Here’s our final review of WWE Money in the Bank 2016!
The Golden Truth (Goldust and R-Truth) vs. Breezango (Tyler Breeze and Fandango)
Reactions: This was more of a fun skirmish than an actual hotly contested match. The whole joke this match focused on were The Golden Truth taking advantage of the painful tan their opponents had. It was funny the first few times Fandango and Breeze got chopped, but that joke grew old after a million and one chops transpired as the match wore on. We like both teams and their promos are actually quite humorous. This match really doesn’t need to be seen a 2nd time, though. Avoid it all costs.
Rating: 1 out of 5 Stars
The Lucha Dragons (Kalisto and Sin Cara) vs. The Dudley Boyz (Bubba Ray Dudley and D-Von Dudley
Reactions: This was just…there. A tag matchup such as this one felt more like a regular tag bout used to kill time on an episode of RAW/SmackDown. Bubba’s constant verbal taunting is always fun though, so at least he kept our attention with that. The Dragons pulled out their usual dazzling maneuvers and The Dudleyz got rough and played dirty at all costs. It was pretty much what we expected it to be: passable. Good to see the Dragons get a worthy win, though.
Rating: 2 out of 5 Stars
The New Day (Big E, Kofi Kingston and/or Xavier Woods) (c) vs. Karl Anderson and Luke Gallows vs. Enzo Amore and Big Cass vs. The Vaudevillains (Aiden English and Simon Gotch) (WWE Tag Team Championship)
Reactions: This was the perfect way to start things officially for 2016’s Money in the Bank spectacular. Plenty of hilarity ensued when Enzo & Big Cass and The New Day traded some verbal jabs with each other. Once the match finally began, it was a thoroughly entertaining affair. The action started at a fast pace and stayed that way up until the very end. Every team got in some great offense at every chance thy could. Big E speared Simon through the middle rope, Xavier Woods ate a vicious big boot from Luke, The Vaudevillains almost ended Kofi with their finisher and Big Cass went on a rampage when he got the hottest of hot tags. The finishing sequence was a joy to witness as Cass booted Luke into another universe while The New Day finished off Karl. This was a strong opening match effort.
Rating: 3 & a Half out of 5 Stars
Dolph Ziggler vs. Baron Corbin
Reactions: While this wasn’t entirely underwhelming, it wasn’t exactly riveting throughout. Corbin’s overall presence in the ring is pretty mundane, if you ask us. Ziggler tried his hardest with every opponent, but even his hard working efforts haven’t been enough to make any of these guys’ matches worth revisiting. This was the best of all their matches, but that really isn’t saying much. Corbin landed some sick clotheslines and that Deep Six outside the ring was impressive. And Ziggler pulled off his greatest hits of offense. But there were just wasn’t too many bright spots during this “meh” matchup. We hope this feud has come to a close.
Rating: 2 out of 5 Stars
Charlotte and Dana Brooke vs. Natalya and Becky Lynch
Reactions: Yep…another basic tag team match that belongs on Monday or Thursday night. All four women looked good, but the match was much too brief to truly enter into overdrive. It was as basic as we figured it would turn out to be. We actually cared way more about the post-match proceedings more than the actual bout. Natalya snapped and showed the edgy side of her we know we’re going to enjoy more. We’re open to a Natalya vs. Becky Lynch feud. This match was nothing more than a way to get us to that future matchup.
Rating: 2 out of 5 Stars
Apollo Crews vs. Sheamus
Reactions: Now this one was a letdown. Sheamus tends to put on good to great matches with anyone, which is why we were excited to see him take on the impressive Apollo Crews. But, this one never truly matched out expectations for it. Once again, the action that took place here didn’t feel special enough to be on the main PPV card. Crews made us care just a little bit when he landed a nice Moonsault onto Sheamus from the ring apron, plus Sheamus landed a pretty slick White Noise slam from the top rope. Sadly, those were the only moments from this match worth mentioning. The quick rollup pin definitely means this beef will continue. Let’s all hope they put on a rematch worth watching.
