off show

       

      The Golden Truth vs. Breezedango on the kick off show

       

      Baron Corbin vs. Dolph Ziggler

      Joey:

      These two have the most boring matches and it’s still going on for some reason. Dolph Ziggler is the most aggressively uninteresting personality in the business today. Baron Corbin is extremely lucky the brand split is coming or he would be in trouble. I’d love to not meet anyone out there in the world excited to watch this one.

      Interest Level: 0/10
      Prediction: Ron Swanson’s favorite wrestler wins.

      Tim:

      Are we on the third month of this now? Is that it? It feels like it’s been going on for years. “The Big Breakfast” Baron Corbin had a promising main roster debut at Wrestlemania by winning the prestigious Andre The Giant Memorial Battle Royal. Okay, maybe that wasn’t a huge deal but it showed that maybe they wanted to get behind him immediately. Instead they throw him to the black hole of irrelevance known as Dolph Ziggler and decide to not let it ever end. Get this over with please!

      Interest Level: BIG FAT ZERO/10
      Prediction: Baron Corbin wins and can hopefully rebound from this huge mistake.

      Tom:

      FUCKING ZIGGLER MAN. Hopefully Breakfast kicks his ballbag literally off and yells “YOU GOT SWERVED… BITCH” so we can put this to rest while also kicking off a fantastic new season of the WWE Network’s hit hidden camera show.

      Interest Level: 2/10
      Prediction: Corbs finally escapes the Ziggler black hole to do something interesting on the main roster.

      Sheamus vs. Apollo Crews

      Joey:

      I am looking forward to this!!! God bless the good people that make Breaking Ground and the not so great people that make Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles movies. Apollo Crews may be my favorite person featured on Breaking Ground and I love watching him wrestle. Sheamus has a dull presence but he’s always pretty good in the ring. I think this is the best spot for him on the card but how about WWE keeping him off TV and making him work the dark match during the weekend of his #1 hit movie appearance?

      The match WILL deliver. I will be pleasantly surprised if Apollo gets the win but I think Sheamus is the victor here.

      Interest Level: 9/10
      Prediction: Sheamus wins.

      Tim:

      This match should be fine, I guess. It seems like Crews got thrown on to the main roster without much of a plan so this is way better than him fading to the background. He needs a good showing because that unfortunate Jericho match still comes to mind when I think of him post-NXT and I know he’s better than that. Sheamus is a good hand when it comes to ring work so this should do the trick. I figure Sheamus will win but hopefully they can get Crews a big win sometime soon.

      Interest Level: 5/10
      Prediction: Sheamus wins.

      Tom:

      Weird. So weird. I feel very bad for old Crewsy, his main roster debut felt rushed and it hasn’t really done him any favours. That one match with Jericho was absolutely hideous and even though a feud with WWE’s newest crossover star Sheamus has some potential, it still feels like an uphill battle.

      Speaking of Sheamus, he was fairly excellent in that new Turtles film, and by “excellent”, I don’t mean he was good at acting or anything like that but it was always fun and surreal to see him onscreen and sometimes that’s enough.

      Interest Level: 4/10
      Prediction: Crewsy wins but gets beaten up a bit after.

       

      Rusev vs. Titus O’Neil for the United States Championship

      Joey:

      I have nothing against Titus O’Neil. He’s okay. I guess. Maybe. I’m all in on Rusev again now that he’s back with Lana and has ditched the League of Jaybrones (that’s Konnan slang for jabronie) so hopefully it’s a solid match to add to the title reign.

      Interest Level: 4/10
      Prediction: Rusev wins.

      Tim:

      I’m so into Rusev. I’m glad he is in a place to be exciting again. This feud kind of just seems like filler which isn’t necessarily a bad thing. Titus O’Neil gets a laugh out of me here and there but I don’t care for him a whole lot. If we get a fierce version of O’Neil here it could have some entertaining big man versus big man action. Two big pieces of meat just slapping together. I’m just not that interested in these two going at it though.

