WWE Battleground 2017 Review

WWE Battleground 2017
Philadelphia, PA
Wells Fargo Center
Brand: Smackdown
7/23/17

For the last few weeks I haven't given Smackdown my full attention due to having to switch between watching that and America's Got Talent on Tuesday nights, but the stuff I have been able to watch hasn't really interested me all that much. Leading up to this show Smackdown needed a subtitle of "USA vs The World" as their top three feuds center around a baby face American taking on a foreign heel and that's one reason why I'm not very interested in this Battleground show as the top three matches have pretty much the exact same story telling. 

I'm getting tired of the pairing of Jinder Mahal and Randy Orton as none of their matches have been outstanding and are at best average, so why we need to see three of them is beyond me. I had a feeling it was only a matter of time once Jinder became a main event guy that we would get the return of the Punjabi Prison match and it didn't take long before I was proven right. There is a reason why there has only been two prior Punjabi Prison matches prior to this one and it's because they pretty much suck and I expect no different this time. I see Jinder easily getting the win here and setting him up for a big match at SummerSlam against Cena where he will lose the title. 

The feud between Kevin Owens and AJ Styles hasn't been that interesting since AJ won the title at MSG at a house show as they have pretty much been paired up with another feud and put in tag matches in the weeks leading up to the show. I would expect AJ to keep the title and move on to a new challenger for SummerSlam. 

The third big match on this show is the Flag Match between John Cena and Rusev, this is your typical WWE style America vs foreign heel story that worked great back in the 70s and 80s, but doesn't have the same appeal to fans today. This feud feels like it was meant to be a hold over until SummerSlam when Cena gets back into the title picture, so I give "Captain America" John Cena the win. 

I absolutely can't stand what is happening with the women's division, why are we having the third multi woman match this year on a PPV for the women on Smackdown? This feels like such a step back when they would just throw all the women on the card instead of building up meaningful feuds. Not only is this the third multi woman match this year, but it's the second one in a row for a Smackdown PPV and it's not even for the women's championship but rather to see who faces the champion at SummerSlam, why not have this match on Smackdown and then actually have a title feud start here and last until SummerSlam. I hope Charlotte wins this one and we get the Queen vs Naomi at SummerSlam, but I feel like WWE are putting the rocket on Lana so she will most likely be the challenger yet again for the Smackdown Women's Championship at SummerSlam. 

The other matches on the card I haven't really been paying the most attention to except for the tag title match where I did like the rap battle between New Day and the Usos. 

This show could have a couple of good matches, but overall I'm ready for this show to be over and see what they have planned for the blue brand for SummerSlam as it hasn't been the best to watch over the last month. 

Kick Off Match
Aiden English def Tye Dillinger via Pinfall

This was a rematch from their kick off match at Money in the Bank and for a kick off match this was pretty good. Aiden English has the best airbrushed tights since Rick Rude as this time he had the painting of A Sunday Afternoon on the Island of La Grande Jatte by Georges Seurat. Aiden got the win after hitting a spin out full nelson. Rating: **

Match #1
The New Day def The Usos (c) (Smackdown Tag Team Championship)
This match was a great way to open the show as both teams really shined bright and put on a great match. I loved all of the super close near falls and I actually fell for a lot of them. I see that New Day stuck with the America vs the World theme for their gear as they were decked out in red, white, and blue which has to bring back memories for Xavier as that was his attire back when he was Consequences Creed. The spot where one of the Usos rolled out of the way of the top rope elbow as the other Uso caught him with a super kick was a nice out of nowhere spot and played nicely into the finish when he was able to hit it after one of the Usos was knocked out with the Trouble in Paradise from Kofi Kingston. I am ready to se these two teams go at it again and I look forward to the day when The Usos face off against Revival as both teams have such great tag team timing especially when it comes to the finish of the match. Rating: ***1/2

Match #2
Shinsuke Nakamura def Baron Corbin via DQ
This match never really kicked into that next gear that it needed to, the match mainly consisting of both men beating the shit out of each other with hard strikes. Shinsuke got the win after Corbin was playing opossum and as Nakamura went for a back suplex he was hit with a low blow by Corbin. After the match Corbin came back in and hit Shinsuke with the MITB brieface and then hit him with the End of Days. Nothing much else to say about this match. Rating: **1/4

