A Wellness policy violation by Roman Reigns (31-year-old Joe Anoa’i), who WWE has been pushing for years as the heir apparent for John Cena’s role as top star, has changed short-term plans for the company.
Tag: Money in the Bank
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WWE Money In The Bank & NJPW Dominion fan feedback
WWE Summerslam Feedback
– Roman might have great matches, but it’s impossible to care about his personal feuds, therefore, I don’t care about his matches.
– Thumbs up show!
– Best Match: Money In The Bank Ladder Match
– Worst Match: Women’s tag match
Brady Childs
– Thumbs up.
– Best match: Styles-Cena
– Worst match: divas tag
– This was a 3 match show, but the three were really well done. First hour and a half (plus pre-show) was almost filler, although the fatal 4-way was solid.
– Styles-Cena was first rate, made even better by the live crowd. “Money in the Bank” was strong as expected.
– Rollins-Reigns worked hard ; the Ambrose cash-in was well done, and gets the brief case out of the way.
– Enough of Ziggler-Corbin.
Mike Omansky
– Thumbs Up
– Best Match: Cena vs AJ
– Worst Match: goldust/truth vs breeze/fandango
– Great show, overrun didnt drag due to the excitement. Was shocked they had Rollins pin Reigns clean, storyline wise can say Reigns was injured but still pretty surprising as Ambrose could have cashed in during the match. Not complaining just again surprised. Crowd really went nuts for both title changes good vibe in the crowd.
– Cena and Styles was my pick for best match but the MITB and the main event really really delivered. Tag title 4 way was really good until it derailed with a lot of missed moves and other oddball stuff. Nothing offensive in the rest of the card except the opener which was a total waste especially with the long show why have it? Just save that for Raw.
– Did Reigns legit miss the gimmicked wall? How do they effectively delay the Shield three way until Summerslam as in storyline Reigns and Rollins BOTH should have automatic rematches. Of course they blew that up continuity wise before (after mania 31 reigns and brock, and after mania 30 Orton so it comes and goes) but its easy to book. If you take that route, what happens at Battleground…unless thats a Smackdown only PPV? Its just a “big money” match and would want it saved for one of the big 3 and set up correctly.
– Hope Del Rio is okay. Been said many times before but man do they waste him. The spot with him and Cesaro in the submission hold was pretty cringeworthy in that it took me out of the match worrying about any false move having them both in a terrible position.
Michael O’Brien | Brockton, MA
– WWE Money in the Bank: Thumbs Up
– Best Match: MITB Ladder Match
– Worst Match: Golden Truth vs. Breezango
– Preshow started poorly with the unwanted feud between comedy duos. I kind of hope these guys are all separated during the draft. Dudley Boyz vs. Lucha Dragons was decent. A standard TV match. Dudley’s seem like they are just around to fill space at this point.
– Tag Team Titles four way kicks off the main show with a pretty entertaining match even if it seemed like they forgot what was going on at the end. Not sure the legal man was even in the ring for the finish. New Day retains so I guess they will probably break the London/Kendrick record. They should have those two guys come back at least for one match to work against New Day.
– Baron Corbin once again beats Dolph Ziggler. It was a clean finish so I hope that finally puts this feud to rest. These two also need to not be on the same brand when they do the draft.
– Womens Tag Match was alright. They need to mix up the women as far as feuds go. I guess that’s why Natalya turned on Becky. That was the best thing here and Natalya looked pretty fired up on her heel turn which at least made it look good. Why the women aren’t booked like the men in a sense that there can be multiple feuds going at once instead of just whoever is working with Charlotte is beyond me. Paige should be in a program as well. She is being wasted.
– Apollo Crews wins over Sheamus, but not the right way. Why did they bring Crews up from NXT? They have no idea what to do with him. I guess this program will continue for no reason. I like Crews, but they need to find a purpose for him.
– So far the show is most certainly not the greatest Money in the Bank in history, but the second half is going to save this show.
– Great match with Styles vs. Cena. Styles wins which he needed even though he got the outside help, but obviously they will be meeting again. Best thing by far on this show so far and so far Styles has not disappointed since being in WWE.
– Money in the Bank was another great one. Very entertaining from start to finish with six top talents. I had it down to Ambrose and Owens as I’m sure most did. Ambrose wins to set up a Shield three way.
– Rusev vs. Titus was fine, but again probably a place holder to give Rusev a win. This feud doesn’t need to continue. Better than the house show match last night in L.A. Not sure why they added the two original pre show matches to the main show because now it appears we are going long.
