{"id":45298,"date":"2017-07-23T11:30:10","date_gmt":"2017-07-23T16:30:10","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.pwtorch.com\/site\/?p=45298"},"modified":"2017-07-23T11:30:11","modified_gmt":"2017-07-23T16:30:11","slug":"wwe-battleground-2017-predictions-tom-gets-wrong-mahal-vs-orton-styles-vs-owens-cena-vs-rusev","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.pwtorch.com\/site\/2017\/07\/23\/wwe-battleground-2017-predictions-tom-gets-wrong-mahal-vs-orton-styles-vs-owens-cena-vs-rusev\/","title":{"rendered":"WWE BATTLEGROUND 2017 PREDICTIONS &#8211; Tom Gets it Wrong: Mahal vs. Orton, Styles vs. Owens, Cena vs. Rusev"},"content":{"rendered":"<div id=\"pwtor-1212437107\" class=\"pwtor-before-content pwtor-entity-placement\"><hr \/><b>SPOTLIGHTED PODCAST ALERT (YOUR ARTICLE BEGINS A FEW INCHES DOWN)... <\/b>\r\n\r\n<iframe src=\"https:\/\/widget.spreaker.com\/player?show_id=3076978&theme=light&playlist=false&playlist-continuous=false&autoplay=false&live-autoplay=false&chapters-image=true&episode_image_position=right&hide-logo=false&hide-likes=false&hide-comments=false&hide-sharing=false&hide-download=true\" width=\"100%\" height=\"140px\" frameborder=\"0\"><\/iframe>\r\n<hr \/><\/div><p><i>Follow <b>Tom Colohue<\/b> on <a href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/tomcolohue\/\">Facebook<\/a> and <a href=\"http:\/\/www.twitter.com\/colohue\">@Colohue<\/a> for updates.<\/i><\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<p>So it\u2019s possible, even likely, that I\u2019m going to get all of these wrong.<\/p>\n<p><b>1. Tye Dillinger vs. Aiden English (Pre-show)<\/b><\/p>\n<p>Winner: <b>Tye Dillinger<\/b><\/p>\n<p>I know, I should be giving my usual pre-prediction analysis there but let\u2019s be frank, we saw this match on a PPV pre-show with exactly the same lack of build a couple of months ago and I can\u2019t see anything changing, so there you go.<\/p>\n<p><b>2. Shinsuke Nakamura vs. Baron Corbin<\/b><\/p>\n<p>They\u2019re not going to stall Nakamura\u2019s momentum now, and Corbin just won Money in the Bank, so he\u2019s set for a major losing streak until he finally cashes in. Given how naturally hardcore Corbin is we could see a DQ finish leading this feud to hold over into a Summerslam bout but either way I can\u2019t see past a Nakamura win.<\/p>\n<p>Winner: <b>Shinsuke Nakamura<\/b><\/p><div id=\"pwtor-2053391541\" class=\"pwtor-content pwtor-entity-placement\"><div align=\"center\" data-freestar-ad=\"__336x280 __336x280\" id=\"pwtorchcom_test_300x250\">\r\n  <script data-cfasync=\"false\" type=\"text\/javascript\">\r\n    freestar.config.enabled_slots.push({ placementName: \"pwtorchcom_test_300x250\", slotId: \"pwtorchcom_test_300x250\" });\r\n  <\/script>\r\n<\/div><\/div>\n<p><b>3. The Usos vs. The New Day (Smackdown Tag Team Championships)<\/b><\/p>\n<p>Seen it. Done it. Excited to see it again. Momentum might have stalled since the rap battle and all the awesome that ensued, but these 2 teams know how to get it on and I for one am excited to see it.<\/p>\n<p>Downside? Between the 2 of then, they are the most exciting teams on Smackdown, so what exactly are we looking at for Summerslam? You could add Breezango and make it a tag team triple threat, which I would genuinely love to see, but Breezango are going to get rolled over by another team in the same night, so maybe it\u2019ll be that other team? Or a tag team four way. I honestly wouldn\u2019t mind that. Switch it up a bit, Smackdown.<\/p>\n<p>If it\u2019s just these teams for Summerslam, New Day should win the belts or they have no legitimacy for a rematch. This Usos title run has been great though, and other teams are rising to real prominence, so I\u2019m sticking with a mass team party for Summerslam.<\/p>\n<p>Winner: <b>The Usos<\/b><\/p>\n<p><b>4. John Cena vs. Rusev (Flag Match)<\/b><\/p>\n<p>Until about 2 weeks ago I was absolutely determined that John Cena was going to lay down for Rusev for once. One huge shock, a slap in the patriotism and a massive push for Rusev all in one night. It\u2019s not like Cena doesn\u2019t owe him one.<\/p>\n<p>But let\u2019s be fair, Cena vs. Mahal at Summerslam would be a big draw match now, with Cena taking the title while his days are numbered and claiming that record overall.<\/p><div id=\"pwtor-450732179\" class=\"pwtor-content-1 pwtor-entity-placement\"><!