WWE Smackdown report: Seth Rollins Curb Stomps Dean Ambrose ahead of Battleground

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Dean Ambrose and Seth Rollins share a war of words ahead of their Battleground clash on Sunday

Dean Ambrose will get a piece of Seth Rollins on Sunday – but he got a face full of metal on Friday.

Ambrose warmed up for his grudge match with his former Shield cohort at Battleground by tackling Kane on Smackdown and while The Lunatic Fringe emerged victorious it came at a cost.

The Cincinnati native beat The Big Red Monster by disqualification after Rollins – who was not able to compete on the blue brand after tweaking his knee on Raw – blasted him with his Money in the Bank briefcase.

But that was not the full extent of The Architect’s attack, as he followed it up by crashing Ambrose’s head into the steel steps courtesy of a Curb Stomp.

Elsewhere, four of the grapplers scheduled to partake in Sunday’s Battle Royal for the vacant Intercontinental Championship squared off, with Sheamus and Dolph Ziggler teaming up against Fandango and The Miz.

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Fandango gets spurned by Summer Rae and Layla – but given a pick-me-up by the inspirational Bo Dallas.

The fan favourites prevailed when Sheamus Brogue Kicked Fandango and Ziggler pinned The Miz but The Celtic Warrior and The Show-Off are not the only title hopefuls with momentum.

Intent

Alberto Del Rio has vowed to win the Intercontinental Championship for the first time this weekend and he gave a strong showing of his talents by flooring the energetic Kofi Kingston on Friday evening.

Chris Jericho and Bray Wyatt do not have titles in their minds, though, with The Ayatollah of Rock ‘n’ Rolla and The Eater of Worlds intent purely on defeating each other at Battleground, live on Sky Sports Box Office.

Jericho notched a victory prior to that showdown by dealing with Erick Rowan’s interference and pinning Luke Harper on Smackdown – and Wyatt could not even get a sneaky dig in after the match.

The Wyatt Family was unable to batter Chris Jericho on Smackdown

As the Wyatt Family leader and his minions, Rowan and Harper, attempted to administer a beating, WWE Tag Team Champions The Usos burst onto the scene to save six-time World Champion Jericho.

But will Y2J be able to save himself on Sunday?

In Divas action, AJ Lee and Paige shared an ungainly hug after conquering Summer Rae and Layla, while Eva Marie and Alicia Fox decided to batter referee Nikki Bella instead of wrestling each other.

And, finally, Real American, Jack Swagger, and Hero of the Russian Federation, Rusev, waved their respective country’s flags vigorously ahead of their clash at Battleground.

WWE Battleground will be shown at 1am on Sunday, July 20 (Monday morning) on Sky Sports Box Office and Sky Sports HD Box Office, with repeats available until the following Saturday.

BATTLEGROUND BOOKING DETAILS

WWE Battleground will be shown at 1am, Sunday, July 20 (Monday morning) on Sky Sports Box Office (channel 743) and Sky Sports HD Box Office (channel 752).

WWE Battleground will be repeated on Sky Sports Box Office (channel 743) BUT NOT Sky Sports HD Box Office (channel 752) until 9pm on Saturday, July 26.

Repeats showing will last for three hours, with the final showing BEGINNING at 9pm on Saturday, July 26.

The event is priced at £14.95 for UK customers, €21.95 for customers in the Republic of Ireland.

Viewers can call 08442 410 888 to book WWE Battleground from Tuesday, July 8. (There may be an additional charge for telephone bookings).

You can book WWE Battleground online from Tuesday, July 8 by visiting this link: https://my.sky.com/orderboxoffice/

You can also order WWE Battleground at a later date by pressing the Box Office button on your remote. Select 'sports & events' and follow the on-screen instructions.

Cable customers should contact their local cable operator.