– Great main even with Rollins and Reigns. That Pedigree out of nowhere was great and should have been the finish. Was actually shocked that they had Roman lose here. Question is will they actually turn him heel now? Wait here comes Dean. Ambrose cashes in on Rollins and Dean becomes the final Shield member to win the TItle. Looks like we are getting the Shield triple threat match next month or Summer Slam.
Robb Block
NJPW Dominon Feedback
– Was there live with about osaka crowd. Best match was Elgin v Omega for the car crash spectacle. Nasty bumps, hard work and the crowd exploded at the end. Naito and Okay was a close second for their hot finish.
– Worst Match was GOD versus Briscos whom few knew it cared for. Polite reception to the title change. Given their next challengers, I’d say it’s best to merge the tag divisions soon.
Fun match. Sitting for 4 hours was trying but satisfying!
Alvin Lim
Hello. I would go thumbs in the middle on the show. My biggest question/concern is why Naito dropped the belt after 2 months. He was one of, if not the most over guy when he came to the States. Wasn’t he also drawing pretty well in Japan too? Los Ingobernables also seemed to be eclipsing Bullet Club in popularity. I didn’t expect him to hold it all the way to Jan. 4th, but if he was doing good business, why not go with Naito for 8 months? I like Okada, but from a business perspective, Naito seemed like the better choice. Maybe I’m wrong. With G1 approaching as well, having Naito win the briefcase seems counter productive. The ladder match was fine, would have been better with Tanahashi, but was still pretty decent. The Young Bucks didn’t need that win in my opinion, but the 4 way tags are meaningless to me because they’ve been done so much. Everything else was OK. Thumbs middle.
Andy Henningsen
Thumbs completely middle. It was a great show in terms of match quality (Ospreay/KUSHIDA, Shibata/Nagata, and Elgin/Omega were all amazing), and both the conclusion to the NEVER match and the ladder match in front of fans who didn’t know what to expect were amazing moments to take in. However, the main event disappointed me tremendously. I may have just been worn out by that point, but I didn’t feel like the match ever properly kicked into its final gear. I was also left kind of depressed to see Los Ingobernables de Japon lose all their matches to CHAOS, and Naito’s title reign cut short when it was such a breath of fresh air. I know he’ll likely win the G1, but it won’t be the same. So while the matches were great, it didn’t leave me excited for the future.
– Best Match: Elgin vs. Omega
– Worst Match: The Briscoe Brothers vs. G.O.D.
Ashley from NJ
– Thumbs up
– Best match: Kenny Omega vs. Michael Elgin
– Worst match: Guerrillas of Destiny vs. Briscoe Brothers
– A very solid show where every match was entertaining, especially the Ladder match and the NEVER Title match. My only complaint is that several of the rematches failed to live up to their last meetings (main event, jr title, jr tag titles and Goto/EVIL) so they were less intense by comparison but they were still fun matches. Most importantly: YOSHI-HASHI finally got a big show win, so I’m a happy man.
Nick Randall
– Best match: Ladder match.
– Worst match: Goto vs Evil (didn’t count the Jay white send off as it was pre show)
– I honestly didn’t enjoy this show as much as I thought I would. It felt like to me they undid all the work they did building Los ingornables over the past 3 months. Naito vs okada seemed rushed and it’s obvious Gedo is playing it safe heading into the G1 with okada champion once again.
– Thumbs up for most of the show.
Kellen Barrett
– Thumbs Up
– Best Match: Okada v. Naito
– Dominion followed the trend of NJPW closing out its big shows with three excellent matches. Omega v. Elgin or Nagata v. Shibata could be easily seen as the best match of the night. Beyond an awesome night of wrestling, the big take away might be New Japan Pro Wrestling booking a ladder match for the first time and putting such an awesome, inventive match around the gimmick.
NJPW had a good bit of production to go along with the show tonight. The opening video package looked and sounded excellent. The comedic ladder match introduction also hit its mark.
Casey Goldman
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WWE Money In The Bank live results: Roman Reigns vs. Seth Rollins; AJ Styles vs. John Cena
WWE’s Money In The Bank is set for Sunday night in the brand-new T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, NV, featuring the resuming of a heated rivalry in the main event, a strong MITB match, and two true wrestling superstars hooking it up for the very first time.
After the event, send your thoughts on both this show and on New Japan Dominion, with a thumbs up, thumbs down or thumbs in the middle along with a best and worst match to dave@wrestlingobserver.com.
This is the seventh MITB show in company history, and the first in Vegas. Last year saw Rollins as WWE Champion in the main event, successfully defending his belt against Dean Ambrose in a ladder match.