-- Tag ID: pwtorchcom_test_300x600 -->\r\n<div align=\"center\" data-freestar-ad=\"__336x280 __300x600\" id=\"pwtorchcom_test_300x600\">\r\n  <script data-cfasync=\"false\" type=\"text\/javascript\">\r\n    freestar.config.enabled_slots.push({ placementName: \"pwtorchcom_test_300x600\", slotId: \"pwtorchcom_test_300x600\" });\r\n  <\/script>\r\n<\/div><\/div>\n<p>Thing is, I still don\u2019t quite see it. Why? Because Cena\u2019s a free agent now, and free agents should not hold title belts. I don\u2019t want to see another Cena run when you have people like Owens, Styles, Nakamura, Zayn, Corbin, the list goes on and on. At least on the other side Lesnar is using the belt to put people like Joe over, even in defeat.<\/p>\n<p>So I\u2019m going to take the risk and stick with my gut on this one.<\/p>\n<p>Winner: <b>Rusev<\/b><\/p>\n<p><b>5. Charlotte Flair vs. Becky Lynch vs. Lana vs. Tamina vs. Natalya<\/b><\/p>\n<p>The audience seems to be incredibly divided over this one. The most popular names so far are Charlotte and Lana. I definitely do not see Lana getting another title shot, and certainly she isn\u2019t the big name that is necessary when going into a Summerslam card. Lynch isn\u2019t likely to line up against Naomi because the dynamic is all wrong. If they\u2019re trying to get a babyface over they don\u2019t put her against the biggest babyface on the roster.<\/p>\n<p>Pretty much since Wrestlemania I\u2019ve believed that Natalya would win the women\u2019s title at Summerslam. The lack of action for Naomi suggests she\u2019s carrying injuries so I don\u2019t think she\u2019s going to hold it much longer. She is over but her reign has been something of a misnomer. Natalya is a strong heel and currently has everyone set up against her, including Carmella. For me, it\u2019s the best story to tell.<\/p>\n<p>Winner: <b>Natalya<\/b><\/p>\n<p><b>6. AJ Styles vs. Kevin Owens (US Championship)<\/b><\/p>\n<p>I suspect that the most telling thing here is AJ Styles winning the belt in a house show. They wanted him to have a big moment but didn\u2019t want to let him beat Kevin Owens on a PPV, either before or after. To me, that says it all.<\/p>\n<p>Kevin Owens has been eating a lot of pins recently. I was expecting him to come out of this feud elevated but his whole time on Smackdown has felt like a constant downward slope. Styles can afford to take losses. He\u2019s huge. Owens isn\u2019t quite there yet and needs a little leg up. This match should be it.<\/p>\n<p>This also then lines Owens up to ultimately lose the title to someone like Chad Gable, who is ideally placed to take that title back down to the midcard where it should be and where it can elevate talent who aren\u2019t already main event level.<\/p>\n<p>Winner: <b>Kevin Owens<\/b><\/p>\n<p><b>7. Sami Zayn vs. Mike Kinellis<\/b><\/p>\n<p>Don\u2019t bury debutants.<\/p>\n<p>Winner: <b>Mike Kinellis<\/b><\/p>\n<p><b>8. Breezango vs. \u2026 Rowan and Harper<\/b><\/p>\n<p>Now, I recently mentioned this on Twitter to a moderately popular podcaster account. I wish I hadn\u2019t because about 5 hours later it was absolutely everywhere. I\u2019ve mentioned before that I think Harper and Rowan are going into the tag team division. My basis for this was that they do not appear on the Smackdown opening video, so WWE are waiting for them to have a picture together as a tag team.<\/p>\n<p>A lot of people have decried this as a bad idea for the pair but I completely disagree. Harper has a much raised profile now. Whoever it is is undoubtedly going to beat Breezango, who could afford to lose every match as long as Fashion Files is running and haven\u2019t actually had a match since the last PPV. Harper and Rowan could take that win and waltz straight into the tag title scene for that four way tag title match I talked about earlier.<\/p>\n<p>I think it\u2019s the best move for everyone involved to be honest. I hope to see it.<\/p>\n<p>Winner: <b>Rowan and Harper<\/b><\/p>\n<p><b>9. Jinder Mahal vs. Randy Orton (Punjabi Prison WWE Championship)<\/b><\/p>\n<p>Yes, I have caved. This whole time I\u2019ve been waiting for Orton to get the belt back and this whole time it hasn\u2019t happened, so why would it happen now when there\u2019s no time to develop a new feud heading into Summerslam?<\/p>\n<p>This feud has been awful, but it has legitimised Mahal in a big way. Over time he has become anything but a jobber. But can we just knock him down to US title level at least? He\u2019d be a great opponent for Gable, Dillinger, Rawley again. Eurgh.