Ryan Dilbert's 10-Count: John Cena vs. AJ Styles Will Exceed the Massive Hype

1. Money in the Bank's True Main Event

On June 19, the convergence of talent and circumstance that is John Cena vs. AJ Styles at Money in the Bank 2016 will be the dream match WWE has promised.

It's not a complicated formula: Take two wrestlers who were the standard-bearers for their respective promotions for years and put them in a never-before-seen matchup while both men are at their apexes as performers.

Cena has ruled WWE for over a decade. While certainly suffering his vocal detractors, the powerhouse has been the face of the company and its biggest star for much of that span. 

Styles made his name in the less prominent TNA, helping to build that promotion when it formed in 2002 to fill the void left by the death of WCW. The Phenomenal One, along with Sting and Kurt Angle, was one of the cornerstones of that company.

After leaving TNA in 2014, Styles spent the next two years thriving in a variety of places, from Japan to the United Kingdom, proving himself to be one of the world's most thrilling wrestlers with a string of stellar matches. 

At the Money in the Bank PPV, he will step up to the plate against a man who has his own overflowing collection of classics.

Styles has flourished against a vastly varied group of foes that includes Shinsuke Nakamura, Roman Reigns and Zack Sabre Jr. in what has been a tremendous 2016. Cena spent the bulk of 2015 putting on stunning showings during a series of open challenges for the United States Championship against men like Cesaro, Sami Zayn and Neville.

Putting Styles and Cena in the same ring assures WWE of something special. Expect the Match of the Year debate to shift once they're done.

But beyond pure talent and big-match performance, there is a sense of history being made here. 

Time and distance has made Styles vs. Cena bigger. Their semi-parallel reigns on their respective mountaintops make this contest feel like a meeting of two titans from separate worlds. As Bill Matz put it in an article for The Brand, "This match is a big deal, not just for Money in the Bank, but for everybody who has watched the careers of Cena and Styles."

There is already a major buzz surrounding this battle.

Cena and Styles' showdown on Monday's Raw was proof of that. On a mostly sluggish show, the energy in the arena picked up when the two faced off and traded insults.

It became clear afterward that the matchup at MITB will feature the proverbial big-fight feel.

Miami Herald columnist Scott Fishman is among those psyched for what's ahead:

He should be. Styles and Cena is a massive matchup that will showcase two wrestlers who have a history of being clutch. Expectations will be high, but these two will exceed them.

When Cena collides with Styles, it will feel like WrestleMania in June.

2. Money in the Bank Momentum

Cesaro fans won't be happy after examining the recent win-loss records of the six men who make up the Money in the Bank ladder match field. Going by the last 10 televised bouts for each wrestler, The King of Swing has been booked to be the least successful of that group (some links contain SmackDown spoilers):

• Dean Ambrose (8-2)
• Kevin Owens (6-4)
• Sami Zayn (5-4-1)
• Alberto Del Rio (5-5)
• Chris Jericho (4-6)
• Cesaro (3-6-1)

It's surprising to see Ambrose experience that kind of stretch. We're used to watching him come up just short, as he did against Roman Reigns at Survivor Series last year, at the Royal Rumble in January and against Triple H at Roadblock.

Now The Lunatic Fringe is celebrating more often, thanks in large part to two wins against Jericho on pay-per-view. A wrestler's record before the Money in the Bank match is not necessarily an indication of who comes out on top, but WWE is making Ambrose look like the favorite at the moment.

Cesaro, meanwhile, is stuck with being the fall guy. Despite a surprise submission victory over Jericho on Monday, the Swiss strongman is far from being on fire.

3. Throwback Video of the Week: Muhammad Ali

The biggest news in the sports world this weekend was unquestionably the death of Muhammad Ali.

While he is far more famous for his accomplishments in the boxing ring and as an activist, the three-time world champion also dipped his toes into the world of pro wrestling.

In the summer of 1976, in preparation for the famous boxer-versus-wrestler bout against Antonio Inoki, Ali took on Buddy Wolfe in an exhibition for American Wrestling Association (AWA). The result was simply bizarre.

Hall of Fame wrestling manager Freddie Blassie stood in the champ's corner shouting instructions. Howard Cosell lent his famous voice to the match's commentary, clearly looking down on the affair the entire time. And the action itself saw pantomime punches and Wolfe suffer a bloody brow. 

4. Introducing Cien

Andrade "Cien" Almas is set to debut at Wednesday's NXT TakeOver: The End. Some fans may only know him from the vignettes WWE has produced to welcome him (like this one), but Almas was previously a memorable performer for Mexico's Consejo Mundial de Lucha Libre (CMLL) promotion.

Known as La Sombra at the time, he aligned with Rush and La Mascara to form the popular Los Ingobernables faction.

The Durango, Mexico, native is a high-flying showman with plenty of attitude and presence. At just under 6 feet tall, he's larger than recent luchadors who made their way to WWE like Sin Cara and Kalisto.

La Sombra, who battled Shinsuke Nakamura in 2013, is bound to make an immediate impact at NXT. 

5. Another Tribute to The King of Strong Style

Shinsuke Nakamura's entrance theme "Rising Sun" continues to inspire musicians. 

