Predictions for John Cena After Loss vs. AJ Styles at WWE Money in the Bank 2016

For 15 years, pro wrestling's most avid fans fantasized who would win in a dream match between John Cena and AJ Styles, and at Sunday's WWE Money in the Bank 2016 pay-per-view, they finally received their answer.

The event featured several exhilarating, high-profile matchups, but Cena and Styles arguably stole the show with their epic encounter. Although momentum constantly shifted between the two competitors throughout the bout, Styles secured the victory via assistance from Luke Gallows and Karl Anderson.

Cena said last week on Raw that he wouldn't win if The Club were allowed to be at ringside, and as it turned out, he was right. Regardless of the interference, the record books will forever state that Styles beat Cena.

Granted, there was no reason why Styles couldn't have won the match by himself, similar to how Kevin Owens knocked off Cena in clean fashion at last year's Elimination Chamber event. But if nothing else, it set up the need for a rematch at next month's Battleground pay-per-view.

That said, fans have already started to speculate what's next for the leader of the Cenation coming off his humbling loss to Styles at Money in the Bank. It's safe to assume that their feud has merely just begun.

Less than 24 hours removed from Money in the Bank, the two once again engaged in a war of words on Monday's Raw, with Cena calling out Styles for his tainted victory. Styles and the rest of The Club instead offered him a disingenuous apology and proceeded to lay out Cena for the second straight night.

Of course, the segment all but confirmed that a second meeting between the two icons is inevitable. The rematch could come as soon as Battleground, with a potential rubber match occurring at SummerSlam.

However, it's possible the program will be cut short if the brand-split draft takes place on July 19 and Cena and Styles end up on separate brands, but for the fans' sake, they should stay on the same show to keep the momentum rolling through the summer.

As for Cena, the loss doesn't hinder his credibility in the slightest. Even had he lost decisively to Styles, his status as the self-proclaimed Face That Runs The Place wouldn't have changed. He has cemented himself as a main event player over the past decade.

Although Cena will presumably pick up the victory in the rematch come Battleground, it would be wise for WWE to break away from the tired formula of having him get his win so quickly. Rather, back-to-back wins for Styles would surely establish him as a viable threat to not only Cena but every other top-tier talent on the roster.

As discussed in an article earlier this month, Cena has done an exceptional job of evolving as a character over the course of his rivalry with Styles. It has been apparent for ages that some of Cena's best work has come against WWE's freshest faces, and his battles with the former standard-bearer for TNA have been no different.

Regardless of what his critics claim, his in-ring ability is above average, and his mic skills have only improved as well. His match against Styles at Money in the Bank has been among the best bouts of the year thus far, and their next several outings should be equally excellent.

Traditionally, Superstars have needed wins in order to ascend to the next level in WWE, or at the very least maintain their spots in the company. At this stage of his career, Cena actually benefits from losing, since it isn't something we see too often.

His loss to The Phenomenal One was the best thing that could have happened to him on Sunday night, because now he is more determined than ever to solidify his superiority over Styles.

Tying Ric Flair's record of 16 world championships and maybe even re-entering the United States Championship hunt will not be far from Cena's mind. But in the meantime, he is involved in a fantastic feud with Styles that has brought him back into the fold with a bang.

Graham Mirmina, aka Graham "GSM" Matthews, is a Digital Journalism major at Endicott College. Visit his website, Next Era Wrestling, and "like" his official Facebook page to continue the conversation on all things wrestling.

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