Money in the Bank 2016 John Cena v AJ Styles

John Cena’s return to WWE pay-per-view will be nothing short of a blockbuster encounter, as he faces AJ Styles at WWE Money in the Bank in a battle as highly anticipated as any WrestleMania main event to date. The dream match marks not only Cena’s first official match on WWE pay-per-view since last October, but also his first time ever competing against The Phenomenal One, who has taken WWE by storm since debuting in January.

Revealed exclusively by WWE.com, the bout was precipitated by Styles confronting Cena immediately following the Cenation leader’s comeback speech. After alluding to the fact that the future of WWE has to go through Cena, Styles — arguably the most prominent representative of WWE’s New Era — showed his true colors, joining Karl Anderson & Luke Gallows in ambushing Cena. The Club’s 3-on-1 attack occurred just one week after Styles seemingly parted ways with his hard-hitting comrades.

Though the Cenation leader made a headline-grabbing cameo at WrestleMania, his upcoming match against Styles will be the biggest test to date for his surgically repaired right shoulder. Cena underwent surgery in January to repair a torn rotator cuff and remove loose tissue from the shoulder and, thanks to a tireless rehabilitation period, became cleared for action in record time. Despite the heroic recovery, the question remains: Will Cena’s shoulder hold up against Styles’ attack?

Cena tweeted his initial reactions to the dream match announcement, including a hint of anticipation about "15 years of wondering 'what if'" coming to an end at WWE Money in the Bank.

The Phenomenal One is not only a masterful competitor, but a dangerous one, too, and, based on The Club’s skullduggery, unpredictable. Styles has put in one remarkable performance after another, but has been unable to secure a victory on pay-pre-view since February. What better way for the dynamic, high-flying veteran to earn his stripes in WWE and rebound from his consecutive main-event losses than by spoiling Cena’s return?

Styles provided the first clue on Facebook Live with an instant reaction to a match he described as "WrestleMania ... come early."