WWE Money in the Bank 2016 Results: Winners, Grades, Reaction and Highlights

Where it mattered, WWE Money in the Bank 2016 delivered.

The pay-per-view's biggest bouts were all top-notch. The ladder match was a showcase of havoc, as expected. Roman Reigns and Seth Rollins ended in wild fashion. AJ Styles and John Cena did what just about everyone expected them to do—tear the house down.

Leading up to the PPV, WWE hailed the event as the best ever in the pay-per-view's history. Even with a number of subpar midcard bouts and some odd booking choices here and there, that statement didn't look like hyperbole by the end of the night.

Of course, there are plenty of performances and decisions to nitpick. Money in the Bank, though, deserves praise where it counts most.

The Golden Truth vs. Breezango (Pre-Show)

WWE aired a clip of Tyler Breeze and Fandango peeling their sunburned skin off each other.

Breezango then struggled throughout the match. Every shot from The Golden Truth left them writhing. The babyfaces' teamwork kept them in control.

Goldust hit Final Cut to score the win.

Result

The Golden Truth wins via pinfall.

Memorable Moments and Quotes

"They won't be shaving each other's backs anytime soon."—Byron Saxton on Breezango.

Grade

D

Analysis

This feud continues to grow more bizarre.

WWE went with a pure comedy match here, but the joke fell flat. The sunburned element was a silly surprise that would have been better off as comic relief on SmackDown rather than a pay-per-view.

This cements Breezango's status as court jesters. WWE clearly has no intentions of making that duo anything more than goofs at the bottom of the card.

The Lucha Dragons vs. The Dudley Boyz (Pre-Show)

Bubba Ray Dudley opened the matchup by barking at Kalisto and urging him to come at him. Kalisto and Sin Cara responded with fast-paced offense that had the heels reeling.

The Dudley Boyz regained control, though, and slowed the pace of the bout.

D-Von Dudley inadvertently hit his own partner. That led to a swing in momentum that ended in Sin Cara pinning Bubba Ray.

Result

The Lucha Dragons win via pinfall.

Memorable Moments and Quotes

Bubba Ray mocks Kalisto with a roll on the canvas.

The Lucha Dragons hit simultaneous tope con giros.

"Game of Thrones isn't the only show with flying dragons!"—Mauro Ranallo.

"I should rip your mask off!"—Bubba Ray.

The Dudley Boyz hit a Doomsday Device.

Grade

C+

Analysis

For a match WWE threw in just days before the pay-per-view, this was solid.

Bubba Ray is doing an outstanding job making his matches feel more significant than they actually are thanks to his passion and intensity. His disdain for The Lucha Dragons was among the clash's highlights.

The most intriguing element of the showdown was the collision between the heels. WWE may be teasing a split between the team. That would surely shake things up ahead of the upcoming brand draft.

Fatal 4-Way for Tag Team Championship

The New Day vs. Enzo Amore and Colin Cassady vs. Luke Gallows and Karl Anderson vs. The Vaudevillains

Amore and Cassaday kicked things off with their usual banter spiced up with a Las Vegas flair. The New Day followed up with additional trash talk, slinging insults to each of its foes.

No team gained control in the early going. Before long, a brawl broke out with every combatant involved. The Vaudevillains emerged from this chaos on top, beating on Kofi Kingston.

Cassady went on a tear that nearly earned him and his partner the win. Aiden English followed up with a near-victory himself. The Club hit its finisher, but the champs managed to eek out the win with Midnight Hour.

Result

The New Day wins via pinfall.

Memorable Moments and Quotes

"The Sin City saint, I got the meanest poker face in this place."—Amore.

Xavier Woods calls Amore "a broke-down Han Solo" and Cassady "a hairless Chewbacca."

Amore takes a nasty spill out of the ring thanks to Gallows holding the top rope down.

Cassady launches Amore off the top rope onto their opponents.

Big E deadlifts Anderson into the Big Ending.

Grade

B+

Analysis

A buzzing energy and a compelling merging of personalities made for a strong match to kick off the pay-per-view in earnest. 

The Club looked dominant and monstrous in spurts. The New Day came out looking resilient and crafty. This felt, though, like a setup for something bigger down the road, thanks largely to it being a touch short.

The Club is best suited to step into the No. 1 contender spot, with The New Day focusing on the heels en route to SummerSlam.

Dolph Ziggler vs. Baron Corbin

Dolph Ziggler tried to wrestle the bigger man to the mat, but Baron Corbin turned the match into a slugfest instead. The Lone Wolf bashed Ziggler with right hands and rapid-fire stomps.

Corbin dominated The Showoff for a long stretch. Ziggler rallied back, but his signature moves weren't enough to get the win.

