AJ Styles vs. Kevin Owens WWE Battleground 2017 Match Preview and Pick

The months-long rivalry between AJ Styles and Kevin Owens over the United States Championship will presumably come to an end Sunday night when they square off in a match with the potential to steal the show. 

The feud has already seen one title change. Will Owens roll into The City of Brotherly Love, where he had countless, high-profile battles during his time with Ring of Honor, and defeat The Phenomenal One to earn his third U.S. title in 2017 or will Styles beat The Prizefighter and hold onto his prize?

Background

At WWE Backlash on May 21, Kevin Owens defended what was then his United States Championship against AJ Styles in a thrilling, highly competitive match. When the action spilled to the arena floor, Styles climbed atop the announce table, only to have his leg fall into a reserved for the television monitors.

Unable to escape and make it back into the ring by the referee's count of 10, Styles was counted out and Owens retained his title.

The self-proclaimed New Face of America dodged any attempt by Styles to garner a rematch.

He received a momentary reprieve from Styles' championship demands at Money in the Bank but just days later, Styles again made it clear he wanted a rematch with Owens.

To get it, he would have to endure a taxing July 4 broadcast of SmackDown Live.

That night, he defeated Chad Gable in a grueling match, the proceeded to eliminate Sami Zayn and win the Independence Day Battle Royal to earn a shot at Owen's title.

Few could have suspected that three days later, inside the hallowed halls of Madison Square Garden, Styles would capitalize on that title opportunity and defeat Owens during an untelevised live event.

Immediately, Owen's contractually guaranteed championship rematch was booked for Battleground. Just days from the show, The Prizefighter scored a pinfall victory over Styles in a huge tag team main event on SmackDown Live, earning himself some momentum ahead of the bout.

The Match

Styles and Owens work a high-impact style. They also deliver dramatic near-falls that keep fans invested and are routinely on the receiving end of "this is awesome!" chants. That will likely be the case Sunday night as they perform for a Philadelphia audience that appreciates both men's hard work, dedication and history in the city.

Expect to see them build on previous bouts and maybe even tease a similar situation to their previous pay-per-view bout, teasing an announce table spot with Styles again.

They will keep the audience guessing as to what the finish will be and when it will occur. Counter wrestling, perhaps even some submission wrestling will make up the heart of the bout. Late, it will be Owens seeking to plant his opponent with the Popup Powerbomb while Styles looks for the Phenomenal Forearm that earned him the title in New York City.

Given their ability to perform dramatic kickouts, even those finishers may not be enough to score them the win.

Prediction

Switching the title against would make little sense.

Why bother putting it on Styles if the endgame was returning it to Owens in Philly? Other than for a nice pop in Madison Square Garden, it would have served no purpose.

Styles will win here, retain his title and embark on a feud with a new contender ahead of SummerSlam. Could it be Shinsuke Nakamura, as was hinted at on the July 18 episode of SmackDown Live?

Prediction: AJ Styles