The WWE is doing everything they can to make sure its fans are sold on Sunday’s Money In The Bank pay-per-view from Las Vegas. Three matches are receiving top billing, with the Roman Reigns-Seth Rollins and John Cena-AJ Styles matches being hyped as two bouts worthy of the main event at WrestleMania . And of course, the Money in the Bank ladder match is one of the most exciting of the year, and one that’s been able to sell itself.
But between the build-ups of all those three programs, the Cena-Styles feud has arguably been the most compelling. Styles and Cena have blurred the lines between perception and reality, while the announcers bill their encounter as one 15 years in the making. And while that might be a stretch, it’s certainly a face-off that fantasy bookers have conjured up while both guys were main-eventing in separate promotions.
Aside from the captivating build-up to their match, the majority of the intrigue surrounding Cena and Styles revolves around the outcome. Few people expect Seth Rollins to recapture his WWE World Heavyweight Championship, at least not yet. Only Kevin Owens and Dean Ambrose have emerged as potential winners of the ladder match. Earlier this week, the Inquisitr reported that both Roman Reigns and John Cena were expected to win at Money In The Bank . However, a new report from Cageside Seats suggests that that won’t be the case, at least in regards to Cena. In fact, there are two significant ideas that have been pitched in the last couple days that would certainly spell a Styles victory on Sunday.
As mentioned in the previous Inquisitrreport linked above, a Cena win would be considered a mild upset in the eyes of the online bookmakers. Wrestling odds are constantly fluctuating, but Styles has been listed as the favorite for the entire week leading up. And with the show emanating from Vegas, those might be more significant than most other nights, and worth paying attention to.
This past Monday, Cena gave Styles the option to sign one of two contracts during their segment on RAW . Styles chose to sign the one that made their match an official one-on-one affair, rather than choosing the contract that would have allowed Luke Gallows and Karl Anderson of The Club into the match. Yet the first pitch this week for the finish of their match would see Styles going over Cena clean. The idea is interesting in that Styles is approaching just his third week as a heel and looks to remain as such when the brand extension goes into effect next month. Winning clean over the always-polarizing Cena may conflict with the direction they want Styles to go for whatever brand he ends up on.
The other idea is even more intriguing. It was pitched that Styles would beat Cena thanks to interference from none other than Finn Balor. Fans have been anxiously awaiting the promotion of Balor to the main roster, but the thought of him coming in as a heel would certainly raise some eyebrows. It would mirror WWE’s decision to bring back Seth Rollins as a top heel despite the extremely positive reaction he received upon his return at the end of Extreme Rules. There’s a slim chance Balor wouldn’t get quite the response of Rollins if the casual WWE fan isn’t yet aware of Finn.
It’s still expected that the Cena-Styles program lasts beyond Money In The Bank , but the idea of adding Finn Balor to the equation would certainly change the complexion of the entire ordeal. Styles did not sign the contract allowing The Club to get involved in their match, but that didn’t mean Balor couldn’t insert himself. Balor’s involvement might lend further credence to our previous report of Randy Orton returning to aid Cena against The Club, which in this scenario, would be even more powerful.
[Image via WWE]