A fan named Mike Ascione performed a cover of the song on the piano and shared it on YouTube. It's a fun take on it that captures the essence of the original:

Ascione, however, wasn't able to top Kay Suzuki's fantastic violin-heavy cover of Nakamura's entrance music. 

6. Sometimes Broken is Better 

If you're not watching TNA right now, you are not seeing former WWE star Matt Hardy reinventing himself in stunning fashion.

The latest evolution of his career has seen him become Broken Matt Hardy, an unhinged megalomaniac out for revenge against his brother Jeff.

It's an odd act. Hardy looks like a homeless magician and speaks with a put-on British-esque accent. He's erratic and cartoonish, displaying his most over-the-top gimmick tweak to date.

This bit of experimentation is both ridiculous and fantastic at the same time.

Hardy has made himself fresh with this shtick. He's getting people talking, making the audience uncomfortable along the way. 

The "broken" bit hasn't been universally loved, though; it's been panned by a good number of fans. 

Hardy addressed the negative response to the character on a recent edition of his Thoughts From The Throne YouTube show. He said, "I know people have criticisms of 'Broken Matt Hardy' with the look and the accent and everything else, but just try to enjoy the ride and let me tell you a story."

7. History on the Way

Money in the Bank, an event that has been around since 2010, has seen very little movement when it comes to the midcard championships.

According to the Internet Wrestling Database, the Tag Team Championships have yet to change hands at the pay-per-view despite being defended four times. And Money in the Bank has never featured a United States Championship match.

JP Yim/Getty Images

There is a good chance that both those things will happen for the first time at the 2016 edition of the event. 

As announced on Monday's Raw, The New Day will defend the tag titles against The Vaudevillains, The Club and Enzo Amore and Colin Cassady. That gives the champs unfavorable odds, especially with how much WWE has looked to showcase The Club recently. It smells like a new set of champions is on the way. 

The U.S. title will make its way to the PPV this year.

WWE announced that U.S. champion Rusev will put the belt up for grabs against Titus O'Neil at Money in the Bank. For the sake of its prestige, the championship can't go another five years without being contested at the event.

8. Classics in the Cage

With the NXT Championship on the line, Finn Balor and Samoa Joe will battle at TakeOver: The End in the first steel cage match in the WWE developmental brand's history.

Considering the chemistry the two rivals share and each man's ability to come through in big matches, this title bout promises to be mighty good. But where will it stack up against the greatest cage matches ever?

To either get further psyched for Balor vs. Joe or brush up on cage match history, these five classics are an excellent starting point: 

• Ric Flair vs. Harley Race: Starrcade 1983 
• Magnum TA vs. Tully Blanchard: Starrcade 1985
• Rick Rude vs. Ultimate Warrior: SummerSlam 1990
• Samoa Joe vs. Kurt Angle: Lockdown 2008
• John Cena vs. The Miz vs. John Morrison: Extreme Rules 2011

While we know what Joe can do inside the steel, this will mark Balor's first cage match. Having spent much of his career in Japan, where that kind of bout is rare, the former NXT champion has never had a chance to experience a wrestling ring encircled by a metal structure.

Despite being a cage rookie, Balor's skills suggest that he and The Samoan Submission Machine will produce on Wednesday night.

9. Throw in Some Sasha and Summer, Please 

Sasha Banks should be smashing Summer Rae on TV. Period. 

En route to the Women's Championship bout many expect for Banks at SummerSlam, The Boss needs to be in the spotlight, gaining momentum via victory and taking advantage of her immense popularity. WWE has failed her and the women's division as a whole by shelving her even while she's been healthy.

Banks is medically cleared after suffering a concussion a few weeks back, per Dave Meltzer of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter.

Even so, despite being one of the most compelling performers on the entire roster, she didn't show up on Monday's Raw. She hasn't wrestled on Raw since April and hasn't had a match on SmackDown since March. Instead, WWE chose to relegate her burgeoning rivalry with Rae to Main Event, a show several rungs below SmackDown in terms of importance.

The women's division needs variety after solely focusing on Charlotte and her reign as women's champion. Banks vs. Rae is the ideal holdover feud for the former until she gets her next crack at the champ. They have history as allies and enemies while both were at NXT.

So, as ProWrestling.net writer Will Pruett asked, "Why aren't they in a serious feud with each other?"

WWE has only aired a single women's division segment per week of late. Meanwhile, the Golden Truth vs. Breezango comedy saga is getting steady airtime. That's a mistake.

Banks fully had the crowd behind her up until WrestleMania. And while injuries derailed her afterward, WWE Creative has hampered her more.

The company has to realize that an inactive star eventually burns out.

10. Rose on the Next Stage of His Career

Adam Rose suffered a tumultuous end to a disappointing WWE run, one that saw him suspended for 60 days after violating the Wellness Policy and later arrested and suspended after a domestic dispute. 

The party animal and one-fourth of The Social Outcasts is focused on the future, though.

Now known as Aldo Rose, the wrestling free agent tweeted that he's thrilled to be entering the independent circuit for the first time:

This kind of passion is infectious. And after such an unsettling and sad chapter in his story, it's good to see him on the slow road to redemption.

Match statistics courtesy of CageMatch.net.