This is the first PPV Predictions blog I've done since Fast Lane in February, since then, the landscape surrounding WWE has changed radically. While WWE themselves have repeated 'new era' ad nauseam, the physical evidence of this shift is profoundly correct. Long time draws such as Big Show, Kane and Mark Henry are off television, the matches are wholly entertaining across the board, the PPV product has been consistent throughout the year thus far, talent brought up from NXT are staples in their line-up, and wrestlers from other promotions around the world are starting to prove their staying power in a sea of talent the likes of which WWE hasn't seen since the heyday of the Ruthless Aggression era of the early 2000's.
That's all good news.
With the transition of Smackdown to a live product next month, and a brand split to come alongside it, this will be the last PPV event before these seismic events change the landscape of the company further. As a result, it will be a great barometer to judge what direction WWE will take going forward. Will the 'new order' continue to rise up the ladder, or will the members of the 'old guard' who have stuck around still be firmly rooted in their places? When Michael Cole stated that Money In The Bank 2016 has the potential to be one of the best PPV in the history of the event, based on the card, potential results and match quality as well as the implications for the future; he may be right. Lets hope the event tomorrow can deliver on what promise it has.
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Golden Truth VS Breezango (PRE-SHOW)
This feud is terrible. I don't need to say any more than that. I believe Golden Truth will win, because they've been outwitted by their opponents in the past. Makes sense. Now, lets move on. Just let this madness end.
PREDICTION: Golden Truth
The Lucha Dragons VS The Dudley Boyz (PRE-SHOW)
PREDICTION: The Dudley Boyz.
Dolph Ziggler VS Baron Corbin
If there's one thing I hate in pro wrestling, it is prolonging something that has outstayed its welcome. The feud between Dolph Ziggler and Baron Corbin should have ended by now, with Corbin laying waste to the former World Champion and continuing his rise up to mid card title success. Alas, this hasn't been the case and it has been drawn out for the longest time. Thanks to being placed on the pre-show for two PPV's in a row, with minimal progression on RAW, the feud has withered and become more stale than a twelve day old loaf of sourdough. Its time for WWE to take this feud behind the shed to be shot, but not before doing the thing that should have been done in the first place: make Baron Corbin look like a monster.
When Corbin first appeared after his Andre The Giant Memorial Battle Royale win, he mauled Ziggler and decimated all competition that stood in his way. He was made to look like a big deal, a man who could come in from any direction and give a beating that the name 'The Lone Wolf' could live up to. Thanks to Ziggler getting the win on the Payback pre-show for no apparent reason, that momentum faded quicker than Oscar Pistorius' free will. Even with a clever low-blow inspired victory in their tepid Extreme Rules pre-show No DQ Match, Corbin hasn't been able to replicate what made his post-WrestleMania RAW debut so domineering and impressive. Hopefully, this final pre-show encounter will look to see Corbin exact any bloodlust he has left and leave Ziggler broken. I fully expect to see the new blood get one over on the veteran. Whether this will be Ziggler's last hurrah before his contract expires we won't know for months to come, but if it is, at least he would have put someone over on his way out.
PREDICTION: Baron Corbin.
Apollo Crews VS Sheamus
Apollo Crews is, much like Baron Corbin, an NXT talent brought up WAY too soon. While his initial matches post-WrestleMania were fun little romps that showed off how athletic the man formerly known as Uhaa Nation was, his disappearance from television for no noticeable reason was worrying. His sudden return was even more bemusing, but thankfully this feud with Sheamus while shallow and lacking any real prominence, gives us a real chance to see whether this highly acclaimed indy darling has come of age and deserves his place on the main roster against a worthy opponent who contrasts with him in terms of pace and power.
With Sheamus believing that this 'new era' is a load of bull , it seems right for Crews to show to the Celtic Warrior exactly what he's made of. While I expect Crews to be beaten down most of the match, he will get the inevitable victory. While Sheamus is the product of more recent times, he's been in the company for close to 10 years, having achieved everything there is to achieve outside of winning a tag team title. Much like Ziggler, its time for Sheamus to help the others find their place and establish them as serious contenders. Lets hope he can do the job while showing his value.
PREDICTION: Apollo Crews.
