WWE Money in the Bank 2015 Matches: Best Possible Finish for Each Contest
The finish of any given match is of the utmost importance.
It brings finality to the bout and is the last thing fans see from it, making the finish the most lasting memory. It is also responsible for building up or breaking down a character and propels a story forward or, in some cases, backward.
Finishes are either satisfying or leave a bad taste in the mouth of the audience. They are oftentimes what determines the success or failure—and overall quality—of a match.
With one of WWE's premiere events in SummerSlam right around the corner, the finishes of the matches at Sunday night's Money in the Bank pay-per-view become that much more significant.
Who leaves with championships and how they went about obtaining or retaining them means the world, as the company will undoubtedly begin laying the groundwork for the marquee matches at the August event.
As you prepare for Sunday's monumental event, home of the popular Money in the Bank ladder match, take a look at these best finishes for each match on the bout, why they are the best options and how they will effect the Superstars going forward.
Kickoff Match: R-Truth vs. King Barrett
1 of 7
The inconsistency with which R-Truth and King Barrett have been booked over the years has badly hurt their credibility with the fanbase.
WWE Creative regularly has no idea what to do with either, leading to start and stop pushes that do more harm than good and keep both men from ever really moving up the card.
A Kickoff Show match that means nothing, has no real build to speak of and will do nothing to enhance their spot on the card is not the way to help rebuild either.
King Barrett is a better worker, with more upside, but the company sure does love themselves some Truth, regardless of the fact that he has wrestled with irrelevancy more than anyone else since 2011.
Truth may have the backing of management, but that also means he can recover from defeat much better than Barrett, who somehow has been worse off for having won King of the Ring.
Best Finish:
Barrett dodges a scissors kick from Truth, fires up the elbow and delivers the Bull Hammer to pick up a clean pinfall win.
Money in the Bank Ladder Match
2 of 7
On paper, this year's Money in the Bank match looks like the most predictable in WWE history.
Roman Reigns has been steadily built since WrestleMania to be the guy who wins the briefcase and uses it on Seth Rollins, very much in the same manner that Rollins cashed in and cost Reigns the WWE World Heavyweight Championship at the Showcase of the Immortals.
But the risk of booking Reigns to win the popular gimmick match may outweigh the positives.
The last time WWE Creative went too predictable with the booking of the second-generation star, the fans turned on him, booing him out of the building for a good two months before finally beginning to accept him as the future top babyface in professional wrestling.
Reigns has worked far too hard and turned in way too many Match of the Year candidates this year to risk the wrath of fans once more.
Unless management is absolutely sure that Reigns is so over with the fan base that they will not greet his victory with boos, it is not worth ruining everything he has been through in order to give him a title shot he will probably get anyway.
Turning attention elsewhere, Randy Orton is the token veteran who has been here, done this before and really has no chance of leaving with another Money in the Bank victory. Neville is too new, Kofi Kingston is nowhere near championship contention and a Kane victory would likely create riotous conditions across the Internet.
Which leaves just two potential winners: Sheamus and Dolph Ziggler.
Sheamus has been outstanding as a heel, really relishing in the opportunity to play the role. His in-ring performances have been stellar and his new entrance is that of a legitimate star. But with Seth Rollins as the lead heel and the most likely star to leave the show with the WWE title, it is unlikely that WWE will want to book a heel to win the match.
So why not go with Ziggler? The guy has rebounded from so many bad booking decisions and remains as popular as any other star on the roster. He draws huge pops in every arena and backs it up with his work between the ropes.
Add to that the fact that he lost to Rollins only after the WWE champion resorted to cheating, and his ongoing relationship with Lana, and you have a guy who could conceivably run with the briefcase into next year if necessary.
Best Finish:
Dolph Ziggler benefits from Randy Orton delivering an RKO to Sheamus, off the ladder, to grab hold of the briefcase, becoming just the third two-time holder of the coveted contract.
That scenario allows Reigns to retain his fan support, intensifies the Orton-Sheamus rivalry fans have witnessed over the last few weeks and gives Ziggler one last shot at a legitimate main event run.
WWE Tag Team Championship Match: The Prime Time Players vs. The New Day
3 of 7
The New Day has been one of the biggest and most appreciated surprises over the last three months. A legitimate success story, they have developed into one of the most entertaining and over acts in the entire company after appearing as though they would be a bust of epic proportion earlier in 2015.
Xavier Woods, Kofi Kingston and Big E have found career rejuvenation and have been more motivated than ever in recent weeks.
Speaking of more motivated than ever, Titus O'Neil and Darren Young have been on a roll since Elimination Chamber.
At that event, the Prime Time Players exploded into the match and demolished any team in front of them. They fell just short of capturing the tag titles, though, falling prey to the numbers game of The New Day.
On Sunday night they will once again have the opportunity to capture the gold, but should they? Should O'Neil and Young win the titles, bringing an end to New Day's inspired run?
Absolutely not.
