WWE Battleground 2017: Live stream, start time, match card predictions and more
WWE Battleground will be the company’s final pay-per-view before SummerSlam next month in Brooklyn. Here’s when the show starts, how you can watch it and who could come away victorious in Philadelphia on Sunday night.
WWE Battleground is the final stop on the road to The Biggest Party of the Summer in Brooklyn next month: SummerSlam.
In the show’s main event of the evening, Jinder Mahal will defend the WWE Championship for the final time against Randy Orton, but this encounter will come in a Punjabi Prison match. It’s just the third Punjabi Prison match in WWE history and the first in a decade.
AJ Styles will also defend the United States Championship against former champion Kevin Owens, The Usos will put their tag team gold on the line against The New Day and Becky Lynch, Charlotte Flair, Lana, Natalya and Tamina will battle it out in a Five-Way Elimination match to see who becomes the next contender for Naomi’s SmackDown Women’s Championship.
Here’s a look at the full card, including match predictions and how you can watch Sunday night’s show from home.
Event info
What: WWE Battleground
Date: Sunday, July 23, 2017
Venue: Wells Fargo Center, Philadelphia, PA
Start time: 8 p.m. ET, with the Battleground Kickoff Show starting at 7 p.m. ET
Live stream: WWE Network
Match predictions
Punjabi Prison match for the WWE Championship
Jinder Mahal (c) (with The Singh Brothers) vs. Randy Orton
Prediction: This is Orton’s last chance at regaining the WWE Championship he lost to Mahal at Backlash. Rumors have circulated that WWE is content with Mahal as their world champion on Tuesday nights and with the success of reaching out to the Indian market and Mahal picking the stipulation of the match, don’t be surprised if the Singh Brothers find a way to make an impact in this match and help The Maharaja retain the WWE title.
WWE United States Championship match
AJ Styles (c) vs. Kevin Owens
Prediction: This can easily be the match of the night with two of the company’s best performers in AJ Styles and Kevin Owens wrestling over gold. With the recent teases of Styles vs. Shinsuke Nakamura for the United States title, it would make sense for Styles to come away victorious on Sunday night at Battleground against the Face of America. Styles wins the match of the evening.
SmackDown Tag Team Championship match
The Usos (c) vs. The New Day
Prediction: The stars are aligning for The New Day to win the titles against Jimmy and Jey Uso, but as good as The Usos have been, a mini swerve here with keeping the titles on The UceBros would be a move that shouldn’t criticized. But, it does appear that it’s going to be time for WWE’s resident unicorns to take the tag team throne on Tuesdays. New Day wins the match and the gold.
Flag match
John Cena vs. Rusev
Prediction: There’s no way that Big Match John loses a match involving the United States flag, right? He’s more patriotic than Hulk Hogan ever was. That’s only slightly a joke. As awesome as it would be to see Rusev win his return match after an injury kept him out for months, Cena’s probably going to be standing next to the stars and stripes on the stage at the end of this one.
Five-Way Elimination match for the No. 1 contendership to the SmackDown Women’s Championship at SummerSlam vs. Naomi
Becky Lynch vs. Charlotte Flair vs. Lana vs. Natalya vs. Tamina
Prediction: There’s really only one person who shouldn’t win this match and that’s Lana, for obvious reasons. That makes this match one of the more intriguing bouts of the night in Philadelphia. Still, there have been small teases of a Naomi-Charlotte encounter and it’s always a safe bet to wager on The Queen. Charlotte survives and becomes the No. 1 contender to Naomi’s title.
Singles match
Shinsuke Nakamura vs. Baron Corbin
Prediction: This match is weirdly interesting for the fact that both guys could use a win here. Nakamura appears to have his eyes on AJ Styles and the United States title and a win for Baron Corbin could continue his hot streak since becoming Mr. Money in the Bank. This really feels like a toss-up/draw-type of match, but we’ll take the safer pick in Nakamura to come away victorious.
Singles match
Sami Zayn vs. Mike Kanellis
Prediction: The artist formerly known as Mike Bennett picked up a big win in his WWE in-ring debut this past Tuesday on SmackDown Live against Sami Zayn. The Underdog from the Underground gets his rematch on Sunday night, but I think things stay the same in this encounter. Kanellis — with a little assistance from Maria — steals another one from Zayn.
Singles match (Kickoff Show)
Tye Dillinger vs. Aiden English
Prediction: The crowd will need a little boost in the early going on Sunday for the Battleground Kickoff Show. A good start would be a Tyebreaker and a 1-2-3 victory for the Perfect 10. Dillinger gets the crowd going with a victory before the main card festivities begin.
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Prediction: It’s going to be the best segment of the show and you’re going to laugh about it all night. That’s really all that needs to be said.