WWE Money in the Bank 2016 Results: Top Highlights and Low Points
Although it isn't officially one of the "big four" events to the WWE Universe, there aren't many shows more important in the calendar year than the Money in the Bank pay-per-view.
This is the event where fans get a glimpse of what the plans are heading into SummerSlam, as well as a sneak peek at what's to come later on in the year with the new Mr. Money in the Bank being crowned.
For the 2016 edition of the pay-per-view, a power struggle for the WWE World Heavyweight Championship was also in play as Seth Rollins—the man who never lost his title—took on "The Guy" with the belt on his shoulder, Roman Reigns.
On top of this, a fantasy match wrestling fans have been clamoring to see for years was scheduled to take place with AJ Styles going up against John Cena. Could the franchise player for TNA's most prosperous time upset WWE's figurehead performer from the past decade?
Unfortunately, outside of that, there wasn't much other buzz. If those three matches didn't get you excited, you probably weren't anticipating this event as WrestleMania-worthy like WWE kept advertising it to be.
Did WWE end up being right in saying the show would deliver and even surpass expectations, or were the doubters proven correct?
Was this a show filled with amazement that signaled the start of a very promising new era for the company, or was it a bad omen that spells out doom for the coming months?
Let's look back on what transpired and weigh in on what stands out as the biggest positives and negatives of the night, presented in order of appearance on the card.
Low Point: The Golden Truth vs. Breezango
1 of 7
At the last minute, WWE decided to add two more matches to the card, with this being one of them. From a first glance, it would seem like this was pretty pointless, and it sadly ended up somewhat true.
Instead of this being a regular match, there was a story being told that Tyler Breeze and Fandango had received really bad sunburn from a tanning bed. Your mileage may vary on whether or not that was funny.
What was disappointing, though, is that this was the entire match from start to finish with nothing much else added to the mix.
Everything revolved around smacking them on their raw skin and their repetitive reactions. At most, it was funny once or twice, but to keep doing it for several minutes made the joke fall very flat.
Having a match—even one as weird as this one—is better than just watching more recaps and promos, but it still could have been a more entertaining segment.
Highlight: Tag Team Championship Fatal 4-Way Match
2 of 7
Throwing four of the most entertaining tag teams in the company together in a Fatal 4-Way match is a recipe for success and this segment delivered on those expectations.
The intros were bookended by funny promos by Enzo and Cass as well as The New Day, making sure the crowd was in good spirits before the bell even rang.
Once it did, the action was on. All four teams had a chance to shine in different ways that showcased exactly why their characters are different.
The Vaudevillains played the role of the mousey heels who tried to capitalize on others for a cheap win, while Anderson and Gallows tried to use their power to pick up the victory.
Fans of The New Day will be pleased to see them retain and even if you were hoping for a title change, the ending of this was so disjointed (in a positive way) to make excuses for anybody to ask for a rematch at Battleground.
All in all, this had some laughs, some cool spots with Enzo being tossed being the best of the bunch, a proper balance to all teams and a babyface team coming out on top. This is a great way to start off a show.
Low Point: Dolph Ziggler vs. Baron Corbin
3 of 7
Dolph Ziggler is one of the best in-ring performers WWE has had in the past decade, always doing a good job putting others over and pushing them to the next level.
Baron Corbin is a steadily-improving young star in the making who has a bright future, even if he still has a long way to go.
Unfortunately, this feud just doesn't have any steam going for it anymore.
These two have been working together ever since WrestleMania, yet WWE never bothered to really give the program much of a push. After being treated like an afterthought, why should the fans care?
For the better part of this feud, the two men have been separated and not appearing on Monday Night Raw, or doing things that weren't really all that impressive to keep people interested.
The fact that this was a pre-show match beforehand also goes to show how little of value it is to the company, which the fans pick up on. That's one of the reasons why there was a "boring" chant during this.
There was much more potential for this feud that never materialized, so by the time this lackluster match happened, nobody was left to really be invested in it.
Low Point: Women's Tag Team Match
4 of 7
Even before this match started, it had so much working against it. The fact that this was a tag team match with nothing on the line meant that it didn't matter, and the feud leading up to it didn't do the story any favors.
There's one spot of this match itself, though, that sums up just how poor of a segment this was: Natalya flopping around like a fish trying to tag Becky Lynch back into the match.
