WWE Battleground 2017: 5 Best Matches in PPV History

3. John Cena vs. Kevin Owens, 2015

2015 was the year the greater WWE Universe was introduced to Kevin Owens. We kind of take it for granted now, since he’s done so much on the main roster since then. But his initial feud with John Cena really established what KO was capable of in WWE.

At Battleground, Owens took on Cena for the third time. Owens suprised a lot of people when he defeated Cena at Elimination Chamber. Then, Cena surprised no one when he was granted a rematch – that he won – at Money in the Bank. For the rubber match at Battleground, Cena’s United States Championship would be on the line for the first time.

And, much like the first two matches, Owens and Cena threw everything they had at each other. There were multiple finisher reversals and kickouts. There was move stealing – Owens locked Cena in the STF after an Attitude Adjustment. You name it, we saw it.

But in the end, John Cena won, because in 2015 that’s what John Cena did. Hey, at least we got to see Owens kick out of an AA from the middle rope! Still, Cena won via submission, which led to possibly the greatest crowd reaction shot since Miz Girl:

Same, people. Regardless, Owens proved his worth on the main roster, and even though he won you can’t say that Cena didn’t put Owens over. And things have worked out pretty well for KO since then, anyway.