Match #3
Natalya def Charlotte, Tamina, Becky Lynch, & Lana (Smackdown Women's Championship #1 Contender Match - 5 Way Elimination Match)

This match started out pretty good with the story of Tamina having to save Lana from the other girls, but once Tamina was eliminated we got the eliminations of Lana & Becky immediately after and I hate elimination matches that have quick eliminations, if your going to do that then just make it a one fall match. I was surprised Nattie picked up the win, but I guess with her being the only heel left it makes sense for her to face Naomi. I still have to imagine they will find a way to get Charlotte on the SummerSlam card somehow as she is the ace of the women's division on Smackdown. Overall the entire match felt rushed and that sucks because these women deserve better. I have a bone to pick with Lana, first she steals a gimmick that would've been perfect for Eva Marie and now she comes out and is wearing all red, that is complete gimmick infringement. Rating: **1/2

Match #4
Kevin Owens def AJ Styles (c) (WWE United States Championship) via Pinfall
If I was shown a piece of paper and it said that AJ Styles was going to face Kevin Owens I would instantly get excited and expect a really great match and possibly a match of the year contender, but this match never really got close to being either of these things and it left me feeling disappointed. The only thing I really enjoyed was the finish where they kept countering submission moves. The referee was doing a really bad job when he got knocked out as he was being way too noticeable and was taking the attention of the match and putting it on himself. Really surprised that KO won the title back this quickly, but it looked like AJ's shoulders may have been up so we could be seeing a rematch at SummerSlam. Rating: ***

Match #5

John Cena def Rusev (Flag Match)

I enjoyed this match more than I expected I would as they were able to make a match type that is usually boring and actually make it pretty fun. Not sure why they needed to add that you have to carry your flag to your country's pedestal located at the entrance rule as they have never had a flag match with that rule before and it didn't add anything to the match. Once Rusev set up the tables I knew exactly how the match was going to end. Rating: ***1/2

Match #6

Sami Zayn def Mike Kanellis w/ Maria Kanellis
This was a pretty decent match, but the real highlights were the the interactions between Mike and Maria during the match. I love their act and Maria is such a star and has improved so much since she left the WWE. The finish comes when Maria tries to distract Sami, but he doesn't fall for it and ends up hitting the Helluva Kick on Mr Kanellis. Rating: **1/4

Match #7
Jinder Mahal (c) def Randy Orton (WWE World Championship - Punjabi Prison Match)

Just like Rusev and Cena did these two took a terrible gimmick match and made it enjoyable to watch and it's probably my favorite match out of the three between Jinder and Orton. The first half of the match when they were in the inner cage was the pretty standard stuff you would see in any WWE cage match. Once the match went to the outside and the Singh brothers got involved the match picked up and became a lot of fun with some crazy spots where the Singh brother bumped around like crazy including one of them falling from the outer cage and crashing through an announce table. The finish where The Great Khali returned and choked Orton out in order for Jinder to get the win was really good and I wondered how long it would be before we seen Khali show up to help out his fellow Indian. The Great Khali is going to work great in this role as Jinder's muscle. Rating: ***1/4

This show was completely average with a couple of matches that were fun to watch, but weren't the greatest thing in the world. I would give this show a solid C. 

I hope you enjoy my Battleground 2017 review and please feel free to comment on here or follow me on twitter @MTW3589 and also check out the podcast that I co-host over on twitter @TWF_Podcast

Battleground 2017 Match Ranking
8. Tye Dillinger vs Aiden English
7. Baron Corbin vs Shinsuke Nakamura
6. Sami Zayn vs Mike Kanellis
5. Women's 5 Way Elimination Match
4. WWE US Championship
3. WWE Championship
2. Flag Match
1. Smackdown Tag Team Championship

WWE Great Balls of Fire Review

WWE Great Balls of Fire
Dallas, TX
American Airlines Center
Brand: Raw
7/19/17

The past few weeks of Raw leading up to this show have been pretty decent for the most part, especially the build for the main event between Brock Lesnar and Samoa Joe, this match was one that I wanted to see from the moment Joe walked through the curtain in NXT and so far the build has lived up to expectations as it feels like a big time fight and not just another wrestling feud. 

The tag division has been pretty lackluster since we have been basically waiting for this blow off match between The Hardy Boyz and Cesaro/Sheamus, with that said I'm really looking forward to this Ironman match as it good be one of the best matches of the night. 