For someone who is a veteran who should be the top of the line representing this supposedly revamped women's division, this was just embarrassing.
Awful things like this standing out in a match that had nothing good to counteract it means the complainers of women's wrestling just have even more ammo.
The division is facing an uphill battle, and every woman should be trying to put on matches as good as Bayley vs. Sasha Banks from NXT TakeOver: Brooklyn, which got people to chant in support of women's wrestling and the doubters to eat their words.
Something like this is match is inexcusable and does nothing but harm for the cause.
The best part of the whole thing was after it was over, when Natalya turned heel on Becky, but even that doesn't make up for it.
Ask yourself if you're honestly as excited about a feud between those two after Natalya's turn as you were when AJ Styles turned on John Cena.
If your answer isn't an enthusiastic "yes" with no hesitation, something is wrong.
The complete lack of reaction when Charlotte scored the pin was sad and the only thing sadder will be how WWE tries to act as though this was amazing when referring back to it on Monday Night Raw.
Highlight: John Cena vs. AJ Styles
5 of 7
Easily one of the biggest selling points of this pay-per-view was the first-ever match between John Cena and AJ Styles, where the franchise players of WWE and TNA from the past decade would finally clash.
Some might argue that the ending was disappointing, as they would have preferred Styles to win without any kind of interference. If that is the case, you probably consider this more of a low point.
However, if you look at this through the lens of professional wrestling's history of storytelling, what more did you expect?
Styles needed a victory to offset his losses from the past few months, but he was also up against Cena—the guy who very rarely ever gets pinned clean.
Of course The Club was going to get involved. In fact, this was set up from the very beginning with Styles choosing the contract that would ban them from ringside!
Now, Cena has every right to complain and ask for a rematch, as he had the match won when the referee was down and only lost after two other men influenced the outcome.
Come the Battleground pay-per-view, the second of at least three matches will take place, giving Cena fans a chance to see him be victorious to set up a rubber match at SummerSlam to truly settle the score.
Don't be surprised if both guys have plenty to offer for this feud coming up and that this is just the beginning.
Highlight: Money in the Bank Ladder Match
6 of 7
Above all else, the main reason to watch this event was definitely the titular Money in the Bank ladder match.
Generally speaking, ladder matches tend to be some of the most fun as they are conducive to dangerous spots and the crowd just eats those up, resulting in a "this is awesome" chant that was well-deserved.
One spot in particular that was definitely something different was when all six men were battling it out on top of the ladders, showcasing a half dozen of the best performers in the company today.
As with most Money in the Bank matches, there was a section where every man looked like he had the potential to win, giving the fans spurts of anxiety and eruptions of cheers.
The odds-on favorite to win—Dean Ambrose—ended up victorious, which may not be what everyone was hoping would happen, but it definitely opens up some interesting possibilities.
For years, the WWE Universe has been clamoring for a triple threat match featuring all three members of The Shield, which is almost a certainty at this point.
That in itself should get fans pumped, as this wasn't just the match of the night, but could also be the start of something truly special with The Lunatic Fringe as Mr. Money in the Bank.
Highlight: WWE World Heavyweight Championship Match
7 of 7
To start off explaining why this was a highlight, it's easiest to address the elephant in the room: Seth Rollins and Dean Ambrose both ended up becoming new champions.
Fans who were desperate for a change, disliking the Roman Reigns title run, are obviously going to be super thrilled to see this happen, as are fans that had hoped Ambrose would eventually get that belt some day.
Before any of that happened, though, the match itself was rock solid with a multitude of false-finishes and a pattern of exchanges from start to finish that kept both Rollins and Reigns looking strong.
The indecisive victory is going to lend very well to the storyline that will turn into a triple threat with The Shield members all facing off against each other—something that the WWE Universe has wanted for a long, long time.
If this didn't make you jump out of your seat, what else were you hoping for?
Is there anything not listed here that you would constitute a highlight or a low point?
Tell us your thoughts in the comments below!
Anthony Mango is the owner of the wrestling website Smark Out Moment and the host of the podcast show Smack Talk on YouTube, iTunes and Stitcher. You can follow him on Facebook and elsewhere for more.
.jpg?w=600 "WWE Raw Results & Grades 🔠")
