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| photo courtesy: wwe.com |
With every passing week and every dismantling victory, fans wondered when self-professed "Real Americans" Jack Swagger and Zeb Colter would stand up in the face of the Rusev onslaught.
That time came on the June 30 episode of Raw, and the crowd responded quite favorably. After six years spent as a heel, Swagger instantly became a babyface. More importantly, he instantly became one of the most over babyfaces on the roster, proving that something as simple as a patriotic angle still works in today's wrestling landscape.
The promo work by Colter and Lana and the physical encounters between Swagger and Rusev have helped make their rivalry the hottest. As a result, their match at Battleground has become one of the most eagerly anticipated on the card. That anticipation brings with it a fair amount of pressure for Swagger and Rusev to deliver a match befitting of the hype and response.
Prediction: Double count-out
This is one of the most difficult matches on Sunday's card to predict.
Swagger and Colter have gotten over so strong as babyfaces that sacrificing that heat on a C-level event such as Battleground would be a mistake. At the same time, ending Rusev's undefeated streak via disqualification or count-out would be a disappointing way to conclude something fans are finally buying into.
Thus, the most effective finish for Sunday's match would be a double count-out.
Would it be satisfying? Absolutely not. But it would allow for the program to continue on for another match, leading to a much more high-profile match at SummerSlam.
The work of all of the talented people involved has earned them the right to continue their program. If the writing staff can continue to craft the quality of segments that it has to this point, crowds will continue to reward them with the loud, raucous responses that they have enjoyed thus far.
source: bleacherreport.com