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GOLDUST & R-TRUTH VS. TYLER BREEZE & FANDANGO
So the deal was Breeze & Fandango were in the tanning bed, but R-Truth and Goldust messed with them so they were all blistered and peeling from a horrible sunburn. Every time any part of their body was touched, they yelled and screamed in pain. This made for a nothing match as that kind of comedy either works or doesn’t. In this case, there was no crowd reaction. Goldust pinned Fandango with the final cut. This was short with nothing to it.
DUDLEYS VS. LUCHA DRAGONS
A lot better than their first match. Dragons won when Kalisto used the Salida del Sol on Bubba, and Sin Cara came off the top rope with a senton onto Bubba. The match was fine and just a normal match. The highlight saw the Lucha Dragons do a double running flip dive.
WWE TAG TEAM CHAMPIONS THE NEW DAY VS. ENZO & CASS VS. VAUDEVILLAINS VS. LUKE GALLOWS & KARL ANDERSON — FATAL FOUR WAY
There were lots of near falls that got the crowd into it, but at times, the execution was rough. Final sequence was Gallows/Anderson hitting the Magic Killer on English, but Big E picked up Anderson during the pinfall attempt into a powerslam position. Gallows stared at this for what felt like 5 minutes waiting for Big Cass to get in the ring to clothesline him out. Kingston came off the top on a double team and New Day got the pin and win on Gallows.
– Kevin Owens did an interview and said his mom told him he is special. Chris Jericho came out and made fun of Owens having a chipped tooth. Jericho, sporting a black left eye, talked about creating the Money in the Bank match. Owens and Jericho argued back-and-forth until Alberto Del Rio came out. Owens made fun of him speaking Spanish. Owens said how Jericho and Del Rio say the same thing in every interview. Owens made fun of Del Rio calling everyone Perros every week. This segment was hilarious.
DOLPH ZIGGLER VS. BARON CORBIN
Match went too long and the crowd kind of lost interest. There were boring chants at one point. Corbin just doesn’t show much of anything and people aren’t that into him. The feud has done Ziggler no favors. The finish saw Ziggler on the top rope, but Corbin tripped him and he fell on the top turnbuckle. Corbin won clean with the End of Days, and the announcers indicated the feud was over.
WWE WOMEN’S CHAMPION CHARLOTTE & DANA BROOKE VS. NATALYA & BECKY LYNCH
The early matches went long as they were light of time. Most of the match was working over Natalya. Natlaya had Charlotte in the Sharpshooter, Brooke made the save, and threw Lynch into Natalya. Charlotte used Natural Selection on Natalya for the pin. Natalya went heel post-match, turning on Lynch for costing her the match and beating her down.
Dean Ambrose did an interview, and was asked about Rollins vs. Reigns. He said Roman is going to have a good time beating up Seth because beating up Seth is fun.
SHEAMUS VS. APOLLO CREWS
Crews won, but the story was it was a fluke. Sheamus had him pinned with the White Noise off the middle rope, but Crews kicked out. Sheamus started yelling at the ref, and Crews pinned him with a crucifix. This was the kind of a finish that made you think it’s just the beginning between these two. The match was solid, Crews got the crowd behind him by the end, and looked good. One notable spot was Crews doing a moonsault off the apron with a splash onto the floor.
JOHN CENA VS. A.J. STYLES
Excellent match. The story was that Styles was the better wrestler than Cena, beating him at every turn but that he couldn’t finish him. Cena kicked out of the Styles Clash, and Styles kicked out of the Attitude Adjustment. They also both made the ropes on the STF by Cena and Calf Crusher by Styles. Styles never used the forearm and Cena got his knees up on a springboard 450. The finish saw Cena have Styles up for the Attitude Adjustment, but the ref went down and out of the ring. Cena hit the move but there was no ref to count. Anderson and Gallows came out and used the Magic Killer on Cena, and Styles got the pin. The story is that Gallows & Anderson interfered on their own and that Styles didn’t know they were doing it. JBL was going crazy saying how they ruined his dream match.
MONEY IN THE BANK LADDER MATCH: DEAN AMBROSE, CHRIS JERICHO, ALBERTO DEL RIO, SAMI ZAYN, CESARO, KEVIN OWENS
Another excellent match with tons of spots involving ladder bumps. Cesaro, in particular, took all kinds of crazy bumps. Everyone did their finishes and took big ladder bumps, but there was nothing really insane like used to be the case in these matches. Everyone took big moves, and Owens took out Zayn with a power bomb on the ladder. Ambrose took out Jericho and climbed up to win.
US CHAMPION RUSEV VS. TITUS O’NEIL
This was in the death spot and they really had no chance with the crowd. They worked hard in a physical match. O’Neil got some offense and near falls before Rusev used a high kick, a superkick and the Accolade for the submission.
