WWE Battleground 2017 Matches: Dream Scenarios For Top Stars

WWE Battleground takes place Sunday, and pro wrestling fans are more than ready for the big event.

The company has overloaded the weeks leading up to Battleground with the usual hype, but the time for talking is almost over.

The WWE faithful want to see what the company has from SmackDown Live this time out.

The blue brand will be represented, as the program's top stars will be on hand for the last card before SummerSlam in August. That's why the expectations on Battleground are extremely high.

Both SmackDown and Monday Night Raw will be showcased on the SummerSlam stage, so many of the storylines currently running could end that night. If WWE is to gain any momentum heading into The Biggest Party of the Summer, then it must begin at Battleground.

So what will happen with SmackDown Live's top stars?

Not every Superstar can win his or her match. Because of this, some fans will undoubtedly come away from Battleground disappointed. It's up to WWE to book logical outcomes for the top talent that will work for everyone involved.

That will not stop fans from picking their favorites to win and imagining their own dream scenarios in the process.

Nakamura Becomes The King of Strong Style

Shinsuke Nakamura had more potential to succeed than perhaps anyone who has ever come to WWE.

He was a massive star in Japan and recognized around the world as arguably the best professional wrestler in the business. He was at the top of his game, and when he took that game to NXT, it was obvious he was headed for bigger and better things on the main roster.

But thus far, his potential has been far from realized.

Nakamura is a shell of what he was before. Instead of dominating in the ring, he's been booked in highly competitive matches he could have lost. His style and flair for the dramatic is on display during his entrance, but once the bell rings, he's all too human.

WWE made the mistake of presenting Nakamura as just another talent, and that is something he will never be. The company grounded him, handcuffing him to its own vision until everything that made him special has been neglected.

Fans want The King of Strong Style, and that's what they should get at Battleground.

The time has come for WWE to take the reins off of Nakamura. He's at his best when he is the master of his domain, and few in the company can rule the ring the way he can. He should be allowed to do just that against Baron Corbin on Sunday.

Corbin is the future, and that is clear from the Money in the Bank briefcase he carries with him. WWE obviously has big plans for him, and those will come to fruition in time. But until he becomes the next WWE champion, he should become the first man in WWE to feel Nakamura's full wrath.

Nakamura is a beast in the ring, and that should be on display at Battleground. He should move with confidence, he should work with precision and he should do it all while delivering more moves than he takes.

It's not about squashing Corbin; it's about establishing Nakamura.

By checking Nakamura at the door, WWE has stifled him. The King of Strong Style needs to wear his crown, and the only way to do that is by making a definitive statement at Battleground. Corbin is on his way to the WWE Championship, but Nakamura needs to be on his way to superstardom.

He's fully capable of getting there, and it's time for WWE to make it happen.

AJ Styles Retains and Faces Nakamura

If WWE does allow Nakamura to cut loose and show what he can do, then what would be the obvious next step? Nakamura versus AJ Styles, of course. But why not book that for Battleground?

In what would be a shocking moment for WWE fans, Nakamura should challenge Styles for the United States Championship after AJ retains against Kevin Owens.

The U.S. title is not the Hardcore Championship; there is no 24/7 rule attached to Style's belt.

But that may not prevent Nakamura from capitalizing on the moment and having an impromptu match with Styles at Battleground. Owens could come back to the ring and interfere, or Corbin could be the man to cause a disqualification.

Regardless of how it happens, the match should not end with a pinfall. Nakamura should live to fight another day, and that day should come at SummerSlam.

Fans want Styles versus Nakamura, and they have from the moment both men landed on WWE's roster. The two made magic together in New Japan Pro Wrestling, and that could surely be recreated in Vince McMahon's ring.

It's a guaranteed Match of the Year candidate, no matter when it happens.

But SummerSlam is definitely the best place for an instant classic such as this one. The hype WWE could generate in the weeks leading to SummerSlam would be unprecedented, and Styles versus Nakamura would easily be the most anticipated match of the night.

