Here’s your preview and predictions to WWE Battleground on Sunday night.
By Kevin Flynn
And when I say surprises, I mean ones that the internet has already spilled. (It’s not even fun to be a fan anymore unless you don’t own a twitter account!) This event has six matches. Give the kickoff match 10 minutes. The tag title match 15, and the other 4 matches 20-30 minutes, the math means something big is going to happen. Especially considering that the next major Pay-Per-View event is Summerslam.
Summerslam is happening on August 23 and it is taking place right here in New York. Brooklyn’s very own Barclay’s Center will host and NY is the capital of cool things happening in the WWE.
Before I get into match predictions, let me dissect what could potentially happen.
No Women
Let’s start with the fact that there’s no women on this card.
The Bella twins are running amok and they are creating their own Team Bella faction ever since Paige tried to rally the Divas to be in her corner.
Alicia Fox is the first Diva to join Team Bella. This whole program is screaming for the debut of some of the rising stars from NXT to join Team Paige. Charlotte, Sasha Banks and possibly Becky Lynch could invade the main roster and breathe some new life into a stale Divas division.
Ryback Injured
Intercontinental Champion Ryback is hurt. He has been working a strange three way feud with The Miz and the Big Show. Neither wrestler is booked on the card nor is there a match against each other (which would make all the sense in the world).
It could determine a number one contender and maybe even give The Miz a new lackey to help him earn a victory over the Big Show. Maybe they could put in a Miz Tv spot? Hey, Remember Damien Mizdow?
That gimmick was great.
Sting, Undertaker?
Have you heard yet? Sting is in St. Louis! Guess who else? Yep! The Undertaker!
For years, the rumors and internet buzz has been trying to make a dream match happen at Wrestlemania.
WCW’s Last Remaining Icon: Sting vs. WWE’s Phenom: The Undertaker.
It looks like tomorrow night is the beginning of that match happening.
Maybe they face each other at Summerslam. Maybe Survivor Series, or maybe Royal Rumble, maybe all four. But the reports have come out that both superstars are in St. Louis and the buzz has grown to the point that everyone is thinking that it’s going to finally happen at Battleground!!
So don’t be surprised if they swerve us all and save it for Raw on Monday night.
King of the Ring Title Defense
King Bad News Barrett vs. R-Truth
R-truth is hysterical. Bad News Barrett dropped the Intercontinental Title at Wrestlemania for this? No wonder this is the kickoff match for consecutive pay-per-views. Truth won last time. Can’t see it happening twice in a row. We need both guys to move onto bigger and better things.
WINNER: Barrett
Randy Orton vs. Sheamus
Sheamus just won the Money in the Bank Ladder match and now holds the contract to challenge the WWE World Heavyweight Champion anywhere he wants. Randy Orton is as popular as ever thanks to the internet community giving birth to the “RKO outta nowhere” animated GIFs. Oh and Orton is the favorite son of St. Louis Missouri as he will be wrestling in his home town. It won’t matter as Sheamus will continue his roll to becoming a worthy contender to the Beast Incarnate.
WINNER: Sheamus
Tag Team Title Match
(Challengers) New Day vs. (Champions) Prime Time Players
I will say it again. “New Day has some serious heat going into this. The fans are really getting behind hating them. They have been great as the heels.”
The WWE has been waiting on the Prime Time Players for a few years now and very recently, PTP member Titus O’Neill got a big publicity push for winning a Father of the Year award. The Prime Time Players are getting better and better, and they’re actually getting over with the fans finally.
But the New Day has the power of three wrestlers and all three will be involved to win the day and the titles for a second time.
WINNER: NEW DAY – NEW Tag Champs.
U.S. Championship Match
(U.S. Champ) John Cena vs. (Challenger) Kevin Owens
These matches have been phenomenal. Whether you love him or hate him, the WWE had high hopes for the U.S. Title when John Cena won it at Wrestlemania this year. All he did was compete against various competitors, week in and week out, all the while, earning the moniker “Big Match John.” Cena did everything he was asked of and elevated the status of that title to where it was in the 1980’s and 1990’s.
This is the rubber match between these studs and all signs point to a title change for Owens. But the feud that has been brewing for months has some new blood being added. Cesaro has been deserving of a major push for a long time coming. We will be treated to yet another match of the year candidate, but it will not end in a decisive victory for either player. All this does is set up a triple threat title match for Summerslam, where John Cena will most certainly be in hostile territory. The title change should happen then, but Cesaro will screw over Owens the same way Owens screwed over Cesaro.
WINNER: CENA by DQ
Roman Reigns vs. Bray Wyatt
Here’s my big prediction for match of the night. I think Wyatt this feud is at the very beginning and with that, something epic has to happen. Wyatt and Ambrose had a crazy feud and some really awesome matches. Wyatt and Reigns might literally blow the doors off the place. But my big prediction is simply the reuniting of the Wyatt family. There’s no sign of Luke Harper or Erick Rowan. I’m thinking they return to make this an insurmountable hill to climb for Reigns.
WINNER: Wyatt
WWE World Heavyweight Championship Match
Brock Lesnar vs. WWE Champion Seth Rollins
This is the main event and it’s got screw job written all over it. This is a budding feud but Lesnar is built up to beat so unbeatable, Rollins needs a victory over him to make Rollins a believable figure. The Authority will interfere and Rollins will retain for credibility and to set up a Hell in the Cell at some point.
WINNER: Rollins