WWE Battleground 2014 Predictions

The WWE has set up shop in Tampa, Florida as their superstars prepare to go to battle for an event that you can only catch on the WWE Network. Who will emerge victorious? As always, Matt Addie and Dave Reno are here to share their predictions (and tangents) below.

• Cameron vs. Naomi

Matt Addie: Pick – Naomi. New idea for this match: see how many beers I can drink before it ends. Although, now that I think of it, the beer consumption should probably be ramped up prior to this match; drinking during would just be wasting a nice buzz. Joking aside, Naomi better win this because Cameron is just brutal (follow Psycho Sid on Twitter if you need more on that topic).

Dave Reno: Cameron via “Girl Bye!”

• 2 out of 3 Falls Tag Team Title Match: The Usos vs. Rowan & Harper

Matt Addie: Pick – Wyatts. It’s time. Harper & Rowan have looked great in their matches with The Usos, and it’s about time for that to pay off. The hidden fun with this outcome would be to see what Luke Harper is like with a championship belt, because I sure hope there are many in his future. Rowan, the less exciting of the two, has actually been much better in recent weeks; at least to the point of deserving a tag title run. The Usos are great, but maybe they need to chase the belts again. On deck for Summerslam could be The Wyatts vs. Goldust/Stardust, Big E/Kofi, or a new team all together. I have to be honest – the only thing I can think about right now is the eventual Luke Harper turn on Bray Wyatt and Erick Rowan to launch a singles run. I know it won’t happen for a while, and it shouldn’t but…still.

Dave Reno: It felt so right to have Rowan and Harper take the belts off Jimmy and Jey last month at Money in the Bank. Now it just feels like the only option. The Usos and the Wyatts is the best feud the tag team division has to offer right now and I wouldn’t even mind seeing it continue into Summerslam with The Usos being granted a rematch. Luke Harper is a very metal follow on twitter by the way.

• 20-Man Battle Royal for the vacant IC Title

Matt Addie: Pick – Bo Dallas. “Hey little buddy, you’ll get back up. All you have to do is BO-lieve!” I predict Bo Dallas running around, avoiding contact for the majority of this battle royal and falling ass-backwards into the Intercontinental Championship. A shady victory would not hurt the Dallas character at all; in fact, he’ll use that to his advantage much like Daniel Bryan did when he celebrated after his easy cash-in on Big Show. Plus, hello…he has an undefeated streak.

Dave Reno: There’s no proper preparation for becoming an adult in this world. The tediousness of day-to-day activities, the tragedies we endure, the never-ending flow of bills into our mailboxes – the list goes on. It’s nauseating. That’s why we need inspirational characters in our life to make us forget, to make us – BO-lieve.

• Rusev vs. Jack Swagger

Matt Addie: Pick – Rusev. I’m not the first one to say it, but damn am I enjoying the babyface Jack Swagger. If you would’ve told me that a legitimate “Let’s Go Swagger” chant would erupt on RAW in 2014, I would’ve wanted you submitted for drug testing. Rusev and Lana have pulled that off. With the help of Zeb Colter, Swagger kind of matters now, and that’s impressive. That said, Rusev is absolutely winning here, but I like how they used an opportunity to further Rusev’s dominance and help another superstar in the process.

Dave Reno: This has DQ special written all over it. Swagger’s victory will be that Rusev will not be able to beat him clean. The frustration will make Rusev go ape and help Swagger become a sympathetic figure making him be more over than ever with the fans heading into Summerslam. Swagger via DQ.

• Bray Wyatt vs. Chris Jericho

Matt Addie: Pick – Wyatt. This might continue through Summerslam, so perhaps Bray Wyatt won’t win cleanly. However, Jericho is the master of putting over young talent, and it’s obvious he’s not here to dominate Bray Wyatt. I could see a dusty finish that allows this one to roll into the next PPV, but if I have to choose someone, it’s definitely Bray. Minor tangent: I’m glad Y2J is back, by why don’t we use the countdown before his music anymore? That sound, the countdown…it’s all gravy. I guess it’s irrelevant now that Y2K is 14 years in the rearview mirror, but it still works with the Jericho character. Bring back the countdown, damnit!

