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WWE Battleground 2017 Live Results: Highlights, Analysis, and Grades

By Rob Wolkenbrod

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No. 1 Contenders Match for the SmackDown Women’s Championship
Becky Lynch vs. Charlotte Flair vs. Lana vs. Natalya vs. Tamina

Result: Natalya becomes the new No. 1 contender to the SmackDown Women’s Championship.

Rating: 2.5 out of 5 stars

It’s all about the battle to face Naomi at SummerSlam. That’s what these five women went for at Battleground, as the winner gets a SmackDown Women’s Championship match — the first one officially made for August’s show.

Lana and Tamina worked together early and often here, something we still have no idea why it exists. They went after Charlotte Flair and knocked her down, limb by limb, for a solid few minutes in the ring. Let’s see if WWE makes any more sense of this in the weeks to come.

Then, the match briefly lost its logic. Lana broke up a Sharpshooter from Natalya and Tamina ended a DisArmHer attempt by Lynch. It’s an Elimination match, folks.

Here’s the elimination order:

  • Tamina (via submission by Becky Lynch)
  • Lana (via submission by Becky Lynch)
  • Becky Lynch (via pinfall by Natalya)
  • Charlotte Flair (via pinfall by Natalya)

The first three eliminations came at rapid fire, almost like the women were told to speed up the match. They came within seconds of each other, leaving Charlotte and Natalya.

After Charlotte’s neck hit the turnbuckle, Natalya got the quick and surprising pin. She’ll face Naomi for the title at SummerSlam.

An interesting choice by WWE, going against using the biggest names (Flair and Lynch) on the biggest stage. It’s an opportunity for Natalya, however, to get back into the title picture and add to her legacy. This will be her first opportunity since the spring of 2016.

SummerSlam also has its first match set. This doesn’t usually happen with the Women’s division, but it’s a sign of change.

As for the match, nothing much to see here. It was rushed and never really got off the ground. All four eliminations were fast and felt like the women were short on time.