Rusev then went up to O’Neil’s kids at ringside, told them that their father was a loser and said “Happy Father’s Day.”
WWE CHAMPION ROMAN REIGNS VS. SETH ROLLINS
The match was flat at times because it went so long. People just weren’t into Reigns at all and Rollins was more popular but not that over as a face either. The match itself was very good in the sense they went 26 minutes and it well. By the end, the crowd was into it. Reigns missed a spear and crashed into the barricade and was injured. He tried a pedigree but Reigns drove him into the ref who went down. Reigns hit the spear but Mike Chioda was down and hesitated which enabled Rolins to kick out. He went for a second spear but Rollins turned it into a pedigree and Reigns kicked out. Rollins got the pin after a second pedigree to regain the WWE title.
Then, Ambrose’s music hit and out he came with the MITB briefcase. He cashed it in, the match started, Ambrose hit Dirty Deeds, and eight seconds later, Ambrose was your new WWE Champion.
Hear Bryan Alvarez and I recap the show and more on the newest edition of Wrestling Observer Radio.
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WWE Money in the Bank: Picks & predictions for Reigns vs. Rollins, Cena vs. AJ
It’s time once again for a briefcase to be put on a run as WWE’s Money in the Bank event is upon us!
The big story over the last month? Well, six guys are having a ladder match, and the winner gets the briefcase. That’s essentially the story. Meanwhile, Stephanie and Shane McMahon are bickering over the upcoming brand split and have no real idea what they’re doing or what they are going to do when the time comes. But hey, John Cena and AJ Styles have had a hot start to their feud! After turning on Cena in a swerve, Styles looks to bring his A-game against Cena, who considers himself the measuring stick of WWE. Will Styles prevail in this first-ever encounter, or will Cena overcome the odds as usual?
We also have a big main event as a returning Seth Rollins looks to take the title he never lost when he faces champion Roman Reigns. Rollins won’t go down without a fight, and neither will Regins. Will we see a decisive conclusion, or is this just the begining of a long program?
Current Scoreboard
- Kyle S. Johnson (Wrestling columnist) (27 points)
- Steve Khan (WWE Smackdown reporter) (26 points)
- Alan O’Brien (WWE RAW Hits & Misses columnist) (26 points)
- Bryan Rose (New Japan Pro Wrestling reporter) (23 points)
- James Cox (WWE Superstars reporter & WWE DVD reviewer) (22 points)
- Gary Mehaffy (Interviewer/Columnist) (16 points)
- Karl Stern (DragonKingKarl Classic Wrestling Audio Show) (13 points)
- Dan “Peach Machine” Velten (Astronaut Florist) (10 points)
- Brian Hoops (Daily Pro Wrestling History) (9 points)
- Jeremy Peeples (Lucha Underground reporter) (7 points)
- Ryan Frederick (UFC reporter) (new to contest)
Dolph Ziggler vs. Baron Corbin
Bryan Rose: Is there even one person out there who remotely cares about this match? The blow off should have been two months ago but we’re still getting matches. Why? What did we do to deserve this?
Winner: Baron Corbin
Alan O’Brien: As Bryan says above, there is no rationale whatsoever for this match’s existence. None. One meaningless pre-show match is enough, thanks. Corbin to win by non-Roshambo means.
Winner: Baron Corbin
James Cox: There is very little to be excited about here. Ziggler won last month at Extreme Rules, so 50/50 booking says Corbin goes over.
Winner: Baron Corbin
Jeremy Peeples: This is a feud over basically nothing and it refuses to end. Dolph got the better of Baron via a low-blow on Raw, so I’ll give Baron the win here since he should get revenge and he’s taller.
Winner: Baron Corbin
Peach Machine: Corbin by second round submission. Head and arm choke.
Winner Corbin
Steve Khan: I could see Ziggler winning since both Rusev and Miz could need opponents soon, but the last thing that happened with these two was Ziggler kicking Corbin in the nuts, so…
Winner: Baron Corbin
Kyle S. Johnson: Hey, this match is happening! It really, really should not be happening, but it is. Corbin would probably have been better off to win the Andre the Giant Memorial Battle Royal, disappear back to NXT for a few months with the trophy, and then reemerge during the draft with some actual purpose. Instead, he’ll get another somehow-even-more meaningless win over Ziggler, and hopefully (HOPEFULLY) get shuffled off into another feud.
Winner: Baron Corbin
Ryan Frederick: I’m probably in the minority in liking Baron Corbin but this feud has done nothing for him. He should get the win in a blow off to the feud as Dolph’s role should be to put him over.
Winner: Baron Corbin
Brian Hoops: If they ever plan on doing anything with Corbin, he absolutely has to win and move on to another feud. He needs a clean and decisive win.
