Battleground (2016)
Battleground | |||
---|---|---|---|
Promotion WWE | | ||
Brand(s) | Raw SmackDown | ||
Date | July 24, 2016 | ||
City | Washington, D.C. | ||
Venue | Verizon Center | ||
Attendance | 15,109 | ||
WWE Network event chronology | |||
| |||
Battleground chronology | |||
|
The 2016 Battleground (also known as Battlefield in Germany) was the fourth annual
Nine matches were contested at the event, including one match on the Kickoff pre-show. In addition to the regular matches, the event determined the home brand of the
In the main event, SmackDown's
Production
Background
Storylines
The event comprised nine matches, including one on the Kickoff pre-show, that resulted from scripted storylines, where wrestlers portrayed
At
In December 2014, at
At Money in the Bank,
At Money in the Bank,
On the July 11 episode of Raw,
On the July 7 episode of SmackDown,
On the June 20 episode of Raw,
After her return in early June,
After Randy Orton was revealed as Brock Lesnar's opponent for SummerSlam, he was announced as the guest of a special episode of Chris Jericho's The Highlight Reel at Battleground.[23][27]
On July 22, a match pitting The Usos (Jey Uso and Jimmy Uso) against Breezango (Tyler Breeze and Fandango) was scheduled for the Battleground Kickoff pre-show.[28]
Event
Role: | Name: |
---|---|
English commentators | Michael Cole (PPV) |
John "Bradshaw" Layfield (PPV) | |
Byron Saxton (PPV + Pre-show) | |
Mauro Ranallo (Pre-show) | |
Spanish commentators | Carlos Cabrera |
Marcelo Rodríguez | |
German commentators | Carsten Schaefer |
Sebastian Hackl | |
Ring announcers | Greg Hamilton |
JoJo
| |
Backstage interviewer | Tom Phillips
|
Pre-show panel | Renee Young
|
Booker T | |
Corey Graves | |
Jerry Lawler |
Pre-show
During the Battleground Kickoff pre-show, Breezango (Tyler Breeze and Fandango) squared off against The Usos (Jey Uso and Jimmy Uso). The match ended when Jimmy attempted a Samoan Splash on Breeze but Breeze countered and pinned Jimmy with a small package for the win.[29]
Preliminary matches
The actual pay per-view opened with WWE Women's Champion Charlotte and Dana Brooke facing Sasha Banks and her mystery partner, who was revealed as Bayley. In the end, Banks forced Charlotte to submit to the Bank Statement to win the match.[29]
Next, The Wyatt Family (Bray Wyatt, Erick Rowan, and Braun Strowman) faced WWE Tag Team Champions The New Day (Big E, Kofi Kingston, and Xavier Woods) in a six-man tag team match. In the climax of the match, Big E executed a Spear on Strowman, who was standing on the apron. Woods was shocked into retreating by Wyatt's signature spiderwalk. Wyatt then executed Sister Abigail on Woods for the win.[29]
After that, Rusev defended the United States Championship against Zack Ryder. The match ended when Ryder executed a Rough Ryder on Rusev and attempted an Elbow Drop, but Rusev countered the move and executed a Jumping Sidekick to the back of Ryder's head. Rusev forced Ryder to submit to The Accolade to retain the title. After the match, Rusev attacked Ryder until Ryder's NXT tag team partner, Mojo Rawley, came out. Rusev avoided a confrontation and left the ring.[29]
In the fourth match, Kevin Owens faced Sami Zayn. Zayn executed a Blue Thunder Bomb on Owens for a near-fall. Zayn executed a Brainbuster on the ring apron on Owens. Owens executed a Bullfrog Splash on Zayn for a near-fall. Zayn executed two Half and Half Suplexes for a near-fall. Owens countered a Helluva Kick into a Pop-Up Powerbomb but Zayn placed his foot on the rope to void the pinfall. In the end, Owens implored Zayn to stay down but Zayn executed an Exploder Suplex into the turnbuckles and a Half and Half Suplex, followed by two Helluva Kicks to win the match.[29]
