WWE Battleground 2016: Smart Builds for PPV's Top Feuds
WWE Battleground is coming up on Sunday, July 24. It's an important night, mostly because of the new WWE world heavyweight champion, Dean Ambrose. The Lunatic Fringe will be defending his title against his former Shield brothers, Seth Rollins and Roman Reigns.
But it's also important because of the other rivalries that are underway.
These are the feuds that make the company click, and they are the ones that keep fans coming back for more. The good thing is that there are some prime feuds to choose from, and for the most part, they all need high-profile matches.
Sasha Banks is finally back, and the fans are excited for her return. To many, she is the uncrowned women's champion, and if a match between her and Charlotte is booked, perhaps that dream will be realized.
The Wyatt Family is also back in the mix, though fans are likely wondering why it's getting heat with The New Day. It's a perplexing situation, but it's still early in the process, which means Battleground could see them clash in the ring.
While these are only two of the feuds leading up to Battleground, there are more on the horizon.
Battleground may not exist on a grand scale the way SummerSlam does, but it does have the potential to deliver in a big way. But it's all up to the booking, which has to be smart—not only at the event, but in advance as well.
Becky Lynch vs. Natalya
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Natalya's betrayal of Becky Lynch at Money in the Bank was beyond shocking; it was heartbreaking.
Nattie has been a perennial favorite of WWE fans for quite some time. She holds the spot of veteran leader in the women's division and is admired for her ability in the ring. Of all the Superstars who compete for the Women's Championship, Natalya is the one who many fans would love to see get a lengthy run with the strap.
But all of that respect and admiration has led to nothing but a vicious attack on Nattie's part. Apparently ignorant of the love she has from fans, Natalya has gone into business for herself.
It's all about her now.
But turning on Lynch is perhaps an unforgivable sin. The Irish star is loved by fans as well, and she is a sympathetic figure in the company. To turn on her is to ignore what's right, which is exactly what Natalya has done.
Now that Nattie has chosen her path, it's up to WWE to make this work.
The issue here is the time between Nattie's heel turn and the Battleground event. Can the company sustain this storyline long enough for a payoff on July 24? If that's the plan, some work must be done.
As difficult as it will be, there should be a hands-off policy between the two. The more they touch, the more fans will feel as though they've seen the confrontations too much. Soon, a match would be irrelevant, and Battleground will be anticlimactic.
The heat between Nattie and Lynch must continue if the two are to face off at WWE's next pay-per-view. That can be accomplished through promos, face-to-face meetings and run-ins during other matches. But there can be little physical altercation before July 24, or it'll all have been for nothing.
This one has the potential to make serious noise at Battleground, but everything must go smoothly in order for that to happen.
The New Day vs. The Wyatt Family
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This may be the most unusual feud heading into Battleground.
It's unusual because many fans did not see it coming. Bray Wyatt is just one promo away from becoming a top babyface in the company, while The New Day is the hottest babyface faction on the roster.
What reason do these two sides have to feud?
But the wheels have been set in motion, and regardless of how many fans are confused by it all, it's going to happen. So how should WWE handle it from here?
The good part about this is the fact there's much to work with. The Wyatts and The New Day have never crossed paths like this, which means there are many unexplored avenues to exploit. The men involved can face off in singles matches. The two sides can work in six-man tag matches. Handicap matches could be booked here as well.
The promos will be entertaining, as each side is more than capable of getting it done on the mic.
The contrast of light to dark is a compelling one and should provide some interesting moments along the way. The New Day is a bright and shiny trio that has fun every time the cameras are on. The Wyatt Family walks in the shadows, and the group's only pleasure comes from destroying opponents.
It's a unique matchup, and there are many different ways to build the story. Everything seems to be set here.
But is it?
The initial surprise that many fans have over this feud is not going away any time soon. No one wants to boo Bray Wyatt, just as no one wants to see The New Day decimated. But how else does this end? One can only hope the build to Battleground will see each side protected and come out of the feud on an upward trend.
Sasha Banks vs. Charlotte
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Natalya vs. Becky Lynch may or may not happen at Battleground, but a Women's Championship match must take place.
That means fans could finally see the inevitable: Sasha Banks vs. Charlotte.
The timing is a bit off here, as many expected it would go down at WrestleMania 33. It's such an important bout, one that deserves as much spotlight as possible, and no other event can provide that like 'Mania.
In fact, the timing suggests that perhaps this could become a tag match instead of the championship showdown everyone wants to see.
