WWE Great Balls of Fire was shockingly decent for a Raw PPV. Now SD Live is gearing up to top that show with Battleground.
The main event for this brand exclusive event marks the return of a dangerous specialty match. WWE Champion Jinder Mahal has been experiencing a joyous reign on top ever since he took down Randy Orton. Orton’s fought hard on numerous occasions to get one over on Mahal, but he’s been unable to get his title back. It looks like the final part of their war will conclude with a Punjabi Prison Match. Besides that big time match, AJ Styles (the NEW United States Champion) will lock up with Kevin Owens once again in a championship rematch. Plus “Mr. Money in the Bank 2017” Baron Corbin will be tested when he takes on Shinsuke Nakamura in a heated grudge match.
Stay right here to read up on all the results/highlights for these matches and more from Battleground.
Tye Dillinger vs. Aiden English
WWE.com
Winner: Aiden English!
Highlights: English gave the “City of Brotherly Love” a wonderful rendition of his usual singing antics (they didn’t enjoy it). Once the match got underway, both men got into rough lockup’s and exchanged a number of strikes and holds. English got the better of their early exchanges, but then Dillinger made sure to embarrass him with some slick counters of his own. Of course this enraged English, who quickly went back on the offensive. Dillinger responded in kind with some mudhole stomps to English in the corner. While the ref tried to break both men up, English put Dillinger down with a sneaky headbutt. English then remained in control for a long while while the crowd looked to revive “The Perfect 10.”
English assaulted Dillinger for as long as he could and even continued to torture him by locking him in a chinlock. Dillinger escaped and then countered English once more by dropkicking a flying English off the top rope. Dillinger got back into the fight with stiff chest chops and the rest of his signature comeback offense. Dillinger looked to land his finisher, but English snuck to the outside. Outside chaos ensued for a bit until Dillinger took English’s back to the mat with a Spinebuster. Both men soon ended up on the top rope fighting for control. English used a headbutt to drop Dillinger and came off the rope afterwards with a flying body press. Soon after, English almost got the win after landing a unique DDT maneuver. English then mocked Dillinger by using his signature 10 taunt, but Dillinger escaped out of it and got into a pinfall exchange war with him. The finish finally came after English KO’d Dillinger with a Full Nelson that transitioned into a Facebuster.
Sami Zayn vs. Mike Kanellis
WWE.com
Winner: Sami Zayn!
Highlights: A pissed off Zayn went wild on Mike as soon as the bell rang. Zayn chopped him numerous times and even clotheslined him right over the top rope. Zayn looked to go flying onto Mike over the top rope, but Mike’s wife Maria cut off his plancha attempt. Mike quickly jumped onto Zayn with his offense and even stood over Zayn’s body while he smooched with Maria. Back inside the ring, Mike gained control over Zayn. Zayn tried to respond to Mike’s beatdown with chops, but Mike quickly cut him off with corner clotheslines and a boot to the face. Zayn eventually revived himself and entered right into his comeback signature offense phase on Mike. Once outside, Mike looked up just in time to get squashed by a flying Zayn. Zayn followed that up by landing a flying body press to Mike inside the ring. Zayn then spiked Mike with his unique top-rope Tornado DDT. Zayn’s first Exploder into the corner to Mike was stopped by Maria, but his second one led right into Mike eating a match ending Helluva Kick.
AJ Styles (c) vs. Kevin Owens (WWE United States Championship)
WWE.com
Winner: And the new WWE United States Champion, Kevin Owens!
Highlights: Owens wanted no part of an early lockup exchange with the new title holder. He kicked AJ right in the gut and got rough as soon as he got his hands on AJ. AJ soon made a slight comeback after using a slick armdrag on Owens that caused him to exit the ring. Owens hopped back into the ring and got into a series of lockups with the champ, but AJ used a kip up Frankensteiner to flip Owens right back to the outside. Owens jaw jacked with the the crowd for a while before he chose to come back into the ring. Owens locked horns with AJ once again, but AJ exited him from the ring with a phenomenal dropkick. This time, AJ followed Owens to the outside for a barbaric brawl. Owens managed to ground AJ by slamming him groin first into the steel pole. Back inside the ring, Owens landed right on the champ with a Senton Drop. Owens then entered right into his control period over the champ with a chinlock and plenty of trash talk. AJ fought valiantly to break the hold. When he did, he also got his knees up in time to injure Owens back during another Running Senton attempt. AJ tried to make a comeback, but Owens dropped him back down to the mat with a DDT.
Owens locked AJ into another chinlock, but AJ escaped it much quicker than before. Once AJ got in range, he dropped Owens with his slick striking combo and a sliding forearm strike. AJ signaled for his signature comeback offense, but Owens stopped him from doing it a few times. AJ finally caught Owens off guard when he landed his Facebuster-like maneuver. Both men tried to land a suplex of some sort on each other, but they constantly fought for control all the while. After some back and forth exchanges, AJ got Owens up into the air and back onto his knee with a Fireman’s Carry. While Owens was laid out, AJ went sky high for a Springboard 450 Splash. Owens hot his knees up to injure AJ’s ribs, though. Owens then took the opportunity to land his Cannonball Splash to AJ in the corner. Owens placed AJ onto the top rope for something major, but AJ struck him repeatedly and looked to land a Sunset Flip Powerbomb. AJ instead pulled Owens off the top rope to land a big Torture Rack Powerbomb. AJ went to the top rope afterwards, but Owens clipped him and caused him to land right on his ground area. Owens followed AJ to the top and got into a striking exchange with him all the while. AJ managed to slip right underneath Owens and strike him, but his Phenomenal Elbow attempt was thwarted once Owens dropped AJ shoulder first on the ring apron.
Owens used a double knee breaker on AJ’s now weakened shoulder, but AJ quickly countered him with a Pele. AJ then signaled for his Styles Clash, but his now injured shoulder kept him from pulling it off. Owens then threw AJ right into the ref by accident and Superkicked him soon after. Later on, AJ locked Owens into his Calf Crusher but then Owens rolled out to lock AJ into a Crossface. AJ fought hard to escape and once he did, he locked Owens into a crossface of his own. However, Owens rolled AJ’s shoulders onto the mat while he was still locked into the submission hold. The ref then proceeded to count the pinfall in Owens’ favor.