Next, Natalya faced Becky Lynch. The end came after Natalya kicked Lynch's right kneecap and applied the Sharpshooter. Lynch eventually submitted, thus Natalya won the match.[29]
After that, The Miz (accompanied by his wife,
In the next match, John Cena teamed with
Chris Jericho then hosted the Highlight Reel with Randy Orton, who made his first appearance following a nine-month injury. Jericho constantly berated Orton's behavior ahead of his upcoming match at SummerSlam against Brock Lesnar (including a video of Lesnar showing his feats of strength) to provoke Orton into attacking him, eventually resulting in Orton attacking him with an RKO.[29][30]
Main event
In the main event, Dean Ambrose defended the WWE Championship against Seth Rollins and Roman Reigns. During the match, Ambrose and Rollins teamed up to attack Reigns, performing a Double Powerbomb on Reigns through a broadcast table to temporarily take him out of the match. In the climax of the match, Rollins executed a Pedigree on Reigns for a near-fall. Rollins executed a Turnbuckle Powerbomb on Reigns, who delivered a Superman Punch and a Spear to Rollins. Ambrose pinned Reigns after Dirty Deeds to retain the championship. The entire SmackDown roster came out to celebrate with Ambrose as the event ended.[29]
Reception
Battleground 2016 received mixed to positive reviews, with Dave Meltzer's reviews reflecting this: Breezango vs. The Usos was rated 2.75 stars, the women's tag team match was rated 2 stars, The New Day vs. The Wyatt Family was rated 3.25 stars (the same rating received by Natalya vs. Becky Lynch), the United States Title Match was rated 2.25 stars, Cena's match was rated 3.5 stars, Kevin Owens vs. Sami Zayn was rated 4.5 stars, the highest of the event's matches, and the main event received 4 stars. The lowest rated match of the event was the Intercontinental Title match, which received a very low 1.5 stars.[31]
Cultaholic Wrestling ranked the event at No. 1 in their 2020 ranking of every 2016 PPV Ranked from Worst to Best.[32]
Aftermath
With the return of brand-exclusive PPVs after SummerSlam, the following year's Battleground was held exclusively for wrestlers from the SmackDown brand.[33] Brand-exclusive PPVs would last until WrestleMania 34 in 2018, after which, brand-exclusive PPVs were discontinued.[34]
Raw
Dean Ambrose retaining the WWE Championship at the event left Raw without a world title. On the following episode of Raw, commissioner Stephanie McMahon and General manager Mick Foley announced a new world title for Raw, the
After Sasha Banks and Bayley defeated Charlotte and Dana Brooke at Battleground, Banks faced Charlotte for the
SmackDown
On the following episode of SmackDown, the entire SmackDown roster wanted a shot at Dean Ambrose's WWE World Championship. It was subsequently announced that there would be a
On the August 2 episode of SmackDown, AJ Styles challenged John Cena to a match at SummerSlam, and Cena accepted.[38]
Results
No. | Results | Stipulations | Times Triple threat match for the WWE Championship[47] | 18:03 | |||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
MBayley is revealed to be Sasha Banks' mystery tag team partner.
References
- Super Luchas. Archivedfrom the original on November 24, 2021. Retrieved November 24, 2021.
- ^ Jansen, Jonathan (March 27, 2016). "WWE Battleground Details and Pre-Sale Code, UpUpDownDown to Host 2k16 Tournament at Wrestlemania Axxess". WrestleZone. Archived from the original on March 31, 2016. Retrieved March 27, 2016.
- ^ "Get WWE Battleground tickets now". WWE. April 4, 2016. Archived from the original on April 8, 2016. Retrieved June 23, 2016.
- ^ "2016 WWE Draft results: WWE officially ushers in New Era". WWE. July 19, 2016. Archived from the original on July 20, 2016. Retrieved July 19, 2016.
