WWE Battleground 2017 took place on July 23rd from the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia, PA and marked the return of the Punjabi Prison match.
Kickoff Show:
– The WWE Battleground Kickoff pre-show opens up with Renee Young, David Otunga, Sam Roberts and Jerry Lawler. We see the Punjabi Prison structure hanging high above the ring as fans are getting seated in the Wells Fargo Center.
– John Cena does an interview backstage where he says tonight’s flag match is like nothing we’ve seen before. Cena says tonight either the American flag will be standing tall, or Cena will be laying flat on his back. Back to the panel, Lawler and Sam predict that Cena will win, but Otunga thinks Rusev will bring it.
– Carmella joints the pre-show panel and says she’s already beaten everyone in tonight’s Fatal 5 Way Elimination Match to crown the new Women’s #1 contender. She predicts Natalya better win, and she better watch her back if she does.
– AJ does an interview backstage where he says he’s confident in his match tonight. We cut to Kevin Owens who was watching on a monitor, and he cuts a promo on taking back his U.S. Title tonight.
– Mike & Maria Kanellis are backstage getting ready to come out.
– Aiden Engllish def. Tye Dillinger: After some back and forth action in the opening moments, English takes control and grinds Dillinger into the mat. English sings a little while he has Dillinger in a hold. Dillinger finally fires up and hits a dropkick as the fans rally behind him. English escapes a Tye Breaker attempt and retreats to the floor. English and Dillinger brawl at ringside, then back in the ring Rye hits a spinebuster for a two count. English hits a crossbody but Tye rolls through for another two count. English avoids another Tye Breaker, then the two trade quick strikes and pin attempts. English snatches Tye and hits the Director’s Cut for the win.
WWE Battleground 2017:
– The New Day def. The Usos: The Usos’ tag titles are on the line in this one. Kofi immediately nails a dropkick on Jey Uso right off the bell and takes control. Woods and Kofi trade tags and work over Jey until Jimmy tags himself in. The Usos turn it around on Woods with the help of some cheap shots behind the ref’s back. Jimmy hits the Umaga Splash on Woods for a two count. The Usos keep control as the fans try to rally for Woods, and Jey boots him in the face for another two count. The USos use more double teams on Woods to keep control Jey takes Woods up top for a superplex but Woods fights him off with headbutts. Woods hits a missile dropick off the top then Kofi tags in. Kofi hits the Boom Drop on Jimmy but Jimmy avoids the Trouble In Paradise. The action spills outside and Woods goes for the “trust fall” suicide dive, but The Usos catch him and powerbomb him onto the floor. Back in the ring, Jimmy goes for the big splash but misses. Woods fires up but Jimmy blocks the Honor Roll then tags in Jey who hits a Samoan Drop on Woods for a two count. Woods tries to fire up and boots Jey to the head then goes up top. Woods goes for the flying elbow, but Jimmy kicks him in the mid-air. Jimmy applies the Tequila Sunrise but Woods gets out. Uso argues with the ref, then Kofi tags and they they hit the Midnight Hour on Jey but he kicks out. Kofi springboards in but eats a superkick from Jimmy. The Usos climb up both turnbuckles, but Woods takes Jey out. Jimmy leaps towards Kofi but Kofi dodges him and fires back with the Trouble In Paradise. Woods follows up with a flying elbow off the top for the win, and the New Day are the new Tag Team Champs! The New Day celebrate with their titles up the ramp.
– Shinsuke Nakamura def. Baron Corbin via DQ: Corbin gets in Nakamura’s face and trash-talks him which prompts Nakamura to strike first. Corbin tags Nakamura into the corner but Nakamura fights out. They both take breathers on the outside, then charge at each other and Corbin hits a big right hand. Corbin drops Nakamura and stomps away, then applies a bear hug. Nakamura fights out and catches Corbin’s arm in an armbar attempt, but Corbin powers his way out. Corbin hits a big boot for the two count, then they brawl around ringside. Back in the ring Corbin beats down Nakamura until Nakamur fires up and hits some knee strikes. Nakamura hits a reverse vertical suplex then goes for the the running knee to the face, but Corbin dodges it and catches Nakamura in the Deep Six. Corbin pins and Nakamura kicks out at two. Both men stumble up to their feet and they trade punches in the middle of the ring. Nakamura gets the upper hand and decks Corbin with a kick. Nakamura gears up for the knee strike, but Corbin doesn’t get up. Nakamura picks Corbin but Corbin then hits a mule kick to the groin of Nakamura.
