Battleground is just around the corner and the card has been officially finalized. Overall, there are eight matches scheduled, with the WWE World Heavyweight Championship being defended in a Fatal Four-Way main event.
Over the past few years, some fans have complained that the WWE has not put enough focus into the so-called “B-list” pay-per-views (anything not named Royal Rumble, WrestleMania, SummerSlam, or Survivor Series), and rightly so. Last year’s edition of Battleground is the perfect example of the WWE phoning it in for a pay-per-view.
That event saw a vacant title remain vacant after interference from the Big Show, and the undercard was pathetic to say the lease (aside from the Rhodes Brothers/Shield matchup that stole the show). Fans voiced their dissatisfaction by not only complaining about the finish of the event, but more importantly by refusing to purchase the pay-per-view in the first place. The 2013 edition of Battleground registered only 114,000 buys, which is the second lowest total in the last 17 years.
Thankfully for fans, the WWE can no longer get by putting in little effort, as their goal is to now attract as many subscribers to the WWE Network as possible. This has led to increased focus on events that would have previously been neglected, such as Battleground. This year’s event has shaped up nicely, however, with several entertaining contests that actually have legitimate backstories scheduled to take place.
The most entertaining contest of the night will likely be Dean Ambrose against Seth Rollins. Since the Shield dissolved a few weeks back, Ambrose has been intent on exacting revenge from former partner and current Mr. Money in the Bank, Seth Rollins. There is no doubt that Rollins and Ambrose will steal the show at Battleground, as they are two of the best workers in the game and know how to tell a story
Additionally, matches such as Bray Wyatt vs. Chris Jericho and Jack Swagger vs. Rusev have been built up very well. The midcard at a WWE pay-per-view is typically reserved for filler matches that have little, if any, backstory, usually resulting in bathroom break/beer run matches for the fans in attendance. This is not the case this year though, with the company devoting time to build up each match on the card.
onestly, after looking at the card, it seems like the main event will be the least exciting match of the night, as it is all but confirmed that John Cena will walk out still holding the WWE World Heavyweight Championship. With that said, it should still be an entertaining match, even if the outcome is not really in question.
In all, this year’s edition of Battleground shows that the WWE can construct a card that is solid from top to bottom if they just devote a little time to building feuds. Hell, even the Divas match between Paige and AJ Lee has a great backstory and should be an entertaining contest.
The WWE Network, love it or hate it, has resulted in one positive effect on the company as a whole: it has forced the WWE to focus more on less popular pay-per-views such as Battleground. In all, if the WWE hopes to retain and attract subscribers, they will have to step up their game each and every month, not four times per year. Thus far, I have to give them credit and say that they are doing an adequate job.
How do you feel about the Battleground pay-per-view? Have pay-per-views in general improved since the launch of the WWE Network? Check back on Saturday afternoon for Battleground predictions, and don’t forget to join us on Sunday for live coverage of the event.
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