Winner: Baron Corbin
Apollo Crews vs. Sheamus
Bryan Rose: Crews is another example of being called up because you have a good look, but beyond that creative has nothing for you. I think this should be fine, as Sheamus is a good worker and Crews has tons of potential as a worker, but who knows if they will even be given enough time to showcase that. Let’s give Crews the first win just because.
Winner: Apollo Crews
Alan O’Brien: Crews has schlepped around on the C-shows since Wrestlemania, spinning his smiley wheels against the flotsam and jetsam of the WWE roster. I seriously doubt that Vince will allow this guy, looking the way he does, to lose his first serious (-ish) match. Especially on the pre-show, where babyfaces usually go over.
Winner: Apollo Crews
James Cox: Although Crews ought to win here and Sheamus in mid-card hell, I think they’ll go with Crews. But Crew needs to extend his move-set and they need to do something with him fast.
Winner: Apollo Crews
Jeremy Peeples: It’s another feud that hasn’t really been built up well. They’ve done a bit on Raw with Sheamus as a bully who is afraid of Crews, but haven’t made anything personal. Sheamus began the year as WWE Champion and now he’s in what feels like a pre-show feud – so he should win this to regain something resembling momentum, but Crews also shouldn’t be losing programs right now.
Winner: Sheamus
Peach Machine: I just recently watched the first four Rocky movies, and as I recall, Apollo Creed never lost a match and nothing bad ever happened to him, which makes this a no brainer.
WInner: Apollo Crews
Steve Khan: This could go the way of Ziggler/Corbin, with Sheamus getting the first win for no reason. Crews humiliated Sheamus last time they were on TV, but I’ll still go with Crews.
Winner: Apollo Crews
Kyle S. Johnson: The only reason for this feud seems to be realizing the idea that throwing these two together for a bit showcases Apollo on a PPV (or before it, anyway) with a guy who is pretty well established and gives him a win over a former world champion. I don’t really have much of an expectation for the quality of this match, but I expect Apollo to win clean and hope that this feud is more of a launching pad for Apollo and less the seemingly endless mid-card nothing crawl that Ziggler vs. Corbin has become.
Winner: Apollo Crews
Ryan Frederick: They’re finally doing something with Apollo Crews and Sheamus is a good place to start. Sheamus is in a place of going nowhere and Crews should be built up for something bigger. Here’s hoping they can have a solid match, and Crews shouldn’t be losing right now.
Winner: Apollo Crews
Brian Hoops: Sheamus’ best days are past and Crews is getting his first major feud on the main roster. It would be complete insanity to beat him now, which may happen, but shouldn’t.
Winner Apollo Crews
United States Championship: Rusev (c) vs. Titus O’Neil
Bryan Rose: I like O’Neal as a talker, and he’s always doing good things in public which is nice. I’m really sure he is father of the year, for all I know. But in the ring, he’s not much, and that is putting it lightly. There might be some chemistry here I’m unaware of, but beyond that I’m not expecting much, and since Rusev has more upside as a wrestling talent, he should probably get the win here.
Winner: Rusev
Alan O’Brien: This is just a title defence for Rusev. The build up has been so paint-by-numbers that it’s plainly obvious how little they care about Titus. That makes two of us.
Winner: Rusev
James Cox: Rusev to win in what is a very weak match for a ppv. If they really wanted to pull the trigger on Titus O’Neil they would have done it by now – he’s 39.
Winner: Rusev
Jeremy Peeples: It’s good to see Titus involved in a title program right after his suspension. However, he doesn’t have any momentum as a singles act and his limitations stand out more in one on one matches. This should be a short powerhouse vs. powerhouse match, and Rusev should go over clearly.
Winner: Rusev
Peach Machine: You don’t take the steam off of Rusev right now, and certainly not with the Real Deal Dad of the Year.
Winner: Rusev
Steve Khan: I really doubt O’Neil wins the title. I could see Rusev getting himself DQ’d and they do this again later.
Winner: Titus O’Neil (Rusev retains)
Kyle S. Johnson: Rusev is probably one of the three or four best things going on the main roster right now, and taking the belt off of him a month after winning it to put it on dead-in-the-water Titus O’Neil makes no sense — even if they think they’ll get some kind of pub for putting it on the Mega Dad of the Year. Of course, they could do it, if only because it’s been shown for the past several months that WWE really has no idea what to do with the U.S. Championship when it is around the waist of anyone not named John Cena. I’m just really going to hope that they do not, because with the brand split imminent, building Rusev up as a monster and having him rejuvenate that title sure sounds like a ball to run with.
