WWE Money in the Bank 2016 Results: Top Missed Opportunities with Show's Booking

WWE Money in the Bank 2016 delivered in its biggest spots. 

John Cena and AJ Styles put on a superb performance Sunday. The Money in the Bank ladder match highlighted the strengths of each of its combatants. Seth Rollins and Roman Reigns delivered a WrestleMania-worthy match.

But WWE made missteps throughout the night. The Fatal 4-Way for the Tag Team Championships seemed rushed, resulting in a series of botches that brought down the match. The number of feuds with little to no build dampened the pay-per-view atmosphere. 

Fans shouldn't blame the talent for these missed opportunities. Baron Corbin and Dolph Ziggler put on a tremendous match in service of a feud in which, once again, many fans didn't care to invest. Instead, WWE Creative shoulders the blame for not investing any effort in its non-main event talent. 

With a brand split just weeks away, some of WWE's issues may resolve themselves, such as allotting proper time for midcard Superstars to develop proper programs. However, the men and women in the ring are at the mercy of WWE Creative, which needs to view the separate Raw and SmackDown rosters as an opportunity to tell stories that haven't been told. 

WWE Money in the Bank 2016 gave the creative team its first chance at establishing that thread. On some levels, especially in the world title scene, it succeeded. Unfortunately, there were many missed opportunities along the way.

Here's a look at some of the more egregious ones. 

Stale Matches Watered Down Event

In the week leading up to Money in the Bank, a number of midcard matches were booked to help fill out the card. These matches—namely, Apollo Crews vs. Sheamus and Baron Corbin vs. Dolph Ziggler—were booked for the pre-show.

However, late Friday, WWE announced, per Mike Killam of WrestleZone that two additional matches would take place: The Lucha Dragons vs. The Dudley Boyz and The Golden Truth vs. Breezango, pushing the singles matches into the main pay-per-view.

Adding these matches brought the show down to a Raw or SmackDown level, especially since WWE bunched the night’s most anticipated matches (the Money in the Bank ladder match, John Cena vs. AJ Styles and the world title match) so close together.

Maybe WWE felt it needed the additional filler so its main event wouldn’t compete with Game 7 of the NBA Finals. But the result was a watered-down product, especially in the early going.

If WWE wanted to add matches, it could have at least given fans something new. A women’s match featuring Paige and/or another little-used yet beloved female star (we’ll get to her later) would have been immensely better than either of the two pre-show matches.

Another option: WWE Creative could have devoted more time to the tag team Fatal 4-Way. As mentioned in the introduction, the match was rushed and disjointed. With four stellar tag teams in one ring, it would have made sense to allot more than 12 minutes to showcase each duo, as reported by Internet Wrestling Database. 

Secondary Titles Took a Back Seat

Ever since Seth Rollins made his emphatic return to WWE at Extreme Rules, WWE has been laser-focused on the world title scene, whether it was the Rollins-Roman Reigns main event or the buildup to the MITB ladder match.

In fact, it spent so much time and effort on the world title chase that the company forgot it has two other singles titles. 

Rusev’s win against Titus O’Neil on Sunday night was not just anticlimactic—it was hollow. The lackluster build between the two Superstars didn't energize crowds on Raw or SmackDown over the previous weeks. It's not surprising that their match at Money in the Bank didn't deliver.

WWE needs to get fans invested in this feud if it plans to continue it. 

The added emphasis on the intercontinental title heading into Extreme Rules was electric, bringing together four of the best workers in the company. Since then, it's felt like the company isn't acknowledging the existence of the title. 

During the Money in the Bank broadcast, the IC title didn’t get even a passing mention. The Miz might be filming his new movie, but there’s no reason to forget the title or the champion. Even a short promo from the set of The Marine 5: Battleground would have reminded fans that the IC champ is watching to see how things unfold.

WWE could have gone a step further and introduced a new challenger to the mix, whether through a No. 1 Contender's match or even a backstage interview with another Superstar. Instead, the title remains floating in the ether, not relevant to anyone.

Both the United States Championship and the Intercontinental Championship scenes are in wrestling purgatory after WWE Money in the Bank 2016, and it will take something special to bring the energy back.

Hollow Victories All Around

While there were a number of big winners Sunday, some of those victors shouldn’t feel so triumphant.

Apollo Crews and Rusev walked out of T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas with wins but no clear direction. What’s worse is that they’re both likely to continue their meaningless feuds with Sheamus and Titus O’Neil, respectively, for weeks to come.

Neither Superstar has advanced past his current feud, which will hurt both men in the long run.

AJ Styles notched an impressive win against John Cena, but it came with an asterisk, as The Club was able to interfere and help The Phenomenal One capture the win.

It’s not disappointing that a heel used underhanded methods to win. However, WWE used a very lengthy contract-signing promo the previous week to set up this match as a one-on-one affair without any interference.

If that was the ending that had been planned all along, WWE would’ve been better served using the contract signing promo for the rematch. That way, Cena could get his victory, and the inevitable rubber match between the longtime pro wrestling could have meant more.

And finally, we have Seth Rollins. Not only did The Architect return and become the first Superstar to cleanly defeat Roman Reigns, but he carried the champion in a 20-plus-minute main event match after seven months away from the ring.

His reward? A briefcase to the head by Dean Ambrose.

WWE might have satisfied the vocal Internet Wrestling Community with Ambrose’s cash-in, but Rollins’ feats on Sunday night should have been more satisfying than a title reign shorter than The Rising Stars reboot. Ambrose could have cashed in on another night, allowing Rollins to have his moment at MITB.

A Banks Robbery

Did WWE forget it employs Sasha Banks, or is the speculation that Vince McMahon doesn’t trust the beloved Superstar true?

Another week has come and gone, and the former NXT women’s champion once again was MIA from WWE programming. Banks is a big reason for WWE’s original shift in attitude toward women’s wrestling. However, she’s been little more than a bit player since her promotion last summer.

WWE may be saving her, but for what? There’s nothing precluding WWE from utilizing her to set up the inevitable title match between her and Charlotte.

Since WrestleMania 32, WWE has completely dropped the ball when it comes to women’s wrestling. The women of WWE have been given so little time to hone their craft in front of the television cameras that the luster surrounding the Divas Revolution and the new women’s title has completely worn off.

Banks has been recovering from a concussion, which according to Dave Meltzer of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter has WWE CEO Vince McMahon concerned that the Superstar is injury-prone (h/t ProWrestling.com).

With Charlotte and Dana Brooke dispensing of Natalya and Becky Lynch at MITB, Sunday night would have been a perfect time to reintroduce Banks into the title scene. 

WWE instead devoted the time to a Natalya heel turn. While a welcome development, this is a plot twist that could have occurred the following night on Raw. Sasha's reintroduction happened on Raw, which made for good TV but was more forced than natural.

In this instance, WWE missed its window to make a huge splash in favor of a small ripple.