Rating: 2 out of 5 Stars
John Cena vs. AJ Styles
Reactions: After being forced to sit through a series of matches that were purely letdowns, this dream match showed up just in time to make us sit at the edge of our seats. AJ was as his best heel persona and Cena showed up in his working boots. The back and forth action between both men was full of moments where they taunted each other and basked in the adoration of the crowd. This was a story of AJ’s quickness vs. Cena’s heart. AJ looked amazing as he cut off Cena during his signature comeback several times. And we have to commend Cena as he fought hard to stay in the fight. Us and the live crowd came unglued when he finally landed an AA. The finish may have sullied the match in everyone else’s eyes, but we have nothing to complain about. AJ may not have won clean, but all that matters is he won. A rematch is clearly on the way and we can’t wait. Make it a cage match, please!
Rating: 4 out of 5 Stars
Sami Zayn vs. Cesaro vs. Chris Jericho vs. Dean Ambrose vs. Kevin Owens vs. Alberto Del Rio (Money in the Bank Ladder Match for a WWE World Heavyweight Championship Match Contract)
Reactions: Two back to back awesome performances is a rare occurrence in the WWE. But we got it on this wild evening. Money in the Bank Ladder Matches rarely disappoint and this was the story here. There were so many insane moments to list here. The ones that made us stand up with our heads atop our heads involved ladder insanity. Zayn got Powerbombed atop one, ADR used his Double Foot Stomp to crash through Cesaro and Y2J even got the Dirty Deeds treatment while his legs was atop a ladder. When all six men were atop ladders and beating each other to a pulp, we truly lost our minds. Cesaro hopping off a ladder and bouncing off the ropes to land an European Uppercut on Owens made our jaws drop. The man we picked to win won! This MITB Ladder Match exceeded our expectations. All six men put on an amazing performance.
Rating: 4 out of 5 Stars
Rusev (c) (with Lana) vs. Titus O’Neil (WWE United States Championship)
Reactions: We can’t remember seeing Titus so intense before. We’re guessing he kicked into a higher gear since his two sons were in attendance to watch him compete. The beginning portion where both men clothesline each other outside the ring meant this one was going to be an uphill battle. The reasons why this match was much better than expected was due to Titus looking more thrilling than his usual self and Rusev’s usual dominant self. This was short and sweet. These two brutes put on a big man contest that never slowed down too much. We’re open to seeing this again, which is something we never thought we’d say.
Rating: 3 out of 5 Stars
Roman Reigns (c) vs. Seth Rollins (WWE World Heavyweight Championship)
Reactions: Anything involving The Shield when they were an unbreakable unit was always entertaining. And it’s just as exciting to watch all three former stablemates get embroiled in a altercations every time they meet. Tonight was another example of just how fun it is to watch Reigns, Rollins and Ambrose go to war. First off, let’s talk about the main event. This one slowly built up into a incredible match that matched the intensity of the Reigns/Rollins saga. Spears were dished out, Superman Punches were landed and Pedigrees were landed. Reigns and Rollins went tooth and nail for several grueling minutes, which the crowd completely ate up. Rollins hasn’t slowed down a bit and Reigns performed at the high level we always expect from him. When Rollins won, we rejoiced and were content with a great finish to a great match. But Ambrose almost made us faint when his music hit. After cashing in his MITB title shot, he KO’d Rollins with a Dirty Deeds and gave us a shocking ending. This. Was. Unbelievable.
Rating: 4 & a Half out of 5 Stars
Match of the Night
Roman Reigns vs. Seth Rollins (plus the Dean Ambrose cash-in)!
Final Verdict
MITB 2016 started off with some totally forgettable pre-show tag matches. But the one tag team bout that was heavily advertised finally brought some life to the event. Afterwards, we were served nothing but poor quality matches that were better served taking place on RAW/SmackDown. But to no one’s surprise, AJ and Cena came to save the day with a dream match that made everyone come alive. Right after that, we bared witness to a stunning performance from everyone involved in the MITB Ladder Match. The event as a whole excelled near the finish thanks to a shockingly good Titus/Rusev match, a crazy main event scuffle and a mind-blowing MITB cash-in from Ambrose. This year’s MITB started off great, faltered in the middle and then ended on an amazingly high note.
Final Score: 4 out of 5 Stars
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