– After the match, Corbin starts heading to the back with his Money In The Bank briefcase, but Corbin has second thoughts and heads back to the ring. Corbin nails Nakamura with the briefcase and beats him down, then leaves and heads to the back as the ref checks on Nakamura.
– Kevin Owen is shown backstage getting ready for his match tonight.
– Natalya def. Lana, Charlotte, Tamina, Becky Lynch: Natalya strts off and drops Charlotte as the other women brawl in the ring. Tamina and Lana form an alliance and send everyone else outside except Charlotte. Lana and Tamina double team Charlotte for a two count, then Becky runs in. Becky runs in and Becky hits a T-bone suplex on Tamina while Charlotte hits a fallaway slam on Lana. Natalya runs in and stomps on Charlotte then dropkicks her, then Becky grabs Natalya and suplexes her. Lana runs in but Becky dodges her and hits a T-bone suplex. Tamina runs in and Becky attempts a T-bone suplex on her, but Tamina fights out and boots Natalya in the face. Charlotte takes out Tamina, then rolls up Natalya but Natalya gets out and lariats Charlotte. Becky takes out Natalya then locks Charlotte in the Did-arm-her after some struggle. Tamina breaks it up, then spears Charlotte to the outside. Lana rolls up Becky, but Becky fights out and puts Lana in the Did-arm-her. Tamina breaks it up and goes for a Samoan Drop on Becky, but Becky gets out and puts Tamina in the Did-arm-her. Tamina taps out and she’s the first one eliminated. Immediately after, Becky puts Lana in the Did-arm-her and Lana taps out for the elimination . Natalya runs in and immediately rolls up Becky unexpectedly and grabs the tights for the three count, and Becky is eliminated. We’re down to Natalya and Charlotte. Charlotte tackles Natalya then picks her up the hard way for a powerbomb. Charlotte goes to follow up with a moonsault off the top but Natlaya blocks it with her knees. Natalya shoves Charlotte head-first into the middle turnbuckle, then rolls up Charlotte for the win. Natalya is now the #1 contender for Naomi’s Women’s title. Naomi hops in the ring with her Women’s title and goes to shake hands with Natalya, but Natalya declines and walks away.
– AJ Styles (c) vs. Kevin Owens: The action spills outside early on where AJ throws Owens into the fan barricade, but Owens comes back and throws AJ into the ring post. Owens crotches AJ on the ring post, then takes him in the ring where Owens tries to keep AJ grounded. AJ tries to fire up with a series of strikes, but Owens plants him with a DDT. AJ comes back with a flying clothesline and goes for a Samoan drop, but Owens fights out. AJ goes for a back suplex, but Owens fights out of that too and hits AJ with elbows. AJ comes back with a power facebuster for a two count on the challenger. AJ hits the fireman’s carry into a neckbreaker overh is knee for another two count. AJ goes for a springboard but Owens dodges and hits the cannonball splash in the corner. Owens takes AJ up top but AJ punches him and goes for a sunset flip powerbomb. Owens hangs onto the ropes, so AJ picks up Owens differently and does the torture rack. AJ drops him down for a two count. Owens fights back again and once again takes AJ to the top turnbuckle. AJ slides through Owen’s legs and slams his head into the turnbuckle. AJ goes for the Phenomenal Forearm, but Owens sees it coming and rolls outside and trips up AJ onto the apron. A ref bump leads to Owens booting AJ in the face. Owens goes for the popup powerbomb but AJ escapes. AJ goes for the calf crusher, but Owens escapes and locks AJ in the crossface. AJ escapes and locks Owens in the crossface, but Owens reverses into a pin and the ref counts three. Both men’s shoulders appeared to be on the mat for the pin, but Owens is declared the new U.S. Champion.
– Jinder Mahal is backstage warming up when the Singh Brothers approach him for a motivational talk. Jinder says he alone will trap and punish the Viper tonight.