<\/p>\n<p>Anyway, Randy Orton\u2019s contract has a fair bit of time off in it, so he\u2019s not winning the belt. He\u2019ll get his Summerslam feud out of the way and then probably be off TV for a while. Mahal\u2019s taking it into Summerslam against, erm, someone. I don\u2019t know.<\/p>\n<p>I know, I know, it\u2019s going to be Cena. Smackdown honestly hasn\u2019t been bad recently, it\u2019s just that this feud is an absolute chore.<\/p>\n<p><b>Jinder Mahal<\/b><\/p>\n<p>I\u2019ll see you for another live Twitter session during Battleground 2017.<\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<p><strong>CHECK OUT THE PREVIOUS COLUMN:<\/strong>\u00a0<a href=\"http:\/\/www.pwtorch.com\/site\/2017\/07\/09\/wwe-great-balls-fire-predictions-tom-gets-wrong-lesnar-joe-miz-dean-bray-seth-reigns-braun\/\">WWE GREAT BALLS OF FIRE PREDICTIONS \u2013 Tom Gets It Wrong: Lesnar-Joe, Miz-Dean, Bray-Seth, Reigns-Braun<\/a><\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<p><i>Follow <b>Tom Colohue<\/b> on <a href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/tomcolohue\/\">Facebook<\/a> and <a href=\"http:\/\/www.twitter.com\/colohue\">@Colohue<\/a> for updates.<\/i><\/p>\n<div class=\"pwtor-end-article-groups pwtor-entity-placement\" id=\"pwtor-202012896\"><div id=\"pwtor-4051341805\"><div align=\"center\" data-freestar-ad=\"__336x280\" id=\"pwtorchcom_medrec_3\">\r\n  <script data-cfasync=\"false\" type=\"text\/javascript\">\r\n    freestar.config.enabled_slots.push({ placementName: \"pwtorchcom_medrec_3\", slotId: \"pwtorchcom_medrec_3\" });\r\n  <\/script>\r\n<\/div>\r\n\r\nTHANK YOU FOR VISITING<\/div><\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<div class=\"mh-excerpt\"><p>Follow Tom Colohue on Facebook and @Colohue for updates. So it\u2019s possible, even likely, that I\u2019m going to get all of these wrong. 1. Tye Dillinger vs. Aiden English (Pre-show) Winner: Tye Dillinger I know, <a class=\"mh-excerpt-more\" href=\"https:\/\/www.pwtorch.com\/site\/2017\/07\/23\/wwe-battleground-2017-predictions-tom-gets-wrong-mahal-vs-orton-styles-vs-owens-cena-vs-rusev\/\" title=\"WWE BATTLEGROUND 2017 PREDICTIONS &#8211; Tom Gets it Wrong: Mahal vs. Orton, Styles vs. Owens, Cena vs. Rusev\">[&#8230;]<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":23526,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"episode_type":"","audio_file":"","podmotor_file_id":"","podmotor_episode_id":"","cover_image":"","cover_image_id":"","duration":"","filesize":"","filesize_raw":"","date_recorded":"","explicit":"","block":"","itunes_episode_number":"","itunes_title":"","itunes_season_number":"","itunes_episode_type":"","_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[46,52,4452,27],"tags":[90,697,3810,116,222,73,68],"class_list":["post-45298","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-spotlightarticles","category-opnionandanalysis","category-ppv-predictions","category-specialists","tag-aj-styles","tag-battleground","tag-jinder-mahal","tag-john-cena","tag-kevin-owens","tag-randy-orton","tag-rusev"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/www.pwtorch.com\/site\/wp-content\/uploads\/post\/2016\/06\/BattlegroundCena.jpg","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.pwtorch.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/45298","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.pwtorch.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.pwtorch.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.pwtorch.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.pwtorch.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=45298"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.pwtorch.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/45298\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":45299,"href":"https:\/\/www.pwtorch.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/45298\/revisions\/45299"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.pwtorch.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/23526"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.pwtorch.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=45298"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.pwtorch.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=45298"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.pwtorch.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=45298"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}