Battleground 2013

Battleground was a professional wrestling pay-per-view (PPV) event produced by WWE, which took place on October 6, 2013 at the First Niagara Center in Buffalo, New York. It was the first Battleground pay-per-view and the ninth event in the 2013 WWE PPV schedule.
==Background==
Battleground featured professional wrestling matches that involved different wrestlers from pre-existing feuds, plots, and storylines that played out on WWE's primary television programs. Wrestlers portrayed villains or heroes as they followed a series of events that built tension and culminated in a wrestling match or series of matches.
After defeating Randy Orton at Night of Champions for the WWE Championship, Daniel Bryan was stripped of the title after referee Scott Armstrong admitted to a fast 3-count. However, Triple H did not give Orton the title back since he and his wife Stephanie McMahon believed that Orton's performance at Night of Champions was not what they wanted the face of the WWE to be, stating that they wanted the more ruthless Orton that they feuded with previously. It was then announced that Daniel Bryan and Randy Orton would face off once more for the vacant championship.
At Night of Champions Rob Van Dam faced the champion Alberto Del Rio for the World Heavyweight Championship in which Van Dam won by disqualification. On the September 20th episode of SmackDown, Triple H gave Van Dam a rematch with Del Rio at Battleground for the World Heavyweight Championship. Immediately afterwards, Del Rio would proceed to viciously assault RVD backstage. The next week the match was made as a hardcore match.
CM Punk began feuding with Paul Heyman in July after Heyman cost him the Money in the Bank ladder match for a WWE Championship contract at Money in the Bank 2013 (due to Punk earlier telling Heyman he didn't want him to be his manage)r. This resulted in Punk fighting and losing to Brock Lesnar at SummerSlam. Punk continued to feud with Heyman and his other client, Curtis Axel resulting in a handicap elimination match at Night of Champions. After Axel was eliminated, Punk handcuffed and beat down Heyman much like Heyman had done to him a couple of weeks prior on Raw. However, Ryback made the save, putting Punk through a table and costing him the match. On the September 23 episode of Raw it was announced that Punk would face Ryback at Battleground.
Also on September 23, Brie Bella pinned AJ Lee during a 10-diva tag team match, leading to Bella receiving a match for Lee's Divas Championship at the PPV.
On the September 30 episode of Raw, Cody Rhodes (who had weeks earlier been fired from WWE in part due to perceived insubordination by Triple H) and Goldust (who was lobbying to get his younger brother's job back) were given a non-title tag team match against WWE Tag Team Champions The Shield (Seth Rollins and Roman Reigns) by Triple H and Stephanie McMahon. If the Rhodes brothers win, they get their jobs back. If the Shield wins, Goldust and Cody's father Dusty Rhodes will be fired from his position as an NXT trainer, and the Rhodes Family will be banned from WWE.
The same night, R-Truth defeated Intercontinental Champion Curtis Axel in a non-title match. Two nights later on Main Event, it was announced that R-Truth would get a title match against Axel at Battleground.
On the September 30 Raw and the October 4 SmackDown, Bray Wyatt delivered cryptic messages to Kofi Kingston after Kingston's matches, leading to a match between them at the PPV.
Another match scheduled features Santino Marella teaming with The Great Khali to take on The Real Americans (Jack Swagger and Antonio Cesaro) in a tag team match.
==Aftermath==
The next night on Raw, Brad Maddox announced that Randy Orton will face Daniel Bryan once again at Hell in a Cell in a Hell in a Cell match with a special guest referee. The WWE Universe was allowed to choose amongst Booker T, Bob Backlund and Shawn Michaels. Michaels won the vote.
With Rob Van Dam out of the title picture, Alberto Del Rio tried to coerce Vickie Guerrero to make him the "face of the WWE" due to the fact he's the only active major champion. Later that night. Del Rio went to compete in a match against Ricardo Rodriguez. Vickie would then announce that Del Rio must defend the World Heavyweight Championship against John Cena - who had been out of action since SummerSlam - due to an elbow injury.
CM Punk would continue his feud with Paul Heyman and Ryback once again after he defeated the latter due to a low blow, which the referee never saw, because Heyman diverted the latter's attention by taking out a kendo stick from under the ring and attempt to strike Punk. On October 9, WWE.com announced that CM Punk will face Ryback again in a rematch at Hell in a Cell.
==Results==
;
;
*Kickoff Show: Dolph Ziggler defeated Damien Sandow (10:22)
*Alberto Del Rio (c) defeated Rob Van Dam (w/ Ricardo Rodriguez) in a Battleground Hardcore Rules match to retain the World Heavyweight Championship (17:08)
*The Real Americans (Jack Swagger & Antonio Cesaro) (w/ Zeb Colter) defeated Santino Marella & The Great Khali (w/ Hornswoggle) (7:11)
*Curtis Axel (w/ Paul Heyman) defeated R-Truth to retain the WWE Intercontinental Championship (7:36)
*AJ Lee (c) (w/ Tamina) defeated Brie Bella (w/ Nikki Bella) to retain the Diva's Championship (6:37)
*Cody Rhodes & Goldust (w/ Dusty Rhodes) defeated The Shield (Seth Rollins & Roman Reigns) (w/ Dean Ambrose) (13:54)
:*If Goldust and Cody win, they will be reinstated by WWE.
:*If The Shield wins, Dusty will lose his job as an NXT trainer and the Rhodes family will be banned from WWE.
*Bray Wyatt (w/ Luke Harper & Erick Rowan) defeated Kofi Kingston (8:27)
*CM Punk defeated Ryback (w/ Paul Heyman) (14:47)
*Daniel Bryan vs. Randy Orton ended in a no contest for the vacant WWE Championship (25:00)
==Other on-screen talent==
;Commentators
*Jerry Lawler
*Michael Cole
*John Bradshaw Layfield
*Marcelo Rodriguez
*Carlos Cabrera
;Interviewers
*Renee Young
;Pre-show panel
*Josh Mathews
*Tensai
*Titus O'Neil
*The Miz	
;Ring announcer
*Lilian Garcia
*Justin Roberts
;Referees
*Jason Ayers
*Charles Robinson
*Rod Zapata
*Marc Harris
*Chad Patton
*Mike Chioda
*John Cone
*Scott Armstrong
==See Also==
*List of WWE pay-per-view events
*World Wrestling Entertainment/Event history
*Battleground
*Event gallery
==DVD release==
* Battleground 2013 on DVD
==External links==
* Battleground 2013 Official Website
* Battleground 2013 at CAGEMATCH.net
* Battleground 2013 at Online World of Wrestling
* on WWE Network
Category:World Wrestling Entertainment pay-per-view events
Category:2013 pay-per-view events
Category:Battleground
Category:Events with Hardcore matches