      Interest Level: 4/10
      Prediction: Rusev wins.

      Tom:

      What a strange undercard this show has. I don’t particularly like Titus O’Neil as a wrestler or as a personality and I don’t think he’ll be a great fit for Rusev. NEXT.

      Interest Level: 2/10
      Prediction: Rusev wins.

      Charlotte and Dana Brooke vs. Becky Lynch and Natalya

      Joey:

      The only way this match could be any more boring is if Becky Lynch was replaced with Paige. Dana Brooke is the definition of average. Anyone better than her should be classified as good. Anyone worse than her should be classified as bad. Charlotte is a paper champion. I’m falling asleep trying to think of a sentence to describe Natalya. Give me Sasha Banks vs. Summer Rae and send this tag match to the B-house shows.

      Interest Level: 0/10
      Prediction: NO

      Tim:

      That whole women’s revolution thing really went places. Now we have longer matches that are supremely boring or just plain bad. Highlighting Natalya and Charlotte this long has been a huge misstep and I absolutely hate it. I like Dana Brooke but I still don’t feel like she was ready for the main roster. This storyline has been awful and kind of all over the place here and there. No thanks. I’m two interest level points in on Becky Lynch though. She’s great!

      Interest Level: 2/10
      Prediction: Who cares?

      Tom:

      WELCOME TO MONDAY NIGHT RAW. I went into this preview thinking maybe this show could be top-to-bottom amazing, but it’s really just the top few matches that are showing any potential.

      Dana Brooke is a strange one. I think she’s good and has plenty of potential but there are things she’s been doing on the main roster that just seem very off. Like, she’ll yell at a weird moment or be weirdly positioned on camera or whatever, and it just makes me think a while longer in NXT would have been a good idea. I’m also not sure why Becky Lynch and Natalya would be aligned? Are they keeping Sasha off TV to make it all the more exciting when she finally gets a feud that leads into a Summerslam title match or is there more to it? If you have hot gossip then please don’t bother telling me, I’m not that interested.

      Interest Level: 3/10
      Prediction: Becky and Natalya win.

      The New Day vs. The Vaudevillains vs. The Club vs. Enzo Amore and Big Cass for the WWE Tag Team Championship

      Joey:

      I like most of these teams but I don’t really care about this feud. I’m expecting a PWG match here and I’m not sure that’s what I want from the teams involved. Karl Anderson and Luke Gallows are unbelievably forgettable already. The Vaudevillains are The Ascension if anyone thought The Ascension had a chance in hell on the main roster. Big Cass and Enzo seem a bit off on the main roster but that may be due to lack of matches with Enzo missing time. New Day are always entertaining but reaching that stage where they need some great matches to keep it fresh. I think the match will be good but nothing spectacular.

      Interest Level: 7/10
      Prediction: I’m fearful of a title change but New Day’s long reign can’t end with someone else getting pinned. New Day wins.

      Tim:

      I’m looking forward to this one being a huge mess in the best way possible. Vaudevillains are usually a snore but I’ve enjoyed them as a buzz kill to the shenanigans of New Day and Enzo and Cass. There’s totally a place for a rebel-type duo like Anderson and Gallows on the WWE tag scene even if they’re not my cup of tea but I wish they would have expanded on their characters a bit more before this. I could see either Anderson and Gallows or New Day coming out of this on top. I think The Vaudevillains are probably there to take the pin. I’m fine with a title change at this point. New Day have been amazing but they need a shake-up but I agree with Joey that their long reign should at least come to an end with them being pinned.

      Interest Level: 8/10
      Prediction: Anderson and Gallows win.

      Tom:

      Okay, this could be a good time! There’s still a thrill to seeing Enzo and Cass on big shows and the Vaudevillains are doing better than I assumed they would. New Day could do with having some new lads to tangle with but Anderson and Galows are still tricky to get to grips with as a viewer.

