WWE Battleground 2015: Superstars Who Will Shine Under PPV Spotlight

After only appearing for a brief moment at Money in the Bank, Bray Wyatt is set to make WWE Battleground 2015 his personal showcase.

He is among the Superstars poised to flourish at the upcoming pay-per-view. For Wyatt, it will be a case of an animal causing great damage after being let out of his cage. Other wrestlers in line for big matches at Battleground will continue their recent strings of successes.

Optimal matchups, compelling stories, talent and motivation merge together to create the formula for standout performances.

The following grapplers have all those things lined up for them en route to Battleground. They are the safest bets to steal the show by the end of the night, the Superstars most prepared to create something memorable in St. Louis next month.  

Bray Wyatt

Bray Wyatt has to be extra hungry going into his showdown with Roman Reigns. He has missed out on several pay-per-views in the past few months, forced to watch lesser performers called on for Fastlane, Extreme Rules and Elimination Chamber.

The last time WWE booked him for a PPV match, he and Ryback poured their guts onto the mat.

In what was a little-hyped, midcard affair, both men thrashed each other, flew around the ring and made sure that they made a lasting impression on the audience at Payback. Switch out Ryback for the more dynamic Reigns and raise the profile of the bout, and the chances for something special to happen in St. Louis are high.

Wyatt will work well against the athletic Reigns. They both lean on intensity. They both have history as members of The Wyatt Family and The Shield, respectively.

And in the end, it will be story that fuels Wyatt to one of the better showings of his career.

His best work has come when he is able to fold the pre-match narrative into the in-ring action. Fans saw that at WrestleMania 30 when he begged John Cena to crack him over the head with a chair or when he sought to punish Daniel Bryan at Royal Rumble 2015 for abandoning him and his clan.

This feud now revolves around Wyatt's implication that he would go after Reigns' daughter. It's an unsettling angle that will force folks to pay attention and offers Wyatt another layer to add to the action.

Count on his taunting Reigns and being especially creepy because of this story. That will equal a top-notch work of art from The Eater of Worlds.

Kevin Owens

WWE has asked Kevin Owens to step into the spotlight several times since he slid over to the main roster.

Each time out, Owens has delivered. The first two battles between Owens and John Cena have been Match of the Year-quality. Considering how much chemistry those two foes have had with each other so far, the expectation is that another masterwork is on its way.

In the rubber match, bet on Owens' being the star.

This is WWE's chance to truly exhibit him as the newest monster on the scene. It's clear the company wants him to be a prominent part of the program going forward, with all the high-profile bouts to start his WWE run and the fact that officials chose him to attack Machine Gun Kelly and receive all the buzz that followed.

Owens vs. Cena III is a star-making opportunity. A memorable, dominant performance from the NXT champ will allow him to shoot forward with an overflowing amount of momentum.

His short history as part of the main roster points to his maximizing that opportunity.

Randy Orton

Lost in the excitement over emerging stars from Kevin Owens to Neville, Randy Orton has been busy having a stellar year in the ring.

At WrestleMania, he and Seth Rollins shined. At Payback, much of the talk was about Rollins and his former brethren from The Shield, but Orton did plenty of the work in making that such a dramatic match. Add some of his efforts before he took his long absence, and it's clear that Orton is on a roll inside the ring. 

The Viper excelled against Chris Jerico at last year's Night of Champions. He led Roman Reigns to his first standout singles match at SummerSlam before that.

The expectation is that he will now face Sheamus at Battleground. The two have been feuding before Money in the Bank and took to distracting each other during their matches with other foes after that.

That's good news for Orton fans. Gauging by how intense their feud is already, by the time Battleground arrives, their bad blood is sure to boil over.

Orton has looked good against Sheamus in previous encounters, their styles meshing well.

If they meet in St. Louis, they will both benefit from several weeks worth of buildup. Sheamus' Mr. Money in the Bank status assures their clash a high-profile spot on the card.

That all places Orton among the favorites to steal the show at the next pay-per-view. 

Seth Rollins

Brock Lesnar will most certainly look great in the WWE title match at Battleground. He's been nothing short of tremendous in his last few outings.

For Seth Rollins, though, there is more at stake.

There will be more motivation to make sure this is his opus. This is a career-defining match for the champ, the biggest one-on-one bout of his career. He can announce to WWE and the world that he belongs on the top tier, that he's not just some interim headliner.

Fans have already seen a glimpse of what Rollins vs. Lesnar will look like.

They met in Triple Threat action at the Royal Rumble, an instant classic fueled in big part by the chemistry between Lesnar and Rollins. Then Rollins stormed the scene at the end of WrestleMania, briefly clashing with The Beast Incarnate before taking home the world title.

Those previous collisions not only show what kind of electricity these two men can produce against each other but remind us just how much history this match will be able to build on.

At the Royal Rumble, Rollins felt like the odd man out. He's not simply inserted into an existing match now; he's Lesnar's primary target. That will put Rollins on the run, a desperate rat in a corner in need of a good plan and a bit of luck.

That has "thrill ride" written all over it.

Considering how many top matches Rollins has been a part of in 2015, foreseeing another stellar showing is easy. Up against his most marquee opponent in a feud certain to be red hot by the time Battleground arrives, Rollins is sure to be at his best.

The New Day

No one will be looking for a Match of the Year candidate from the former tag team champs, but The New Day will certainly make its mark on Battleground.

Just before The Prime Time Players dethroned them, Xavier Woods, Big E and Kofi Kingston were just finding their grooves as characters. They over-celebrated. They found cheap, illegal ways to win. They made positivity an irksome trait.

It's clear that WWE is lining them up for a rematch considering how much they have crossed paths with The Prime Time Players lately. That means the trio will have a major opportunity to be the talk of Battleground, regardless if it takes home the belts again.

Their rivalry has a chance to truly cook before the pay-per-view. When that night arrives, the group's improving ability to rile up the crowd will be on display.

Count on Woods' being a loudmouth at ringside. Look for Kingston to land some cheap shots. Given a chance to continue to add to its momentum, The New Day will have one of its better performances.

It was trending upward before losing the belts. Battleground offers a shot at keeping that up with The New Day's combination of hamming it up on the outside of the ring and mixing it up on the inside.