UNITED STATES CHAMPIONSHIP MATCH: Rusev (c) VS Titus O'Neil
I am a fan of Titus O'Neil, I'm not going to hide away from it. To see him fighting for the United States Championship is a showing of WWE's belief in a talent who has the potential for great things, even at the ripe age of 39. If he hadn't been suspended for stupid reasons, he would've won the Andre The Giant Memorial Battle Royal, I'm certain of it. While I am happy he's getting a title shot after showing his promise earlier on in the year, I'm afraid that it comes at a time where it doesn't look to benefit him in any way. For Rusev, this is a match to cement himself back into a role he dominated from in 2014.
The feud dynamics are typical, one represents America, while the other (a foreigner) badmouths and slanders the 'Land Of The Free'. It's the standard set-up for every feud since Rusev came into the company from NXT two years ago and in WWE's mind, if it ain't broke, why fix it? Well, for viewers and fans alike, this approach for Rusev's feuds is as monotonous as scrubbing dishes. It keeps being recycled for every face to get taken down in order to build heat on the Bulgarian Brute, and after two years of this feud mentality it's finally showing its issues. While I will criticise the feud itself, the representation of Titus as the 'Patriot American' in this role is one I hold with praise. Many have highlighted that in modern American sports, African-American's dominate the fields, when looking at the NFL, NBA and MLB that is a fact. To see WWE use an African American to stand up to a foreign heel and look like a viable threat in the process is something I will applaud for its realism. The only question, is whether Titus can do what seems impossible, based on the way Rusev has been getting more aggressive since splitting from The League Of Nations, it looks tougher than ever.
The re-building of Rusev since the disastrous feud with Summer Rae, Lana and Dolph Ziggler last year has been a slow burner but has finally reached its climax. Rusev is more destructive than ever, and with the body-scissors being added to the Accolade to make it even more impactful, the impression of infallibility increases match after match. While I understand that unlike many other opponents Rusev has faced, Titus is stronger, more athelticly poised and has charisma out the arse, I simply can't see him as anything other than fodder for the Bulgarian to chew up and spit out. This match gives Titus a chance to show the company why they made the wrong decision in suspending him for arguably the worst reason ever heard, and that even at his age, he has a future with the company. I'm hoping he puts in a good showing, because that will be all he can do in a match that in my opinion, based on how flat the feud has become, will not retain interest from the crowd even on a bigger stage.
PREDICTION: Rusev to retain.
TAG TEAM MATCH: Charlotte & Dana Brooke VS Natalya & Becky Lynch
The women's division in WWE has undergone a significant makeover since the arrival of Charlotte to the main roster in August of last year. The championship has been re-named and re-designed, the term 'Diva' has now been consigned into history and more capable women wrestlers are being signed and brought up to provide competition to make women's wrestling worth its weight in gold tot he company after decades of mismanagement. However, I still have my doubts, as the quality of wrestling under Charlotte's reign has fallen gradually since she won the then Divas Championship. This tag team match may not light the soul on fire but it has potential to do something different from what we've seen on recent events.
Charlotte's matches as champion before and since WrestleMania have followed the same formula, wear down the opponent systematically with hard strikes, aggressive grapples to the arms and legs and submission moves that target said extremities. While for body psychology that is a good thing, the matches are usually very laboured and slow, as well as lacking any real story outside of Ric Flair's interference to bring them to life. As a result, especially since WrestleMania, her reception in the fans eyes as an in-ring attraction is dwindling. As a result, the tag team match we have before us looks to be a way of diverting this negative response and hopefully creating a match that will be exciting and thanks to Dana Brookes' involvement, add an extra 'flair' to proceedings. Natalya while respected didn't add anything to her matches with Charlotte either, amplifying the same problems that befell Charlotte, hopefully with the exuberant and charismatic Becky Lynch at her side, more speed and pace can be added to give this match the crowd response it deserves. While it may seem I'm being quite critical about these women, the simple fact is that I am. A certain standard is now expected of women wrestling in this company and I expect it to be upheld. I believe this match can, but only if its done the right way.