- Discovery Communications. Archivedfrom the original on November 29, 2013. Retrieved March 5, 2012.
- ^ "Live & Televised Entertainment". WWE. Archived from the original on February 18, 2009. Retrieved March 21, 2012.
- ^ a b c d Caldwell, James (June 19, 2016). "6/19 WWE MITB PPV Results – Caldwell's Complete Live Report". Pro Wrestling Torch. Archived from the original on June 21, 2016. Retrieved June 19, 2016.
- ^ a b c d e f Caldwell, James (June 20, 2016). "6/20 WWE Raw Results – CALDWELL'S Complete Live TV Report". Pro Wrestling Torch. Retrieved June 20, 2016.
- ^ "Roman Reigns suspended". WWE. June 21, 2016. Retrieved June 21, 2016.
- ^ "Talent Wellness Program Summary". WWE. Retrieved June 22, 2016.
- ^ Caldwell, James (June 21, 2016). "Roman Reigns suspended for Wellness Violation". Pro Wrestling Torch. Retrieved June 22, 2016.
- ^ Clapp, John (June 20, 2016). "WWE Champion Dean Ambrose vs. Roman Reigns vs. Seth Rollins (Triple Threat Match)". WWE. Retrieved June 24, 2016.
- ^ a b c d e Caldwell, James (June 27, 2016). "6/27 WWE Raw Results – CALDWELL'S Complete TV Report". Pro Wrestling Torch. Retrieved June 27, 2016.
- ^ "WWE Championship". WWE. Archived from the original on June 29, 2016. Retrieved June 29, 2016.
- ^ Caldwell, James (July 18, 2016). "7/18 WWE Raw Results – Caldwell's Complete Live TV Report". Pro Wrestling Torch. Retrieved July 20, 2016.
- ^ "WWE Title match Update – WWE rules on double pin finish". Pro Wrestling Torch. July 18, 2016. Retrieved July 18, 2016.
- ^ Parks, Greg (July 19, 2016). "7/19 WWE Smackdown LIVE – Parks's Complete Coverage of WWE Draft". Pro Wrestling Torch. Retrieved July 20, 2016.
- ^ Caldwell, James (December 11, 2014). "Caldwell's WWE NXT Takeover results 12/11: Complete virtual-time coverage of Neville vs. Zayn for the NXT Title, Itami & Balor, Charlotte, Kevin Steen/Owens's debut, Corey Graves retires". Pro Wrestling Torch. Archived from the original on December 13, 2014. Retrieved December 15, 2014.
- ^ James, Justin (February 11, 2015). "WWE NXT Takeover report 2/11: Zayn vs. Owens NXT Title match, Women's Title semi-main event, Neville-Balor; Reax". Pro Wrestling Torch. Archived from the original on February 12, 2015. Retrieved February 13, 2015.
- ^ Caldwell, James (January 24, 2016). "1/24 WWE Royal Rumble PPV Results – Caldwell's Complete Live PPV Report". Pro Wrestling Torch. Archived from the original on January 28, 2016. Retrieved January 24, 2016.
- ^ Caldwell, James (May 1, 2016). "5/1 WWE Payback Results – Caldwell's Complete Live Report". Pro Wrestling Torch. Archived from the original on May 3, 2016. Retrieved May 1, 2016.
- ^ a b c d Caldwell, James (July 4, 2016). "7/4 WWE Raw Results – CALDWELL'S Complete Live TV Report". Pro Wrestling Torch. Retrieved July 4, 2016.
- ^ a b c d e Caldwell, James (July 11, 2016). "7/11 WWE Raw Results – CALDWELL'S Complete Report". Pro Wrestling Torch. Retrieved July 11, 2016.
- ^ Parks, Greg (July 7, 2016). "7/7 WWE Smackdown – Parks's Complete, Real-Time Report". Pro Wrestling Torch. Retrieved July 24, 2016.
