WWE Battleground 2016: 10 Things That Must Happen

9. Rusev Leaves Battleground With His WWE United States Title

Dean Ambrose Daniel Bryan Shane McMahon
WWE.com

For the first time in a while, there's actually no need to remove either secondary champion from their mantle. As good as The Miz has been with the WWE Intercontinental Title, Rusev has matched him as WWE United States Champion. There are signs that the 'Bulgarian Brute' is getting back to his best.

Zack Ryder is a popular mid card attraction, but he's not the correct choice to dethrone Rusev at the moment. The Battleground match shouldn't come anywhere close to being a squash, Ryder has to look competitive, but it must be Rusev that leaves with the win. Should he do so, he has potential to really become important on Monday Night Raw.

Ideally, there will be several moments where it looks like Zack might actually win the title. At those junctures, Lana's involvement could stop a win from happening. This sells her importance to Rusev, whilst also acknowledging that Ryder is on his opponent's level.

When all is said and done, Rusev is the best choice to leave with the United States belt. The next night on Raw, he can set up a fresh rivalry.

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Lifelong wrestling, video game, music and sports obsessive who has been writing about his passions since childhood. Jamie started writing for WhatCulture in 2013, and has contributed thousands of articles and YouTube videos since then. He cut his teeth penning published pieces for top UK and European wrestling read Fighting Spirit Magazine (FSM), and also has extensive experience working within the wrestling biz as a manager and commentator for promotions like ICW on WWE Network and WCPW/Defiant since 2010. Further, Jamie also hosted the old Ministry Of Slam podcast, and has interviewed everyone from Steve Austin and Shawn Michaels to Bret Hart and Trish Stratus.