WWE Money in the Bank 2016: Best Moments from Buildup to PPV Event

WWE Money in the Bank is almost upon us, and with two incredible main event matches on tap, it is one of the most anticipated events of 2016.

The build and hype for Sunday's event have featured some extraordinary moments, including shocking returns, heel turns and verbal spars that have left fans eagerly awaiting the annual pay-per-view extravaganza.

The events leading to John Cena vs. AJ Styles, Roman Reigns vs. Seth Rollins and the Money in the Bank ladder match have dominated headlines—and rightfully so. From the return of Rollins to the outstanding promo segments that saw Styles earn his place at the top of the company to the stellar in-ring product delivered by the six competitors taking part in Sunday's ladder match, WWE has provided a little bit of everything for fans to sink their teeth into ahead of the epic event.

Before the broadcast kicks off on the WWE Network, relive the finest moments and matches from the march to Money in the Bank and the impact they have had on the general excitement and anticipation surrounding the show.

Redesign, Rebuild and Reclaim

The return that was months in the making finally occurred at Extreme Rules, as Seth Rollins hit the ring after the WWE World Heavyweight Championship match, planting former tag team partner Roman Reigns with a Pedigree and re-establishing himself as the greatest threat to The Big Dog's status as "the guy."

It was not only a magical moment that popped the crowd, but it also was one that jump-started a rivalry originally intended to play out in the closing months of 2015.

The Pedigree instantly forced fans to forget Reigns had just defeated AJ Styles for a second consecutive pay-per-view main event and, at the same time, kicked off a month of strolls down memory lane between the former Shield members.

AJ Styles vs. Kevin Owens: Money in the Bank Qualifier

The first episode of Raw on the road to Money in the Bank was headlined by a qualifying match in which the winner would earn a spot in the event's namesake ladder match.

The Phenomenal One was fresh off another stellar performance against Roman Reigns for the WWE World Heavyweight Championship, and despite the loss 24 hours earlier at Extreme Rules, he was the favorite to win, which made Owens' clean win over the former No. 1 contender that much more surprising.

Owens planted Styles with the Pop-Up Powerbomb and cashed his ticket to the Money in the Bank ladder match while frustration set in for his opponent, triggering the shocking events fans would witness a week later.

A strong match that gave Owens a much-needed clean win over a bona fide main event star, this was the best of the Money in the Bank qualifying bouts.

A Low Blow for a Low Blow

At Extreme Rules, Baron Corbin avenged his Payback loss to Dolph Ziggler, beating the former world champion in a No Disqualification match following a blatant low blow and End of Days.

Just one week later, Ziggler challenged The Lone Wolf to a rare technical wrestling match, but he had no plans to take the former Arizona Cardinal to the mat with a front facelock or belly-to-back suplex. Instead, the bell rang and The Showoff delivered a good, old-fashioned kick to the nether regions.

Corbin crumpled to the mat while Ziggler grabbed hold of the mic, announcing he had been disqualified but that Corbin was still the loser.

The Ziggler-Corbin feud has overstayed its welcome. There is no denying that. This was the best moment of the entire program, though, and it re-established Ziggler as a cunning and even vengeful character. At a time when he has been underdeveloped by WWE Creative, it was a nice change of pace.

AJ Styles Turns Heel

The May 30 episode of Raw was built up as the night John Cena would return to WWE after months on the shelf following rotator cuff surgery. It was to be a homecoming of sorts—the return of one of the company's most renowned stars.

What should have been a moment of celebration turned into a nightmare, as AJ Styles, Karl Anderson and Luke Gallows perpetrated a three-on-one assault that left the former WWE champion in a heap.

For Styles, it was a moment in which frustration boiled over, leading to a heel turn few saw coming. Like a rabid pit bull, he relentlessly smashed his fist into Cena's face, drawing boos even from the snarkiest of wrestling fans.

"I did you a favor," Styles said as he left the ring for the last time, seemingly basking in the negativity sent his way by the WWE Universe. "You're welcome."

It was an unexpected turn of events, and it was greeted with an organic response. Styles was convincing, and Anderson and Gallows were great, supporting Styles up to a point before pulling The Club's leader away, helping him to reserve his energy for another day.