Charlotte and Becky, as shown by their match at the Royal Rumble and their one-on-one parts of the acclaimed Triple Threat match at WrestleMania have great chemistry with their contrasting styles helping the flow of their matches be worth the time watching. With Becky playing the face in peril, Natalya can make her impact known and create a crescendo to make the build-up pay off. The wildcard is Dana Brooke, as I'm not entirely sure what she can bring to the table, which makes her participation interesting. Will she be able to help Charlotte or prove ineffective to build her up as the champions next challenger by proxy? The answer to that question for me lies in the former. I feel that after Charlotte's threat on RAW this past week, Dana will be the difference maker in ensuring her team comes out on top. Overall, it's better for Charlotte to be built up even more, to make her fall that much more dramatic and exciting.
On a final note, as Paige has beaten Charlotte twice in the build-up, does she become #1 Contender for Battleground, or does Sasha Banks automatically get it? That will have to be answered in the immediate aftermath of this match, proving that the commitment to stabilising this division still needs to be adhered to.
PREDICTION: Charlotte & Dana Brooke.
FATAL-4-WAY TAG TEAM MATCH: The New Day (c) VS The Club (Luke Gallows & Karl Anderson) VS The Vaudevillians VS Enzo & Cass
How many times a year do we hear from other fans that WWE's Tag Team Division is at its knees and the worst it's ever been? Seriously, it happens all the time. Although this is irritating, it has a point. It can't help to note that with one team dominating proceedings in The New Day, no other teams get chances in the limelight, which gives an impression of a lack of depth within this division as time goes by. However, since WrestleMania and the arrival of the three opposing teams for the incumbent champions to fight gives the Tag Team Division a breath of fresh air and an uncertainty to how the match itself will play out.
As this isn't an elimination match, it leaves the finish of the match leaves itself quite open, allowing for The New Day to be able to lose the titles without losing status or momentum. As a result, the idea of The New Day losing becomes ever more likely. With the way in which The Club have imposed themselves and the popularity of Enzo & Cass being unrivalled, both teams have a chance through their current momentum of upsetting the long term champions. While I will give The Vaudevillians benefit of the doubt that their gimmick is enjoyable, they don't have a chance of winning, if their crowd response and lack of growth since their debut has epitomised. This match could easily turn into a fast-paced, almagamated clusterfuck which while entertaining warrants no real benefits in the long term. The match has potential to excite and wow, and potentially crown new champions. Who wins though, remains difficult to decide with three viable winners still on the table
The remaining factor solely remains on The New Day themselves. Are they still popular? Yes. Are they still entertaining? Yes. Are they about to break a title longevity record? Yes. With the day before Battleground being the day in which the unicorn loving buffoons will overtake the long-standing decade old record of Paul London and Brian Kendrick as longest reigning WWE Tag Team Champions, it seems foolish to take the belts off them when they are about to reach such a milestone. Then again, they can only barely escape a match with their titles so many times before it comes back to bite them in the arse. I fully expect The New Day to retain here, simply out of principle for their popularity. However, don't be surprised if their title reign ends shortly after.
Lastly, for my sake WWE, would you please update your vectors of Xavier Woods and Enzo Amore? Woods hasn't had a moustache since last year and Enzo's hasn't changed since his NXT days and is still the one used in the 2K16 video game. It would be appreciated as I hate to see your company, with great production values to rely on recycled elements for your images. As a visual content creator, this kind of laziness is disappointing.
PREDICTION: The New Day to retain.
MONEY IN THE BANK LADDER MATCH: Alberto Del Rio VS Cesaro VS Chris Jericho VS Dean Ambrose VS Kevin Owens VS Sami Zayn
The seventeenth Money In The Bank Ladder Match looks set to be a barn stormer. Why? When you have six of the most respected wrestlers on WWE's roster vying for a shot at glory in what should be a sublime showcase of endurance, violence and storyline psychology, you can tell that fans are excited for it. Thanks to a great build, that had qualifying matches and promo segments which made all involved look like a big deal, the biggest MacGuffin Match of all time looks to be worth watching for the first time in years.
When it comes down to viable winners, there's only one that doesn't scream victory, and that's Alberto Del Rio. The 2011 winner while being as legitimate as he is, has been overshadowed by the other competitors. As for the rest, it's a difficult bunch to pick from. Chris Jericho's time in WWE is coming to an end once again, but the permanence of his departure remains a mystery. Will WWE give him one final run with the gold? While I can see WWE wanting to, I feel that Jericho would want to give someone else a chance. Sami Zayn seems to be a popular choice based on his in-ring performance and crowd reception, but for me, he isn't ready for the title run yet having only been on the main roster for 6 months. Cesare's rampant rise since returning from injury makes him a prime candidate. He's popular with the audience and a machine when it comes to in-ring work, however, I feel he would benefit from a mid card title run or big non title feud before focusing on world title aspirations. After those four men have been set aside, we are left with arguably the two best possible winners in Dean Ambrose and Kevin Owens.
