WWE Battleground 2013 Results: Alberto Del Rio Retains Title vs. Rob Van Dam

After a predictably entertaining match, Alberto Del Rio retained his World Heavyweight Championship by defeating Rob Van Dam via submission in a hardcore match at the 2013 Battleground pay-per-view.

Arda Ocal of the Baltimore Sun provides the news:

Del Rio took to Twitter after his win:

Del Rio and Van Dam are two of the best in-ring workers in the company, and another solid bout between these two men added a great match to Sunday’s card. The problem is that the fans do not care about this feud and haven’t since Day 1.

RVD was shoehorned into this role as the popular face to tangle with the heel champion and was matched with Del Rio’s former ring announcer Ricardo Rodriguez. The combination didn’t make any sense unless the role was not originally meant to be played by Van Dam.

With RVD reportedly leaving television soon as part of his contract, per Wrestling Observer Newsletter via Wrestling Inc., the hope now is that this will mark the return of former world champion Rey Mysterio.

Mysterio and Del Rio had a great feud before and the duo could bring relevance back to the world title scene.

According to Ocal, Mysterio was supposed to return to the ring after SummerSlam, but instead changed the game plan and was looking to come back to television at some point in September.

That return has yet to come to fruition.

Del Rio needs something to do moving forward. If Mysterio still isn’t ready and RVD is put on the shelf, it should be former world champion Dolph Ziggler that earns another shot at the title ADR stole from him.

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