After kicking out of a superkick, Corbin hit End of Days to finish off Ziggler.

Result

Corbin wins via pinfall.

Memorable Moments and Quotes

Corbin hops into the ring under the bottom rope and hits a big clothesline.

Crowds chants "Boring!"

"You got the big bruiser against the guy with the incredible heart."—John "Bradshaw" Layfield.

Corbin hits Ziggler with Deep Six on the floor outside the ring.

Grade

B

Analysis

This is just what this feud had been missing. After a pair of subpar contests between them during a rivalry that has been neglected too often, Corbin and Ziggler outdid their previous efforts.

Corbin looked great—explosive, focused, the kind of predator he needs to be.

Even so, the audience didn't seem engaged with the action. Blame a bad buildup, some fans preemptively deciding they don't like Corbin and this slower match following a more high-energy one.

Becky Lynch and Natalya vs. Charlotte and Dana Brooke

Becky Lynch and Natalya used seamless teamwork to stay on top as the match began. The heels turned things around with some double-team moves behind the referee's back.

Lynch was on fire until Brooke rammed her and Natalya into each other. Charlotte followed up with Natural Selection to end the bout. 

An angry Natalya attacked her own partner after the bell.

Result

Brooke and Charlotte win via pinfall.

Memorable Moments and Quotes

Lynch hits a springboard kick to both Brooke and Charlotte in the corner.

Natalya pounds Lynch into the canvas with forearms.

Grade

C-

Analysis

Given minimal time to work with, the women did their best to inject as much action and story as they could into it. Lynch was the most impressive of the bunch.

But this was the same kind of compact, truncated contest that has plagued the women's division.

The riff between Natalya and Lynch is far more interesting than the bout itself. Rather than extend their dragging rivalry with Charlotte, those two are set to collide in a feud with ample potential.

Sheamus vs. Apollo Crews

Apollo Crews matched Sheamus step-for-step until the bout moved outside the ring. The Celtic Warrior then pummeled his foe in methodical fashion.

It took some high-risk moves and impressive speed to change Crews' fortunes. After surviving Sheamus' violent response, Crews rolled up Sheamus with a surprise pin for the victory.

Result

Crews wins via pinfall.

Memorable Moments and Quotes

Crews suplexes Sheamus out of the ring, followed by a moonsault off the ring apron.

Sheamus hits White Noise from the top rope.

Grade

C+

Analysis

Sluggish action counteracted a smart result and a handful of eye-catching moments. Too much of the contest lacked energy.

Crews showed flashes of what he's capable of, and it's mighty exciting thinking ahead.

WWE is going to need to flesh out his character, though. Right now, he's just a guy with a great in-ring arsenal, but with little reason to care about it.

John Cena vs. AJ Styles

John Cena and AJ Styles soaked in the moment as the crowded chanted each man's name.

Once the bout began, they cautiously traded holds, feeling each other out. As the match morphed into a slugfest, Styles took control. He left Cena wobbly with a series of stinging strikes.

Styles remained on top, halting Cena's offense each time out, flustering his foe. The Phenomenal One survived the STF and escaped the Attitude Adjustment. 

Cena displayed resilience of his own, kicking out of the Styles Clash and countering a springboard 450.

After knocking out the referee by accident, Cena hit his finisher, but to no avail. That opened the door for The Club to pounce, ambushing the babyface and placing its ally atop Cena for the three-count.

Result

Styles wins via pinfall.

Memorable Moments and Quotes

"No city has ever hosted this matchup. Cena vs. Styles for the very first time."—Michael Cole.

Styles avoids crashing into the ring steps by hopping over them.

"Is this all he's got?"—Styles on Cena.

Styles misses a dive outside the ring, landing hard on the floor.

Styles kicks out of the Attitude Adjustment.

"Dream match! Styles and Cena. Vegas is electric!"—Cole.

Grade

A+

Analysis

A stellar performance by both Cena and Styles allowed the match to exceed the hype. The story of Styles matching Cena at every turn was excellent. The energy of the bout buzzed onscreen. 

Only the ending prevented it from being an A-plus-plus bout.

While the finish was clearly designed to set up a rematch or two, it made this clash feel a touch less significant. The dream match didn't have a dream climax. 

Fans angry about that result will be satiated by how tremendous Cena vs. Styles II will be.

Money in the Bank Ladder Match

Sami Zayn vs. Alberto Del Rio vs. Cesaro vs. Dean Ambrose vs. Chris Jericho vs. Kevin Owens

There was no wait for the match to descend into chaos. Within moments, men were slamming into ladders and diving out of the ring onto a mass of humanity.

Jericho pummeled Cesaro with a ladder. Ambrose followed up with metal-centered punishment of his own. Owens delivered a series of cannonballs to three opponents.