I have really enjoyed the Braun vs Roman feud that has been going on all year and hopefully this is the blow off match between these two and I'm sure it will be just as great as their first two matches as these guys have good chemistry with each other. The Seth Rollins vs Bray Wyatt feud I couldn't care less about as it has really bored me the entire time, we all know Bray will end up losing the feud just like he always does and I'm just ready for Seth to move on to the next person. Speaking of moving on to the next person that is exactly what I have been thinking since the feud over the Intercontinental Championship between The Miz and Dean Ambrose started as I'm tired of seeing these two against each other and ready to see Miz work with other guys. I have liked the Enzo vs Big Cass feud so far and interested to see what happens in this match. 

The women's division on Raw has really frustrated me over the last month as it seemed for a few weeks they had no clue where they were going with it as they had all the girls on the roster come out for these cluster brawls and no real challenger for Alexa. Finally we get Sasha winning a gauntlet match to become number one contender so it will be Sasha vs Alexa on this show, but they are still teasing the Nia vs Alexa feud so I guess Sasha is just a hold over before that happens at SummerSlam. Poor Bayley has been shot out of the picture and Emma can't even get a freaking match on PPV since returning from injury, I mean come on put her in a feud with Mickie, Bayley, or even Dana but please just get her into a feud as her talent deserves to be showcased on the big shows. 

The card itself looks really good with six out of the eight matches that I'm really looking forward to. 

Kick Off Match
Neville (c) def Akira Tozawa via Pinfall (WWE Cruiserweight Championship)
This match was nothing special as they didn't steal the show like I'm sure they could if they wanted to. Tozawa got some nice hope spots where it looked like we may have a new champion, Tozawa was even able to hit his top rope senton, but before he could cover the champ Neville rolled to the outside. In the end the reign of King Neville continues and with Austin Aries now gone from the WWE I don't see any real threat's to Neville's crown. Neville gets the win after he crotches Tozawa on the top rope and then kicks the rope to inflict further damage and follows that up with a spin kick to the mid section to get the win. I do like what they are doing with Titus and him being a manager to all these guys on the lower card, never pictured him as a manger, but he is doing a really good job. Rating: **1/2

Match #1

Bray Wyatt def Seth Rollins via Pinfall

Before I get to the match I have to say that as ridiculous as I thought the name "Great Balls of Fire" was for the name of a PPV I actually liked the opening video that was done where it made it look like you were at a 1950s drive in movie. They should have had the stage set up like a drive in movie also with classic cars and a concession stand. I noticed they billed this as having three main events with the obvious Universal Title and Ambulance Match, but the third of these three main events was the Raw Women's Championship which is pretty cool especially since the build for this match was a complete cluster for the first few weeks. 

Wow I can't believe Bray won, that must mean this feud isn't over as he never wins his feuds in the end. While I liked the aggression from both men the match itself wasn't anything that you couldn't see on Raw every week. This wasn't the match I would've chose to open the show as nobody cared much about the feud, but at least Seth Rollins offense is a way to get the crowd on its feet. The finish of the match saw Bray rolling to the outside and Rollins reaching out to grab him only to get poked in the eye and hit with Sister Abigail.  Rating: **3/4

Match #2

Big Cass def Enzo Amore via Pinfall

Before the match Enzo cuts a really good and passionate promo on Big Cass and shows that he can cut meaningful promos that aren't just jokes and punchlines. 

This was the squash match that I expected it to be as Cass threw Enzo all around the ring and even press slammed him to the outside, he quickly finished things off  with the Big Boot. Rating: *1/2

Match #3
Cesaro/Sheamus (c) def The Hardy Boyz (4-3 Falls) (Raw Tag Team Championship 30 Minute Iron Man Match)
This match was just as good as I expected it to be as both teams put in great work, it was looking for a while that the Hardyz were only going to get one fall as Cesaro and Sheamus were dominating the challengers. The last third of this match is really good and had me on the edge of my seat to see if the Hardyz would be able to make a comeback and they did until the last few seconds where Cesaro outsmarted Jeff and covered him after Jeff had hit a Swanton on Sheamus. There was a point in the match where The Hardy Boyz came off with simultaneous dives and hit heads with each other and it busted Matt open. Overall I really enjoyed this match. Rating: ***1/2