      Like, you remember the Corporate Ministry and how lads like Viscera and Mideon would mostly spend their time standing behind Undertaker and Shane? And they made sense in that context, but seeing them actually have matches felt… off? That’s how it feels watching Gallows and Anderson, they’re still AJ’s big bald mates from Japan and I don’t know much else about them so why are they competing for the tag titles? They’re reasonably fun to watch wrestle, but strange that they’re having PPV matches without really being established as their own entity. I guess that’ll be handled over time, but it’s frustrating at the moment.

      Interest Level: 7/10
      Prediction: The New Day wins.

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

      Joey:

      Here we go.

      I don’t think Cesaro, Sami Zayn or Chris Jericho have a chance at all to win this unless there’s a secondary Smackdown world title with the brand split coming. Dean Ambrose is the favorite with the booking of The Shield triple threat teases but god help me if it happens. I may legitimately throw up. Kevin Owens is the dream here. We (non-scumbags) all want to see him carry around the briefcase and cash-in preferably at Summerslam.

      Call me the bearer of bad news but I think Alberto Del Rio has a legitimate chance to win. We all know Vince McMahon loves him. The brand split means they will need four top heels to fill the two roles on each show towards the top of the card. Seth Rollins, AJ Styles and Kevin Owens are a sure top three but there needs to be another one. I can see the rational behind Del Rio being pushed as a main event heel again with the MITB briefcase.

      (Am I trying to avoid jinxing Kevin Owens? No comment. #AnyoneButAmbrose)

      Interest Level: 10/10
      Prediction: Alberto Del Rio wins.

      Tim:

      YES. Alright, the most exciting prospect here is Kevin Owens. The entertainment value of him causing hijinks as the briefcase holder is high. That is who I want to win. Dean Ambrose getting the win here is also a huge possibility. I don’t care for him. I find him to be a snooze but I can’t deny that a lot fo people want to see him get a title shot and a lot of people want the much talked about Shield 3 Way. H doesn’t really need the briefcase to get there but OH WELL. Alberto Del Rio winning is a big snooze. Jericho? Snoozeville. Cesaro? Would be incredible but not going to happen. Sami Zayn winning could lead to a lot of fun and interesting feel-good story beats but I think we can all hang up the prospect of him winning too, unfortunately.I’m sticking with the Kevin Owens prediction. He’s the perfect agent of chaos. Maybe Rollins will come out and cost Ambrose the win? Maybe Reigns? He’s not either a good guy or a bad guy (did you know that?) and maybe he is angry Ambrose did a move on him. By the way, that seemed very out of character for Ambrose to me. What a dumb thing.

      Interest Level: 10/10
      Prediction: Kevin Owens wins.

      Tom:

      FUCK YES. Now we’re in the good stuff. I’m not going to indulge any conversation re: Ambrose winning, because that’s just a hideous prospect. Likewise for Berty and Jericho, I don’t need that kind of negative energy in my life.

      Cesaro winning would be… sort of cool? Though his position in the company seems so strange that I wouldn’t have any faith in him getting a fair shake of things. Owens winning the briefcase just feels right. For one, he’s a wrestler that looks right when he’s got a title or something to parade around with – he’ll use it as something to add another dimension to his character, as opposed to just a prop he drags around.

      However, part of me hopes that Sami wins the briefcase on the night, because I think that’d be an electric moment… only for him to lose it to KO at some point down the lines. I’m not sure what possible motivation Sami would have to put the briefcase on the line, but anything to progress the story of Owens/Zayn and keep it bubbling would be a lot of fun.

      Interest Level: 10/10
      Prediction: Kevin Owens wins (or Sami Zayn wins, only for KO to win off him at a later date).

      John Cena vs. AJ Styles

      Joey:

      This is definitely a dream match and I can’t imagine it being anything but a classic. John Cena’s first match back may provide some fear he’s rusty but the dude is such money in these big matches against talented stars. There’s nothing as trustworthy in wrestling as Cena vs. indie wrestling legend. AJ Styles at his best is better than anyone else at their best right now. I will be shocked if it’s not a “Match of the Year” candidate.

