Choke's WWE Battleground 2013 Predictions and Fantasy Preview
Posted by: choke Oct 6, 2013 | 1738 views | 0 comments
My predictions for the WWE Battleground PPV
I've made my feelings clear on this PPV in that I think it will be pretty lackluster. The card looks underwhelming and there's not much room for anything crazy or surprising, but then again the WWE every few years seems to pull out all the stops on some random PPV. Maybe this will be one? Okay probably not, especially with the next PPV seemingly happening 3 days later. I think we see a lot of non-finishes or open ended results that lead to rematches or hybrids of what happens here.
Onto the predictions (I try to predict the match order as well for my own personal enjoyment)
1. Dolph Ziggler vs Damien Sandow in the pre-show match: I believe the only match Sandow has won since he's won MITB was a match against Santino this week on Main Event. I often refer to the curse of holding the MITB briefcase as the WWE tends to think the guy holding it has no business winning matches when they're all but "guaranteed" the title. I think that tradition holds here. Ziggler needs a victory to bring him back to a fraction of the relevance he had just mere months ago, while Sandow can still just cling to the contract for the time being. That being said it wouldnt completely shock me if Sandow somehow pulled off the win and maybe starts a regular feud with Ziggler. Still going to go with Dolph here.
Who should win: Ziggler because the WWE is right, the MITB case holder doesnt really need a win until the cash in
Who will win: Ziggler, though it's close
2. Rob Van Dam vs Alberto Del Rio in a Hardcore Rules match for the World Heavyweight Championship. With so many "main event" level matches, I feel they will give one away early, and this seems the logical choice. This is a tough call to predict a winner. I feel Del Rio is putting in his best work ever with the company and deserves to have the belt, but I also think the fact that it seems every single belt has been held by a heel for months (right?) will make the WWE do a change and soon. It wouldnt surprise me if RVD has a title win guaranteed with his contract, plus if they want us to start believing Sandow might cash in his case, they need a face in the driver's seat with this title. I'm going to go with a bit of an upset here and say the WWE puts a title on a face, and RVD wins in his "specialty", to set up a rematch for hell in the cell
Who should win: Del Rio
Who will win: RVD
3. Kofi Kingston vs Bray Wyatt: I can't believe I forgot about this "feud" in my preview for Smackdown. This has been so poorly set up (actually the Wyatt family as a whole has had a horrible storyline from Kane's "return" to present. Two shows in a row they confronted Kofi, then they go to commercial, come back and the segment is over? It's like a police drama on TV showing a criminal pointing a gun at the lead actor, then it coming to commercial and when it gets back the confrontation is over and we never find out what happened. Simply bizarre. Anyway, Wyatt needs to continue the streak. The only chance Kofi has is some sort of run-in by Rowan and Harper to get the DQ win.
Who should win: Wyatt
Who will win: Wyatt
4. Brie Bella vs AJ Lee for the Divas Championship: I'm tempted to give Brie Bella the belt here, but given the schedule it doesnt really make sense to have the feud end here and now. I do think the end result will be Brie with the belt as it adds another dimension to the Corporation vs Bryan angle. AJ will get the cheap win or a DQ loss to retain the belt, maybe Tamina interference? We'll get a rematch next PPV, and maybe the next, and the next... such is the way of WWE lately.
Who should win: AJ Lee
Who will win: Brie (via DQ)
5. Cody Rhodes and Goldust vs The Shield for the Rhodes' jobs: This one seems like the easiest pick of the night, as everyone is assuming Cody and Goldust (or just Cody) will win to get their job(s) back. Well I'm certainly not going to go against that. While it's possible the WWE will swerve and have the Shield win to keep Dustache (come on, that would be brilliant) in chase mode to come back, I think it's time to just have Cody back on the roster and competing full time again.
Who should win: Dustache
Who will win: Dustache
6. R-Truth vs Curtis Axel for the IC Belt: R-Truth is awful, Curtis Axel is mediocre. Mediocre > Awful. DATS WHATS UP
Who should win: Axel
Who will win: Axel
7. CM Punk vs Ryback: This is a really tough call IMO. On the one hand I feel that Punk has lost so many of the big matches lately that this is the perfect time to get him a win before what seems to be the inevitable rematch series with Lesnar (for maybe Survivor Series or Rumble?), but on the other hand, where do they go from here with a Ryback loss? It seems almost too early to just end the Punk/Heyman feud, especially with Hell in a Cell so soon. This could really go either way
Who should win: Ryback
Who will win: Ryback (coinflip)
8. Daniel Bryan vs Randy Orton for the WWE Championship: This is going to be the Hell in a Cell match right? To me it's foreshadowing that there's no kind of stipulation attached. It makes it perfect for Big Show to come out and do something. I like the Big Show storyline because they can go one of two ways, either he completely embraces the Corporation and goes full heel against Bryan (less likely), or he mans up and becomes the next foil for the McMahons (likely). That being said, I think we see Show come out and knock out Orton, giving Orton the DQ win and the WWE title stays in "abeyance" Or HHH will rule that Orton gets the belt as a result of the DQ. Either way Bryan has to be kept from the title for the time being, keeping the fans awaiting the big payoff (probably next Wrestlemania)
Who should win: Orton
Who will win: Orton