5 Ups And 7 Downs From WWE Battleground 2017

1. A Lackluster Show

When a surprise appearance from the Great Khali is the high point of the night, you know you just put on a poor PPV.

Battleground was a subpar event in almost every respect. The world title match was dull and plodding, and it centered on a lot of slow fighting to escape or climb the cages. Only the Singh brothers bumping around like pinballs helped. The flag match between John Cena and Rusev was hampered by the stipulation, forcing both men to abandon and actual wrestling match and to engage in slow climbs and crawls up the entrance ramp to plant their flag in a stand on the stage.

Even the best match on the card, the United States Championship bout, had a finish that left you feeling like they cut the contest short. Only the SmackDown Tag Team Championships match, which opened the PPV, really delivered a solid affair, as well as a fun ending. Crowning new tag champs started the night off on a high point, which was never reached again except for brief periods in the U.S. title bout.

Altogether, this PPV should be forgotten within 24 hours by and large.