Battle lines are drawn between the three former Shield members as Seth Rollins, Roman Reigns and Dean Ambrose are set to wage war over the richest prize in the game.
The WWE is set to present Battleground live this Sunday night from the Verizon Center in Washington, D.C., and the "Lunatic Fringe" will defend the WWE Championship against his former Hounds of Justice stablemates in a Triple Threat Match.
The placement of this event is very interesting as it occurs ust five nights after the WWE Draft. Ambrose is the lone "SmackDown" representative, while Reigns and Rollins are a part of "RAW." It will also mark Reigns' first televised appearance since serving a 30-day suspension for a wellness violation.
Here are our match-by-match predictions and a preview for Battleground. To view this article in slideshow form, CLICK START at the top right of this page.
6-Man Tag Team Match: The New Day vs. The Wyatt Family
This will apparently be the final time The Wyatt Family is all together as Bray Wyatt and Erick Rowan are on "SmackDown," while Strowman was drafted to "RAW," where The New Day will preside as Tag Team Champions. As of this writing, no pre-show matches have been announced, but this would be a great way to start the show proper.
This feud has been very interesting, even if the WWE ripped off the Matt Hardy-Jeff Hardy angle from TNA with the compound segment. Still, this should be a fun, chaotic match between two strong stables. Since the Wyatt Family is breaking up and The New Day are on their way to breaking a record as longest-reinging tag champions on the flagship show, it seems the babyface trio should go over here.
The Pick: The New Day.
WWE Intercontinental Championship: The Miz w/ Maryse (c) vs. Darren Young w/ Bob Backlund
The WWE is at least providing a fresh feud with this one, which is what the brand extension is all about, but that doesn't make it any more exciting. In fact, this could be a bad sign of what the post-Draft WWE will hold. The company could continue the momentum of Young's push under the tutelage of Backlund, but it seems with "Total Divas" on the horizon, The Miz might hang onto the belt. Miz is also a "SmackDown" entity, while Young is a "RAW" Superstar and the flagship show already has the U.S. Championship.
The Pick: The Miz.
The Miz won a 19-man battle royal to win the IC Title at Battleground in 2014:
Singles Match: Becky Lynch vs. Natalya
This feud has been building up for a while and it may not be a one-and-done since both ladies were drafted to "SmackDown Live." The "Lass Kicker" could really use a win since she's been stuck in the rut of a sympathetic babyface that always gets beat up on, and even though Natalya freshly turned heel, hopefully "SmackDown" is a fresh start for Lynch.
The Pick: Becky Lynch.
Singles Match: Kevin Owens vs. Sami Zayn
Both of these guys are on "RAW," so it seems their never-ending feud will actually be never ending and there's nothing wrong with that. Zayn and Owens have had a tremendous rivalry through the years, which extended into NXT and then onto the main roster. Both of these Superstars are over with the crowd and tremendous in the ring, so this is a sleeper pick for Match of the Night. This is a very tough one to predict, but Zayn has been racking up some fluke victories and that story arc could continue.
The Pick: Sami Zayn.
WWE United States Championship: Rusev (c) w/ Lana vs. Zack Ryder
This is another inter-promotional match as Ryder, who won the Intercontinental Championship at WrestleMania and lost it the very next night, is on "SmackDown Live" and Rusev is a "RAW" personality. With Rusev and Lana set to have mainstream exposure for their upcoming wedding, that will likely trump any WWE storyline, meaning Rusev should retain unless the WWE has Miz and Rusev both lose, meaning both of their titles switch shows.
The Pick: Rusev.
John Cena retained the U.S. Title against Kevin Owens at last year's event:
Tag Team Match: Sasha Banks & TBD vs. Charlotte & Dana Brooke
The WWE is trying to keep "The Boss'" partner a mystery, but the strong assumption is that it will be Bayley. The former NXT Superstar questionably wasn't drafted to the main roster, but the WWE may have a trick up its sleeve for Battleground. It appears the sensible booking would be for Banks to get a pinfall win over Charlotte to set up a clash at SummerSlam where the Summer of Sasha will finally be ushered in in full force.
The Pick: Sasha Banks & TBD.
6-Man Tag Team Match: John Cena, Enzo Amore & Big Cass vs. AJ Styles & The Club
The teaming of Cena with Enzo and Cass was a great move by the WWE as the new babyface tag team continues to climb up the ranks in the WWE. It's likely both of these feuds will split off from here since Enzo and Cass and The Club were drafted to "RAW," while Styles and Cena were selected by "SmackDown."
"SmackDown" certainly had the edge in the early going of the WWE Draft, but "RAW" received the advantage in the later rounds. This match should be a lot of fun and the WWE built it up as if Enzo and Cass can't get on the same page as Cena. The likely outcome will see the babyface trio overcome the odds and lack of continuity to win the match -- likely with Cena getting the pin on Styles to set up a rematch at SummerSlam next month.
The Pick: John Cena, Enzo Amore & Big Cass.
WWE Championship Triple Threat Match: Dean Ambrose (c) vs. Seth Rollins vs. Roman Reigns
With the Draft in full force, this match has plenty of interest behind it. If the "Lunatic Fringe" wins the bout, the title will remain on "SmackDown," while if "The Architect" or "Big Dog" escapes the nation's capital with the gold, it'll be on "RAW." Whichever brand doesn't emerge victorious will surely devise a way to bring in their own title, likely crowning a new champion at SummerSlam.
The WWE's mega push of Reigns may never stop, even if he insulted the entire locker room by violating the company's wellness policy despite being given every advantage over his peers from a creative standpoint. Due to his lack of being over and lack of improvements in the ring, the leader of the Roman Empire is the least desirable of the three to emerge victorious.
The crowd has been merciless on Reigns in the past, and the boos are likely to be even louder as he returns from a 30-day suspension. Rollins has proven that he has what it takes to carry the company and is easily the most athetically gifted of the three former Shield stablemates. Regardless of how this turns out, "The Architect" should eventually be the face of "RAW" as its champion.
It's nice to finally see the WWE taking Ambrose seriously. The unhinged Superstar was booked the weakest out of the three after the split of The Shield, but after putting on great matches with Triple H and Brock Lesnar, the company finally put the richest prize in the game on him in a fantastic ending to last month's Money in the Bank event.
Ambrose is the logical winner here so that he can be the face of "SmackDown" going forward, while Reigns and Rollins battle for supremacy over on "RAW."
The Pick: Dean Ambrose
Seth Rollins defended the WWE Championship against Brock Lesnar last year at Battleground:
The New Era will be ushered in this Sunday at Battleground and swift changes are coming to the WWE following the Draft and subsequent brand extension.