Match #4
Sasha Banks def Alexa Bliss (c) via Countout (Raw Women's Championship)
I have to say first off that Alexa was very cheeky in this match if you know what I mean. This was another really good match and Alexa looked really good here with her viciousness towards Sasha. We got the return of the Alexa Bliss double jointed dislocated arm spot and it was just as good this time as it was when she did it during one of her matches with Becky Lynch. I liked the work on Sasha's back by Alexa as that backbreaker looked pretty nasty. That snap sunset flip out of the corner looked really smooth. I really thought Alexa was fixing to lose her title when she was locked in the Bank Statement, but thankfully she reached the ropes and I breathed a big sigh of relief. I liked that Alexa was smart enough to know she was in trouble with Sasha and decided to just take a count out loss so she can retain her title. 

I liked the brawl after the match where they fought over to the announcers table and Alexa attempted a DDT on the table, but instead Sasha pushes her off and then comes off the table and hits the double knees onto Alexa. Can't wait to see where this feud goes from here. Rating: ***

While I'm on the women's match I have to mention that during the preshow the panel was talking to Dana Brooke about this match when they were interrupted by Emma who said she needed to talk to Dana, so the Emma vs Dana feud is still going I guess. I still want to see some kind of meaningful feud for Mickie as it was such a big deal when she returned in January, but since coming over to Raw she hasn't done anything and she should be used in feuds to get these younger talents over. 

Match #5
The Miz (c) w/ Maryse & The Miztourage def Dean Ambrose via Pinfall (WWE Intercontinental Championship)

I'm gonna admit that I used this match as a bathroom and snack break so I missed the first part of it, but started watching when Ambrose was doing some great selling of the leg other than that I can't imagine this match was anything too special, just another in the never ending Miz vs Ambrose saga except this time instead of just Maryse distracting Ambrose he also had to deal with Axel & Dallas. Rating: N/A (didn't watch enough of it)

Match #6
Braun Strowman def Roman Reigns (Ambulance Match)

I have loved everything these two have done all year and this match was no difference as Roman played a great underdog which actually works in matches against Braun, but he shouldn't work that way in matches with smaller guys. Braun was the freaking monster that he is and was throwing Roman all over the place and sustaining all of the punishment Roman was giving him including no selling several chair shots to the injured arm. I thought the work around the ambulance was pretty good as they did the best they could with it as its not the easiest to find interesting ways to use an ambulance to inflict punishment. I liked that they used the LED board on the stage. Any time during the later parts when Roman would get Strowman down Strowman would have great facial expressions that truly made him feel like a monster out of a horror movie. The finish where Strowman sidestepped a Spear and Roman went flying into the ambulance was really cool and made Strowman look smart. 

The post match stuff was just as great as the match itself as it felt more real than a lot of the big backstage skits like this they have done over the years. I liked how they explained they had to throw an impromptu match on until they get the situation settled in the parking lot. Then if they didn't make Strowman look like enough of a monster before him getting out of the ambulance and getting to his feet and walking off made even more of a statement. I loved everything with all of this. Rating: ****1/4

Match #7
Brock Lesnar (c) w/ Paul Heyman def Samoa Joe by Pinfall (WWE Universal Championship)

I'm still confused as to who is suppose to be heel and who is face in this feud. Joe attacked Brock from behind before the bell rang and sent him through the announce tables at ringside with a Uranage. The entire match felt like a fight with neither man really getting the upper hand and they were using lots of MMA style moves int he match. I wish this match would have went a bit longer as I wanted to see more from them as I was thoroughly entertained, but the finish felt like it came out of nowhere as Lesnar quickly raises up from the Coquina Clutch that he is about to pass out to and hits an F5 for the win. Rating: ****

Overall this was a really good show especially the two main events, the tag title match, and the women's title match. I'll give this show a grade of A

Great Balls of Fire Match Ranking
7. Big Cass vs Enzo Amore
6. WWE Cruiserweight Championship
5. Seth Rollins vs Bray Wyatt
4. Raw Women's Championship
3. Raw Tag Team Championship
2. WWE Universal Championship
1. Ambulance Match

Thats it for my Great Balls of Fire review I hope you like and I'll be back in a couple of weeks for the Smackdown brand's Battleground show.