Winner: Rusev
Ryan Frederick: Rusev is entertaining and should be hot for the brand split as he can be an effective top heel if creative plays their cards right. Nice to see Titus getting some TV and PPV time but he really shouldn’t have a title around his waist. Keep this short and put Rusev over strong.
Winner: Rusev
Brian Hoops: How cool of a story would it be to have the “father of the year” win the title on Father’s Day? For that reason, Rusev retains the title. WWE would never do that simple and awesome storyline, they have to be cute and creative.
Winner: Rusev
WWE Women’s Champion Charlotte and Dana Brooke vs. Natalya and Becky Lynch
Bryan Rose: I dunno. They’re already teasing dissention between Brooke and Charlotte about a month into their partnership. I mean, yeah, this might be a case of bait and switch, but can you save that angle a few months down the road? I think this is all placeholder until they start the Banks stuff, but in the meantime I guess Natty and Lynch should get the win, and maybe build to a Lynch/Charlotte match at the July PPV? I dunno, wishful thinking.
Winner: Natalya and Becky Lynch
Alan O’Brien: Very difficult to call. I think the likeliest outcome is a heel victory with Charlotte nipping in to take the pinfall from Dana. Hard to see the babyfaces go over, as neither is being heated up for a Summerslam tilt at the belt.
Winner: Charlotte and Dana Brooke
James Cox: Honestly, I haven’t been following this one. They can beat Charlotte and it won’t matter because she’s in a tag match, but I think She and Dana aren’t breaking up, despite the tease on Monday.
Winner: Charlotte and Dana Brooke
Jeremy Peeples: Three weeks into the partnership, they’re teasing issues between Dana and Charlotte – so I think the faces win here when Charlotte is either distracted or has plausible deniability for an injury and Dana drops the fall.
Winners: Natalya and Becky Lynch
Peach Machine: Charlotte has won a match in the last 11 PPV’s and they pointed that out last time. I think they want that to be Charlotte’s “16 time…”.
Winner Char-dawg & Dana
Steve Khan: I’m guessing this is leading to a 3-way at the next PPV, whatever that is, so the babyface team should win.
Winner: Natalya & Becky Lynch
Kyle S. Johnson: Why they are angling to build tension between Dana and Charlotte just a month into their alliance, one can only guess. (I would blame ineptitude, first and foremost.) If the plan is to slot in Becky as a holdover challenger until Summerslam (where one can only presume Sasha will be rolled out as the top contender), it would make sense for her to get the pin here over Charlotte after Dana makes some match-ending mistake. Still,
Ryan Frederick: Unfortunately it seems like this match is to build up a split between Charlotte and Dana, and that is a wrong move to make if there ever was one. Dana doesn’t deserve the spot opposite Charlotte but it seems we are going that direction. I sense issues will be teased but they will end up getting the win.
Winners: Charlotte and Dana Brooke
Brian Hoops: Way too early to break up Charlotte and Dana Brooke and they just teased this same storyline with Styles and the Club. It would be perfect since to have the champion pinned in a tag match to build up a singles challenger. Probably why it won’t happen.
Winners: Natalya and Becky Lynch
WWE Tag Team Championship: The New Day (c) vs. Karl Anderson and Luke Gallows vs. Enzo Amore and Big Cass vs. The Vaudevillans
Bryan Rose: I think New Day retains and breaks the tag team title record. They’ve been the most popular tag team in years here in the WWE so it only makes since. I don’t see Vaudevillans winning and while eventually Amore and Cass should get the titles, I don’t see it happening. They could put them on Anderson and Gallows, but I think that’s the next tag team title program for New Day anyway so it should last another month at least.
Winner: New Day
Alan O’Brien: Vaudevillains are not going over, and they’ll want to save Enzo and Cass’ big title win for a singles feud. I can easily see New Day retaining, but I think it’s more likely that The Club will succeed with their first shot at the gold.
Winner: Anderson and Gallows
James Cox: Feels like we should have a shake up here, but I still The New Day win here. A babyface win is important looking at this card.
Winner: The New Day
Jeremy Peeples: They’ve been pushing the near record-setting reign of the New Day on commentary, which is usually a bad sign. They have three teams in this that probably shouldn’t lose, and the Vaudevillains. The New Day should win just to keep things stable until the draft, but I could see The Club winning just to go them some momentum. If they make a second set of tag titles, they can just give The Club one of them – so I’ll go with New Day retaining here.
Winners: The New Day
Peach Machine: I think the New Day has long since jumped the shark. Get the belts off those clowns.
Winner: The New Day, because that’s how they book.
Steve Khan: New Day have had the titles so long, losing in a 4-way would be lame. Gallows & Anderson can certainly win to build momentum for the Club, but I see New Day getting the fall over the Vaudevillains.