Nattie's change in persona could lead to her working with Charlotte, which would lead to the two of them facing Banks and Lynch. While this would be a good match for either Raw or SmackDown, it's not big enough for Battleground.
The fun in Banks vs. Charlotte is in the ride itself.
The idea of Banks finally getting her hands on the WWE Women's Championship is too exciting for fans to ignore. She is arguably the most popular Superstar in the women's division—and one of the most popular in the company.
Her presence alone is enough to get fans interested in this match. The possibility she could win the title is enough to keep those same fans hooked until well after the contest.
Banks is The Boss, and it's her swagger that makes her a must-see Superstar. She's good in the ring, fully capable of wearing the championship and arguably the best choice to have it right now. Her promos and confrontations with Charlotte should be sharp, and they should be meaningful.
If they are, the build for this match would become impressive quickly.
John Cena vs. AJ Styles
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Once the excitement for WWE's hottest dream match came to fruition at Money in the Bank, fans realized just how important this feud is. It's the man considered to be the best talent in the industry versus the top guy in WWE. This one delivered on every level and more than lived up to the hype.
But then Karl Anderson and Luke Gallows interfered, costing John Cena the win.
Suddenly, the dream match to end all dream matches became nothing more than a cliche. Cena lost because AJ Styles could not get the job done himself. Once again, a top star could not beat the top star because Cena rarely loses in big-money matches.
So where does this leave Styles?
The fact is Styles has become the stereotypical and cowardly heel here. The focus has been taken off his top-notch ring work, and it's been put squarely on his reputation as a man. It's smart booking for Cena; he can't be overshadowed by anyone, so rather than take a chance on that happening, WWE has just shifted the theme of the story.
Cena is once again the outnumbered hero, fighting the good and moral fight.
But perhaps too much is being made of this fact. Maybe Styles should just be accepted for the heel he is and the storyline itself accepted for its overall importance. With that being the case, how does WWE move forward here?
Styles is cementing his antagonist role, and he's doing so as a member of The Club. The three men together are capable of dominating in every situation they find themselves in, and that's exactly what should happen on the road to Battleground.
Styles should be seen as the dangerous threat that he is, which will happen as he plays the fool for Cena's sake. By demanding an apology from Anderson and Gallows, Styles was openly mocking Cena. He was having fun at Cena's expense, and that is probably going to continue in the coming weeks.
Cena will likely continue doing what he does best as WWE's alpha male, and it's a formula that's worked so far. Despite how much fans love Styles, Cena has the ability to turn them to his side. As the two men continue to cut promos and have physical confrontations along the way, the anticipation to see them wrestle again will build.
Of course, when Styles wins the second match by crooked means again, all of this will just keep on going.
Dean Ambrose vs. Seth Rollins
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Roman Reigns is part of this feud, but his recent suspension will keep him out of the picture. As long as he's not on TV, the bulk of the build falls on the shoulders of Seth Rollins and WWE world heavyweight champion Dean Ambrose.
That much is a good thing; these guys know how to get it done in a big way.
This is the feud many fans wanted from the start. Reigns is a polarizing figure and can easily dominate any discussion surrounding the WWE World Heavyweight Championship. But with him temporarily out of the way, the focus falls on Rollins and Ambrose.
The best part about this storyline is that each man is reinventing himself.
Ambrose is the man with razor-sharp focus. He may still be The Lunatic Fringe, but his overall mood has changed. Ambrose is all business, and he's intent on looking out for himself.
His wild side is still there, but he's more consumed by the championship.
Ambrose stepped right into the top spot. He looks and sounds like a champion, and it's obvious to many fans that WWE made the right decision. But Ambrose is not the only man who's working to change his focus.
Rollins was the kooky fun heel during his first title run, but he's more intense than ever before. He finds himself chasing the championship, and he's doing so while also chasing someone he once called his brother. There's a lot of history here, and that history is rich with bad blood.
This feud must be the most important in the company, and it must be the biggest one at Battleground. The best way to make that happen is to keep upping the intensity over the coming weeks. WWE needs to focus on them, and it needs to be done with hard-hitting promos, as well as some old-fashioned brawling.
This will not only be a wrestling match; it will also be a fight. That fight could become the most memorable one of the summer—with or without Reigns in the mix.
Tom Clark can regularly be seen on Bleacher Report. His podcast, Tom Clark's Main Event, is available on iTunes, Google Play, Amazon Android, Windows Phone and online here.
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