WWE Battleground Predictions
July 19, 2015
By: Mike Tedesco of Wrestleview.com
After a string of three “special events” in five weeks, we had to wait over a month for the next offering from WWE. Battleground is an event with three marquee matches, but not much else. Going into this week, we had six matches, but one was cut due to Ryback having a staph infection. I’m suspecting we may get one or two impromptu matches. I would think one of them would have to be Cesaro vs. Rusev. The two of them had great chemistry in the triple threat on RAW, and I heard their Smackdown match was very good, though I have not had a chance to sit down and watch it yet. I’d believe we’re likely to see something with the women as well. Unlike last year’s event where I can’t remember one match, I think tonight’s Battleground offering will include something memorable. Perhaps an Undertaker or Sting appearance?
Randy Orton vs. Sheamus
Until Randy Orton came back in the beginning of July, I had almost completely forgotten that they had anything going. This has kind of the feel of an old school rivalry where they just have a personal problem and just want to beat the hell out of one another, but an old school rivalry would at least have had a promo. I don’t feel like going back and looking, but has there been one verbal interaction between these two in this rivalry? Is it established why they don’t like each other? Am I supposed to have to dig through my memory bank to when Sheamus hit Orton with two Brogue Kicks during a very weak build-up to Money in the Bank? I need a little more reason to care about this one. Luckily, these two match up very well and if given time can have a great match. I always think back to a No DQ match from Smackdown in 2011 when I think of these two. It was one of my favorite matches I ever recapped on Smackdown and was my Match of the Year for the show that year. Hopefully they can have another good showing to offset the total lack of build in this one. As for who will win, I really don’t have a solid pick. I’ll go with Orton just because WWE seems to enjoy pinning Sheamus often.
Prediction: Randy Orton
Roman Reigns vs. Bray Wyatt
This would be one of the marquee matches I was talking about. While neither of the men in this match have reached the level they’ve been positioned for (through no fault of their own – the booking for both has been bad), this has the potential to be a great match-up and the beginning of a career long rivalry for both. I haven’t liked the build for this whatsoever, but their interaction on RAW definitely had the people buzzing, probably because it wasn’t some contrived, horror movie rip-off type thing where the lights go out and Roman is holding a picture of his daughter when they come back on. That aspect of the angle got dropped pretty quickly. Was that ever explained? I think this will be a hard-hitting affair that has the potential to be very, very good. I think in order to stretch it out a bit because it shouldn’t be a one and done, Wyatt should win this one. Then rematch it at SummerSlam and let Reigns go over.
Prediction: Bray Wyatt
WWE Tag Team Championships Match
The New Day vs. The Prime Time Players (c’s)
With the injury to Tyson Kidd necessitating the removal of his teaming with Cesaro, the tag team division is definitely lacking. The New Day is still red hot, but there’s no other team that’s really getting the job done. I don’t know why they aren’t going with The Lucha Dragons more. The Ascension is lifeless. Los Matadores just exist to do nothing. If you’re going to try to have a division that people have any type of interest in, they’ve got to put the titles back on The New Day so people can chase them. They never should have taken the titles off them in the first place. Usually you ride out a hot act until it starts to fade. On the Money in the Bank preshow, I remember hearing “New Day Sucks” chants from the crowd. It’s time to make it right and put the titles back on the still hot act.
Prediction: The New Day
WWE United States Championship Match
Kevin Owens vs. John Cena (c)
This is the second of the three marquee matches I was talking about. In a perfect world, this would be their second match. They had an unbelievable match at Elimination Chamber with a completely memorable finish with Kevin Owens pinning John Cena clean, but they jumped the gun too fast with the rematch. Within two weeks of that match, they had a rematch and John Cena was getting his win back. Even though it was neat to have Owens powerbomb him into the apron after that, he had no business losing to Cena or even facing him in a rematch. This is their third match now. I’m definitely looking forward to it because other than the finish to the second match, every showing so far have been Match of the Year contenders. Now that Owens doesn’t have the NXT Championship and is a full-time member of the main roster, now is the time to establish him as a top guy. I think he’s got to beat Cena for the title tonight. If the point of Cena now is to put over new talents, this is the perfect time to do so.
Prediction: Kevin Owens
WWE World Heavyweight Championship Match
Brock Lesnar vs. Seth Rollins (c)
This is going to be a hell of a match. Brock Lesnar is the most over guy in the company. Lesnar is reaching all demographics of the audience and is universally cheered. Rollins has done admirable work as the heel champion, but has frequently been handicapped by talking segments where he just has to go too long. The build for this has been fun. Lesnar has systematically taken out every member of The Authority not named Triple H and Stephanie McMahon, so Rollins is essentially alone. That doesn’t bode well for him, but stranger things have happened. There are a few things they could do here. They could have Lesnar beat him straight up. I think the wrong move would be to do a lame disqualification finish to this one, but I wouldn’t mind seeing this in person at SummerSlam. They could also have Triple H screw Lesnar and make that the match-up for SummerSlam. Maybe Undertaker screws Lesnar? There’s a lot of ways to go here. Still, I’m going to go with my gut and go with Lesnar getting the decision.
Prediction: Brock Lesnar
I went 2-5 with my predictions for WWE Money in the Bank, which may have been one of my worst performances.
Predictions Record for 2015: 28-21 (.574)
While my 2015 record is too close to .500 for my liking, my all-time predictions rating is pretty darn good.
All-time Predictions Record: 67-35 (.657)
Well, those are my predictions for the show. Do you agree? Disagree? Let me know!
E-Mail – MikeyT817@gmail.com
Twitter – @MikeTedescoWV
Check back on Wrestleview.com starting at 8 PM EST for a tremendous live recap of the show provided by my friend Jason Namako!
Thanks for reading and enjoy WWE Battleground!