      Interest Level: 10/10
      Prediction: AJ Styles wins.

      Tim:

      Heel AJ Styles is a corny mess. I’m looking forward to this match more than anything on the card but I really wish they wouldn’t have turned him heel even if the initial turn was done well. The build-up has been kind of lame with Cena just trying to work “bullet” into everything and Styles trying to sound like a convincing bad guy. This is a dream match. It was the first match I thought of when AJ Styles signed with WWE. It’s a match-up that’s been on everyone’s minds for years upon years. I just don’t think it needed a heel vs “face” dynamic but whatever, we are here and we are getting this match. I can’t even imagine this being anything below great. Cena always steps up for incredible wrestlers and there isn’t a wrestler more incredible than AJ Styles anywhere in the world right now. AJ Styles needs  PPV win. He has come out on the losing end of every feud he’s had since joining the company. This would be a huge boost for him BUT… I don’t think he’s going to get it. There are way more interesting stories to be told if Cena loses but I’m thinking they build him up nonstop until he gets to face off with Roman Reigns. The brand split could kind of ruin that idea but we shall see. I’d much rather we see Cena lose and have to deal with the idea that maybe his time is up.

      Interest Level: 10/10
      Prediction: John Cena wins.

      Tom:

      Wonderful stuff. I’m not sure if heel AJ is going to be a great move in the long run, but it’s a little more interesting for this match to have a rivalry that runs a little deeper than two veterans who just respect the bloody hell out of each other. AJ’s matches with Roman were incredible so I’m hoping this’ll be even better.

      Interest Level: 10/10
      Prediction: AJ Styles wins.

      Roman Reigns vs. Seth Rollins for the WWE World Championship

      Joey:

      I badly wanted this match at Summerslam live but I’m excited to see it here. This is the first time both men will meet while legitimate top tier stars. You can argue this is the future of WWE as the top two stars and I’ll be shocked if they don’t main event at least one WrestleMania against each other. I’m so pumped to see Seth Rollins’ first match back and Roman Reigns has been spectacular in the ring following WrestleMania.

      However, Reigns is still the most unlikable jerk on television. His big promo on the go-home show was literally saying “The Big Dog walks in as champ and walks out as champ.” What kind of a clown would ever say something like that?!?!!?!! 😉

      There definitely won’t be a title change here unless the world is evil and Dean Ambrose wins MITB to cash in. I think there’s an inconclusive finish with a DQ or some sort of shenanigans.

      Interest Level: 10/10
      Prediction: Seth Rollins wins by DQ.

      Tim:

      I’m excited to see Seth Rollins wrestle in a big match again. I’m interested in seeing how Reigns performs in this match. He and Rollins do have some chemistry so I’m sure this will be a good time. This is another match that is exciting but the build to it has been awful. If WWE could put together the pieces it would be a tremendous product. The have the best roster they have ever had but the writing is so poor. There’s no reason this match should not be a million times more interesting than it already is. I think they handled the Rollins return badly and Reigns is purely unlikable. I’m hoping the ending isn’t Jon Stewart-with-a-chair wacky but I’m not holding my breath for too long. Maybe Ambrose just interferes without the briefcase.

      Interest Level: 8/10
      Prediction: Reigns retains the belt.

      Tom:

      I think this should be terrific once it gets started, but I think the build for it has been pretty rubbish. There’s just something a little lukewarm about this match, which is a real shame. However, Reigns has been very strong in PPV matches lately and I’m sure Rollins is of the mindset that he’s got something to prove, so I’ve still got high expectations for this.

      Storyline wise, I’m guessing this will keep spinning until Summerslam… possibly with the addition of Ambrose? If that IS the case, I’m sincerely hoping that doesn’t mean the MITB briefcase gets sacrificed for the sake of the story because I don’t think it’s necessary. Never mind that though, I’m sure this match will be great, even if the finish might be kind of a mess.

      Interest Level: 10/10
      Prediction: Roman Reigns wins in a confusing way.

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