Del Rio went on a run, hurting a number of foes. But it didn't last. 

Jericho nearly claimed the Money in the Bank briefcase. Ambrose had a shot at it. Zayn's fingertips grazed the prize before Del Rio knocked him to the mat.

All six wrestlers brawled atop a ladder before they all knocked each other off. Ambrose slid back up with everyone hurt, nabbing the briefcase.

Result

Ambrose retrieves the Money in the Bank briefcase.

Memorable Moments and Quotes

Del Rio pins Zayn in the corner and then dropkicks a ladder into him.

Del Rio locked Cesaro in a cross armbreaker atop a ladder.

Cesaro swings Jericho into a ladder.

Owens hits a Frog Splash onto Ambrose as he lay across a ladder.

Zayn smashes Owens onto a ladder with a Michinoku Driver.

Owens powerbombs Zayn onto a propped-up ladder. 

"For Cesaro and Owens, it's wait until next year."—Michael Cole.

Grade

A

Analysis

As usual, this was an insane spot-fest. The Superstars put themselves through hell to tell this story. So even with this being a touch more telegraphed than normal, it was a hit.

The wrestlers all had moments to shine, with everyone from Del Rio to Cesaro gaining momentum despite the loss. 

Ambrose's win sets up a future Triple Threat match between his former Shield cohorts Roman Reigns and Seth Rollins. That's reason enough to have The Lunatic Fringe get the win. He's long been inches away from the top tier; this briefcase will allow him to finally get there.

Rusev vs. Titus O'Neil (United States Championship)

Credit: WWE.com

Titus O'Neil and Rusev crashed into each other outside to start things off. They then brawled in between the ropes, Rusev clubbing the challenger.

O'Neil held his own in the slugfest. His power moves earned him a number of near-falls. The Bulgarian Brute, though, overwhelmed him in the end.

The Accolade finished O'Neil off.

Result

Rusev wins via submission.

Memorable Moments and Quotes

Rusev slams O'Neil's face into the ring steps.

"Rusev wants to completely destroy the spirit of Titus O'Neil."—Byron Saxton.

Rusev follows a side kick to the head with a running superkick.

"You see your father over there? He's a loser?"—Rusev to O'Neil's kids.

Grade

B-

Analysis

A collision between two rhinos, O'Neil vs. Rusev had the difficult task of following two tremendous matches. They did well, crafting an intense battle, but this wasn't good enough that it will get much attention following Money in the Bank.

Rusev looked like a monster in the relatively short contest, which is something WWE needs to continue to tap into. It's the ideal role for him, and his steamrolling people would make a nice alternative to the stand back-and-forth match.

Roman Reigns vs. Seth Rollins (WWE World Heavyweight Championship)

Credit: WWE.com

Roman Reigns and Seth Rollins circled each other after the opening bell rang. The challenger outclassed the champ in the early going, using his speed to his advantage.

The Big Dog, though, slowed the match down. He showed increased aggression as he beat on Rollins. Reigns flung his opponent around outside the ring, stalking him while smirking.

Rollins fought back, fighting valiantly against the bigger man. He busted out his full arsenal, clearly not worried about his surgically repaired knee.

An errant spear into the guardrail had Reigns reeling with referees attending to him. In the tumult that followed, Reigns knocked out the referee, costing himself the win.

The Architect outlasted his old ally from The Shield, winning back the WWE title.

Dean Ambrose ran out to cash in his Money in the Bank. Moments later, Dirty Deeds earned Ambrose the championship.  

Result

Rollins wins via pinfall. 

Memorable Moments and Quotes

"You know what I am."—Reigns to Rollins.

Rollins slaps Reigns, inciting The Big Dog.

Reigns hits a Razor's Edge.

Rollins dives over the top rope onto Reigns.

Rollins follows a superplex with a Falcon Arrow.

Reigns crashes into the security barricade.

Rollins counters a spear with a Pedigree.

"He's looking at a ghost! A ghost of his past!"—Michael Cole on Rollins.

Grade

A

Analysis

While it didn't possess quite the electricity John Cena vs. AJ Styles did, Rollins and Reigns put on a hell of a show. 

Their chemistry was strong, the near-falls worked to perfection and the bout featured its fair share of memorable highlights. Its slow pacing, though, might have made it a bit of a disappointment had there not been so many surprises at the end.

Rollins winning was shocking enough. WWE pulling the trigger with Ambrose so quickly was even more so.

In what seemed to foreshadow a turn by both men, Reigns was heel-like in his approach, while Rollins played the resilient, gutsy role. Combine that with Ambrose's win and WWE left fans with plenty to look forward to. 

The main event reached enough of a climax to satisfy the audience while also delivering cliffhangers to keep folks hooked moving forward.