WWE Battleground 2017: 5 things WWE could do at the PPV to set up Summerslam

#4 The 'Miztourage' attack John Cena and Rusev setting up an Intercontinental Championship opportunity for Cena at Summerslam

An unlikely appearance?

The very second fans realised that John Cena Vs. Rusev would be a signature feud going into Battleground, many began to worry for the Bulgarian's fate going forward. Being a heel in a feud with John Cena rarely offers anything but failure and an unceremonious slip down the pecking order. But what if the WWE were to really do something big with the match, setting up several different storylines heading into Summerslam?

Before his return to Smackdown on 4th July, some in the WWE Universe were musing on the idea of Rusev coming back as a face. There is a large portion of the viewing audience that would like to cheer for Rusev.

He is an obvious talent and has shown how versatile his personality can be if the situation requires it. Something that would really shock the audience on Sunday would be the beginning of a face turn for the Bulgarian Brute.

John Cena made it clear on his return that he was coming back as a free agent. Superstars from both RAW and Smackdown can theoretically wrestle against him and this means he can go after all available championships. What if Summerslam 2017 is a way to have John Cena challenge for the Intercontinental belt, a title he has never previously held?

There still seems to be some left over animosity between Cena and The Miz following Wrestlemania. On the night following the event, Cena and Maryse came out dressed as Cena and Nikki Bella, something that was never actually dealt with by the newly engaged couple.

With Miz's feud against Dean Ambrose growing more tiresome by the minute, it's time the company did something out of the ordinary to inject some intrigue back into the championship scene. The Miz could start this off by attacking Cena with the rest of the Miztourage during the Cena Vs. Rusev match at Battleground. Rusev would initially stand there not knowing what to do, before deciding to precipitate what would be a huge crowd reaction by joining in to help Cena. The two would form an unlikely alliance for the next few weeks, helping Rusev along in his babyface push.

While this might be quite a far fetched direction for the writers to take, it would at least make Rusev more than just a place holder for Cena. Very few are expecting Rusev to win on Sunday, but at least they can help turn him into a bigger star for the future. It would also give Cena an opportunity to complete the set of championships, holding the IC belt and defending it on both brands throughout the rest of the year.