WWE Battleground 2016: How to Fix Least Promising Storylines So Far

Ahead of WWE Battleground 2016, cracks of varying sizes need to be filled in the narratives likely to get a spot on the pay-per-view card on July 24. 

For midcard fares such as Sheamus vs. Apollo Crews, WWE has a lot of work to do. That rivalry is threadbare as of now, needing huge moments, character development and more constant attention. The two weeks left before the PPV may not be enough time to tackle all of that.

Battleground's main event, where all three former members of The Shield will collide, needs more tweaking than wholesale alterations. Dean Ambrose and Seth Rollins' interactions simply need to be played for fewer laughs.   

The following is a look at a number of WWE stories, from the incomplete to the off-track, and how to improve them en route to Battleground.

Apollo Crews vs. Sheamus

Apollo Crews vs. Sheamus remains a neglected, slow-moving feud.

After Crews' fluky win over The Celtic Warrior at the Money in the Bank pay-per-view last month, the rivals have clashed as part of larger bouts—a Fatal 4-Way match and Team USA vs. Team Multinational Alliance on last week's Raw, for example. But that's as far as WWE has gone to further this story. Incidental meetings aren't enough.

The first step to boosting Crews vs. Sheamus is to add more lasting images of violence.

Early on, fans saw Sheamus attack the recent NXT transplant backstage, and later, the high-flyer floored Sheamus in retaliation. More collisions like these are a necessity. We need reminders of their animosity; the enemies need more fuel as they head toward their eventual rematch.

Have Sheamus interrupt one of Crews' matches with a Brogue Kick. Let the two men brawl on the entrance ramp.

WWE's other focus should be further introducing Crews to its audience. It's only been since April that he moved from NXT to the main roster. Fans need to know more about him other than the fact that he's a breathtaking athlete.

A video package, much like the one WWE produced for Baron Corbin, would do wonders to that end.

He's not a stellar mic worker, but he does need to speak a bit more. A taped interview is the best route with that in mind.

Some heavy lifting is required to get this rivalry rolling. Tag matches aren't going to cut it.

Sasha Banks' Rise to Title Contention

The brewing rivalry between Sasha Banks and women's champion Charlotte has massive potential, and it has already delivered some fine moments from The Boss on the mic.

On Monday's Raw, for example, the swagger-rich babyface confronted Charlotte. A.V. Club's LaToya Ferguson described the promo as "Banks breaking down boss scripture."

What the story lacks, though, is the part where Banks earns her title shot by climbing up a steep mountain. After weeks of not appearing on Raw or SmackDown, The Boss simply showed up and demanded to be in the title picture. That may be the end result most fans want, but WWE can't skip the key part of the narrative that should come before that.

The company needs to line up a collection of opponents for Banks to knock down.

Have her tear through the roster, dominating Alicia Fox and outlasting Paige. Make it clear why Banks deserves an opportunity at the Women's Championship and why Charlotte should be fearful of that eventual match.  

With WWE likely to save Banks vs. Charlotte for SummerSlam, Battleground should be an opportunity to further the expected No. 1 contender's momentum. With the champ looking on, let Banks tear Charlotte's crony Dana Brooke apart.

Build anticipation. Build up Banks as unstoppable, not just popular.

The Battle to Dethrone The Miz

The Intercontinental Championship's red-hot momentum cooled when The Miz left WWE TV for weeks to film The Marine 5: Battleground.

The Miz has since fended off Kane on Raw in June and bested Kalisto on last Thursday's SmackDown, but he has done little else. He hasn't had a sustained rival or storyline. WWE would be smart to borrow from the recent past when addressing that.

A huge part of the reason the Fatal 4-Way for the IC title at Extreme Rules was such a hit was the collective hunger for the championship. Kevin Owens, Cesaro and Sami Zayn all craved the gold. The chase to claim it was intense, and The Miz stood at the center of that.

Heading into Battleground, WWE should look to create a similar energy.

A Battle Royal to determine the new No. 1 contender for the IC crown is set for Monday's Raw, per WWE.com. The bout should end in a non-definitive finish. Have two or three men go over the top rope last at the same time.

That will set up a continued battle for Cesaro, Kalisto and others to separate themselves. Have a series of matches to whittle down the field of challengers. The champ can be his usual smug, haughty self as he waits for his eventual Battleground opponent to emerge.

Dean Ambrose vs. Seth Rollins vs. Roman Reigns

An off-the-mark tone has hurt the Triple Threat match for the WWE Championship at Battleground almost as much as Roman Reigns' suspension has.

What should be a showcase of seething hatred between former allies has been more of a campy squabble. Kate Foray of the Raw Breakdown Project wrote of Dean Ambrose and Seth Rollins' interactions from last week's SmackDown, "If this is your first time watching SmackDown, you'd think Ambrose and Rollins were in the midst of a lovers quarrel."

That's the show where the WWE champion introduced Rollins before his match and said that he was "born with a giant stick up his butt." After Rollins beat Jey Uso, The Lunatic Fringe then called him "the human equivalent of a root canal."

Moving forward, Ambrose has to be less zany and more ferocious. Havoc has to replace one-liners.

Have Rollins attack and injure Ambrose to up his chances to regain the WWE title. Have Ambrose put down his mic and pick up a steel chair instead. 

WWE also needs to focus more on the contentious history of these two men, especially with Reigns out of action for taking an unnamed banned substance. There is plenty of material to pack into a stellar video package, from their days as members of The Shield to their foot-on-the-gas rivalry in 2014.

Bringing in those elements to replace the rivalry's zingers will make this match feel more serious and significant.