WWE Battleground

First Niagara Center

Buffalo, NY

A new PPV concept welcomes us to October! It’s Battleground, and its purpose and concept are a little unclear. New name for Over The Limit, same general card. I continue to be unimpressed by the PPV build. This PPV feels like a rehash of Night of Champions, especially its Main Event. But we’ll get to that. First, let’s rewind back to Night of Champions and see how we did.

Paul- @PaulHcle- 5 for 6

Victor- @weenusenvy- 3 for 6

Dolph Ziggler vs. Damien Sandow

Neither of these superstars should be relegated to the Kickoff show. They are too good for being left off the card. The previous Money in the Bank contract winner vs. the current. Sandow needs victories to legitimize him as a threat to the World Heavyweight Championship. This would be a good stabilizer for Sandow. However, Ziggler is in much greater need of a win and a show-stealing performance to get out of WWE’s doghouse. What he did to end up there I do not know, but Ziggler is being buried so quickly he may need more than a shovel to dig himself out. I’ve never claimed to know more than WWE Creative, but I would love to know what the hell they were thinking when they put these 2 in a no-money match that only a limited audience will see.

CM Punk vs. Ryback

Curtis Axel (c) vs. R-Truth

Thrown on the card at the last minute, I don’t expect much to happen here. Easy enhancement talent for Axel, who has yet to develop his character or do anything above average as a “Paul Heyman guy.” Axel needs a win just to maintain a reason to stand next to Heyman & Ryback during their various promos.

AJ Lee (c) vs. Brie Bella

Alas, the “Total Divas” have their girl to win the Divas Title. AJ is far and away the top diva in the division, but the E Network reality show needs a happy ending in its season finale and this is likely it. To put in perspective how much the Title means to AJ, she has a tattoo of the date she won the Divas Title on her neck. That takes commitment, and is a great show of respect to a Championship that really doesn’t have much credibility since it’s relatively new. AJ should be commended for her hard work in putting over a divas division that she correctly called full of “useless women” in promo last month. Instead, she becomes a casualty of reality tv. (I guess she now has something in common with: Miley Cyrus, Any Kardashian, that Omarosa woman from “The Apprentice” who is apparently in a relationship with Titus O’Neil, etc.)

Alberto Del Rio (c) vs. Rob Van Dam

This match will test just how stupid WWE believes its audience to be. It’s fairly common knowledge RVD’s contract expires soon, so they’re not putting the Title on him here. But Hardcore matches are RVD’s bread and butter, so expect a couple big spots in this one, culminating in a Ricardo Rodriguez heel turn. Ricardo is a far better heel, and he needs Del Rio to get over with the crowd.

The Shield vs. Cody Rhodes & Goldust (w/ Dusty Rhodes)

But anyway that’s how this match came about.  First let me point out if Cody or Goldust had defeated Orton in either of those matches, they would have been entitled to a Championship match and Orton would have looked like a hapless loser. Especially if Goldust had won. But instead we get to see a 70-year old man beaten twice in 2 weeks, because it’s “best for business.” All it accomplished was making the Rhodes Family look like morons for trusting The McMahons. Why all of this sudden animosity from The McMahons towards the Rhodes? Until now there was never any storyline connection of McMahons hate Rhodes. Did Triple H & Stephanie wake up one morning and say “Gee, I hate Cody Rhodes.” “You know what, honey, I just had the same thought about Dustin… er… Goldust.” “Well, great minds think alike.” “I know, now eat your damn oatmeal. You don’t want to end up like Dad, do you?” (Gotta love kayfabe)

I don’t see any reason the Rhodes win here. They are outnumbered & to this point have been outsmarted. They would make better foils if they were the unemployed family seeking retribution against The McMahons by running in and interrupting the shows regularly.

Daniel Bryan vs. Randy Orton

Big thank you to whoever bought Triple H a thesaurus. Because now, instead of simply stripping Daniel Bryan of the Title the night after Night of Champions (in Cleveland, Ohio!), he held the Title in abeyance. Which is a word that if I hear it again I will punch Michael Cole in the face. Don’t push me. All I have to do is jump the rail in Columbus at the upcoming Smackdown taping, punch Cole, high-five JBL, and get a WWE contract (that logic hurts my head).

I don’t understand vacating the Title so quickly after Night of Champions, and more importantly, why would you put either of the NOC competitors in the match to crown a new Champion if there is talk of a conspiracy to win the Title? At the very least have a 4 man tournament on Raw to build to this as a Tournament Final. Don’t simply rebook the Night of Champions main event as the Battleground main event. That’s just lazy booking. And how about addressing the conspiracy? If referee Scott Armstrong made a fast count, why not interview him for The App and get his side of it? Or have someone above Triple H & Stephanie conduct the investigation into the alleged conspiracy, so that there’s a glimmer of hope the babyface isn’t going to be screwed on Raw the night after Battleground if he wins the Title for the 3rd consecutive PPV? And how is a ruthless Randy Orton, who is a liability to the company by assaulting its superstars a good “face of the company?”

These are just some of the questions that bounce around in my head when I watch Raw, because I find myself constantly rebooking this crap to make some sense. I have no problem suspending my disbelief watching wrestling. I have a problem with disregarding logic. If I look at a sandwich, see it has ham & cheese on it, I expect when I bite into that sandwich I don’t taste bologna & ketchup. And if I do, I double-check the sandwich or go to the hospital, as I’m likely suffering a stroke. None of this storyline has made sense, not since the original Title change at Summer Slam led to Daniel Bryan’s burial, but he won the Title at the next PPV, only to lose it the next night without defending it. I fully expect this match to end in a DQ or count out, which means the Title doesn’t change hands, and the rematch at Hell in a Cell finally crowns a new WWE Champion. Which means WWE would be without a WWE Champion for a month, leaving World Champion Alberto Del Rio as the top Champion in the company. Explain to me how that’s best for business.

I admittedly will not be watching this PPV. I will be fully invested in the MLB Postseason, rooting against the Tampa Bay Rays for bouncing my Cleveland Indians in the Wild Card Game. I’m hoping for a Boston sweep. My World Series picks are Boston vs. the Dodgers, with the Sox taking it in 6 games. But I would absolutely love to see the Pirates make a deep run in the Postseason.

I should also mention Victor was in attendance for the recent Raw live from Cleveland and was spotted on camera several times during the show. He wasn’t hard to find, as he was on the floor in the back row near the stage, on the right side of the ramp. I hear he had a great time and may or may not have met the Tag Team Champions The Shield. Here’s hoping next time WWE comes to Cleveland they bring a PPV. Our crowds deserve it.

Thanks for your time. I’ve done all the damage I can do here. We’ll do it again for Hell in a Cell.

Photo Credit- Wikipedia & WWE.com