Winner: The New Day
Kyle S. Johnson: A four-team match that includes an obvious fall team seems like a great opportunity to make a title switch. The New Day do not need the belts to stay over, and I can’t help but shake the feeling that Cass is going to wind up going to singles well before he and Enzo reach their shelf life as a tag team. Anderson and Gallows, on the other hand, could probably really use a dominant championship run to prove the mettle of The Club as a force to be reckoned with. I’ll go with Guns and Gallows getting the belts after stealing a pin away from one of the babyface teams.
Winner: Anderson and Gallows
Ryan Frederick: I would like to see them switch the belts and have New Day chase to freshen up the act just a little, give them something to fight for. The fact they’ve been pushing the length of the reign isn’t a good sign. The question is who to give it to if they are switching. Enzo & Cass is a great act and the titles could benefit them, but I think putting them around Anderson and Gallows would be the right move in getting them over with AJ as the top heel act. I expect a fun match.
Winners: Karl Anderson & Luke Gallows
Brian Hoops: The New Day act has run its course. Lots of ways they could go here with a 4 way, but I look for Anderson & Gallows to win the belts with Vaudevillians getting pinned. Would freshen things up if Anderson and Gallows take the titles with programs with New Day and Usos, who can claim previous victories over the new champions.
Winners: Anderson & Gallows
AJ Styles vs. John Cena
Bryan Rose: Hmm, very interesting. Cena shouldn’t win the first bout. I mean if we’re going to have the usual Cena feud, he should at least lose the first match and win the other two. As far as the match goes, Styles is one of the best in the planet and Cena works his butt off. Should be great.
Winner: AJ Styles
Alan O’Brien: AJ’s self-inflicted banning of his buddies from ringside is a red herring. He needs a big win, and getting it on his own will make it all the more significant. Sure, Cena will win the next two, a la the Owens feud, but hey, I’ll take it.
Winner: AJ Styles
James Cox: This will be match of the night. Despite all the rhetoric about AJ Styles being a big deal in the company, he’s clearly only a big deal when it suits them, otherwise they wouldn’t have had him lose so much. Cena to win; they’re not in the habit of beating him on ppv.
Winner: John Cena
Jeremy Peeples: This has been the best-built program of the entire PPV. AJ has been cutting the best promos of his career and is seemingly getting out any bitterness he might have had over the years at the same time. Cena has been putting AJ over huge as well, and I can see AJ winning this one to set up a bigger match at Summerslam that Cena wins.
Winner: AJ Styles
Peach Machine: Gotta be Cena. Vince isn’t gonna put his top guy under while his supposed top guy is floundering at best.
Winner: Cena
Steve Khan: The Club might not be there, but Styles can still cheat to win. I can see John Cena winning because he’s John Cena, but Styles badly needs a big win.
Winner: AJ Styles
Kyle S. Johnson: AJ has lost three straight PPV matches, and with so much of the (excellent, excellent) build for this match being about him needing to get it done here, I cannot fathom an outcome that does not see him beating John Cena. Cena can get his win back down the line (probably even as soon as next month, given the way things tend to go), but AJ needs to win here to make him a credible main-event-caliber guy for one of the two shows moving forward. This should be a superb match, and I expect that AJ gets it done — whether it is cleanly, by nefarious means, or with the help of a former ally not named Doc or Karl.
Winner: AJ Styles
Ryan Frederick: Anything other than a win by Styles here is the wrong move. Cena doesn’t need it and Styles is arguably the biggest star in the company at this moment. He is also arguably the best wrestler in the world. I am looking forward to this one as Styles always shows up and Cena is great with top workers. This could be a classic if given time and the crowd should be hot.
Winner: AJ Styles
Brian Hoops: For the sake of AJ Styles career, he has to win over Cena here. He lost in the Rumble (Cena promo), got beat by Kevin Owens and lost last PPV matches to Jericho and Reigns twice. Another loss here makes him just like everyone else in the WWE. A loss for Cena wont hurt him and they can build the feud to culminate later this summer.
Winner: AJ Styles
Money in the Bank Ladder Match: Sami Zayn vs. Cesaro vs. Chris Jericho vs. Dean Ambrose vs. Alberto del Rio vs. Kevin Owens
Bryan Rose: This could go to anyone. If I had to pick who would benefit more with the briefcase, probably Owens as he’s the guy with the most potential as a future WWE champion. Ambrose is also another possibility, anyone else I just don’t see it happening (Cesaro, Zayn) or sounds lame (Jericho, del Rio). Should be a great match regardless of who wins.
