The Big Show provided a big swerve in the Battleground main event between Randy Orton and Daniel Bryan for the vacant WWE title, knocking out everyone involved in the match - from referees to the two former WWE champions involved in the match - and may now have to pay a price for defying The Authority's orders. It was inevitable that the Big Show would explode after involuntarily doing the company's dirty work but what will WWE COO Triple H and Stephanie McMahon do to punish the Big Show for his disobedience?
The Big Show is not the only one who has to deal with The Authority, after The Rhodes - Cody Rhodes and Goldust - won their jobs back beating The Shield's Seth Rollins and Roman Reigns (the WWE Tag-Team champions). While the legendary wrestling clan is on cloud-nine after their huge career-saving victory, what will Triple H and McMahon have in store for the Rhodes Family now that they are back on the WWE roster?
Alberto Del Rio proved to Rob Van Dam to what extremes he will go to in order to keep the WWE Heavyweight title, beating the former ECW champion at his own game in the Battleground Hardcore Rules match, using a clever combination of a steel chair and his Cross Armbreaker to tap out the challenger. Who will be the next man to step to the champion, who is currently on a roll, fending off challenges from all angles?
CM Punk outsmarted Paul Heyman, ruining Ryback's debut as a "Heyman Guy" - despite the fact the monster dominated Punk throughout most of their match at Battleground. With Ryback angry at Punk and his low tactics to win the match, will Heyman's latest acolyte get revenge on the "Straight-Edge Superstar" or will Punk finally get his hands on his former mentor?
The WWE Title situation remains as murky as the day the title was held vacant by Triple H, with both Daniel Bryan and Randy Orton still far from having settled their vendetta for the title after the Big Show's interference in the main event. With the match ending in a no-contest after everyone was knocked out by the Big Show, what will become of the WWE Title in the aftermath of Battleground.
TV Schedule
WWE Raw airs at 8 p.m. EST Monday, Oct. 7, 2013 on the USA Network.