Dave Reno: I wish they would’ve built this one up a little more and just done Jericho versus Miz with some Wyatt family interference. That said, what wrestling fan isn’t looking forward to this match? Wyatt has delivered time after time during his short PPV career and, well, Jericho is Jericho. This is another match that I can’t see ending cleanly in order for the feud to continue throughout the summer. Jericho has Wyatt finished after a codebreaker and the lights go out. When they come back on Rowan and Harper are assaulting Y2J with their new tag team belts in tow. The Usos come out to save Jericho and we are able to continue with these two feuds into Summerslam.

• Seth Rollins vs. Dean Ambrose

Matt Addie: Pick – Ambrose. Rollins won the Money in the Bank briefcase, and you know what happens immediately after winning that thing; you lose more than the Chicago Cubs (sorry, CM Punk). This could be the start of a great set of matches between these two, and I’m excited to see this one. The real winner here will be the audience. It should be a good one.

Dave Reno: The WWE has built this one up the right way. We’ve yet to see two members of The Shield take on one another in singles competition which makes this first a highly anticipated offering. Expect “This is Awesome” chants to happen on more than one occasion in this match. I have to take Ambrose to win to set up a Summerslam match that could put the briefcase on the line – if Rollins doesn’t cash it in tonight.

• Divas Championship: AJ Lee (C) vs. Paige

Matt Addie: Pick – AJ. I doubt this feud will be over after Battleground. Matter of fact, I wouldn’t mind seeing AJ vs. Paige vs. Naomi in a Triple Threat for the title at Summerslam. Either way, this match will probably be used to further the Paige/AJ double turn. A Paige disqualification is entirely in the cards here, fueling some psych heel behavior the next night on RAW. While I’m not entirely invested in this match, I’m glad that AJ is back on TV.

Dave Reno: Again, love what the WWE is doing here again. It appeared at first that Paige had turned upon AJ’s return but instead they are drawing it out. I’d still love to see Divas tag titles introduced with Paige and AJ being the inaugural champions. That gives them more time to build the inevitable turn because lord knows this division will continue to have no depth at the top until Charlotte comes up from NXT. As far as this match I have AJ winning.

• Fatal 4-Way WWE World Heavyweight Championship Match: John Cena (C) vs. Randy Orton vs. Roman Reigns vs. Kane

Matt Addie: Pick – Cena. They got me. I’m a believer in the leaked Summerslam main event propoganda with John Cena vs. Brock Lesnar. A match like that has to be for the title, so I can’t imagine the other three walking out with the belt. Despite the monster push to top babyface status, Roman Reigns probably isn’t ready to the champion. Quite frankly, he doesn’t need to be; he’s over enough as it is. Orton or Kane as the champion going into Summerslam? I can’t imagine it (crossing my fingers). All that said, I would mark the hell out if Reigns capture the belt. It would be a cool moment and be an official endorsement of a new era. I just think Reigns has a few things to do before winning the gold, the first being a match against Triple H at Summerslam. I think we have to live with Cena as the champ for a bit longer, but I don’t think he makes it out of Summerslam.

Dave Reno: John Cena wins. Cleanly. CenaNation rejoices. Smarks complain and claim they will never watch WWE again (until Monday night at 8 p.m. ET of course). Then we hear that beautiful sound – Jud Jud ….Jud Jud Jud Jud. Plan C is in full effect. Brock Lesnar comes out and obliterates the champion. Triple H calls out Seth Rollins to cash in on a lifeless Cena. Does it work? Or does Ambrose come out again to spoil the moment? Will we get a Lesnar-Reigns mark out staredown moment that could foreshadow a WM 31 match for the ages? The truth is that we’re going into this match with more questions than answers. And in my opinion as a fan first and always – this is why I tune in. The match will set the tone for the rest of the summer. I’ve been wrong before, I’ll be wrong again, but I have a good feeling that we’re in for a crazy ending.