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I wasn't watching at the time, but I'm told that 2013's Battleground was the worst PPV of that year, and possibly one of the worst of all time. I feel sorry for anyone who paid $50 to watch it. To make up for it, this year's Battleground has a fantastic card and should make for a good show.
The Battleground Kickoff show has two matches tonight, the first of which was announced only shortly before the PPV started. Fandango goes against Adam Rose. Why? Just because, I guess. Neither deserves a PPV spot, but here we are.
Fandango vs. Adam Rose (with Layla and Summer Rae)
The sideshow that is Summer Rae and Layla being "rosebuds" distracts from the actual match. They parade around the ring with the other rosebuds, which causes Fandango to come out and ask them what they're doing. They both slap him. Rose then gets Fandango back into the ring, hits about three moves, and wins with his Party Foul. It's a really good thing this was on the Kickoff show, because it was awful and a waste of time.
Match Rating: *
Cameron vs. Naomi
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I'm liking the new attitude from Cameron, but that doesn't make her good in the ring. She's not on Naomi's level. Still, she's improving and matches like this can only help her. Naomi plays more of a brawler in this match, being physically imposing. Cameron is a more cowardly heel, but also someone who picks her spots.
This is not a good match. It's surprisingly physical, but it's not really entertaining. And it has such a weak finish. Cameron rolls up Naomi, pulls the tights, and wins. It was just ... it was a weak roll up. It didn't look like Cameron was putting any force into the pin. Given how much bigger Naomi is, she should have easily kicked out. Oh well. The heel wins, the feud maybe continues, and nobody really cares.
Match Rating: *1/2
<color=red>2-out-of-3 Falls WWE Tag Team Championship Match: The Usos (Jimmy and Jey Uso) vs. Luke Harper and Erick Rowanhttp://i39.servimg.com/u/f39/16/09/70/40/clipb164.jpg
A good pick to truly start Battleground. These two teams have amazing chemistry, and although if feels like we've seen them do battle about 60 times now, they're likely to put on a good bout here. The stipulation makes for a longer match, but it really doesn't add any freshness. It's up to the competitors to do that.
This had the potential to be the match of the night before the PPV started, and it delivered. This was a solid technical match, a strong brawling contest, and had a couple of very impressive spots. It was well-paced and incredibly entertaining. About the only problem with it was the falls.
The first fall, for instance, came just after a big boot. Yes, a big boot. A move from which most people bounce up rather quickly. It got a three count. Harper pinned one of the Usos twins.
The second fall came after one of the Usos rolled up Luke Harper. But the roll up was terrible -- worse than Cameron's earlier in the night. Harper's shoulder was up because he wasn't flat on his back. But it counted, and it looked awful. We knew The Usos would get the second pinfall, though. The match had to go to its third pinfall.
It's after the second pinfall that the match's tempo really starts to pick up. The biggest spots and moves are hit. The near-falls begin to become frequent. Finishers are kicked out of. Partners make saves. It is incredible. It could easily be the match of the night.
The finish comes from a double splash from the top rope. But not a sequential double splash like normal; they leap off the same turnbuckle at the same time. That's just one of many great moments in a match that sets the bar extremely high for the rest of the PPV.
Match Rating: ****1/2
A Seth Rollins interview follows a video package about The Shield's break up. He hypes his match later on tonight with Dean Ambrose. Ambrose jumps him right at the end of the interview. The two are separated by officials and Triple H. The Game tells Ambrose that he won't "screw this up." Ambrose is thrown out of the building.
WWE Divas Championship Match: Paige vs. AJ Leehttp://i39.servimg.com/u/f39/16/09/70/40/clipb168.jpg
It's a good sign that this match wasn't put on right before the main event.
These are two of the best workers in the Divas division. They're talented, they'll do bigger spots, and ... they don't put on a great match here. It's unfortunate that their first true match wasn't better, but there are a few botches, noticeable called spots, a slow pace, and only a couple of moments that were particularly good. You can see the potential of greatness between the two, but they need to work more together. They both have the talent. Sometimes this takes time.
Match Rating: **1/2
Randy Orton and Kane have a ... "moment" backstage. They tease their pending breakup, during which Kane will cost Orton the championship. Probably. Maybe. I'm just guessing.
Rusev (with Lana) vs. Jack Swagger (with Zeb Colter)
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Lana cuts an anti-America promo. They ... well, they don't ignore the recent plane crash. Before the match starts, Lana slaps Colter and Swagger throws Rusev out of the ring. Then, we finally get to see the two fight.
