WWE Battleground Kickoff Show Coverage: Tye Dillinger vs. Aiden English
We head into the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania where Renee Young, Jerry Lawler, Sam Roberts, and David Otunga welcome us to the show. We see Kayla Braxton in the Social Media Lounge, and she informs us that here guests will be Mike and Maria Kanellis. We go back to the panel and they run down the card for tonight’s event. We then see the video hype package for the Flag Match between John Cena and Rusev. We head backstage with Dasha Fuentes and she welcomes John Cena for an interview. He runs down the rules for the Flag Match and he says he has weighed the possibility of winning and the possibility of losing in his head and he will not let down the WWE Universe. We head back to the panel and Renee says this is a must-win for Cena. Lawler says Cena said the same thing on Smackdown on Tuesday and wound up being laid out. Roberts says Cena has to come out and prove that he is still the man. Lawler and Roberts pick Cena to win, while Otunga picks Rusev.
We see the video hype package for the Fatal 5-Way Elimination Match between Becky Lynch, Charlotte Flair, Lana, Natalya, and Tamina, with the winner going on to SummerSlam to challenge Naomi for the WWE Smackdown Women’s Championship. Carmella has replaced Otunga on the panel. Roberts asks Carmella how she feels that James Ellsworth gets credit for her win and not her. She says she doesn’t care, because she can and will cash in whenever she wants. The crowd starts chanting and Carmella tells them they are chanting for the wrong people and they should be chanting for her. Carmella says she went from the last Draft pick to Ms. Money in the Bank. Roberts asks Carmella about Charlotte, but Carmella blows off the question. Carmella picks Natalya to win, Roberts picks Charlotte, and Lawler picks Natalya.
We see footage of AJ Styles throwing out the first pitch at the Philadelphia Phillies game earlier today. We then take a look at Styles winning the WWE United States Championship from Kevin Owens in Madison Square Garden. Dasha is backstage and welcomes Styles. Styles says Owens talks a lot, but he hasn’t talked a lot in the last two weeks since Styles took the title from him. Styles says the United States title represents the workhorse of the WWE, and that is him. He says until someone outworks him, he will keep the title. He says Owens is not the man for the job. Tom Phillips walks up on Owens in the locker room. Owens says Styles needs to tell everyone how good he is, but people know he (Owens) is the best and the New Face of America. He says people know he deserves to be the United States Champion. He says people know this is the Kevin Owens Show and tonight he is taking his title back. He says he is more of a man than Styles will ever be because he is Canadian. Otunga says both men made immediate impacts when they came in and are on an even playing field. Roberts says Styles lives and breathes WWE. Otunga says Owens needs the win more tonight and Lawler agrees with him. Lawler picks Owens to win and Roberts picks Styles.
We join Kayla Braxton and Mike and Maria Kanellis in the Social Media Lounge. Someone asks when we will see Maria in the ring again. Maria says she is in the ring and does everything she needs to do to help her man. Someone else asks what Mike’s strategy is for tonight. He makes fun of the person’s name and then says he strategy is to punch Sami Zayn in the head as hard as he can, just like he did on Tuesday. Someone asks them how they can find love. Maria says you just have to wait until the right person looks at you.
Tye Dillinger vs. Aiden English
English applies a headlock and then drops Dillinger with a shoulder tackle. They lock up and English applies a wrist-lock, but Dillinger gets free and takes English down with an arm drag and then does a “10” taunt. Dillinger delivers a chop, bu English turns it around and decks Dillinger with a right hand. Dillinger comes back with a clothesline and then stomps away on English in the corner. English goes to the apron and decks him in the jaw and then drives a knee into the back of Dillinger’s head. English stomps away on Dillinger in the middle of the ring and then tosses him into the corner. English connects with a hip attack in the corner and then tosses him down to the mat as we head to a break.
We’re back and Dillinger kicks out of a pin attempt by English. English drives his knee into Dillinger’s back and then applies a headlock. Dillinger fights back and backs English into the corner, but English connects with a right hand into Dillinger’s back. English goes to the ropes and jumps, but Dillinger catches him with a dropkick. Dillinger chops English and then drops him with a couple flying forearms. Dillinger drops English with a clothesline and then stomps down onto him. Dillinger sets up for the Tye-breaker, but English rolls out of the ring. Dillinger follows, but English connects with a kick to the midsection. English rolls Dillinger back into the ring, but Dillinger catches him with a spine-buster. Dillinger goes for the cover, but English kicks out at two. Dillinger puts English on the top rope and delivers a chop. Dillinger climbs and goes for a superplex, but English fights back and headbutts Dillinger to the mat. English goes for a cross-body, but Dillinger rolls through and gets a two count. Dillinger goes for the Tye-breaker, but English holds on and drapes Dillinger’s neck over the top rope. English connects with a face-buster and goes for the cover, but Dillinger kicks out at two. English picks Dillinger up and goes for the Tye-breaker himself, but Dillinger gets free. they exchange roll-ups for two counters and Dillinger takes English to the corner and delivers a series of right hands. English gets free and slams Dillinger into the top turnbuckle and then delivers another face-buster and gets the pin fall.
Winner: Aiden English.
We see footage of Jinder Mahal and The Singh Brothers arriving to the arena earlier today. He is interviewed in his native language. We then take a look at the video hype package for the feud between Mahal and Randy Orton. Lawler says this feud has been back-and-forth. Roberts says history will be made tonight and Otunga says Mahal has something up his sleeve tonight.
