WWE Battleground 2016: Bold Predictions for Massive Showcase

With the brand split only days old when WWE Battleground airs on Sunday night, its impact will still be sorely felt across the company, which is why there is the potential for some real shocks.

As stables compete together for the last time before heading to different brands, there is the possibility of some major implosions this weekend when Battleground kicks off.

The prospect of more debuts reigns supreme, too, although many expect that may not come to fruition.

Here's a look at some bold predictions for this weekend's pay-per-view—the last one before the brands split for the foreseeable future.

Bayley Will Not Debut at Battleground

Although the WWE draft threw up a few surprises on Tuesday, arguably the biggest was the non-selection of Bayley by either brand.

As the leading female on the NXT roster, it seemed a guarantee she would be picked ahead of the likes of Nia Jax and Carmella.

However, that has led to speculation Bayley will now be Sasha Banks' mystery partner at Battleground for her match against Charlotte and Dana Brooke, but it's just as likely WWE will go in another direction with its plans for that match.

It could be the ideal opportunity to put one of the three NXT female stars picked in the draft to good use, especially someone such as Carmella, who will likely come up and work as a babyface.

Bayley doesn't need a match alongside someone else to get her WWE career up and running. Plus, it would be wise to hold back on her promotion if WWE is serious about getting the other three over first, as they could fade into the background with the hype that would come with Bayley's move to the main roster.

Give the shot to one of the newcomers to the main roster, and get her run going with a solid match.

The Wyatt Family Will Combust 

The draft also threw up an anticipated implosion of one of WWE's biggest stables. The division of The Wyatt Family across the two brands should lead to a high-profile split at Battleground.

With Braun Strowman going to Raw on his own and Erick Rowan and Bray Wyatt heading to SmackDown's blue brand, there's a real danger Strowman could break away on his own with no real momentum or force. For a guy who exploded onto the scene and is well-regarded by WWE, that would be a mistake.

So why not have The Wyatt Family implode in spectacular fashion at Battleground, perhaps by Strowman tearing through Rowan after a defeat to raise his standing as a dominant heel even more?

WWE has to be careful with how it plays this scenario out, though. Having Strowman attack Wyatt would make little sense if he is heading to SmackDown to become one of the show's flagship stars.

But it can be executed in such a way that it makes Strowman look good, leaves doubts surrounding the future of The Wyatt Family and doesn't harm Wyatt too much.

Instead of the stable fading into the night ahead of the brand split, expect WWE to do something more dramatic with this situation.

The WWE Championship Is Heading to Raw

Dean Ambrose's WWE Championship reign hasn't properly run its course yet, but it will come crashing to a halt on Sunday night.

There was an inconclusive finish on Raw this past Monday before The Lunatic Fringe managed to get one over on Seth Rollins on Tuesday, beating his former brother from The Shield to score early points for SmackDown minutes after they were both drafted to separate brands.

However, with Ambrose competing against two Raw stars on Sunday night—Rollins will be joined by Roman Reigns—the odds are stacked against the current champion.

In all likelihood, the WWE Championship will move to the flagship brand, and the fact Ambrose was drafted to SmackDown only increases the chances he will relinquish it on Sunday night.

His time will come again—probably with the introduction of a second world title—but this title reign has come at the wrong time for Ambrose.

Expect the title to make the switch to Raw before the show airs on Monday night.