WWE Battleground 2015: Match Card, Potential Spoilers, Predictions and More

WWE Battleground feels like it probably should be a warm-up show for SummerSlam, but don't be surprised if it impresses on a number of fronts.

Fans will watch with drawn breath to see what happens with the Divas division following the electrifying angle with the NXT stars of the future on Monday's Raw, while Stephanie McMahon's involvement also promises big things for the angle.

Any show with Brock Lesnar is more than just a transitional one, and with the third and likely defining fight between Kevin Owens and John Cena, there is much to salivate over. Randy Orton and Sheamus will fight after a mini-feud over the past two weeks, Roman Reigns takes on Bray Wyatt, and The Prime Time Players defend their WWE Tag Team Championship against The New Day.

But who will come out on top in those matches? There have been hints along the past few weeks to suggest what will happen, and some spoilers may also give us some clues.

News and Potential Spoilers

Let's start with Owens and Cena. After two previous contests at Money in the Bank and Elimination Chamber, the scores are neatly tied up at one win apiece.

Given the WWE's policy with three straight bouts and then a conclusion (just like Cena's feud with Rusev), this could be the last match between the two. However, WrestleZone's Nick Paglino reported last month that Owens is set for the win but that the rivalry will not actually culminate until SummerSlam.

However, with the rapid emergence of Cesaro and now Rusev into the United States Championship picture, those plans could have changed. The prestige of the title is in a much higher position than it was before Cena took it on, and the company's young talent could be ready to move on with the belt.

The main event is looking increasingly like less and less of a numbers game for Seth Rollins when he faces Brock Lesnar. 

WWE announced on its official website after Raw Monday night that Kane suffered a broken right ankle at the hands of Lesnar, and after he dismantled J&J Security last week, the angle is being designed to leave Rollins facing up to the reality of having nobody in his corner at Battleground.

Of course, that could change if Triple H decides to emerge and throw his weight behind the champion. After all, he was inconspicuous by his absence on Raw this past week. But the telling sign of Rollins' further compounding the injury and declaring his intent to go it alone could signify a big implosion on the horizon for The Authority.

Match Card

• R-Truth vs. King Barrett (pre-show)
• Roman Reigns vs. Bray Wyatt
• Ryback vs. Big Show vs. The Miz (Triple Threat match for WWE Intercontinental Championship)
• The Prime Time Players vs. The New Day (WWE Tag Team Championship)
• Randy Orton vs. Sheamus
• John Cena vs. Kevin Owens (United States Championship)
• Seth Rollins vs. Brock Lesnar (WWE World Heavyweight Championship)

Now here are some quick predictions, before I go into depth about why a few of the bigger matches will end up the way I've projected.

Simple Predictions

• Barrett defeats R-Truth.
• Wyatt defeats Reigns.
• Ryback retains.
• The Prime Time Players retain.
• Orton defeats Sheamus.
• Owens becomes United States champion.
• Lesnar becomes WWE world heavyweight champion.

Bray Wyatt Wins the Opening Bout

With Roman Reigns looking like he's away from the WWE World Heavyweight Championship picture for a good while, his best option over the next few months would be this feud with Bray Wyatt.

Wyatt has been in dire need of a rivalry with someone not only of good standing in WWE but who has a story with him.

You only need to look at The Wyatt Family vs. The Shield as proof of that, but there's also the fact that Reigns denied Wyatt a spot in the Money in the Bank ladder match a few weeks ago.

That has set up this feud, and it seems to be bringing out the best in both men. Reigns is slowly turning back to the no-nonsense, ruthless aggressor he was during his days with The Shield, while Wyatt is at his menacing best once more.

And if the feud is to continue through to SummerSlam and maybe beyond, Battleground is the perfect opportunity for Wyatt to get a win. He needs it more than Reigns does, and it would give Wyatt a major lift moving toward SummerSlam.

KO's Time

If a clean win at Elimination Chamber was a major surprise, then what has followed for Kevin Owens has been off the charts.

It's clear that his future in WWE is at the top of the company, and when he locks horns with Cena again this Sunday, fans will be chomping at the bit to see Cena compete. Not only were their first two matches exceptional, but Owens constantly downing Cena on Raw over the past few weeks has really whet the appetite for their clash at Battleground.

So why Owens over Cena yet again? Above all else, it just feels like it's time for Cena to relinquish the belt. He's been a great United States champion and has done a fantastic job of pumping some prestige and interest into the belt, but there always has to be a time when the buck passes on.

WWE should look at not only Owens but Cesaro, Rusev and even someone like Dolph Ziggler as men who can inject yet more enthusiasm into the U.S. title.

Lesnar Wins, But That May Not Be the End

It seems like the curtain is finally set to come down on Rollins as WWE world heavyweight champion.

After months of ducking, diving and benefiting from The Authority helping him out month after month, Lesnar has taken away Rollins' advantage one man at a time.

Joey Mercury and Jamie Noble are gone, and Kane won't be at Battleground either after the broken ankle suffered at the hands of The Beast Incarnate. 

All the signs point to a Lesnar victory here, but even if he does emerge victorious, that may not be where Battleground goes off the air.

Should Rollins fail to stand up to the challenge of Lesnar, it could be that Triple H decides enough is enough and launches into a feud with Rollins by laying him out after the match. We've seen plenty of tension between the two men over the last few weeks, and the way Triple H spoke when laying down the gauntlet to Rollins indicated that if he couldn't step up, the consequences would be severe.

Credit: WWE.com

That's not all; there's also every possibility that if Rollins vs. Triple H is kicked off at Battleground, Lesnar's next foe could come in the shape of Sheamus. After all, Rollins wouldn't be around to cash in his mandatory rematch, so Lesnar needs a challenge. 

Doing the cash-in so soon after winning it would be a huge risk, but megastars are made from taking big risks. Sheamus needs something big to happen in the coming months, and going after Lesnar and even stealing his title could be just the ticket.