Ambrose and Owens are more than ready for a major title push, having both carried themselves greatly in big feuds and matches against each other. Both are great on the mic, have presence inside and outside the ring as well as being guys who you could easily slot into a role and make it work. With the Smackdown brand split on the horizon, having one of these two be a figurehead for this 'new era' would make perfect sense. Ambrose teased he could easily ruin either Reigns or Rollins' title aspirations and claim the one prize that has eluded him for so many years, while for Owens it will be perfect validation of his character who has never failed to achieve all set out for it. Picking between the two is a very difficult choice, as I would be fine with either of them. However, despite Ambrose's prominence in the Reigns/Rollins situation, his position as a main event player is already assured, and he doesn't need this match to get a world title match at this point. Ten of the seventeen winners of this match have been heels, the role of a cocky brash holder is a natural fit for Owens and it will add more credibility to his character. If he were to be the holder on a Shane McMahon run show post-brand split, could you imagine Owens trying to undermine Shane's vision of the show by taking the title from a match or champion that McMahon has faith in? It would be gold. As a result, I have to pick Owens here. While Ambrose with the briefcase would be fun, I would enjoy seeing Owens with it that much more.
PREDICTION: Kevin Owens.
WWE CHAMPIONSHIP MATCH: Roman Reigns (c) VS Seth Rollins
I feel we can all breath a sigh of relief as FINALLY, after two years of waiting, this money match is going to take place. Their match at Night Of Champions 2014 was cancelled due to Reigns having to undergo an operation for a hernia, and their World Title match at Survivor Series 2015 was cancelled due to Seth Rollins' knee injury. It seemed that the will of the wrestling gods was too short tempered to allow a match between the most successful members of The Shield to happen without either man suffering an affliction shortly before it was due to go ahead. Alas, this time, with both men having now tasted glory at WrestleMania and held the World Title, that they seem content with the playing field laid out before them, to bless us with a match many have been waiting in anticipation for.
The build for this match has been... strange, to say the least. Seth Rollins return has been besieged with cheers, yet the egotistical, cocky and abrasive Rollins is still what we see, with his WWE24 documentary not helping WWE's cause to make their former champion appear apathetic to the crowds desire to welcome him back like Triple H some fourteen years before him. Sure, he wants his title back, as do many of the fans but the way WWE are presenting the champion makes him out to be more jealous and bitter rather than driven as his t-shirts' goal has alluded to. It's still the same Rollins we saw for the last year, only with a more chiselled physique and the lack of the yellow streak in his hair. As for Roman Reigns, his negative reception may be getting neutered by Kevin Dunn at the production desk week after week but there is no doubt this champion isn't 'divisive' as JBL will suggest. While he isn't the best mic worker or wrestler around, I can still tolerate Roman a lot more than others, and based on the TV ratings since WrestleMania and the continuous negative reception he gets at all televised and live events, this is a champion that the fans haven't warmed to in the way WWE would have wanted. While he's put on two great matches with AJ Styles at the last two PPV's, the perception of him as champion and as a wrestler still hasn't changed in many a fans eye. As a result, this match has some interesting implications going into it that really makes this match difficult to predict.
In terms of fan reception alone, it would be a great idea for Roman and Seth to commit the rarest of things, an alignment switch or as we call it in this industry a double turn. Reigns has been getting more aggressive, standoffish and obtuse in his disregard for the fans booing and Rollins is being cheered out of the building despite the bookers attempts to make him as hate-able as possible. With both of these two switching roles as the result of a gruelling and intense match, we can finally see Roman show how much of a danger he is if allowed to go full beast mode like he did in 2013 and 2014 to prove his dominance, and gain sympathy for the fans 'fallen hero' who finally has proven that even in defeat he could stand up to the behemoth WWE replaced him with. While that all sounds good, WWE want Roman to stay at the top and wouldn't risk all that time they spend building him to amount to nothing despite fans protests, so having Reigns keep his alignment in check for them makes the most sense. In regards to picking a winner though, it's something that is easy to see. Even with Rollins return coming hot off the heels of Reigns latest title defence, I don't see 'The Guy' losing here. If Seth had a few matches since his return to build himself up, and if it were at a bigger event, then I would give it to him. For now, Roman needs to continue to be built up as this unstoppable force, for one man to beat and make themselves. While many reading this may not be happy with that decision, in due time you will be happy that WWE stuck with this guy, and see someone else rise to compete with him at this level.