This set up the dream match that will serve as half of the double-header of main events at Money in the Bank.

The New Day, Enzo Amore and Big Cass Spar...Verbally

For the first time in what was an otherwise lethargic four-way tag team feud, The New Day came face-to-face with Enzo Amore and Big Cass in a promo that not only kicked off the June 13 episode of Raw, but also gave fans their first taste of the two charismatic babyface tandems verbally sparring.

Amore jokingly suggested he had his lips all over Xavier Woods' "girlfriend," Francesca, the trombone.

What was a grand battle of wits descended into a typical wrestling promo, interrupted by The Vaudevillains and The Club, but for that brief moment in time, fans were privy to a segment that allowed the most over teams in wrestling to entertain with their considerable comedic timing.

Most importantly, it drummed up interest for the Fatal 4-Way Tag Team Championships match at Money in the Bank.

Signing the Contract

The June 13 episode of Raw saw Cena and Styles sign the contract for their match at Money in the Bank. There were no sneak attacks, and no one was put through a table. Instead, it was a segment that involved two of the most recognizable stars in the industry cutting a promo that served as the final hype for their epic encounter.

Cena did an extraordinary job of putting over Styles' importance, going as far as to utter initials and names of other promotions, including Pro Wrestling Guerrilla and Ring of Honor. A week after he questionably discredited The Phenomenal One's credentials, Cena did more to build up Styles' star than anyone else had to that point.

Styles tore into his rival, claiming Cena would not have achieved the success he has had if The Phenomenal One had been in WWE for the 15 years prior to Money in the Bank—that he would be the face that runs the place, not Cena.

The segment ended with Styles signing the contract for a straight one-on-one match against Cena in which Anderson and Gallows are banned from ringside. "Your time is up; my time is now," Styles concluded, mocking his rival's theme song.

Sami Zayn vs. Cesaro: A Rivalry Renewed

One of the greatest rivalries in NXT history was renewed on the June 13 episode of Raw, as Sami Zayn squared off with Cesaro in a preview of the Money in the Bank ladder match.

Though they only had a handful of minutes to work with, the virtuoso in-ring performers gave fans unfamiliar with their work in the revolutionary brand a brief look at the magic they drum up when facing each other.

The reversals, near-falls and overall drama that permeated throughout the bout helped Zayn and Cesaro deliver the match of the night, all the while keeping the audience members on the edges of their seats.

Zayn would score the win, turning a routine sunset flip roll-up into a sunset powerbomb, picking up considerable momentum for himself.

Neither guy is a big favorite to emerge from Sunday's match with the briefcase, but that did not stop them from stealing Monday's show from an in-ring perspective and leaving fans wanting more.

Ambrose Asylum Featuring The Hounds of Justice

It was a Shield reunion of sorts as Roman Reigns and Seth Rollins joined The Ambrose Asylum on the June 13 episode of Raw, bringing together the three Hounds of Justice who once wreaked havoc in WWE. 

The segment not only provided fans with one last bit of hype for the WWE World Heavyweight Championship match at Money in the Bank, but it also teased them with the potential for a three-way war between the longtime friends-turned-enemies.

Dean Ambrose stirred the pot, planting the seeds for a potential cash-in among all the travels down memory road. He even hinted at the possibility he could turn the main event of Sunday's pay-per-view into a Triple Threat match. If he wins the Money in the Bank ladder match, that is.

Reigns vowed to show Rollins why he is the champion, but it was The Architect who promised to win back the championship and prove The Big Dog is incapable of beating him in a high-profile title bout.

Ambrose put an exclamation point on the segment, dropping fellow babyface Reigns with Dirty Deeds and staring at the briefcase overhead, making his vendetta with his former brothers as important as the championship war.

Promoting unpredictability while simultaneously playing off previous relationships is not something WWE Creative does regularly or particularly well. Watching them dig into the rich history of The Shield to fuel this segment, all the while creating questions about Ambrose's possible involvement in the upcoming title bout, was refreshing and a phenomenal way to round out the hype for Sunday's event.