Winner: Kevin Owens
Alan O’Brien: Owens is the guy. The briefcase is a heel gimmick, and who better to attach it to than the best on the roster.
Winner: Kevin Owens
James Cox: Everything says it ought to be Owens, but it really is a match anyone could win. I’m sticking my neck out, but ultimately it should go to heel and I think we might be about to see them re-launch Alberto Del Rio. Orton could return, take a seventh spot and win, but I don’t know if he’s ready.
Winner: Alberto Del Rio
Jeremy Peeples: Owens has been dropping a lot of falls, but would make a fantastic challenger for Roman Reigns – so I’ll go with him winning here.
Winner: Kevin Owens
Peach Machine: Owens. No doubt.
Winner: Vin Owens
Steve Khan: They could throw us a curveball like they have in ths most, but this match is far too important. It comes down to Ambrose and Owens, and given the way they’ve booked the past few weeks, Owens looks like the leading candidate. I’ll play it safe and go with Owens, who’s perfect for this gimmick.
Winner: Kevin Owens
Kyle S. Johnson: This is Owens’ match to win. Cesaro, Sami, or Dean would be reasonable dark horse picks, and putting the briefcase with Del Rio or Jericho would be a mistake. Owens will win and, one can only hope, be treated as one of the company’s top heels thereafter.
Winner: Kevin Owens
Ryan Frederick: Kevin Owens is ready to be the top heel in the company, and he should get the briefcase. I can only really see Jericho as the only other option as they’ve pushed him as the creator of the match but him having never won it. Owens has been losing too much lately and logic says that means he’s winning.
Winner: Kevin Owens
Brian Hoops: Owens is the one that benefits the most from winning the briefcase and eventually cashing it in to win the world title. No one else makes sense, which makes the Owens pick shaky.
Winner: Kevin Owens
WWE Championship: Roman Reigns (c) vs. Seth Rollins
Bryan Rose: Reigns isn’t losing the title anytime soon, and I already feel a rematch is set for Battleground regardless of who wins. I think it’ll be a great match as Regions has improved tremendously, and Rollins should be aching to have a killer match. Fun stuff ahead!
Winner: Roman Reigns
Alan O’Brien: What a disaster this has been. It’s unlikely that they will switch the title at this juncture, with Roman likely to be the figurehead of RAW. Rollins could win by DQ, but I imagine Reigns will pin him after some kind of schmoz finish.
Winner: Roman Reigns
James Cox: I can’t see them about to play hot potato with the title this close to the brand split. The story ought to be Seth taking back what he never lost, but they chose Roman Reigns and they’re sticking with him.
Winner: Roman Reigns
Jeremy Peeples: This feud has been built up very strangely. In theory, Seth should be coming in as a really hot act. Instead, he had one great night and has been pretty cold since then. They’ve teased Dean winning in cashing in – so he’s probably doomed. Seth has no momentum and shouldn’t be winning with this character as it is now.
Winner: Roman Reigns
Peach Machine: Some schmoz. Disputed finish. Reigns retains.
Winner: Reigns
Steve Khan: I’m not sure what to expect. Reigns won’t lose the title yet, and Rollins can’t lose clean in his return. I also don’t see a cash-in, and they’ve built this too big for a screwy finish. So, I’ll go with Reigns barely squeaking out a win.
Winner: Roman Reigns
Kyle S. Johnson: This angle has been outclassed by the build for AJ and Cena at every turn, and while the match itself is probably going to be great, it feels very much like an afterthought on this show. I imagine that this is going to have some kind of inconclusive finish since I cannot see either guy taking a pinfall at this stage — perhaps even something as far-fetched as Lesnar showing up and wrecking both guys to stake his claim as the true champion. Either way, the title won’t change hands, and this feud will continue in some form or fashion.
Winner: Roman Reigns
Ryan Frederick: This feels like the first match of a program, and probably one with Dean Ambrose getting involved, possibly leading to the long-anticipated Shield three-way at Summerslam. That means a likely BS finish. I think Rollins gets the win but Reigns retains due to a DQ. The crowd reactions for this will be fun.
Winner: Seth Rollins but Roman Reigns retains the championship
Brian Hoops: Another feud they have totally botched. Rollins should be the returning babyface to challenge and reclaim the title he never lost. It was a perfect storyline they have completely pissed down their leg. Now, they have their hottest potential babyface turned back heel and no one wants to boo him and their champion babyface, no one cares about and wants to cheer. Beating Rollins clean would make any remaining fans disgruntled so that makes no sense. Taking the title off Reigns and putting it on the heel also makes no sense after shoving Reigns down everyone’s throats.
Winner: Rollins by DQ
Live coverage from Dave Meltzer begins later tonight with the pre-show!