WWE Battleground 2017 review: What we learned, takeaways, future projections

WWE Championship Match; Punjabi Prison

Jinder Mahal (c) vs. Randy Orton

What we learned: I honestly don’t even know where to start here. Did we really learn anything here besides the fact that the Singh brothers know how to take solid bumps and that a cage, even one as ridiculous as this Punjabi Prison, still can’t keep others from getting involved.

I’ve really been trying to get into this Jinder Mahal thing but it’s not working. He’s a good midcard guy to have around but he is not a main-event player. He just isn’t. I know that Vince loves the India market and this is still a business and all of that, but this is just too much. I was really let down with the pay-per-view and was trying to hold onto the fact that Randy Orton is a pro and could carry this match but he just looks bored as well and has for a while now.

The strategy and story with the arm was good at the start. It’s hard to climb when your arm hurts and that was some decent storytelling, until the times Orton forgot about it. The climbing in these types of matches is always slow but this was ridiculous. There was no drama here and the Philly crowd was really out of this one, even more than they were with the Flag Match and that’s saying something. The announce table spot was solid but that’s the only thing that entertained me.

Obviously, I can’t go any longer without mentioning the big surprise of the night was The Great Khalik returning to help his countryman retain the WWE Championship. Is that really supposed to be a big deal? I mean, it’s obviously a BIG deal because the guy is a monster but are we supposed to forget that he was arguably the most uninteresting champion in WWE history? So throw him in with another uninteresting WWE Champion and let’s make this a thing. Where’s The Miz when you need him for the “Really?” lines? Because seriously … REALLY?

What’s next: Orton has now failed in every attempt to regain the WWE Championship so I don’t think there’s any way that he gets another shot. Nor do I really want to see this match in any shape or form again anyway. Orton will obviously be looking for some sort of revenge on Khali, and knowing WWE, here’s how I see it playing out. Jinder, Khali and the Singh Brothers make their way to the ring to celebrate the victory. Orton shows up and tries his best to get back at all of them but starts taking a beating. Who in the world could show up to help out? You guessed it — Hulk Hogan. Okay, totally kidding on that but I did enjoy JBL’s Thunderlips reference on the show.

As Orton continues to be beaten, All-American hero John Cena hits the ring to help out his longtime rival and sets himself up for a WWE Championship match at SummerSlam against Jinder. It’s the second-biggest show of the year and the unlikely WWE Champion takes on the man looking for a record 17th title reign. Perhaps we also get that Cena/Orton vs. Mahal/Khali tag team match that we’ve always wanted on the way to Brooklyn.

This horrible match was the fitting end to a horrible pay-per-view. But thanks to The New Day and The Usos for your efforts.

Next: WWE Superstar Power Rankings

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