PREDICTION: Roman Reigns to retain.
GRUDGE MATCH: John Cena VS AJ Styles
If this match doesn't main event the show, then we've got a massive problem. It's the hottest and most anticipated match of the year thus far, and the build-up has been fiery, provocative and bluntly realistic. Overall, when looking at all that, combined with the two men involved, this match has five star classic written all over it. Given Styles' record since arriving in WWE, and Cena's record of the post-Wrestlemania 31 and we might be looking at the best match of the year, NXT included.
It's a dream match no-one in their right mind believed would happen. The face of WWE for the last 11 years, facing off against the face of TNA for the first 12 years of its existence. Both men are of similar age, broke into the big time in their respective companies at the same time and are multi-time world champions and Wrestler of the Year award winners from magazines the world over. This is the true battle of this generations biggest wrestling stars. I'm not going to understate that, sorry Dwayne, you're so last generation despite your age. A match of this magnitude should be headlining a Wrestlemania, the fact it isn't may be considered a crazy concept, but as Money In The Bank has seemingly replaced Survivor Series as a 'Big 4' event, it still feels to me like its worthy of its place.
For the first time since CM Punk's pie bomb infused run in the summer of 2011, a rivalry feels full on real, fuelled by the the name-dropping of other promotions, the notion that Cena 'buries' wrestlers who face him and the notion that in Styles mind just like the fans, Cena's wrestling ability isn't anything good to warrant the success he has had. This feud was hot the moment Styles heel turn was established and hasn't slowed down since. It's been three solid weeks of fantastically delivered and heated promos, coupled with a contract signing that proves you don't need a fist fight to make it exciting. I couldn't be more excited for a match if I wanted to be, and as it echoes Cena's feud with Owens last year in tone and anticipation my hype couldn't be higher. Both men have been showcased (at least verbally) as equals, something which in regards to Cena is a rarity. On Sunday, it will be time to prove that both men in-ring can back up their claims and deliver the five star match we know they can knock out of themselves.
The sole question that remains, is who walks out the winner? Many will likely use the 'Cena Wins LOL' mentality and figure, as this is his first match since December last year, that he needs to return with a victory. While that is some sound logic to put forward, I retort by noting the themes I alluded to at the beginning of this article, that we are in a new age. With this rise of new talent in the WWE, John Cena's position in the company looks more and more under threat as the years have gone by. While his presence as a draw and a legend within the company remains undeterred, even with how this feud has progressed, Styles has looked the more focused, driven and confident of the two in his delivery and presence in these promos. John Cena may be the 'face that runs the place' but after numerous injuries over the last few years and a regression down the card, the aura of infallibility surrounding him has disappeared with it. After losing clean to Kevin Owens and Alberto Del Rio last year, the idea of another wrestler beating 'SuperCena' isn't out of the question. To have this new era be fully ushered in, Cena needs to lose, and with The Club 'seemingly' banned from ringside thanks to that contract signing, the possibility of a clean loss for Cena seems more inevitable than you'd expect. Finally, given that Styles needs to rebound after three consecutive PPV losses to Chris Jericho and Roman Reigns respectively, a win would make more sense and give people the perception that Cena's time at least for now really is up. While it's no secret that Cena will overcome Styles down the line, their's only a first time once, so for WWE's sake, I'd make it count by giving the Phenomenal One a win to match his nickname and firmly state to all doubters that TNA's biggest homegrown draw is not only the real deal, but against all odds is at the top of WWE's ladder. Now that's something I never thought I'd say.
PREDICTION: AJ Styles.
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I've been Freddy Thomas, you've been people reading. This has been the Money In The Bank 2016 Predictions for The CC Network Blog and I'll see you all next time.
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