From the WWE Rumor Mill: Former WWE Champion expected to win Independence Day Battle Royal
What’s the story?
An Independence Day Battle Royal is scheduled for the 4th of July edition of SmackDown and could end with a former world champion winning the match. PWInsider reports that AJ Styles is expected to win the Battle Royal next week and go on to challenge Kevin Owens for the United States Championship at Battleground.
In case you didn’t know...
Styles and Owens have been wrestling each other on the independent scene for years and have wrestled for several promotions including Pro Wrestling Guerrilla and House of Hardcore.
Styles and Owens first clashed over the United States Championship back in May at the Backlash Pay-Per-View. Before a decisive conclusion could be reached, Styles, foot got caught on the announcement table and caused him to lose the match via count out.
The heart of the matter
Styles is the only participant that has been revealed at this point, but the WWE claimed that several big names from SmackDown will be participating in this match. This could mean that superstars such as Shinsuke Nakamura, Dolph Ziggler, or even John Cena could be participants in the match.
Expect to see more names revealed for the match as the 4th of July draws near.
What’s next?
There’s been no news reporting how long Owens is expected to hold the championship nor is there any news on any new opponents lined up for the prizefighter. This could be an indicator that the feud between Owens and Styles for the United States Championship will last until the SummerSlam pay-per-view, and possibly afterwards as well.
Author’s take
As previously stated, The Phenomenal One and The Prizefighter have been wrestling for years and have never disappointed in their encounters with each other. If these two men are resuming their feud, then Battleground’s match of the night may already have been foreseen.