So why not kickstart it at Battleground?

Even if the two men merely had a face-off that night, it would be enough to whet the fans' appetites for what was to come. They're allies on TV, but that alliance would be irrelevant because of the title involved.

Nakamura would be the first Japanese wrestler to win WWE's version of the United States Championship, but Styles would not give it up without a fight. Tempers could flare quickly in this one.

Styles is perhaps the best pro wrestler working today. He's never looked better, and he's always on his game. Many fans believe that description fits Nakamura perfectly. This match needs to happen in WWE, and it needs to happen sooner rather than later.

John Cena Loses to Rusev

To bet on John Cena in a Flag match with a foreign-born heel opponent is to bet on a sure thing. 

This is what Cena was made for, and it's what he does best; he rises to the occasion. He's booked against Rusev in a contest that hinges on each man's ability to pull down his home country's flag. Considering Cena is the most vocal patriotic Superstar in the company, he's a lock to win.

But what if he lost?

The match itself is somewhat odd because it doesn't fit. Cena had no heat with Rusev until The Bulgarian Brute picked a fight with him. Cena also had no reason to bring Old Glory into it; he only did so because of Rusev's nationality and attitude toward America.

Once Cena wins, he and Rusev end their feud and once again move on to other things. This is a throwaway match to say the least.

So why not book a surprise ending? If Rusev went over by cheating, then Cena would have a reason to seek a rematch. That rematch could happen on SmackDown Live, and the result would be much different. Cena would win and then perhaps set his sights on WWE champion Jinder Mahal.

Rusev would be a victim of 50/50 booking, but he would still have a major victory over Cena on pay-per-view. 

The fact is despite his contributions and importance to WWE, Cena is still not the favorite of many fans. Every time he wins, his critics ask why. He's done it all in the company, and he's beat every big name who has been put in front of him.

Why keep putting him over on talents who are primed to carry the company forward?

Rusev would perhaps not take a win over Cena and springboard to the main event level, but he would have bragging rights. He would also have some much-needed momentum, which could lead him to the United States Championship once again.

Maybe it's about wanting to see Cena lose. Maybe it's about seeing Cena lose a match he's been built to win. No matter which side his critics land on, it's obvious Cena is still the man to beat in WWE. If he does lose at Battleground, it would be a shocking moment.

Randy Orton Does Not Regain the WWE Championship

The fans who would love to see Cena lose at Battleground may be the same fans who want to see Randy Orton lose as well.

The Viper is once again attempting to regain the WWE Championship from Jinder Mahal. The Modern Day Maharaja has proved to be a tougher challenge than Orton possibly realized, and that's especially true because of The Singh Brothers.

Mahal has had his fair share of help since becoming WWE champion. But a good heel cheats, and that's exactly what he does.

Now he's headed to the Punjabi Prison match, a bout he should be able to win. Getting past Orton will not be easy. The Viper is a 13-time world champion and will stop at nothing to win No. 14. But if he cannot get the job done, Mahal's star will burn brighter than ever before.

Mahal's next challenger could be Cena. If that happens, the champion will need all the star power, and help, he can get.

However, that may not be the reason why fans want to see Orton lose at Battleground. The fact is no matter how much he's respected for what he's accomplished, Orton represents the old guard of WWE. Whether fans like Mahal or not, there is no denying he is part of WWE's future. So why not keep moving ahead?

Then there's the fact a Mahal win at Battleground is much more dramatic than a loss. Many feel he has been nothing more than a fill-in champion, a novelty titleholder with no real main event future. 

Beating Orton again could change that perception and solidify Mahal as a true top player in the company.

Tom Clark can regularly be seen on Bleacher Report. His podcast, Tom Clark's Main Event, is available on iTunes, Google Play, iHeart Radio, Amazon Android, Windows Phone and online at boinkstudios.com.