WWE Battleground: Most Underappreciated Storylines to Follow

The build for WWE Battleground 2016 has focused on three main storylines.

The brand split and upcoming draft, the ongoing John Cena-AJ Styles feud and the long-awaited championship match between former Shield members Seth Rollins, Roman Reigns and current champion Dean Ambrose have dominated airtime on WWE programming ahead of the July 24 pay-per-view.

There have been other developments, too. Sasha Banks' return to challenge women's champion Charlotte, Rusev's United States Championship dominance and The Wyatt Family's focus on The New Day have all received the attention typically afforded to midcard acts.

Look a bit deeper, though, and WWE fans will find a number of compelling angles that aren't getting the attention they deserve. These underappreciated storylines will go a long way toward shaping how certain WWE Superstars are booked after the brand split. 

Here are three of the most underappreciated storylines to follow as WWE heads toward Battleground. 

WWE's Treatment of Roman Reigns

When WWE suspended Roman Reigns for a Wellness Policy violation in June, many pundits questioned whether the company would acknowledge the absence of one of its primary Superstars on television. 

It only took until the next episode of Raw—the first segment, in fact—for that question to be answered. 

Seth Rollins verbally assaulted the former champion for his actions. Since then, Rollins hasn't relented, blasting Reigns every chance he gets, claiming The Big Dog is a poor role model and shouldn't represent the company as its No. 1 Superstar. 

Rollins' barbs are the least of it. According to Dave Meltzer of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter (h/t Daily DDT), WWE COO Triple H forced Reigns to apologize to the locker room.

In addition, Wade Keller of Pro Wrestling Torch (h/t Sportskeeda) reported WWE CEO Vince McMahon feels Reigns "callously threw away" his spot on top of the WWE food chain and will "have to work his way up from the scratch and toil doubly hard" to regain his spot atop the company ladder. 

It will be interesting to see how WWE handles Reigns over the next few weeks. Will he be a high pick in the upcoming draft? Will he be the Superstar to eat the pin at Battleground in the Triple Threat match for the WWE Championship? 

Will Reigns continue to be virtually unbeatable when he returns to WWE programming following the upcoming pay-per-view? 

There should be no doubt that Reigns will continue to be a major Superstar in the New Era. Legendary WWE announcer Jim Ross believes Reigns "will return to WWE and evolve into a locker room leader."

The question will be how quickly WWE is willing to forgive and forget. 

The Slow Turn of Alberto Del Rio

Have you noticed that Alberto Del Rio isn't a heel anymore? 

While it may not be the direction WWE Creative intended for The Pride of Mexico, that's how Del Rio has been booked in recent weeks. And it couldn't have come at a better time. 

Ever since the disbanding of the poorly conceived League of Nations gimmick, Del Rio has slowly built up a loyal following of fans at live shows, as noted by B/R's Aaron Bower. Rewatch episodes of Raw and SmackDown, and you'll notice crowds cheering him on, whistling along with him as he prepares to deliver a foot stomp from the top rope. 

WWE has noticed this and has been slow-burning a face turn for El Patron. While he hasn't racked up many wins, Del Rio has quietly gained momentum over the last few months.

It started during the build to Money in the Bank, when skeptics questioned why WWE placed the former champion in the namesake ladder match. He quieted everyone with a highly praised performance.

His typical booking over the last two months has seen him tag with fellow heels Sheamus and Kevin Owens, only to end up on the losing side. While traditional construct says Del Rio is a heel in such matches, he's routinely been the more honorable wrestler, giving his more dastardly partner his comeuppance. 

With the draft and brand split on the horizon, Del Rio is one Superstar who can benefit most. 

The Miz's Intercontinental Championship Reign

How many times does a Superstar have to be called underappreciated before fans show their appreciation?

In the case of The Miz, a whole lot. 

Even though The Miz has rejuvenated the title and his career in a matter of months, no one seems to believe he's worth much praise. There are reasons for that, mainly due to the uneven booking he's been forced to endure.

Although he continues to hold the title, The Miz doesn't collect signature wins. Since claiming the IC title, he's won two televised matches: one against Cesaro and another against Kalisto. On the other hand, he's been pinned by AJ Styles, Roman Reigns, Sami Zayn, Cesaro and Dean Ambrose (twice).

It also hasn't helped that while filming The Marine 5: Battleground, WWE failed to advance any midcard Superstar to become a clear No. 1 contender. Since returning to television, the only Superstar who's stepped up to challenge The Miz was Kane, a complete surprise appearance that became a one-off return to TV for The Demon.

When he captured the Intercontinental Championship from Zack Ryder the day after WrestleMania 32, many saw the move as a temporary hold until someone—Cesaro, Sami Zayn, Kevin Owens—came forth to once again make the title a prominent centerpiece of WWE programming.

Since then, all manner of Superstars have had their shots and failed. It doesn't stop speculation that his next opponent will be the one to claim the title. Juan Herrera of Daily DDT wrote that Baron Corbin, who's been pushed prominently by WWE over the last few weeks, should be the heir apparent.  

Before The Miz returned to WWE programming, B/R's Graham GSM Matthews predicted an intercontinental title change at WWE Battleground, writing it might be time The Miz "passes the belt to a Superstar who could benefit from holding it." 

Now it's Darren Young's turn to take a shot at the title following his win in a Battle Royal on the July 11 episode of Raw. Young, who's been promoted heavily over the last two months, could dethrone The Miz. After all, why build up a wrestler for months without the requisite payoff?

Here's hoping that's not the case. The Miz has been one of the best parts of WWE television. Injecting Maryse into the fold was a bold move that has paid off, as the two have been everything fans want from their heels: conniving, smarmy and ruthless.