WWE Battleground 2015: Feuds Guaranteed to Disappoint Fans

WWE Battleground is less than two weeks away, and we remain at five matches on the card, all of which were announced in the immediate aftermath of last month’s Money in the Bank pay-per-view.

While most of the previously announced matches make up a pretty robust lineup for a B-level pay-per-view, there are still potentially underwhelming spots on this card, especially if one considers the rivalries that have been developed in recent weeks that are likely to make it onto the Battleground card.

With buildups that have been more fizzle than sizzle, which matches (booked and yet-to-be booked) have the greatest potential for disappointment? 

Rusev-Dolph Ziggler

We may see a straight one-on-one match with these two or a mixed tag team match to allow Lana her first in-ring action. In either case, this angle is dead in the water.

Rusev’s foot injury suffered in his match against Ryback on May 28’s Smackdown robbed fans of the immediate match between him and Ziggler. That story, which could have involved Rusev attempting to win back the Lana's love, could have had legs.

Instead, Rusev was sidelined for weeks and became the creepy stalker. WWE Creative could have left this angle alone for a while, giving a tremendous worker like Ziggler someone else to wrestle while Rusev healed. Instead, they stuck him in throw-away matches and soap-opera situations until Rusev healed.

Including Summer Rae was ill-conceived. It’s an attempt to make Lana more than a trophy in this feud. Her chemistry with Rusev is awkward at best. She’s never been a solid enough in-ring performer to elevate her opponent, so asking for her to potentially carry a green Lana in a match is wishful thinking.

This angle has the makings of a long-running drama likely to stretch through SummerSlam, which is unfortunate. Both Rusev and Ziggler deserve better. They should be competing for championships. Instead, they’re fighting over a trophy in Lana, who should be given her own story, as well.

Sheamus-Randy Orton

Like the previous scenario, this match isn’t officially booked for Battleground. However, it’s only a matter of time. The next pay-per-view is in Orton’s hometown of St. Louis, plus these two have been feuding since each returned to the roster earlier this year.  

This is painful to write because these two have great chemistry in the ring. They have solid matches and enough of a backstory to stretch this feud along for a while.

The disappointment comes in the creative direction. There’s nothing personal about their duel. We’ve relied on Michael Cole and company to tell us that “these two really don’t like each other.” That might be fine for an episode of Raw, but there needs to be more to extend a feud.

What WWE Creative has done in the Bray Wyatt-Roman Reigns build should have been replicated with these two Superstars. Instead, we have little more than a brawl with no context.

Maybe that will come in the next week and a half. Maybe Orton gets a shot at Sheamus’ Money in the Bank briefcase. Or maybe we’ll get more fisticuffs with little background.

My guess is the latter.

Ryback-Big Show-The Miz

We’ll end with the only match that’s officially booked: The Triple Threat Match for the Intercontinental Championship.

After Ryback won at Elimination Chamber to become the intercontinental champion, I wrote that he was merely a placeholder until WWE decided on someone who could elevate the title. My colleague Alfred Konuwa took the opposite opinion, saying Ryback could add life to the belt.

WWE’s immediate approach was to put Ryback in a story with Big Show, the ultimate momentum killer. As I wrote before Money in the Bank, “[A] Ryback win over Big Show doesn’t elevate the IC title. It may enhance his story, but that’s it.”

And that’s the problem. Putting these two in the ring seems like nothing more than a placeholder. Adding The Miz feels like a way to get more action in the ring, but he doesn’t seem a realistic threat to either man.

And even if WWE Creative decides to take the belt off Ryback at Battleground, I wouldn’t expect either of his opponents to hold that title for long.

One possible scenario, post Battleground: Should John Cena lose his United States Championship to Kevin Owens, it wouldn’t be surprising to see Cena placed in a feud against the winner. Cena has shown he can elevate a dormant title, and this might be WWE’s way of slowly bringing Cena back into the main event fold.

Check out more of James' WWE musings on Bleacher Report or follow him on Twitter (@jamesmoffat) to read updates on pro wrestling, sports or life in general, 140 characters at a time.