– John Cena def. Rusev: This one is a flag match, where you must retrieve your flag from the ring post then mount it up on the stage. Rusev takes control early and goes up for his flag, but Cena runs up and bulldogs him off the turnbuckle. Cena starts going up for his flag, but Rusev drops Cena down to the mat then delivers some elbows to the face. Rusev whips Cena into the corner and hits a running splash, then goes up for his flag. Cena gets up and grabs at Rusev’s legs, but Rusev comes down with an elbow on Cena’s head. Cena starts to fight back with strikes but Rusev drops him with a DDT. Cena comes back with some running should blocks then a back suplex. Cena hits the Five Knuckle Shuffle then attempts the AA, but Rusev escapes. Rusev comes back with a spinebuster, then throws Cena to the outside. Cena knocks Rusev off his corner and after some struggling Cena locks Rusev in the STF. Rusev taps out but it doesn’t do him any good in a flag match. Cena grabs his flag off the post, but then Rusev hits a boot to the face on him. Rusev grabs his flag and tags it out to ringside, but Cena follows him out and lariats him down. Cena comes back and beats down Rusev at ringside. They brawl up the ramp and Rusev hits a fallaway slam on Cena on the stage, then sets up some tables. Rusev and Cena brawl all over the stage and ramp until Cena drops Rusev and grabs his flag. Cena start crawling to the podium with the flag in his hands. Rusev grabs a part of the podium and bashes Cena over the head with it, then locks him in The Accolade. Cena blocks Rusev from planting his flag, so Rusev puts him in the Accolade again. Cena fights out, then picks up Rusev for the AA. Cena climbs up onto the podium and gives Rusev the AA off the podium through the tables. Cena climbs up and plants the American flag for the win.
– We go to the latest Fashion Files segment, which is styled like The X-Files. The Ascension walks in and says “it was them all along,” but Fandango doesn’t believe them and sends them off. The Ascension leaves, then the lights cut out and Breeze and Fandango get attacked. When the lights come back on, we see Fandango being dragged off-screen. “To be continued.”
– Sami Zayn def. Mike Kanellis: Sami dumps Mike to the outside early on and goes for a suicide dive, but Mike dodges him. Sami gets distracted by Maria, and Mike sucker punches him from behind. Back in the ring, Mike takes control until Sami dumps him outside and successfully hits the suicide dive. Back in the ring it’s all Zayn until Maria runs in and distracts him. The ref finally gets Maria out and Zayn hits the T-bone suplex and Heluva kick for the win.
– We go to the announcers, then the Punjabi Prison starts lowering from the ground.
– Jinder Mahal (c) def. Randy Orton: This one is a Punjabi Prison match for Jinder Mahal’s WWE Championship. Jinder attacks Orton right off the jump and calls for the door to open, but then Orton grabs him and they continue brawling through the ring. Orton gets the better of Jinder and tries to exit, but Jinder pulls him back in and the ref closes the door. Jinder beats down Orton until Orton catches him with a Fallaway Slam. Jinder and Orton both try to get out of another one of the doors, but neither of them gets out and the ref locks it. Orton throws Mahal into the cage but Mahal leap and grabs it and starts climbing. Orton pulls him off and crotches Mahal on the top rope. Orton DDTs Jinder off the middle rope and calls for the door, but Jinder stops him. Three of the doors are now locked shut. Orton goes for an RKO on Jinder but Jinder blocks it with a knee to the face. Jinder goes for the Cobra Clutch slam, but Orton reverses it into an RKO. The Singh Brothers run in and pull Jinder outside then pull the door shut and Orton is now trapped in the inner cage while Jinder is outside with the Singh Brothers. Orton starts climbing out of the inner structure, then Orton climbs across to the outer structure. Orton and Jinder are now fighting on the wall of the outer structure, trading elbows and headbutts. Orton slams Jinder’s head into the wall and Jinder falls down to the floor. The Singh Brothers then grab Orton by the feet to pull him down to the mat, then they start pummeling on him. Jinder finally gets up and joins in on beating down Orton, then starts climbing. Orton gets up and drops the Singh Brothers then suplexes one of them. Orton pulls down Jinder by the foot then throws him into the wall. Orton gets distracted by the Singh Brothers, then Jinder grabs a kendo stick and lays into Orton with it. Orton grabs a kendo stick of his own then starts smashing Jinder and the Singh Brothers with it. Orton starts climbing, and one of the Singh Brothers climbs out through a hole in the cage and latches on to Orton through the cage so he can’t keep climbing. Orton starts punching the Singh Brother and on one of the punches the Singh Brother falls off the cage wall all the way down through an announce table! Jinder climbs up and starts fighting with Orton on the wall. Jinder pulls Orton down and beats on him, but Orton is able to grab a chair from under the ring and he drops Jinder and the other Singh Brother. Orton start climbing the outer cage, but then Jinder’s music hits again and The Great Khali comes out! Khali shakes the outer cage while Orton is on top and Orton falls back on the inner side of the cage. Khali climbs up the cage while Orton is on the inside of the cage, and Khali chokes Orton through a hole in the cage. This allows Jinder to climb up past Orton and makes his escape outside for the win. Jinder and Khali celebrate on the ramp. Khali takes the WWE Title belt from the ref and hands it to Jinder and Jinder raises it above his head. Jinder and Khali celebrate with the Title Belt on the stage as Battleground goes off the air.