It's disappointing. The crowd is into just because of the patriotic angle, but the match is slow, boring, and very uninvolving, especially if you're not from America. Swagger dominates a good chunk of the match, but both men wind up outside, Rusev gets a lucky counter and scrambles into the ring at the count of 9. Swagger is counted out. I suppose that's the best possible finish. Rusev wins, Swagger looks strong. But the match wasn't good.
Match Rating: **
Rusev locks in The Accolade after the match. Because of course he does. He really sells the damage The Patriot Lock did, though, which was good to see. So much for Swagger looking strong, though.
Following the commercial break -- yes, there was a commercial -- Stardust and Goldust do their Stardust and Goldust thing. It's entertaining but I kind of wish it would go somewhere soon.
Dean Ambrose vs. Seth Rollins
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Seth Rollins is out next for his match against Dean Ambrose. But Ambrose has been banned from the building. Rollins gets a mic and says he'll accept a victory via forfeit. And then he's announced as the winner.
Match Rating: N/A
We cut to the commentators, and Rollins walks up the ramp. Ambrose ambushes him. They brawl a little bit and then Ambrose is pulled away by security. He fights through them. Triple H eventually comes out to keep Ambrose away. This isn't ending any time soon.
Bray Wyatt (with Luke Harper and Erick Rowan) vs. Chris Jericho
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These two men have put on a good match on NXT before. But it's difficult for them to generate much excitement with Luke Harper and Erick Rowan at ringside. The early part of the match was simply not very enjoyable. It was slow and felt routine. And then Wyatt's family got thrown out. At this point, the match finally starts to get good. A really bad botch -- and then a repeated spot -- hurts it right in the middle, and the two never really seemed to get going like we know they can. You can certainly do worse than these two, but this match didn't feel like a PPV bout. Perhaps the three weeks of build hurt it. Perhaps Wyatt isn't that good in the ring, after all. Maybe Jericho is finally showing his age a little bit. I'm not entirely sure. But the match just wasn't anything special.
Jericho wins with the Codebreaker. That means he's losing next time. At least the "Y2Jobber" thoughts will be put to rest for a little bit.
Match Rating: **
Seth Rollins is then seen in a parking lot, followed by security. He tells them to leave. Ambrose then gets out of a car trunk and ambushes Rollins. Their brawl on top of a car is hilarious. Rollins eventually gets in the car and drives away. So that means there's no chance of a Money in the Bank briefcase being cashed in tonight. In kayfabe, at least, having that chance is always a good thing.
<color=red>20-Man Battle Royal WWE Intercontinental Championship Matchhttp://i39.servimg.com/u/f39/16/09/70/40/clipb163.jpg
I don't know what to tell you. It's a battle royal. They're all very similar. Few of them are truly great, and even fewer are truly awful. This one has one or two cool spots -- Kofi Kingston is in it, after all -- a couple of really bad botches, and The Miz wound up winning. He was thrown out -- but not over the top rope -- early on, and just stayed down for the entirety of the match. Ziggler eliminated Sheamus to look like he'd win, but then The Miz threw him out and won. It is what it is. I guess Miz and Sheamus will compete at SummerSlam in a unification match.
Oh, and Rob Van Dam was supposed to be in the match but wasn't. That's weird.
Match Rating: **1/2
<color=red>Fatal 4-Way WWE World Heavyweight Championship Match: Randy Orton vs. Kane vs. Roman Reigns vs. John Cenahttp://i39.servimg.com/u/f39/16/09/70/40/clipb169.jpg
Much like the battle royal before it, it's kind of difficult to have a truly awful Fatal 4-Way, especially with competitors of this quality. At least three of them are bonafide main eventers, while Roman Reigns is getting there. This isn't one of the most entertaining matches ever, but it certainly isn't bad, and it's a pretty good match for the main event, even if it was probably an impossibility for it to top the opening bout.
Near the end of the match, we get a ton of near-falls. Everyone hits finishers and signatures, and they all get broken up by everyone else. The finish comes when Cena hits the Attitude Adjustment on Orton ... onto Kane. And then he pins Kane. That's it. That's the end of Battleground. Cena wins.
The PPV wasn't really bad, and for a filler PPV I suppose it counts as a success, but after the opening match, the rest was a letdown.
Match Rating: ***1/2
The Good: The Usos vs. Harper/Rowan.
The Bad: Swagger/Rusev. Both Kickoff show matches.
Match of the Night: The Usos vs. Luke Harper and Erick Rowan.
Prediction Score: 3/7 on announced matches. 4/8 if you count Rose/Fandango, because nobody would pick Fandango.
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I wasn't watching at the time, but I'm told that 2013's Battleground was the worst PPV of that year, and possibly one of the worst of all time. I feel sorry for anyone who paid $50 to watch it. To make up for it, this year's Battleground has a fantastic card and should make for a good show.