- ^ Martin, Adam (July 12, 2016). "The New Day vs. The Wyatt Family in a six man tag team match added to the card for WWE Battleground". WrestleView. Retrieved July 12, 2016.
- ^ Parks, Greg (July 14, 2016). "7/14 WWE Smackdown – Parks's Complete, Real-Time Report". Pro Wrestling Torch. Retrieved July 14, 2016.
- ^ Benigno, Anthony (July 11, 2016). "'The Highlight Reel' with Randy Orton". WWE. Retrieved July 11, 2016.
- ^ Caldwell, James (July 22, 2016). "WWE Battleground Pre-Show match announced; updated PPV line-up". Pro Wrestling Torch. Retrieved July 22, 2016.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k Caldwell, James (July 24, 2016). "7/24 WWE Battleground Results – Caldwell's Complete Report". Pro Wrestling Torch. Archived from the original on July 27, 2016. Retrieved July 24, 2016.
- ^ Adkins, Greg (July 24, 2016). "Randy Orton RKOs Chris Jericho on 'The Highlight Reel'". WWE. Retrieved August 4, 2016.
- ^ "Dave Meltzer Star Ratings - WWE Battleground 2016". IWNerd. 6 September 2018. Retrieved September 20, 2021.
- ^ Cultaholic Wrestling (May 20, 2020). Every 2016 WWE PPV Ranked From WORST To BEST. Retrieved September 20, 2021 – via YouTube.
- ^ "WWE Battleground 2017 tickets available now". WWE. April 24, 2017. Retrieved June 19, 2017.
- ^ "WWE pay-per-views just got bigger for 2018!". WWE. February 17, 2018. Retrieved February 19, 2018.
- ^ a b Caldwell, James (July 25, 2016). "7/25 WWE Raw Results – Caldwell's Complete Live Report". Pro Wrestling Torch. Retrieved July 25, 2016.
- ^ Martin, Adam (July 30, 2016). "Sasha Banks vs. Charlotte for the WWE Women's Championship officially announced for SummerSlam PPV". WrestleView. Retrieved August 1, 2016.
- ^ Caldwell, James (August 8, 2016). "8/8 WWE Raw Results – Caldwell's Complete Live TV Report". Pro Wrestling Torch. Retrieved August 8, 2016.
- ^ a b Parks, Greg (July 26, 2016). "7/26 WWE Smackdown LIVE – Parks's Complete Live Report". Pro Wrestling Torch. Retrieved July 26, 2016.
- ^ Clapp, John (July 24, 2016). "Breezango def. The Usos (Kickoff Match)". WWE. Retrieved July 24, 2016.
- ^ Melok, Bobby (July 24, 2016). "Sasha Banks & Bayley def. Charlotte & Dana Brooke". WWE. Retrieved July 24, 2016.
- ^ Adkins, Greg (July 24, 2016). "The Wyatt Family def. The New Day". WWE. Retrieved July 24, 2016.
- ^ Artus, Matthew (July 24, 2016). "U.S. Champion Rusev def. Zack Ryder". WWE. Retrieved July 24, 2016.
- ^ Taylor, Scott (July 24, 2016). "Kevin Owens def. Sami Zayn". WWE. Retrieved July 24, 2016.
- ^ Benigno, Anthony (July 24, 2016). "Natalya def. Becky Lynch". WWE. Retrieved July 24, 2016.
- ^ Burdick, Michael (July 24, 2016). "Intercontinental Champion The Miz vs. Darren Young ended in a Double Disqualification". WWE. Retrieved July 24, 2016.
- ^ Powers, Kevin (July 24, 2016). "John Cena, Enzo Amore & Big Cass def. The Club". WWE. Retrieved July 24, 2016.
- ^ Melok, Bobby (July 24, 2016). "WWE Champion Dean Ambrose def. Roman Reigns & Seth Rollins (Triple Threat Match)". WWE. Retrieved July 24, 2016.