[2016-06-19-WWE-Money in the Bank] John Cena vs A.J. Styles

[Jordan]

I watched their matches back to back and I think this was more engaging to me. It might sound odd, but if you switched the order of their matches and have the big bombfest "dream match" here + interference finish and have the Summerslam match be about AJ knowing he's better than Cena and then capping it off with a (clean) win then I think it means more.

 

I liked the idea of AJ outsmarting Cena and using his speed and strikes where he could plus I think this was one of the better sequences of countering Cena's big stuff that I've seen since Punk was doing it during their matches. There were a few things that seemed too choreographed or took too long to develop, (like Cena looking straight at AJ on the ropes for a good chunk of time and AJ going ahead with the leapfrog attempt) but I think it built to an exciting finish plus more compact final stretch than the Summerslam match. Maybe not as "big" or "epic" but I could buy this as a major moment anyway.

 

Also I really liked Cena's selling in this, from the leg selling late after the calf crusher plus strikes but just in general how he was portraying the damage of the match with how he moved around the ring. Plus I love whenever he does a lariat.

[SAMS]

Great performance from Styes. He was laying in some forearms at the beginning that Cena sold like legitimate weapons. He also carried his end in bringing a certain level of crispness to the proceedings, his counter into the Calf Crusher being the best example.

My issue is that they were going for Cena being rusty or not fully healed after his injury and layoff, but the sequences laid out at the beginning required a level of intricacy that Cena isn't capable of. He's categorically not a micro wrestler but instead excels at the macro. Here the timing was consistently off and the work was less fluid than you would expect, even from a Cena match.

Was a big fan of Cena's selling however - when he finally managed to hit the Five Knuckle Shuffle he didn't even manage to hit the ropes, and dropping down to deliver the punch he looked decidedly old.

I'm becoming increasingly annoyed by Gallows and Andersons' involvement in Styles' big matches. I would have preferred for Styles, separate of The Club, to win here, then win the Summerslam match clean, and ultimately to definitively win the series, knowing in hindsight that Cena would get his win back at the Rumble anyhow. Plus that ref bump was weak.

 

GOOD (3-3.5*)

[Superstar Sleeze]

John Cena vs AJ Styles - Money in the Bank 2016

My recollection was this was the best of the three matches as the other two are more bomb throwing spotfests. This one was not as good as I remembered but still great. They went with the Cena as Misawa formula but instead of a Punk-style match this veered into Kevin Owens-style My Turn, Your Turn bullshit. AJ has way better offense and execution than KO so it is not a total shit show but it is the 4.5+ star match I remember. 
 

The story is that John Cena can’t get anything going against part of this is Ring rust first match in 2016 and part is AJ just being phenomenal. I love a cutoff happy match. These matches like Roman really focus on the consequence of the move. However sometimes I feel like the earning was more symbolically. You get the classic AJ cutting off each part of the Cena comeback a formula I like. Thats part 1 but part 2 is how does Cena come up with a way to unlock each segment. I feel like in the Punk matches it is more interesting. Here it is just lip service to the narrative. AJ hits the dropkick to block the shoulderblock but after the chinkock here come the shoulder blocks. So there was disconnect of how Will Cena change. A flip example is that AJ takes his nutty bump where Cena evades a dive to the floor and AJ just lands hard all on his own and who does the next offensive move AJ. So it is shit like that knock it down. 
 

But on the flip side, you have John Cena selling the Calf Crusher like he is crippled AJ ferociously kicking the legs and Cena just rips off a DESPERATION MEATHOOK CLOTHESLINE and Five Knuckle Shuffle in place. So Thats 5 star shit! The whole beginning of the match rules because it was not just AJ had Cena scouted it was also AJ WAS BLASTING CENA WITH STIFF ELBOWS TO THE HEAD! The head rocking was opening up AJ’s offense. There were also really good spots of Cena scouting AJ. The match is awesome but the above paragraph just explains why it is not tippy top. The layout was there but execution was not top notch. 
 

I thought the finish came out great. Dueling submissions. Then the dueling bombs of the FU and Styles Clash. I love that it took Cena crashing and burning on a high risk top rope leg drop and a Pele to set up the Styles Clash. THATS HOW YOU EARN IT! 450 eating knees was cool. I like that Phenomenal Forearm was not hit in the Ring. Leaves something for the rematch. The finish does suck. Gallows & Anderson hit the Magic Killer after the ref bumps on a FU attempt. AJ needed to win the first match after two straight losses to Roman but Cena as the babyface needs protection but this was the most trite way to do the finish. 
 

Something really high level stuff and then me picking nits but this is an incredible match looking forward to the next two! **** 1/4