WWE Battleground 2017: Best Finishes for Each Match on SmackDown PPV Card

Sunday's pay-per-view doesn't feel special going into it. That can change if some stories unfold with the right amount of creativity and chaos. If the heels show off their black hearts and the rising stars dominate, WWE Battleground 2017 will be a momentous affair.

At the SmackDown-branded event in Philadelphia, Shinsuke Nakamura should score a decisive victory that leaves Baron Corbin seeing cartoon birds swirling around his head. Jinder Mahal should leave Randy Orton helpless inside the Punjabi Prison. And Mike Kanellis, who is making his WWE PPV debut, should do something memorable.

Battleground has the potential to not only set the table for SummerSlam but also begin the build to that blockbuster event with major momentum. The following is a look at how WWE can best do that in every match on the card. 

A Dominant Win for Tye Dillinger

Credit: WWE.com

Tye Dillinger and Aiden English's pre-show match doesn't mean much, as WWE hasn't made any effort to let this feud progress.

The best bet would be to use the bout as a means to create a fun moment for The Perfect 10. Dillinger's been a non-factor since the move to SmackDown earlier this year. The process of changing that could begin with a quick, dominant win over English.

Dillinger should interrupt English's singing and beat him in mere seconds with the Tye Breaker.

The majority of the air time for this contest could then be dedicated to The Perfect 10's celebration with the crowd. Beating English is no career-changer, even with just one move, but a blink-of-an-eye victory would get more people talking than a standard win.

The Usos Win a Squeaker to Set Up a SummerSlam Rematch

Credit: WWE.com

It's felt like The New Day is charging toward another title run, but that's managed to escape the trio thus far. Continuing that pattern is the best move.

Xavier Woods, Big E and Kofi Kingston dethroning The Usos is a moment better suited for SummerSlam.

At Battleground, WWE should let these teams go at it in a lengthy, wild contest. And just when it looks as if The New Day is closing in on a win, one of the Uso brothers should toss the other a pair of brass knuckles, allowing the other to knock out his foe behind the referee's back.

The New Day would have ample reason to keep hunting The Usos. The champs would get heat for cheating to win. The feud would continue and culminate at the summer blockbuster PPV. 

Victory by Any Means for Charlotte Flair

Credit: WWE.com

Of all the wrestlers colliding in the Fatal 5-Way elimination match to determine the No. 1 contender for the SmackDown Women's Championship, Charlotte Flair makes the most sense to emerge the victor.

Lana has had her title shots already. WWE hasn't built up Tamina as a believable threat yet. Natalya and Becky Lynch would work as foes for Naomi, but Flair gives the champ the biggest SummerSlam match of the three.

The only issue is The Queen is now a babyface.

She has, however, shown signs of her villainous side's re-emergence. That should be the story of this bout. As the action grows more intense, Flair should start to use unscrupulous tactics, from pulling a foe's tights during a win to using the referee as a human shield.

At the close of the bout, Lynch should eliminate Natalya with a Dis-Arm-Her, leaving The Irish Lass Kicker and Flair as the last two Superstars standing. As Lynch lets go of the hold, Flair can come running in with a steel chair in hand. A thunderous shot would leave Lynch out cold and allow The Queen to win.

Flair's character change would be in full swing, leaving Lynch as a frustrated, angry fan favorite in a sea of heels. 

Mike Kanellis Dangerous in His Debut

Credit: WWE.com

Unless WWE wants him to be the next Curt Hawkins, Mike Kanellis needs a win to start his SmackDown run. 

That doesn't have to make Sami Zayn look like a pushover, though. There's a way to create sympathy for The Underdog from the Underground while kicking off Kanellis' career in a big way.

Kanellis should win with the help of his wife Maria's interference and with his legs on the ropes for illegal leverage. That classic heel move would soften the blow of Zayn's defeat and give fans ample reason to dislike the Kanellis power couple right away.

To amplify that feeling, Kanellis should clobber a protesting Zayn after the bell.

Kanellis' wailing on Zayn, smashing him into the security barricade and slamming him through a table would be a strong image on which to end this chapter of the story. Medical staff could wheel off Zayn. And the babyface's storyline injuries can serve as evidence that Kanellis is dangerous as well as grating.

Shinsuke Nakamura KOs Baron Corbin

The WWE version of Shinsuke Nakamura hasn't looked as formidable as his New Japan Pro-Wrestling self. That can change at Battleground, courtesy of a knockout blow.

In the climax of a slugfest, Nakamura should nail Baron Corbin with a kick to the head that puts him out on his feet. Before Nakamura can go for the pin, the referee should hover over The Lone Wolf, see him lying motionless on the mat and call off the bout. 

Knockouts are rare in WWE.

Leaving Corbin out cold would be more powerful than simply pinning him. WWE can then begin to portray Nakamura as a warrior who can end an opponent with one shot.

Plus, getting embarrassed like that would leave Corbin an enraged mess. And that could be mighty entertaining.

AJ Styles Stares Down His Next Challenger

Credit: WWE.com

AJ Styles should head to SummerSlam as champion. But rather than going with Styles vs. Kevin Owens III in August, WWE should set up a dream bout. 

When The Phenomenal One puts away Owens with a Styles Clash to end a barnburner of a match, he should look up to see a visitor entering the ring.

Nakamura should come in just after the referee raises a wobbly, beaten-up Styles' hand in victory. An intense, silent staredown between the King of Strong Style and Styles would make for a great moment. The tease of a huge SummerSlam bout would be the talk of the PPV. 

Lana and Rusev Reunite

Credit: WWE.com

John Cena and Rusev's Flag match has all the electricity of an old AA battery.

It's clear Cena will win, assert his dominance, defend America's honor and prep for whatever big SummerSlam match awaits him. Rusev is poised to lose what little momentum he has.

WWE can give Cena his win while giving The Bulgarian Brute a narrative to sink his claws into.

After Rusev takes an Attitude Adjustment and suffers a three-count, Lana could saunter down the ramp and comfort her husband. Dejected, he would ignore her. A slap to his face could wake him up.

Lana would tell him "Crush!" as she did in the past, leading to Rusev's going wild and attacking the announcers. When SmackDown commissioner Shane McMahon comes out to quell the chaos, he would get locked in Rusev's Accolade for his trouble.

Getting the couple back together on screen again is best for both performers. And a rivalry with McMahon heading into SummerSlam would give Rusev quite the high-profile showdown at the marquee event. 

Jinder Mahal Outsmarts The Viper

In their first two meetings, Jinder Mahal has relied on distractions from The Singh Brothers to beat Randy Orton.

Showing him as cunning and cruel in the third clash is the right move. Mahal would come off as more of a calculated villain than a guy lucky to be champion.

The Maharaja could prevent Orton from escaping the Punjabi Prison by pulling out a pair of handcuffs and locking him to the bars. That would leave The Viper open to take an unsettling beating from Mahal and his goons. 

Then Mahal could easily crawl outside the bamboo cage to retain the WWE Championship.

WWE would have a memorable moment to replay. Mahal would look resourceful. And there would be a clear reason to despise him as his reign continues.