The Battleground Kickoff show has two matches tonight, the first of which was announced only shortly before the PPV started. Fandango goes against Adam Rose. Why? Just because, I guess. Neither deserves a PPV spot, but here we are.
Fandango vs. Adam Rose (with Layla and Summer Rae)
The sideshow that is Summer Rae and Layla being "rosebuds" distracts from the actual match. They parade around the ring with the other rosebuds, which causes Fandango to come out and ask them what they're doing. They both slap him. Rose then gets Fandango back into the ring, hits about three moves, and wins with his Party Foul. It's a really good thing this was on the Kickoff show, because it was awful and a waste of time.
Match Rating: *
Cameron vs. Naomi
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I'm liking the new attitude from Cameron, but that doesn't make her good in the ring. She's not on Naomi's level. Still, she's improving and matches like this can only help her. Naomi plays more of a brawler in this match, being physically imposing. Cameron is a more cowardly heel, but also someone who picks her spots.
This is not a good match. It's surprisingly physical, but it's not really entertaining. And it has such a weak finish. Cameron rolls up Naomi, pulls the tights, and wins. It was just ... it was a weak roll up. It didn't look like Cameron was putting any force into the pin. Given how much bigger Naomi is, she should have easily kicked out. Oh well. The heel wins, the feud maybe continues, and nobody really cares.
Match Rating: *1/2
<color=red>2-out-of-3 Falls WWE Tag Team Championship Match: The Usos (Jimmy and Jey Uso) vs. Luke Harper and Erick Rowanhttp://i39.servimg.com/u/f39/16/09/70/40/clipb164.jpg
A good pick to truly start Battleground. These two teams have amazing chemistry, and although if feels like we've seen them do battle about 60 times now, they're likely to put on a good bout here. The stipulation makes for a longer match, but it really doesn't add any freshness. It's up to the competitors to do that.
This had the potential to be the match of the night before the PPV started, and it delivered. This was a solid technical match, a strong brawling contest, and had a couple of very impressive spots. It was well-paced and incredibly entertaining. About the only problem with it was the falls.
The first fall, for instance, came just after a big boot. Yes, a big boot. A move from which most people bounce up rather quickly. It got a three count. Harper pinned one of the Usos twins.
The second fall came after one of the Usos rolled up Luke Harper. But the roll up was terrible -- worse than Cameron's earlier in the night. Harper's shoulder was up because he wasn't flat on his back. But it counted, and it looked awful. We knew The Usos would get the second pinfall, though. The match had to go to its third pinfall.
It's after the second pinfall that the match's tempo really starts to pick up. The biggest spots and moves are hit. The near-falls begin to become frequent. Finishers are kicked out of. Partners make saves. It is incredible. It could easily be the match of the night.
The finish comes from a double splash from the top rope. But not a sequential double splash like normal; they leap off the same turnbuckle at the same time. That's just one of many great moments in a match that sets the bar extremely high for the rest of the PPV.
Match Rating: ****1/2
A Seth Rollins interview follows a video package about The Shield's break up. He hypes his match later on tonight with Dean Ambrose. Ambrose jumps him right at the end of the interview. The two are separated by officials and Triple H. The Game tells Ambrose that he won't "screw this up." Ambrose is thrown out of the building.
WWE Divas Championship Match: Paige vs. AJ Leehttp://i39.servimg.com/u/f39/16/09/70/40/clipb168.jpg
It's a good sign that this match wasn't put on right before the main event.
These are two of the best workers in the Divas division. They're talented, they'll do bigger spots, and ... they don't put on a great match here. It's unfortunate that their first true match wasn't better, but there are a few botches, noticeable called spots, a slow pace, and only a couple of moments that were particularly good. You can see the potential of greatness between the two, but they need to work more together. They both have the talent. Sometimes this takes time.
Match Rating: **1/2
Randy Orton and Kane have a ... "moment" backstage. They tease their pending breakup, during which Kane will cost Orton the championship. Probably. Maybe. I'm just guessing.
Rusev (with Lana) vs. Jack Swagger (with Zeb Colter)
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Lana cuts an anti-America promo. They ... well, they don't ignore the recent plane crash. Before the match starts, Lana slaps Colter and Swagger throws Rusev out of the ring. Then, we finally get to see the two fight.
It's disappointing. The crowd is into just because of the patriotic angle, but the match is slow, boring, and very uninvolving, especially if you're not from America. Swagger dominates a good chunk of the match, but both men wind up outside, Rusev gets a lucky counter and scrambles into the ring at the count of 9. Swagger is counted out. I suppose that's the best possible finish. Rusev wins, Swagger looks strong. But the match wasn't good.
