With the dust settling over an unforgettable Money in the Bank event, all eyes are directed at next month's pay-per-view and WWE Network special: Battleground.
The fourth edition of this event will take place on July 24 at the Verizon Center in Washington, D.C.
This spectacle occurs just five days after the WWE Draft -- which is slated for July 19 when "SmackDown" goes live -- so we'll treat it as a two-brand event when booking the fantasy card given the time constraints.
Here is our projected card for Battleground. To view this article in slideshow form, CLICK START at the top right of this page (or scroll through on mobile).
1) Tag Team Match: Enzo & Cass vs. The Vaudevillains
The WWE's tag division is thriving, but it seems like Enzo & Cass are the future of it and could be the ones to dethrone The New Day once they surpass the record of Paul London and Brian Kendrick. Having them go over Simon Gotch and Aiden English could keep them going strong.
2) WWE United States Championship: Rusev (c) w/ Lana vs. Titus O'Neil
The "Bulgarian Brute" handed his adversary a loss at Money in the Bank, but it's unlikely their rivalry will be a one-and-done. The WWE has teased on its website that there's unfinished business between these two Superstars, so they're likely headed for a rematch come Battleground.
3) WWE Tag Team Championships: The New Day (c) vs. The Club
Luke Gallows and Karl Anderson took out The Vaudevillains on Sunday, but it was The New Day taking advantage and getting the pin. That seems to suggest that a rivalry will be sparked between the two teams, leading to a bout at Battleground. Since The New Day won the gold at SummerSlam last year, the WWE should keep the belts on them at least until this year's edition of "The Biggest Party of the Summer."
4) WWE Women's Championship Triple Threat: Charlotte (c) w/ Dana Brooke vs. Becky Lynch vs. Natalya
Natalya turned on "The Lass Kicker" on Sunday to become a heel, but it seems like the WWE would jumble these rivalries together rather than have Charlotte move to a new feud so quickly. Lynch could look for some revenge on her old rival in Charlotte and her new adversary in Natalya, while Nattie would seek a run with the Women's Championship given her newfound edge. In a perfect world, Sasha Banks would get involved to set up a SummerSlam battle with Charlotte, but the WWE seems to be content with leaving her on the backburner. The company could also throw Paige in to make it a Fatal 4 Way since she pinned Charlotte last week on "RAW."
5) Six Pack Challenge To Determine No. 1 Contender For Intercontinental Championship: Kevin Owens vs. Cesaro vs. Chris Jericho vs. Sami Zayn vs. Alberto Del Rio vs. Sheamus
The Miz is currently on hiatus to film a movie, but it's likely he'll be back in time for SummerSlam in August. As a way to bring a sense of urgency to the Intercontinental Championship in his absence, the WWE could use the five guys who didn't win the Money in the Bank Ladder Match and throw them with another guy with nothing to do, Sheamus, and have the six men battle it out to determine who will face The Miz for the gold at the Aug. 21 event. With a bunch of NXT call-ups expected for the Draft, the company could maybe put the likes of Finn Balor and others in the match instead.
6) Singles Match: AJ Styles vs. John Cena
The feud between "The Phenomenal One" and the "Cenation" leader is likely to continue given the finish to their Money in the Bank encounter. Styles defeated Cena, but he did it with the assistance of The Club, so the 15-time WWE World Heavyweight Champion certainly has a gripe for a rematch, this time with Anderson and Gallows completely banned from ringside. It's likely Cena will win that bout, setting up a rubber match between the two veterans at SummerSlam.
7) Singles Match To Determine No. 1 Contender For WWE World Heavyweight Championship: Roman Reigns vs. Seth Rollins
The logical move for the WWE would be to have a Triple Threat Match for the richest prize in the game between the former members of The Shield, but such an epic encounter deserves the grand stage of SummerSlam, not Battleground. Since the WWE insists on having a filler pay-per-view in July and Rollins and Reigns both have claims to a rematch for the title, the company could dance around it for a month by having them face-off in a No. 1 contender's match. The creative team can then book a double pin or some other non-finish, necessitating a Triple Threat Match for "The Biggest Party of the Summer."
8) WWE World Heavyweight Championship: Dean Ambrose (c) vs. Brock Lesnar w/ Paul Heyman
Okay, this is a long shot, but it is also a fantasy card. "The Beast" is currently tabbed for a UFC fight with Mark Hunt on July 9 so it could be risky to try and book him for a pay-per-view event just 15 days later. Still, Lesnar is a freak of nature and the WWE could use the buzz around him from UFC 200 and have him show up on "RAW" two nights later. Lesnar was never pinned to lose the WWE World Heavyweight Championship as Rollins cashed in and pinned Reigns at WrestleMania 31. He also defeated Ambrose at WrestleMania 32, so he would stand as the most logical No. 1 contender and demand a bout with Ambrose.
The WWE could even use the UFC fight as a possible excuse for how Ambrose can conceivably go over. At Battleground, Ambrose could then defeat Lesnar after interference from Bill Goldberg, who has stated publicly he thinks about a rematch with Lesnar every day after their flop of a contest at WrestleMania XX in 2004.
This would set up two huge marquee matches for SummerSlam in the Triple Threat between The Shield and Goldberg vs. Lesnar II. If booking Lesnar for Battleground truly is too risky, the WWE could either run The Shield three-way at Battleground -- which is less than ideal -- or have the "Lunatic Fringe" serve as the guest referee of the Rollins vs. Reigns bout.