As entertaining as the PTPs are, and as much energy as they have demonstrated lately, there is more potential upside in The New Day and thus, they should remain champions going forward.
Best Finish:
An interfering Kingston delivers Trouble in Paradise to O'Neil, cutting off his momentum and allowing the cowardly Woods to pick up the win.
Divas Championship Match: Paige vs. Nikki Bella
4 of 7
Paige returned from shooting a WWE Studios film and immediately reinserted herself in the Divas Championship picture.
And rightfully so.
As the future of the Divas division, she should be around the title when possible.
Her opponent, Nikki Bella, has arguably been around the title too long as WWE seemingly attempts to replace AJ Lee as the longest-reigning champion in the title's history.
The Bella Twins recently used Twin Magic to their advantage over Paige, frustrating the former two-time Divas champion and leading her to proclaim that change is needed.
The change should come Sunday night, with the Brit defeating Nikki and regaining the Divas title.
But how?
Best Finish:
Paige outsmarts the Bellas, using Twin Magic against them.
As Brie makes the switch, Paige plants her with the Ram-Paige to score the win and the title.
Not only does it make the breakout Diva look smart, it also creates controversy and gives the Divas division an actual storyline going forward, rather than just having a handful of women fighting over the title with little rhyme or reason.
John Cena vs. Kevin Owens
5 of 7
Kevin Owens' win over John Cena at Elimination Chamber was shockingly clean. He pinned the biggest star in the industry in the center of the ring and, in the process, became the hottest commodity in professional wrestling.
The decision to book an immediate rematch was a huge mistake on the part of WWE Creative as they put themselves in a corner, with only a few options on the table.
Most believe John Cena will either get his win back or Owens will somehow win via screwy finish.
That belief is justified, given the pattern of WWE booking in recent years.
But that does not make it the most effective or the best way to go about booking the finish of Sunday's monumental match.
Owens is special, the once-in-a-lifetime heel who understands the psychology of the industry and is not trying to be the cool heel that most aspire to be. He is a layered character that fans are connecting with.
To waste that on a typical WWE finish would be a mistake that would not only do tremendous damage to Owens himself but to the roster as a whole, especially at a time when the company cannot afford to waste legitimate main event-quality heels.
Best Finish:
WWE bucks tradition as Owens pins Cena cleanly for the second consecutive pay-per-view, firmly establishing him as a guy the company will invest in going forward.
Both Cena and Triple H see a great deal of potential and future stardom in Owens or they would not have gone to the lengths that they have in order to put him over. Sunday night he gets anointed as the most must-see performer in the company by way of another decisive victory.
Intercontinental Championship Match: Ryback vs. Big Show
6 of 7
Ryback's victory at Elimination Chamber culminated a years-long journey for The Big Guy. Winning the intercontinental championship was his first taste of gold and it was well deserved.
A veteran of the WWE system, he had withstood a disappointing year that saw him saddled in an enhancement team with Curtis Axel, only to rebound and enjoy a career renaissance late in 2014.
It appeared his first defense would be against both The Miz and Big Show, a three-way rivalry involving different personalities and styles that would allow Ryback to grow as both an in-ring worker and champion.
Instead, the decision was made to book Ryback against Big Show in a battle of the big men sure to electrify the audience.
Or not.
While it would be in the best interest for Ryback to finish Big Show and move on to the next challenger, the likelihood is that there are plans to continue their program into the future.
So why not reintroduce Miz to the mix?
Best Finish:
Ryback defeats Big Show by disqualification when Miz interferes, delivering Skull Crushing Finale to the champion.
Miz instantly avenges his loss to Ryback on SmackDown, costing Big Show the IC title just like the giant did to him the night after Elimination Chamber, and the fans have an interesting three-way program to invest themselves in rather than a series of lackluster power matches between Ryback and Big Show.
Ladder Match for the WWE Title: Dean Ambrose vs. Seth Rollins
7 of 7
Dean Ambrose's unpredictability and unique charisma have helped him connect with the audience, and in the process, he has become one of the most popular stars in the industry.
His rise up the card can be attributed as much to that popularity as anything, with the fans fueling his most recent main event run.
No matter how loud the ovations are or how much the Lunatic Fringe has been featured on WWE programming of late, Sunday's ladder match for the company's world heavyweight championship is not about him realizing some boyhood dream.
No, Sunday's match is about a cowardly heel maturing before our very eyes.
For the last year, Seth Rollins has relied on The Authority, Kane and J&J Security to help him advance his career. It was the Big Red Demon Director of Operations...from Hell...who helped him secure the Money in the Bank briefcase at last year's show, and it was an opportune moment that allowed him to successfully cash it in to become WWE champion at WrestleMania.
Now, with no one watching his back, it is up to Rollins to win on his own if he wishes to leave Ohio with his championship reign intact.
Best Finish:
Rollins proves himself a worthy champion, capable of defeating elite contenders on his own, shoving Ambrose off the top of the ladder and through tables en route to successfully retaining his title.
.jpg?w=600 "WWE Raw Results & Grades 🔠")