Match Rating: **
Rusev locks in The Accolade after the match. Because of course he does. He really sells the damage The Patriot Lock did, though, which was good to see. So much for Swagger looking strong, though.
Following the commercial break -- yes, there was a commercial -- Stardust and Goldust do their Stardust and Goldust thing. It's entertaining but I kind of wish it would go somewhere soon.
Dean Ambrose vs. Seth Rollins
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Seth Rollins is out next for his match against Dean Ambrose. But Ambrose has been banned from the building. Rollins gets a mic and says he'll accept a victory via forfeit. And then he's announced as the winner.
Match Rating: N/A
We cut to the commentators, and Rollins walks up the ramp. Ambrose ambushes him. They brawl a little bit and then Ambrose is pulled away by security. He fights through them. Triple H eventually comes out to keep Ambrose away. This isn't ending any time soon.
Bray Wyatt (with Luke Harper and Erick Rowan) vs. Chris Jericho
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These two men have put on a good match on NXT before. But it's difficult for them to generate much excitement with Luke Harper and Erick Rowan at ringside. The early part of the match was simply not very enjoyable. It was slow and felt routine. And then Wyatt's family got thrown out. At this point, the match finally starts to get good. A really bad botch -- and then a repeated spot -- hurts it right in the middle, and the two never really seemed to get going like we know they can. You can certainly do worse than these two, but this match didn't feel like a PPV bout. Perhaps the three weeks of build hurt it. Perhaps Wyatt isn't that good in the ring, after all. Maybe Jericho is finally showing his age a little bit. I'm not entirely sure. But the match just wasn't anything special.
Jericho wins with the Codebreaker. That means he's losing next time. At least the "Y2Jobber" thoughts will be put to rest for a little bit.
Match Rating: **
Seth Rollins is then seen in a parking lot, followed by security. He tells them to leave. Ambrose then gets out of a car trunk and ambushes Rollins. Their brawl on top of a car is hilarious. Rollins eventually gets in the car and drives away. So that means there's no chance of a Money in the Bank briefcase being cashed in tonight. In kayfabe, at least, having that chance is always a good thing.
<color=red>20-Man Battle Royal WWE Intercontinental Championship Matchhttp://i39.servimg.com/u/f39/16/09/70/40/clipb163.jpg
I don't know what to tell you. It's a battle royal. They're all very similar. Few of them are truly great, and even fewer are truly awful. This one has one or two cool spots -- Kofi Kingston is in it, after all -- a couple of really bad botches, and The Miz wound up winning. He was thrown out -- but not over the top rope -- early on, and just stayed down for the entirety of the match. Ziggler eliminated Sheamus to look like he'd win, but then The Miz threw him out and won. It is what it is. I guess Miz and Sheamus will compete at SummerSlam in a unification match.
Oh, and Rob Van Dam was supposed to be in the match but wasn't. That's weird.
Match Rating: **1/2
<color=red>Fatal 4-Way WWE World Heavyweight Championship Match: Randy Orton vs. Kane vs. Roman Reigns vs. John Cenahttp://i39.servimg.com/u/f39/16/09/70/40/clipb169.jpg
Much like the battle royal before it, it's kind of difficult to have a truly awful Fatal 4-Way, especially with competitors of this quality. At least three of them are bonafide main eventers, while Roman Reigns is getting there. This isn't one of the most entertaining matches ever, but it certainly isn't bad, and it's a pretty good match for the main event, even if it was probably an impossibility for it to top the opening bout.
Near the end of the match, we get a ton of near-falls. Everyone hits finishers and signatures, and they all get broken up by everyone else. The finish comes when Cena hits the Attitude Adjustment on Orton ... onto Kane. And then he pins Kane. That's it. That's the end of Battleground. Cena wins.
The PPV wasn't really bad, and for a filler PPV I suppose it counts as a success, but after the opening match, the rest was a letdown.
Match Rating: ***1/2
The Good: The Usos vs. Harper/Rowan.
The Bad: Swagger/Rusev. Both Kickoff show matches.
Match of the Night: The Usos vs. Luke Harper and Erick Rowan.
Prediction Score: 3/7 on announced matches. 4/8 if you count Rose/Fandango, because nobody would pick Fandango.
<color=D6D9DA>_________________________________________________________________________________
If you wish to be notified whenever I post something new, please join this <url=http://www.escapistmagazine.com/groups/view/2-50-Reviews>user group.
For an archive of all my previous WWE reviews, please go <url=http://www.escapistmagazine.com/forums/read/326.846764-Marters-WWE-Reviews-Archive>here.
Talk to me on the Twitter, <url=https://twitter.com/martertweet>@martertweet.
