WWE Battleground 2017: 5 things WWE could do at the PPV to set up Summerslam
Also read: WWE Battleground 2017 Results, live updates
This Sunday, we will see the airing of the Smackdown Live exclusive PPV Battleground. While the show itself ideally needs to prove itself on a similar level to Great Balls of Fire - a pretty tall ask - the Smackdown brand has numerous opportunities to set up the Summerslam card for August.
With the return of John Cena and Rusev, and the seeming conclusion of the Jinder Mahal Vs. Randy Orton rivalry for the WWE Championship, the possibilities are vast for making this year's Summerslam one of the best of all time.
Here are 5 possible scenarios that the WWE could set up for Summerslam this Sunday at Battleground:
#1 The Usos retain by count out setting up a Falls Count Anywhere match at Summerslam
With the recent dissolution of American Alpha and an already shallow tag-team roster on Smackdown Live, The Usos Vs. The New Day is pretty much the feud holding that division together at the moment. This means that even if fans might be tiring of the rivalry already, they need to find a way to keep it going until Summerslam.
An obvious way to do this would be to have New Day win the titles, giving The Usos an opportunity at a rematch next month. However, what the creative team could do instead, is to set up a rematch with a fun stipulation, giving fans a reason to look forward to the showdown.
The Usos are going into this one as the heel champions, and what better way to build heat on the Samoans than to have them retain their championships using underhand tactics? The match at Battleground could descend into a brawl outside of the ring, giving the Usos the chance to incapacitate the New Day and race back into the ring to beat the 10 count. It is still a championship retention, but one that makes the WWE Universe want to back New Day at the next time of asking.
The story would be that either Shane or Daniel Bryan, seeing how the Usos chose to win the match on Sunday, sets up a scenario at Summerslam where the two teams are free to battle outside of the ring, into the crowds and beyond.
The Summerslam match would take on a similar feel to some of the great multi-man brawls of the past where the action is almost too fast and furious to follow. The Usos have the ability to take high risks, and the sight of them leaping off the ramps or into tables set up backstage would give this tag-team division the burst of energy it desperately needs.